GB2157348A

GB2157348A - Rail fastener assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2157348A
Application number: GB08509082A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Barry Marshall
Original assignee: AE PLC
Current assignee: AE PLC
Priority date: 1984-04-10
Filing date: 1985-04-09
Publication date: 1985-10-23
Also published as: GB8509082D0; EP0161786A1; GB8409237D0

Description

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GB2 157 348A

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SPECIFICATION

System for securing a railway rail to a railway sleeper

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The present application relates to the securing of a railway rail to a railway sleeper particularly by means of a spring clip and a baseplate.

10 In certain railway applications, e.g. in mines, conventional symmetrical section rails are being replaced by "asymmetrical trapped conventional" (ATC) rails which have an elongated outer rail-head section. This form of 15 section enables rail vehicles to employ brake mechanisms which run alongside and beneath the elongated section and which "grip' this section when the brakes are applied.

However, conventional systems for securing 20 the rails to the sleepers are frequently unsuitable since the clips extend upwards too far and so tend to foul the braking mechanism.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a system for attaching a 25 rail to a sleeper which does not foul a braking mechanism which acts directly on the rail.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a system which may be easily assembled and disassembled.

30 According to the invention there is provided a system for securing a railway rail to a railway sleeper which comprises a baseplate and two spring clips, the baseplate including a central region arranged to received the rail 35 and on each side of the central region a lateral region, each lateral region having a yoke adjacent the central region and a generally planar portion extending away from the yoke, each spring clip being so dimensioned to 40 extend beneath the yoke and to engage the flange of the rail, the undersurface of the yoke and the planar portion of the lateral portion of the base plate.

Being totally above the sleeper, this fasten-45 ing assembly can be very easily assembled or taken apart 'in situ'. It also offers the distinct advantage of being a very low assembly, thereby enabling other moving or fixed components to use or be attached to the rail 50 without obstruction. Thus, the under-rail height is very small and it has been found that the system can provide high toe loads and good creep properties. It is therefore particularly suitable in applications involving 55 either ATC rail used in mines or rail trackwork switches, crossings and turnouts.

The sleeper may be of any type such as concrete, metal or timber, and the baseplate may be attached to it by any suitable means 60 such as bolts screws or nails. Thus the baseplate may have holes or other facilities enabling it to be screwed to timber ties or sleepers or otherwise suitably fixed to steel or other sleepers or trackway bases. 65 Preferably, the baseplate is of mild steel and pressed to shape as a single component. Thus, preferably, the yoke on each side is formed by an inverted-U raised section or an upward fold in the baseplate parallel with the intended position of the rail, and a slot on each side of the fold defining the yoke. The slot length is preferably only marginally longer than the width of the spring clip so as to prevent any tendency for the clip to twist horizontally. The underside of the top length of one or both slots may act as the reaction point to the upper surface of the assembled clip.

Preferably, each end of the baseplate has a turned-up portion. This turned-up portion may act as a 'positive lock' confirming when the clip is in the correctly assembled position.

Preferably, each spring clip is of spring steel and is preferably generally chevron-shaped so that one end terminates in a V while at the other end there is a corresponding V cut out to define two toes. Preferably, the V-end and the two toes are turned up to facititate assembly through the baseplate slots and on to the rail foot. Although the spring clip may be rectangular, the chevron shape is preferred since it can enable the spring clip to absorb higher stresses safely and can accommodate slight mis-alignments of the rail and clip.

Dependent upon the rail section and baseplate length, the clip may be suitably shaped to ensure that the correct toe load pressure is applied to the rail foot when components are fully assembled.

The invention may be carried into practice in various ways and one embodiment will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:—

Figure 7 is a vertical section through an assembled system in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the right hand spring clip shown in Fig. 1; and

Figure 3 is a plan view of a baseplate.

As shown in Fig. 1, a rail 11 is secured to a sleeper 12 by means of a baseplate 13 and a pair of spring clips 14. The rail 11 is generally l-shaped in section but is asymmetrical. Thus it has two similar flanges 1 5 constituting the rail foot but the head section comprises a short thick inner rail head 16 and athinner elongated outer rail head 17.

The baseplate 1 3 shown in Figs. 1 and 3 is of mild steel and generally rectangular in shape. It has a central portion 21, whose width is the same or a little greater than that of the rail foot 15, 15; on each side, of the central portion 21, an inverted U-section fold 22, and beyond the folds 22 a generally planar extension 23. Each fold 22 has a pair of parallel slots 24 one in each inclined face. The central part 25 at the end of each extension 23 is turned upwards and two holes 26

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GB2157 348A

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are formed in each extension 23 to receive bolts (not shown) to attach the baseplate 13 to the sleeper 12.

The spring clip 14 is a generally flate 5 chevron-shaped plate of spring steel as shown in Fig. 2. The clip comprises a pair of toes 31, 32 defined by a V-shaped cut-out and a heel 33 in the form of a correspondingly V-shaped protrusion. The ends 34 of the toes 10 31, 32 and heel 33 are upturned. The complementary nature of the V-shapes minimises material wastage in forming the plates.

To effect assembly, the baseplate 13 is suitably secured to the positioned sleeper 12 15 and the rail 11 is positioned correctly on the central portion 21 of the baseplate 13. One end of a clip 14 is then introduced through the baseplate slots 24 to rest on the rail flange 15. The rear end of the slip 14 is 20 driven by a hammer or some other means up over the turned-up central part 25 of the baseplate end, and is thus prevented from returning by this central part 25. Tension is produced within the clip 14 between this 25 point, the reaction point at the underside of the inverted U 22 between the two slots and the contact point of the clip 14 with the rail flange 15, this tension ensures the correct toe load is applied on the rail flange 15. This is 30 then repeated with the other clip 14 on the other side of the baseplate 13.

In order to remove the spring clip 14 from the assembled position shown in Fig. 1, a suitably shaped lever is located on end of the 35 clip 14 at the rail foot and against the rail head and pressure is applied to the clip end to drive the clip 14 out.

Claims

40 1. A system for securing a railway rail to a railway sleeper which comprises a base plate and two spring clips, the base plate including a central region arranged to receive the rail and on each side of the central region, a 45 lateral region, each lateral region having a yoke adjacent the central region and a generally planar portion extending away from the yoke, each spring clip being so dimensioned to extend beneath the yoke and to engage the 50 flange of the rail, the undersurface of the yoke and the planar portion of the lateral portion of the base plate.
2. A system as claimed in Claim 1 in which the base plate is of mild steel and

55 pressed to shape as a single component.
3. A system as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the yoke on each side is formed by an inverted-U raised section or an upward fold in the base plate extending paral-

60 lei with the intended position of the rail, and a slot on each side of the raised section defining the yoke.
4. A system as claimed in Claim 3 in which the slot length is only marginally longer

65 than the width of the spring clip.
5. A system as claimed in any preceding claim in which each end of the base plate has a turned upper portion.
6. A system as claimed in any preceding 70 claim in which the spring clip is of spring steel and is generally chevron-shaped so that one end terminates in a V while at the other end there is a corresponding V cut out to define two toes.

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7. A system as claimed in Claim 6 in which the V-end and the two toes are turned up.
8. A system for securing a railway rail to a railway sleeper constructed and arranged sub-80 stantially as herein specifically described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

Printed in the United Kingdom for

Her Majesty's Stationery Office, Dd 8818935, 1985, 4235. Published at The Patent Office, 25 Southampton Buildings,

London, WC2A 1AY, from which copies may be obtained.