US2823867A - Shim for railroad - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 18, 1958 J. YEGLINSKI I PICS- l- INVENTOR. J PH YEGLJNSKI United States Patent sHIM FOR RAILROAD Joseph Yeglinski, Greenfield, Mass. Application May 4, 1956, Serial No. 582,846

1 Claim. (Cl. 238-328) This invention is concerned with anti-creeper devices used with railway rails. Particularly these anti-creeper devices are referred to as railway anchors for preventing the longitudinal movement of the rails after the trains have continually passed thereover.

One of the problems of these anchors or anti-creeper devices has been the inability of the device and the rail to which it is attached to stand up over a period of time. Actually the device and the rails wear out from surface friction, from corrosion, and from the elements. When the device and the rail have worn out, there is an area or open space between the lower side of the anchor which contacts the upper surface of the rail. It is actually the contact of these surfaces that controls and prevents the movement of the rail. Once the anchor does not make a tight connection with the upper surface of the rail, it has lost its ability to function. It has therefore been necessary to throw away or discard the anchor, and replalce it with a new one, and also often to replace the rar Many attempts have been made to overcome this problem. There are many types of anchors which have methods of taking up this so-called slack or space that has developed over a period of time. However, these anchors are expensive and burdensome upon the user when new ones are originally put into use.

The base of the rail also corrodes and wears out so that a new anchor will not suflice to take up the space.

Further, there are in operation today many millions of anchors and thousands of miles of rail that over a period of time will become obsolete or non-usable as a result of the aforementioned wearing out.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a simple device for making available all anchors and rails that have worn out, for use as originally intended.

It is another object of the within invention to provide a simple device for taking up the slack between the anchor and the rail that is inexpensive in the cost of manufacture.

It is yet another object of the within invention to pro vide a device that can take up the slack between the rail and the anchor and that can be put on in a matter of seconds at a minimum cost and in a very easy, noncomplicated manner.

These and other objects are obtained by the use of a shim. This device is open on two sides and has four surfaces. These four surfaces are located around and are complementary to the surfaces of the anchor. The bottom surface of the shim lies between the surface of the anchor and the surface of the rail.

It is contemplated that the sizes and dimensions of these shims shall vary to take into account the varying spaces that exist between various sizes of rails and anchors. It is also contemplated that this shim shall have a variable bottom dimension so that it will act eificiently as a wedge between the anchor and the rail.

For a more detailed description to the specific embodiment disclosed in this specification, reference is 2,823,867 Patented Feb. 18, 1958 made to the following disclosure and in the accompany ing drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of a rail anchor, embodying the principle of this invention.

Figure 2 is an exploded side view in cross section of a portion of the anchor surface and the rail surface.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the shim device.

In Figure l the rail 1 is shown. The top surface of the rail is indicated at 2, and the edge of the top rail surlface is 3. This is a typical American type of railroad ra1 The lower portion 4 of the rail 1 has an inclined surface 5. The edge 6 of the lower portion 5 of the rail 1 lies between the inclined surface 5 and the bottom portion 4.

The anchor 10 which comprises several portions has an upper arm 7, a lower arm 11, the bottom 20 of the body of the anchor 10, and the binding arm 13 of the anchor 10.

The side surface 8 of the anchor 10 is located below and adjacent the upper arm surface 7. The top edge surface 9 of the anchor 10 faces the side 21 of the rail 1.

Reference is made to the view of Figure 2, wherein there is an area 18 between the lower side 22 of the anchor arm 7 and the upper inclined surface 5 of the rail. It is this space 18. about which this invention is concerned.

As can be seen from the various figures, the anchor 10 contacts the rail, theoretically, at three different 10- cations. The last location is at 13 which is the fixed binding arm of the anchor. The second location is at 12 where the anchor 10 contacts the rail 1 on its bottom surface. And, of course, the first location is indicated by the area 18. In the event that the area 18 is an open space instead of making contact with the rail, it is necessary to have a device which will take up the space.

Accordingly, it is within the spirit and scope of this invention to provide a shim as shown in Figure 3. This shim is a four sided figure open on its upper horizontal portion and its forward vertical portion. It is designed to fit into the end of the anchor, as shown in Figure 1. The shim comprises vertical sides 14, and the vertical rear 15, which rear 15 contacts the edge 9 of the anchor; and the take up area and horizontal bottom portion 17. It is the dimensions and thickness 16 of the bottom of the shim 17 that determine the amount of space that is taken up between the top of the rail 5 and the lower portion 22 of the anchor 10, as indicated by the area 18.

Lower portion 22 contacts the bottom surface 17 when the shim is in position. The edge of the anchor 9 contacts the substantially vertical surface 15 when the shim is in position. The sides 8 of the anchor 10 contact the sides 14 when the shim is in position.

The thickness 16 of the bottom of the shim will, of course, determine the amount of space to be taken up. It has been found that the most inexpensive way to take 'care of this problem is to provide shims having bottoms of varying thickness. That is, the space or thickness indicated by 16 may be varied by the various sizes of shims to be used. The reason for this is, of course, the fact that the area between the bottom 22 of the anchor 10 and the inclined surface 5, which heretofore has been called the area 18, varies in dimension with the amount of wear and corrosion that has taken place between the anchor and the rail.

Not only does the thickness 16 of the shim bind the anchor 10 to the rail 1, but the sides 14 held together by the rear 15 prevent the anchor 10 from sliding back as well as laterally on the rail. The raii 1 is thus kept fixed in a single position and the anchor 11) will not move.

In order to use the shim, it is apparent from the foregoing that it is only necessary to put same in place as shown in Figure 1, in the area between surface 22 and inclined surface 5 (see Figure 2). The anchor 10 is merely removed from the rail 1. It does not have to be dug up. It can be knocked off by tapping the arm 13. The shim of Figure 3 is placed around the anchor as is shown in Figure 1. In order to put the anchor back on the rail as shown in Figure 1, a blow is struck on the edge of the lower arm 11 which snaps the binding arm 13 into .place over the inclined surface of the rail. It is also contemplated, of course, that the person performing this job shall take into consideration the proper dimensions to be taken up by the shim. This dimension should be larger than the space. Once the shim is in place, the anchor of the rail cannot move. It is again binding on all three points of contact as heretofore mentioned.

From the foregoing description it is readily apparent that the anchor and even the rail need not be thrown away, but may be saved by a very simple, inexpensive shim, that would cost much less to manufacture than to replace the entire anchor. The life of the anchor becomes indefinite as the shim itself can be replaced.

Certain dimensions in the specification and description have been exaggerated in order to teach more expeditiously this subject.

It is contemplated that other species of this invention are within the spirit and scope of this concept.

In consideration of the foregoing disclosure, I claim:

In combination, a unitary railroad rail anchor having an upper arm with a lower surface at its end and a railroad rail having a base with an upper inclined surface, there being a space between the respective contacting points of both the anchor and the rail, 9. shim device, said shim device having a rectangular shaped base portion lying between the said inclined surface of the rail and the lower surface of the end of the upper arm, a pair of rectangular sides in parallel vertical planes to said rectangular base and integral therewith, said vertical sides in contact with the vertical sides of the upper arm of the anchor, a rear vertical portion integral with said base and said sides and substantially perpendicular to said base, said base, said sides, and said rear vertical portion having substantially fiat inner surfaces conforming in configuration for engagement with the complementary surfaces of said upper anchor .arrn, whereby the said base of the said shim exerts a pressure upon the upper arm of said anchor, causing all points of contact between said anchor and said rail to become in tight frictional engagement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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