Rail threader

A rail threader comprising a top plate having side plates extending downwardly from the opposite sides thereof. A vertically disposed plate extends upwardly from the top plate and is adapted to serve as an abutment for the loose rail during the threading operation. The inside surface of one of the side plates has a pair of bars extending inwardly therefrom. When the rail threader has been positioned on a rail, a spacer bar is positioned between one side of the rail and the inside surface of the other side plate. A pair of bolts threadably extend through the other side plate and draw the bars on the first side plate into engagement with one side of the rail. The rail threader is securely held onto the rail by the engagement of the rods and the spacer bar which are urged into engagement with the opposite sides of the rail by the bolts. The loose rail may be threaded into the center of the tracks or threaded outwardly from the center of the tracks through the use of the rail threader.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to a rail threader and more particularly to a device 
which may be mounted on a fixed rail to enable a loose rail to be threaded 
between the rails of the track or to be threaded outwardly from between 
the rails of the track. 
2. Background Art 
Spare or loose rails are frequently stored by the side of a railroad track, 
at predetermined spaced-apart locations, to enable a length of a fixed 
rail of the railroad track to be quickly replaced in the event of damage 
thereto. If a rail is damaged, and must be replaced, the section crew 
simple needs to go to the nearest location where a rail is stored rather 
than requiring a loose rail to be shipped from some central supply area. 
The loose rails are normally positioned on a rail rest closely adjacent the 
side of the track at predetermined intervals. When it is desired to move 
the loose or spare rail to the location where it is to be used, the rail 
is normally first rolled towards the track by means of rail turning tools 
or the like. Once the loose rail has been rolled to a position closely 
adjacent the track, it is necessary to thread the loose rail into the 
center of the track so that the loose rail may be pulled to the location 
where it is needed. 
The threading of the rail into the center of the track is extremely 
difficult and is sometimes dangerous. The rail simply cannot be pulled 
into the center of the track by a Hy-Railer or the like since the loose 
rail simply tends to slide on the rail and will not thread itself into the 
center of the track. In the past, to thread the rail into the track, the 
workers utilized lining bars and attempted to pry or roll the loose rail 
over one of the fixed rails. The loose rails are extremely heavy and 
frequently weigh in excess of 1,700 pounds which makes the lining bar 
method of threading the rail extremely difficult and sometimes dangerous. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
A rail threader is described comprising a top plate having a pair of side 
plates secured thereto and extending downwardly therefrom in a 
spaced-apart relationship. The threader is inserted over the top of a 
fixed rail with the side plates being positioned on opposite sides of the 
rail. The inside surface of one of the side plates has elongated members 
secured thereto which extend toward the web of the fixed rail when the 
threader is mounted on a fixed rail. The other side plate of the threader 
is provided with a pair of threaded openings extending therethrough which 
receive bolts therein. A spacer bar is positioned between the inner ends 
of the bolt members and the web of the fixed rail. Tightening of the bolts 
causes the spacer bar to be brought into frictional engagement with the 
web of the rail. An upstanding plate is secured to the top surface of the 
top plate and is adapted to be in engaged by the loose rail as it is being 
threaded into the center of the track or threaded outwardly therefrom. 
It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide a rail 
threader. 
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a rail threader which 
enables a single person to thread a loose rail into the center of the 
track or to thread a loose rail outwardly from the center of the track. 
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a rail threader which is 
easily installed on rails of different sizes. 
Still another object of the invention is to provide a rail threader which 
is safe to use. 
Still another object of the invention is to provide a rail threader which 
may be quickly mounted on a rail or quickly removed therefrom. 
These and other object of the subject invention will be apparent to those 
skilled in the art.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
The rail threader of this invention is referred to generally by the 
reference numeral 10 while the reference numeral 12 refers to a 
conventional railroad track including fixed rails 14 and 16. For purposes 
of description, rail 14 will be described as including a base portion 16, 
web 18, and head or ball 20. The numeral 22 refers to a conventional 
Hy-Railer which is adapted to move along the rails 14 and 16 and which 
includes a boom 24 having a boom or winch cable 26 associated therewith. 
Vehicle 22 also includes a hitch 28 at the rearward end thereof. The 
numeral 30 refers to a loose or spare rail which is identical to the rails 
14 and 16 and which may have various lengths such as 39 feet, etc. 
depending upon the particular railroad. Ordinarily, a loose or spare rail 
30 is positioned along the side of the track 12 at every two miles or 
less, depending upon railroad policy. The spare or loose rails 30 are 
stored alongside the track, on a rail rest, in the event that one of the 
fixed rails becomes damaged or broken and it is necessary to replace a 
length of rail therein. Rail threader 10 includes a substantially 
horizontally disposed top plate 32 having a forward end 34, rearward end 
36, opposite sides 38 and 40, top surface 42 and bottom surface 44. Plate 
46 is welded to the upper surface 42 of plate 32 and extends upwardly 
therefrom as seen in the drawings. Plate 46 is provided with opening 48 
formed therein to serve as a hand or finger hole to facilitate the 
carrying and positioning of the rail threader. 
Side plate 50 extends downwardly from side 38 of plate 32 as seen in FIG. 
1. A pair of elongated bars 52 and 54 are welded to the lower inside 
surface of side plate 50 as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2. Side plate 56 extends 
downwardly from top plate 42 at side 40 in a spaced-apart relationship 
with respect to side plate 50. Side plate 56 has a pair of threaded 
openings 58 and 60 formed therein which extend therethrough and which are 
adapted to threadably receive bolts 62 and 64 respectively. If desired, 
top plate 32 and the side plates 50 and 56 could be made of three-piece 
construction as opposed to the one-piece construction illustrated in the 
drawings. 
The numeral 66 refers to a spacer bar having a length substantially equal 
to the length of the side plate 56. As seen in FIG. 1, bar 66 has a pair 
of indentations 68 and 70 formed wherein which are adapted to partially 
receive the inner ends of bolts 62 and 64 respectively. 
Preferably, a wear-hardened surface 72 is provided on the upper surface 42 
of top plate 32 to prevent undue wear of the rail threader. Further, a 
wear-hardened surface 74 is preferably positioned at the forward end of 
the plate 46 to prevent undue wear to the same. 
The rail threader 10 is mounted on the rail as follows. The bolts 62 and 64 
are threadably moved outwardly with respect to the threaded openings 58 
and 60 respectively so that the inner ends thereof do not protrude 
inwardly of the side plate 56. Threader 10 is then lowered onto the rail 
14 as illustrated in FIG. 3. Spacer bar 66 is then positioned between web 
18 of the rail 14 and the inner ends of the threaded openings so that the 
indentations 68 and 70 may partially receive the inner ends of the bolts 
62 and 64. Bolts 62 and 64 are threadably moved inwardly in the threaded 
openings 58 and 60 and force the spacer bar 66 into engagement with the 
side of the web 18 of the rail 14. Continued tightening of the bolts 62 
and 64 wedge the rail between the spacer bar 66 and the bars 52 and 54 to 
securely hold the threader 10 on the rail 14. The threader 10 is removed 
from the rail 14 in a manner reversed to that just described. 
Assuming that the loose rail 30 has been rolled from its stored position to 
a position closely adjacent rail 14 as illustrated in FIG. 9, the first 
step is to secure a rail puller 80 on one end of the rail 30. It is 
preferred that the rail puller 80 have the structure disclosed in my 
co-pending application entitled RAIL PULLER filed concurrently herewith. 
The cable 26 of the Hy-Railer vehicle 22 is secured to the rail puller 80 
and the end 82 of rail 30 is raised from the ground and swung inwardly 
from the solid line position of FIG. 9 to the dotted line position of FIG. 
9. FIG. 6 illustrates the end of rail 30 being swung inwardly over rail 14 
and the threader 10. When the end 82 of rail 30 has been positioned 
inwardly of threader 10 as illustrated by the broken line position of FIG. 
9, the end 82 of rail 30 is lowered until the underside of the rail rests 
upon the rail 14 with the end 82 projecting beyond threader 10. 
The cable 26 is then disconnected from the puller 80 and a chain 84 is 
extended from the hitch 28 of vehicle 22 as seen in FIG. 5. The vehicle 22 
is then driven away from the rail threader 10 in a direction which would 
be to the right as viewed in FIG. 11. Forward movement of the vehicle 22 
causes the rail 30 to engage the forward end of the rail threader 10 as 
seen in FIG. 5. Continued forward movement of the vehicle 22 causes the 
rail 30 to be pulled or threaded into the center of the track as 
illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12 due to the engagement of the rail with the 
threader 10. 
The rail 30 is then pulled down the track between the rails 14 and 16 (FIG. 
7) until the location is reached where the damaged rail is to be replaced. 
If there is sufficient time, before the passage of the next train, the 
rail 30 will be left between the fixed rails while the damaged rail is 
being removed. After the damaged rail has been removed and positioned just 
outwardly of its former location, the puller 80 is removed from the rail 
30, if puller 80 has not been previously removed therefrom, with the rail 
30 then being positioned in the position where the damaged rail was 
removed. After the rail 30 has been properly installed, the damaged rail 
will normally be pulled to a rail crossing or the like so that the damaged 
rail may be hauled to a scrap or dump yard. Normally, the rail puller 80 
will be mounted on one end of the damaged rail and the threader 10 of this 
invention is positioned on the rail closest to the position of the damaged 
rail. The damaged rail is then threaded into the center of the track as 
previously described and pulled to the rail crossing or the like. 
If there is not sufficient time to repair the damaged rail, after the loose 
rail 30 has been initially pulled to the location of the damaged rail, due 
to the fact that a train may be passing thereby shortly, the loose rail 30 
could be initially threaded outwardly from the center of the track until 
such time as the train has passed. To accomplish the outward threading of 
the rail 30 from the center of the track, the rail threader 10 is again 
positioned on the rail 14 rearwardly of the forward end 82 of rail 30. The 
chain 84 would be disconnected from the vehicle hitch 28 and from the rail 
puller 80. Winch cable 26 is then hooked to the rail puller 80 with the 
winch being operated to raise the end 82 of the rail 30 above the upper 
end of rail threader 10. The end 82 of rail 30 is then swung outwardly of 
the rail threader 10, as viewed in FIG. 8, at which time the end 82 of the 
rail 30 is lowered until the rail rests upon the rail 14 with the end 82 
of the rail 30 protruding beyond the rail threader 10. 
After the rail 30 has been lowered into engagement with the rail 14 with 
the end 82 of the rail 30 protruding beyond rail threader 10, a chain is 
again hooked to the rail puller 80 and would normally be hooked to the 
right rear of the vehicle as illustrated by broken lines in FIG. 5. The 
vehicle 22 is then driven forwardly which causes the rail 30 to engage the 
forward end of the rail threader 10 with the continued forward movement of 
the vehicle 22 causing the entire length of the rail 30 to be threaded 
outwardly from the center of the track. 
FIG. 13 illustrates a modified form of the rail puller and is referred to 
generally by the reference numeral 10'. Rail threader 10' is identical to 
rail threader 10 except that a vertically disposed roller VR is rotatably 
mounted at the forward end of plate 46' instead of a wear-hardened 
surface. Threader 10' also includes a horizontally disposed roller HR 
rotatably mounted thereon which is substituted for the wear-hardened 
surface 72 on the threader. The vertically disposed roller VR and the 
horizontally disposed roller HR facilitate the movement of the rail with 
respect to the threader. 
In some cases, when the threader is being used on small rails, it may be 
advantageous to utilize a small rectangular spacer block SB between the 
top of the fixed rail and the underside of top plate 42 as illustrated in 
FIG. 14. 
Thus it can be seen that a novel rail threader has been provided which 
enables a loose or spare rail to be easily threaded into the center of the 
track or threaded outwardly therefrom in a rapid and safe fashion. A 
single person can thread the rail into the center of the track or thread 
the rail outwardly from the center of the track. Thus it can be seen that 
the invention accomplishes at least all of its stated objectives.