US1716019A - Drive spike - Google Patents

Description

.June 4, 1929. F. H. WILLIAMS DRIVE SPIKE original Filed may 18. 1921 rqll- 35 ,By M

Patented June 4, 192.9'.

l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK H. WILLIAMS, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK; ANNIE M. WILLIAMS, COMMITTEE ON ESTATE 0F SAID FRANK H. WILLIAMS, INCOMIETENT, ASSIGNOR TO SPIRAL- BOLLEID PRODUCTS CO., INC.,OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

DRIVE srrxn.

Application filed May 18, 1921, Serial No. 470,549. Renewed February 19, 1926.

My invention relates generally to drive spikes and more particularly to railroad track spikes, which may be used to-retain the rail on a tie either with or without a tie plate.

For convenience, I will show and describe my spike for use in connection with railroad tracks, but it is obvious that the invention relates to any form or use of spike where the conditions are such as hereinafter described.

It is well known to those skilled in the art, that a spike of a cross-sectional displacement greater than a certain definite amount, when driven into solid wood, will displace the wood fibers sufficiently to crush them beyond their elastic limits, thus decreasing the initial possible hold of the wood on the spike, and the length of life on this hold.

Furthermore, it has been found by experience that this effect is greatly modified by predrilling in the wood a hole of suitable cross-sectional area, and then driving the spike in this hole. The wood fibers are thus displaced over a shorter distance, and serious crushing or breaking thereof is avoided. Spikes thus driven are found to have a greatly increased life of hold, as well as a better initial hold, when the predrilled hole is roperly proportioned.

he general object of my invention has been to provide a spike of such cross-sectional area that it may be driven into' the solid wood without the use of a predrilled hole, and at the same time retain the advantages hereinbefore described in connection with the spike o which is driven into a predrilled hole.

I am aware that previous efforts have been made to accomplish these results as far as the direct upward resistance towithdrawal of the Spike is Concerned, but all of these efforts, as far as I am aware, gain this resistance to vertical pull at the expense of the lateral holding power of the ordinary spike. In these previous devices, the transition from the shaped body of the spike, by which the resistance to vertical pull is obtained, to the full sized neck under the head, is sudden and not in accordance with the increase of lateral strain on the spike, which strain proceeds from a minimum at a point some distance below the surface of the wood to a maximum at or slightly below the surface of the Wood. I provide this lateral or transverse strength in a manner hereinafter described.

The above objects and advantages have been accomplished by the deviceshown in the accompanying drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my spike.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a similar view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a similar view takenon line 5--5 of Fig. l.

Figs. 6 and 7 show, respectively, a side and rear elevation of a modified form of spike.

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of this forni of spike, and is taken on line 8 vStof Fig. 6.

Figs. 9 and 10 show, respectively, a side and rear elevation of another modified form of spike.

Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional View of this form of spike, and is taken on line 11-11 of Fig. 9. i

For convenience in this application and the appended claims, I have treated my spike as consisting of a body 12 anda head 42, the

f body being provided with a tapered or inclined surface 14, a straight surface 15 parallel to the axis of the spike, a point 16 and laterally extending flanges or walls 21. The body is provided with a web 17 which is of uniform cross-section vthroughout the straight part 15 thereof, and is of increasing cross-section throughout the tapered part 14, starting from a point 18, where the tapered part 14 joins the straight part 15, and terminating at a point 19, where the tapered part joins the neck 13. The lower end of the web, where it terminates with the point 16, is provided with a substantially sharpened end 20.k The location of the point 18 is taken at that distance below the wood surface where the transverse strain produced by lateral pressure on the neck 13 of the spike has been reduced to practically a minimum in the spike body because of the support afforded to it by the adjacent wood. The location of the point 19 is such that it will come at or slightly below the surface of the wood into il tl which the spike is driven. By providing the tapered part 14 in the manner above described, there is secured a concurrent increase of transverse strength of the spike in accordance with the increase of transverse strain on the same from the minimum at point 18 to the maximum at or about the point 19.

The laterally extending flanges 21 extend lengthwise of the body, starting at the neck 13 and terminating near the extremity of the point 16. These flanges, with the web 17, cause less wood displacement than, a solid cross-section of equal outside dimensions (such as the neck 13), thereby avoiding serious crushing of the wood and, at the same time, giving a greater spike surface in contact with the surrounding wood, whereby greater holding power is secured.

In the form of my invention shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, I obtain the concurrent increase of lateral strength by an increasing thickness of the web 17 of t-he tapered part 14. This result may, however, be obtained in a number of different ways. In Figs. 6 to 11, I show two alternative forms of my invention in which this result is obtained.

In the form shown in Figs. 6 to 8, the web 25 of the tapered part 26, increases in thickness from thepoint 27 where it connects with the body 28 to a point 29, where it connects with the neck 30. The lateral flanges 31 are likewise increased in thickness from the point 27 to the point 29, where they preferably join. This formation provides a V- shaped groove 32 in opposite sides of the spike.

In the form shown in Figs. 9 to 11, inclusive, this concurrent increase of strength is obtained by maintaining the web 33 of the tapered part 34 substantially uniform in thickness and by increasing the thickness of the lateral flanges 35 from a point 3G, where the tapered part 34 joins the straight partl 37 and terminating at a point 38, where the tapered part joins the neck 39. The lines 41. shown in Fig. 9, represent the intersection of the sloping side surfaces of the flanges 35.

Y In all the forms of my invention, the spike is provided with a head 42, which may be of any desirable shape, but which is preferably in the form of the ordinary square, track spike head.

Obviously, some modifications of the details herein shown and described may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of theV appended claims; and, I do not, therefore, wish to be limited to the exact embodiment herein shown and described, the form described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A spike comprising a. head and a body, the body being rectangular in cross-section and being grooved in opposite sides, each groove beginning at a point below the head and at a distance therefrom substantially equal to the combined thickness of arail flange and tie plate, and each groove having a gradually inclined surface at the upper end thereof and extending down to a point approximately midway of the length of the spike and a surface parallel to the longitudinal axis of the spike extending from the lower end of said inclined surface to the lower end of the spike.

2. A spike comprising a head and a body, the body being rectangular in cross-section and being grooved in opposite sides, each groove extending downwardly from a point located at a distance below the head substantially equal to the combinedu thickness of a rail flange and tie plate, and each groove having a gradually inclined surface at the upper end thereof and extending down to a point approximately midway of the length of the spike and a surface parallel to the longitudinal axis of the spike extending from the lower end of said inclined surface to the lower end of the spike, said inclined surface being bounded by converging walls.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

FRANK H. WILLIAMS.

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