US451859A

US451859A - Walter j

Info

Publication number: US451859A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1891-05-05
Anticipated expiration: 1908-05-05

Description

UNITED STATES ATENT Fries. v

VALTER J. HAMMOND AND JOHN GORDON, OF RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL.

RAILROAD-SPIKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 451,859, dated May 5, 1891.

Application iiled July 29, 1890. Serial No. 360,267. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.:

Beit known that we, WALTER J. HAMMOND,

a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, and JOHN GORDON, a citizen of the United States, at presentresiding at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, have invented anew and Improved Railroad- Spike, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved railroad-spike which is simple in construction, securely holds the rails in place on the sleeper, and permits of a progressive driving in caseit becomes loose in a sleeper.

The invention consists of a spike provided with a head having a beveled edge provided with a series of steps adapted to successively engage the edge of the base of the rail when the spike is driven Jfarther in after having become loose.

The invention also consists of certain parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter, and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to behad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speciiication, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a side elevation of theimprovenient. Fig. 2 is an. edge view of the saine. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a pair of spikes as applied, the rail and sleeper being in section; and Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are perspective views of modiiied forms of the improvement.

A spike holds by the elasticity of the iibers of the sleeper immediately adjoining it. Atter a certain length of time these fibers lose their elasticity, and the hole made by the spike is enlarged permanently, so that the spike becomes loose and will finally work out. In order to give the spike a new hold in the sleeper, it becomes necessary to force it against a new set of elastic iibers, and it this cannot be done the spike becomes useless and must be withdrawn and discarded. To avoid this and to permit of a progressing tightening of the spike in case it becomes loose is the object of the invention presently to be described.

The spike A is provided with a shank B, pointed at its lower end and having a head O, one side D of which is formed with a beveled edge, in which are cut a series of notches E E E2 E3 E4, duc., as many as desired. The side F opposite the side D is formed with a plain bevel, as is plainly shown in the di'awings, the bevel preferably commencing somewhat below that of the side D, as is plainly indicated in Fig. l. The shank B of the spike may be plain, as illustrated in Figs. l, 2, and 3; or it may be provided with steps, as shown in Fig. 5, or with ridges or flanges, as illustrated in Fig. 4, or provided with grooves, as shown in Fig. G.

In order to hold the rail G on the wooden sleeper or tie H, the spike B is driven into the sleeper in the usual manner, but so that the first notch or step E engages the edge of the base of the rail G, as plainly shown in Fig. 2. Now when the spike becomes loose in the course ot' time the operator drives the spike B again, so that the shank is caused to come in contact with new iibers in the wooden sleeper H, and at the same time the next following step F. engages the edge of the base of the rail. By this means the spike B is again securely held in place as its shank is in contact with new iibers ot the sleeper, and at, the same time the beveled outer side F of the head of the spike securely presses the new step E in contact with the edge ot' the base of the rail. This operation of progressively driving the spike can be repeated as often as the spike becomes loose, so that the rail can be always held securely in place on the sleeper H.

It is understood that when spikes such as shown in Figs. 4, 5, and G are driven the bers, by their elasticity, always surround,v

1. A railroad-spike provided with a head steps or notches, substantially as shown and having a beveled side and provided with a. described.

series of steps adapted to successively engage NVAL'IER J. HAMMOND. the edges of the base of the rail when the JOHN GORDON. 5 spike is further driven after having become Vitnesses for XVaJiter J Hammond:

loose, substantially as shown and described. EDUARD G. HYSARD,

2. Arailroadspike comprisingashzmk and F. H. CHALK. e head formed on the said shank and having Witnesses for John Gordon: two oppositely-erranged beveled sides, one of THEO. G. I-IOSTER,

1o the seid sides being provided with aseries of C. SEDGWICK.