Railway baseplate assembly

Details Railway baseplate assembly Railway baseplate assembly

2002-05-23

2004-07-13

Morano, S. Joseph (Department: 3617)

Railways: surface track

Rail seats

Reexamination Certificate

active

06761322

ABSTRACT:

The present invention relates to a railway baseplate assembly suitable for use, for example, in attenuating vibrations.
Prior art rail fastening assemblies have been developed by the applicant which incorporate rail fastening clips of the type which are described in GB-1510224 (termed “e”-clips by the applicant) or of the type which are described in EP-B-0619852 (termed by the applicant FASTCLIP™ rail fastening clips).
A prior art rail fastening assembly of the latter type comprises, as shown in
FIG. 1
of the accompanying drawings, a first, lower baseplate
1
which has an approximately rectangular shape and is formed at each of its four corners with an ear IC through which there is a hole
1
A for receiving a bolt
1
B by which the baseplate
1
is secured to an underlying railway foundation (not shown). On the approximately rectangular area defined between the bolts
1
B on the upper surface of the baseplate
1
there is placed a cushioning pad
2
and on top of that pad
2
a second, upper baseplate
3
of approximately the same size and shape as the pad
2
. The upper baseplate
3
is secured to the lower baseplate
1
through the use of screw-threaded bolts
3
B which pass through openings
3
A (not shown) in two diagonal corners of the upper baseplate
3
, through corresponding openings
2
A (not shown) in the underlying cushioning pad
2
and thence into the lower baseplate
1
. The openings
3
A in the upper baseplate
3
for receiving the bolts
3
B are lined with respective rectangular bushes
4
(not shown). The upper baseplate
3
is formed, in its two diagonal corners which do not have openings
3
A for the bolts
3
B, with respective shoulders
5
for receiving respective rail clips
7
of the type described in EP-B-0619852. Such rail clips
7
are installed in the shoulders
5
to secure a rail
9
laid across a rail pad
8
provided on the upper baseplate
3
between the shoulders
5
. Sidepost insulators
60
are provided on respective shoulders
5
to insulate the rail
9
from the shoulders
5
.
The use of screw-threaded fastenings in a working part of the assembly, i.e. to hold the upper baseplate
3
to the lower baseplate
1
, is undesirable owing to maintenance difficulties.
Furthermore, baseplates of this type are undesirably large because of the combined area occupied by the means by which the upper and lower baseplates are secured together and that occupied by the shoulders for receiving the rail fastening clips. The baseplate is particularly large where FASTCLIP™ rail fastening clips are used, because of the relatively large size of the shoulders required for this fastening. However, it is advantageous to use a FASTCLIP™ rail fastening clip because the clip can be retained by the shoulder in a pre-assembly position in which the clip is partially installed in the shoulder so as to retain the sidepost insulator and therewith the rail pad, thereby allowing the whole assembly to be delivered to site as a unit and hence speeding up the installation and maintenance of rail track. In addition, the FASTCLIP™ rail fastening clip may be more readily installed by machine, again speeding up the installation process.
According to an embodiment of a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a railway baseplate assembly for supporting a railway rail, which assembly comprises a baseplate, a cushioning pad for lying beneath the baseplate, and means for securing the baseplate to an underlying rail foundation when the assembly is in use, wherein the said securing means comprise a non-screw-threaded post member which extends, when in use, through holes provided in the baseplate and cushioning pad in such a way as to engage the said baseplate but not the said rail.
Preferably the post member and baseplate are such that engagement of the baseplate with the post member can be brought about by movement of the baseplate relative to the post member firstly in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the baseplate and towards the post member so that the post member extends through the hole in the baseplate and secondly in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of the baseplate so that the post member engages the baseplate.
Desirably, the post member is fastened, directly or indirectly, to the rail foundation and the said post member, cushioning pad and baseplate are such that the cushioning pad and baseplate can be brought into engagement with the post member while the post member is fastened to the rail foundation.
Preferably there are two post members, which extend through respective holes in the baseplate and cushioning pad.
Desirably, two shoulders are provided on an upper surface of the said baseplate, for retaining respective rail fastening clips, the said holes in the said baseplate being located adjacent to respective shoulders such that the clips at least partially overlie said holes when installed in said shoulders. The said shoulders are desirably formed integrally with the said baseplate.
The or each post member is preferably provided with a laterally-extending tab which engages with a corresponding ledge in the baseplate.
In one embodiment, the or each post member may extend into an associated post housing provided in the said rail foundation. The or each said post member and the or each said post housing may be provided with interlocking serrations, whereby the height of the post member within the post housing can be adjusted. The said post member may be retained at a desired height within the post housing by means of a wedge member inserted between the post member and the post housing. A shim may be placed between the baseplate and the underlying rail foundation to support the baseplate at a desired height above the foundation.
In an alternative embodiment, the assembly further comprises a lower baseplate, located beneath the other baseplate, from which lower baseplate the said post member projects upwardly, said lower baseplate being attached to an underlying rail foundation when the assembly is in use. Desirably, the or each post member is formed integrally with the lower baseplate.
In another alternative embodiment, the or each post member is directly secured to the rail foundation.
The or each post member is preferably at least partially surrounded by a cushioning bush provided within the associated hole in the baseplate.
In embodiments of the present invention, respective covers are preferably provided over the holes in the baseplate. Means may be provided for locking the covers onto the baseplate.
The assembly may be used with rail fastening clips which are approximately M-shaped in plan, the shoulders preferably having walls for retaining outer legs of the rail fastening clips. In this case each cover may be provided with a ramp for use in deflecting the said rail fastening clip. Such an assembly may further comprise a sidepost insulator, clip toe insulator and rail pad. The sidepost insulator may have means for securing the insulator to the baseplate and a portion for preventing unintentional disengagement of the cover from the baseplate.
A baseplate for use in such an assembly as the said lower baseplate preferably comprises a plate-like member on which at least one post member is provided. The or each post member may be formed integrally with the plate-like member.
The or each post member preferably has a laterally-extending tab. In the case of two post members, the tab of one post member extends inwardly (i.e. towards the centre of the baseplate) and the tab of the other post member extends outwardly (i.e. away from the centre of the baseplate).
The or each post member is preferably hollow and substantially rectangular in outline.
A cushioning pad for use in an assembly embodying the present invention has one or more holes formed therein for receiving respective post members.
A baseplate for use in an assembly embodying the present invention comprises a plate-like member having one or more holes therein for receiving respective post members.
Such a baseplate preferably has two holes and further comprises should

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