US1251488A - Rail-spike. - Google Patents

Description

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1 ,25 1 ,488 Patented Jan. 1, 1918.

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RAIL-SPIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 1, 1918.

Application filed June 26, 1914. serial m1 847,490.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK F. EGK- ERT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ragersville, in the county of Tuscarawas and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail- Spikes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railroad spikes, and more particularly to that class which are adapted to be so positioned in the tie that the same cannot be readily withdrawn therefrom. I

The object of this invention is the production of a railroad spike, that when the same is positioned in a tie, the shank will crowd the head upon the flange of the rail.

Another object of this invention is to provide a spike having the lower portion of the shank thereof bent at an angle to the upper portion of the shank so as to efficiently retain the spike in a tie.

A still further object of this invention resides in the provision of teeth on the rear side of the spike at the juncture of the angularly bent lower portion of the shank and the upper portion of the same.

A still further object of this invention is the production of a device of the kind above described that is simple in construction, eflicient in operation and can be manufactured at the minimum cost.

With these and other objects in view, this invention consists of certain novel constructions, combinations and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l is a fragmentary section of a rail and tie showing the improved spike mounted in said tie and in engagement with the flange of the rail.

Fig. 2 is an elevation looking at the rear side of the spike.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates a rectilinear shank or body portion of the spike having a head 11 that projects beyond the front side of said shank formin a rail flange engaging lip 12. At approximately one half the length of the shank the same is bent at an angle to the main portion thereof, thus forming a substantially elbow-shaped spike, the angularly disposed lower portion 13 of the shank terminating in a pointed end 14. Formed at the lower end of the rectilinear portion 10 of the shank on the rear face thereof, at what may be termed the point of the elbow are a plurality of teeth in the form of a projection 15, the upper face thereof being inclined at 16, so as to provide an efficient means for holding the spike in the tie. At the lower end of the projection 15 is formed a shoulder 17 that also provides another tooth for engaging the tie to retain the spike therein. The projection 15 having the inclined face 16 and the shoulder 17 form together barbs that are positioned at the juncture of the vertically extending portion of the shank and the substantially angularly extending portion, thereby being in the position so as to readily come in contact with the tie adjacent the opening formed by the spike and efficiently retain the spike therein.

When it is wished to position the spike as shown in Fig. 1, the lower angularly extending portion 13 of the shank is positioned in a vertical plane, as indicated in the dotted lines in Fig. 1, and the same is driven in the tie as the curved face of the spike comes into engagement with the tie and the vertically extending portion of the shank forces its way into the tie. same will, when driven entirely in the tie, assume the position as shown in Fig. 1 with the overhanging lip 13 in engagement with the rail flange. By means of having the lower portion of the device of the spike bent at an angle to the main portion thereof, pressure isalso exerted at the upper end of the main portion of the spike to crowd the head of the same upon the rail flange, thus insuring the engagement thereof with the rail flange. It is, of course, seen that when the device is positioned as above described and shown in Fig. 1, that it is well nigh impossible for the same to work loose and become disengaged from the tie and thus leaving the rail loose upon the tie.

It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form and construction of this invention without departing from the material parts thereof. It is therefore not wished to confine the invention to the exact form herein shown and described, but it is wished to include all such as properly come within the scope claimed.

What I claim is- A substantially elbow-shaped railroad spike comprising a shank rectilinear for a The V portion of its length, with a head at its free end projecting laterally on one side thereof the other portion of said shank being bent at an obtuse angle forming an elbow with the point of the shank extending laterally on the side opposite to that on which the head projects to insure the jam ining of said head on the rail flange when applied, and a plurality of teeth disposed on the inside of said elbow at the bend thereof, said teeth being inclined toward the head of the spike to facilitate the insertion of the spike and to preventits with drawal, said spike being sutficiently thick at its bend or elbow to prevent its bending when driven into a tie.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK F. ECKERT. Witnesses J. F. STEPHENSON, JESSIE B. Axx.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 0! Patents, Washington, D. O.

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