GB2269198A - Rail clip anchoring device . - Google Patents

Abstract

A rail clip anchoring device (7), for a resilient, C-shaped, rail-fastening clip (6) has a pair of side walls, spaced to define a corridor (72a) therebetween, each side wall having a channel (78) into which an anchoring part (61) of the C-shaped clip (6) may be inserted. The device is provided with clip retaining means comprising either a pair of projections (73), extending from opposing side walls of the corridor, or a bar such that the arched arms (62) of the clip cannot pass without manipulation, thereby retaining the clip in partial engagement with the device when the clip is retracted from its operative disposition in engagement with the rail (1). <IMAGE>

Description

RAIL CLIP ANCHORING DEVICE & RAILWAY RAIL FASTENING ASSEMBLY INCORPORATING SUCH A DEVICE The present invention relates to a rail clip anchoring device and railway rail fastening assembly incorporating such a device.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings shows a railway rail fastening assembly as disclosed in GB-A-2152120, the assembly comprising a rail 1 resting on a concrete rail foundation 2, a resilient pad 3 interposed between the foot of the rail 1 and the foundation 2, a rail clip anchoring device 4 partially embedded in the foundation 2 adjacent to the rail 1, an insulating member 5 of L-shaped cross-section having one arm of the L resting on a flange la of the rail 1 and the other arm of the L located between the anchoring device 4 and the rail 1, and a resilient rail fastening clip 6 which is generally C-shaped in cross-section and which has a substantially planar anchoring part 61 which engages with a corresponding part of the anchoring device 4 and a pair of arched arms 62 which project from one end of the anchoring part towards and beyond the other end thereof and at respective free ends thereof are bent back towards the anchoring part 61 so as to provide respective contact surface portions 62c which bear down on the flange la of the rail 1 via the interposed insulating member 5.

Although not shown in Figure 1, it will be appreciated that a further such anchoring device 4, insulating member 5 and clip 6 arrangement is provided on the opposite side of the rail 1.

As shown in Figures 2A and 2B of the accompanying drawings, the clip 6 of Figure 1, which is also disclosed in EP-A-0027838 and US-4313563, is formed of plate metal bent so as to have a substantially flat and approximately rectangular anchoring part 61 for engaging part of the anchoring device 4, and two arms 62 which extend from one end of the anchoring part 61 and are arched up and over the anchoring part 61.

Portions 62a of the arms 62 adjacent to free ends 62b thereof are bent back towards the anchoring part 61, such that outer surfaces 62c thereof are in contact with the interposed insulating member 5 when the clip is installed in the assembly as shown in Figure 1.

As shown in Figures 3A and 3B of the accompanying drawings, the anchoring device 4 has a base part 41 provided on opposite sides with walls 42 defining therebetween a corridor 43 into one end of which a clip 6 is inserted when in use. Joining the walls 42 at the end of the corridor 43 opposite to that at which the clip is introduced is a lip 44 having a substantially vertical outer face 44a, which is adjacent to the foot of the rail 1 when the device 4 is in use, and a partially sloping inner face 44b.

Opposing faces 42a of the wall 42 are formed with guiding channels 45, each open at the end adjacent to the end of the corridor 43 into which a clip 6 is inserted and along one side, into which respective opposing free edges 61a of the anchoring part 61 of the clip 6 are introduced until the leading edge 61b of the anchoring part 61 of the clip 6 meets the end of the guiding channels 45, in which position the free end portions 62a of the clip 6 are correctly positioned on the insulating member 5.

The anchoring device 4 has a pair of legs 46 located below the base part 41 which are embedded in the concrete foundation 2 during manufacture of the foundation 2.

The clip 6 may be installed in the prior art anchoring device 4 in the following manner. The clip 6 is inserted into the corridor 43 from the end without the lip 44, such that its free end portions 62a enter the corridor 43 first. The arms of the clip 6 are squeezed together until the free end portions 62a pass over the lip 44, finally coming to rest on the insulating member 5 over the rail flange la, at which time the arms 62 are released and spring back to their original spacing which is wider than that of the corridor 43 at the lip 44.Thus, the free ends 62b of the clip 6 abut the outer face 44a of the lip 44 and the adjacent ends of the walls 42, so the clip 6 cannot be retracted from the anchoring device 4 unless the arms 62 thereof are squeezed together sufficiently to enable the free end portions 62a thereof to pass between the walls 42 at the lip 44, thereby retaining the clip 6 in the device 4 such that it holds down the rail 1.

An object of the present invention is to provide an anchoring device for mounting on a rail foundation in which a clip may be installed prior to installation of the anchoring device and foundation at the track site. It is also desirable to provide an anchoring device from which a clip need only be partially removed when an adjacent rail is to be replaced.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a rail clip anchoring device for retaining a resilient rail-fastening clip of the type which is generally C-shaped in cross-section and has a substantially planar anchoring part, for engaging with part of said anchoring device, and a pair of arched arms each of which projects from one end of the anchoring part towards and beyond the other end thereof and at respective free ends thereof are hooked back towards the anchoring part so as to provide respective contact surface portions for bearing on a rail adjacent to the anchoring device when it is in use, the anchoring device having a pair of spaced walls defining a corridor therebetween into one end of which furthest from the adjacent rail such a clip may be inserted and manipulated into an operative disposition such that the anchoring part of the clip is located within channel-defining recesses provided in respective side walls and each contact surface portion of the clip bears on said adjacent rail, wherein the device is provided with clip retaining means for abutting against one or both of the hooked free ends of the clip when the clip is retracted from its operative disposition along the said corridor to a retracted disposition relative to the adjacent rail, thereby to retain the clip in partial engagement with the device.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a railway rail fastening assembly comprising a rail standing on a rail foundation, a rail clip anchoring device secured to the rail foundation, and a resilient rail-fastening clip of a type which is generally C-shaped in cross-section, the anchoring device having a pair of spaced walls defining a corridor therebetween in each of which a recess is formed so as to define a channel in which a substantially planar anchoring part of said clip is located, and said clip having a pair of arched arms each of which projects from one end of the anchoring part of the clip towards and beyond the other end thereof and at respective free ends thereof are hooked back towards the anchoring part so as to provide respective contact surface portions which bear on the adjacent rail, wherein the anchoring device is provided with clip retaining means for abutting against one or both of the hooked free ends of the clip when the clip is retracted along the said corridor from engagement with the-rail, thereby to retain the clip in partial engagement with the device.

Preferably, said clip retaining means comprise a pair of projections extending from respective side walls at respective locations adjacent to the said one end of the corridor, above said channel, whereby the corridor is narrowed locally such that the arched arms of the clip cannot pass without manipulation.

Alternatively, said clip retaining means may comprise a bar extending between the side walls at a location adjacent to the said one end of the corridor, above said channel.

In either case, in order to install the clip in the anchoring device, the clip is manipulated in such a way that the projections or bar pass between the leading edge of the anchoring part of the clip and the free ends of the clip arms. The anchoring part of the clip is then inserted into the entrance to the corridor of the anchoring device and installation of the clip is completed as in the prior art.

Reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 (described above) shows parts of a prior art railway rail fastening assembly in cross-section; Figure 2A (described above) shows a plan view of a prior art rail fastening clip and Figure 2e (described above) shows a side view of the clip looking in the direction of arrow B in Figure 2A= Figure 3A (described above) shows a perspective view of a prior art rail clip anchoring device and Figure 3B (described above) shows a plan view of that device;; Figure 4A shows a plan view of a first rail base plate incorporating a pair of anchoring devices embodying the present invention, Figure 4B shows a side view of the base plate shown in Figure 4A, Figure 4C shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line 10-10 in Figure 4A, Figure 4D shows a part view taken in the direction of arrow V in Figure 4C, Figure 4E shows a partial cross-sectional view taken along the line 9-9 in Figure 4B, Figure 4F shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line 11-11 in Figure 4A, and Figure 4G shows a partial cross-sectional view taken along the line 12-12 in Figure 4A;; Figure SA shows a plan view of the base plate of Figures 4A to 4G when incorporated in a railway rail fastening assembly, and Figure 5B shows a side view of the base plate and assembly shown in Figure 5A with a partial cross-sectional view taken along the line 13-13 in Figure 5A; Figure 6 shows a partial cross-sectional view taken along the line 14-14 in Figure 5A; Figure 7,A shows a partial cross-sectional view similar to that of Figure 6, but in which the rail clip is shown in a retracted disposition, and Figure 7B shows a plan view of the view shown in Figure 7A;; Figure 8A shows a plan view of a second rail base plate incorporating a pair of anchoring devices embodying the present invention, Figure 8B shows a side view of the base plate shown in Figure 8A, Figure 8C shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line 16-16 in Figure 8A, Figure 8D shows a part view taken in the direction of arrow V in Figure 8C, Figure 8E shows a partial cross-sectional view taken along the line 15-15 in Figure 8B, Figure 8F shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line 17-17 in Figure 8A, and Figure 8G shows a partial cross-sectional view taken along the line 18-18 in Figure 8A;; Figure 9A shows a plan view of the base plate of Figures 8A to 8G when incorporated in a railway rail fastening assembly, Figure 9B shows a side view of the base plate and assembly shown in Figure 9A, with a partial cross-sectional view taken along the line 19-19 in Figure 9A, and Figure 9C shows an alternative view of the part ringed by a dot-dash line in Figure 9B; Figures 10A and 10B show respective rear and plan views of another rail clip anchoring device embodying the present invention, and Figure 10C shows a sectional view taken along the line 20-20 of Figure 10A; Figure 1 shows part of a modified version of the base plate of Figure 4A; and Figure 12 shows a modified version of the anchoring device of Fig. 10A, when secured to a sleeper.

As shown in Figure 4A, a pair of anchoring devices 7 embodying the present invention are incorporated in a base plate 8 suitable for use with a wooden railway sleeper (see 21 in Figure 5B). The base plate 8 is substantially rectangular in plan and has a plate-like part 81 running from one of its two longer sides to the other, on the upper surface of which a rail 1 sits when the base plate 8 is in use, the plate-like part 81 being located on the base plate 8 such that the rail 1 (see Figures 5A and 5B) sits off-centre with respect to the base plate 8. The upper surface of the plate-like part 81 is slightly inclined with respect to the lower surface of the base plate 8 in the direction of the longitudinal axis thereof, as shown in Figure 4B, so that the rail 1 when seated thereon is tilted.In an alternative embodiment, however, the plate-like part 81 may be parallel to the lower surface of the base plate 8, for example if it is to be used with a sleeper which itself has an inclined upper surface. Projecting from the upper surface of the base plate 8, on either side of the plate-like part 81, are the anchoring devices 7, which will be described subsequently in more detail.

The anchoring devices 7 are located on the longitudinal axis of the base plate 8, about which the base plate 8 is symmetrical. On either side of each anchoring device 7, adjacent to the longer sides of the base plate 8, the base plate 8 is formed with through holes 82 of square cross-section for receiving respective lock spikes 91 (see Figure 5B) which are driven through the holes 82 into the wooden sleeper 21 beneath in order to secure the base plate 8 to the sleeper 21.

The plate-like part 81 being located off-centre with respect to the base plate 8, the region of the base plate 8 behind the anchoring device 7 on one side of the plate-like part 81 is greater in size than the region behind the anchoring device 7 on the other, this being so as to enable two further through holes 83 of square cross-section to be provided in the larger of these regions.These through holes 83, which are provided one on either side of the longitudinal axis and adjacent thereto, are formed at one end of respective approximately rectangular recesses 84 formed in the upper surface of the base plate 8 just behind the anchoring device 7 on that side of the base plate 8, the recesses 84 each being intended to receive part of the head of a track spike 92 (see Figure 5B) when the track spikes 92 are driven into the through holes 83 into the wooden sleeper 21 beneath in order to further secure the base plate 8 to the sleeper 21.

In the present embodiment, the base plate 8 is made of metal, preferably cast spheroidal graphite iron, the anchoring devices 7 being formed integrally with the remainder of the base plate 8. Each anchoring device has a floor 71 which is inclined with respect to the lower surface of the base plate 8 by a small angle a such that the floor 71 at the rear of the anchoring device 7 adjacent to one end of the base plate 8 is lower than at the front of the anchoring device 7 which is closest to the plate-like part 81 of the base plate 8. On either side of the floor 71 the anchoring device 7 is provided with walls 72, which run from the front of the anchoring device 7 up to a point approximately five-sixths of the way along its length.The walls 72 are such that along approximately three-quarters of their length, from the end adjacent to the front of the anchoring device 7, the spacing between them increases steadily progressing towards the rear of the anchoring device 7. Opposing faces 72a of the walls 72 are also inclined towards one other such that the spacing between them at the tops of the walls 72 is greater than at their bottom. Approximately one-quarter of the length of each wall 72 closest to the rear of the anchoring device 7 is formed as a projection 73 extending from the face 72a towards the projection 73 formed on the opposite wall 72, such that the spacing between the projections 73 is narrower than that between the walls 72 at the front of the anchoring device 7.At the front of the anchoring device 7, extending between the two walls 72, is a lip 74, having a substantially vertical outer face 74a bordering on the plate-like part 81 and an uppermost face 74b inclined by an angle ss with respect to the lower surface of the base plate 8. The walls 72 are supported by support portions 75 of the anchoring device 7 such that the bottom of each wall 72 is above the level of the floor 71'of the device 7. The vertical distance between the bottom surface of each wall 72 and the level of the floor 71 varies along the length of the wall 72, being at its greatest at the end of the wall 72 closest to the rear of the anchoring device 7 and then decreasing until a point approximately four-tenths of the way along it, after which the distance is approximately constant.Beneath the bottom surface of each wall 72 there is provided a well 76, defined between an edge of the floor 71, one of the support portions 75 and material provided on either side of the lip 74 forming the two front corners of the device 7. Each well 76 has approximately the same outline as the bottom surface of the wall 72 above it, but extends beyond the end of the wall 72 adjacent to the rear of the anchoring device 7 and beyond its face 72a. The spaces between the bottom of each wall 72 and the level of the floor 71 provide respective channels 78.

The gap defined between the walls 72 provides a corridor 77 into which a rail fastening clip 6 of the above-mentioned type can be inserted, as shown in Figures 5A, 5B and 6, the end of the corridor 77 adjacent to the lip 74 providing a gate 79. The clip 6 is installed in the anchoring device 7 when a rail 1 is adjacent thereto by manipulating the clip 6 in such a way that the projections 73 pass between the leading edge 61b of the anchoring part 61 of the clip 6 and the free ends 62b of the clip arms 62. The substantially planar anchoring part 61 of the clip 6 is then inserted into the entrance of the corridor 77.The clip 6 is then driven towards the front of the anchoring device 7, and as it is so driven the opposing free edges 61a of the anchoring part 61 respectively enter and move along the channels 78, until the leading edge 61b is adjacent to an end face 78a of each channel 78, the end faces 78 serving to prevent the clip being driven in too far. At the same time, the arms 62 are compressed until they are close enough together to pass through the gate 79, the surfaces 62c of the arms 62 coming to rest on the flange la of the rail 1 as the leading edge 61b of the planar anchoring part 61 abuts the end faces 78a of the channels 78.In this position, the free ends 62b of the clip 6 are adjacent to the wall 74a of the lip 74 and the ends of the walls 72 facing the rail 1, the spacing of the uncompressed arms 62 being too wide to allow the free end portions 62a to pass back through the gate 79, thereby preventing unintentional withdrawal of the clip 6 from the anchoring device 7.

Although not shown in this embodiment, an insulating member 5, such as are used in prior art assemblies, could be provided on the flange la of the rail 1, in which case the surfaces 62c of the clip arms 62 would contact the insulating member 5 rather than the flange la directly.

The clip 6 can be retracted from the rail 1 by squeezing together the arms 62 of the clip 6 until the free end portions 62a of the clip 6 can pass through the gate 79. The clip 6 can then be pulled back away from the rail 1, as in the prior art. As shown in Figures 7a and 7b, however, unlike the prior art complete withdrawal of the clip 6 from the anchoring device 7 in this manner is prevented by the projections 73, serving as clip retaining means, which lie in the path of the free end regions 62a of the arms 62 so that, if the clip 6 is pulled back as if to fully withdraw the clip, those regions 62a are brought into abutment with the projections 73, thereby preventing further retraction of the clip 6 from the anchoring device 7.In this way the clip 6 may be retained in the anchoring device 7 in a retracted disposition, thereby enabling the rail 1 to be replaced when necessary without the need to remove the clip 6 completely from the anchoring device 7. In addition, it is envisaged that the clip 6 may be partly installed in anchoring devices 7 secured to sleepers before those sleepers are laid, desirably before they are delivered to the track site, such that the clips 6 are held on the anchoring device 7 through engagement with the projections 73. The clips 6 may then be left in loose engagement with the anchoring device 7 until such time as the sleeper has been laid and a rail placed between the pair of anchoring devices 7, when the clips 6 can be driven into their operative positions in which they bear down on the rail as in the prior art.

It will be apparent that, when desired, the clip 6 can be fully released from the anchoring device 7 by lifting the clip 6 and rotating it forward until the projections 73 can pass through the gap between the leading edge 61b of the anchoring part 61 of the clip 6 and the free ends 62b of the clip arms 62.

A modified form of the base plate 8 described above with reference to Figures 4 to 7 is shown in Figures 8A to 8E and 9A to 9C. The modified base plate 8' is identical in most respects to that described earlier, the anchoring device 7 in particular being unchanged. However, the through holes 82 of square cross-section have been replaced by through holes 82' of round cross-section for receiving screw spikes 93 which are inserted into the through holes 82' and screwed into the wooden sleeper 21 beneath it to secure the base plate 8' thereto. The screw spikes 93 may be used with spring washers, for example of the type shown by reference number 94 in Figure 9B, or without as illustrated in Figure 9C.

The base plate 8' differs also in that one end of the base plate 8' (the right-hand end as seen in Figure 8A) is extended beyond the anchoring device in such a way as to provide an approximately triangular region 85 in which an extra through hole 83 is provided for receiving a track spike 92, like the holes 83 at the other (left-hand) end of the base plate 8'. Of course, the region 85 need not be triangular in shape, although this saves material. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that the region 85 may be omitted if only two track spikes 92 will be required, as in the base plate 8 of Figures 4 to 7.

Various dimensions of the base plate 8 shown in Figures 4A to 4G will now be given, although it should be understood that they are by way of example only.

The longer side of the base plate 8 is about 375mm long, while the shorter side is about 197mm long. The minimum thickness of the base plate 8, at either end thereof, is 14mm. The plate-like part 81 of the base plate 8 is 154mm wide, and its thickness at its thickest portion, when it has a 1 in 40 cant, is 28.4mm. The centres of the two through holes 82 on the same side of the plate-like part 81 are 127mm apart and are separated by a distance of 208mm from the centres of the through holes 82 on the opposite side of the plate-like part 81. The centres of the through holes 83 are separated from one another by a distance of 60mm and are 110mm from the nearest edge of the plate-like part 81, the holes 83 being 15mm across.

With regard to the anchoring device 7 itself, the separation between the supports 75 is 77mm, the overall width of the anchoring device 7 being about 103mm. The walls 72 are about 62mm long, the part of each wall 72 adjacent to the plate-like part 81 being 24mm above the plate-like"part 81. The faces 72a of the walls 72 are inclined by an angle of about 15 to the vertical. The projections 73, which also have sloping faces, are 45mm apart at their lower edges, so the corridor 77 is approximately 6% narrower between the projections 73 that it is at the lip 74. The lip 74 is about 48mm long and llmm thick, the height of the face 74a of the lip 74 being 9mm above the plate-like part 81. The slope angle ss of the surface 74b of the lip 74 is 200.

The angle of inclination a of the floor 71 is 6045'.

The width of the floor 71 varies, but at its narrowest between the wells 76 is 22mm wide. The channels 78 are approximately 9.4mm high adjacent to the end faces 78.

Of course, although the plate-like parts 81 of the base plates 8/8' hereinbefore described are situated off-centre with respect to the base plate, the base plates 8/8' could be modified such that the plate-like parts 81 are centrally located.

It should be noted that even though the base plates 8/8' have been described above as being for use with a wooden sleeper, they are not precluded from use (with appropriate modifications) with concrete sleepers or slabs. Furthermore, although only anchoring devices 7 formed integrally with a base plate 8/8' have been described, it will be appreciated that the anchoring device 7 may be formed separately and welded to the base plate 8/8'. Alternatively, anchoring devices embodying the present invention may be such that they are used without, or independently of, a base plate for supporting the rail 1.For example, anchoring devices of the kind described with reference to Figures 3A and 3B, each having one or more downwardly-extending legs 46 which are to be embedded in a concrete sleeper in order to locate the anchoring device thereon, may be modified so as to have clip retaining means. Such an anchoring device modified in this way is shown in Figures 10A to 10C, described below. The invention can also be applied to other anchoring devices, such as the variety known as "hook-in shoulders", e.g. anchoring devices which may be removed from one location on the sleeper and hooked into another so as to facilitate change of track gauge, and the kind called "spike shoulders" which have legs that can be driven or glued into a timber sleeper.

Figures 10A to 10C show a modified anchoring device 7'. Those parts of the modified anchoring device 7' which are similar or identical to those of the anchoring device 7 described previously are denoted by the same reference numerals.

The modified anchoring device 7' shown in Figures 10A to 10C differs from the anchoring devices 7 incorporated in the baseplates 8, 8' in that on the underside of the floor 71, beneath the walls 72, the device 7' is provided with two downwardly-extending legs 701 which, when the device 7' is in use, are embedded in a sleeper made of curable material, for example concrete. As seen in Fig. 10C, the legs 701 are tapered such that in a direction substantially parallel to the walls 72 they increase progressively in width away from the body of the anchoring device 7' and are broadened further at their ends to provide feet 701a, thereby to prevent withdrawal of the legs 701 from the sleeper. The upper portions of the two legs 701 are joined by a strengthening spar 701b.

Another significant difference between the anchoring devices 7 and 7' is that in the anchoring device 7' of Figures 10A to 10C the projections 73 are formed on supports 75' which protrude above the top of the walls 72, and opposed faces 73a of the projections 73 are not inclined such that the projections are closer together at their bottom edges than at their top edges, unlike the anchoring device 7, but are instead inclined such that the gap between the projections 73 narrows slightly as one proceeds in a direction towards the lip 74.By way of example, at its narrowest the gap between the projections 73 is 46mm and at its widest is about 47.5mm, the width of the gate 79 being about 46mm, the top of each projection 73 being 6mm above the top of the wall 72 and the bottom of each projection 73 being lmm above the top of the wall 72, and the length of the opposing faces 73a, measured in a direction parallel to the corridor 77, being 14.5mm.

Although the anchoring device 7' of Figs. 10A to 10C is in most other respects similar to the anchoring devices 7 incorporated in the baseplates 8, 8', there are further differences. The upper surface of the floor 71 of the anchoring device 7' does not have a well 76 and is provided with a pair of upstanding ribs 71a which contact the underside of the anchoring part 61 of the clip 6 when installed in the anchoring device 7', so as to reduce the amount of material required for the floor 71. The lip 74 has a substantially horizontal face 74c between the vertical outer face 74a and inclined inner face 74c.At the rear of the anchoring device 7', that is the part which is furthest from the rail 1 when in use, a shelf 702 extends from just below the level of the floor 71, whilst around the front, and part of the sides, of the anchoring device 7' a rim 703 is provided just below the level of the shelf 702.

It should be noted that only two examples of the projections 73 have been illustrated and described.

Clearly, in an anchoring device embodying the present invention the projections 73 may take other forms, provided that the spacing between them is such that it is too narrow to allow the free end portions 62a of the clip arms 62 to pass through it. Alternatively, instead of the projections 73, the clip retaining means in an anchoring device embodying the present invention may comprise a bar 73' joining the walls 72 at the rear of the anchoring device 7 above the channel 78, as shown in Figs. 11 and 12.

Figure 11 shows part of a base plate 8, like that shown in Figure 4A, in which the clip retaining means of the anchoring device 7 comprise such a bar 73' extending across the corridor 77, rather than a pair of projections 73. Similarly, Figure 12 shows an anchoring device 7', like that of Figure 10A, in which the clip retaining means comprise such a bar 73' rather than projections 73. In Figure 12 the anchoring device 7' is shown with its legs 701 embedded in a sleeper of concrete or the like.

Although not described, it will be appreciated that other embodiments of the clip retaining means are possible and that those means may comprise any suitable means for obstructing complete retraction of the clip from the anchoring device by engaging one or both of the hooked free ends of the clip.

Claims (14)

CLAIMS:

1. A rail clip anchoring device for retaining a resilient rail-fastening clip of the type which is generally C-shaped in cross-section and has a substantially planar anchoring part, for engaging with part of said anchoring device, and a pair of arched arms each of which projects from one end of the anchoring part towards and beyond the other end thereof and at respective free ends thereof are hooked back towards the anchoring part so as to provide respective contact surface portions for bearing on a rail adjacent to the anchoring device when it is in use, the anchoring device having a pair of spaced walls defining a corridor therebetween into one end of which furthest from the adjacent rail such a clip may be inserted and manipulated into an operative disposition such that the anchoring part of the clip is located within channel-defining recesses provided in respective side walls and each contact surface portion of the clip bears on said adjacent rail, wherein the device is provided with clip retaining means for abutting against one or both of the hooked free ends of the clip when the clip is retracted from its operative disposition along the said corridor to a retracted disposition relative to the adjacent rail, thereby to retain the clip in partial engagement with the device.

2. A rail clip anchoring device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the clip retaining means comprise a pair of projections extending respectively from the side walls at respective locations adjacent to the said one end of the corridor, above the said channel, whereby the corridor is narrowed locally such that the arched arms of the clip cannot pass without manipulation.

3. A rail clip anchoring device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the clip retaining means comprise a bar extending between the side walls at a location adjacent to the said one end of the corridor, above the said channel.

4. A rail clip anchoring device as claimed in any preceding claim, which forms part of a baseplate for supporting a rail which can be mounted on a railway sleeper.

5. A rail clip anchoring device as claimed in claim 4, which is formed integrally with said baseplate.

6. A rail clip anchoring device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising at least one leg projecting in a direction opposite to said side walls for mounting the device in a surface which is curable.

7. A railway rail fastening assembly comprising a rail standing on a rail foundation, a rail clip anchoring device secured to the rail foundation, and a resilient rail-fastening clip of a type which is generally C-shaped in cross-section, the anchoring device having a pair of spaced walls defining a corridor therebetween in each of which a recess is formed so as to define a channel in which a substantially planar anchoring part of said clip is located, and said clip having a pair of arched arms each of which projects from one end of the anchoring part of the clip towards and beyond the other end thereof and at respective free ends thereof are hooked back towards the anchoring part so as to provide respective contact surface portions which bear on the adjacent -rail, wherein the anchoring device is provided with clip retaining means for abutting against one or both of the hooked free ends of the clip when the clip is retracted along the said corridor from engagement with the rail, thereby to retain the clip in partial engagement with the device.

8. An assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein the clip retaining means of said anchoring device comprise a pair of projections extending respectively from the side walls at respective locations adjacent to the said one end of the corridor, above the said channel, whereby the corridor is narrowed locally such that the arched arms of the clip cannot pass without manipulation.

9. An assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein the clip retaining means of said anchoring device comprise a bar extending between the side walls at a location adjacent to the said one end of the corridor, above the said channel.

10. An assembly as claimed in claim 7, 8 or 9, wherein the rail foundation includes a baseplate and said anchoring device forms part of said baseplate.

11. An assembly as claimed in claim 10, wherein said anchoring device is formed integrally with said baseplate.

12. An assembly as claimed in claim 7, 8 or 9, wherein said rail foundation includes a sleeper made of curable material and said anchoring device further comprises at least one leg projecting, in a direction opposite to said side walls, into said sleeper.

13. A rail clip anchoring device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of Figures 4 to 12 of the accompanying drawings.

14. A railway rail fastening assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of Figures 4 to 12 of the accompanying drawings.