US1542114A - Rail anchor - Google Patents

Description

Patented June 16, 1925.

1,542,114 PATENT OFFICE.

HAROLD G. WARR, OF PARK RIDGE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TQ THE P & M COMPANY, O'F

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

RAIL ANCHOR.

Original application filed August 2,v 1923, Serial No. 655,240. Divided and this application filed April 7,

' f 1924. Serial No. 704,676.

To all who/m t may concern:

Be it known that I, HAROLD G. WARR, a citizen of the United States, residing -at Park Ridge, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail Anchors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to anchoring devices and morel particularly to the one-piece type of anchor in which jaws for gripping opposite edges of the rail base are differentially disposed with relation to a part of the device adapted to bear against th'e bottom surface of the rail so that movement of the anchor transversely of the rail distorts the device and effects a spring grip on the upper and lower surfaces of the, rail base.

Prior to this invention, it has been customary in'manufacturing devices of the above character to so form the jaw portions thereof as to utilize the upper inclined surfaces of the rail base as cams to effect a distortion of the yoke when the same i s driven transversely of the rail to its applied position. Therefore, in order to obt-ain maximum efiiciency of anchors of the' above general type (the anchors relying -upon .their resiliency to maintain the vdesired grip ,on the rail), it is necessary that they be manufactured accurately and be subjected only to a limited distortion during their applications to a rail. Such accuracy is diiiic'ult to maintain in the manufacture of anchors of the configura-tien heretofore used. v Fur- Ythermom,efficiency of'such anchors properly formed is often impaired by excessive distortion resulting from improper application of the anchors to their gripping positions.

A primary object of the invention 1s to provide a rail anchor of the above general type, that may be more easily and eiciently manufactured, made with a higher average of i erfection as to its rail gripping portions and)` which when applied to a rail will firmly grip the upper and llower surfaces of therail base.

One fof the'speciic objects contem lated by this invention includes the provision of acne-piece rail anchor device in which4 the jaw Vportions are so formed with respect to the part of the anchor for bearing against the under surface of the rail as to effect .the desired grip of the device on the rail dierential position of the jaws and by reason of the relative angle of the jaws with relation to the bottom surface of the rail base.

AnotherI effect is to provide an anchor of the above general character with means for indicating its proper gripping position on a rail and for preventing movement of the anchorbeyond its intended applied position so as to avoid excessive distortion of the anchor during its application to a rail.

The invention has for further objects such other new and improved arrangements and constructions as will be hereinafter described and claimed for carrying outgthe above stated objects and such other objects as will appear fromthe following description of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in a preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, whereinV Fig. l is a side view in elevation of a rail anchor lconstructed in accordance with my invention, applied to its operative position on a rail base,

Fig. 2 is a similar view in elevation of the anchor applied to its initial position on the rail and before the anchor .is subjected to any appreciable stress, and

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the elements illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the anchordevice beingillustrated in this figure in its applied position.

, In the drawing the reference numeral 10 indicates the lower ortion of a railroad rail, andll one of t e cross ties on' which the rail is supported.

The anchor is designated generally by the reference numeral l2 and is preferably formed from a steel bar bent to provide a relatively large hook shaped jaw portion 13 and a smaller jaw portion 14 for en aging opposite edges of the rail base 10 an with an inverted V-shaped portion 15 intermediate the jaws for bearing against the under surface of the rail base. The V-shaped portion preferably bears against the bottom surface of the rail nearer the jaw 14 than the jaw 13 so that movement of the anchor 17, of, jaw 14, normally stands at a slightly .greater angle than the inclined upper surj faces'of the rail base so as to confine the engagement of the jaws to substantially the upper corners of said rail base. The angle of the inclined surface 17 of jaw 14 1s' preferably, though not necessarily, slightlyv greater than the angle `of the surface 16 of the jaw 13 so as to increase the gripping action of the anchor during its application to the rail. By providing the anchor with the inclined surfaces above described, the vertical distance between the V-shaped portion 15 and the portion of the jaws engaging the upper surfaces of the rail base may be more accurately controlled and at the saine time compensate fory variations in the thickness of the rail base and in variations in the slope of the inclined upper `surfaces of the rail base.

In applying devices of the general character to which this invention appertains, the workmen often drive the device beyond its intended normal position, thereby subjecting the small jaw and other parts-of the anchor to greater distortion than is intended. This is particularly true in connection with the type of anchor in which the end of the larger jaw is recessed or otherwise formed to provide an abutment, or shoulder, adapted to assume a position against the vertical edge of the rail base when the anchor reaches its operative position. Withsuch structure, the stress on the anchor is somewhat relieved as soon as the edge of such recess snaps over the edge of the rail base, and in such case, the hammer blow intended to drive it home, often forces it upon the rail to a point beyond its intended position. Excessive distortion of rail anchors of the above character impairs their resilient rail-gripping qualities and makes them unsuitable, when removed, to be applied to other rails. I overcome the above mentioned and other incidental objections to anchors of this general type by providing the undersurfaces of both jaws 13 and 14 with relatively abrupt shoulders 19 and 20 adapted to abut agalnst opposite edges of the rail base when the anchor is in its applied position. These shoulders, in addition to serving the useful purpose above mentioned, prevent the anchor 'om shifting transversely 'of the rail in either direction from its applied position, and also provides suitable means for giving the workmen a visual indication as to when the anchor is nearing its applied position.

In applying my improved anchors to a rail, they larger jaw is first hooked over one ange of the rail base and the other end is raised until the jaw 14 clears the upper edge of the opposite flange of said base. In this position of the anchor vthe V-shaped portion 15 will engage the under surface of the rail base, but the anchor willnormally be loose on the rail. To tighten the anchors the device is driven in the direction of its length transversely of the rail, for example, toward the right of Fig. 2, so as to force the cam surface 17 over the upper corner of the rail base. When the anchor is driven home, the shoulder 19 snaps down over one edge of the rail base and the shoulder 20 abuts against the opposite edge of said base, thereby providing means for locking the anchor in its applied position. The inclination of the surface 18 and likewise of the surface 17 insures a firm engagement of the jaws with the rail base adjacent the shoulders. This construction insures that the shoulder 19 will snap down over the edge of the rail and that both shoulders will properly function to lock the anchor against movement in either direction transversely of the rail.

This application is a division of my copending application, Serial 655,240.

I do not claim herein the method employed in the manufacture of the anchor device herein shown. vThe said method is described and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 708,493.

I claim:

1. A rail anchor` adapted to be driven transversely of a rail to its applied position comprisinga raillV .base embracin yoke provided withijaws having portions or engaging the upper surfaces of a rail base adjacent' opposite edges thereof and with abutments adapted to bear against the vertical edges of the said base; the body of the yoke being bent to provide a. seat adapted to bear against the under-surface of the rail base at a point nearer one of said jaws than the other.

2. A@ rail anchor comprising a yoke formed with jaws to engage the upper surfaces of a rail base at opposite edges therel .P imi of and with means for bearing against the under surface of the base; said jaws being differentially disposed with relation to said bearing means to effect distortion of said yoke when the yoke is driven transversely of the rail, and one of said jaws being formed with an abutment adapted to engage the edge of the rail to limit the ap movement of said anchor.

one piece rail anchor adapted to be driven transversely of a rail to its applied position comprising a yoke formed by bending a metal bar to provide jaws for engaging the upper surfaces of a rail base and to provide a seat adapted to bear against vthe under surface of said rail; said seat portion being formed nearer one of said jaws than the other so as to make it necessary to stress said yoke when applying it to its operative position and said jaws being provided with shoulders adapted to engage the opposite vertical edges of the rail base to prevent movement of the anchor transversely of the rail inl either direction from its applied position.

- 4. A rail anchor adapted to be driven transversely of a rail to its applied position compiising a yoke member formed with jaw po'rtions to engage the upper surfaces of a rail base and with means for bearing against the under surface of said base; said bearing means beingl arranged nearer one of said jaws than to the other and said jaws being each provided with a shoulder adapted to abut against an edge of the rail base when the anchor is in its applied posit-ion.v

5. A rail anchor comprising a yoke member formed with jaws for engaging opposite edges of a rail base and means -for bearing against the bottom surface of the rail at a point nearer one of said jaws than thc other; said jaws being formed with inclined surfaces to confine their engagement with the rail base to substantially the upper corners thereof when the yoke is in its applied position.

6. A rail anchor comprising a yoke member formed with jaws adapted to engage opposite edges of a rail base and with means for bearing against the bottom surface of the rail at a point nearer one of said jaws than the other; said jaws being formed with surfaces which normally stand at a greater lmgle than the inclined surfaces of the rail ase.

7 A rail anchor comprising a yoke member formed with jaws for engaging oppo` site edges of a rail base and with means for engaging the bottom surface of the rail at a point nearer one of said jaws than the other; said jaws being formed with cam surfaces adapted to bear against the upper surface ofthe rail base, whereby movement ofthe yoke in one direction transversely of the rail distorts the yoke and brings said jaws and said bearing surface into gripping engagement with the rail base.

8; A rail anchor comprising a yoke member formed with jaws for engaging opposite edges of a rail base and with means for bearing against the bottom surface of the rail at a point nearer one of said jaws than the other; said jaws being formed with cam surfaces adapted to bear against the upper surface of the rail base, whereby movement of the yoke in one direction transversely of the rail distorts the yoke and brings the said jaws and said bearing surface into gripping engagement with the rail base and one of said jaws being formed with an abutment to limit the movement of the anchor to its normal applied position.

9. A rail anchor comprising a rail base embracing yoke provided with jaws formed to extend over the upper surfaces of a rail base at a greater angle than said surface of said base, the portion of the yoke intermediate said jaws being formed with means for bearing against the bottom surface of the rail nearer one jaw than the other and one of said jaws being formed at a greater angle than the other.

10. A rail anchor comprising a rail hase embracing yoke provided with jaws formed to extend over the upper surfaces of a rail base at a greater angle than said surfaces and formed with abutments which bear against the vertical surfaces of the rail base, the portion of the yoke intermediate said jaws being formed with means for bearing' against the bottoni surface of the rail at a point nearer one of said jaws than the other and one of said jaws being formed at a greater angle than the other jaw, for the purpose described.

HAROLD G. WARR.

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