GB2392193A

GB2392193A - Device for preventing unauthorised removal of railway rail fastening clip

Info

Publication number: GB2392193A
Application number: GB0219630A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Seeley
Original assignee: Pandrol Ltd
Current assignee: Pandrol Ltd
Priority date: 2002-08-22
Filing date: 2002-08-22
Publication date: 2004-02-25
Anticipated expiration: 2022-08-22
Also published as: GB0219630D0; GB2392193B; MY130483A

Abstract

The device (6) for use between a flange (10) of the rail (1) and a toe (5c) of the fastening clip (5) bearing on the rail flange (10) has a surface, on which the toe (5c) bears in use of the device, and which is manufactured so as to provide an abutment shaped and located so as to inhibit unauthorised withdrawal of the clip (5) from the rail (1). The device (6) allows clips (5) without any special formations to be used. Depending upon whether or not electrical insulation is required between the rail (1) and the rail fastening assembly (4, 5), the device (6) may be made either entirely of metal, or entirely of electrically-insulating material or materials, or may comprise a body (7) , made of electrically-insulating material, provided with a metal insert (8) constituting the surface <WC 1>with the<WC 1> abutment. Preferably, the surface is formed so as to have a recess for receiving the toe (5c) and<WC 1> having a wall (82) which forms the abutment. Alternatively, the abutment may be formed so as to stand proud of the said surface.

Description

1 23921 93

RAILWAY RAIL FASTENING ASSEMBLY

- The present invention relates to a railway rail 5 fastening assembly, having a railway rail fastening clip, in which means are provided for inhibiting unauthorized removal of the clip from the assembly, i.e. preventing withdrawal of the clip without use of a specially-configured clip extraction tool.

10 In some areas of the world rail clips are removed from railway track by unauthorized persons, for the purpose of vandalism or theft. In the past, with a view to preventing such unauthorized removal, some elastic rail clips which are to be used in such areas 15 have been provided with a step in the heel of the clip which comes into contact with a corresponding abutment on the shoulder, in which the clip is located, such that the clip can only be removed from the shoulder by means of a special tool. Clips of this type are shown 20 in GO 2085057B. However, such a step can be difficult to manufacture and, in some clip configurations, can involve putting a stress concentration in a place where it could damage the clip.

According to a first aspect of the present 25 invention there is provided a device for use between a flange of a railway rail and a toe of a railway rail fastening clip bearing on the rail flange, wherein a surface of the device on which the toe of the clip bears when the device is in its operative position is 30 manufactured so as to provide an abutment shaped and located so as to inhibit unauthorized withdrawal of the clip from the rail.

Such a device allows clips without any anti-vandal step on the heel, or other discontinuity, to be inhibited from being withdrawn except by use of a specially-configured clip extraction tool, so 5 permitting only authorized withdrawal.

Depending upon whether or not electrical insulation is required between the rail and the rail fastening assembly, the device may be made either entirely of metal, or entirely of electrically 10 insulating material or materials, or may comprise a body, made of electrically-insulating material, provided with a metal insert constituting the said surface on which the said abutment is provided.

Preferably, the said surface is formed so as to 15 have a recess for receiving the toe of the clip, the recess having a wall which forms the said abutment.

Alternatively, the said abutment may be formed so as to stand proud of the said surface.

According to a second aspect of the present 20 invention there is provided a railway rail fastening assembly comprising a rail clip shoulder, a railway rail fastening clip located in the rail clip shoulder when the assembly is in use, and a device as claimed in any preceding claim located in its operative position 25 on a flange of a railway rail, the toe of the clip bearing on the device when the assembly is in use at a location adjacent to the said abutment whereby unauthorized withdrawal of the clip from the rail is inhibited. 30 Preferably, the toe of the clip does not have a chamfered free end, so as to further resist removal.

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

Figures 1A, 1B and 1C show respective perspective views of a railway rail fastening assembly incorporating a device embodying the present invention; Figure 2A shows a plan view of the assembly of 5 Figs. 1A to 1C, Figure 2B shows a view (partially in cross-section) taken on line B-B in Figure 2A, and Figure 2C shows a side view of the assembly of Figures 1A to lC; Figure 3 shows a perspective view from above of 10 the device used in the assembly of Figures 1A to 1C; Figure 4 shows a perspective view from below of the device used in the assembly of Figures 1A to 1C; and Figure 5 shows a view of an alternative railway 15 rail fastening assembly for use with a different type of rail clip.

The railway rail fastening assembly of Figures 1A to 2C comprises a pair of rail clip anchoring shoulders! 4 secured to a railway sleeper 2 between which 20 shoulders 4 a railway rail 1 (only part of which is shown), resting on an elastic rail pad 3, is located.

In a passageway 4a in each shoulder 4 is located a centre leg 5a of a rail fastening clip 5 of the type shown in GB 1510224B. Each clip 5 has a heel portion 25 5b which rests on a ledge 4b on the shoulder 4 and a toe portion 5c which bears on a flange 10 of the rail 1. Between the toe portion 5c of the clip 5 and the flange 10 of the rail 1 there is provided a device 6 for inhibiting unauthorized removal of the clip 5 from 30 the assembly.

The device 6 is shown in more detail in Figures 3 and 4. It comprises an outer liner 7 made of electrically-insulating material, which may for example

be an injection-moulded nylon copolymer, and an internal cover plate 8 made of metal, for example a ductile iron casting. The outer liner 7 is approximately L-shaped, having a first portion 71 which 5 rests on the upper surface of the rail flange 10 and a downwardly-extending second portion 72 formed with a recess 73 which engages the shoulder 4 to prevent horizontal displacement of the device 6. The outer liner 7 is formed in its upper surface 70 with a well 10 74 in which the internal cover plate 8 is located. The well 74 is provided on two opposite sides thereof with a pair of lugs 75 and a pair of slots 76. The upper surface 80 of the internal cover plate 8 is shaped so as to provide a well 81 for receiving the toe portion 15 5c of the rail clip 5. The well 81 has a stepped abutment wall 82, a higher back wall 83, a front wall 84 and an end wall 86. The first portion 71 of the liner 7 has rounded edges 77 adjacent to the walls 82 and 86 of the cover plate 8. Extending from its front 20 wall 84 the cover plate 8 has ears shaped to match the recess 73 in the outer liner 7 and to provide respective lugs 85a which fit in the slots 76 and are overlain by the lugs 75 of the liner 7, and further lugs 85b which interlock with the lugs 75, to retain 25 the plate 8 in position.

In use the clip 5 is driven onto the rail flange 10 such that the toe portion 5c of the clip 5 rides up and over an edge 77 of the liner 7 into the well 81 of the cover plate 8. Any unauthorized attempt to remove 30 the clip 5 from the shoulder 4 is inhibited owing to the end of the clip toe 5c (in this case unchamfered) coming up against the adjacent wall 82 when withdrawal is attempted by simply pulling on the clip 5. In order /

to extract the clip 5 from the shoulder 4 the clip toe 5c must be lifted clear of the well 81 by a specially configured clip extraction tool (not shown) before clip extraction begins.

5 The abutment wall 82, the back wall 83 and the front wall 84 of the cover plate 8 serve as stiffening ribs, their height being determined by the need to ensure that the cover plate 8 does not bend as the clip load is applied. The height of the abutment itself is 10 determined by the need to prevent the clip being extracted without a special tool. In the present embodiment these two criteria have resulted in the abutment wall 82 being stepped, but this need not always be the case.

15 As mentioned previously the device 6 need not be exactly as shown and described with reference to Figures 1A to 4. One alternative is for the cover plate 8 to be made of a material other than metal, providing it is suitably hard-wearing and easy to 20 shape, for example another, hardwearing, electrically-

insulating material. Alternatively, the device 6 could be made in one piece, either entirely of a hard-wearing electrically-insulating material or, where there is no need to provide electrical insulation between the 25 assembly and the rail, entirely of metal. In a further alternative, the device 6 need not be provided with a well in its surface to provide the abutment, but instead the abutment could be formed so as to stand proud of the surface.

30 A different kind of rail fastening assembly, in which the rail clip is driven laterally rather than parallel to the rail, is shown in Figure 5. In Figure 5 a rail fastening clip 5' of the type shown in

US4313563 has a base portion 5a' located in a slot 4a' of a rail clip anchoring shoulder 4' and a toe portion 5c' bearing on a device 6' located on the flange 10 of a rail 1. The device 6' comprises an outer liner 7' of 5 electrically-insulating material having a first portion 71' resting on the rail flange 10 and a downwardly-

extending second portion 72' between the rail 1 and the shoulder 4'. In a well 74' in the upper surface of the outer liner 7' a cover plate 8' is located. The cover 10 plate 8' has a lug 85' located in a slot 76' formed in one side of the well 74' to retain the cover plate 8' on the outer liner 7'. The cover plate 8' has a well 81', in which the toe portion 5c' of the clip 5' sits, the well 81' having a front wall 82' against which the 15 end of the toe portion 5c' of the clip 5' abuts when an unauthorized attempt to extract the clip 5' is made, thereby inhibiting unauthorized removal of the clip 5'.

In order to remove the clip 5' a special tool (not shown) for lifting the toe of the clip 5' out of the 20 well 81' is required.

Claims

1. A device for use between a flange of a railway rail and a toe of a railway rail fastening clip bearing 5 on the rail flange, wherein a surface of the device on which the toe of the clip bears when the device is in its operative position is manufactured so as to provide an abutment shaped and located so as to inhibit unauthorized withdrawal of the clip from the rail.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 which is made entirely of metal.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 which is made 15 entirely of electrically-insulating material or materials.

4. A device as claimed in claim l comprising a body, made of electrically-insulating material, provided with 20 a metal insert constituting the said surface on which the said abutment is provided.

5. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the said surface is formed so as to have a 25 recess for receiving the toe of the clip, the recess having a wall which forms the said abutment.

6. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the said abutment is formed so as to stand 30 proud of the said surface.

7. A device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1A to 1C, 2A to 2C, 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.

8. A device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings. 5

9. A railway rail fastening assembly comprising a rail clip shoulder, a railway rail fastening clip located in the rail clip shoulder when the assembly is in use, and a device as claimed in any preceding claim located in its operative position on a flange of a

10 railway rail, the toe of the clip bearing on the device when the assembly is in use at a location adjacent to the said abutment whereby unauthorized withdrawal of the clip from the rail is inhibited.

15 10. An assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the toe of the clip does not have a chamfered free end.

11. A railway rail fastening assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1A to 20 1C and 2A to 2C, or Figure 5, of the accompanying drawings.