A New or improved Kall Joint.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 12th May, 1898-Accepted, 18th June, 1898
A New or improved Kall Joint.
I, WILLIAM HOWARD TALLEY, of the City of Waco, State of Texas, U.S.A.,
Gentleman, 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:―
My invention relates to improvements in electric track circuit rail joints, and it
consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts more fully set forth and
described in the specification and pointed out in the claims.
In the drawings
Fig. 1, is a vertical cross section of a rail joint constructed according to my
invention taken through that portion adjacent to one of the securing bolts.
Fig. 2, is a perspective view of the base of one of the angular fish plates broken
away; and
Fig. 3, is a perspective view of one of the conducting bars also broken away.
The object of any invention is to construct a perfect rail joint, that is one that will
not only stand the rough usage to which the same is necessarily subjected, but at
the same time convey the electric current from one rail to the other, without any
leakage or loss of the current. The parts being so constructed that no moisture or
water can possible come in contact with those parts of the rails and fish plates and
angle bars that are in direct contact with the electric conducting bars, which form a
rigid and compact part of the rail joint. Further than this, the electric conducting
bars are entirely hidden from view and cannot be cut, destroyed, or removed as is
generally done when they are exposed.
Briefly stated the invention consists of the employment of the ordinary rails
without alteration of any kind, angular bars and fish plates one of which is provided
with smooth openings for the free passage of the bolts, the other provided with screw
threaded openings for receiving the screw threaded ends of the bolts, the said bolts
being of sufficient length to pass a suitable distance beyond the said last named fish
plate when the parts are in a compact position, nuts screwed on said projecting ends
of the bolts and against said fish plate forming a perfect nut lock for holding the
parts in their compact position, grooves formed on the lower surface of the base of
each fish plate, and electric conducting bars snugly and compactly located in said
grooves, and bearing against and in direct contact with the upper surface of the base
of the rail.
Referring to the drawings 1, represents a rail of ordinary construction and composed
of a ball or tread portion 2, base 3, web 4, connecting the tread portion with the
base, and openings 5, formed in said web for the free passage of the bolts 6. The
angle bar or fish plate 7, which is located on one side of the meeting ends of
the rails is provided with an opening 8, of smooth bore through which the bolts 6 are
freely passed, the head 9, of said bolts being normally in direct contact with the
outer vertical surface of said angle bar. The opposite angle bar 10, is provided with
screw threaded openings 11, on a line with the openings 5, of the web of the rail and
the openings 8, of the angle bar 7, for receiving the screw threaded ends 12, of the
bolt 6, and when the said bolts are screwed home by turning the bolts from the

page_text: head thereof the parts will be thoroughly drawn together. The bolts are of sufficient
length to project a suitable distance beyond the outer vertical surface 13, of the
angle bar 10, when the parts are properly assembled, and upon said projecting ends
are screwed nuts 14, the latter being tightly turned against the vertical outer
surface 13, of the angle bar 10. By this means it is impossible for the parts to
become loosened and thereby destroy the electrical bonding now to be described.
Formed on the lower surface of the base flange 15 of each of the angle bars, and
at the inner corner of the same, or that part of the angle bars that is adjacent to the
juncture of the web and base of the rail, is a longitudinal triangular shaped groove 16,
the upper wall 17, of which is slightly arranged at angle to the vertical wall 18, of
said groove. Located within each of said grooves 16, is a conducting triangular
shaped bar 19, made preferably of copper, the same conforming approximately to the
form or shape of the groove which receives the saine. When the parts are properly
assembled together the flat surfaces 20, of the conducting bars, 19, will be in direct
contact with the upper flat surface 21 of the base 3 of the rail. The lower flat
surfaces 20, of the conducting bars are slightly curved or rounded at their reduced
edges as shown at 22, whereby they may easily ride over the upper flat surface of
the base of the rail when the parts are drawn together and further to conform to that
surface of the rail should the inner surfaces of the angle bars at any time be brought
in contact with the web of the rail through necessity.
I do not limit myself to the exact shape or size of the conducting bars herein
shown and described, or their exact location, as the same may be located at a position
anywhere along the line of contact of the angle bars or fish plates with base of the
rail, but the location herein shown is preferable from the fact that the angle bars are
not weakened by the grooves for receiving said conducting bars.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed,
declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A rail joint, comprising a suitable rail having suitable openings formed in the
web portion thereof, an angle bar located on one side of said rail and provided with
openings, an angle bar located on the opposite side of the rail and provided with screw
threaded openings, screw threaded bolts, passed through the openings in one of the
angle bars and web portion of the rail and screwed through the screw threaded
openings in opposite angle bar, and projecting a suitable distance beyond said last
named angle bar, and nuts screwed on the projecting ends of the bolts, substantially
as described.
2. A rail joint, comprising a suitable rail having suitable openings formed in the
web portion thereof, an angle bar located on one side of said rail and provided with
openings, an angle bar located on the opposite side of the rail and provided with
screw threaded openings, screw threaded bolts passed through the openings in one of
the angle bars and web portion of the rail and screwed through the screw threaded
openings in opposite angle bar, and projecting a suitable distance beyond said last
named angle bar, and nuts screwed on the projecting ends of the bolts, and suitable
conductors interposed between the angle bars and rail, substantially as described.
3. A rail joint, comprising a suitable rail having a base portion, angle bars located
on either side of said rail, means for holding the parts together, and a conductor
interposed between one or both of the angle bars and base of the rail, substantially as
described.
4. A rail joint, comprising a suitable rail having a base, angle bars located on either
side of said rail, and having basal flanges normally in contact with the base of the
rail, grooves formed in said basal flanges of the angle bars, and conductors located in
direct contact with the base of the rail, substantially as described.
5. A rail joint, comprising a suitable rail having a base, angle bars located on
either side of said rail, and having basal flanges normally in contact with the base of
the rail, angular shaped grooves formed in the basal flanges of the angle bars, and

page_text: triangular conducting bars located in said grooves and in direct contact with the
upper surfaces of the base of the rail, substantially as described.
6. A rail joint, comprising a suitable rail having a base and web, angle bars located
on either side of said rail, and having basal flanges, angular shaped grooves formed
on the lower surface of the basal flanges of the angle bars, angular conducting bars
having rounded edges, said conducting bars being in direct contact with the upper
surface of the base of the rail, and located with their rounded edges adjacent to the
web of the rail, substantially as described.