GB2542852A

GB2542852A - Railway rail clip installation tool

Info

Publication number: GB2542852A
Application number: GB1517439.4A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gulahmad Nissor
Original assignee: Pandrol Ltd
Current assignee: Pandrol Ltd
Priority date: 2015-10-02
Filing date: 2015-10-02
Publication date: 2017-04-05
Anticipated expiration: 2035-10-02
Also published as: CN106560550B; RU2701292C2; GB201517439D0; RU2015143025A3; GB2542852B; CN106560550A; RU2015143025A

Abstract

A railway rail clip installation tool 1 for driving a railway rail clip (15, figure 4) onto a railway rail 10. The tool comprises a reaction frame 20 configured to couple the tool to the rail, a manually-actuable lever 3 pivotably coupled to the reaction frame, and a clip engaging member 30 pivotably coupled to the lever. The clip engaging member drives the clip laterally with respect to the rail when the lever is operated. Additionally, the clip engaging member may lift a railway sleeper 14 underlying the rail to a desired height relative to the rail so as to facilitate driving of the rail clip onto the rail. The reaction frame may comprise a hooked portion 24 shaped so as to fit over and hook onto the head of a rail of a maximum size. The tool may further comprise one or more adapter hooks 25 rotatably coupled to the reaction frame. The adapter hooks may be selectively deployed and configured to adjust the fit of the hooked portion if the rail is less than the maximum size.

Description

RAILWAY RAIL CLIP INSTALLATION TOOL

The present disclosure relates to a railway rail clip installation tool.

Background EP0619852B discloses a railway rail fastening clip which is driven laterally onto a railway rail. The clip may be held within a rail clip anchoring device secured to a rail foundation, such as a railway sleeper or tie, in a pre-assembly position in which the clip is retained by the anchoring device but does not bear on the rail. One of the advantages of such clips is that the clips, pre-loaded into the anchoring devices, can be driven easily into engagement with the rail by automatic clip installation machines. Nonetheless, it is sometimes desirable or necessary to drive the clip onto the rail using a hand held tool, for example during maintenance or installation of short sections of track. Previously, a hand tool which reacts off the anchoring device itself has been used for this purpose. Occasionally, difficulties are experienced when driving clips using such a tool where one or more of the sleepers to which the anchoring devices are attached lies at a lower level than those around it. In these circumstances, the sleeper must be lifted to the correct height by someone using a lifting tool which engages the anchoring device on one side of the rail, whilst another person uses a conventional installation tool to drive the clip into the anchoring device on the other side of the rail. Although one would expect to have to do this on no more than 25% of the sleepers in the sleeper section undergoing installation, and a much lower percentage on track that is being maintained, it is nevertheless a time-consuming, and manpower-consuming, process. GB2433537 discloses a rail clip installation tool that comprises a hand activated lever for driving the clip laterally relative to the rail and a separate foot activated lever for raising the sleeper when required. The operator of the tool is required to assess whether the sleeper requires lifting and if so, depress the foot activated lever at the appropriate time.

The present disclosure seeks to provide an improved rail clip installation hand tool.

Statements of Invention

According to a first aspect of the present disclosure there is provided a railway rail clip installation tool for driving a railway rail clip onto a railway rail, the tool comprising: a reaction frame configured to couple the tool to the rail; a manually-actuable lever pivotably coupled to the reaction frame; and a clip engaging member pivotably coupled to the lever, wherein the clip engaging member is configured such that upon actuation of the lever the clip engaging member engages the clip and drives the clip laterally with respect to the rail and, if required, lifts a railway sleeper underlying the rail to a desired height relative to the rail so as to facilitate driving of the rail clip onto the rail.

The lever may be pivotably coupled to the reaction frame at a first pivot point. The clip engaging member may be pivotably coupled to the lever at a second pivot point.

The first pivot point may be located between a handle end of the lever and the second pivot point. The clip engaging member may move in a substantially horizontal direction when the lever is rotated about the first pivot point.

The lever may be angled relative to the vertical direction with the handle on the same lateral side of the first pivot as the rail, e.g. when the clip engaging member is first brought into contact with the clip. The second pivot point may be on the opposite lateral side of the first pivot, e.g. when the clip engaging member is first brought into contact with the clip.

The clip engaging member may comprise a clip engaging face. The clip engaging face may be concave.

The clip engaging member may comprise a lip provided at an end of the clip engaging member opposite the clip engaging face. The lip may be configured to contact the reaction frame so as to limit rotation of clip engaging member .

The sleeper may be held in a lifted position by the tool whilst the clip is driven onto the rail.

The actions of driving the clip and lifting the sleeper may be carried out by one person in a single action.

The clip engaging member may be operable to act on the sleeper by applying a force indirectly to a rail clip anchoring device secured to the sleeper. The clip engaging member may be operable to act upon the rail clip to be driven onto the rail when it may be located partially within the said anchoring device. The clip engaging member may be operable to act upon a heel portion or end of the said rail clip.

The reaction frame may comprise a hooked portion shaped so as to fit over and hook onto the head of a rail of a maximum size. The tool may further comprise one or more adapter hooks rotatably coupled to the reaction frame. The adapter hooks may be selectively deployed and configured to adjust the fit of the hooked portion if the rail is less than the maximum size.

The tool may further comprise a locking mechanism configured to selectively lock the adapter hooks to the reaction frame in a stowed position. The reaction frame may comprise one or more abutment surfaces configured to limit rotation of the adapter hooks.

According to a second aspect of the present disclosure there is provided a method of installing a railway rail clip onto a railway rail, the method comprising: providing an installation tool for driving the railway rail clip onto the railway rail, the tool comprising: a reaction frame configured to couple the tool to the rail; a manually-actuable lever pivotably coupled to the reaction frame; and a clip engaging member pivotably coupled to the lever; and manually actuating the lever such that the clip engaging member engages the clip and drives the clip laterally with respect to the rail and, if required, lifts a railway sleeper underlying the rail to a desired height relative to the rail so as to facilitate driving of the rail clip onto the rail.

Brief Description of the Drawings

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

Figure 1 shows a hand tool according to the present disclosure, Figure 1A showing a top perspective view and Figure IB showing a bottom perspective view;

Figure 2 shows further views of the hand tool according to the present disclosure, Figure 2A showing a side view and Figure 2B showing a bottom view;

Figures 3A to 3C illustrate a method of using the hand tool of Figures 1 and 2, Figures 3A, 3B and 3C showing a clip in extracted, parked and installed states respectively; and

Figure 4 shows the hand tool according to the present disclosure being applied to a clip installed into a different anchoring device from that depicted in Figure 3.

Detailed Description

With reference to Figures 1 and 2, a hand tool 1 according to the present disclosure comprises a reaction frame 2, a lever 3 having at one end a handle 4 and at the other end a clip engaging member 30. The lever 3 is rotatably coupled to the reaction frame 2 at a first pivot point 35. The clip engaging member 30 is rotatably coupled to the lever 3 at a second pivot point 45.

The reaction frame 2 comprises a reaction portion 20, which engages a rail head 11 of a rail, and a connection portion 28, by which the reaction portion 20 is connected to the lever 3 at the pivot 35. The reaction frame 2 comprises two spaced-apart reaction members 22a, 22b connected by a cross member 220. Each reaction member 22a, 22b has a cut-out portion 23 shaped so as to form a hooked portion 24 configured to fit over and hook onto the maximum size of rail head 11 with which the tool 1 is intended to be used.

Adjustment for use with heads 11 smaller than the maximum size is achieved by use of one or more adapter hooks 25. The adapter hooks 25 are rotatably coupled to the reaction portion 20 of the reaction frame 2 and may be selectively rotated into position. The adapter hooks 25 may reduce the size of the cut-out portion 23 when deployed. Accordingly, the adapter hooks 25 may be selectively deployed to adjust the fit of the hooked portion 24 if the rail is less than the maximum size. In the depicted arrangement, each reaction member 22a, 22b is provided with a single adapter hook 25, but it will be appreciated that further adapter hooks may be provided to increase the adaptability. (Figures 1A and IB show the adapter hook 25 on the reaction member 22a in a deployed position and the adapter hook 25 on the reaction member 22b in a stowed position.) A locking mechanism 251 locks the adapter hooks 25 to the reaction frame in a stowed position by virtue of a retractable pin 252 received in a recess 253 of the adapter hooks 25. Retracting the pin 252 allows the adapter hooks to be rotated into position. The reaction frame 2 comprises abutment surfaces 254 provided on the reaction members 22a, 22b to limit rotation of the adapter hooks 25.

The first pivot point 35 is located between the handle 4 of the lever 3 and the second pivot point 45. The second pivot point 45 is closer to the first pivot point 35 than the handle 4 to provide a mechanical advantage to the operator. In particular, the clip engaging member 30 is adjacent to the reaction frame 2. Interactions between the clip engaging member 30 and the reaction frame 2 may thus limit rotation of the clip engaging member 30. The clip engaging member 30 comprises a lip 33 provided at an end of the clip engaging member opposite the clip engaging face 32. The lip may be configured to contact the reaction frame so as to limit rotation of clip engaging member. As a result, the clip engaging member 30 may move in a substantially horizontal direction when the lever is rotated about the first pivot point 35.

The clip engaging member 30 comprises a clip engaging face 32 which is configured to engage a railway rail fastening clip 15, e.g. of the type described in EP0619852B and as shown in Figure 3. The clip engaging face 32 is concave-shaped so as to receive heel or end portions 150 of the railway rail fastening clip 15 and reduce the likelihood of the clip slipping relative to the clip engaging member 30.

The lever 3 may be arranged such that the lever is angled relative to the vertical direction with the handle 4 of the lever above a rail side of the first pivot 35, e.g. when the clip engaging member is first brought into contact with the clip. Such an initial angle may only occur in cases where the sleeper requires lifting (e.g. as depicted in Figure 4) or regardless of whether the sleeper requires lifting. The operator may therefore initially move the handle 4 in a direction with an upwards component. This upwards component may contribute to or provide the upwards force required to raise the sleeper.

Alternatively, the lever 3 may be initially substantially vertical or angled in the opposite direction (e.g. with the handle 4 of the lever above a side of the first pivot 35 facing away from the rail) regardless of whether the sleeper requires lifting or not. The upwards force required to lift the sleeper may in this case come from a reaction force between the hooked portion 24 and the rail head 11.

Upon actuation of the lever 3 the clip engaging member 30 engages the clip 15 and drives the clip laterally with respect to the rail 10. Furthermore, if required, the clip engaging member 30 lifts a railway sleeper 14 underlying the rail to a desired height relative to the rail so as to facilitate driving of the rail clip 15 onto the rail 10.

Use of the hand tool by an operator to lift a sleeper and install a rail clip of the kind disclosed in EP0619852B will now be described with reference to Figures 3A to 3C. The operator firstly drops the reaction portion 20 of the reaction frame 2 over the rail head 11 of the rail 10 such that the rail head 11 is engaged by the cut-out portions 23 of reaction members 22a, 22b. The operator then adjusts the fit of the reaction portion 20 on the rail head 11 using adapter hooks 25 if required. When the reaction portion 20 is in place on the rail head 11 the clip engaging face 32 of the clip engaging member 30 may be brought to bear on the heel portions 150 of the rail clip 15 (Figure 3A). Rotation of the handle 4 away from the rail head 11 causes a lateral force to be applied to the clip 15 such that the clip is driven partially into the anchoring device 16 (Figure 3B). Alternatively, the operation may start with the clip already partially driven into the anchoring device, e.g. since the clip may come pre-installed in the anchoring device in a parked position. If the sleeper 14 is at the correct height with respect to the rail 10, i.e. abutting the underside of the rail foot 12 or intermediate pad 13, the operator may rotate the handle 4 away from the rail head 11 so as to drive the clip 15 further into the anchoring device 16 and on to the rail foot 12 (Figure 3C).

However, if the sleeper 14 is not at the correct height, as depicted in Figure 4, the clip engaging member 30 applies an upwards force to the clip 15 and thus to the anchoring device 16 to which the sleeper is secured. The clip engaging member 30 has a concave surface 32 that engages with the heel 150 of the clip 15. That means that although the basic action is to push the clip 15 laterally, with no upward or downward force component, it is possible to apply an upward force, in particular to the heel of the clip 15 if that is required. A high level of force is required to drive the clip 15 laterally, but a lower level of force is required to raise the end of the sleeper 14 at which the tool is operating. Accordingly, when the operator pulls (or pushes) on the handle 4, if the sleeper 14 is low, then the path of least resistance is to raise the sleeper up, and the sleeper is raised as a consequence. The sleeper may be raised regardless of whether the clip is being driven from a fully out position (e.g. as depicted in Figure 3A) or a parked positon (e.g. as depicted in Figure 3B). When the sleeper 14 reaches the rail 10, the resistance to upward movement increases dramatically and the load is then transferred into driving the clip 15 laterally and onto the rail foot 12.

If the sleeper 14 is at the correct height in the first place, then less resistance is immediately encountered by moving the clip 15 laterally - this time with negligible upward load component required or generated. In either case, the handle 4 is then rotated further away from the rail head 11 so as to complete driving of the clip into the anchoring device 16 and onto the rail foot 12 (Figure 3C). Once the clip has been fully installed onto the rail foot 12, the tool 1 may then be removed from the rail 10.

The sleepers 14 depicted in Figures 3A, 3B and 3C may not be low since the clips on the left hand side of the rail are already fully installed. By contrast, the clip on the left hand side of the rail depicted in Figure 4 has not been installed and, as shown, the sleeper may be lower (e.g. dropped) from the rail.

The above-described tool 1 automatically lifts sleepers to the correct height (right up to the rail) in a single action and without the need for any additional intervention. The operator no longer has to carry out the additional step of operating a separate lever to raise the sleeper. Moreover, the operator does not have to assess the situation and decide whether sleeper lifting is required. The required action takes effect whether it is needed or not - thus de-skilling the clip installation process.

Furthermore, referring to Figure 4, the above-described tool 1 can be used on various different rail anchoring assemblies. For example, the anchoring device 16' depicted in Figure 4 may comprise one or more further features, such as height adjustment features 17', which may not be provided on the anchoring device depicted in Figure 3. The tool 1 is not dependent on the exact design of the anchoring device 16', because it does not interact with the anchoring device. A single tool can therefore be provided for a large range of rail anchoring assemblies.

Claims

1. A railway rail clip installation tool for driving a railway rail clip onto a railway rail, the tool comprising: a reaction frame configured to couple the tool to the rail; a manually-actuable lever pivotably coupled to the reaction frame; and a clip engaging member pivotably coupled to the lever, wherein the clip engaging member is configured such that upon actuation of the lever the clip engaging member engages the clip and drives the clip laterally with respect to the rail and, if required, lifts a railway sleeper underlying the rail to a desired height relative to the rail so as to facilitate driving of the rail clip onto the rail.

2. A tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lever is pivotably coupled to the reaction frame at a first pivot point and the clip engaging member is pivotably coupled to the lever at a second pivot point, wherein the first pivot point is located between a handle end of the lever and the second pivot point.

3. A tool as claimed in claim 2, wherein the clip engaging member moves in a substantially horizontal direction when the lever is rotated about the first pivot point.

4. A tool as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the lever is angled relative to the vertical direction with the handle on the same lateral side of the first pivot as the rail.

5. A tool as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the clip engaging member comprises a clip engaging face .

6. A tool as claimed in claim 5, wherein the clip engaging face is concave.

7. A tool as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein the clip engaging member comprises a lip provided at an end of the clip engaging member opposite the clip engaging face, wherein the lip is configured to contact the reaction frame so as to limit rotation of clip engaging member.

8. A tool as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the sleeper can be held in a lifted position by the tool whilst the clip is driven onto the rail.

9. A tool as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the actions of driving the clip and lifting the sleeper can be carried out by one person in a single action.

10. A tool as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the clip engaging member is operable to act on the sleeper by applying a force indirectly to a rail clip anchoring device secured to the sleeper.

11. A tool as claimed in claim 10, wherein the clip engaging member is operable to act upon the rail clip to be driven onto the rail when it is located partially within the said anchoring device.

12. A tool as claimed in claim 11, wherein the clip engaging member is operable to act upon a heel portion of the said rail clip.

13. A tool as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the reaction frame comprises a hooked portion shaped so as to fit over and hook onto the head of a rail of a maximum size and the tool further comprises one or more adapter hooks rotatably coupled to the reaction frame, the adapter hooks being selectively deployed and configured to adjust the fit of the hooked portion if the rail is less than the maximum size.

14. A tool as claimed in claim 13, wherein the tool further comprises a locking mechanism configured to selectively lock the adapter hooks to the reaction frame in a stowed position.

15. A tool as claimed in claim 13 or 14, wherein the reaction frame comprises one or more abutment surfaces configured to limit rotation of the adapter hooks.

16. A method of installing a railway rail clip onto a railway rail, the method comprising: providing an installation tool for driving the railway rail clip onto the railway rail, the tool comprising: a reaction frame configured to couple the tool to the rail; a manually-actuable lever pivotably coupled to the reaction frame; and a clip engaging member pivotably coupled to the lever; and manually actuating the lever such that the clip engaging member engages the clip and drives the clip laterally with respect to the rail and, if required, lifts a railway sleeper underlying the rail to a desired height relative to the rail so as to facilitate driving of the rail clip onto the rail.

17. A railway rail installation tool substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.

18. A method of installing a railway rail clip onto a railway rail substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.