GB2316702A

GB2316702A - Spring steel rail clip for use with steel sleeper and insulator

Info

Publication number: GB2316702A
Application number: GB9617904A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Sidney Relph
Original assignee: British Steel PLC
Current assignee: British Steel PLC
Priority date: 1996-08-28
Filing date: 1996-08-28
Publication date: 1998-03-04
Also published as: GB9617904D0

Abstract

A spring steel clip for attaching a rail 10 to a steel sleeper comprises a first bearing surface 2 for engagement with the upper surface of the sleeper, a second bearing surface 4 for engagement with the underside of the sleeper, and a central loop section 6 for engagement with an upper surface of the rail foot flange. A tool is provided selectively to increase the spacing 7 between the ends of the loop section to flex the clip, allowing assembly of an insulator 11 into the space between said loop and the adjacent surface of the rail foot. An insulator pad 12 may also be used under the rail. Insulator 11 may be preformed to complement the upper surface of the rail flange. The clip may be U-shaped in plan (fig. 1).

Description

FASTENINGS This invention relates to fastenings for attaching a rail to a sleeper on which the rail is supported. More especially, the invention concerns spring steel fastenings for attaching a rail to a steel sleeper.

Fastenings are know from, for example, GB 2086966 and G B 1575654, which comprise clips whose sides are moved into engagement with adjacent surfaces of a foot flange of a rail and a steel sleeper on which the rail is supported by an anchor bolt which passes through the clip to engage a thread below the clip and, in some cases, below the sleeper. It is also know from, for example, WO 94/28245 and GB 2023696, to secure to the upper surface of a steel sleeper by welding or bolting an anchorage to which a clip can be attached, the free end of the clip remote from the anchorage engaging adjacent surfaces of the foot flange of the rail. The anchorage may, as shown in WO 83/0263 and GB 2115464, alternatively be formed by appropriate shaping of the sleeper upper surface to define, for example, an upstanding lip or ridge under which one end of a clip can locate. Wedge clamps such as illustrated in GB 559082 have also been employed, one larger end of the wedge being retained within a guide welded to the upper surface of the sleeper and the tapered end of the wedge being driven through the guide and into engagement with the upper surface of the foot flange of the rail.

These known fastenings all suffer from disadvantages, these including the need for separable fixings or permanent anchorages which must be positioned accurately to facilitate assembly of a rail to a sleeper.

If the anchorage is secured to the sleeper off-site, and its position is found to be incorrect, the sleeper cannot be used. If the anchorage is secured to the sleeper on-site, additional costs are incurred. Also, such fastenings are not re-usable and their assembly is both fime consuming and expensive. Furthermore, many of the fastenings discussed require frequent inspection to ensure that the rail is effectively anchored to its sleeper.

The present invention sets out to provide a fastening for attaching a rail to a sleeper which overcomes or at least alleviates the disadvantages referred to above. The invention also provides a method of attaching such fastenings to a sleeper and to a rail to be supported thereby.

In one aspect the invention provides a fastening for attaching a rail to a sleeper, the fastening comprising a spring steel clip shaped to include a first bearing surface for engagement with the upper surface of a steel sleeper, a second bearing surface for engagement with the undersurface of the steel sleeper and a central loop section for engagement with the upper surface of a foot flange of a rail supported by the sleeper, and means operable selectively to increase the spacing between the ends of the loop section to flex the clip to facilitate assembly of an insulator into the spacing defined between the loop section of the clip and the adjacent surface of the rail foot flange.

In another aspect, the present invention provides fastening apparatus for attaching a rail to a sleeper, the apparatus comprising a spring steel clip and a tool for use therewith, the clip including a first bearing surface for engagement with the upper surface of a sleeper, a second bearing surface for engagement with the undersurface of the sleeper, and a loop section intermediate the first and second bearing surfaces which, in use, engages the upper surface of a foot flange of the rail, and the tool including means for applying a force to the internal surfaces of the loop section of the clip to increase the separation thereof whereby the required engagement of the bearing surfaces with the rail and the loop section of the clip with the rail flange is facilitated after the insertion of insulation material between the opposed surfaces of the loop and the rail flange and relaxation of the force applied by the tool.

The insulation material is preferably preformed to complement the upper surface of the rail flange.

In a further aspect, the invention provides a spring steel fastening of rectangular or round cross-section which comprises a clip having at least one arm capable of flexing and shaped to include first and second bearing surfaces capable of engaging respectively upper and lower surfaces of a member to which the clip is to be attached and a loop formed intermediate the bearing surfaces whose under surface is capable of engaging a surface of a second member to which the clip is also to be attached.

In a still further aspect, the invention provides a method of attaching a rail to a sleeper using a spring steel clip, the member comprising the steps of positioning a shoulder of the clip in engagement with an edge of the sleeper with a bearing surface of the shoulder in contact with the undersurface of the sleeper adjacent to the edge, positioning a second bearing surface of the clip in contact with the upper surface of the sleeper, positioning a loop section of the clip intermediate the shoulder and second bearing surface with its underside above a flange of the rail, inserting into the loop a spreading tool and operating the same to increase the mouth of the loop thereby increasing the separation between the loop and the rail flange, inserting between the loop and the rail flange a preformed insulator, and relaxing the spreader tool to cause the two bearing surfaces firmly to engage the sleeper and the loop firmly to engage the rail flange.

The clip may be generally "U" shaped in plan with the central section of the "U" defining the first mentioned bearing surface and with each leg of the "U" defining second bearing surfaces and a loop section.

The invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which: Figure 1 is a plan view from above of a fastening in accordance with the invention; and Figure 2 is a side view of the fastening illustrated in Figure 1 assembled to a sleeper and rail supported thereby.

The fastening illustrated in the drawings takes the form of a clip manufactured from a spring steel of rectangular cross-section. Other cross-sections such as circular or oval may be adopted. As seen from Figure 1, in plan view the fastening is generally of "U" shape and comprises a pair of arms 1 joined to a central section 2 set generally normal to the arms.

As will be seen from Figure 2, each arm of the clip is shaped to include sequentially from its free end a shoulder 4 which extends in the direction towards the central section 2, a leg 5 generally normal to the shoulder 4, a loop 6 having a neck 7 and a curved section 8 which leads to the central section 2.

A spreading tool is insertable within the neck 7 and is operable to increase the neck width and to effect elongation of the leg 5.

A rail 10 supported on a sleeper 9 is also illustrated in Figure 2. A preformed insulator 11 is positioned on the foot flange of the rail 10. The rail seats on a conventional insulation pad 12.

On assembly of the clip to the rail and the sleeper, a hole 14 is formed in the sleeper at a location close to the required position of the rail flange on the sleeper. The spreading tool is then inserted into the neck 7 and operated to increase the neck width and effect elongation of the leg thereby increasing the spacing between the loop and the rail flange. The free end of each arm 1 of the clip is passed through its respective hole and the clip is moved to the position shown in Figure 2 in which the shoulder 4 engages the under surface of the sleeper with the leg 5 contacting the hole boundary. In this position the central section 2 of the clip bears against the upper surface of the sleeper and the loop 6 is positioned above the rail flange (the preformed insulator 11 not being present at this time).

The preformed insulator is then inserted between the clip and the rail flange. Relaxation and withdrawal of the spreader tool allows a constraining load to be applied to the rail flange and positive alignment to be maintained. No other fixings are required and the clip is simply removed by insertion of the spreading tool into the neck 7 to effect elongation of the leg as discussed above and removal of the preformed insulator. The clip can then be re-used if appropriate.

The time involved in fitting the clip (or removing it) is, as will be appreciated, minimised.

It will be appreciated that the configuration of the clip can be other than illustrated. Thus a single arm extending from an elongate base similar to the central section 2 of the illustrated clip can be provided.

It will be appreciated that the foregoing is merely exemplary of fastenings in accordance with the invention and that modifications can readily be made thereto without departing from the true scope of the invention.

Claims

1. Fastening apparatus for attaching a rail to a sleeper, the apparatus comprising a spring steel clip and a tool for use therewith, the clip including a first bearing surface for engagement with the upper surface of a sleeper, a second bearing surface for engagement with the undersurface of the sleeper, and a loop section intermediate the first and second bearing surfaces which, in use, engages the upper surface of a foot flange of the rail, and the tool including means for applying a force to the internal surfaces of the loop section of the clip to increase the separation thereof whereby the required engagement of the bearing surfaces with the rail and the loop section of the clip with the rail flange is facilitated after the insertion of insulation material between the opposed surfaces of the loop and the rail flange and relaxation of the force applied by the tool.

2. Fastening apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the insulation material is preformed to complement the upper surface of the rail flange.

3. Fastening apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the clip is generally "U" shaped in plan with the central section of the "U" defining the first mentioned bearing surface and with each leg of the "U" defining second bearing surfaces and a loop section.

4. A fastening for attaching a rail to a sleeper, the fastening comprising a spring steel clip shaped to include a first bearing surface for engagement with the upper surface of a steel sleeper, a second bearing surface for engagement with the undersurface of the steel sleeper and a central loop section for engagement with the upper surface of a foot flange of a rail supported by the sleeper, and means operable selectively to increase the spacing between the ends of the loop section to flex the clip to facilitate assembly of an insulator into the spacing defined between the loop section of the clip and the adjacent surface of the rail foot flange.

5. A spring steel fastening of rectangular or round cross-section which comprises a clip having at least one arm capable of flexing and shaped to include first and second bearing surfaces capable of engaging respectively upper and lower surfaces of a member to which the clip is to be attached and a loop formed intermediate the bearing surfaces whose under surface is capable of engaging a surface of a second member to which the clip is also to be attached.

6. A method of attaching a rail to a sleeper using a spring steel clip, the member comprising the steps of positioning a shoulder of the clip in engagement with an edge of the sleeper with a bearing surface of the shoulder in contact with the undersurface of the sleeper adjacent to the edge1 positioning a second bearing surface of the clip in contact with the upper surface of the sleeper, positioning a loop section of the clip intermediate the shoulder and second bearing surface with its underside above a flange of the rail, inserting into the loop a spreading tool and operating the same to increase the mouth of the loop thereby increasing the separation between the loop and the rail flange, inserting between the loop and the rail flange a preformed insulator, and relaxing the spreader tool to cause the two bearing surfaces firmly to engage the sleeper and the loop firmly to engage the rail flange.

7. Fastening apparatus substantially as herein described and as described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.