Two-piece rail seal clip and tool for installing same

Abstract: A clip (7) for securing a rail seal element (2,3) to a rail includes a generally L-shaped first clip member (8) having a clamping arm (16) and an elongate connector arm (18) extending from one end of the clamping arm (16) and capable of passing under the rail (1); a second clip member (9) removably slidable on the connector arm (18); and a locking mechanism capable of releasably locking the second clip member (9) against sliding movement along the connector arm (18). In use, the second clip member (9) is removed from the connector arm (18) so that the connector arm (18) can be passed under the rail (1) with minimum disruption of the ballast. The second clip member (9) is then slid back onto the connector arm (18), and the assembled clip (7) then oriented so that the rail (1) and the rail seal (2,3) are positioned between the clamping arm (16) and the second clip member (9). The second clip member (9) is then slid on the connector arm (18) toward the clamping arm (16) so as to tightly press the rail (1) and rail seal (2,3) therebetween. Finally, the second clip member (9) is locked onto the arm (18) to prevent the clip (7) from releasing the rail (1) and rail seal (2,3).

Description: This invention relates to a removable apparatus for securing rail seal elements on opposite sides of a rail. In rail track construction, it is frequently necessary and/or desirable to align the rail head with adjacent road surfaces in order to facilitate movement of pedestrian and vehicular traffic. This commonly occurs at level crossings, and in light rail systems where rail and vehicular traffic share a common right of way. In order to prevent fouling of the rails in these installations, it is common practice to install rubber or resilient polymer rail seal elements which serve to seal a space between each rail and the adjacent road surface. Typical examples of such rail seal elements can be seen in United States Patent No. 4,461,421 (Maass) Rail seal elements of the type described in United States Patent No. 4,461,421 (Maass) have the advantages of being easy to manufacture in large quantity and at low cost, while offering an effective means of preventing fouling of the rails by ice, snow or other foreign matter. An apparatus for securing first and second rail seal elements according to the preamble of claim 1 is disclosed in WO 93/16230. In order to further reduce the costs of maintaining the road surface, it is frequently necessary to install the rail seal elements on each side of the rails prior to construction of the adjacent road surfaces. The rail seal elements then Serve as forms during the pouring of concrete or laying of asphalt for the road surface. However, in order to retain the rail seals on each side of the rails during construction and throughout the service life of the crossing, it is necessary to provide some means of securing the rail seals in place. For this purpose, it is known to employ a generally U-shaped spring clip 4 which is designed to be inserted under the rail 1 between adjacent ties. The ends 5, 6 of the spring clip 4 are then maneuvered into position to press the rail seals 2, 3 against the rail 1 (see Figure 1). This arrangement suffers from numerous disadvantages. In particular, in order to install the spring clip 4. a quantity of ballast (crushed stone) must be removed from between adjacent ties. This is time consuming and labor intensive, thereby increasing costs. Concerns have also been raised that the removal of ballast in this way might undermine the footings of the rail, thereby leading to more rapid degradation of the track. Additionally, in order to generate sufficient holding forces, the spring clips typically need to be made of spring steel, which greatly increases their cost. Finally, experience has shown that once such spring clips have been installed, it is extremely difficult to remove them later, for example in order to conduct maintenance or upgrading of the rail. An object of the present invention is to provide a clip for securing rail seals to a rail which overcomes the above-noted disadvantages of the prior art. A further object of the present invention is to provide a clip which can be installed with minimum labor, and while minimizing any disruption of the rail ballast. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a clip which can be readily removed. Accordingly, an aspect of the present invention provides a clip for securing a rail seal element to a rail, the clip comprises a generally L-shaped first clip member having a clamping arm and an elongate connector arm extending from one end of the clamping arm and capable of passing under the rail, a second clip member removably slidable on the connector arm, and a locking mechanism capable of releasably locking the second clip member against sliding movement along the connector arm. In use, the second clip member is removed from the connector arm so that the connector arm can be passed under the rail with minimum disruption of the ballast. The second clip member is then slid back onto the connector arm, and the assembled clip then oriented so that the rail and the rail seal are positioned between the clamping arm and the second clip member. The second clip member is then slid on the connector arm toward the clamping arm so as to tightly press the rail and rail seal therebetween. Finally, the second clip member is locked onto the arm to prevent the clip from releasing the rail and rail seal. In an embodiment of the invention the second clip member is formed as a generally curvilinear body. A contact pad designed to engage an outer surface of the rail seal is disposed proximal one end of the body, and an opening capable of slidably receiving the connector arm is defined proximal an opposite end of the body. In an embodiment of the invention, the second clip member further includes a contact face between the second contact pad and the opening. By this means, the second clip member is slidable on the connector arm toward the clamping arm, in response to a force acting on the contact face. In an embodiment of the invention, the locking mechanism comprises a plurality of notches disposed on an upper surface of the connector arm, and a lip of the opening of the second clip element. By this means, a resilient force of a rail seal secured by the clip causes the second clip member to rotate until the lip of the opening engages one of the notches of the connector arm, thereby preventing sliding motion of the second clip member away from the clamping arm. In an embodiment of the invention, a tool notch is provided proximal a free end of the connector arm of the first clip member An embodiment of the invention includes a tool capable of being removably coupled to the connector arm and the second clip member. In this case, the tool can be used for forcibly sliding the second clip member toward the clamping arm to clamp the rail seal element against the rail, and for engaging the locking means to prevent undesired motion of the second clip member away from the clamping arm In an embodiment of the invention, the tool comprises a pivot pin capable of being removably engaged in the tool notch of the connector arm, and a cam surface capable of engaging the contact face of the second clip member. In this case, movement of the second clip member toward the clamping arm is caused by inserting the pivot pin into the tool notch and thereafter pivoting the tool, about the pivot pin, toward the clamping arm. Subsequent pivoting of the tool away from the clamping arm causes the locking mechanism to automatically engage to prevent the second clip member from moving away from the clamping arm. Further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in combination with the appended drawings, in which. Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a pair of rail seals secured to opposite sides of a rail by means of a conventional spring clip; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a pair of rail seals secured to opposite sides of a rail by means of a clip in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3a shows a clip in accordance with the embodiment of Figure 2; Figure 3b is a partial cross-section view illustrating the operation of the locking mechanism of the embodiment of Figure 2; Figure 3c is a partial side-view showing the lower portion of the second clip member of the embodiment of Figure 2; Figure 4 is an isographic view of an embodiment of a tool for installing and removing the clip; Figures 5a to 5e inclusive show the steps of the method for installing the clip of Figure 2 using the tool of Figure 4; and Figures 6a and 6b illustrate the steps of the method for removing the clip of Figure 2 using the tool of Figure 4. Referring now to Figures 2 to 4, a clip 7 in accordance with the present invention comprises a generally L-shaped first clip member 8, a second clip member 9 removably slidable on the first clip member 8, and a locking mechanism 10. In addition, a setting tool 11 usable for setting the clip 7 on a rail 1 and rail seals 2, 3 comprises a cam body 12 mounted on a free end of a suitable lever arm 13, and a pivot pin 14 disposed on a nose 15 of the cam body 12. The first clip member 8 can conveniently be formed from a single piece of mild steel bar-stock bent to form an L-shaped body having arms of unequal length. The shorter of the two arms defines a clamping arm 16 of the first clip member 8, and is designed to engage a rail seal 2 on one side of the rail 1. For this purpose, the clamping arm 16 can conveniently be provided with a rounded contact pad 17 disposed proximal a free end of the clamping arm 16. By this means, the clamping arm 16 can be forcefully pressed against a face of the rail seal 2 without causing undue damage or distortion of the rail seal 2. The longer of the two arms defines a connector arm 18 which is of sufficient length to extend under the rail 1 and rail seals 2, 3 as shown in Figure 2. A plurality of locking notches 19 are provided on an upper surface 20 of the connector arm 18, and define a portion of the locking mechanism 10. Finally, a tool notch 21 can conveniently be provided proximal a free end of the connector arm 18 for receiving the pivot pin 14 of the setting tool 11. The second clip member 9 can conveniently be formed of a suitable piece of mild steel strap bent to define a curvilinear body. An upper end portion of the body defines a contact pad 22 designed for bearing against a surface of a rail seal 3. A substantially flat central portion of the second clip member defines a tool surface 23 against which a tool can be used to move the second clip member 9 toward the clamp arm and simultaneously engage the locking mechanism 10 to lock the second clip member 9 in place on the connector arm 18. A substantially flat lower end portion 24 of the body includes an opening 25 capable of slidably receiving the connector arm 18 of the first clip member 8. As may be seen in Figure 3c, the width w of the opening 25 is preferably made sufficiently large to provide a small clearance with the sides of the connector arm 18, so that the second clip member 9 can easily slide along the connector arm 18, but an acceptable alignment between the clamp arm 16 and the second clip member 9 can be maintained Conversely, the height h of the opening 25 is preferably made sufficiently greater than the height of the connector arm 18 so that the second clip member 9 is capable of pivoting through a small angle, as shown in Figure 3a. As will be described in greater detail below, this pivoting motion of the second clip member 9 is essential to successful operation of the locking mechanism 10. As mentioned above, the locking notches 19 provided on the connector arm 18 define a portion of the locking mechanism 10. The remaining portions of the locking mechanism are provided by the upper and lower intenor surfaces 26, 27 of the opening in the second clip member 9, and the respective upper and lower lips 28, 29 defined between these interior surfaces 26, 27 and the adjacent outer surfaces of the second clip member 9 (Figure 3b) Referring now to Figure 4, in accordance with the present invention, a setting tool 11 usable for setting the clip 7 on a rail 1 and rail seals 2, 3 comprises a cam body 12 having a cam surface 30 mounted on a free end of a suitable lever arm 13, and a pivot pin 14 disposed on a nose 15 of the cam body 12. The lever arm 13 can be composed of any suitable material, such as, for example a piece of steel pipe. Similarly, the length of the lever arm 13 can be selected as desired commensurate with the need to provide adequate leverage to properly set the clip, while allowing adequate portability of the tool. In practice, a lever arm in the range of between 40 and 50 inches in length has been found to be beneficial. The cam body 12 is designed such that, when the pivot pin 14 is inserted into the tool notch 21 of the connector arm 18, then the cam surface 30 will bear against the tool surface 23 of the second clip member 9. In this condition, pivoting of the setting tool 11 in the direction of arrow T (Figure 5d), will cause the cam body 12 and pivot pin 14 to generate very high forces simultaneously acting on the first and second clip members 8, 9 to force the second clip member 9 toward the clamping arm 16 against the resistance of the rail seals 2, 3 on opposite sides of the rail 1. Once the clip 7 has been set in this manner, the pivot pin 14 can be removed from the tool notch 21 of the connector arm 18, and the setting tool 11 removed for reuse with another clip 7. The method of setting the clip 7 onto a rail 1 and rail seals 2, 3, and the operation of the locking mechanism 10, will now be described with reference to Figures 5a-5e. As an initial step (Figure 5a), the connector arm 18 of the first clip 8 member is slid under the rail 1 and rail seals 2, 3, between adjacent ties, until the contact pad 17 of the clamp arm 16 bears "hand-tight" against the rail seal 2. Typically, this step can be quickly and easily accomplished with minimal use of tools, and with minimum disruption of ballast. The second clip member 9 is then threaded onto the end of the connector arm 18, and slid forward (Figure 5b) until the upper end portion 22 of the second clip member 9 bears "hand-tight" against the opposite rail seal 3. At this stage, the setting tool 11 can be used to set the clip 7, and thereby tightly clamp the rail seals 2, 3 and rail 1 between the clamping arm 16 of the first clip member 8 and the contact pad 22 of the second clip member 9 (Figures 5d-5e). As described above, pivoting the setting tool 11 in the tool notch 21 causes the cam surface 30 of the cam body 12 to apply a force to the tool surface 23 of the second clip member 9. This force is distributed between the upper and lower end portions 22, 24 of the second clip member 9, thereby causing compression of the rail seals 2, 3 between the clamp arm 16 and the second clip member 9, and rotation of the second clip member in the direction of arrow R as the lower end portion 24 continues to advance. Rotation of the second clip member is limited by the height n of the opening 25. That is, the second clip member 9 will rotate until the upper and lower interior surfaces 26, 27 of the opening 25 contact respective upper and lower surfaces of the connector arm 18. In this condition, the upper lip 28 engages one of the notches 19, and contact between the lower lip 29 and the lower surface of the contact arm 18 prevents disengagement of the upper lip 28, so that rearward movement of the lower end portion 24 of the second clip member 9 (and thus releasing the compression of the rail seals 2, 3 within the assembled clip 7) is prevented. If it is desired the remove the second clip member 9 from the connector arm 18, then it is necessary to cause disengagement of the upper lip 28 from its corresponding notch 19 on the connector arm 18. This can be accomplished by applying a force couple to the lower end portion 24 of the second clip member 9 so as to cause (py a combination of compression of the rail seals 2, 3 and elastic flexure of the second clip member 9) rotation of the lower end portion 24 in a direction indicated by arrow S in Figure 6a . This rotation causes disengagement between the lower lip 29 and the lower surface of the connector arm 18, thereby allowing the upper lip 28 to rise out of engagement with its corresponding notch 19 (see Figures 6a and 6b). According to the present invention, removal of the second dip member is accomplished using a releasing tool 31 of the type illustrated in Figure 4. In the illustrated embodiment, the releasing tool 31 comprises a hook member 32, and a pressure bar 33 mounted on the end of a lever arm 13. Conveniently, the hook member 32 and pressure bar 33 are mounted on the opposite end of the lever arm 13 of the setting tool 11. The hook member 32 can be provided as a pair of opposed hooks 34, 35 arranged to straddle the connector arm 18 when in use. The hook member 32 and pressure bar 33 are designed so as to cooperatively engage opposite sides of the lower end portion 24 of the second clip member 9, as shown in Figures 6a and 6b. In this condition, rotation of the releasing tool 31 in the direction of the arrow U will cause rotation of the lower end portion 24 of the second clip member 9, which releases me second clip member 9 as described above. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims: An apparatus for securing first (2) and second (3) rail seal elements on respective opposite sides of a rail (1), the apparatus comprising: (a) a first clip member (8) capable of operatively engaging the first rail seal element (2) disposed on one side of the rail (1), and including an elongate connector arm (18) capable of extending under the rail to protrude a distance outwardly from an opposite side of the rail opposite the first rail seal element; (b) a second clip member (9) capable of operatively engaging the second rail seal (3) element disposed on a side of the rail opposite the first rail seal element, the apparatus being characterised in that the second clip member includes an opening (25) capable of slidably receiving a free end of the connector arm; and in that (c) locking means (10) are disposed in operative relation to the connector arm and the second clip member to permit sliding motion of the second clip member in a first direction toward the clamping arm, and for preventing undesired sliding motion of the second clip member in an opposite direction. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the first clip member (8) is a generally L-shaped body having two arms of unequal length, a shorter one of the two arms defining a clamping arm for engaging the first rail seal element, and a longer one of the two arms defining the connector arm (18). An apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the first clip member (8) further comprises a contact pad disposed proximal a free end of the clamping arm, the contact pad acting to prevent undue distortion of damage to the first rail seal element (2). An apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the first clip member (2) further comprises a tool notch disposed proximal a free end of the connector arm. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the second clip member (3) comprises an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion defining a second contact pad for operatively engaging the second rail seal element, and the lower portion comprising the opening (25). An apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein a width of the opening (25) is made sufficiently large to provide a small clearance with the sides of the connector arm (18), such that the second clip member can easily slide along the connector arm (18), while preventing substantial misalignment between the second clip member and the clamp arm of the first clip member. An apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein a height of the opening (25) is made sufficiently greater than the height of the connector arm (18) such that the second clip member is capable of pivoting through an angle in a longitudinal plane of the first clip member. An apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein the upper portion of the second clip member (9) is curved, and the lower portion thereof is generally planar. An apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein the second clip member (9) further comprises a tool surface face disposed in a central portion of the second clip member between the upper and lower portions thereof, the second clip member being slidable on the connector arm (18), in response to a force acting on the tool surface. An apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the central portion of the body defining the tool surface is generally planar. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the lower portion of the second clip member (9) and the central portion thereof defining the tool surface are oriented at an angle with respect to each other. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the locking means (10) comprises a locking notch disposed on an upper surface of the connector arm, the locking notch being adapted to permit sliding motion of the second clip member past the locking notch in a first direction toward the damping arm (18) of the first clip member (8), and further capable of operatively engaging a portion of the second clip member (9) so as to prevent sliding motion thereof in a second direction away from the clamping arm of the first clip member. An apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein the locking means (10) further comprises an upper lip of the opening of the second clip member, the upper lip being engagable with the locking notch to prevent sliding motion of the second clip member away from the clamping arm (18) of the first clip member. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the locking means (10) further comprises a lower lip of the opening of the second clip member, the lower lip being capable of operatively engaging a corresponding lower surface of the connector arm (18) to cause the upper lip of the opening to engage the locking notch upon pivoting of the second clip member away from the clamping arm of the first clip member. An apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein a plurality of locking notches (28) are disposed on an upper surface of the connector arm (18). An apparatus as defined in claim 4, further comprising a tool (31) capable of being removably coupled to the connector arm (18) and the second clip member, for forcibly sliding the second clip member toward the clamp arm to clamp the first and second rail seal elements (8,9) in place, and for engaging the locking means to prevent undesired motion of the second dip member away from the first clip member. An apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein the tool (31) comprises a pivot pin (33) capable of being removably engaged in the tool notch of the arm, and a cam surface capable of engaging the tool surface of the second clip member (9), whereby movement of the second clip member toward the clamp arm is caused by inserting the pivot pin into the tool notch and thereafter rotating the tool about the pivot pin (33). A method of setting an apparatus in accordance with claim 4, the method using a tool comprising: (a) a lever arm; (b) a cam body disposed on a free end of the lever arm; and (c) a pivot pin disposed on a nose of the cam body: whereby setting the apparatus is accomplished by inserting the pivot pin (33) into the tool notch and thereafter rotating the tool about the pivot pin so as to force movement of the second clip member toward the clamp arm, and simultaneously engage the locking means to prevent subsequent undesired movement of the second clip member (9) away from the clamping arm (18). A method of releasing an apparatus in accordance with claim 4, the method using a tool comprising: (a) a lever arm; (b) a hook body disposed on a free end of the lever arm; and (c) a pressure bar; the hook body and pressure bar being disposed to cooperatively engage a lower portion of the second clip member (9) such that pivoting of the tool applies a force couple to the lower portion of the second dip member, the force couple acting to cause rotation of the lower portion and thereby releasing the locking means (10) of the apparatus.

Inventors: ELLIS RICHARD, WHALAN CHRISTOPHER, ELLIS, RICHARD, WHALAN, CHRISTOPHER
Applicants: POLYCORP INC, POLYCORP INC.
Application year: 1999
Main classification: E01B21
IPC codes: E01B21