GB2536692A

GB2536692A - Vertical and lateral adjustment in a railway rail fastening assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2536692A
Application number: GB1505194.9A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Phillip Porrill John
Original assignee: Pandrol Ltd
Current assignee: Pandrol Ltd
Priority date: 2015-03-26
Filing date: 2015-03-26
Publication date: 2016-09-28
Also published as: RU2696409C2; CN106012703A; RU2015156116A; CN106012703B; RU2015156116A3; GB201505194D0

Abstract

Adaptation means, for adapting a railway rail fastening assembly to a change in height of a rail clip bearing surface 1A of a railway rail 1 above a rail foundation 2 on which the rail sits. The adaption means comprises a clip support device 800 configured to extend around the outer periphery of a rail clip anchoring device 4B to provide clip support surfaces (800a, fig 4b) for supporting the clip and a front portion (802). At the front portion of the clip support device there is a front wall (8021, fig 4F) extending the height of the device and is provided with a replaceable side post insulator 500B having an electrically load bearing face. The adaption means further comprises a replaceable toe insulator 600B which is not carried by a railway rail fastening clip 300B and is separate from the clip support device. The replaceable toe insulator may be separate from the replaceable toe insulator.

Description

VERTICAL AND LATERAL ADJUSTMENT IN A RAILWAY RAIL FASTENING

ASSEMBLY

The present invention relates to a means and a method for achieving vertical adjustment, and optionally also lateral adjustment, in a railway rail fastening assembly.

Railway rail fastening assemblies typically comprise railway rail fastening clips, each having a clip toe which bears on a clip bearing surface of the rail foot, and rail clip anchoring devices which are secured to the underlying rail foundation and retain respective ones of the clips, the anchoring devices being arranged opposite one another on either side of the rail at intervals along it. It is sometimes necessary to alter the gauge of the rail track by moving the rail laterally. It is also sometimes necessary for the height of a railway rail above a rail foundation to be changed, by the addition or removal of shims beneath the rail foot (or underlying base plate). In some cases the need for future height or lateral adjustment is anticipated, in which case a railway rail fastening assembly which is designed for height and/or lateral adjustment is supplied at the outset. However, it sometimes necessary to adjust for a significant change in height or track gauge where it was not anticipated that any height and/or lateral adjustment would be required. In addition, in some circumstances where it is thought that any requirement for height/lateral adjustment will be extremely localised and will represent a tiny percentage of the overall requirement for fastening assemblies, usually a standard system, i.e. one not designed for height/lateral adjustment, is employed in all locations along the rail track, and in the limited number of locations where it is needed a height/lateral adjustment system is used to adapt the fastening assembly to the adjusted height and/or gauge.

Typically, rail fastening assemblies are either of a type in which the rail fastening clip is driven onto the rail foot in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rail, or a type in which the rail fastening clip is driven onto the rail foot laterally, i.e. in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the rail. An example of the latter type is shown in Figures 1A and 1B of the accompanying drawings and is disclosed in EP2176464A1, which discloses a laterally-drivable clip 36 which is substantially M-shaped in plan, and an anchoring device 4B and plastic clip support device 8 for retaining such a dip 36 on the foot 1A of a rail 1. The clip 36 has outer legs 31 and 37 joined to respective inner legs 33 and 35 by bent portions 32 and 36, the inner legs 33, 35 being connected by a bent portion 34 (concealed within an electrically-insulating toe insulator 6) which serves as the toe of the clip. The anchoring device 46 has a head 40 having a base 41 (not visible in Figs. 1A and 1B), configured to secure the anchoring device 46 to the underlying rail foundation 2. The base 41 does not have any support surfaces for supporting the clip 38, instead a plastic seal plate 11 is provided. Two spaced-apart walls 42 extend from the base 41 and define therebetween an opening for receiving the toe of the clip. The anchoring device 46 further comprises a load bearing surface 43 (not visible in Figs. 1A and 1B), arranged so as to be adjacent to the rail when the anchoring device 46 is in use, whereby load is transmitted from the foot of the rail 2 through the anchoring device 46 to the underlying rail foundation 2. The clip support device 8, which is separate from the anchoring device 46, is configured to extend around the outer periphery of the anchoring device 46 so as to provide, at a rear portion of the device, clip support surfaces 80, for supporting outer legs of the clip 36. A front portion of the device comprises a non-planar front wall extending substantially the entire height of the device, a lower planar part of the front wall providing a side post insulator 81 configured to provide an electrically-insulating load bearing face arranged to extend upwardly between the foot of the rail 1 and the load bearing surface 43 of the railway rail clip anchoring device 48.

When the height of the rail foot is adjusted adjacent to such a fastening assembly (for example by inserting shims between the rail foot and an underlying rail pad 9) such that the height of the rail foot above the rail foundation is increased, the lateral bearing area presented to the rail by such an anchoring device 48 and clip support device 8 is reduced, and parts of the side post insulator 81 of the clip support device 8 will therefore be subjected to excessive wear.

It is desirable to provide means for adapting such a rail fastening assembly in order to facilitate height adjustment, and desirably also, gauge adjustment of the rail which avoid excessive wear of the side post insulator.

According to an embodiment of a first aspect of the present invention there is provided adaptation means for use in adapting such a railway rail fastening assembly to a change in height of a rail clip bearing surface of a railway rail above a rail foundation on which the rail sits, which adaptation means comprise: a replacement clip support device for replacing the first clip support device, the replacement clip support device being configured to extend around the outer periphery of the anchoring device so as to provide, at a rear portion of the device, clip support surfaces for supporting the clip, and, at a front portion of the device, a planar front wall extending substantially the entire height of the device and configured to provide a replacement side post insulator having an electrically-insulating load bearing face which extends for the entire height of the front wall, the front wall extending to a height compatible with a maximum potential height of the rail clip bearing surface above the rail foundation; and a replacement toe insulator, which is not adapted for retention on the clip toe of a railway rail fastening clip and is separate from the replacement clip support device, the replacement toe insulator being configured to provide an electrically-insulating member, for location on the rail clip bearing surface of the rail foot, of a thickness suitable for the height of the rail clip bearing surface.

According to an embodiment of a second aspect of the present invention there is provided adaptation means for use in adapting such a railway rail fastening assembly to a change in height of a rail clip bearing surface of a railway rail above a rail foundation on which the rail sits, which adaptation means comprise: a replacement side post insulator, configured for use in such a railway rail fastening assembly in place of the standard side post insulator, which replacement side post insulator is configured to provide an electrically-insulating load bearing face arranged to extend upwardly adjacent to the foot of the rail to a height compatible with a maximum potential height of the rail clip bearing surface above the rail foundation; a replacement clip support device for replacing the first clip support device, the replacement clip support device being configured to extend around the outer periphery of the anchoring device so as to provide, at a rear portion of the device, clip support surfaces for supporting the clip, and side post insulator contact surfaces configured to receive the replacement side post insulator; and a replacement toe insulator, which is not adapted for retention on the clip toe of a railway rail fastening clip and is separate from the replacement side post insulator, the replacement toe insulator being configured to provide an electrically-insulating member, for location on the rail clip bearing surface of the rail foot, of a thickness suitable for the height of the rail clip bearing surface.

A replacement (taller) clip support device is provided to replace the standard clip support device, so as to provide a taller load bearing face, hence spreading the load from the rail more evenly.

Adaptation means embodying the present invention can be used in circumstances where vertical adjustment of the rail is required in an assembly in which an anchoring device and clip support device of standard height are already fitted. The standard assembly can be converted to a new configuration by swapping in a replacement (taller) clip support device together with a replacement toe insulator, only when and where height adjustment is needed. As described later, the provision of a replacement (taller) clip support device which is modified so that the side post insulator is separate to the clip support device also allows for lateral adjustments to be made.

According to an embodiment of a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of adapting such a railway rail fastening assembly to a change in height of a rail clip bearing surface of the rail above the rail foundation, wherein the method comprises modifying the assembly by: removing the standard toe insulator from the assembly and locating on the rail clip bearing surface of the rail a replacement toe insulator, the replacement toe insulator not being adapted for retention on the clip toe of a railway rail fastening clip and being configured to provide an electrically-insulating member of a thickness which is suitable for the height of the rail clip bearing surface; removing the standard clip support device from the assembly and replacing the standard clip support device with a replacement clip support device, which replacement side post insulator is configured to provide an electrically-insulating load bearing face arranged to extend upwardly adjacent to the foot of the rail to a height compatible with a maximum potential height of the rail clip bearing surface above the rail foundation, the replacement clip support device either being of a type in which the side post insulator is integrally formed or a type in which the side post insulator is separate, in which case the replacement clip support device has side post insulator contact surfaces configured to receive a replacement side post insulator.

In the adaptation means and method embodying the present invention the toe insulator carried by the rail fastening clip is removed and is replaced by a new toe insulator, serving as a height compensating insulator, which is not carried by the clip. One or more additional toe insulators may be provided, each configured to provide an electrically-insulating member of a thickness which differs from that of the replacement toe insulator and any other additional toe insulator. The thinnest toe insulator provided (for use at maximum height adjustment) should have an electrically-insulating member of substantially the same thickness as that of a standard toe insulator.

For height adjustments up to a certain amount it is possible to retain the existing (or employ a new) rail fastening clip of standard design. For example, it may be possible to use a standard clip (without an attached toe insulator) for rail height adjustments in the range from 6 to 8mm. As the rail is adjusted vertically the clip stays static whilst the thickness of the shim added under the rail is compensated for by using a toe insulator of appropriate thickness. However, for larger height adjustments, a non-standard rail fastening clip is proposed, that has a cold set, i.e. a clip with a different deflected position from the standard. Ideally the set of the clip is such as to allow the range of toe insulators which were used to achieve the first, lower, range of adjustment to be used again to achieve a second, higher, range of adjustment In particular, adaptation means embodying the present invention may further comprise a replacement laterally-drivable resilient railway rail fastening clip configured for replacing the first clip in the anchoring device and having a clip toe configured for bearing on a rail clip bearing surface having a height above the rail foundation equal to or less than the maximum potential height of the rail clip bearing surface; wherein the replacement toe insulator has an electrically-insulating member of a thickness which compensates for a difference in height between the toe of the replacement laterally-drivable railway rail fastening clip and the rail clip bearing surface.

Similarly, a method embodying the second aspect of the present invention preferably further comprises replacing the first laterally-drivable resilient railway rail fastening clip with a second laterally-drivable resilient railway rail fastening clip, the second clip being configured for replacing the first clip in the anchoring device and having a clip toe configured for bearing on a rail clip bearing surface having a height above the rail foundation equal to or less than the maximum potential height of the rail clip bearing surface.

Provision for lateral adjustment as well as vertical adjustment may be made by combining a range of height compensating toe insulators with a range of mating side post insulators of different widths. In particular, for use in adapting the railway rail fastening assembly to a change in rail track gauge, the adaptation means may further comprise one or more additional side post insulators each configured to provide an electrically-insulating load bearing face extending upwardly between the rail and the load bearing surface of the anchoring device to the same height as the replacement side post insulator, the or each additional side post insulator having a load bearing face which differs in thickness from that of the replacement side post insulator and any other additional side post insulator.

Reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1A and 1B (described above) show side and perspective views of a prior art railway rail fastening assembly; Figures 2A and 2B show respective side and perspective views of the railway fastening assembly of Figures 1A and 16 adapted for height and lateral adjustment using adaptation means embodying the first aspect of the present invention; Figures 3A to 3E show respective right side, front, top plan, top perspective and bottom perspective views of a replacement side post insulator of the adaptation means of Figures 2A and 2B; Figures 4A to 4E show respective left side, rear, top plan, bottom perspective and top perspective views of a replacement clip support device of the adaptation means of Figures 2A and 2B, and Figures 4F to 4J show respective left side, rear, top plan, bottom perspective and top perspective views of an alternative replacement clip support device; Figures 5A to 5E show respective right side, front, top plan, bottom perspective and top perspective views of a first kind of replacement toe insulator of the adaptation means of Figures 2A and 28; and Figures 6A to 6E show respective right side, front, top plan, bottom perspective and top perspective views of a second kind of replacement railway toe insulator of the adaptation means of Figures 2A and 28.

As shown in Figures 2A and 2B adaptation means embodying the first aspect of the present invention, for use in adapting a railway rail fastening assembly of the type shown in Figures 1A and 1B to a change in height of a rail clip bearing surface 1A of a railway rail 1 above a rail foundation 2 on which the rail sits and to a change in track gauge, comprise a replacement side post insulator 500B (as shown most clearly in Figure 2A, in this embodiment a narrower one 500B1 on the left-hand side and a broader one 500132 on the right-hand side), a replacement clip support device 800, a replacement toe insulator 6008 (600C), and, for all but very small height adjustments for which a standard rail fastening clip 38 is still suitable, a replacement rail fastening clip 3008. The height of the rail clip bearing surface 1A is changed by adding or removing shims 10 (not shown in Figure 2) between the foot of the rail and an underlying resilient rail pad 9 which sits on the rail foundation 2 (in this case a concrete sleeper, but alternatively a wooden sleeper, slab track or a baseplate).

In particular, a method of adapting a railway rail fastening assembly of the type shown in Figure 1 to a change in height of a rail clip bearing surface 1A of the rail above the rail foundation 2 (and to a change in track gauge) comprises modifying the assembly by: removing the standard toe insulator 6 from the assembly and locating on the rail clip bearing surface 1A of the rail 1 an appropriately-sized replacement toe insulator 60013(B1 to I3n) or 600C(C1 to Cn), and removing the standard clip support device 8 from the assembly and replacing the standard clip support device 8 with a replacement clip support device 800 and a replacement side post insulator 50013 (or 500B1, 500B2 if lateral adjustment is also required as shown in Fig. 2A). If the required height adjustment is beyond a certain predetermined range, the standard rail fastening clip 3B is also replaced with a replacement laterally-drivable resilient railway rail fastening clip 300B having a clip toe MOB configured for bearing on a rail clip bearing surface 1A having a height above the rail foundation 2 equal to or less than the maximum potential height of the rail clip bearing surface 1A. The clip 300B is otherwise substantially the same as the clip 36.

A replacement side post insulator 5008 for use in adaptation means embodying the present invention is shown in Figures 3A to 3E. The replacement side post insulator 5008 is configured to provide an electrically-insulating load bearing face 501B which extends upwardly adjacent to the foot of the rail 1 to a height compatible with a maximum potential height of the rail clip bearing surface 1A above the rail foundation 2.

An upper edge of the load bearing face 5018 of the replacement side post insulator 5006 provides a ledge 50118 configured to support the replacement toe insulator 600B/600C. The load bearing face 5018 is shaped to provide a recess 50128, adjoining the ledge 5011B, which is configured to receive a locating portion (6038 or 603C -see Figures 5 and 6) of the toe insulator 6006/600C. A rear face 5026 of the side post insulator, opposite to the load bearing face 5018 thereof, is shaped so as to have a locating portion 50218, 50228 which fits a recess on the replacement clip support device 800.

As shown in Figures 4A to 4E the replacement clip support device 800, which is made of plastics material, has a first (rear) portion 801, a second (front) portion 802, a third portion 803 and a fourth portion 804. The first portion 801 is configured to provide clip support surfaces 801a for supporting a railway rail fastening clip 3B (3008). The second portion 802 comprises a front wall configured to provide a first surface 8021 and an opposing second surface 8022, the first surface 8021 being shaped so as to provide side post insulator contact surfaces 8021a, 8021b for contacting a rear face 5028 of the replacement side post insulator 5006((31 to Bn). The first surface 8021 of the clip support device 800 includes a recess 8021c adapted to receive mating portions on the rear face 5026 of the side port insulator 500B((Bi to Be), and the second surface 8022 of the clip support device 800 is adapted for location on a load bearing face 43 of the anchoring device 48. The third portion 803 of the clip support device 800 comprises an aperture between the first and second portions 801, 802 which is configured to receive the anchoring device 4B. The fourth portion 804 of the clip support device 800 comprises a ramp for assistance in deflecting a clip 38 (300B) as it is driven onto the rail foot.

In order to effect a change in rail track gauge, a plurality of additional side post insulators 50013i, 50062, 500Be are provided (each almost identical in configuration to the side post insulator 500B and so not separately illustrated) which are configured to provide an electrically-insulating load bearing face extending upwardly between the rail foot and the load bearing surface 43 of the anchoring device 413 to the same height as the replacement side post insulator 5006, but each additional side post insulator 50081, 500E32, ..., 50013e has a load bearing face which differs in thickness from that of the replacement side post insulator 5008 and any other additional side post insulator 50081, 500132, ..., 50013e.

An alternative replacement clip support device 800' is shown in Figures 4F to 4J. Unlike the replacement clip support device 800, replacement clip support device 800' is not configured for use with a separate side post insulator for lateral adjustments, but is suitable for use with a replacement toe insulator 600B(Bi to Be) or 600C(C1 to C), and optionally replacement rail clip 3006, when height adjustment is required. The replacement clip support device 800', which is made of plastics material, has a first (rear) portion 801, a third portion 803 and a fourth portion 804 which are substantially the same as those of clip support device 800, but a different second (front) portion 802. The second portion 802' comprises a front wall which is configured to provide a planar first surface 8021', extending substantially the entire height and width of the device, and an opposing second surface 8022'. The first surface 8021' is configured to provide a replacement side post insulator having an electrically-insulating load bearing face which extends for the entire height and width of the first surface 8021', the first surface 8021' extending to a height compatible with a maximum potential height of the rail clip bearing surface above the rail foundation.

One or more additional toe insulators each configured to provide an electrically-insulating member, for location on the rail clip bearing surface of the rail foot, the or each additional toe insulator having an electrically-insulating member of a thickness which differs from that of the replacement toe insulator and any other additional toe insulator.

The present embodiment proposes the use of two different kinds of replacement toe insulator, a first kind 6008 which is shown in Figures 5A to 5E and is of a design suitable for adjustments in a higher height range and a second kind 600C which is shown in Figures 6A to 6E and is of a design suitable for adjustments in a lower height range. In practice, in order to allow for different height adjustments, one or more additional toe insulators 600B, 600B2, 600Bn of the first kind and/or one or more additional toe insulators 600C1, 600C2, 600Cn of the second kind are provided (each almost identical in configuration to the first or second kind of toe insulator 600B/600C and so not separately illustrated). Each additional toe insulator 600B1, 600132, ..., 600Bn (or 600C1, 600C2, 600Cn) is configured to provide an electrically-insulating member, for location on the rail clip bearing surface of the rail foot, which is of a thickness which differs from that of the replacement toe insulator 6008(600C) and any other additional toe insulator 600B, 600132, ..., 60013n (or 600C1, 600C2, 600Cn).

As shown in Figures 5A to 5E a toe insulator of the first kind 600B (600131, 600B2, 600Bn) comprises a first portion 6016 having an upper clip contact surface 6011B and a lower rail contact surface 60128, a second portion 6028 which extends from a central part of the first portion 601B and provides an upper clip guiding surface 6021B contiguous with the clip lower rail contact surface 60216 of the first portion 601B and a lower support surface 60228, and a third portion 6038 which is the same width as the second portion 6028 and extends from the lower support surface 602213 of the second portion approximately perpendicularly thereto so as to match the profile of the rail foot.

The upper clip guiding surface 60218 of the second portion 6028 is a ramp arranged so as to extend over the ledge 5011B of the side post insulator 500B so as be contiguous with the ramp 804 of the clip support device 800. The third portion 603B has an inner rail contact surface 6031B which meets the lower rail contact surface 6012B of the first portion 601B at an edge of the lower rail contact surface 60128 such that only a central part of the edge is connected to the third portion 6038, and an outer side post contact surface 6032B which locates in the recess 50126 in the load bearing face 5016 of the side post insulator 500B.

As shown in Figures 6A to 6E a toe insulator of the second kind 600C (600C,, 600C2, 15..., 600C,,) is very similar to the toe insulator 6006 except that it is missing the ramp portion 602B. In particular, toe insulator 600C (600C1, 600C2, 600C,,) comprises a first portion 601C having an upper clip contact surface 6011C and a lower rail contact surface 6012C, and a second portion 603C which extends from the lower rail contact surface 6012C of the first portion approximately perpendicularly thereto so as to match the profile of the rail foot. The second portion 603C has an inner rail contact surface 6031C, where the inner rail contact surface 6031C meets the lower rail contact surface 6012C at an edge of the lower rail contact surface 6012C such that only a central part of the edge is connected to the second portion 603C, and an outer side post contact surface 6032C which locates in the recess 50126 in the load bearing face 501B of the side post insulator 5008.

Claims

Claims 1. Adaptation means for use in adapting a railway rail fastening assembly to a change in height of a rail clip bearing surface (1A) of a railway rail above a rail foundation on which the rail sits, where the railway rail fastening assembly comprises: a first laterally-drivable resilient railway rail fastening clip (3B) having a clip toe (34) which is configured for bearing on the rail clip bearing surface and carries an electrically-insulating toe insulator; a railway rail clip anchoring device (4B) configured to retain the first laterally-drivable railway rail fastening clip adjacent to the rail, where the anchoring device (4B) has a head having a base, configured to secure the anchoring device to the underlying rail foundation when the anchoring device is in use, the base not having any support surfaces for supporting a railway rail fastening clip, two spaced-apart walls, extending from the base and defining therebetween an opening for receiving the toe of the clip which is to bear on the rail, and a load bearing surface, arranged so as to be adjacent to the rail when the anchoring device is in use, whereby load is transmitted from a foot of the rail through the anchoring device to the underlying rail foundation; and a first clip support device (8), separate from the anchoring device, configured to extend around the outer periphery of the anchoring device so as to provide, at a rear portion of the device, clip support surfaces for supporting the clip, and, at a front portion of the device, a non-planar front wall extending substantially the entire height of the device, a lower planar part of which front wall provides a first side post insulator (5) configured to provide an electrically-insulating load bearing face arranged to extend upwardly between the foot of the rail and the load bearing surface of the railway rail clip anchoring device; wherein the adaptation means comprise: a replacement clip support device (800') for replacing the first clip support device, the replacement clip support device being configured to extend around the outer periphery of the anchoring device so as to provide, at a rear portion of the device, clip support surfaces (800a) for supporting the clip, and, at a front portion of the device, a planar front wall extending substantially the entire height of the device and configured to provide a replacement side post insulator having an electrically-insulating load bearing face which extends for the entire height of the front wall, the front wall extending to a height compatible with a maximum potential height of the rail clip bearing surface above the rail foundation; and a replacement toe insulator (600B2, 600Bn; 600C1, 600C2, 600Cn), which is not adapted for retention on the clip toe of a railway rail fastening clip and is separate from the replacement clip support device, the replacement toe insulator being configured to provide an electrically-insulating member, for location on the rail clip bearing surface of the rail foot, of a thickness suitable for the height of the rail clip bearing surface.
2. Adaptation means for use in adapting a railway rail fastening assembly to a change in height of a rail clip bearing surface (IA) of a railway rail above a rail foundation on which the rail sits, where the railway rail fastening assembly comprises: a first laterally-drivable resilient railway rail fastening clip (313) having a clip toe (34) which is configured for bearing on the rail clip bearing surface and carries an electrically-insulating toe insulator; a railway rail clip anchoring device (46) configured to retain the first laterally-drivable railway rail fastening clip adjacent to the rail, where the anchoring device (46) has a head having a base, configured to secure the anchoring device to the underlying rail foundation when the anchoring device is in use, the base not having any support surfaces for supporting a railway rail fastening clip, two spaced-apart walls, extending from the base and defining therebetween an opening for receiving the toe of the clip which is to bear on the rail, and a load bearing surface, arranged so as to be adjacent to the rail when the anchoring device is in use, whereby load is transmitted from a foot of the rail through the anchoring device to the underlying rail foundation; and a first clip support device (8), separate from the anchoring device, configured to extend around the outer periphery of the anchoring device so as to provide, at a rear portion of the device, clip support surfaces for supporting the clip, and, at a front portion of the device, a non-planar front wall extending substantially the entire height of the device and, a lower planar part of which front wall provides a first side post insulator (5) configured to provide an electrically-insulating load bearing face arranged to extend upwardly between the foot of the rail and the load bearing surface of the railway rail clip anchoring device; wherein the adaptation means comprise: a replacement side post insulator (5006), configured for use in such a railway rail fastening assembly in place of the first side post insulator, which replacement side post insulator is configured to provide an electrically-insulating load bearing face arranged to extend upwardly adjacent to the foot of the rail to a height compatible with a maximum potential height of the rail clip bearing surface above the rail foundation; a replacement clip support device (800) for replacing the first clip support device, the replacement clip support device being configured to extend around the outer periphery of the anchoring device so as to provide, at a rear portion of the device, clip support surfaces (800a) for supporting the clip, and side post insulator contact surfaces (800b1, 800b2) configured to receive the replacement side post insulator (5006); and a replacement toe insulator (600132, 600Bn; 600C1, 600C2, 600Cn), which is not adapted for retention on the clip toe of a railway rail fastening clip and is separate from the replacement side post insulator, the replacement toe insulator being configured to provide an electrically-insulating member, for location on the rail clip bearing surface of the rail foot, of a thickness suitable for the height of the rail clip bearing surface.
3. Adaptation means as claimed in claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a replacement laterally-drivable resilient railway rail fastening clip (30013) configured for replacing the first clip in the anchoring device and having a clip toe (3406) configured for bearing on a rail clip bearing surface having a height above the rail foundation equal to or less than the maximum potential height of the rail clip bearing surface; wherein the replacement toe insulator (600B2, 600Bn; 600C1, 600C2, 600C,,) has an electrically-insulating member (601B; 601C) of a thickness which compensates for a difference in height between the toe of the replacement laterally-drivable railway rail fastening clip and the rail clip bearing surface.
4. Adaptation means as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, further comprising one or more additional toe insulators each configured to provide an electrically-insulating member, for location on the rail clip bearing surface of the rail foot, the or each additional toe insulator having an electrically-insulating member (6016; 601C) of a thickness which differs from that of the replacement toe insulator and any other additional toe insulator.
5. Adaptation means as claimed in claim 2, or as claimed in claim 3 or 4 when read as appended to claim 2" further configured to adapt the railway rail fastening assembly to a change in rail track gauge, the adaptation means further comprising one or more additional side post insulators (500B1, 50062, 50013n) each configured to provide an electrically-insulating load bearing face extending upwardly between the rail and the load bearing surface of the anchoring device to the same height as the replacement side post insulator, the or each additional side post insulator having load bearing face which differs in thickness from that of the replacement side post insulator and any other additional side post insulator.
6. Adaptation means as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein at least one additional toe insulator and /or the replacement toe insulator (600B) comprises a first portion (601B) having an upper clip contact surface (60118) and a lower rail contact surface (6012B), a second portion (602B) which extends from the first portion and provides an upper clip guiding surface (60218) contiguous with the clip contact surface of the first portion and a lower support surface (60228), and a third portion (603B) which extends from the lower support surface of the second portion substantially perpendicularly thereto.
7. Adaptation means as claimed in claim 6, wherein the third portion has an inner rail contact surface (6031B) which meets the lower rail contact surface of the first portion at an edge of the lower rail contact surface such that only a central part of the edge is connected to the third portion.
8. Adaptation means as claimed in any one of claims Ito 5, wherein at least one of the additional toe insulators and/or the replacement toe insulator comprises a first portion (601C) having an upper clip contact surface (6011C) and a lower rail contact surface (6012C), and a second portion (603C) which extends in a substantially perpendicular direction with respect to the lower rail contact surface of the first portion and has an inner rail contact surface (6031C), where the inner rail contact surface meets the lower rail contact surface at an edge of the lower rail contact surface such that only a central part of the edge is connected to the second portion.
9. Adaptation means as claimed in claim 2, or in any one of claims 3 to 8 when read as appended to claim 2, wherein the replacement clip support device (800) has a first portion (801), configured to provide clip support surfaces (801a) for supporting a railway rail fastening clip, a second portion (802), and an aperture (803) between the first and second portions configured to receive such an anchoring device, wherein the second portion of the clip support device is configured to provide a first surface (8021) and an opposing second surface (8022), the first surface being shaped so as to provide side post insulator contact surfaces (8021a, 8021b) for contacting a rear face of the replacement side post insulator or one of the additional side post insulators, the first surface of the clip support device including a recess (8021c) adapted to receive mating portions on the rear face of the side port insulator, and the second surface of the clip support device being adapted for location on a load bearing face of the anchoring device.
10. Adaptation means as claimed in claim 2, or in any one of claim 3 to 9 when read as appended to claim 2, wherein an upper edge of the load bearing face of each additional side post insulator (5008) andlor the replacement side post insulator (5008) provides a ledge (5011B) configured to support a toe insulator for electrically insulating the toe of the clip and the load bearing face is shaped to provide a recess (501213), adjoining the ledge, which is configured to receive a locating portion of the toe insulator.
11. Adaptation means as claimed in claim 10, when read as appended to claim 9, wherein a rear face (5028) of the side post insulator, opposite to the load bearing face thereof, is shaped so as to have a locating portion (50218, 50228) which fits the recess on the replacement clip support device.
12. A method of adapting a railway rail fastening assembly, configured to fasten a railway rail (1) to an underlying rail foundation (2), to a change in height of a rail clip bearing surface (1A) of the rail above the rail foundation, where the railway rail fastening assembly comprises: a laterally-drivable resilient railway rail fastening clip (3) having a clip toe (34) which is configured for bearing on rail clip bearing surfaces having a height above the rail foundation in a first predetermined height range and carries a first electrically-insulating toe insulator; a railway rail clip anchoring device (48) configured to retain the laterally-drivable railway rail fastening clip adjacent to the rail, where the anchoring device (48) has a head having a base, configured to secure the anchoring device to the underlying rail foundation when the anchoring device is in use, the base not having any support surfaces for supporting a railway rail fastening clip, two spaced-apart walls, extending from the base and defining therebetween an opening for receiving the toe of the clip which is to bear on the rail, and a load bearing surface, arranged so as to be adjacent to the rail when the anchoring device is in use, whereby load is transmitted from a foot of the rail through the anchoring device to the underlying rail foundation; and a first clip support device (8), separate from the anchoring device, configured to extend around the outer periphery of the anchoring device so as to provide clip support surfaces, for supporting the clip, a part of the first clip support device also providing a first side post insulator (5) configured to provide an electrically-insulating load bearing face arranged to extend upwardly between the foot of the rail and the load bearing surface of the railway rail clip anchoring device; wherein the method comprises modifying the assembly by: removing the first toe insulator (6) from the assembly and locating on the rail clip bearing surface of the rail a second toe insulator (6001311 600132, ..., 600Bn; 600C1, 600C2, 600Cn), the second toe insulator (60062, 600Bn; 600C1, 600C2, *...600Cn) not being adapted for retention on the clip toe of a railway rail fastening clip and being configured to provide an electrically-insulating member of a thickness which is suitable for the height of the rail clip bearing surface; removing the first clip support device (8) from the assembly and replacing the first clip support device with a second clip support device (800; 800'), with an integrally-formed or separate second side post insulator providing an electrically-insulating load bearing face arranged to extend upwardly adjacent to the foot of the rail to a height compatible with a maximum potential height of the rail clip bearing surface above the rail foundation, which second clip support device (800) is configured to extend around the outer periphery of the anchoring device so as to provide clip support surfaces (800a) for supporting the clip.
13. A method as claimed in claim 12, where the second side post insulator (50013) is separate from the second toe insulator and the clip support device (800) is configured to provide side post insulator contact surfaces (800b1, 800b2) for receiving the second side post insulator (5006).
14. A method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising: replacing the first laterally-drivable resilient railway rail fastening clip (3) with a second laterally-drivable resilient railway rail fastening clip (300B), the second clip being configured for replacing the first clip in the anchoring device and having a clip toe (340B) configured for bearing on a rail clip bearing surface having a height above the rail foundation equal to or less than the maximum potential height of the rail clip bearing surface.