Rail anchor

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including an apparatus that is a rail anchor comprising a head, a tail, and a belly section. The belly section comprises a top surface, a bottom surface, and two side surfaces. Each side surface comprises a contact-bearing surface area. The head comprises a bend along a length of the head. The tail comprises a notch. Each contact-bearing surface area has a surface area of at least 3 square inches and is adapted to extend at least 1.5 inches downward from the top of a railroad track crosstie along a side of the railroad track crosstie.

1 . A rail anchor, comprising:
 a head, a tail, and a belly section;   wherein said belly section comprises:
 a top surface, a bottom surface, and two side surfaces; 
 wherein each said side surface comprises a contact-bearing surface area; 
   wherein said head comprises a bend along a length of said head;   wherein said tail comprises a notch;   wherein each said contact-bearing surface area has a surface area of at least 3 square inches and is adapted to extend at least 1.5 inches downward from the top of a railroad track crosstie along a side of the railroad track crosstie.   
     
     
         2 . The rail anchor of  claim 1  wherein said contact-bearing surface area has a surface area of about 5.5 square inches. 
     
     
         3 . The rail anchor of  claim 1  wherein:
 said head also comprises a widened top surface along a length of said head; and 
 said tail also comprises a widened top surface along a length of said tail. 
 
     
     
         4 . The rail anchor of  claim 3 , wherein said widened top surface along the length of said head and said widened top surface along the length of said tail are formed from a same substantially rectangular cross section of material that forms said belly section. 
     
     
         5 . The rail anchor of  claim 4 , wherein said rectangular cross section of material has a vertical dimension of about between 1.0 inches to 1.3 inches and a horizontal dimension of about between 0.5 inches to 0.75 inches. 
     
     
         6 . The rail anchor of  claim 5 , wherein said rectangular cross section of material has a vertical dimension of about 1.156 inches and a horizontal dimension of about 0.65 inches. 
     
     
         7 . The rail anchor of  claim 1 , wherein said belly section has a substantially rectangular cross section along a length of said belly section. 
     
     
         8 . The rail anchor of  claim 1  wherein each of said side surfaces of said belly section includes a vertical dimension that exceeds a horizontal dimension of said top surface of said belly section. 
     
     
         9 . The rail anchor of  claim 1  wherein said contact-bearing surface area of each of said side surfaces is adapted to contact said side of said railroad track crosstie. 
     
     
         10 . The rail anchor of  claim 1  wherein the rail anchor, comprising said bend along said length of said head and said notch in said tail, is adapted to engage opposite sides of a railroad track rail. 
     
     
         11 . The rail anchor of  claim 10 , wherein a jaw opening in said bend along said length of said head has a dimension of about 0.5 inches and said notch has a height of about 0.15 inches. 
     
     
         12 . The rail anchor of  claim 1 , wherein said belly section comprises at least a belly section bend between said head and said tail. 
     
     
         13 . A method of manufacturing one or more rail anchors for a railroad track structure, comprising the steps of:
 for each of said one or more rail anchors:
 feeding a bar into a press, wherein the bar is oriented so that a height of a cross section of the bar is greater than a width of the cross section of the bar; 
 forging each end of said bar to form, at each end, a shorter and wider profile, wherein a middle section of said bar is left having an original profile; 
 forming a rail anchor shape; 
 forming a jaw and a tail on said rail anchor; and 
 forming a notch near said tail; 
   quenching said one or more rail anchors;   cooling said one or more rail anchors; and   tempering said cooled rail anchors;   wherein each rail anchor has a contact-bearing surface of at least 3.0 square inches and is adapted to extend at least 1.5 inches downward from the top of a railroad track crosstie along a side of the railroad track crosstie.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising the steps of:
 inspecting said rail anchors;   testing said rail anchors; and   packaging said rail anchors.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said quench tank comprises oil. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the said head, said tail, and said belly sections are formed at a temperature in a range of about 1900 degrees Fahrenheit to 2300 degrees Fahrenheit, and said cooled rail anchor is tempered at a temperature in a range of about 700 degrees Fahrenheit to 1000 degrees Fahrenheit. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said head, said tail, and said belly sections are formed at a temperature of about 2100 degrees Fahrenheit, and tempering said cooled rail anchors occurs at a temperature of about 800 degrees Fahrenheit for at least one hour. 
     
     
         18 . A method of installing a rail anchor on a railroad track structure, comprising the steps of:
 anchoring a rail with a rail anchor comprising a contact-bearing surface area adapted to contact a railroad track crosstie;   wherein said rail anchor comprises a head, a tail, and a belly section;   wherein said belly section comprises a top portion, a bottom portion, and two side surfaces;   wherein each of said side surfaces comprises said contact-bearing surface area;   wherein said contact-bearing surface area has a surface area of at least 3 square inches; and   wherein said increased bearing surface area is adapted to extend at least 1.5 inches downward from the top of the railroad track crosstie along a side of the railroad track crosstie in said railroad track structure.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein said contact-bearing surface area has a surface area of about 5.5 square inches.