Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Mar., 1898-Accepted, 7th May, 1898
I, SAMUEL SIDNEY BROMHEAD, of 171, Queen Victoria Street, in the City and
County of London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, a
communication from abroad, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The aim of this invention is to provide a perfect joint for the meeting ends of.
two rails.
Even with the most perfect methods of rolling it is not possible to obtain an
accurate fit between the whole length of a fishplate or angle plate and the head.and
flange of a rail.
There can never be contact over the whole length of the fishplate, but only at a few'
odd points, which may be anywhere.
Excessive stresses are unavoidably produced in the neighbourhood of these points
and when the bolts are tightened, pressures of an injurious character are set up.
More particularly is this the case in the fishplates through the vertical pressure
at the joint. In addition the tightened fishplates tend to produce shearing at the:
head and at the flange of the rail, which leads to its destruction.
To remedy these evils, it has been found that, by using a joining-piece made of a
single piece of metal, and by forging the sides thereof into permanent contact with
the meeting ends of two rails, a contact equal to the surface contact between the
joining piece and the head and flange of the rails is normally provided.
This will tend to give as much as possible the continuity of an unbroken rail, the
great area of contact between the joining piece and the rails giving great stiffness and
strength at the joint.
The joining piece is preferably forged to fit to the head, web and base of the
meeting rails, but in some cases the joining piece may be forged only to fit the head
and base of the meeting rails.
This permanent contact is not broken, as the rails expand and contract, from the
changes in temperature, the expansion and contraction simply causing slight mole-
cular abrasion, without affecting the intimate permanent contact between the joining
pieces and the rails.
In this case, two forms of press, which may be advantageously employed to make
this new and improved joint, are shown.
Also a bond is shown, which may be advantageously used in connection with my
improved joint, in case the rails are to be used as electric conductors.
In the accompanying three sheets of drawings,
Fig. 1 is an end elevation illustrating the manner in which a hydraulic press is
used to forge the blank on to the meeting ends of two rails.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.
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page_text: PPP
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parts in place during the forging operation.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the completed joint when a bond is used
therewith.
Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the blank which is preferably employed for
making the joining piece.
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the completed joint.
Fig. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a modified form of blank..
Fig. 8 is a perspective view illustrating the joint formed from the blank shown in
Fig. 6.
Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a second modified form of blank.
Fig. 10 is a perspective view illustrating the joint formed from the blank shown in
Fig. 8.
Fig. 11 is an end elevation similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified form of press for
forming the joint.
Fig. 12 is a view similar to Fig. 11 showing the parts in a different position, and
Fig. 13 is a sectional view taken on the line 13-13 of Fig. 12.
A joining piece for connecting the meeting ends of rails constructed according to
this invention is formed from a single piece of metal formed preferably into a
substantially U-shaped blank, or any other shape suitable for forging.
This blank is preferably heated to a high temperature, placed on the meeting ends
of two rails, and then is forged by a press, preferably a hydraulic press, to encircle the
meeting ends of two rails, the press being kept under a high pressure on the blank,
say from one hundred to three hundred tons, until the blank cools.
This will forge the joining piece into permanent contact with the meeting ends of
the two rails, so that the same, when in place, will tend to bite and grip the rails.
The ordinary bolts are then preferably secured in place merely as safe-guards, but
can be omitted, if desired..
This mode of construction will insure a permanent contact between the joining
piece and the rails, independent of the pressure applied from the bolts, so that, even
if the bolts or nuts should become loose, there is still a solid contact between the
joining-piece and the rails.
This gives practically an integral structure, so that, when pressure is applied to the
joint, the same will act approximately as a continuous rail, giving the necessary.
compressive elastic resistance and approximately the respective stiffness of a con-
tinuous rail.
It is known that it has been previously proposed to use a single joining piece of
metal, but, so far as is known, the same has never been forged into permanent
contact with the meeting ends of the rails, the only contact previously obtained being
due to the pressure of the nuts, and this being obtained only at a few accidental
points.
By this invention, there will be a normal permanent engagement between the
joining piece and the meeting ends of the rails, which will tend to make, so far as is
possible with separate pieces, an integral joint.
Referring to the drawings and in detail, A and B designate the ordinary T or
track rails, which are to be connected.
The blank which is preferably employed for forming my rail-joint, as illustrated in
Fig. 5, is formed from a single piece of metal, comprising a base-section 10, and
integral, outwardly-extending flanges 11 and 12 adapted to be forged into engage-
ment with the meeting ends of the rails; preferably into engagement with the head,
web and base of said rails.
A hydraulic press is preferably used to form the joint, the same consisting of
a base-piece 13 in which are mounted two plungers 14 and 15, which carry
jaws 17 and 18.
The jaws are adapted to engage the opposite sides of the joining-piece, to forge
the same firmly into engagement with the rails, and the jaws are shaped to forge the
joining piece to approximately correspond with the contour of the rails.

page_text: The jaws are forced simultaneously towards each other by any suitable nyaraune
eans, which may be controlled by a handle 20, the details of the hydraulic
echanism not being necessary to show in this case..
A supporting piece 33 is placed un ler the base-piece 10 of the blank, to hold the
ame in position on the ends of the two rails.
Pins 34 are secured in the ends of this supporting piece 33.
Links 35-35 and 36-36 are slipped on the ends of the pins 34.
Pins 37-37 are passed through the upper ends of each set of links 35-36, as
shown in Fig. 3.
An engaging piece 38 is slipped under the pins 37.
Arranged on top of the framing 13 is a small hydraulic cylinder 41, which carries
a piston 40, having at the end thereof a head 39, which is adapted to engage under
the piece 38, as shown in Fig. 2.
The way the rail-joint is attached is as follows:
The two rails are first butted together. The blank is then preferably heated to a
high temperature, and is placed in position on the supporting piece 33.
-Pressure is then admitted into the cylinder 41, and the supporting piece is raised
so as to hold the joining-piece tightly and accurately in place for the forging
operation.
Pressure is then admitted behind the pistons 14 and 15 to force the two jaws .17
and 18 towards each other to forge the blank into intimate contact with the sides of
the rails, as shown in Fig. 1.
A pressure of from one hundred to three hundred tons is about what is used.
The jaws are left in position until the blank cools, and, when the blank has set and
become of the normal temperature, it will normally remain in contact with the ends.
of the rails..
Then, when the joint is thus formed, the ordinary bolts 27 may be applied through
the joining piece, and held in place by nuts 28..
Instead of employing the blank, as thus far described, blanks having strengthening
flanges may be employed, and such construction is illustrated in Figs. 7 to 10.
The blank illustrated in Fig. 7 is provided at its ends with strengthening
flanges 30 and 31, so that the same, when completed, will have substantially the
shape illustrated in Fig. 8.
The blank illustrated in Fig. 8 is provided near its centre with a strengthening
5 flange 32 so that the completed joining piece will have substantially the shape
illustrated in Fig. 9.
When the rails are used to form electric conductors, a strip of some soft metal
of high conductive capacity, such as copper, is placed in the joining-piece, before
the same is forged into position, so that the joining-piece will tightly hold the
40 copper bond in firm contact with the meeting ends of the rails, as shown at 50
in Fig. 4.
In Figs. 10 to 13, a modified form of press is shown, so arranged as to go under
instead of over the joint.
The press is substantially the same as that before described, except that the
45 cylinder 41 is omitted.
The handle 20 in this modification may be arranged to operate a suitable piston 19
in the ordinary manner common in hydraulic jacks, to simultaneously force the
plungers 14 and 15 towards each other.
Projecting up from the framing are lugs 200, in which are secured pins or
50 bolts 21.
55
Engaging these bolts are the curved ends 22 of a yoke 23, in which is tapped a
screw 24 carrying a bearing-piece 25 adapted to engage the top of a rail.
A bridge-piece 26 is arranged in the press, so that the same will set properly
relatively to the rails.
When this form of press is used, the same is slipped under the joint, and th
screw actuated to raise the bridge-piece on to the under side of the joining-piec

page_text: to hold the joining-piece and the ends of the rails accurately in place for the forging
operation.
The fluid necessary to operate the parts may be supplied from any suitable source,
and controlled by any of the usual systems of valves.
Other forms of presses besides hydraulic may be designed, of course, to carry out
the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A rail joint comprising a single metallic piece, the sides of which are forged
into permanent contact with the meeting ends of two rails, substantially as
described.
2. A rail joint comprising a single metallic piece, the sides of which are forged
into permanent contact with the head and base of the meeting rails, substantially as
described.
3. A rail joint comprising a single metallic piece, the sides of which are hot-
forged into permanent contact with the meeting ends of two rails, substantially as
described.
4. A press for forming rail-joints, comprising a framing, dies shaped to forge a
joining piece to substantially correspond with the contour of the rails, and means for
actuating the press so that the same will forge a joining piece into permanent
contact with the meeting ends of the rails, substantially as described.
5. A press for forming rail-joints, comprising a frame, dies shaped to forge a
joining piece to substantially correspond with the contour of the rails, means for
actuating the press so that the same will forge a joining piece into permanent
contact with the meeting ends of the rails, and means for supporting the joining-
piece during the forging operation, substantially as described.
6. A press for forming rail-joints, comprising a framing, dies shaped to forge a
joining piece to substantially correspond with the contour of the rails, and means for
moving the dies simultaneously towards each other to forge a joining piece into
permanent contact with the meeting ends of the rails, substantially as described.
7. A rail joint comprising a single metallic piece, the sides of which are forged
into permanent contact with the meeting ends of two rails, and a bond interposed
between the joining-piece and the rails, substantially as described.
8. The improved rail joint described in the foregoing Specification and illustrated
in the annexed drawings.
9. The method of forming a rail joint, which consists in forging a single metallic
piece into permanent contact with the meeting ends of two rails, substantially as
described.
Dated 1:00.
1000
S. S. BROMHEAD,.
171, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C.