IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF RAIL ROAD SPIKES AND THE LIKE AND APPARATUS THEREFOR
Year: 1884

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON Fel. Inst. P. A. of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors 6 Lord Street Liverpool in the County of Lancaster and
323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex Civil Engineer do hereby declare
the nature of the said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
RAIL ROAD SPIKES AND THE LIKE AND APPARATUS THEREFOR (A communication
from abroad by Leonard Acheson and James M. Duncan, both of Chattanooga
County of Hamilton State of Tennessee, and Hugh L. Fox of St Louis County of
St Louis State of Missouri in the United States of America) and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in machines for
making railroad spikes, and has for its object the rapid production from bars of
iron of spikes with perfectly shaped heads and points, a further object being to
make two spikes at each revolution of the main shaft of the machine, and to this
end the invention consists in novel features of construction and combination and
arrangement of parts, all as will be hereinafter fully described and set forth in the
claims hereto annexed.
Referring to the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 represents a view in perspective of the improved machine.
Figure 2, represents a top view or plan showing the position of parts when a
spike is completed.
Figure 3, a longitudinal vertical central section showing a pointed blank just cut
off and grasped by the feed rolls to be fed forward to the heading mechanism.
Figure 4 a side elevation of the machine.
Figure 5 a horizontal section showing the position of parts when one spike a has
been completed and is being thrown out of its die, with a pointed blank s¹ fed
forward in position to be carried to the opposite heading die,

page_text: Figure, 6, represents a longitudinal section showing the position of parts when a
spikes has just been completed.
Figures 7 and 8 enlarged views of the cutter heads.
Figure 9, detail view of main shaft and operating cams and cranks connected to
and formed therewith.
Figure 10, cross-section through main shaft showing in plain and dotted lines
the different positions of one of the cranks in its revolution.
Figure 11, cross-section through main shaft, showing the manner in which one
of the cams N, is secured to one of the flanges F.
Figure 12, detailed horizontal section through Figure 11.
Figure 13 cross-section through main shaft showing in plain and dotted lines the
different positions of one of the cranks and of the cams in their revolutions.
Figure 14, top sectional view of the operating cranks.
Figure 15, top view or plan of the cross plunger J.
Figure 16, view in perspective of the transverse die-carrier and operating parts
connected thereto.
Figure 17, top view or plan of the transverse die-carrier and the heading
plungers.
Figure 18 side elevation of cross plunger, showing the position of its operating
parts with relation to the dies A, A, when said die-carrier is at its extreme movement
in one direction.
Figure 19 central cross-section through Figure 18.
Figure 20 vertical cross-section through the dotted lines x x of Figure 2.
Figure 21, vertical cross-section through the dotted lines y y of Figure 2.
Like letters of reference indicate like parts in the several figures of the
drawings.
In the drawings A, A, represent two stationary dies secured in the frame of the
machine, and B, B, two movable headers adapted to work in connection with said
dies for formning the heads of the spikes, as shown in Figures 5 and 18.
C, C, represent two cutter-heads which revolve and draw the bar of iron between
them as it comes from the rolls without reheating; and at the same time, points
and cuts the iron bar into blanks of the required length to form the spikes.
D, D, Figures 3 and 20 represent the feed rolls arranged between the cutter-heads
and the plate E, Figures 18 and 20 connected to the underside of a transverse die-
carrier J, which also carries a top gripping die H on its underside and vertically
movable upright bars I, I, passing up through slots in said die-carrier, and having
their lower ends beveled on the sides adjacent to the dies A, A, These bars I, I,
project below the die carrier J, a sufficient distance so as not to allow the pointed
blank s¹ to be thrown or shaken off the sides of the plate E and also at a sufficient
distance from the sides of the top gripping die H, to admit the blanks to be fed or
pushed in by the feed rolls, without being bound from any side. These steadying
bars I, I being beveled on the sides which come against the stationary dies A, A,
slide upon said dies, so that as the cross or transverse die carrier travels in opposite
directions, they will pass over the spikes and fall down into their original position
by their own weight.
The die-carrier J, is further provided on its underside with two clearing pins K, K,
for each stationary die A, and pass through and work in slots k, in said dies, as
shown in Figure 5.
The die-carrier J, is operated through the medium of slides L L of the machine,
working at the angle of ninety degrees with themselves and parallel to the main
shaft M, The ends of the die carrier J, are shaped or beveled to the angle of forty-
five degrees and the angle of each of the slides L, which come against the ends of
the die carrier J, are shaped or beveled at the same angle.
The slides receive an alternate reciprocating movement through the medium of
the cams N, N, connected to or formed upon the main shaft M.
The cam N on right hand side of machine moves the slide on that side forward
so that its beveled end engages the beveled end of cross-plunger and moves it at

page_text: right angles therewith, and the other end of cross-plunger comes in contact with
the end of the slide on left hand side of machine, and moves it up against the
shaft M, The right hand cam N, holds the slide in position until the pointed blank
which is in the die A, has been formed into a spike, when the left hand cam moves
the left slide forward and performs the same motion as the right hand slide.
The main shaft M, of the machine has four journal bearings O, as shown in
Figure 21 to support and make it as rigid as possible, one bearing on each outer
side, and one between each cam which works the slides and each crank U, which
works the heading plungers R.
The plungers R., R which move the headers B, B are adjustable as regards the
angle they are required to travel at, to give the proper bend to the end of blank
so as to form the heads of the spikes. The arrangements to make them adjustable,
consist in the plates S, S, in which the said heading plungers work, said plates
being held in position by a wrist T, on each side.
The wrists T are rigidly connected to or formed with the plates S, and fitted
into the bottom side of machine, and held into position by journal caps t, all as
clearly shown in Figure 3.
The wrists allow the plates S, to be set at any angle to the stationary dies A, A,
and when necessary can be set, so that the heading plungers R, R, will travel on
a level or horizontal line with said dies. These heading plungers receive their
motion from cranks U, U, on main shaft M, said cranks working in brasses u, u,
which slide up and down in yokes Y, Y, and gives the plungers the necessary
forward motion.
The yokes are placed nearly in the center of the said heading plungers, and the
rear ends of the plungers move in slides V, V, set on the frame of the machine,
and which can be raised or lowered to suit the angle for heading the end of the
blank, by liners or other suitable means, and when said slides are changed, the
plates S and wrists T turn in their journal caps and so are entirely controlled and
adjusted by the slides V.
The cams N, which operate the side plungers L, (and effect the gripping of the
spike blanks,) are cast separate from the main shaft M, and are fitted and bolted to
flanges FF, on said main shaft as shown in Figures 11 and 12.
Underneath each of the cams N, there is an oil box N', as shown in Figure 21.
cast in the bed plate of the machine. The cams touch the oil in revolving, thus
lubricating them, and also keeping the slides L well supplied with oil. This
arrangement is a great advantage to cams of this kind which travel at a considerable
speed, and which when the blanks are in the dies have a very severe friction on
them.
The cutter heads C, C, have a continuous motion, (that is they do not stop at the
cutting off of each blank), and are driven by gearing W W as shown in Figure 2,
coming from main shaft to the lower cutter-bead shaft. This shaft rests in
housings G¹ and can be raised or lowered by set screws G to suit the size of
cutters (which governs the length of spike) In the center of said cutter-shaft and
between the housings, there is mounted a pinion X, keyed to the shaft and which
meshes into or with a similar sized pinion mounted upon and keyed to the upper
cutter shaft, These pinions control the cutters in the heads, which have to come
exactly on each other to cut off the blanks and form the points on said blanks
before going into the dies A, A, to be headed. The cutter-heads C, are slipped
over the ends of the shafts which project through the housings the required distance
and said shafts are turned tapering with a feather in each, and have a nut a as
shown in Figure 8 on, the outside, which holds the cutter-heads firmly in position
on their shafts, The cutters d, which are made of cast steel are fitted into the
heads at the required distances, and are held in place by wrought iron rings c bolted
up against them and set screws c¹ going through said rings and bearing up against
the cutters. See Figures 7 and 8. At the side of each of the cutters d, there are
fitted pieces b of hardened cast steel, which keeps the iron from spreading while it
is being pressed or cut off.

page_text: The feed rolls D get their motion by gearing G, G coming from the lower cutter-
head shaft to the top feed roll shaft, which latter shaft is connected by pinions g,
to lower feed roll shaft, all as clearly shown in Figure 4. These feed rolls are
slipped on the ends of shafts which have feathers fitted in and held on by nuts on
the outside, and said rolls are held together by springs d' as shown in Figure 20,
bearing upon the journal of the lower roll and down on the journal of the top roll,
As the blanks come from the cutter heads, and are pushed against and between the
rolls D, D, which are parted the thickness of the blank, see Figure 3 and as they
push the blank forward on to the plate E and the point of blank comes between
said rolls, they close together (through the medium of the springs) and still push
the blank forward the required distance.
I do not wish to confine myself to one set of feed rolls, as two or more sets may
be used, with one set arranged in advance of the other, so that the blanks when
cut off will pass to the first set, which transmits them to the second set, from which
they are fed forward or pushed on to the plate E, of the reciprocating die carrier
which carries them to the heading blanks A.
The operation of my improved machine is as follows: The iron bar from which
the spikes are made is taken from the forming rolls (without reheating) and passed
between the cutter-heads C which revolve and draw the bar in and at the same
time point and cut the bar into blanks of the required length and said blanks before
they are entirely free from said cutter-heads are pushed between and taken hold
of by the feed rolls D (see Figure 3) which passes them forward onto the plate E,
and between the top gripping die H, and the edge of the upright movable bar I
which steadies the blank on the plate E, until the die-carrier J, makes its stroke.
The die-carrier (in making the required distance) moves the plate E, until its edge
comes against the edge of one of the stationary dies A, when the top and moving
die H, carried by the die carrier pushes the blank from said plate into said lower
and stationary die A, thus gripping and holding the pointed blank in position until
one of the headers B has finished its stroke and formed the head on said pointed
blank and completes the spike as shown in Figure 6 and said spike is still held in
the same position, (although not gripped firm and tight) until the header B has
drawn back to give the head of spike plenty of room to be cleared from the
stationary die A, and at the same time to allow the next pointed blank which has
been coming in on the plate E (to be headed by the die and header working on the
other side of machine) the required time to reach its proper position. The die
carrier now moves in the opposite direction pushing the finished spike by means of
the clearing pins K, from the die A, and carrying the plate E. which holds the
next blank to the other die A, which goes through the same process, and thereby
making two spikes at each revolution of the main shaft.
.
My improved machine can be quickly and readily changed to make track-bolts
and rivets, by merely removing the cutter-heads, and putting plain grooved rolls
on their shafts, and which rolls are held together by springs and when they have
pushed the bar forward into the die A, and while the die carrier is making its
stroke and cutting off the blank, the grooved rolls will slip on the bar which is
being fed in. The blanks are cut off by the top moving die H, carried by the die
carrier and are gripped in the same way as the spikes, using dies to suit whatever
shape or size of iron that is wanted, The second alteration consists in merely
lowering the back part of the heading plungers until they travel on a level line
with the stationary dies A, which will permit of putting the heads on straight
instead of bending down. The plungers are lowered through the medium of the
vertically adjustable slides V, and pivoted plates S as before described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is-
1. The combination with the stationary dies A, A, and movable headers B, B, of
the transversely movable die-carrier having die H and carrying plate E. and the

page_text: revolving cutter heads C, C, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and
described.
2. The combination with the stationary dios A, A, and movable headers B, B, of
the transversely movable die-carrier, having the die H, and carrying plate E, the
feed rolls D, D, and revolving cutter-heads C, C, substantially as and for the purpose
berein shown and described.
3. The movable transverse die-carrier J, provided with the plate E, top gripping
die H, and vertically movable bars I I constructed as shown, in combination with
the slotted stationary dies A, A, and movable headers B, B, substantially as
described.
4. The movable transverse die-carrier J, provided with the clearing pins K, K, in
combination with the slotted stationary dies A, A, substantially as and for the
purpose herein shown and described.
5. The movable transverse die-carrier J, provided with the plate E, top gripping
die H, vertically movable bars I, I, constructed as shown, and the clearing pins K, K,
in combination with the slotted stationary dies A, A, and movable headers B, B,
substantially as and for the purpose described.
6. The combination with the feed rolls D, D, of the continuously revolving
cutter heads C, C, constructed as shown, for drawing in the bar of iron at one
uniform rate of speed, cutting and pointing the blanks ready for heading, and
pushing the blanks between said feed rolls, and mechanism for heading said pointed
blanks, substantially as described.
7. The combination with the heading plungers R, R, of the plates S S, having
wrists T, T, and the journal caps tt, for changing the angle of said plungers,
substantially as herein shown and described.
8. The cutter heads C, C, feed rolls D, D, stationary dies A, A, die-carrier J, provided
with plate E, top gripping die H and vertically movable bars I, I, in combination
with the slides L L plungers R, R, carrying the headers B, B, and the main shaft M,
provided with cams N, N, and cranks U, U, for moving said slides and plungers L, L
and R R, substantially in the manner as and for the purpose herein shown and
described.
9. The combination with the main shaft having the cams N, N, and the slides L, L,
of the oil boxes N¹, N¹, in which said cams revolve, substantially in the manner as
and for the purpose herein shown and described.
Dated thin 9ml day of November 1884.