Tapered railway apparatus

Abstract

A railway having rails with tapered ends. The tapered ends may lie flush with one another. A connector plate may connect the tapered ends of the rails together. The tapered ends and the connector plate may allow the railway to expand and contract due to temperature or high speed trains without misalignment or distortion.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A railway apparatus comprising:
 a plurality of rails comprising a head, a web, a foot, a first side and a second side, and ends, wherein the plurality of railways comprises at least a first rail and a second rail, wherein the first rail comprises a taper from the first side to the second side and the second rail comprises a taper from the first side to the second side opposite of the taper of the first rail;   a connector plate connecting the plurality of rails together, wherein the connector plate comprises a first side and a second side, wherein the first side is connected to the first rail and the second side is connected to the second rail, wherein at least one of the first side and the second side comprises expansion slots facilitating the lateral movement of the first rail and the second rail relative to the connector plate.   
     
     
         2 . The railway apparatus of  claim 1 , a bolt having a width smaller than the expansion slot connects the connector plate to the at least one of the first rail and the second rail through the expansion slot. 
     
     
         3 . The railway apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising flanged spikes, wherein the flanged spikes mount the foot of the rail to a cross tie. 
     
     
         4 . The railway apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a stepped flange comprising a first end and an elevated second end, wherein the first end is mounted to a cross tie by a pike and the second end covers foot of the rail over the cross tie.