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US 4,381,851 AGranted
Track splice
AssigneeWestinghouse Electric Corp.
InventorJoseph K. Kraft
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A track splice having finger members fixed to the spaced ends of two track sections. The finger members include adjoining, contacting surfaces which are configured to positively align the finger members and wheel support surfaces of the finger members and associated track sections, while enabling the ends of the track sections to be adjustably spaced. The track splice further includes a clamping device for firmly clamping the finger members together, once the desired spacing between the track ends is selected.
Claims11
An adjustable length, self-aligning, smoothly continuous track splice, comprising:
- first and second track sections having ends to be adjustably spaced and wheel support surfaces to be aligned,
- first and second finger members each having first and second ends, a wheel support surface extending between their ends, a surface opposing said wheel support surface, and first and second side portions disposed between said wheel support and opposing surfaces,
- means fastening the first end of said first finger member to the end of said first track section such that its second end extends outwardly therefrom, with their wheel support surfaces in alignment,
- means fastening the second end of said second finger member to the end of said second track section such that its first end extends outwardly therefrom, with their wheel support surfaces in alignment,
- said first and second finger members having like cross-sectional configurations, with their first side portions each having a longitudinally extending tongue and their second side portions each having a longitudinally extending groove,
- said first and second finger members being disposed in contacting side-by-side relation, with the tongue and grooves being dimensioned such that the tongue on one finger member snugly enters the groove of the other finger member to longitudinally align said first and second finger members, to allow relative sliding movement therebetween in a direction between their ends, while resisting relative movement in any other direction, to enable the ends of said first and second track sections to be spaced by a selected dimension, while maintaining the wheel support surfaces of said first and second track sections and said first and second finger members in a common plane, and to provide a free groove on one outer side of the resulting assembly, and a free tongue on the other,
- and clamping means for adjustably clamping the adjoining surfaces of said first and second finger members tightly together,
- said clamping means including means for entering and contacting the surface of said free groove on the outside of the assembled finger members, to maintain the selected dimension between the ends of said first and second track sections.
5 more elements
An adjustable length, self-aligning, smoothly continuous track splice comprising:
- first and second track sections having ends to be adjustably spaced and wheel support surfaces to be aligned,
- first, second and third finger members each having first and second ends, a wheel support surface extending between its ends, a surface opposing said wheel support surface, and first and second side portions disposed between said wheel support and opposing surfaces,
- means fastening the first end of said first finger member to the end of said first track section such that its second end extends outwardly therefrom, with their wheel support surfaces in alignment,
- means fastening the second ends of said second and third finger members to the end of said second track section such that their first ends extend outwardly therefrom, with their wheel support surfaces in alignment, and their facing side portions in spaced parallel relation,
- said first, second and third finger members all having like cross-sectional configurations, with their first side portions having a longitudinally extending tongue and their second side portions having a longitudinally extending groove,
- said first finger member being disposed in contacting side-by-side relation between said spaced second and third finger members, with the tongue and grooves being dimensioned such that the tongues on the first and second finger members enter the grooves of the third and second finger members, respectively, to longitudinally align said first, second and third finger members to allow relative sliding movement therebetween in a direction between their ends, while resisting motion in any other direction, to enable the ends of said first and second track sections to be spaced by a selected dimension, while simultaneously orienting the wheel support surfaces of said first and second track sections and said first, second and third finger members, in a common plane, and to provide a free groove on one side of the resulting assembly,
- and clamping means for clamping the adjoining surfaces of said first, second and third finger members tightly together,
- said clamping means including means for entering and contacting the surface of said free groove on the outside of the assembled first, second and third finger members, to maintain the selected dimension between the ends of said first and second track sections.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.