RAIL FASTENER

Abstract: A rail to tie fastening including an elastic clip (12) a clip holder (15) and a locking element (6). The locking element (6) being interposed between the foot of the rail (11) and the clip holder (15) and, between the foot of the rail (11) and the clip (12) and is forced by the clip (12) against the foot (11). The locking element (6) is so shaped that any movement of the locking element (6) parallel to the rail (11), induced by longitudinal movement of the rail (11), results in the locking element (6) wedging between the clip holder (15) and the foot of the rail (11) so increasing lateral pressure on the rail to prevent further longitudinal rail movement.

Description: RAILFASTENER This invention relates to an improvement in elastic rail fasteners particularly those which use a rail clip and a clip holder. The purpose of " the clip holder is to secure the rail clip to a rail sleeper and enables the rail clip to bear down on the rail flange. Numerous elastic rail fastening systems of this type have been devised. Any rail fastening system must be able to maintain the rail in position under the normal stress conditions arising from use of the rails and from 10 environmental stresses particularly thermal stresses. Mod¬ ern rail systems are adopting welded rails and thermal stresses are a predominant factor in welded rails. It has been observed that a major long term difficulty with rails is the tendency of the rails to move in the predominant ^5 direction of travel for trains on the rail track. This tendency is called rail creep and it is most important that any elastic rail fastening systems not only prevent lateral rail movement but also prevent axial movement or rail creep. Past attempts to reduce rail creep have concen¬ trated on increasing the hold down force of the rail clip on the rail flange or- on increasing the frictional resistance between the rail, the sleeper and the clip by, for example, carefully selecting material to be used as 25 rail pads between the rail and the sleeper. It is an object of this invention to- reduce rail creep as compared to conventional elastic fastening syst¬ ems. To this end the present invention provides „ π locking element for use with a rail fastening system comprising an elastic rail clip, a clip holder adapted to hold the clip in position on the flange of the rail said locking element being adapted to lie between the rail flange and the rail clip holder, and said locking element 35 being held down onto the rail flange by the rail clip and said clip holder interfitting with said locking element such that any movement of said locking element in a - 2 - direction parallel to the rail axis is at least partiall . translated into a lateral pressure of said locking elemen against said rail. - Ideally a portion of the abutting surfaces of th 5 locking element and the clip holder are inclined -to th axis of the rail so that any movement of the lockin element parallel to the rail results in the locking elemen being wedged inwardly against the rail, so increasin contact pressure on the rail from a horizontal later 10 direction. Prior art fastening systems only applied vertical hold down force to the rail flange. The presen invention however is able to apply both a vertical an horizontal force to the rail and this additionally rest rains rail creep. Either locking element or the clipholde 15 includes a U shaped recess into which the other par interfits and either the corners of said U have a radius o curvature of at least 6 mm or the sides of said U ar inclined to the base of said U at an angle of at leas 100°. 20 Th e locking element of this invention ideall doubles as an insulater between the rail clip and the rai flange. In the prior art insulators of this kind have bee .. described for example in U.S. Patent 3610526 to Burwel (see figure 4), U.S. Patent 3460756 to Sanson, U.S. Paten 25 3463394 to Jones et al. None of the insulators described i _ . these patents or . insulators used in practice in the prio art functioned as locking elements. The interaction of th ,.. surface o the insulator against the clip holder in th prior art did not result in longitudinal movement of th 30 insulator being translated into lateral pressure on th edge of the rail foot. In each of the prior art. insulators the insulators and their associated rail clip holders ar not shaped to provide a wedge like interfitting. Rather th angles at the corners of the rail clip holders and interna 35 corners of the insulators adjacent the clip holders ar effectively right angles. _ . .. :: : ■ From the above it can be seen that the locking ..r . - element of the invention must be shaped to lie on top of the rail flange and on the shoulder or side of the rail • i- - .. ; - flange so that it lies between the rail clip and the top &.- •' . .. 5 " surface of the rail flange and lies between the clip holder • ? .--' ' - ' and the side of the rail flange. Preferably the locking -= • !- • -..- element includes a U shaped portion which surrounds the • clip holder. The internal faces of the U portion, which abut the rail clip are either curved or inclined inwardly 10 toward the rail ensuring that longitudinal movement is translated into the lateral direction toward the rail. It is preferred to select the material for the locking element on two criteria strength and frictional resistance of the surface. Both metal or a reinforced .plastic are considered 1 5 to be suitable. The rail clip and clipholder preferred for use with the locking element of this invention are described in Australian patent application 54004180. A preferred embodiment of this invention will now 20 be described in relation to figures 1 to 4 of the drawings. , - Figure 1 is a pictorial view of the locking ---..-. - element. ■'• " * Figure 2 is a plan view of the locking element. Figure 3 is a sectional view of a rail fastening 25 system incorporating the locking element, and Figure 4 is a plan view of the system shown in figure 3. The locking element 6 includes a portion 7 which .- • lies on the rail flange and two shoulders 8 which ' encompass =-."■ " 30 the clip holder. The element further comprises an outer rim . . -. . 9 and the shoulders include in their leading edge the inclined wedging surface 21. As shown in figures 3 and 4 the rail fastening system comprises a rail 10 'with a rail fange 11, a rail 35 clip 12 secured in clip holder 15. The rail clip comprises a base portion 13 and spring portion 14 which seats on the OMPI _ k _ locking element portion 7 and effectively holds down th rail flange. The clip holder is formed from pressed meta plate and has rounded shoulders 16 which seat within th shoulders 8 of locking element 6. Any rail creep will tend to drag the lockin element past the clip holder but the wedging action of th surface 21 of shoulders 8 of the locking element 6 an shoulders 16 of the clip holder 15 will increase th lateral hold of the locking elements on the rail flange. In this embodiment the rail is electrified an the locking element 6 doubles as an insulator and i accordingly composed of glass filled nylon. To improve th friction properties of the locking element the face of th locking element which abuts the rail may be roughened o textured either by sandblasting or other suitable means. A comparison test was carried out with a insulator which did not produce a lateral wedging actio by dragging a rail through the rail seat past th clipholder and measuring the resistance force. Then th test was repeated with an identical insulator except tha a lateral wedging action was produced according to thi invention. These tests w.ere repeated several times. In each case there was a significant increase i the force required to achieve significant rail creep whe the locking element of this invention was used. Signif icant rail creep is considered to occur with rail movemen of from 3 to 6 mm. The smallest increase in rail cree resistance force between using a locking element whic created no wedging action and the locking element of thi invention was 79% while the largest difference was 110%. The locking element insulator 6 is a key elemen in preventing rail creep (i.e. longitudinal movement o the rail). As well because it is a separate part from th clip holder and is subject to mere stress it can be easil and inexpensively replaced without replacement of the cli holder which is not the case in some prior art system where clip holders encapsulated in insulating plastic hav been use d . Thus the present invention clearly provides a marked improvement over prior art fastening systems with¬ out the need of increasing the hold down force capacity of the rail clip. Moreover, the increased cost in making fastening systems of the present invention is small or negligible where insulators are required in any case.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A locking element for use with a rail fasteni system comprising an elastic rail clip, a cliphold adapted to hold the clip in position on the flange of t rail said locking element being adapted to lie between t rail flange, the rail clip and the clip holder, and sa locking element being held down onto the rail flange by t rail clip and said clip holder interfitting with sa locking element such that any movement of said locki element in a direction parallel to the rail axis is least partially translated into a lateral pressure of sa locking element against said rail. 2. A locking element as claimed in claim 1 where said locking element includes a U shaped portion which fi about the rail clip holder and the corners of said portion have a radius of curvature of at least 6 mm. 3. A locking element as claimed in claim 2 where an external face of the clip holder is complementary shape with said locking element. 4. A locking element is claimed in claim 1 where said locking element includes a U shaped portion which fi about the rail clip holder and each side of said U porti is inclined at an angle of at least 100° to the base said u. 5. A locking element as claimed in claim 1 in whi the locking element fits within a U shaped recess of sa clipholder and the radius of curvature of the corners said U is at least 6 mm. 6. A locking element as claimed in claim 5 where an external face of the clip holder is complementary shape with said locking element. 7. A locking element as claimed in claim 1 where the locking element fits within a U shaped recess of sa rail clip holder and each side of said U is inclined at angle of at least 100° to the base of said U. ' O

Inventors: REMES W, YOUNG H
Applicants: MCKAY RALPH LTD, REMES W, YOUNG H, RALPH MCKAY LTD
Application year: 1980
Main classification: E01B9
IPC codes: E01B9, E01B13