Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Feb., 1892-Accepted, 19th Mar., 1892
A communication by GEORGE GOULD STACY, of the City, County, and State of
New York, United States of America, Gentleman.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E. of the Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool and 6 Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, and 323 High Holborn in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, 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 :—
This invention relates to improvements in rail joints, and the object of the same
is to produce an extremely simple rail joint which may be quickly applied to the
meeting ends of rails, to hold them so that they cannot move laterally or
longitudinally.
To this end the invention consists in a rail joint constructed as herein described
and claimed. Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a
part of this Specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding
parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a broken vertical cross section through the joint, showing one end of
the rail, taken on the line 1-1 in Figure 2.
Figure 2 is a broken side elevation of the joint.
Figure 3 is a plan view of the same.
Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of the base plate of the joint: and
Figure 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the angle plates.
The joint is provided with a base plate 10, which is adapted to be secured upon
the sleepers 11, and which supports the rails 12. The base plate has vertical
flanges 13 on opposite sides, which flanges are widened in the middle, as shown
at 14, and the widened portions enter the recesses 15 in the bases 16 of the
angle plates 17. These angle plates take the place of the ordinary fish plate, and
the recesses 15 are produced centrally in their lower edges so that the plates
interlock with the base plates, as described above. It will be noticed that the end
portions 18 of the angle plates are adapted to overlap the flanges 14 of the base
plates, and these portions are recessed at the edge to provide for the insertion of
the spikes 19, by which the base plate is held in a fixed position. The angle
plates 17 have their bases 16 shaped to fit nicely upon the flange of the rail, aud
the upper edges of the angle plates are curved upward and outward, as is best
shown at 20 in Figure 1, so as to fit beneath the tread of the rail and greatly
strengthen the same. This enables the rail to be worn thin without danger, and,
moreover, the edges of the angle plates take much of the wear from the flanges
of the car wheels, thus saving the rail.
To further strengthen the angle plates, they are curved outward slightly in the
centre, as is shown in Figure 1, and the plates are secured to the rails by bolts 21,
in the usual manner. The above construction of the angle plates enables them to
bear against the upper and lower portions of the web of the rail thus greatly
strengthening it, and the outward bend of the plates gives them the necessary
elasticity.
When the rails are to be secured in place, the base plate 10 is placed upon the
sleepers 11, the abutting end portions of the rails 12 are placed upon the base
plate, the angle plates are secured on opposite sides of the rails with their end
portions 18 embracing the thickened portions 14 of the flanges 13, on the base
plate, and the spikes 19 are driven into the sleepers and through the recesses in
Price Rd

page_text: the edges of the angle plates. The rails will be thus held firmly together and
the spikes will hold the base plate so that it and the rails cannot creep.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A rail joint comprising a base plate having vertical side flanges which are
widened at the middle, and angle plates adapted to fit the sides of the rail, said
plates having their lower edges recessed to receive the spikes, and having also
central recesses to receive the widened flanges of the base plate, substantially as
shown and described.
2. A rail joint comprising a base plate having vertical side flanges which are
widened at the middle, and angle plates to fit the rail, the lower portions of said
angle plates having recesses to receive the spikes and central recesses to receive
the widened flanges, and the upper portion of said angle plates being adapted to
fit against the upper and lower portions of the rail web, the upper edges being bent.
outward to fit against the shoulders of the rail, substantially as described.
Dated this 15th day of February 1892.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.