US994795A - Device for checking the creep of railway-rails. - Google Patents

Description

' H. H. SPONENBURG. DEVICE FOR GHEGKING'THE 01mm OF RAILWAY RAILS.

APPLICATION FILED 001x20, 1910.

Patented June 13, 1911'.

HIBAM H: SPONENBURG, F GURNBE, ILLINOTS, 'ASSIG-NOR TO OTTO B1. BARNETT, 0F

' CHIGAGO, ILLINOIS;

DEVICE FDR GITECKING THE CREE]? 0F RAILWAY-RAILS.

flpecification of Letters Patent, Patented June 13, 191i.

Application filed October so, ieio. Serial no. 588,151.

To all whom it may 001mm:

Be it known that I, HIRAM H. SPONEN- nuns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gurnee, in the county of Lake and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Checking the Creep of Railroad-Rails, of which the following is a specification.

-My.invent1on relates to devices for checking th e tendency'of railroad rails to creep longitudinally, such devices being sometimes knijwnjas rail'stays, anchors or anti-creepers; 'and'the invention has for its primary object to provide a device for this purpose of new and improved construction in which spring action is employed in 'securingthe de iice in clamping engagement with the 1'31 The invention has for further objects the several novel constructions, arrangements and devices in appliances of the sort mentioned, hichwill be hereinafter described secured to a rail shown in section; Fig. 2 is a view, in pers ective, of the preferred form of springiemp .oyed to obtain the clamping action; Fi 3' is a plan view of the parts shown in ig. 1; Fig. 4 is an illustrative view, .some of the parts being shown'in elevation and others in section, demonstrating 5 the method of application of the device to.

the rail; and Fi 5 is a detail, in elevation,

showing a modi ed construct-ion of the jaw member. v 1 Like characters of reference indlcate like 0 parts in the several figures of the drawings.

"Referring to the drawings, A designates a railroad rail of ordinary form, the base of which is'designated B.

G designates one of the cross ties on which the rail is-laid and against which the applianee of my invention is shown as bearing when in its operative osition.

The rail sta of my invention, in the illustrative form'gown, consists of a jaw member D which engages one edge of the rail base B; a heavy bowed or curved spring E formed at one end with a hook F and at the other end with a similar hook G, the latter engaging with an undercut notch H in the 5 under surface of the jaw member D; and a suitable tie abutment shown as consisting of a flange I formed at the front edge of the jaw member D.

While the device is shown as so constructed as to simply bear against one of the ties, it is obvious that itmight'be permanently secured or anchored thereto.

Instead of abutting against or being secured or anchored to the tie, the device might be made to so engage any other stationary, or relatively stationary, portion of the road bed.

If the jaw member is made of malleable iron or, other relatively soft metal it may be desirable to insert in its upper face a hard metal piece such as J- shown in the drawings, which is provided on its under surface with the teeth 7' adapted to bite into the rail base and which may beheld in position by hammering over upon it the lugs d formed at opposite corners of the jaw member. The dotted lines designated d in Fig. 3 show the original position of these lugs, their eventual position being shown in the full lines.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a modified form of' jaw member. The jaw member D in this case, instead of being formed with n pocket for the end of the spring, is constructed on its under surface with a preferably undercut channel extending from one side to the other of the jaw, this channel being designated H.

The method of application of the device to the rail is illustrated particularly in Fig. 4. The jaw D is preferably driven tightly on the railwith a sledge hammer, the teeth j of the insert block J embedding themselves in the upper surface of the rail base. The hook G of the spring E is inserted in the pocket or slot in the under surface of the jaw member, the spring extending under the base of the rail. By applying a crowbar against the bottom of the spring the spring may be expanded or straightened out enough to allow the hook F to slip over the edge of the rail base opposite the jaw member. The

part of the jaw member designated 71, (or it as the case may be) forms an abutment for the hook G so that when the spring is elongated it has to elongate in the direction of the opposite sideof the rail base.

It will be noted that the hook F stands some distance away from the tie C. This is a preferred, although perhaps not an cs sential feature of the device. It is intended that the device be so constructed and its parts so proportioned that a very strong grip is had on the rail, a grip suflicient to eflectually prevent, when the device is abutted against a tie or other stationary portion of the road bed, any creep of the rail. However, by arranging the abutment at one end of the device so that the other stands out of contact with the tie, any tendency of the rail to creep, if such tendency be possible, is self checked by the consequent twisting of the device toward the tie.

It will be readily understood that the principle of my invention might be embodied in various rail stays difiering structurally from the form ofvdevice which I have chosen for purposes of illustration. For example, while I have shown one end of the spring engaging directly by means of a hook with an edge of the rail base opposite that embraced by the jaw member D, it will be clear to those familiar with this art that this arrangement might be changed without departure from the fundamental idea of my invention. I therefore do not limit myself to the various particulars of construction and arrangement shown and described except so far as such particulars are made limitations on certain of the claims herein.

I am aware that rail stays have been constructed which employ torsional springs for effecting the clamping of the stays on the rail. A spring of the sort herein described, which is flexed along longitudinal lines, makes the device in which it is used more easily applied to the rail than are the devices using torsional springs. A rail stay constructed on the principle of my invention maybe secured to the rail'by simply flexing or bending the spring with a crowbar or other tool of this sort. I have used the word bowed as describing the spring in certain of the claims. It will be understood that this term is used in a broad sense. I do not conceive that it is absolutely necessary to form the spring on the continuous v device is in operative position on the rail;

and means adapted to engage a stationary portion of the road bed.

2.-In a device of the character described, the combination of means constituting a rail clamp comprising a spring which is strained along lines longitudinal thereof when the device is in operative position on the rail; and means constituting a tie abutment, said tie abutment being at one end of the device and the other end of the device standing away from the tie against which said abutment bears.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of means constituting arail clamp comprising a jaw, and a spring which is adapted to engage with said jaw and which is strained along lines longitudinal of said spring when the device is in operative position on the rail; and means adapted to engage a stationary portion of the road bed.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of means constituting a rail clamp comprising a jaw and a spring adapted to engage said jaw which is strained along lines ,longitudinal of said spring when the device is in operative position on the rail; and a tie abutment formed on said 5. In a device of the character described, the combination of means constituting a rail clamp comprising a jaw which engages the rail base at one edge, and a spring adapted to be engaged at one end with said jaw and at the other end with the opposite edge of the rail base and to be strained along longitudinal lines when in such operative position; and means adapted to engage a stationary portion of the road bed.

'6. In a device of the character described, the combination of means constituting a rail clamp comprising a bowed spring which is put under a straightening tension when said device is in operative position on the rail; and means adapted to engage a stationary portion of the road bed.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination of means constituting a rail clamp comprising a bowed spring which is put under a straightening tension when said device is in operative position on the rail; and means constituting a tie abutment, said tie abutment bein at one end of said device and the other en standing away from the tie against which said abutment bears.

8. In a device ofthe character described, the combination of means constituting a rail clamp comprising a jaw and a bowed spring adapted to engage at one end with said jaw and being provided at the other-end with means whereby it is engaged with the rail base at the side opposite said jaw; and means adapted to engage a stationary portion of the road bed.

9. In a device of the character described,

tie abutment, of a bowed spring adaptedzto v be engaged at one end with said jaw and at the other end with the edge of the rail base opposite said jaw.

10. In a device of the character described, the combination with a jaw, of a bowed spring formed with a hook at each end, .one of said hooks being adapted to engage with the jaw, the other with the edge of the rail base opposite said jaw; and means adapted godengage a stationary portion of the road 11. In a device of the character described, the combination with a jaw formed on its under side with a notch, of a bowed spring formed at one end with a hook adapted to engage in said notch and provided at the other end with means for engaging the side of the rail base opposite such jaw; said device being formed with means adapted to engage a stationary portion of the road bed.

12. In a device of the character described, the combination of means constituting a rail clamp comprising a jaw and. a spring, the spring adapted to engage with said jaw and being provided with means whereby it may be engaged with the rail at the opposite side from said jaw; and means constituting a tie abutment.

13. In a device of the character described, the combination with means constituting a rail clamp comprising a jaw, and a sprlng abutment, of a spring provided at one end with a hook adapted to engage said notch, and at the other end with a hook adapted to engage the rail base opposite said jaw.

15. In a device of the character described the combination of means constituting a raii clamp. comprising a jaw member and a bowed spring extending under the rail base and having ahook adapted to en age with said jaw member, said jaw mem er being formed with a part which stands back of said hook forthe purpose described; and means adapted to engage a stationary portion of the road bed.

'HIRAM H. SPONENBURG. Witnesses:

P. H. TRUMAN,

H. L. PECK.

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