The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1906-07-31
important Manufacturing Industry
Lost to Astoria.
WILL MAKE RAILROAD SPIKES
G. A. Phelps Of Idaho, Failing to In.
terest Astorians In Invention, Goes
to Ssattls--will Build Large
Plant There.

BY simple invention Of which the
purpose is to make railroad spike when
III IL driven into a tie "stay driven
G. A. Phelps an Idaho man, hopes To
build up an important manufacturing
Industry, and TO lengthen the life OF the
ordinary railroad tie from four years,
AZ II II now, to ten years. Not only
would be thus cheapen the cost Of main
tepance Of o railway, but by allowing
the use Of cheaper grades Of wood for
ties, he would lessen the cost Of con.
strncticn. Mr. Phelps was recently in
Astoria where he endeayored to interest
number Of people in his invention,
with view toward establishing a plant
here for the spikes manufacture, but
met with small degree Of success.
From here be went to Seattle where he
was successful in his quest for loca-
tion. The Seattle p. !. in this connec-
tion says:
Machines to manufacture this spike
will, 1t Il expected, be ready in about
six weeks. They are being built in
Seattle. Negotiations are in progress
for q site for a factory at Kirkland. and
the factory, II Is stated, win be there,
II the steel mill proposed by james A.
Moore is erected. For the Eastern trade
the spikes will be manufactured by a
railroad supply firm on a roytly.
The spike itself and the results OF
tests made at the University of Wash.
ington, are thus given by J. R. Morrison,
deputy in County Surveyor A. L. yalen-
tines office, who Is interested in the
company which viii handle the inven-
tion.
"The Phelps spike consists Of two
pieces. the large member being the same
as the standard spike, except that the
upper part IL trife narrower from
front to back. About three and half
inches down from the head the spike
assumes its full standard size by a
curve Of easy radius. The second mem.
ben or feather, is about four and half
inches long, tapering from the head to
o thin edge.
"The spike is first driven into the
tie against the rail in the usual man
ner. and the feather then driven close
against the back of the spike; when
the point of the feather reaches the
curved offset in the spike its course is
detected The tests at the university
showed:
Holding power in red fir, average rate
OF growth fourteen years per inch;
Maximum load sustained
Standard 81 inch spike. ....... .2225 lbs.
Phelps 81 inch spike. ........... 32S9 lbs.
Holding power in Alaska spruce,
average rate of growth nine years per
inch:
Standard 81 inch spike, lbs. ...... ,2225
Phelps 81 inch spike, lbs...........32 $3.50
"The result from the Alaska spruce
test will be surprise to many and
especially to some Alaska railway build
ers, who condemned this timber as be-
ing too soft, and have. at great expense,
shipped fir ties from Seattle to Alaska.
"The efficiency Of any device for hold
ing the rail to the ties is however, not
proved BY any tests for resisting a
direct pull.
"The loosening of the spike is caused
not so much by the rail flange acting
as lever as by the failure of the
fiber of the wood, due to the jar from
moving loads on the rail, destroying the
friction and allowing the spike to work
loose. This point seems to be fully
covered by the tapering form of the
feather which is not at first driven
to refusal, but allowed to project an
inch or more above the surface of the
tie, An occasional light tap of the
sledge on the feather would effectually
prevent any loosening from this cause