Improvements in Supports for the Rails of Permanent Way.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Nov., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 3rd May, 1892-Accepted, 4th June, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by ELISHA GILBERT PATTERSON, of Titusville, in
the County of Crawford and State of Pennsylvania, United States of America,
Petroleum Producer.]
Improvements in Supports for the Rails of Permanent Way.
I JAMES JOHNSON of 4 Clayton Square, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
-
It is the object of my invention to support the adjacent ends and other parts of
railroad rails in correct surface and alignment, without the use of bolts, and the
consequent perforation of the rails, and of the supporting device, and to this end I
have devised the supporter hereinafter described.
The supporter is preferably made in one piece of wrought (preferably of rolled)
iron or steel, and consists of an even or longitudinally slightly convex floor upon
which the rail base rests. The width of this floor inside of the side pieces is equal
to or a little more than the width of the rail base so as to receive it easily. At
the edge of the rail base the side of the supporter is turned upward and inward, and
is then as it rises, also given a substantially uniform decrease in the distance
between the inner face of the side of the supporter and the web of the rail, thus
forming a tapering aperture. That the elasticity of the supporter may be promoted
and the weight of the wedge plate be reduced, I also, and preferably, bend the
metal over the rail base to the line of the desired longitudinal taper, and then turn
it upward and inward forming a tapering aperture, but of sinaller area than the one
above described. Into this aperture is driven a wedge plate which is made to-bear
upon the rail base, under the rail head and against the immer face of the side of the
supporter. The supporter may be adapted for use suspended between ties or upon
one or more ties, but a bridge form with each end resting on a tie as an abutment I.
have found to be the most effective arrangement.
The supporter may be formed for wedge plates upon both sides of the rail and
so that the plates may be driven in one or opposing directions, or one plate and one
side of the supporter may be made with all lines parallel with the rails or it may be
made with but one upright side, the other being bent over to form a confining clamp
which binds the rail base on that side to the supporting floor, or the sides of the
supporter may be made parallel with the rails and the wedge plate made in one or
more picces.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Supports for the Rails of Permanent Way.
I JAMES JOHNSON of 4 Clayton Square, Liverpool, in County of Lancaster,
Patent Agent 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 :—
It is the object of my invention to support the adjacent ends and other parts of
railroad rails, in correct surface and alignment, without the use of bolts, and the
consequent perforation of the rails, and of the supporting device and to this end 1
have devised the supporter hereinafter described in which :-
Figure 1 is a side view of a bridge form supporter.
:-

page_text: the supporter, and
D. the wedge plate.
The supporter is preferably made in one piece of wrought (preferably of rolled)
iron or steel, and consists of an even or longitudinally slightly convex floor upon
which the rail base rests. The width of this floor inside of the side pieces C¹, is
equal to or a little more than the width of the rail base so as to receive it easily.
At the edge of the rail base the side of the supporter made in the form of a truss,
is turned upward and inward over the rail base, and is then, as it rises, also given a
substantially uniform decrease in the distance between the inner face of the side of
the supporter and the web of the rail, thus forming a tapering aperture. That the
resistant clasticity of the supporter may be promoted and the weight of the metals
be reduced, I also, and preferably, bend the metal forming the truss over the rail-
base, as shown in Figures 2, 3, and 4, to the line of the desired longitudinal taper,
and then turn it upward and inward forming a tapering aperture, but of smaller
area than the one above described. Into this aperture is driven the wedge plate D
which is made to bear upon the rail base, under the rail-head and against the inner
face of the side of the supporter. The supporter may be adapted for use suspended
between ties or upon one or more ties, but the truss bridge form shown in Figure 1,
with each end resting on a tie as an abutment, I have found to be the most
effective arrangement.
The supporter may be formed for wedge-plates upon both sides of the rail, as
shown in Figures 2 and 4, and so that the plates may be driven in one or opposing
directions, or one plate and one side of the supporter may be made with all lines
parallel with the rails, or, as shown in Figure 3, it may be made with but one
upright side, the other being bent over to forin a confining clamp & which binds the
rail-base on that side to the supporting floor a, or the sides of the supporter may be
made parallel with the rails, and the wedge-plate made in one or more pieces. If
the truss-side be made without longitudinal inclination, with the taper I have used
on the wedge plates (from 1 in 40 to 1 in 64) the resistance of the metal of the
supporter as effectually binds the wedge plate as when made also longitudinally
inclined, but the latter method is a convenience in the manufacturing process and
the strain is equalized in use.
I am not unaware that almost continuously since the T-rail came into use,
attempts have been made to support rails and rail-joints by a wedge between the
rail and a chair having a floor on which the rail rests, with an upright side inclined
horizontally and longitudinally toward the rail, and that various additional devices
have been tried in the effort to maintain the wedges or keys in the position to which
they were driven, but I am not aware that a device of this description has before
been given the elementary characteristics of a bridge, as shown in Figure 1, nor
formed with the metal overhanging the rail base, nor the device formed of material
designed by its resisting or conforming elasticity, to secure the wedge or key
against displacement by shock or vibration.
In my device, as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, when the wedge-plates are driven
into the aperture between the rail and the side of the supporter to a bearing upon
the base and head of the rail and the side of the supporter, the elasticity of the side
of the wrought, or preferably, rolled iron or steel supporter, resistingly yields to the
further passage of the wedge plate to a point where that elasticity is sufficient to
bind and retain all the adjacent parts together.
In the manufacture of a supporter of this design from wrought or rolled iron or
steel, overheating the metal results in a perceptible convexity of the inner face of

page_text: its side believed to be due to the longer remaining heat at the centre of the mass
while cooling, although the machinery be intended to form a straight surface. In
such instances, if the wedge plate be formed slightly concave on its outer face, when
it is driven to place, the yield of the elastic side of the supporter permits the end
of the wedge-plate to pass until the concave face of the wedge plate and the convex
side of the supporter are in juxtaposition, and are thereby self-interlocked. It is
practicable to make the inner face of the side of the supporter of such convex form,
but it is not necessary, for if the inner face of the side of the supporter in manu-
facture develops in a straight line, its elasticity substantially conforms it to the
concavity of the wedge-plate, and the parts are self interlocking. Especially is
this the fact when the maximum of the concavity of the wedge-plate is, as shown in
Figure 5, fixed at a point distant from its forward end, substantially equal to its
possible projection beyond the forward end of the side of the supporter, such
maximum concavity being preferable equal to, or slightly in excess of the taper
given to the inner face of the side of the supporter for the same distance.
It will be noticed that, in the construction of rail supporters which I have
described, I secure the following important features:-
1. By making the supporter with inwardly-inclined side or sides of truss form,
and supporting the whole structure at each end on a tic, or other suitable support,
Isecure the effect of a truss bridge, the wedge plate acting as a part of the truss,
and also as an equalizing bar, distributing the shock received in the transfer of the
load from rail end to rail end over the whole body of the supporter.
2. The wedge plate also fills the place of the usual "fishing" device for the
support of the rails, and being free from perforations, is of consequent greater
strength in this last service than the usual forms of fish-bar support.
3. I secure a frictional binding and securing together of all the adjacent parts,
which is developed and maintained by the elasticity of the body of the supporter.
4. I secure by the longitudinally curved form of the outer face of a wedge plate,
in combination with the elastic and conforming quality of the body of the
supporter, a self interlocking spring action, additionally securing the wedge plate
against loosening or displacement.
5. I secure by the overhanging trusses a great reduction of metal in supporter
and wedge bars, and concentrate its vertical strength.
If provision has not been otherwise made to check the tendency of the rails to
"creep
or move longitudinally, the base of the rail may be bored or slotted for
the insertion of spikes near each end of the supporter; the spikes passing through
the rail base and the floor of the supporter into the ties, secure the rail in its position
in the supporter, the spike behind the wider end of the wedge plate securing it
against forcible removal.
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:
First. The combination of a rail supporter consisting of a supporting floor, with
its side or sides made in truss form and vertically or vertically and longitudinally
inclining inward toward the rail and over its base, and secured thereto by wedge
plates driven longitudinally to a bearing upon the base and under the head of the
rail, and against the inner face of the side of the supporter, with two abutments
placed on the road bed and so arranged that the ends of the supporter shall rest
upon the abutments; substantially as and for the purposes described.
Second. A rail supporter, consisting of a supporting floor, with its side or sides
curved or bent over the rail base, and vertically or vertically and longitudinally
inclined toward the rail and secured thereto by wedge plates driven longitudinally
to a bearing upon the base and under the head of the rail, and against the inner
face of the side of the supporter; substantially as and for the purposes described.
Third. A rail supporter, consisting of a supporting floor with its side or sides
vertically or vertically and longitudinally inclining inward over the base of the

page_text: rail, with spring pressure toward the medial line induced by wedge-plates inserted
between the side of the supporter and the rail or rails so as to receive and retain
the lateral spring bearing of the supporter, and communicate such spring pressure
to the base and head of the rail or rails; substantially as and for the purposes
described.
Fourth. A wedge-plate in one or more pieces bearing upon the base and under
the head of the rail, and with its outer face bearing against the inner face of the
vertically or vertically and longitudinally inwardly inclined side of a rail
supporter, such outer face being formed longitudinally concave substantially as
and for the purposes described.
בד
1
1000
J. JOHNSON.