GB2338999A

GB2338999A - Fastener

Info

Publication number: GB2338999A
Application number: GB9913419A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Graham Keir
Original assignee: First Engineering Ltd
Current assignee: Babcock Rail Ltd
Priority date: 1998-06-10
Filing date: 1999-06-10
Publication date: 2000-01-12
Anticipated expiration: 2019-06-10
Also published as: GB2338999B; GB9812377D0; GB9913419D0

Description

1 2338999 1 "Fixing Means" 2 3 The present invention relates to a fixing

means used 4 particularly, but not exclusively, for fixing a railway track to a. fixing block; the fixing block forming part 6 of a point control mechanism.

7 8 Conventionally, the railway track is fixed to the 9 fixing block by means of a nut and bolt assembly.

However, because of the restricted access available, it 11 is difficult to fix the nut to the bolt. This 12 difficulty can be overcome by at least partially dis 13 assembling the point control mechanism. In an 14 alternative conventional method, to replace the bolt, the head of the original bolt is sheared off and a new 16 bolt is fitted, the head of the bolt being formed by 17 means of crimping, and a nut on an opposite threaded 18 end, being tightened.

19 These conventional examples of fixing means have the 21 disadvantage that the replacement fitting of these 22 bolts consume unnecessary time and labour in removing 23 and replacing the bolts. This has the obvious effect 24 of disrupting the rail traffic using the track, especially in the case where the point control 26 mechanism has to be dis-assembled.

2 1 According to the present invention, there is provided a 2 fixing means comprising a rod adapted to pass through 3 elements to be fixed together; and a first and second 4 adjustable locking means at respective first and second ends of the rod, said second adjustable locking means G being capable of being fully removed from the rod to 7 allow the rod to be entered and withdrawn from the 8 elements being locked together.

9 Further according to the present invention, there is 11 provided a method for fixing a railway track to a 12 fixing block assembly in a railway track system, 13 whereby the fixing means is as claimed in claim 1, the 14 method comprising the steps of:

bringing the railway track and the fixing block 1G assembly together, such that corresponding holes in the 17 railway track and fixing block assembly are aligned; 18 inserting the rod into the hole in the fixing block 19 assembly and pushing the rod through the hole in the railway track until the rod protrudes from the hole in 21 the railway track; 22 screwing the second adjustable locking means onto the 23 second thread by rotating the rod and the second 24 adjustable locking means relative to one another; providing a retaining means capable of preventing the 2G second adjustable locking means from moving axially on 27 the second thread.

28 29 Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to 31 the accompanying drawings, in which:

32 33 Fig. 1 is a side view of fixing means in 34 accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; 3G 3 1 Fig. 2 is the fixing means of Fig. 1, in place, as 2 part of a railway track points control assembly; 3 4 Fig. 3 is a side view of a rod of the fixing means 5 of Fig. 1; 6 7 Fig. 4 is an end view of the rod of Fig. 3; 8 9 Figs 5 and 6 are side and end views, respectively, 10 of a first threaded nut of the fixing means of 11 Fig. 1; 12 13 Figs 7 and 8 are side and end views, respectively, 14 of a second threaded nut of the fixing means of 15 Fig. 1; 16 17 Fig. 9 is a side view of the fixing means in 18 accordance with a second embodiment of the present 19 invention; 20 21 Fig. 10 is the fixing means of Fig. 9, in place, 22 as part of a railway track points control 23 assembly; 24 25 Fig. 11 is a side view of a rod of the fixing 26 means of Fig. 9; 27 28 Fig. 12 is an end view of the rod of Fig. 11; 29 30 Figs 13 and 14 are side and end views, 31 respectively, of a first threaded nut of the 32 fixing means of Fig. 9; and 33 34 Figs 15 and 16 are side and end views, 35 respectively, of a second threaded nut of the 36 fixing means of Fig. 9.

4 1 Referring to the drawings, Figs 1 to 8 show a fixing 2 means 10 in accordance with the present invention. The 3 fixing means 10, in use, fixes a railway track 11 to a 4 fixing block assembly 12. The fixing block assembly 12 5 forms part of a points control assembly 13 of a railway 6 track system. 7 8 The railway track 11 has a hole Ila bored through its 9 stem portion llb. A corresponding hole 12a is bored 10 through the block assembly 12 such that, when the block 11 assembly 12 is fitted correctly, adjacent the railway 12 track 11, the holes Ila and 12a are in alignment. 13 14 The fixing means 10 comprises a rod 14 having a first 15 threaded portion 15 and a second threaded portion 16 16 adapted to receive corresponding first and second nuts 17 18 and 19 respectively. 18 19 The rod 14 has a hole 14a bored diametrically through 20 the second threaded portion 16. A corresponding bore 21 19a is diametrically bored through the second nut 19 22 such that when the second nut 19 is screwed onto the 23 second threaded portion 16, and when the bore 19a is 24 aligned with the hole 14a, a split pin 20 can be fitted 25 through the aligned bore 19a and hole 14a. 26 27 The rod 14 is capable of being inserted through the 28 hole 12a in the fixing block assembly 12 and through 29 the corresponding hole Ila in the railway track 11, ie. 30 from the left hand side as viewed in Fig. 2. It is not 31 possible to insert the rod from the right hand side due 32 to the restricted space defined by the railway track 11 33 and the points railway track 13a. 34 35 Once the rod 14 is fully inserted, at least a 36 sufficient amount of the second threaded portion 16 1 protrudes from the block assembly 12 to allow the 2 second nut 19 to be fitted such that the hole 14a and 3 the bore 19a can be aligned, and the split pin 20 can 4 be inserted. 5 6 Also, with the rod 14 in the fully inserted position, 7 at least a sufficient amount of the first threaded 8 portion 15 protrudes from the block assembly 12 to 9 allow a spring washer 17 and a first nut 18 to be 10 securely fitted. 11 12 An allan key hole 14b is provided at the second 13 threaded end 16 of the rod 14. The hole 14b is 14 provided axially and is of sufficient length to permit 15 an allan key of the correct size to be securely 16 inserted. With the fixing means is fitted to the block 17 assembly 12 and the railway track 11, it is often is desirable to remove the fixing means 10. 19 20 When attempting to remove the fixing means 10, the rod 21 14 often jams. In this instance, the allan key is 22 inserted into the allan key hole 14b and is used to 23 assist in loosening the rod 14 to aid in its removal 24 from holes lia and 12a. This loosening is achieved by 25 using the allan key to rotate the rod 14 axially. 26 27 In use, once the block assembly 12 and the railway 28 track 11 are correctly aligned, the rod 14, having 29 neither first nor second nuts 18, 19 attached, is 30 inserted (second threaded end 16 first, from left hand 31 side, as viewed in Fig.2) into holes 12a and pushed 32 through hole 12a and through hole lia. 33 34 The second nut 19 is then screwed onto the second 35 threaded portion 16 by rotating the rod 14 and the 36 second nut 19 relative to one another until the bore 6 1 19a and the hole 14a are in alignment. The split pin 2 20 is then pushed through the bore 19a and the hole 3 14a. Once the split pin is fully inserted, the legs of 4 the split pin 20, are splayed thus securing the second 5 nut 19 and preventing any axial movement of the second 6 nut 19 along the second threaded portion 16. 7 8 The spring washer 17 is fitted to the first threaded 9 portion 15 of the rod 14 and the first nut 18 screwed 10 onto the first threaded portion 15. The nut is 11 tightened until the block assembly 12 and the railway 12 track 11 are held together. 13 14 The design thus allows the fixing means 10 to be easily 15 replaced. 16 17 Figs 9 to 16 illustrate an alternative embodiment 18 similar to the embodiment described above but wherein 19 there is no bore hole in the second nut 119 and 20 alternatively, the second thread 116 is extended such 21 that the second nut 119 can be screwed onto the second 22 thread 116 and a split pin 120 inserted in the hole 23 114a in the second thread 116, between the second nut 24 199 and the end of the rod adjacent the points railway 25 track 113a. The split pin 120 thus preventing the 26 second nut 119 from unscrewing from the second thread 27 116. 28 29 The embodiments above describe fixing means which can 30 be fitted and removed without the need to dis-assemble 31 the points control mechanism. The fixing means being 32 in the form of a rod threaded at both ends and having a 33 removable nut at one end and an adjustable nut at the 34 other end. 35 36 Modifications and improvements may be made to the 7 1 foregoing without departing from the scope of the 2 present invention.

8

Claims

2 3 1. A fixing means comprising a rod adapted to pass 4 through elements to be fixed together; and a first and second adjustable locking means at respective first and 6 second ends of the rod, said second adjustable locking 7 means being capable of being fully removed from the rod 8 to allow the rod to be entered and withdrawn from the 9 elements being locked together. 10 11
2. A fixing means as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the 12 second adjustable locking means is secured in position 13 on the rod by retaining means.

14
3. A fixing means as claimed in any preceding claim, 16 wherein said first adjustable locking means comprises a 17 first nut adapted to screw onto a first thread formed 18 on the rod adjacent the first end of the rod. 19 20
4. A fixing means as claimed in any preceding claim 21 wherein said second adjustable locking means comprises 22 a second nut adapted to screw onto a second thread 23 formed on the rod adjacent the second end of the rod. 24
5. A fixing means as claimed in any preceding claim, 26 wherein the rod is provided with a securing hole.

27 28
6. A fixing means as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the 29 securing hole is located at the second end of the rod. 30 31
7. A fixing means as claimed in either of Claims 5 or 32 6 when dependent upon Claim 4, wherein the securing 33 hole is located in the second thread. 34
8. A fixing means as claimed in any of Claims 5 to 7, 36 wherein the securing hole is provided diametrically 9 through the rod.

2 3
9. A fixing means as claimed in any one of Claims 5 4 to 8, wherein the second adjustable locking means is provided with a bore.

G 7
10. A fixing means as claimed in Claim 9, wherein the 8 bore is drilled diametrically through the second 9 adjustable locking means and is adapted to correspond to the securing hole in the rod.

11 12
11. A fixing means as claimed in any of Claims 2 to 13 10, wherein the retaining means is a split pin.

14
12. A fixing means as claimed in any of Claims 9 to 11 16 wherein the retaining means engages the bore in the 17 second adjustable locking means and the securing hole 18 in the rod. 19 20
13. A fixing means as claimed in any preceding claim, 21 wherein a washer is provided at the first end of the 22 rod. 23 24
14. A method for fixing a railway track to a fixing 25 block assembly in a railway track system, whereby the 26 fixing means is as claimed in claim 1, the method 27 comprising the steps of: 28 bringing the railway track and the fixing block 29 assembly together, such that corresponding holes in the 30 railway track and fixing block assembly are aligned; 31 inserting the rod into the hole in the fixing block 32 assembly and pushing the rod through the hole in the 33 railway track until the rod protrudes from the hole in 34 the railway track; 35 screwing the second adjustable locking means onto the 36 second thread by rotating the rod and the second 1 adjustable locking means relative to one another; 2 providing a retaining means capable of preventing the 3 second adjustable locking means from moving axially on 4 the second thread; and screwing the first adjustable locking means onto the 6 first thread and tightening the first adjustable 7 locking means to fix the railway track and the fixing 8 block assembly together.

9
15. A method for fixing a railway track to a fixing 11 block assembly in a railway track system as claimed in 12 Claim 14, whereby the retaining means is inserted 13 through the second adjustable locking means and the 14 rod.

16 1G. A method for fixing a railway track to a fixing 17 block assembly in a railway track system as claimed in 18 Claims 14 or 15, whereby a spring washer is provided 19 between the first adjustable locking means and the fixing block assembly.

21 22 17. Apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described 23 with reference to or as shown in the accompanying 24 drawings.

26 18. Method substantially as hereinbefore described 27 with reference to or as shown in the accompanying 28 drawings.