US3355105A

US3355105A - Rail anchor

Info

Publication number: US3355105A
Application number: US547598A
Authority: US
Inventors: James R Steele; Jr Stephen M Lounsberry
Original assignee: Moore and Steele Corp
Current assignee: Moore and Steele Corp
Priority date: 1966-05-04
Filing date: 1966-05-04
Publication date: 1967-11-28
Anticipated expiration: 1984-11-28

Description

Nov. 28, 1967 J. R. STEELE ETAL 3,355,105

' RAIL ANCHOR Filed May 4, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet .1.

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F9. 5.. INVENTORS 15.131. Jammie/7 Jr;

Nov. 28, 1967 T L ETAL 3,355,105

AAAAAAAA OR 2 Sheets-Sheet f3 INVENTORS J1? .x iee'le United States Patent 3,355,105 RAIL ANCHOR James R. Steele and Stephen M. Lounsberry, Jr., Owego, N.Y., assignors to Moore & Steele Corporation, Owego, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 4, 1966, Ser. No. 547,598 7 Claims. (Cl. 238-330) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A one piece rail anchor of the type which makes three point engagement with the rail, both in its initial position when placed on the rail by hand and in the final position to which it is driven by mechanical force, that portion of the anchor which engages the under surface of the rail flange lying closer to the adjacent rail flange edge than does the point at which the rail web engaging portion engages a rail web surface, said surface and said edge lying on the same side of the rail.

The present invention relates to rail anchors and particularly to an improvement in the type of rail anchor shown in our Patents Nos. 1,890,066 and 2,493,686. During application to a rail, anchors of the type disclosed in said earlier patents are hung on the rail by hand and then force is applied, either manually with a Sledgehammer or mechanically by means of a rail anchor applying machine, in order to spring the anchor into place on the rail.

When these previous anchors are hung on the rail, the fillet bearing end (20 in FIG. 1 of Patent No. 1,890,066, 17 in FIG. 1 of Patent No. 2,493,686) bears directly in the rail fillet as shown in FIG. 1 of each patent. In this preliminary position these anchors have no grip on the rail and a small vibration or jar is sufficient to cause the anchor to fall ofr the rail, necessitating that it be rehung on the rail. Vibrations and jars are usually present during the time rail anchors are being applied since there are several men striking anchors if the application is manual, and if the application is by machine, the machine itself causes vibration. Indeed, some anchors would fall oil? the rail due merely to the action of gravity, if placed on the gage side of a canted rail such as rail superelevated for curves. In these cases it is necessary for another person to hold the anchor up, from the opposite side of the rail, while it is driven into permanent position.

Rehanging anchors consumes valuable time and increases the cost of application. Applying anchors is a high production operation requiring several men, if the anchors are applied by hand, and two machines if they are applied mechanically. Therefore, anything serving to facilitate the operation is highly desirable.

In the improved rail anchor according to the present invention, the geometry of the anchor is such that the rail web engaging end does not go all the way into the fillet, when the anchor is first placed on the rail, but comes to rest about half way up the slope of the flange of the rail, due to the pitch between said end and a convex under rail portion, the anchor being in contact with the rail base at three locations as hereinafter explained. Since rail bases customarily have a slope of 13 to 14, which is slightly less than the angle of dry friction, the anchor can be placed on the rail by hand with suificient force to prevent it from sliding back due to vibration or jarring of the rail. In other words, this improved anchor can be pushed on the rail by hand and it will stay in position by pinching the rail base flange until it is fully applied by either manual or mechanical means.

One important difference between the present improved anchor and previous anchors of this type is that the present anchor always achieves a three-point bearing on the Patented Nov. 28, 1967 rail base and stops on the wedge of the rail so that a slight springing is obtained when the anchor is placed on the rail by hand. This slight springing is enough to hold the anchor on the rail until the full and final application. An important object of the present invention, therefore, is the provision of a rail anchor of such geometry as to provide the aforesaid advantage.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a rail anchor of the type described, which provides approximately 40% greater resistance to turning and canting, and also 40% greater resistance to longitudinal rail movement or creeping than the conventional anchors of this type.

A further object is the provision of a rail anchor of the type described which is so formed as to provide a built-in protection against overdriving.

A still further object is the provision of a rail anchor of the type described, which is so formed as to possess increased resistance to the inadvertent removal of the anchor from the rail, its intentional removal being facilitated by use of a special tool.

Other and further objects, features and advantages will be apparent from the description which follows, read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 illustrates a transverse section of a railroad rail to which an anchor according to the present invention has been applied in its first position;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1, the anchor having assumed an intermediate position under the application of force by means of a sledgehammer;

FIGURE 3 is a View similar to FIGURES 1 and 2 but showing the anchor in its final position;

FIGURES 4 and 5 are sectional views taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURES 6 and 7 are views similar to FIGURE 3, illustrating slightly modified anchors made according to the invention; and

FIGURE 8 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 illustrating the use of a special tool for removing the rail anchors of the present invention.

In order to facilitate an understanding of the invention, reference is made to the embodiments thereof shown in the accompanying drawings and detailed descriptive language is employed. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the invention is thereby intended and that various changes and alterations are contemplated such as would ordinarily occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

In FIGURE 1 of the drawings there is illustrated, in transverse section, a railroad rail 10 having the usual web portion 11 and rail base comprising the

flanges

12 and 13, each of which joins the web 11 at a small radius fillet 14.

, As is customary the rail base provides a flat under surface 15 for engagement with the conventional tie plate 9 (FIG. 4) which in turn rests upon the usual cross-tie 8 (FIG. 4). The

upper surfaces

16 and 17 of the

flanges

12 and 13, respectively, are inclined to the horizontal at the usual angle of approximately 13 -14.

The rail anchor of the present invention comprises an under rail portion designated generally by the reference numeral 18 having a tie-engaging portion comprising the downwardly

projecting loops

19 and 20 and a port-ion 21 adapted to engage the under surface 15 of the rail. A rail web engaging portion 22 is joined to the loop 20 by a straight portion 23 While a rail flange engaging portion 24 is provided at the free end of the loop 19. Preferably that surface of the rail web engaging portion 22 which is adapted to contact the web is curved on a radius approximating that of the adjacent fillet 14 although, as pointed out hereinafter, in the final applied position of the anchor, the portion 22 does not engage closely in the corresponding fillet, but contacts the rail web at a slightly higher point. Preferably the rail flange engaging portion 24 is provided with a lip 25 adapted to engage over the upper corner of the flange edge 26 when the anchor is fully applied to the rail.

As seen in FIGURE 1, when the anchor is initially engaged wtih the rail, the rail web engaging portion 22 and the under surface engaging portion 21 contact the sloping surface 17 and the under rail surface 15, respectively, while the rail flange engaging portion 24 also engages the under rail surface 15, the anchor thus having a three-point engagement with the rail. In initially applying the anchor, the latter is manually applied with sufficient force that, due to its natural resilience, the flange 13 is pinched between the anchor portions 21 and 22. Since the point K at which the under rail portion 21 of the anchor engages the surface 15 lies closer to the edge of the flange 13 than does the point I at which the web engaging portion 22 engages the surface 17, the resilience of the anchor causes the flange engaging portion 24 to contact the under surface 15, as shown at L. Thus, the anchor is in three-point frictional engagement with the rail, and will not be dislodged by minor shocks or vibrations during the period between its initial application and its completed installation.

After the anchor is placed on the rail, as shown in FIGURE 1, the next step is to drive the anchor up to the position shown in FIGURE 2. This can be done with light controlled blows, if the anchor is being applied with a maul or sledge. When the end 22 reaches the fillet 14 joining the rail web and base, it can no longer be moved by light blows due to the abutment of the fillet. Now, a heavy blow is struck at point at about 45 with the vertical. This blow brings the overlying portion down onto the top of the rail base and the flange engaging portion 24 snaps up on the edge of the rail base so that the anchor is in the position shown in FIGURE 3, with the lip 25 over the top corner of the edge of the rail flange 12.

It will be noted that the radius R of the portion 22 is slightly out of coincidence with the radius of fillet 14, as a result of the designed spring take-up between end portions 22 and 24. This brings the gripping loads to bear at point M, N, G and C.

It has been determined that forces acting at H and H in FIGURE 3 are of little value in resisting the turning or canting of the anchor, since this turning takes place about the XX axis and since these H, H forces are located on or very close to this axis. However, the tuming or canting is greatly resisted by the frictional forces set up by the normal forces V--V. These frictional forces act in directions approximately perpendicular to the axis of rotation XX and at a distance from the axis which gives them a moment arm to magnify their effect.

The section of greatest stress, in anchors of this general type, is at section SS, FIGURE 3. Therefore, the stress at this section is the factor that governs the amount of spring take-up and hence the magnitude of forces VV. An important feature of the improved anchor is that point G is at the left of point N (FIG. 3) and as close to point C as possible without disturbing the smooth radius P. With this arrangement, it can be shown by the principles of mechanics of materials that vertical forces V (FIG. 3), are about 40% greater than they are in the conventional type anchor with the same limiting stress at section S-S for both anchors. This means that the improved anchor has 40% greater resistance to longitudinal rail movement, than the conventional anchors of this type.

FIGURE 4 shows a section thru 44 of FIGURE 3. This section shows how the surfaces carrying the V gripping loads bear on the rail, the distribution of forces being shown by the arrows. The concavity in the under rail section at 21' is new to this type of anchor. This concavity causes the edges E to be embedded in the soft decarburized skin of the rail base by the load V.

FIGURE shows the same section as FIGURE 4 with the anchor under a working load F. Now the vertical loads on the rail base have shifted so that the upward force V is concentrated at the right edge of the under rail portion 21 and the downward force V is concentrated at the left edge of the upper rail base flange corner because of the tendency of the anchor to rotate about axis XX. This action creates a bind on the rail base flange and because of the embedding of the edge E, into the soft decarburized skin of the anchor, caused by the large V load, the resistance to turning or canting is increased greatly beyond that possible with the conventional anchors which depend on frictional resistance only.

Another form of the anchor is shown in FIGURE 6. This form has a step U which is made by exerting extra pressure at T during the hot forging process. This step is forged so that the vertical surface will come into contact with the edge of the rail base if the anchor is overdriven by a mechanical applicator or if the anchor is struck by a hammer with a blow in excess of the amount needed to spring it into its working position on the rail.

This step is positioned in such relation to contact point N that step U just touches the rail edge when the anchor is installed on a rail with the base rolled to the mean of the width tolerance. There is enough spring or resiliency in the anchor to adjust to the variations in the rail, above or below the mean size, that may occur due to mill rolling tolerances. Therefore, this step prevents a damaging amount of overdrive and due to the spring design of the anchor, it can adjust itself to variations caused in the rolling of the rail.

The anchor of the present invention can also be made with the addition of a step 27 as shown in FIGURE 7. This step is contiguous with the bottom of the rail base at the rail edge, as shown, and prevents this end of the rail anchor from sliding upward in case of a load applied as shown by the arrow 28. Such a load is sometimes developed by the wave action of the rail, under traflic, when the anchor is embedded in frozen ballast.

This step 27, in conjunction with lip 25, creates an additional binding action on the rail edge which helps to resist any tendency of the anchor to tilt or turn under a rail creeping load.

The present rail anchor, in any of its forms, is preferably made from rectangular steel bars, a suitable size being A thick by 1% wide. The type of steel used is a high carbon or an alloy steel that can be given a spring temper.

FIGURE 8 illustrates the manner in which a special tool designated generally by the reference character 29 may be employed for conveniently removing the rail anchors of the present invention. The tool 29 may comprise an elongated bar 30 of cylindrical or other section having a handle portion 31 toward one end and, secured toward the other end, a member 32 having the profile of an inverted I, the member 32 being suitably braced as by the member 33. The manner of using the tool 29 to remove the rail anchor is believed to be obvious.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A one piece rail anchor comprising an under rail portion having a tie engaging portion and a portion adapted to engage the under surface of the rail, a rail web engaging portion, and a rail flange engaging portion, said under surface engaging portion having the form of an upwardly convex smooth curve of which, when said anchor is in final position, the uppermost convex portion engages said rail under surface at points lying in substantial alignment longitudinally of said rail, which points are closer to the adjacent rail flange edge than the point at which the rail web engaging portion engages a rail web surface, said last surface and said flange edge lying on the same side of the longitudinal axis of said rail.

2. A one piece rail anchor as in claim 1, the upper surface of said convex portion being concave between its edges which extend transversely to the rail, whereby only said last mentioned edges engage said under surface.

3. A one piece rail anchor as in claim 1, formed of spring metal and having a transverse take-up such that the rail web engaging portion contacts a rail web surface, when said anchor is in final position, at a point sufficiently above the juncture of the rail web and flange so that said anchor does not engage said flange between said juncture and the adjacent edge of said flange.

4. A one piece rail anchor as in claim 1, said under surface engaging portion being joined to said rail web engaging portion by a smoothly curved portion extending around the adjacent rail flange edge and engaging the latter at its upper extremity when said anchor is in final position.

5. A one piece rail anchor as in claim 1, said under surface engaging portion being joined to said rail web engaging portion by a smoothly curved portion extending to the adjacent rail flange edge, a seat portion for engaging the latter toward its upper extremity, and a substantially straight portion extending from said seat portion to said rail web engaging portion.

6. A one piece rail anchor as in claim 1, said under surface engaging portion being joined to said rail flange engaging portion by a smoothly curved portion terminating in a hook member included in said rail flange engaging portion.

7. A one piece rail anchor as in claim 1, said under surface engaging portion being joined to said rail flange engaging portion by a smoothly curved portion terminating in an offset providing an upwardly facing shoulder for engaging the under surface of a rail flange immediately adjacent an edge thereof, a flat area for engaging the said edge, and a downwardly facing shoulder for engaging the upper surface of said flange immediately adjacent said edge.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,540,614 6/1925 Gillmer 238330 1,674,859 6/1928 Fairweather 238-330 1,777,991 10/1930 Moore et al. 238-330 1,781,191 11/1930 Preston 238-330 3,159,347 12/1964 Neely 238-330 ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner. R. A. BERTSCH, Assistant Examiner.