Railways: surface track – Fastenings – Clamps
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-24
2001-12-04
Le, Mark T. (Department: 3617)
Railways: surface track
Fastenings
Clamps
C238S345000, C238S351000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06325300
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a rail retaining device comprising a hook-in shoulder and clip for fastening a rail relative to a plate, for example relative to a plate form tie. The hook-in shoulder is adapted to retain a rail flange from displacing laterally due to, for example, forces from the train wheel, and usually will be provided with means adapted to retain the flange from lifting due to rail roll.
With known hook-in shoulder arrangements of which applicant is aware, the shoulder is in direct contact with the rail flange, and the known arrangements suffer from the disadvantage that the shoulder member is prone to rapid wear as a result of vibration or other movements of the rail flange relative to the shoulder member. Often, the hook-in shoulder member is a metal casting, and therefore tends to be relatively soft and vulnerable to rubbing wear, with the result that the shoulder member is no longer able to maintain a fastening or gauge maintaining arrangement relative to the rail.
British patent No. 345,856, dated Apr. 2, 1931 in the name Paddon, shows a hook-in shoulder with a wedging key interposed between the shoulder and the rail flange. However, the wedging key is free to slide longitudinally of the rail and is susceptible to vibration longitudinally of the rail that results in the key loosening and eventually detaching from the shoulder.
In the present invention there is provided a retaining device retaining a rail flange of a rail relative to a plate form member comprising: (A) a shoulder having a body portion, a hook-in leg portion and a bearing portion, and pivoting from an installation position, wherein the body portion is inclined relative to said plate form member, and said hook-in leg portion is inserted through an aperture in said plate form member, to an erected position, wherein the hook-in leg portion engages an underside of said plate form member and said bearing portion engages on an upper side of said plate form member; and wherein said shoulder is provided with an arm extending transversely of said body portion and extending above and bearing toward said rail flange, a side surface disposed on a side of said body portion below the arm, and opposite end surfaces on an upper portion of the body portion facing generally longitudinally of said rail; and (B)a clip member located relative to the shoulder by engagement therewith and comprising first and second upper limbs snap fitting over said opposite end surfaces, respectively, and a lower limb inserted between said side surface of said body portion and said rail flange and retaining said shoulder in said erected position and preventing rotation of said shoulder about a vertical axis.
With this arrangement, the clip member is interposed between the rail flange and the shoulder member and prevents the shoulder member from rotating so as to disengage the arm from the rail flange. The clip member may readily be formed of material that is harder than the shoulder member and is not liable to become worn as a result of rubbing contact with the rail flange. Since the clip member is located relative to the shoulder member, as a result of the limbs snap fitting over the end surfaces of the body portion, the clip member does not tend to vibrate relative to the shoulder member, and does not tend to cause wear of the shoulder member.
REFERENCES:
patent: 816575 (1906-04-01), Gardin
patent: 2085970 (1937-07-01), Greene
patent: 2281750 (1942-05-01), Clarkson
patent: 2333518 (1943-11-01), Burkhardt
patent: 4325510 (1982-04-01), Sherrick
patent: 4600145 (1986-07-01), Geddes
patent: 4705215 (1987-11-01), Eisenberg et al.
patent: 4967945 (1990-11-01), von Lange
patent: 5083706 (1992-01-01), Bratchell
patent: 105110 (1898-04-01), None
patent: 191857 (1907-11-01), None
patent: 228433 (1910-11-01), None
patent: 393023 (1908-12-01), None
patent: 1061959 (1954-05-01), None
patent: 345856 (1931-04-01), None
patent: 1474698 (1977-05-01), None
patent: 94/28245 (1994-12-01), None
Le Mark T.
Ridout & Maybee LL
LandOfFree
Rail retaining device does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Rail retaining device, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Rail retaining device will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2600192