Track insulating washers

Claim 1

IN RAILROAD TRACKAGE WHEREIN THE RAIL IS SECURED TO THE TIE BY A RAILROAD SPIKE HAVING A SHANK PORTION POINTED AT ONE END WITH AN ENLARGED HEAD AT THE OTHER END ADAPTED TO OVERLAP THE RAIL FLANGE AND THUS HOLD THE RAIL TO THE TIE WHEN THE SPIKE IS DRIVEN INTO THE TIE, THE COMBINATION WITH SAID TRACKAGE OF AN INSULATING WASHER COMPRISING A BLOCK ELEMENT OF SUBSTANTIALLY NON-DEFORMABLE, NON-CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL HAVING A CENTRAL OPENING THERETHROUGH SNUGLY RECEIVING AND SURROUNDING A PORTION OF SAID SPIKE SHANK THEREIN ADJACENT SAID SPIKE HEAD, SAID BLOCK ELEMENT HAVING A FLANGE PORTION ADJACENT SAID SPIKE HEAD EXTENDING LATERALLY BEYOND THE PORTION OF SAID SPIKE HEAD OVERLAPPING SAID RAIL FLANGE, SAID BLOCK ELEMENT SURROUNDING SAID PORTION OF THE SPIKE SHANK EXTENDING ALONG SAID SHANK FROM SAID HEAD TO A POINT ALONG SAID SHANK REMOVED FROM SAID TIE WHEN SAID SPIKE IS DRIVEN INTO SAID TIE WHEREBY A GAP OCCURS BETWEEN SAID WASHER AND SAID TIE.