Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 31st July, 1888
Specification Accepted, 7th Sept., 1888
Figure 1, sheet 1, is a view in side elevation of a railway rail spike, embodying a

page_text: anywhere along the depressions 1, but preferably along the middle lines of such
depressions, so as to convert the bar or blank into spikes, having parallel sides, and
each having the features presently to be described. But no claim is made herein to
any of the appliances, devices, or mechanisms adapted to or used in the production of
the bar or blank of Fig. 11, nor to the severing mechanism, or method of operation
by which the blank is divided up into spikes, as these will form the subject matter of
other applications to be filed in due time. The present application relates to the bar
or blank, and the spike or one of the spikes produced therefrom. In the final product,
the present invention relates primarily to a double-headed spike, that is to say, a
spike having one head which in use performs that function of the ordinary spike, by
which it takes holds of or engages the rail flange, and also another head by which it
is driven and, in drawing, is partly or entirely drawn. Double-headed spikes broadly
considered are not new, but the double-head of my present invention differs from this
as well as from any other now known to me, in the fact that the ribs or projection on
the head which the claw-bar takes hold of in drawing, are so disposed that the claw-
bar in the act of drawing, will move or operate in a plane which passes longitudinally
through the rail, or parallel or approximately parallel to such a plane, instead of
operating in a plane at right angles thereto as heretofore. In fact, in the drawing of
my improved spike, the flange of the rail constitutes the fulcrum or bearing point
of the claw-bar.
The lower head 3, of the double-headed spike, has a lip or side projection 4, of
suitable form and size for properly engaging when driven, the flange of the rail, in
the usual way. Back of this, on the opposite side of the head, is a swell or enlarge-
ment 6, by which to get the desired strength in that part of the spike, and also for
purposes presently to be described. Above this lower head is the upper head 5, which
on the sides next to and away from the rail, is expanded out or enlarged somewhat
into beads or projections 7, S, which latter are of suitable size and shape for the
engagement thereunder, of the claws or prongs of a claw-bar, in drawing the same.
Heretofore, in all the railway track spikes of which I have any knowledge, the only
position in which a claw-bar could be brought to grip them at all, was one in a plane
at right angles to the general line of the track. Spikes driven in the acute angle
formed by the converging rails of a frog, or of some forms of switches, could not he
caught at all by the ordinary claw-bar. Hence in such cases, the spike head is
commonly knocked off, and the spike is lost. Also in the drawing of any of the old
forms of spikes, with the claw-bar at right angles to the general line of the track, the
tie gives the fulcrum or bearing for the claw-bar. If, as sometimes happens, the tie is
broomed out or has its fibre disintegrated by train action, or is decayed, then an
artificial bearing or fulcrum must be made. Also, with soft wood ties, the effect of
the claw-bar itself is to break the fibre of the tie at the bearing point. And still
further, after getting the spike started, if a new bite is desired,-(and to avoid bending
the spike, a second bite is usually necessary) what amounts to a second bite can be got
only by putting a block or stone or something of the kind, under the bearing point of
the claw-bar for a new fulcrum. All these are objectionable features or elements met
with in the use of the old form of spikes.
With my improved spike, when one is to he drawn, the claw-bar is applied with
one claw under the projection 7, and the other under the projection 8. Then it
will be seen that the claw-bar occupies and will move in a vertical plane which passes
longitudinally through the rail, or is parallel to such a plane, or approximately so,
and also that the under convex bearing curve or angle of the claw-bar, on which in
use it turns as a lever, will so far lap onto the rail flange, that the latter will constitute
the fulcrum. Thus I get a solid füleruu or bearing for the claw-bar, and also an
enabled to draw spikes which with frogs, guide-rails, and in other like positions cannot
(if of the ordinary construction) be drawn at all. And as another part of my invention,
I provide for a new bite, without change of fulcrum. As soon as the spike, by the
bite on the upper head, has been drawn as far as can be conveniently done, without
bending, or so that the side projection 4 is well clear of the rail flange, then, if the
spike still holds in the wood, the claw-bar may be withdrawn and reinserted, but with

page_text: one claw under the projection 4, and the other under the back swell or enlargement of
and thereby, with the rail flange still as a fulcrum, the work of drawing the spike
may be continued and ordinarily may be completed. But with some forius of spike
shanks, and certain kinds of wood, it may be that the spike will even yet hold to the
wood with such power that a third bite is desirable. To provide for this, when
required, I have devised another feature of improvement, which consists in making the
rail-face of the upper end of the spike shank, from a little bolow the wood line (when
driven) to the junction with the lower face of the projection 4, slightly tapering as at 9.
I prefer also to make a corresponding taper on the back face of the upper end of the
shunk, as at 10, but most purposes will be subserved by the use of the taper 9
without 10. Then, as the upper end of the shank, is somewhat of a wedge shape, the
claws or prongs of the claw-bar may be made to catch beneath, the swelling or
spreading front and rear faces, and thus a third grip be secured without chango of
fulcrum.
But my main object in adding the taper 9, is this: In spike driving, the spike is
usually slanted outward or away from the rail, at starting, so that when driven, it
shall hug the rail as closely as possible. But even with the most skilful driving, the
spike tends to leave the rail flange to such extent that a final blow or two on the back
of the spike head after the driving is done; is thought to be necessary, so as to force
the head end of the spike as close as possible, up to the rail flange, and add to the
bite or engagement of the hook or lip on the rail flange. Such a blow, if hard
enough to be of any avail, must tend to break the spike, or to slacken its hold in the
wood, or both. By making the taper 9 of such length and at such angle, that as
the spike in driving, tends to leave the rail flange, the sloping face of the upper end
of the shank will approach or continue in contact with the edge of the rail flange, I
could avoid the necessity of giving the objectionable blow to the back of the spike
head. And while not limiting myself to any particular length or acuteness of anglo
in the taper part 9, I believe the best construction is that in which the taper part 9
shall be of about the length of one face 11 of the wedge point of the spike, and of
about the same angle.
Another advantage of the double head is this: That the spike can be gripped by
a claw-bar equally well from either side, so that if one or the other or both
projections 7, 8, at one side of the spike, break, the same projections at the other side
of the spike, are equally available for the purpose.
The features of improvement thus described, are shown as applied to a spike the
shank of which is rectangular in cross section, and also to a T-shank spike or to one
having a rib up the back face, but the style or shape of shank is immaterial; and
the features of improvement described and claimed herein, are claimed as of my
invention, in their application to railway track spikes generally.
With the foregoing explanation, and a reference to the bar or blank (Figs. 11, 12)
from which the T-shank spiko Fig. 1 is made, the features of novelty and utility in
the bar or blank will be readily understood. In the rolling operation, I produco a
continuous rib 14, from which I get the projection 4, in the spike. The enlargement 16,
on the blank, gives the enlargement 6 of the head. And the blank head 15, with
its beads 17 and 18, produce the corresponding parts 5, 7 and 8 of the finished spike.
And the thickening of the blank, as at 19, gives me the taper part 9 of the spike.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1st. In a spike blank, the head 15, having beads 17 and 18, produced or developed
along one edge of the blank exterior to the usual rib 14, substantially as set forth.
2nd. A railway rail spike having a driving head and two claw-bar beads or
projections, one on the side next the rail (when the spike is driven), and the other
on the opposite side, substantially as set forth.
3rd. A railway rail spike having a double head, the upper one of which has a
claw-bar head or projection on the side next the rail (when driven) and another on

page_text: the opposite side, and the lower head of which has a projection or lip 4 for engaging
the rail flange, and a swell or enlargement 6, substantially as set forth.
4th. An incline or taper 9, substantially as set forth.
5th. The incline or taper 10 in combination with the incline or taper 9, sub-
stantially as set forth.
6th. A railway rail spike having in combination the double heads and a taper 9,
substantially as set forth.
Dated this foun
Of June A.D. 1000:
HOWARD GREER.
Witnesses,
CHARLES F. LOESCH.
JOHN M. SELLERS.

page_text: No text detected.