US2084610A - Monorail track support - Google Patents

Description

June 22, 1937. E CLERMQNT DUNLAP 2,084,610

MONORAIL TRACK SUPPORT Filed Jan. 5, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fill l l \l! lllllllll a n a Wm M n Pf u u 1; u u n P n m B n n u June 1937- DE CLERMONT DUNLAP MONORAIL TRACK SUPPORT Filed Jan. 3, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 177126 for: 174 [Pr/0on1 Zz/IrZa a Patented June 22, 1937 PATENT OFFICE MONORAIL TRACK SUPPORT De Clermont Dunlap, Newark, N. J.

Application January 3, 1934, Serial No. 705,056

1 Claim.

This invention relates to overhead monorail railway systems and more particularly pertains to an overhead monorail track adapted to be traversed by trucks carrying suspended coaches arranged to travel beneath the tracks.

' An object of the invention is to provide an overhead monorail track including means for supporting same whereby contiguous rail sections 'may be readily assembled on their supports and '10 P sitioned in various longitudinally extending angular relations to each other on a vertical plane so as to facilitate the construction of a monorail track with various grades.

Another object is to provide a construction which will permit longitudinal expansion and contraction of contiguous sections or lengths of monorail tracks relatively to each other and to overhead supports on which they are carried.

Another object is to provide a mounting for 0 overhead monorail tracks which is so constructed as to enable rapid assemblage of the track.

With the foregoing objects in View together with such other objects and advantages as may subsequently appear the invention resides in the parts and in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed and illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a view in side elevation illustrating a fragmentary portion of a monorail track as constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a detail in horizontal section taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1 showing the expan- 5 sion connection between contiguous ends of adjacent track girders and their overhead supports;

Figure 3 is a view in section and elevation as seen on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a detail in section taken on the line 44 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a view in section as seen on the line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the track girder support, showing it with the track girder as removed;

Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the manner of assembling the monorail track and of connecting it to the overhead supporting brackets;

Figure 8 is a detail in cross section taken on the line 88 of Figure 7 illustrating the rail clamp;

Figure 9 is a view in side elevation of the structure shown in Figure 8.

Referring to the drawings more specifically, A

indicates generally a monorail overhead track a which is formed of a series of longitudinally aligned girders Ill here shown as formed of I-beams and on the upper margins of which is mounted a rail I I arranged to form a continuous track adapted to be traversed by monorail trucks from which are suspended by hangers cars or 5 coaches disposed beneath the track.

The track A is supported in an overhead position, that is, in spaced relation to the ground, on brackets B carried on suitable supports here shown as comprising uprights or columns C and which brackets B and columns C are here shown as formed of I-beams.

In carrying out the present invention, the outer ends of the brackets B are fitted with laterally projecting flanges I2 and I3, the front faces of which extend vertically on a plane with each other. The flanges I2 and I3 are here shown as formed of angle plat-es secured to the opposite sides of the upright web of the brackets B by rivets I I. The flange I2 is formed with a circular 20 opening l5, and the flange I3 is formed with an elongated slot I6 having a straight bottom wall I1. The flange l2 with its circular opening i5 is designed to afford a pivotal support for one end of a track girder l0, and for which purpose a bolt I8 is arranged with the shank portion a thereof extending through an opening IS in the upright web of the girder and through the opening I5 in the flange I2; the bolt being provided with the usual head b and nut c which latter is screwed on the shank a and is held in place thereon by a cotter pin (1 or in any other desired manner. The bolt I8 is formed of such dimensions as to carry the loads imposed on the monorail track without shearing. 35

The flange I3 with its elongated slot I6 is designed to afford an expansion joint connection between one end of ,the girder I0 and its associated bracket B and at the same time afford a pivotal connection between the flange I3 and the end of the girder carried thereon. In effecting connection between the girder and the flange I3 a bolt 20 is provided which bolt includes a shank f, and a head g, and has a threaded end portion on which is screwed a nut it held in place by a cotter pin 1 or other suitable fastening.

The shank f of the bolt 20 is passed through the elongated slot I6 and through a circular opening 21 in the upstanding web of the girder as particularly shown in Figure 2. The shank 7 of the bolt 20 is formed adjacent the head g with a shoulder 22 which projects on opposite sides of the vertical center of the bolt shank and is arranged to seat on the flat, straight surface I'l forming the lower margin of the elongated slot I6. By the provision of the shoulder 22 a broad bearing surface is afiorded for the bolt which will serve to minimize wear due to shifting of the bolt longitudinally of the slot 16.

Each girder m is here shown as connected at one end by a pivot bolt 18 to a flange [2 on a supporting bracket B and as connected at its other end by the slidable bolt 20 to the flange 13 of another supporting bracket B. A supporting bracket B is thus provided at the contiguous ends of adjacent girder sections.

By employing a single bolt connection between the ends of the girders and the supporting brackets articulate joints are formed at each end of each girder so that contiguous girders may be disposed at various longitudinal inclinations relatively to each other thus facilitating assemblage of the monorail tracks at the end of grades, and by the provision of the slidable connection between the bolt 2t of one end of the girder and its supporting bracket B an expansion joint is effected which will permit longitudinal expansion and contraction of the girder without distortion of the track and without subjecting the brackets B to lateral strain as would ordinarily result from a rigid connection between each end of a girder and the brackets.

The rails H are secured to the upper flanges of the girders ill at suitable intervals by means of rail clamps 23 arranged in pairs on opposite sides of the rail i l and which clamps include upstanding fianges 24 arranged to abut against the web of the rail II and also include downwardly and inwardly turned end portions 25 adapted to engage the margins of the top flange of the girder as particularly shown in Figure 8. The upstanding webs of the flanges 24 are formed with elongated slots 28 through which are passed bolts 21 extending through the rail H. The elongated slots 26 serve as a means for permitting longitudinal expansion and contraction of the rails H relatively to the girder IE Extending parallel with the monorail track A is an electrically conductive rail 28 which is supported on insulating blocks 29 carried on the brackets B and on brackets D projecting laterally from the girders Ill on the side thereof presented to the brackets B. The conductor rail 28 is supported on the insulating block 29 and is held in place thereon by angle plates 30 having inturned end portions 3| which slidably contact the base flanges of the rail 28 in such manner as to permit longitudinal expansion and contraction of the latter.

I claim:

In a monorail track support, a bracket, a vertical flange carried by said bracket formed with an elongated slot, a track girder, a single bolt extending through said girder and through said elongated slot and relatively to which said girder is adapted to be swung radially of the bolt to adjust its inclination to the horizontal on initially aflixing one end of the girder to a bracket, said slot being formed with a straight bottom wall, and a shoulder on said bolt seating on said wall to afford a broad bearing surface between said bolt and said flange.

DE CLERMONT DUNLAP.

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