Bridge for Fire Hose.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 13th July, 1897-Accepted, 2nd Oct., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION,
Bridge for Fire Hose.
We, WILLIAM T. SLIDER and JOSEPH MATZ, of Indianapolis, in the County of
Marion, and State of Indiana, United States of America, Machinists do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
Our invention relates to apparatus designed for use upon the track or rails of street
rail-ways as well as steam rail-ways, and consists of the parts and combination of
parts whereby we provide a temporary bridge adapted to carry the cars over water
hose which may be laid across the tracks during fires or at other times for any
purpose.
The object of our invention is to provide a temporary bridge which will be durable
and efficient in use, light in weight in order to be readily portable, compact in form
and simple in construction and application, and I accomplish these objects by the
mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1, is a view in perspective of a street-railway with a hose across the track
and with our improved bridge applied to carry the cars over the hose; Figure 2, a
vertical section on the line 2, 2, of Figure 1; Figure 3, a detail in perspective of one
of the bridge points showing the notched construction of same; Figure 4 a detail
in perspective and cross-section on the line 4, 4, of Figure 1, looking in the direction
of the arrow; Figure 5, a detail in side elevation of one of the spreader-arms showing
the turn-buckle used on same, and Figure 6, a longitudinal sectional view on a line
midway between the rails of the track and showing a modified construction of our
bridge.
Similar letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views of the
drawings.
In carrying our invention into practice the various parts will be of such material
as may be best adapted to provide the maximum strength with the minimum
weight.
Referring to the drawings, A represents the rails of a street railway of usual
construction and B are metallic bridges or elevating rails which are arched at the
center and have an upper bearing surface which corresponds with and forms a
continuation of the upper surface of the street rails. The car wheel comes in contact
with this surface. The elevating rails B, will preferably be made out of rolled metal
plates which are cut to shape in the flat and this upper bearing surface b, formed by
swaging the upper end of the flat plate over at right angles to form a flange. The
body portion of the plate becomes a web to support the flange b. This web will rest
against the inside of the higher portion of the rail A, and the straight lower edge of
the web will bear upon the inner horizontal track of the rail A. By the construction
as thus described the gage or distance between the rails B, will be less than the
distance between the rails A by an amount equal to the thickness of the web at each
rail, and in order to make the gage uniform we provide an off-set at C, equal to the
thickness of the web, opposite the top of the rail A, whereby those portions of the

page_text: bridge rails B, which are above the offsets C, will project over onto the tops of the
rails A, thereby providing better support for the bridge and making the gage
uniform with the rest of the track.
The web will be provided with apertures b¹ for the water hose E, which will be
passed through these openings in the manner as shown in Figure 1.
D and D' are diagonal braces of iron which will be preferably be bolted together
at their intersection by means of the bolt d, and the ends of the bars are rounded
and reduced in size whereby an abrupt shoulder is provided at the junction of the
bar with its rounded end. Holes are provided through the webs and the rounded
ends of the diagonal bars are projected through these openings in the manner as
shown in Figures 1 and 4, and are held in place by means of a wedge D2, which is
driven through a slot de formed longitudinally of the rounded end of the brace bars.
These bars D and D¹ will preferably be rounded or arched upwardly in the middle
portions thereof to provide ample clearance between them and the roadway between
the tracks. E' is a tie-rod to keep the bridges B, from spreading. The ends of this
rod are projected through the webs of the bridges and are fastened by means of
wedges in the manner described for the diagonal braces D and D'.
To additionally support the bridges at their middle portions where the greatest
spreading tendency will be experienced, we will provide the lateral outside braces F,
which are secured to the webs of the bridges in the manner as clearly shown in the
drawing. The outer ends of the braces will be provided with bearing screws f,
whereby positive contact with the pavement can be had.
The ends of the flanges b, will be projected beyond the web and reinforced on the
under side with wedges G, which have under-side claw teeth g, adapted to gouge
into the street rails when the weight of the cars are upon them.
Near each end of the elevating rails are sockets h, to receive the end of the
spreader bar H. The bar H is in two parts, the inner end of one of which is
provided with a right hand thread and the other of which is provided with a left
hand thread and the two ends work into a correspondingly threaded turn-buckle H¹,
whereby, by turning the buckle in the proper direction the spreader bar can be
lengthened and the elevating rails forced out against the rails of the car track.
spreader bar is readily detached from the elevating rails by contracting its length
and withdrawing its ends from the sockets.
The
In the modification shown in Figure 6, an inside lower track 63, for wagon wheels,
is provided and the ends of the diagonal braces D³, are bolted to the lugs m,
projected upwardly from the web of the track.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
1. The combination with a railway track of a pair of arched bridge rails having
their upper surfaces corresponding to the upper surfaces of the street rails said
arched rails having at the central part thereof a suitable aperture to receive the
lines of water hose, braces at one side of said bridge rails providing a lateral
support, claw teeth at the under side of each of said bridge rails adapted to gouge
into said street rails, sockets at the inside of each end of said bridge rails, crossed
braces connecting the said pair of bridge rails, spreading arms adapted to enter said
sockets in the rail ends and having a turn-buckle suitably threaded and engaging the
opposite ends of said spreading arms by which said rails may be forced apart and
in contact with said street rails, substantially as and for the purposes shown and
described.
2. In a bridge for fire hose of the character described, the combination of the
arched rails B, having the claw teeth g, at the lower side of the ends thereof,
and central openings b', lateral braces F for said bridge rails, cross braces D, D',
connecting said bridge rails, the two-part spreader bar H adapted to engage at its
puter ends in said sockets h, and the turn-buckle H¹ connecting the inner ends of

page_text: said arms to provide means for spreading said bridge rails against the inner sides of
said track rails, substantially as and for the purposes shown and described.
Dated thin 12th day of T... 1907
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants.