US1753755A - Rail anchor - Google Patents

Description

April 8, 1930. c. B. SHE'PH-ERD RAIL ANCHOR Filed May 9, 1928 Patented Apr. 8, 1930 I UNITED STATES YP ATENT O CHARLES B.- SHEBHERD, on NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE P a M, CO PANY, or

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION O'FQILLINOIS RAIL; Anoiron Application filed May 9, 1928. Serial No. 276,207;

' This invention-relates to rail anchors and has for an object to provide arail anchor which is simple and economical to manufacture and when applied in position on a rail base flange it will tenaciously grip and effectively hold the rail base flange from longitudinal creeping.

. A further object'of this invention is to provide a rail anchor having a jaw-like mem- IObGI' provided with a vertical depending loop. Further objects will. appear from the fol lowing description, appended claims and the accompanying drawings in. which- Figure l is an lSOlIletIlC-VIBW of the rail anchor constitutingmy invention.

T Figure 2 shows the anchor applied'to a rail base flange, therail being shown in section. V

Figure 3 illustrates one of the positions assumed by the anchor when being applied to a rail base flange.

' Figure 4 illustrates the relation of parts prior to the application of the anchor-(in full-lines) and the relation and distortion ofpartswhen the anchor has beenapplied (in dotted lines).

-. Referring to the drawings in which there is illustrated one modification of my invention and in whlch like reference numerals V designate like parts, the reference'numeral 1 designates a body member or arm which is adapted to extend transversely to and beneath the rail base flange. Disposed at one end is a rail flange-engaging means 21 "The .35 rail flange-engaging means 2 comprisesa vertically depending looped member functioning as a tie-abuttingmeans andha-ving nor-- mallyspaced apart legs 3 and 4. If desired, the lower portion of the looped member may be formed to lie in a' plane other than that occupied by the remaining parts ofvthe an- -chor'. In other words, thelower portion: of the looped member may be offset relatively to the body member. ThelegB which, 'as is illustrated in the drawing, is of a greater length than the leg 4 and, due. to the easy "bend at its lower-extremity, is .adapted' to yieldingly engage the "vertical edge, of the railbase flangewith its innersurface 5'. The

'. leg .3 terminates: at its. upper end in a subrail base flange. These twojmembers 6 and 'the yielding member 7 lies, whereby the porposition,

the jaw member 2 is pushed on a rail base with a spike maul orsledge whereby, due to 1 the construction of the anchor, various parts shape or contour. Iprefer, however, to make itofthe same shape as the rail base" flange which it is intended to engage. I

Disposed beneaththe member 6 and: on the shorter leg 4 is a resilient member 7 which is adapted to engage the under surfaceof the co 7 are spaced from'each other a distance less I than the thickness of the rail base flange which they are intended to embrace.' 'On the opposite end of thefbody member 1, there is a rail base flange-engaging means 8 This rail flange-engaging means 8 may be of any well-known kind. I prefer, however, to make itin the form of an upstanding lip 9' which is intended to engage the vertical edge of the rail base flanges In its normal or rest position, the distance between the vertical edge 5 and the lip 9 is less than the width of a standardrail base flange; This structure ing the yielding member 7 in a plane higher than that occupied by the central portion of so the body member 1 and forming a small portion 10 of the body member l adjacent the lip 9=to occupy, when theanchor is'free of the rail, a planehigher than that in which 1 tion 10 is forced 'downwardly relative to the member 7' when the anchor is its applied To: apply the anchortoa rail base flange,

flangeasfar as it Willeasily go. Atthe end of this operation the anchor assumesthe position illustratedin Figure 3. The vertical leg 3 isithen struck on its upper surface "11 thereof are distorted. ,The arm or body member 1 is elongated, the jawmembers 6 and? are spread apart and the leg-3 moved outwardly as show-n in Figure 4... The elonbody member.

gation of the anchor occasioned by the elongation of the body member 1 and the outward movement of the leg 3 permit the lip 9 to clear the opposite edge of the rail base flange and snap into position;

The relation of parts before and after application of the anchor is clearly disclosed in Figure 4. When applied in place, the anchor exerts a powerful transverse pressure by means of the'vertical edge 5 and the lip 9. An upward pressure is exerted by-the resilient jaw member 7 and the portion 10 adj acent the lip 9. The substantially rigid member or jaw member 6 exerts a downward pressure. It is thus seen that the anchor securely and tenaciously holds and grips the rail base flange and prevents longitudinal creeping of the rails.- I

Since it is obvious that modifications may be made without departing from the nature of the invention, I do not intend to limit myself tothe exact details above described except as set forth in the claims.

I claim e r 1. A rail anchor comprising a body member, a downwardly depending looped member disposed at one end'thereof, said looped member having legs of unequal length, means adapted to engage the. upper surface of the rail base flange disposed on the longer leg,

and means disposed onthe shorter leg adapted to engage the under surface of said rail base flange at a location spaced inwardly from the edge surface of said flange and rail base flange-engaging meansdisposed on the opposite end of said body member.

. 2. A rail anchor comprising a body member, a downwardly'depending looped member disposed at one end thereof, said looped member having legs of. unequal length, means adapted to engage the upper surface ofthe rail base flange disposed on the longer leg, and yielding means disposed on the shorter leg adapted to engage the undersurface of said rail base flange at a location ,spaced inwardly from the adjacent edge of the rail base, and rail base flange-engaging means disposed on the opposite end of said 3. A rail anchor comprising a body member, a vertically disposed looped member at one end thereof and in the vertical plane of the body, said looped member having a long leg and a short leg, said short leg positioned forward of said long leg, said long leg adapted to bear again the vertical edge'only of a rail base flange, means'adapted to engage the upper surface of said rail base flange disposed on one end of said long leg, means adapted to engage the under surface of said rail base flange disposed on said short leg, and rail flange-engagingmeans disposed on the opposite end of saidbody member.

.4. A- rail anchor comprising abody member, a looped member disposed at one end thereof, said looped member having a long vertical leg and a short vertical leg, said short leg positioned forward of said long leg, said long leg adapted to engage the vertical edge of a rail base flange, means adapted to engage the upper surface of said rail base flange disposed on'one end of said long leg, yielding means disposed on said short leg adapted to engage the under surface of said rail base flange at a point spaced inwardly from the edge surface thereof, and rail flange-engaging means disposed on the opposite end of said body member.

5. A rail anchor comprising a bowed body member, a looped member disposed at one end thereof, said looped member having a long vertical leg and a short vertical leg, saidrshort leg positioned forward of said long leg, said long leg being yieldable transversely'of the rail and adapted to engage the vertical edge of a rail base flange, means adapted to engage the upper surface of said rail base flange disposed on one end of said long leg, means adaptedto engage the under surface of said member, a looped member disposed at one end thereof, said looped member having a long vertical leg and a short vertical leg, said short leg positioned forward of said long leg, said long legbeing yieldable and adapted toengage the vertical edge of a rail base flange, means adapted to engage the upper surface of said rail base flange. disposed. on one end of said long leg, yielding means on said short leg adapted to engage the under surface of said rail base flange at a point intermediate the edge of said flange and the inner extremity of said upper bearing means, and rail flange-engaging means disposed on the opposite end ofsaid body member;

7. 'A rail anchor comprising an arm portion which extends transverselybeneath the top surface of the last mentioned flange, and i a vertical loop connecting said top and bottom bearings; the space between said top and bottom bearings'being normally less than the thickness of the base flange engaged,

whereby said loop is strained by movement ofthe anchor to its applied position. I

a 8. A rail anchor comprising an arm portion. whichextends transversely beneath the rail base and formed at one end with a shoulder for engagement with the edge surface of one base flange of the rail and formed at the other end with a bend providing a resilient bearing for engagement with the bottom of the base at a locationspaced inwardly from the edge surface of the other base flange, means for bearing on the top surface of the last mentioned flange, and a vertical loop connecting said top and bottom bearings, one leg of which loop bearing against the edge surface of the last mentioned flange; the space between said top and bottom bearings being normally less than the thickness of the base flange engaged and the distance between thesaid leg of said loop and said shoulder being normally less than the Width of the rail base, whereby said loop is strained both vertically of and transversely of the rail by movement of the anchor to its applied position.

In testimony whereof, I have affixed my signature to this specification.

CHARLES B. SHEPHERD.

Images