Improved Railway Spike.
Year: 1892

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
An Improved Railway Spike.
We, EMMA AUGUSTA STREETER, Gentlewoman, of 27 West Fifty-Sixth
Street, City of New York, and BRADFORD WILBUR NICHOLS, Merchant, of
Herkimer, both in the State of New York, United States of America, 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:—
The said invention relates to a novel construction of spikes more especially
designed for securing the rails of railways in place on wooden sleepers or ties. The
object of this invention is to provide a strong and inexpensive fastening for the rail
which is not liable to become loosened on the sleeper by the vibration of the rail
caused by the passing of rolling stock, and the invention consists essentially in a
spike constructed of two shanks, connected at the upper end by a cross-bar on
which is formed a head of any desired shape.
In the drawings forming a part of this Specification
Figure 1 is a front elevation, and Figure 2 a rear elevation, and Figure 3 a side
elevation of said spike as ordinarily constructed.
The said spike is preferably forged or otherwise formed solid; the head A as
shown is formed on and becomes a part of cross-bar A. The flange A" of the
head extends outward at any desired angle to the front surface of the shanks or
prongs B, B. These shanks may be made any desirable shape and length. To
increase the clinging properties of the spike in the wooden sleeper, a spur or
projection C may be forined on each shank, by punching metal out of the body of
the shank leaving aperture C¹ in the shank as shown or in any other convenient
manner.
The flange A of the head may be extended around the other faces of the
shanks B, B', if found desirable, or flange A." may be made to extend over the side
face of shank B or B' instead of the front face as shown in the drawings. This
form of construction may sometimes be adopted as it is believed that such a con-
struction may render the fastening more secure. This head may extend outward in
both directions beyond the side faces of cross-bar A¹.
The shanks or prongs B, B', of said spike as shown extend downward from cross-
bar A' in parallel lines some distance apart. The lower ends of the shanks are
bevelled, being practically the same shape as the ends of ordinary railway spikes.
The shanks B, B', may extend downward from the cross-bar in somewhat
divergent lines without impairing the efficiency of the spike or departing from the
spirit of said invention.
The advantages of this spike for railway purposes are obvious. When driven
into a wooden sleeper or tie in the usual manner it cannot be easily withdrawn as
the dual shanks greatly increase the clinging or holding power of the spike in the
wood. The two shanks B, B', also afford support to each other and prevent the
canting motion of the spike from side to side, as in the case of an ordinary railway
spike, by the passing of the rolling stock. These dual spikes render the permanent
way of railways in which wooden sleepers are used more secure, lessen the wear of
the rolling stock, decrease the cost of maintenance and the liability of accidents.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
:-
First. A spike consisting of a head A formed on cross-bar A¹, provided with a
Henge A 11 and two chamke R R1 substantially as set forth.

page_text: Second. A spike consisting of a head A provided with a flange A" formed on
cross-bar A', and two shanks B, B', one or both being provided with a spur or
projection C, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 12th day of September 1892.
HERBERT J. ALLISON,
Agent for the Applicants.