GB2351515A

GB2351515A - Adjustable railway rail fastening assembly and methods for use therewith

Info

Publication number: GB2351515A
Application number: GB9915220A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stephen John Cox; John Phillip Porrill
Original assignee: Pandrol Ltd
Current assignee: Pandrol Ltd
Priority date: 1999-06-29
Filing date: 1999-06-29
Publication date: 2001-01-03
Anticipated expiration: 2019-06-29
Also published as: JP2003503608A; EP1190142A1; HK1030033A1; EP1190142B1; DE60019286T2; DE60019286D1; KR100715581B1; JP4190183B2; TW517128B; WO2001000930A1; KR20020019475A; AU5237500A; GB2351515B; GB9915220D0

Abstract

An anchoring device, for retaining a spring rail clip (3) e.g. of M-shape against a railway rail, comprises an anchoring stem part (40), for fixing to a rail foundation and a clip-retaining head part (41), engageable with the stem part (40), for retaining the clip (3), the height of the rail clip (3) relative to the rail foundation being determined by the position of the head part (41) relative to the stem part (40). Adjustment of the position of the head part (41) relative to the stem part (40) is effected by translational movement of the head part (41). Facing serrated surfaces locked together by a wedge (43) are provided on the parts (40,41) retain them in the adjusted position. Alternatively, a bolt in outsize holes is provided. For adjusting lateral rail positions in a rail fastening assembly the head part (41) of at least one of the anchoring devices is replaced by another head part having an overall thickness, at a portion lying between the rail foot and the stem part (40), which differs from that of the first-mentioned head part (41).

Description

2351515 -1 ADJUSTABLE RAILWAY RAIL FASTENING ASSEMBLY AND METHODS FOR USE

THEREWITH The present invention relates to an adjustable railway rail fastening assembly and methods for use therewith.

For the safe and smooth operation of railways it is obviously desirable that a level running surface of the rail is maintained at all times. On ballasted track the sleepers can be tamped up to restore the level of the rail. However this is not possible on non-ballasted track, so that in many instances the possibility of making an adjustment in the height of the rail foot relative to the surface on which it is is mounted is required. The need to do this comes principally from three sources; firstly, to allow for less accurate and therefore cheaper construction of the base slab, the final adjustments of the rail head level being made through the fastening; secondly, to allow for subsidence of the slab or the ground beneath it; and thirdly, to allow sections of new rail to be inserted into lengths of worn rail in the case of a break or defect without the need to grind the head of the new rail down to match the head of the worn rail.

In some cases a baseplate to which the rail is fixed is provided almost entirely to allow for the possibility of rail height adjustment, shims being placed under the baseplate to adjust the height of the rail. This is an expensive option, and it is desirable to find ways in which the need for a baseplate on slab track might be avoided.

As well as being supported at the correct height, the rails must be cla mped down to keep them from moving or buckling. All spring clips used for anchoring the 3s rail down require some kind of fixture against which they can react. In some cases this is provided by a nut and bolt, in other cases by a component of nominally fixed geometry which is usually referred to as a shoulder. Whichever of the two fastening methods is employed, if the rail is to be raised up from its lowest nominal position, this will be done by placing shims of the required thickness under the rail foot (to save cost the lowest position is usually the nominal position so that the shims are not required unless adjustment is required).

Where a screwed fastening is used, the fastening height relative to the fixed base can be adjusted to some degree while maintaining a given clamping force by tightening the nut or screw used to a lesser or greater extent. However, the range of adjustment possible in is this case may be severely limited by the allowable moment which can be applied to the bolt or screw without fatigue failure. This moment results from the component of the lateral forces which are generated on the track and applied to the fastener through the rail foot, and increases as the rail is raised higher above the base and the moment arm is increased. Furthermore, fastening systems with screw threads have a number of disadvantages which mean that they are not favoured by many railways. Among these are a tendency for the nuts or screwspikes to come loose, leading to a loss of clamping load, and conversely a tendency for screw threads to become rusted and very difficult to maintain. For this reason self-tensioning spring clips are very widely used.

Where such self-tensioning clips are used, at least one part of the clip (the toe) will always bear on the rail, and at least two parts will bear on the shoulder or sleeper. Since the clamping load which the clip applies to the rail depends on the extent to which it is deflected, which in turn depends on the relative heights of these two parts of the assembly, the clamping force will vary as the height of the rail is adjusted. While some small variation in the clamping force is usually acceptable, if the clip deflection becomes too small then the rail clamping force will become unacceptably small, while if it becomes too large then the clip may be over-stressed. Also, as the relative heights of the two parts change, the orientation of the clip will change. This may lead to a degradation in performance, since clips are usually designed to work best in a fixed orientation. For instance, where a flat bearing surface on the clip toe designed to lie in the same plane as the top of the rail foot no longer does so, its edge may cut into the rail foot or insulator.

is one solution which might be possible, but which is not at all practical, would be to develop a whole range of clips of different geometry. The difficulties in developing, manufacturing, supplying, fitting, controlling, and maintaining a variety of components will be readily apparent.

US 4470543 (Gray) has means for providing'height adjustment which comprise a rotatable core, having an eccentric hole for receiving a centre leg of a spring rail clip, which plugs into a round hole in the centre of an enlarged shoulder. Rotation of the core within the shoulder causes the height of the centre leg relative to the rail foundation to be adjusted.

However, this is not a particularly efficient means of providing adjustment, since the shoulder and core must be quite large even for modest adjustment ranges.

Moreover, the Gray system maintains a constant clip orientation at the expense of requiring a number of different thickness shims which must be put under the clip heel seat.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an anchoring device for retaining a spring rail clip in a railway rail fastening assembly, the device comprising an anchoring stem part, fixed to a rail foundation when the device is in use, and a clip-retaining head part, engageable with the said anchoring stem part, for retaining the spring rail clip, the height of the rail clip relative to the rail foundation being determined by the.position of the clip-retaining head part of the device relative to the anchoring stem part thereof, wherein adjustment of the position of the said clip-retaining head part relative to the said anchoring stem part is effected by translational movement of the clip-retaining head part.

Such an anchoring device allows easier height adjustment whilst avoiding the drawbacks of the Gray is arrangement.

According to second and third aspects of the present invention there are provided a clip-retaining head part and an anchoring stem part for use in such an anchoring device.

To avoid unintended vertical displacement of the clip-retaining head part relative to the anchoring stem part the device desirably comprises means for inhibiting relative vertical movement between the anchoring stem part and clip-retaining head part thereof when engaged.

Such means may be provided on mutually-contacting surfaces of the anchoring stem and clip-retaining head parts and preferably comprise interlocking elements such as serrations.

The size of the serrations is preferably chosen so as to ensure that, when the device is in use, the variation in clamping force of the spring rail clip on the rail is as small as possible with each step change in position of the said clip-retaining head part relative to the anchoring stem part. The height of the rail relative to the foundation can be adjusted in infinitely small steps, this height being determined by the thickness of the shims placed beneath it. The reason for making the size of the serrations small is to restrict the variation in toe load which will result from the step changes in height of the clip-retaining head part. For example, if the nominal deflection of the clip to give its nominal toe load is 12.5mm, and the pitch of the serrations is 3mm, the installed deflection of the clip, and hence the toe load applied to the rail, will not vary more than + 1.5mm or +10-06.

Instead of interlocking elements, such as serrations, parts having increased frictional resistance may be provided to inhibit vertical movement.

is With a view to avoiding accidental disengagement of the two components, the device preferably comprises wedge means, located between respective mutually opposed portions of the said anchoring stem part and the said clip-retaining head part when the device is in use, for urging the said anchoring stem and clip retaining head parts together. In a preferred embodiment, to inhibit undesirable lateral movement (i.e. movement in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rail) of the wedge means, at least one of the said mutually-opposed portions of the anchoring stem part and the said clip-retaining part is provided with means for cooperating with means provided on the said wedge means.

Such means may comprise respective regions having interlocking elements, preferably vertical serrations.

The length of the serrated region provided on the one mutually-opposed portion of the clip-retaining head part may be shorter than that provided on the wedge means.

If appropriate, the clip-retaining head part may be configured to retain any one of a number of different clip types, for example the PANDROL FASTCLIpTM rail fastening clip (which is approximately M-shaped in plan see EP-B-0619852) or the PANDROL SAFELOKTM rail fastening clip (see US 4313563). When the clip-retaining head part is shaped so as to retain an M-shaped rail clip, the clip-retaining head part desirably comprises a pair of spaced-apart clip-retaining walls for receiving and retaining the legs of such an M-shaped rail clip when the clip is in use, the said anchoring stem part being located between the said clip-retaining walls when the device is in use. Depending on the respective designs, it is possible that a clip-retaining head part suitable for one type of spring rail clip may be replaced by another is clip-retaining head part which is configured so as to be suitable for retaining spring rail clips of a different kind.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of altering a rail fastening assembly using an anchoring device embodying the first aspect of the present invention, wherein the clip-retaining head part of at least one of the anchoring devices in the rail fastening assembly is replaced by another clip-retaining head part which is configured so as to be suitable for retaining a spring rail clip of a different kind to that of the first-mentioned clip-retaining head part.

The device may be provided with means for locking the anchoring stem part and the clip-retaining head part together during transportation and/or installation, thereby facilitating handling the device.

Furthermore, if the clip-retaining head part is designed so as to be able to retain clips in a pre-assembly position (in which the clip does not bear on the rail), installation of the assembly is made even easier.

The clip-retaining head part of the anchoring device preferably carries a side post insulator for electrically isolating the clip-retaining head part from a railway rail when the anchoring device is in use.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of using an anchoring device embodying the present invention, which carries such a side post insulator, wherein the said side post insulator is replaced by another side post insulator having an overall thickness, at a part which is to lie between a railway rail and the said clip retaining head part of the anchoring device, which differs from that of the first-mentioned side post is insulator, whereby lateral rail position adjustment may be achieved.

Accordingly, the side post insulator may be replaced by another side post insulator having an overall thickness, at a part which is to lie between a railway rail and the said clip-retaining head part of the anchoring device, which differs from that of the first-mentioned side post insulator. Thus, small lateral adjustments may be provided for by side post insulators of varying thickness, allowing the position of clip toe contact on the rail foot to vary.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of adjusting lateral rail position in a rail fastening assembly using an anchoring device embodying the present invention, wherein the clip-retaining head part of at least one of the anchoring devices in the rail fastening assembly is replaced by another clip-retaining head part having an overall thickness, at a portion lying between the rail foot and the anchoring stem part of the device, which differs from that of the first-mentioned clip-retaining head part.

Thus, in order to further facilitate lateral rail position adjustment, the said clip-retaining head part may be replaced by another clip-retaining head part having an overall thickness, at a portion which is to lie between the rail foot and the said anchoring stem part of the device, which differs from that of the first-mentioned clip-retaining head part. Accordingly, larger lateral adjustments may be provided for by additionally supplying alternative shoulder heads of differing geometry, such that the dimension between their serrated back face which bears on the serrated face of the stem and their front face against which the side post insulator bears varies. Three sizes of shoulder used in the correct combinations would allow is for lateral rail position adjustment in three steps without variation in clip toe contact point relative to the rail foot.

The said clip-retaining head part may be fastened to the said anchoring stem part, for example by means of a bolt.

Reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a railway rail fastening assembly incorporating an anchoring device embodying the present invention; Figures 2a to 2d show respective views of an anchoring device embodying the present invention, Figures 2a and 2b showing front perspective views respectively with and without.a rail fastening clip installed and Figures 2c and 2d showing rear perspective views respectively with and without a rail fastening clip installed; Figures 3a to 3c show respective front, side and plan views of part of the anchoring device of Figs. 2a to 2d; Figures 4a to 4c show respective front, side and plan views of another part of the anchoring device of Figs. 2a to 2d, and Figure 4d shows a plan view of a combination of the parts shown in Figs. 3a to 3c and Figs. 4a to 4c; Figures 5a and 5b show respective perspective and cross-sectional views of an alternative embodiment of the present invention, Figure 5b being a section through the centre line of the assembly in a vertical plane perpendicular to the axis of the rail; Figure 6 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention; Figures 7a to 7c show respective front, side and plan views of a further part of the anchoring device of Figs. 2a to 2d; is Figures 8a and 8b show respective plan and side views of the anchoring device of Figs. 2a to 2d; Figure 9 shows a cross-sectional view of the anchoring device of Fig. 2d taken through a vertical plane parallel to the rail axis; and Figures 10a to 10c are schematic diagrams showing how anchoring devices embodying the present invention may be used to achieve a change of track gauge.

In a rail fastening assembly embodying the present invention the rail, which sits on a resilient pad, is secured by a pair of fastenings, each of which consists of an M-shaped spring rail clip, a rigid anchoring stem part which is fixed into the base and a rigid adjustable shoulder or clip-retaining head part which retains the M-shaped spring rail clip. Each fastening of the assembly is provided with two electrical insulator parts (side post and toe) which separate the rail from the clip and anchoring device. The anchoring device has a locking part which retains the shoulder to the stem. After the locking part has been loosened or removed, the adjustable shoulder (clip-retaining head) can be moved vertically up and down in relation to the fixed (anchoring) stem part. The locking part is reapplied once the adjustable shoulder is in its correct vertical position. The adjustable shoulder part interlocks with the stem, and is held in place by the moment caused by the unbalanced forces applied to it by the spring clip when it is engaged. The locking part prevents rotation of the adjustable shoulder relative to the stem under the action of this moment.

In track, under the loads applied by traffic, the lateral load component applied to the adjustable shoulder is transmitted through it into the stem part, and also applies a moment which acts to resist rotation. Serrated faces are provided on the two interlocking faces to promote high friction. The is serrations are as small as possible to allow as small a variation in clamping force as possible with each step change in shoulder position. The size of vertical adjustment step is infinitely small, being governed by the thickness of shims placed under the pad.

Figure 1 shows a railway rail fastening assembly comprising a flange-footed railway rail 1, supported by a concrete rail foundation 2, and a pair of rail fasteners comprising respective spring rail clips 3 and anchoring devices (or shoulders) 4. Each anchoring device 4 carries a side post insulator 5 for electrically isolating the anchoring device from the adjacent rail. The rail 1 is cushioned by a rail pad 6 located between the foot of the rail and the underlying rail foundation 2. Each spring rail clip 3 carries a toe insulator 7 for electrically isolating the clip 3 from the rail.

The anchoring device 4 will now be explained in more detail with reference to Figures 2a and 2b, which show perspective views of the anchoring device 4 from the side ("front") which will be closest to the rail when the anchoring device is in use, respectively with and without the spring rail clip 3 installed therein, and Figures 2c and 2d, which show corresponding perspective views of the anchoring device 4 from the side P'rear") which will be furthest from the rail when the anchoring device 4 is in use. The anchoring device 4 comprises an anchoring stem part 40, a clip-retaining head part 41 on which the side post insulator 5 is located, and a tapered wedge 43.

Figure 3a, 3b and 3c show the anchoring stem part 40 in more detail. The anchoring stem part 40 has a top portion 400, which extends above the level of the concrete foundation 2 when in use, and a bottom portion 401, which extends into the concrete foundation 2 during use so as to secure the anchoring stem part 40 is thereto. The bottom portion 401 has a tapering portion 402 situated immediately below the top portion 400 and, below the tapering portion 402, a leg 403 ending in a portion 404 having a part 404a of increased diameter, to resist removal of the anchoring stem part 40 from the concrete foundation 2, and a free end portion 404b shaped so as to aid insertion into the concrete foundation 2 and resist extraction once the concrete has set. The top portion 400 comprises a pair of spaced-apart upstands 405 connected at their bottom edges by a base member 406, which adjoins the bottom portion 401, and at their top edges by a reinforcing (cross-bar) portion 407, which is provided to add strength to the top portion 400. The upstands 405 are set in from the ends of the base member 406. Defined between the front of the upstands 405 is an opening 408.

one face of the top portion 400 has serrated regions 409a and 409b, which extend respectively along surfaces 405a of the upstands 405 and over parts of the base member 406. There may be a further serrated region 409c (not shown), for example extending approximately midway between the serrated regions 409a and 409b, below the opening 408. The size of the opening 408 between the serrated regions 409a and 409b is smaller than the size of an opening 408a at the rear of the upstands 405 owing to the presence of a low wall 406a extending upwards from the base member 406 between the front of the upstands 405. The wall 406a has a wide notch 406b midway along it.

Referring to Figures 4a, 4b, 4c and 4d, the clip retaining head part 41 has two spaced-apart clip retaining walls 410, which extend parallel to one another and have on mutually-opposed faces respective rail clip engaging portions 411. The clip-retaining walls 410 are joined together by an elongate member 412 which extends between bottom corners of the walls 410.

At each such corner of the walls 410 there are formed respective slots 410a. The elongate member 412 is tapered in thickness such that it is thicker adjacent one clip-retaining wall 410 then the other.

Approximately midway along the inner face of the tapered elongate member 412 is a serrated region 412a.

The clip-retaining head part 40 also comprises a front portion 413 comprising a wall 414 which has a substantially smooth outer face. The wall 414 has portions 414a and 414b which serve to retain the side post insulator 5. Extending above the wall 414 are two spaced-apart walls 415a, 415b, which are joined together at their top ends by a reinforcing rib 417.

Formed on respective inner faces of the wall.414 and the walls 415a, 415b, are serrated regions 416a and 416b. A further serrated region 416c (not shown) may be provided, for example approximately midway between the serrated regions 416a and 416b. Between the walls 415a and 415b a shelf 418 extends from the top of the wall 414. The shelf 418 has a projection 418a midway along it projecting in the plane of the shelf 418.

Between the upper parts of the walls 415a, 415b, the reinforcing rib 417 and the shelf 418 there is defined an aperture 419.

As shown in Fig. 4d, the spacing between the clip engaging portions 411 is just sufficient to allow the clip-retaining head part 41 to be placed over the top portion 400 of the anchoring stem part 40. In such a configuration, the serrated regions 409a, 409b.(409c) can be placed in engagement with the serrated regions 416a, 416b (416c) respectively at any desired vertical position therealong. Thus, height adjustment of the assembly may be achieved by interlocking the anchoring stem part 40 and clip-retaining head part 41, using the serrated regions 409a, 409b, such that the clip is retaining head part 41 is at a desired height with respect to the concrete foundation 2, and placing shims under the rail pad 6.

Instead of (or possibly even in addition to) the serrated regions 409a, 409b, other means may be employed to retain the desired height setting of the two components 40 and 41. For example, in an alternative embodiment as shown in Figures Sa and 5b, the serrated regions 409a, 409b may be omitted.and a tapered wedge 50 provided. In use the tapered wedge 50 is driven into the gap between the underside of the reinforcing portion 407 of the anchoring stem part 40 and the top of the reinforcing rib 417 of the clip-retaining head part 41. The reinforcing rib 417 extends under the wedge 50 and reinforcing portion 407 in this embodiment so as to allow the wedge 50'to be locked in place.

As shown in Figures 7a to 7c, the parts 40 and 41 may be kept in contact by means of the tapered wedge 43 which, once the parts 40 and 41 are in the desired configuration, may be inserted into a gap between the rear of the anchoring stem part 40 and the elongate member 412 of the clip-retaining head part 41. The wedge 43 is formed, approximately midway along it, with a serrated region 431 having vertical serrations which engages with the similar, but shorter, serrated region 412a formed on the face of the elongate member 412 which opposes the anchoring stem part 40. As shown in Figures Ba and 8b, the wedge 43 is inserted into the slots 410a in the clip-retaining walls 410. Because of the tolerances on the dimensions of the two components 40 and 41, the gap between the two can vary, so that the position of the wedge 43 varies laterally to take up whatever gap exists an a particular assembly with given dimensions. In addition to the interlocking serrations, the wedge 43 is kept in place by the rail clip 3 when it is driven into the anchoring device 4.

Various patterns of serrations on the wedge 43 and elongate member 412 are possible. The wedge could be made from cast iron or plastic.

Instead of (or possibly even in addition to) the wedge 43, other means may be employed for preventing accidental disengagement of the two components.40 and 41. For example, as shown in Figure 6, which shows an alternative embodiment, an anchoring stem part 40A and a clip-retaining head part 41A are bolted together by a bolt 60, which passes through an oversize hole in the clip-retaining head part 41A thereby ensuring that lateral loads are transferred through it into the anchoring stem part 40A and not into the bolt 60. The bolt 60 serves two functions, preventing movement of the clip-retaining head part 41A relative to the anchoring stem part 40A in the vertical direction, replacing the serrations 409a, 409b, and also in the lateral direction, replacing the wedge 43.

The clip-retaining head part 41 shown in the Figures is intended to receive an M-shaped rail clip of the kind disclosed in European Patent No. 0619852.

Such a clip is installed in the anchoring device 4 by inserting the outer legs of the M-shaped clip into passageways 440 (shown in Figure 9) defined by lower surfaces of the clip-engaging portions 411 and the clip-retaining walls 410 of the clip-retaining head part 41 and the upstands 405 of the anchoring stem part 40. The lower surfaces of the parts 411 are shaped so as to deflect the outer legs of the M-shaped clip downwardly as the clip is driven into the device, the inner U-shaped rail-bearing portion of the clip, lead by the projection (ledge) 418a, passing through the opening 408a, the opening 408 and the aperture 419 until the clip comes to bear on the rail 1.

During transportation of the anchoring device 4 to the site at which it is to,be used and subsequent installation, the anchoring stem part 40 and clip retaining head part 41 can be locked together by the wedge 43.

As mentioned previously, large lateral rail adjustments may be provided for by additionally supplying alternative clip-retaining head parts 41 of differing geometry, such that the distance d (see Fig.

4d) between the serrated faces of walls 415a, 415b and the front face 414 varies from one to the next. This is illustrated in Figs. 10a to 10c which show respective arrangements in which each rail fastening assembly includes two anchoring devices 4, one having a clip-retaining head part 41 in which the distance d is of a standard size a and the other having a larger clip-retaining head part 411, in which the distance d is of a greater size a', where a' = a + x. Each clip retaining head part 41, 411, cooperates with an anchoring stem part 40 secured to the underlying rail foundation. To achieve a standard rail separation or gauge G, as shown in Fig. 10a, the larger clip retaining head parts 411 are placed on the "field" (outer) side of the rails 1. In Fig. lob the gauge has been increased to G + x by swopping over the clip retaining head parts 41, 411 of one of the rail fastening assemblies (on the left-hand side) such that the larger of the two clip-retaining head parts 411 is now on the "gauge" (inner) side of the left-hand rail 1. In Fig. loc the gauge has been increased further to G + 2x by additionally swopping over the clip-retaining head parts 41, 411 of the other (right-hand) rail fastening assembly such that the larger of those two clip-retaining head parts 411 is now on the "gauge" side of the right-hand rail 1.

Possibly more importantly lateral adjustment of the assembly could also be carried out, by the same is means, in order to allow for wider tolerances in the construction of the base slab, and/or to make adjustments following settlement or movements in the base slab, and/or to make adjustments following the exchange of one rail section for another of a different foot width.

Claims

1. An anchoring device for retaining a spring rail clip in a railway rail fastening assembly, the device comprising an anchoring stem part, fixed to a rail foundation when the device is in use, and a clip-retaining head part, engageable with the said anchoring stem part, for retaining the spring rail clip, the height of the rail clip relative to the rail foundation being determined by the position of the clip-retaining head part of the device relative to the anchoring stem part thereof, wherein adjustment of the position of the said clip-retaining head part relative to the said anchoring stem part is effected by translational movement of the clip-retaining head part.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising vertical movement inhibiting means for inhibiting relative vertical movement between the anchoring stem part and clip-retaining head part thereof when engaged.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the said vertical movement inhibiting means are provided on mutually-contacting surfaces of the anchoring stem and clip-retaining head parts.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the said vertical movement inhibiting means comprise interlocking elements.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the said interlocking elements comprise serrations.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the size of the serrations is chosen so as to ensure that, when the device is in use, the variation in clamping force of the spring rail clip on the rail is as small as possible with each step change in position of the said clip-retaining head part relative to the anchoring stem part.

7. A device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the said vertical movement inhibiting means comprise parts 18- having increased frictional resistance.

8. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising wedge means, located between respective mutually-opposed portions of the said anchoring stem part and the said clip-retaining head part when the device is in use, for urging the said anchoring stem and clip-retaining head parts together.

9. A device as claimed in claim 8, wherein at least one of the said mutually-opposed portions of the anchoring stem part and the said clip-retaining part is provided with first lateral movement inhibiting means for cooperating with second lateral movement inhibiting means provided on the said wedge means, thereby to inhibit lateral movement of the said wedge means is relative to the remainder of the device.

10. A device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the said first and second lateral movement inhibiting means comprise respective regions having interlocking elements.

11. A device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the said regions having interlocking elements comprise serrated regions having vertical serrations.

12. A device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the length of the serrated region provided on the said one mutually-opposed portion is shorter than that provided on the said wedge means.

13. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the said clip-retaining head part is shaped so as to retain a rail clip which is approximately M shaped in plan.

14. A device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the said clip-retaining head part thereof comprises a pair of spaced-apart clip-retaining walls for receiving and retaining the legs of such an M-shaped rail clip when the clip is in use, the said anchoring stem part being located between the said clip-retaining walls when the device is in use.

15. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising locking means for locking the anchoring stem part and the clip-retaining head part together during transportation and/or installation.

16. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the said clip-retaining head part may be replaced by another clip-retaining head part having an overall thickness, at a portion which is to lie between the rail foot and the said anchoring stem part of the device, which differs from that of the first-mentioned clip-retaining head part, thereby facilitating lateral rail position adjustment.

17. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the said clip-retaining head part is fastened to the said anchoring stem part.

18. A device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the said clip-retaining head part and anchoring stem part are bolted together.

19. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the said clip-retaining head part may be replaced by another clip-retaining head part which is configured so as to be suitable for retaining spring rail clips of a different kind to that which may be retained by the first-mentioned clip-retaining head part.

20. A combination comprising an anchoring device as claimed in any preceding claim and a side post insulator, carried by the clip-retaining head part of the anchoring device, for electrically isolating the clip-retaining head part from a railway rail when the anchoring device is in use.

21. A clip-retaining head part for use in an anchoring device as claimed in any one of claims I to 19.

22. An anchoring stem part for use in an anchoring device as.claimed in any one of claims 1 to 19.

23. A method of using a combination as claimed in claim 20, wherein the said side post insulator is replaced by another side post insulator having an overall thickness, at a part which is to lie between a S railway rail and the said clip-retaining head part of the anchoring device, which differs from that of the first-mentioned side post insulator, whereby lateral rail position adjustment may be achieved.

24. A method of adjusting lateral rail position in a rail fastening assembly using an anchoring device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the clip-retaining head part of at least one of the anchoring devices in the rail fastening assembly is replaced by another clip retaining head part having an overall thickness, at a is portion lying between the rail foot and the anchoring stem part of the device, which differs from that of the first-mentioned clip-retaining head part.

2S. A method of altering a rail fastening assembly using an anchoring device as claimed in claim 19, wherein the clip-retaining head part of at least one of the anchoring devices in the rail fastening assembly is replaced by another clip-retaining head part which is configured so as to be suitable for retaining a spring rail clip of a different kind to that of the first-mentioned clip-retaining head part.

26. An anchoring device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

27. A method of adjusting lateral rail position in a rail fastening assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 10a to 10c of the accompanying drawings.