Railways: surface track – Fastenings – Clamps
Patent
1994-08-11
1996-05-28
Le, Mark T.
Railways: surface track
Fastenings
Clamps
238343, E01B 900
Patent
active
055203302
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a railway rail-fastening clip and assembly and methods of employing the same.
The applicant's previous inventions, rail clips commonly referred to respectively as a "P-R" clip (disclosed in GB-861,473) and an "e"-clip (disclosed in GB-1,510,224), have both been successful for many years, providing low-cost rail fastenings that have been widely used in many countries around the world. These clips may be installed into shoulders alongside the rail either manually, using a sledgehammer to drive the clip into the shoulder, or automatically by a clip driving machine. Whilst automatic clip installation is obviously more desirable, being quicker and less labour-intensive, it can be a fairly complex process, requiring accurate positioning of the clip relative to the shoulder in order to achieve an adequate rail fastening.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a railway rail fastening clip suitable for holding down a railway rail, which clip is formed from a rod of resilient material bent so as to be approximately M-shaped in plan, the clip having, proceeding from one end of the rod to the other, a substantially straight first portion, a bent second portion, a third portion, a bent fourth portion, a fifth portion, a bent sixth portion, and a substantially straight seventh portion, the first and seventh portions forming respectively the outer legs of the M, the third and fifth portions forming respectively the inner legs of the M, the second and sixth portions joining the outer legs to the inner legs and the fourth portion connecting the inner legs together, wherein, when the clip is bearing on a rail, the longitudinal axis of the fourth portion lies in a plane which is substantially parallel, but not identical, to a plane containing the longitudinal axes of the first and seventh portions.
Preferably, when a clip embodying the first aspect of the present invention is free from stress, no part of the longitudinal axes of the second and sixth portions of the clip is inclined with respect to the plane containing the longitudinal axes of the first and seventh portions by an angle greater than 40.degree. or, even more desirably, by an angle greater than 35.degree..
Alternatively, or additionally, when a clip embodying the first aspect of the present invention is free from stress, the ratio of the maximum distance between the longitudinal axis of each inner leg and the plane containing the longitudinal axes of the first and seventh portions to the diameter of the rod forming the clip is equal to or less than 4, and is preferably less than or equal to 2.0, and is most desirably less than or equal to 1.25.
Preferably, in a clip embodying the first aspect of the present invention, the longitudinal axes of the said first and seventh portions are substantially parallel to one another.
Desirably, in a clip embodying the first aspect of the present invention, the said third and fifth portions are substantially curved such that their longitudinal axes lie in respective planes which are at least approximately perpendicular to the said plane containing the axes of said first and seventh portions of the clip.
Preferably, in a clip embodying the first aspect of the present invention, the said third and fifth portions are spaced apart from one another by the said fourth portion and the said second and sixth portions are bent such that respective parts thereof are closely adjacent to one another.
Desirably, when a clip embodying the first aspect of the present invention is viewed in plan, the said fourth portion extends beyond respective free ends of the first and seventh portions.
Preferably, in a clip embodying the first aspect of the present invention, the surface of each outer leg, adjacent to a free end of the rod, is, at least at the part which is uppermost when the clip is in use, inclined downwardly with respect to the longitudinal axis of the outer leg proceeding along that outer leg towards the free end,
REFERENCES:
patent: 2162365 (1939-06-01), Willard
patent: 2570871 (1951-10-01), Schulze
patent: 3428253 (1969-02-01), Meier
patent: 3439874 (1969-10-01), Meier
patent: 3696998 (1972-10-01), Bhasaran Nair
patent: 3724754 (1973-04-01), Molyneux et al.
patent: 3876141 (1975-04-01), French
patent: 4349150 (1982-09-01), Lubbers
patent: 4632308 (1986-12-01), Fischer
patent: 4802623 (1989-02-01), Fasterding et al.
patent: 4844337 (1989-07-01), Fee
Brown Trevor P.
Conroy Brian G.
Cox Stephen J.
Gardner Christopher
Larke Roger D.
Le Mark T.
Pandrol Limited
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