Patent ID: 6971610

Claim:
A railway crossing, comprising: a plate having a plurality of plate segments and a pocket formed in the plate segments that defines a crossing angle, the pocket having a plurality of protrusions formed therein; a pair of continuous long beams, each having a base seated in the pocket of the plate; a pair of divided beams, each having three separate, discontinuous segments, and each of the segments having a base seated in the pocket in the plate and positioned at the crossing angle with respect to the long beams such that each of the segments abuts at least one of the long beams; and at least one recess formed in each of the bases of the long beams and in each of the bases of the segments of the divided beams, the recesses being complementary in shape to the protrusions in the pocket, such that engagement of the recesses by the protrusions resists movement of the long and divided beams along lengths thereof with respect to the plate; fasteners for securing the long beams and the divided beams in the pocket of the plate; and wherein each of the fasteners comprises a rail brace assembly having a wedge brace joined to the plate, a clip joined to the wedge brace, and a wedge mounted between the wedge brace, the clip, and one of the long beams and the divided beams, such that the wedge prevents pull-apart of the plate, the long beams, and the divided beams due to thermal forces, mechanical forces, and surface discontinuities.