Improvements in Making Railway Spikes and the like.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Aug., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 26th May, 1896-Accepted, 25th July, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Making Railway Spikes and the like.
I, ALFRED HENRY WILLIAMS, of Clydesdale House, Motherwell, in the
County of Lanark, North Britain, Ironmaster, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows, that is to say :—
My said invention relates to metal spikes such as are used for fixing down
railway chairs, and for similar purposes, and it has for its object to impart
increased holding power to such spikes whilst allowing of withdrawal without
difficulty when required.
My improved spike is made out of a round rod which is formed by ordinary
rolling operations excepting the final one. For the final operation the rolls are
shaped so as to produce on the rod certain projections which resemble ratchet teeth
in longitudinal section. The two rolls of a pair are made with semi-circular grooves,
and the surfaces of these grooves are notched or indented in a manner to form the
projections on the rod. Each projection extends about half way round the rod,
but tapers cach way round from its middle; and each projection stands almost
squarely out at its edge and tapers thence to the next projection or to an
intermediate point.
An important feature of the improved form consists in the edge of each projection
being shaped to extend helically or with an inclination round the rod; and it is
this peculiarity which allows of the spike being withdrawn when required, with
comparative ease, a turning or unscrewing motion being applied for that purpose.
When the spike is withdrawn in the manner indicated it is not bended or deformed
and can be used over again.
Dated this Twenty-sixth day of August 1895.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.
Improvements in Making Railway Spikes and the like.
I, ALFRED HENRY WILLIAMS, of Clydesdale House, Motherwell, in the
County of Lanark, North Britain, Ironmaster, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, that is to say :-
My said invention relates to metal spikes such as are used for fixing down
railway chairs and for similar purposes, and it has for its object to impart
increased holding power to such spikes whilst allowing of withdrawal without
difficulty when required.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood I hereunto append a sheet of explanatory drawings
to be hereinafter referred to in particularly describing my improvements.
Figure, 1, is an enlarged view of a piece of rod rolled in rolls such as are shown
in elevation in Figure, 2, for the purpose of making railway spikes.

page_text: My improved spike is made out of a round rod, A, Figure, 1, which is formed by
ordinary rolling operations excepting the final one. In rolling down the pile,
billet, or bloom, it is passed through the ordinary reducing rolls as hitherto until
it reaches the pass next before the final one. In this pass which for rounds is of
an oval shape, it will be more convenient to make the oval a little wider than usual
with ordinary plain rounds so that when the oval rod is passed through the final
round finishing pass there will be more pressure or squeeze so as to fill up the
notches cut in the rolls.
For the final operation the rolls, B, C, as shown in Figure, 2, are shaped so as
to produce on the rod certain projections, D, which resemble ratchet teeth in
longitudinal section. The two rolls, B, C, of a pair are made with semi-circular
grooves, E, and the surfaces of these grooves are notched or indented as shown
at, F, in a manner to form the projections, D, on the rod. Each projection, D,
extends about half way round the rod, but tapers each way round from its
middle; and each projection stands almost squarely out at its edge and tapers
thence to the next projection or to an intermediate point.
An important feature of the improved form consists in the edge of each
projection, D, being shaped to extend helically or with an inclination round the
rod; and it is this peculiarity which allows of the spike being withdrawn when
required, with comparative ease a turning or unscrewing motion being applied for
that purpose.
When the spike, A, is withdrawn in the manner indicated it is not
bended or deformed and can be used over again.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
In making railway spikes and the like the rolling of a metal rod so as to form
on it ratchet-like projections, the projecting edges of which extend helically or
with an inclination partly round the rod and tapering each way substantially as
hereinbetore described.
Dated this Twenty-fifth day of May 1896.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.