US2078965A - Antirail creeper - Google Patents

Description

May 4, 1937. E. c. NEAL ANTIRAIL CREEPER GJVea y Filed Oct. 30, 1935 ATTORNEKS,

Patented May 4, 1937 AN TIRAIL CREEPER Ernest C. Neal, Roseburg, Oreg., assignor to Railway Track Joint Corp., Coquille, Oreg., a corporation of Oregon Application October 30, 1935, Serial No. 47,369

1l Claims.

Thisinvention relates to rail anchors or anti- `creeper devices to prevent the creeping of railroad rails.

The primary object of the invention is to pro- 5 vide a strong, sturdy, durable, Vrelatively inexpensive anti-creeper or rail anchor, which is made of springy material and has spaced apart jaws provided with a sharp chisel-like edge, whereby whenV the clamp is applied to the rail l flange and tapped or pounded with a maul will cut a recess or aperture in the rail ange to insure the anchor remaining in place, being enhanced by the Yspringy characteristics of the rail` itself. 5

Another Vobject is to provide a strong rail anchor `or `anti-Creeper device which can be easily and quickly applied or removed from a rail, which will remain in position when applied, `and which can be very economically manu- 'factured Another object of the invention is the method of applying a rail anchor to the ange of a rail by driving the rail anchor in its holding position and then striking the anchor with a maul or other suitab1e tool to'force the rail anchor to out notches or grooves into the rail so as to maintain the anchor in its home position.

Numerous other objects and advantages will be apparent throughout the progress of the following specification.

, The accompanying drawing illustrates a selected embodiment of the invention, and the views therein are as follows:

Fig. 1 is a detail sectional view of a part of a railroad track and embodying the invention.

Fig.` 3 is a detail perspective View of the improved rail anchor or anti-Creeper device.

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional View showing the positioning of the rail anchor as it is being applied tothe rail flange but beforeit is pounded to `cut a` groove therein.

u1 Fig.A 5.is a view similar to Fig. 4, but shows the j device after the pounding operation whereby a groove is cut into the rail flange.

50 Fig. 6 is a detail plan section showing the groove cut into the rail by the rail anchor after the anchor has been pounded.

Fig. '7 is a detail perspective view of a modified form of railpanchor.

55 Fig. 8 is a detail plan` section showing notches (Cl. 23S-321) which are cut into the rail by the rail anchor after the anchor has been pounded.

The rail anchor herein shown for the purpose of illustrating the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 4 6 inclusive, comprises a clip which is relatively 5 U-shaped,or in the shape of a C, and comprises a body portion I0 provided with a central opening II comprising arms or legs I2 and I3 which are spaced apart a predetermined distance I4. The free ends of the arms or legs extend in- 10 wardly a predetermined distance to provide jaws I5 and I6.

The ends of the jaws I5 and I6 are each provided with upper and lower chisel edges I1 and relatively flat bottom 20.

'Ihe device is applied to the flange 2| of a rail 22 and is adapted to lie against the edge 23 of a railroad tie 24. The longitudinal distance of the 20 opening in the rail anchor is sufcient'to permit a substantial portion of the flange 2I to extend within the jaws I5 and I6. The distance vertically between the jaws I5 and I6 and particularly between the chisel edges I'I and I8 is con- 25 siderably less than the thickness of the rail flange where the teeth or chisel edges engage the flange.

The device is adapted to be applied to the rail by pounding at the point 25, Fig. 2, to drive the 30 anchor in position relatively to the flange. After the anchor is applied in position the anchor is struck sharply one or more blows with a maul 26 on the top flat edge I9, whereby the chisel edge or point Il will out a sharp, V-shaped groove 21 35 in the rail flange. The cutting or the forming of a notch in the rail flange tends to support the fiange in its adjusted position and prevents the rail anchor from shifting out of its applied position. The rail anchor or anti-creeping device 40 is made of relatively heavy spring steel, somewhat harder than a rail flange, whereby the springiness of the metal tends to urge the jaws in their normal position shown in Fig. 3 and, therefore, when the rail anchor is driven into position on the flange, the springness of the material from which the anchor is made will tend to cause the rail anchor to bite into the flange.

It is well known that attempts have been made to apply a spring rail anchor to the flange of a rail, but the objection has been that the rail anchor slides off of the inclined surface of the rail because no provision has been made for locking the anchor to the rail flange.

It is also well known that even though a clampcesses 42 into the flange 2l of the rail 22.

ing element is applied to a sloping surface, such as a rail anchor, there will always be a tendency for the device to slip or slide down the sloping surface. However, by providing the rail anchor with chisel teeth as herein shown, and then driving these teeth into the rail ange to form a notch or groove into which the chisel edge extends, all danger of the device tending to slide off the rail is overcome. Furthermore, when the device is in position a short while the bottom chisel edge I8 will tend to cut into the bottom edge by the weight of the load passing over the rail, because the bottom of the device is engaging the road bed which is generally stone or gravel.

In any such cases where it is dinicult to apply the rail anchor flush with the face of the tie, the rail anchor may be pounded on the point 28, Fig. 1, to drive it in ush position against the rail. It is preferable, however, that the rail anchor be placed in position flush against the tie before the anchor is struck sharply on the top to cut the groove in the rail. By striking the device sharply on the top, as previously described, and as particularly shown in Fig. 2, edges 29 and 30, Fig. 6, will be provided, which edges engage the sides of the rail anchor at the chisel edges and prevent any slipping movement of the rail anchor longitudinally. Even if it were possible for the rail yto creep with the present improved rail anchor,

this tendency would be overcome because the rail anchor would tend to cant, whereby the rail anchor would bind the rail still more securely.

In Figs. 7 and 8 a modified form of device is shown, but which device embodies the same principles. Instead of having continuous chisel edges I 'I and I8, the device is provided with pairs ci upper and lower teeth 4I) and 4I, which may be placed at or relatively close to the sides of the rail anchor. This rail anchor, Fig. '7, is applied to the rail exactly in the same manner in which the rail anchor previously described is applied and is tapped sharply on the surface I9 by a maul to force the teeth 4I) to cut notches or re- One device is practically as effective as the other but it has been found that the first described device with the chisel edges is preferable because it can be more economically made.

The invention provides a strong, durable rail anchor which can be applied in position with the minimum amount of effort and which can be readily and inexpensively manufactured. The device when applied is positively maintained in position and positively prevents the rail from creeping. Either of the devices can be readily and instantly removed if and when desired, by the use of a pinch bar or any prying tool, using the ball of the rail as the fulcrum for the leverage device.

The anchor embodying the present invention is more universal than the conventional type of anchors, because it iits practically all types of rails and practically only two types of anchors need be made; one type to flt the light and medium weight rails, and the other type to fit the medium and heavy weight rails. In the conventional type of rail anchors, where the anchor extends across the bottom of the flange, several sizes of rail anchors are necessary, because the width of the rail flange is usually determinable by the weight of rail used.

In practice it might be further expedient to force the anchor tightly up against the flange, that is, so that the outer edge of the frange will bear against the inside edge of the anchor, as

clearly shownl in Fig. 2, to prevent, or at least tend to prevent, the canting of the anchor and thereby hold the anchor more securely in position.

Changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages, and the right is hereby reserved to make all such changes as fairly fall within the scope of the following claims.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

l. A rail anchor comprising a resilient material clip and having upper and lower spring clamping jaws spaced apart a distance sufficient to permit the same to be spread apart when applied to the sloping flange of a rail, at least one of said jaws being provided with a sharp edge, said clip having an upper surface adapted to be pounded with a maui or other suitable tool to drive said edge into the flange of a rail and form a receiving socket or groove for said edge, whereby the anchor will be positively and securely attached to the rail and prevent relative movement of the anchor and the rail.

2. The method of applying a hard resilient rail anchor to a rail flange which consists in driving the anchor onto the flange, positioning the anchor against a tie, and then striking the top of the anchor to cause the edge of the anchor-to cut a receiving recess into the rail flange and into which recess the edge remains, whereby they anchor will remain securely in position on the rail and prevent the rail from creeping.

3. A generally C-shaped rail anchor of relatively hard resilient metal having jaws adapted to be placed over and engage a rail flange, at least o-ne of the jaws having a sharpened edge, said edge cutting a recess into the rail flange and receiving the edge when the anchor is hit with a suitable tool to drive the jaws toward each other whereby the anchor will be prevented from moving, the distance between the jaws at a point spaced from said sharpened edge being substantially greater than the thickness of the rail flange.

4. A generally C-shaped rail anchor made of hard resilient material and having upper and lower spring jaws, the jaws having opposed clamping edges adapted to be placed over and engage the rail flange, at least one of said edges having sharpened engaging means whereby the sharpened engaging means may be driven into the flange of the rail by striking the anchor at its upper surface, the jaws at an intermediate section being substantially further apart than the thickness of the flange.

5. A generally C-shaped rail anchor of hard resilient metal having opposed spring clamping jaws forming an aperture therebetween, said jaws having teeth adapted to engage a rail flange whereby the teeth may be driven into the flange of the rail by striking the anchor at its upper surface, the aperture at an intermediate section being substantially wider than the thickness of the flange.

6. A generally C-shaped rail anchor of hard resilient metal having opposed spring clamping jaws forming an aperture therebetween, said jaws having teeth adapted to engage a rail ange whereby the teeth may be driven into the flange of the rail by striking the anchor at its upper surface, the aperture throughout its intermediate portion being substantially wider than the thickness of the flange.

7. A generally C-shaped rail anchor of hard resilient metal having opposed spring clamping thereon jaws forming an aperture therebetween, said jaws having teeth adapted to engage a rail flange at a point substantially removed from the edge of the flange whereby the teeth may be driven into the flange by striking the anchor at its upper surface, the aperture being substantially wider than the thickness of the flange.

8. A spring steel rail anchor having a pair of opposed jaws adapted to embrace the edge of a rail flange, the ends of said jaws being adapted to engage the rail flange on opposite sides at a point removed substantially from the edge thereof, said anchor being adapted to be driven to force a jaw into the material of the flange and thereby firmly secure the anchor to the flange. I

9. A hard C-shaped spring steel rail anchor having a pair of aligned jaws spaced apart a distance less than the thickness of a rail flange whereby the jaws may be sprung apart when the anchor is driven upon the sloping ange, one of said jaws terminating in a single set of teeth, parallel to the edge of the rail base and being adapted to be driven a substantial distance into the ange to thereby cling to the ange andv prevent relative movement of the anchor and flange.

10. A generally C-shaped resilient steel rail anchor, the open ends of which terminate in aligned upper and lower cutting portions spaced apart a distance less than the thickness of a rail flange, whereby the cutting portions may spring apart when the anchor is driven onto the flange. one of said cutting portions being adapted to be driven into the material of the flange and anchored thereto.

11. A C-shaped unitary hard resilient steel anchor provided with'a pair of jaws having opposed cutting edges adapted to clamp a rail ange therebetween and tobe driven to form depressions in the flange and thereby firmly secure the anchor to the flange.

ERNEST C. NEAL.

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