US1361962A

US1361962A - Rail-anticreeper

Info

Publication number: US1361962A
Application number: US366061A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert L Cairncross
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1920-03-15
Filing date: 1920-03-15
Publication date: 1920-12-14
Anticipated expiration: 1937-12-14

Description

R. L. CAIRNCROSS.

RAIL ANTICREEPER.

APPLICATION HLED MAR. 15, 1920.

1,361,962, Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

y INVENTOR. fier 27. Cacbrnoross ATTORNEY PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT L. CAIRNCROSS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RAIL-ANTICREEPEE.

Application filed March 15, 1920.

1 '0 all to hem it may concern Be it known that 1, Roman L. CAnmonoss, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have inventeda certain new, useful, and Improved Rail Anticreeper, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates generally to devices for preventing longitudinal movement of the rails.

, It is an object of my invention to provide a device of such construction that it can be produced cheaply in large quantities, and yet be sufficiently uniform in size as accurately to fit the rails for which it is intended.

It is also an object of my, invention to provide a device which shall be applicable to rails of different sizes, i. c. of different sections and widths of rail bases. 7

Another object of my invention is to provide a device, the inherent characteristics of which shall cause it powerfully to grip the rail at all times even though changes of considerable magnitude occur in the rail because of widely different temperature conditions.

Again it is an object of my invention to provide a device which can be placed on the rail quickly and easily by any track laborer and without the necessity of considering which end shall be first applied; to provide a device of such construction that even excessive rail vibration shall be unable to loosen its grip and hence which can be relied upon to serve. effectively, for a long time; and to provide a device, the inherent characteristics of which shall enable it to absorb rail vibration in such a manner as to prevent crvstallization or fatigue of the metal and hence obviate premature breakage.

My invention consists generally in a device so formed and shaped. and composed of such material that the above named obiects. together with others that will appear hereinafter. are attained: and my invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate what I consider, at the present time, to be the preferred embodiment thereof.

In said drawings:

Figure l is a face view of a device em- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

Serial No. 366.061.

bodying my invention, its size relation to a ail being indicated by means of dotted lines.

Fig. 2, is a view of a rail base illustrating the first step in applying the device to the rail. i

Fig. 3, is a fragmentary plan view of the rail anti-creeper in the position shown in Fig. 2.

Fig.1, is a view similar to Fig. 2, but illustrating the rail device pried open.

Fig. 5, is a view illustrating the device applied to the rail base; and

Fig. (3, is a perspective vie-w illustrating the device applied to the rail and coacting with an adjacent tie.

The precise form of device, 2'. 0. its section and shape may be varied somewhat but I prefer to make it of spring steel especially treated to withstand the severe service conditions imposed upon a device of this kind. The cross section and the thickness of the metal may be varied to a considerable extent and still give satisfactory service.

I shall first describe the device in its ini tial form. 11. c. the shape which it has before it is applied to the rail. This will best be understood by reference to Fig. 1 wherein 2 represents a standard rail having a rail base 3 of which 4 is a bottom face, 5 and 6 the upper inclined faces. and 7 and 8 the side faces or edges. I have indicated the rail only by means of dotted lines. better to illustrate the size relation of the parts.

The rail anti-creeping device, as here shown, is formed with an undulatory bottom portion composed of the central hump portion 9 and two

curved portions

10 and 11. and two upstanding side portions undulatory in form. The side portions are composed of inwardly

curved portions

12 and 13 which merge downwardly into the

curved portions

10 and 11 and which merge up wardly into the curved hook-like portions let and 15. respectively. For the sake of convenience in terminology. I shall refer to the

portions

14 and 15 as spring clamp portions. The termini l-l' and 15' respectivelv of the spring clamp portions 1% and 15 approach quite closely the portions 12' and 13' and. as is well shown in Fig. 1. leave gaps ll and 15'. respectively, which are of less width than the thickness of the bottom of the rail at that point. This necessitates the springing or opening of the spring .the side portions of the rail base.

clamp portions

14 and 15 in order to admit As will be seen shortly, expansion of the device as a whole is also necessary for application to the rail;

To apply the device to the rail either one of thespring clamp portions may be applied first, and in Fig. 2 of the drawings I have indicated the spring clamp 15 as being first applied. This is placed over the rail base by inclining the device, as a whole, downwardly and then forcing the spring clamp portion 15 transversely of the rail substantially as far as it will go, or until the edge 8 of the rail engages the adjacent portion of the spring clamp 15. As is shown in Fig. 3, the device is applied in close proximity to a tie 16 and the device as first applied not only extends angularly downwardl but also angularly away from the tie. n this manner it is possible to place a crow bar or other device in the opening defined by thespring clamp portion 14 and thereby pry, force, or spring the device open, as a Whole, sufficiently to clear the edge 7 of the rail as is well shown in Fig.

4. \Vhen the prying device is removed the clamp 14 will spring into engagement with the base of the rail, but, inasmuch as the space 14" is less than the thickness of the base at the point Where it is desired ultimately to place the spring clamp portion, I force the spring clamp into place'as by driving it with a hammer, mall or similar tool. In this manner both

spring clamp portions

14 and 15 are 'finally disposed substantially equidistant from the center of the rail base as is well shown in Fig. 5. \Vhen in this position, the endv portion 14 is sprung upwardly, a greater distance from the portion 12' than the distance it originally occupied. It, therefore, grips the rail base with great force due to its tendency to return to its initial shape. Likewise the end portion 15 of/the other spring clamp 15 is sprung upwardly from the corresponding portion 13 and acts in a like manner powerfully to grip the rail base. Because of the gently curved shape of the spring clamps this separating movement can be 'occasioned'without any danger of injuring the metal or of exceeding its elastic limit. dulatory formation of the bottom and side portions of the device, it can be sprung open sufficiently to span the rail base as required for its application without the least danger of injuring its stability or exceeding its elastic limit. when the device is applied to a rail base of one size, but it is also true as applied to rail bases varying considerably in width. The spring clamp portions likewise adapt themselves very readily to rail bases of different sections, 6. wherein the angularity Likewise, because of the general un-' Not only-is this true.

of the top faces of the rail base vary considerably. I

Furthermore, it is an inherent characteristic of the formation which I have provided to tend to spring the

clamp portions

14 and 15 toward each other beyond the position which they normally occupy on the rail, This results in increasing the tenacity of its grip and resisting any tendency of the device to loosen under any of the conditions met with in use, whether it be the contraction of the rail, as by low temperature, expansion thereof as by high temperature, or violent vibration of the rail incident to trafiic conditions. It is an acknowledged fact that many rail anchors may be applied ever so tightly and yet, in time, the vibration will shake them loose. The reason for this has not heretofore been well understood. After long study of the problem, I attribute the loosening of initially tightly secured rail anti-creeping devices to the fact that they are often locked on one side of the rail base by a force or metallic formation which is different from that with which the other side of the rail base is gripped. Vibratory action obviously has more effect on one side than on the other of devices locked in this manner and results eventually in the loosening of such unequally locked parts In order to overcome this objectionable feature, I have purposely formed my device in as nearly a symmetrical manner as possible and in such manner that after it is appliedto the rail it shall be disposed substantially centrally of the rail parts and hence grip the rail base on both sides with equal force. A device which is thus equally looked upon both sides will maintain its gripped position eventhough it be locked that either clamping portions can be first appliedto the rail thus eliminating the possibility of misapplication even by the most ordinary track workmen.

In F 1g. 6 of the drawings the arrow on the rail indicates the direction in which traffic conditions would ordinarily tend to cause creeping of the rail. Any such movement of the rail, however, immediately causes the portion of the device depending from the rail base to engage the adjacent face 16 of the tie 16 with a resultant tendency to rock the device vertically and thus more forcibly cause the gripping of the rail parts between the end portions 14' and 15' and the adjacent portions 12 and 13' of the spring clamps 14 and 15.

Even tendency of the rail to creep in the opposite direction-is in a large measure prevented by the packing of the ballast in and around the undulatory bottom portion of the device. This is particularly true in the winter season when the ballast is frozen into an almost solid mass.

The many advantages of the device Will be apparent to those skilled in this art Without further comment.

For the sake of convenience of terminology in the claims the rail anti-creeper will be considered as positioned when in use, i. e. in a substantially vertical position.

I claim:

1. A rail anti-creeper having a humped bottom portion and symmetrically disposed spring clamp portions, said humped bottom portion extending as a whole downwardly from the spring clamp portions.

2. A rail anti-creeper formed of metal, having a bowed bottom portion and symmetrically disposed spring clamp portions said bowed bottom portion extending as a whole downwardly from the spring clamp portions.

3. A rail anti-creeper formed of metal having a bowed bottom portion and similarly formed symmetrically disposed spr ng clamp portions, said bowed bottom portion extending as a whole downwardly from the spring clamp portions.

at. A rail anti-creeper device formed of metal, having a bowed bottom portion symmetrically disposed and formed spring clamping portions the termini thereof approaching lower portions of the device and forming gaps of less width than the thickbase with which they are to coact.

5. A- rail anti-creeper device formed of metal having a humped bottom portion symmetrically disposed and formed spring clamping portions the termini thereof approaching lower portions of the device and forming gaps of less width than the thickness of the rail base with which they are to coact.

6. A rail anti-creeper device formed of metal having a humped bottom portion, humped connected side portions, and symmetrically disposed spring clamp portions, said humped bottom portion extending as a whole downwardly from the humped side portions.

spring steel, having formed of metal,

7 A rail anti-creeper device formed of metal, having a humped bottom portion, humped connected side portions and symmetrically disposed and formed spring clamp portions, said spring clamp portions terminating closely adjacent portions of the side humped portions thereby forming undersize gaps for reception of a rail base.

8. A rail anti-creeper device formed of spring steel, having a humped bottom portion and symmetrically formed and disposed spring clamp portions, said humped bottom portion extending as a whole downwardly from the spring clamp portions.

9. A rail anti-creeper device formed of a humped bottom portion, symmetrically disposed and formed spring clamping portions the termini there- 'of approaching lower portions of the device and forming gaps of less width than the thickness of the rail base with which they are to coact.

10. A rail anti-creeper deviceformed of spring steel, having a humped bottom portion, humped connected side portions, and symmetrically disposed and formed spring clamp portions, said humped bottom portion. extending as a whole downwardly from the humped side portions.

11. A rail-anti-creeper device formed of spring steel, having a humped bottom portion, humped connected side portions, and symmetrically disposed and formed spring clamp portions, said spring clamp portions terminating closely adjacent portions of the side humpedportions thereby forming undersize gaps for reception of a rail base.

12. A rail anti-creeper composed of a piece of metal formed with undulatory bottom and side portions, said side portions terminating in inwardly curved spring clamp portions, said spring clamp portions being symmetrically disposed.

13. A rail anti-creeper composed of a piece of metal formed with undulatory bot tom and side portions, said side portions terminating in lnwardly curved spring clamp portions, said spring clamp portions being similarly formed. I

1 1. A rail anti-creeper composed of a piece of metal formed with undulatory bottom and side portions, said side portions terminating in inwardly curved spring clamp portions, said spring clamp portions being symmetrically disposed and similarly 5 formed.

In testimony set my hand, this 8th whereof, I have hereunto day of March, 1920. BERT L. CAIRNCROSS.