Retention Assembly and Railway Spike Assembly Incorporating Same

Abstract

A spike assembly is for securing a section of a railroad to a crosstie. The spike assembly includes a spike member of generally linear shape having a tip portion structured to be installed in the crosstie, a head portion disposed opposite the tip portion and structured to engage and retain a portion of the section, and a body portion disposed therebetween. The body portion including a pair of generally opposed sides, each side having a notched portion. The spike assembly further includes a clip member having a first portion, a second portion, and an intermediate portion disposed therebetween. Each of the first and second portions are disposed in a respective one of the notched portions and the clip member is structured to engage a portion of the cross tie.

1 . A spike assembly for securing a section of a railroad to a crosstie, said spike assembly comprising:
 a spike member of generally linear shape comprising:
 a tip portion structured to be installed in said crosstie; 
 a head portion disposed opposite said tip portion and being structured to engage and retain a portion of said section; 
 and a body portion disposed therebetween, said body portion including a pair of generally opposed sides, each side having a notched portion; and 
   a clip member comprising:
 a first portion; 
 a second portion; and 
 an intermediate portion disposed therebetween, 
   wherein each of said first portion and said second portion is disposed in a respective one of said notched portions and wherein said clip member is structured to engage a portion of the cross tie.   
   
   
       2 . The spike assembly of  claim 1  wherein said body portion further includes a third side disposed between the pair of generally opposed sides, said third side having a notched portion in which the intermediate portion of said clip member is disposed. 
   
   
       3 . The spike assembly of  claim 1  wherein each of the first portion and the second portion of said clip member include a flared portion structured to engage said portion of the cross tie. 
   
   
       4 . The spike assembly of  claim 1  wherein said crosstie includes a number of holes and wherein the spike assembly is structured to be inserted into a corresponding one of said holes. 
   
   
       5 . The spike assembly of  claim 4  wherein the corresponding one of said holes in the crosstie was formed by another spike previously driven into the crosstie. 
   
   
       6 . The spike assembly of  claim 1  wherein the clip member is formed from a unitary piece of material. 
   
   
       7 . The spike assembly of  claim 6  wherein the unitary piece of material is formed from spring steel. 
   
   
       8 . The spike assembly of  claim 1  wherein the spike member is formed from a spike previously driven into and removed from a crosstie. 
   
   
       9 . The spike assembly of  claim 2  wherein the third side of said spike member includes a generally planar surface, wherein the intermediate portion of said clip member includes an outward surface, and wherein the planar surface and the outward surface are generally coplanar. 
   
   
       10 . The spike assembly of  claim 1  wherein the clip member is structured to engage the portion of the crosstie in a manner such that extraction of the spike assembly from the crosstie is inhibited. 
   
   
       11 . The spike assembly of  claim 2  wherein the body portion of said spike member has a generally rectangular cross-section. 
   
   
       12 . A clip member for securing a spike member to a crosstie, said spike member including a tip portion, a head portion disposed opposite said tip portion, and a body portion disposed therebetween, said body portion including a pair of generally opposed sides, each side having a notched portion, said clip member comprising:
 a first portion structured to be disposed in the notched portion of one of said pair of generally opposed sides of said spike member;   a second portion structured to be disposed in the notched portion of the other of said pair of generally opposed sides of said spike member; and   an intermediate portion disposed therebetween,   wherein said clip member is structured to engage a portion of said cross tie.   
   
   
       13 . The clip member of  claim 12  wherein the body of said spike member further includes a third side disposed between the pair of generally opposed sides, said third side having a notched portion; and wherein the intermediate portion of said clip member is structured to be disposed in the notched portion of the third side of said spike member. 
   
   
       14 . The clip member of  claim 12  wherein each of the first portion and the second portion include a flared portion with each flared portion being structured to engage a portion of the cross tie. 
   
   
       15 . The clip member of  claim 14  wherein the portion of the cross tie comprises an inner surface of a hole in said crosstie; and wherein the hole in said crosstie was formed by another spike previously driven into the crosstie. 
   
   
       16 . The clip member of  claim 12  wherein the clip member is formed from a unitary piece of material. 
   
   
       17 . The clip member of  claim 11  wherein the third side of said spike member includes a generally planar surface, wherein the intermediate portion of said clip member includes an outward surface, and wherein the outward surface is structured to be generally coplanar with the planar surface. 
   
   
       18 . A method for securing a section of a railroad to a crosstie, the method comprising:
 providing a spike assembly comprising:
 a spike member of generally linear shape comprising:
 a tip portion structured to be installed in said crosstie; 
 a head portion disposed opposite said tip and being structured to engage and retain a portion of said section; and 
 a body portion disposed therebetween, said body portion including a pair of generally opposed sides, each side having a notched portion; and 
 
 a clip member comprising:
 a first portion; 
 a second portion; and 
 an intermediate portion disposed therebetween, each of said first portion and said second portion being disposed in a respective one of said notched portions and said clip member is structured to engage a portion of the cross tie; and 
 
   installing said spike assembly into the crosstie to secure said railroad thereto.   
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18  further comprising:
 installing said spike assembly in a pre-existing hole in the crosstie.   
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18  further comprising coupling the clip member onto the spike member prior to installing the spike assembly into the crosstie.