Railroad spike straightener

Claim 1

In a spike straightening device adapted for railroad use, a frame, rail engaging flanged wheels on the frame so that the device is movable along the rails of a railroad track, a support on the frame at a level commensurate with the operative level of a seated operator, a spike-straightening press mounted on said support and including a lower anvil and an upper die, the lower anvil being channeled to receive inserted spike shanks, the upper die being correspondingly channeled to engage the spike shanks, means for normally holding the die upwardly withdrawn from the anvil, whereby to permit manual insertion of the spike shanks in the anvil, hydraulic pressure means for forcing the die downwardly against the anvil, whereby to straighten the spikes, a valve system for actuating the hydraulic means, such valve system responding only to the simultaneous manual actuation of two control handles, whereby the hands of the operator are withdrawn from the downward path of the die when it is actuated, an operator''s station on the frame for a seated operator facing and directly adjacent the press and control handles, and a receptacle on the frame at the general level of the support and contiguous to the operator''s station for holding spikes to be straightened.