GB2230810A

GB2230810A - Rail fastening clip

Info

Publication number: GB2230810A
Application number: GB8909815A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Brian George Conroy; Christopher Gardner
Original assignee: Pandrol Ltd
Current assignee: Pandrol Ltd
Priority date: 1989-04-28
Filing date: 1989-04-28
Publication date: 1990-10-31
Also published as: GB8909815D0

Abstract

A railway rail stands on a rail seat 1 on a base plate having three holes 3, of rectangular cross-section, extending through it on one side of the rail seat. A clip. made by bending a steel rod of circular cross-section, is held down by the heads 9 and 10 of two screw bolts which pass between portions 13 and 14 and portions 11 and 12 of the clip, through two of the holes 3 and into a wooden sleeper below the base plate. A central portion 15 of the bent rod bears downwardly on the upper surface of the flange 4 of the rail. The two end portions of the bent rod could bear on the flange 4 instead of the central portion 15. In another embodiment the two end portions of the bent rod pass through the outer holes 3 and into the sleeper, a central portion of the bent rod is held down by a single screw bolt and two portions of the bent rod bear on the flange 4. <IMAGE>

Description

Rail clips and railway rail-and-fastening assemblies including them.

It is an object of the invention to provide a rail clip which can be used with a screw bolt or two screw bolts, for example with, in addition, a conventional base plate which was constructed to receive rail spikes and for that purpose has holes of rectangular, for example square, cross-section passing downwardly through it. An example of such a conventional base plate used by British Railways is a so-called BR1 base plate.

According to first, second and third aspects of the invention, there is provided a clip as defined by claim 1, claim 2 and claim 7, respectively, and according to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided an assembly as defined by claim 9.

Examples in accordance with the invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which; Figures 1, 3, 4, 5 and 7 are perspective views of five different assemblies of a BR1 base plate, only part of it being shown, a flangefooted railway rail, shown only in Figures 5 and 7, a rail clip and a single screw bolt (Figure 1) or two screw bolts (Figures 3, 4, 5 and 7), and Figures 2 and 6 show plan views of two more such assemblies including two screw bolts, which are not shown in Figure 6.

The illustrated BR1 base plate has a rail seat 1 between two ribs 2 which locate the rail and, near each end of the base plate, a row of three holes 3, of square cross-section which were originally intended to receive spikes which held a rail down on the base plate and held the base plate down on an underlying wooden sleeper, not shown. The rail has at its foot a flange 4 and this is joined by a web 5 to a rail head 6.

In each example the clip consists of a single piece, i.e. a resilient steel bar, of circular crosssection, and of diameter at least 8 mm., and preferably 12 to 16 mm.. The bar has been bent so that it has first and second spaced-apart portions 11 and 12 such that a screw bolt having a head 10 may be passed between the first and second portions 11 and 12 and through one of the holes 3 in the base plate and may be screwed into the wooden sleeper below the base plate until the underneath face of the head 10 of the screw bolt engages the upper side of each of the portions 11 and 12.If it is thought that a screw bolt having the greatest diameter which will pass through the holes 3 is not sufficiently robust, or that the spike holes in the sleeper are too wide for a screw bolt which will pass through the holes 3 to be retained in them, the holes 3 may previously be enlarged by a drilling operation so that a screw bolt of greater diameter, for example 2.54 mm., may be employed. In each case a further portion 15 of the clip can engage the upper surface of the rail flange 4 with a force which increases as the screw bolt is tightened.

In all the examples except that of Figure 1, the clip also has third and fourth spaced-apart portions 13 and 14 such that a screw bolt having a head 9 may be passed between the portions 13 and 14 and through another of the holes 3 and may be screwed into the sleeper until the underneath face of the head 9 of the screw bolt engages the upper side of each of the portions 13 and 14. Proceeding along the rod from one end 16 to the other end 17, in the examples shown in Figures 3 to 6 there are, in the following order, the portions 11, 12, 15, 13 and 14. In the examples according to Figures 3 to 5 the portions 11 and 14 are substantially parallel to one another and the free ends 16 and 17 of the rod face one another.The free ends 16 and 17 are beyond the holes 13, as seen from the rail, in the examples according to Figures 3 and 5 and between the rail and the holes 13 in the example shown in Figure 4. In the examples shown in Figures 3, 4 and 6 the portion 15 is the base of a U-shaped part of the clip whereas in the example of Figure 5 the portion 15 is the base of a V-shaped part of the clip. In the example according to Figure 6, the portions 11 and 14 of the clip are between the outer holes 3 and the central hole 3 and are directed obliquely away from the rail.

In each of the examples shown in Figures 2 and 7 the portion 15 of the clip is adjacent the free end 16 of the rod and another portion 20 of the clip, adjacent the free end 17 of the rod, bears downwardly on the upper surface of the rail flange. The example of Figure 2 differs from that of Figure 7 in that the free ends 16 and 17 of the rod are directed away from one another, being at the extremities of U-bends 21 and 22, whereas in the case of Figure 7 the free ends 16 and 17 are directed towards one another.

In the example according to Figure 1, the single screw bolt passes through the central hole 3 and the clip has straight third and fourth portions 23 and 24, terminating in the free ends 16 and 17 of the rod, which pass downwardly through respective ones of the outer holes 3 and into holes in the sleeper. A further portion 25 of the clip presses downwardly on the upper surface of the rail flange. The portions 23, 25, 11, 12, 15 and 24 are in that order, proceeding along the rod from the end 16 to the end 17.

In every example, the portions 11 and 12 and a part of the rod which joins them form a U and the same applies to the portions 13 and 14 in each of the examples except that according to Figure 1.

In principle, clips according to Figures 2 to 7 could be flat when free from stress, before using them in the illustrated assemblies, but in the cases illustrated in Figures 2 to 7 the clips in the unstressed state are not flat, that is to say there is no plane which contains the axis of all parts of the clip,

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A clip which is suitable for holding down a flange-footed rail which stands on a rail seat on a base plate having, on one side of the rail seat, at least one hole extending downwardly through it, the clip having been made by bending a metal rod so that the clip has first and second spaced-apart portions such that a screw bolt having a head at its top may be passed between the first and second portions and through the hole in the base plate and may be screwed into a railway sleeper below the base plate until the head of the screw bolt engages the first and second portions, the clip having a further portion which can engage the upper surface of the rail flange with a force which increases as the screw bolt is tightened.
2. A clip which is suitable for holding down a flange-footed rail which stands on a rail seat on a base plate having, on one side of the rail seat, at least two holes extending downwardly through it, the clip having been made by bending a metal rod so that the clip has first and second spaced-apart portions and third and fourth spaced-apart portions such that a first screw bolt having a head at its top may be passed between the first and second portions and through one of the holes in the base plate and may be screwed into a railway sleeper below the base plate until the head of the screw bolt engages the first and second portions and such that a second screw bolt having a head at its top may be passed between the third and fourth portions and through the other hole or another hole in the base plate and may be screwed into the railway sleeper until the head of the screw bolt engages the third and fourth portions, the clip having a further portion which can engage the upper surface of the rail flange with a force which increases as the screw bolts are tightened.
3. A clip according to claim 2 in which, proceeding along the rod from one end to the other, there are, in the following order, the first portion, the second portion, said further portion, the third portion and the fourth portion.
4. A clip according to claim 3 in which the first and fourth portions are substantially parallel to one another and the free ends of the rods face one another or face away from one another.
5. A clip according to any preceding claim in which the first and second portions and the part of the rod which joins them form a U and the same applies to the third and fourth portions,if they are present.
6. A clip according to any preceding claim in which said further portion is the base of a U-shaped or Vshaped portion of the clip.
7. A clip which is suitable for holding down a flange-footed rail which stands on a rail seat on a base plate having, on one side of the rail seat, three holes, in a row, extending downwardly through it, the clip having been made by bending a metal rod so that the clip has first and second spaced-apart portions such that a screw bolt having a head at its top may be passed between the first and second portions and through the central hole in the base plate and may be screwed into a railway sleeper below the base plate until the head of the screw bolt engages the first and second portions and the clip has third and fourth portions, terminating in the ends of the rod, which can pass downwardly through respective ones of the other two holes in the base plate and, between the third and fourth portions and the second and fourth portions, proceeding along the rod, fifth and sixth portions respectively, which can engage the upper surface of the rail flange with forces which increase as the screw bolt is tightened.
8. A clip substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of Figure 1 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.
9. An assembly comprising a railway sleeper, a base plate lying on the sleeper, the base plate having, or originally having had, three holes of rectangular cross-section passing downwardly through it on one side of the rail seat, a flange-footed rail standing on the rail seat and a clip according to any preceding claim held down by at least one screw bolt passing through a hole in the base plate and into the sleeper, at least one portion of the clip bearing downwardly on the upper surface of the rail flange.
10. An assembly of a railway sleeper, a base plate, a rail, a clip and at least one screw bolt, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of Figures 1 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.