GB2559577A

GB2559577A - Spring element for securing a railway rail to a railway chair

Info

Publication number: GB2559577A
Application number: GB1702125.4A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Lienhard Stefan; Meyer Frank
Original assignee: Schwihag AG
Current assignee: Schwihag AG
Priority date: 2017-02-08
Filing date: 2017-02-08
Publication date: 2018-08-15
Anticipated expiration: 2037-02-08
Also published as: GB2559577B; GB201702125D0

Abstract

A spring element 12 secures a railway rail 14 to a railway chair 16 by being wedged between a web 38 of the rail and an upstanding wall 18 of the chair. The spring element includes a spring piece 22 that may be compressed to provide a biasing force, and/or some sort of vibration dampening. The spring piece is placed against the web of the rail and a wedge piece 26 which is forced between the upstanding wall of the chair and the spring piece to wedge the spring piece against the web of the rail. Also provided is a method of securing the railway rail to the railway chair using the spring element; in this embodiment the railway chair comprises a jaw 20 opposed to the upstanding wall wherein the railway rail is positioned against the jaw. Also provided is a method of disassembly of the spring element from the railway chair; here the wedge piece is dislodged in an upward direction relative to the upstanding wall thereby releasing the wedge of the spring element.

Description

(54) Title of the Invention: Spring element for securing a railway rail to a railway chair Abstract Title: Spring element for securing a railway rail to a railway chair (57) A spring element 12 secures a railway rail 14 to a railway chair 16 by being wedged between a web 38 of the rail and an upstanding wall 18 of the chair. The spring element includes a spring piece 22 that may be compressed to provide a biasing force, and/or some sort of vibration dampening. The spring piece is placed against the web of the rail and a wedge piece 26 which is forced between the upstanding wall of the chair and the spring piece to wedge the spring piece against the web of the rail. Also provided is a method of securing the railway rail to the railway chair using the spring element; in this embodiment the railway chair comprises a jaw 20 opposed to the upstanding wall wherein the railway rail is positioned against the jaw. Also provided is a method of disassembly of the spring element from the railway chair; here the wedge piece is dislodged in an upward direction relative to the upstanding wall thereby releasing the wedge of the spring element.

At least one drawing originally filed was informal and the print reproduced here is taken from a later filed formal copy.

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SPRING ELEMENT FOR SECURING A RAILWAY RAIL TO A RAILWAY CHAIR

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to securing a railway rail to a railway chair, and more particularly relates to a spring element for securing a double-headed or bullheaded railway rail to a railway chair.

BACKGROUND

Many sections of railway track still use bull-headed or double-headed type rails, which are secured in position by chairs in which the rails sit and are held against lateral movement by securing devices commonly known as rail keys. Some railway keys are made of a bent sheet of metal that are wedged into place between the rail and the chair in a direction parallel to a length of the rail. It has been found that such railway keys have a tendency to move in the direction of the rail. Further, maintenance of such railway keys is not easy because of a lack of accessibility to the railway keys and the need to remove the railway keys in the direction of the rail.

A known type of securing device or rail key is described in GB-A-2102478 and comprises an elongate piece of sheet metal which has been bent to provide a central portion having first and second locking portions at its opposite extremities and first and second end portions which are joined together by the central portion and the locking portions. The clip is arranged so that when the bull-headed rail is standing in a standard bull-headed rail chair the clip can be driven in a direction substantially parallel to the length of the railway rail so that it moves into the space between the web of the rail and the facing surface of a wall upstanding from the base of the chair. When in position one of the locking portions engages around one edge of the upstanding wall of the chair and the other engages around the other edge of the upstanding wall of the chair, and the end portions of the clip engage one side of the web of the rail and urge the rail away from the facing surface of the chair. The locking portions of such a railway key make for further difficulties in maintenance operations as the railway key is designed to be removed in the direction parallel to the rail and such direction of movement is locked by the locking portions of the railway key.

Accordingly, it is desirable to provide apparatus and methods for securing a railway rail to a railway chair in a way that eases maintenance and securely fixes the railway rail to the railway chair. It is further desirable to provide such apparatus and methods that include a spring element for wedging the rail in place in the railway chair in a way that reduces a tendency for the spring element to shift in use and that allows ease of demounting of the spring element from the railway chair. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Apparatus and methods are provided for securing a railway rail to a railway chair.

In one embodiment, a spring element is provided for securing a railway rail to a railway chair. The spring element is configured for being wedged between a web of the railway rail and an upstanding wall of the railway chair. The spring element includes a spring piece for placement against the web of the railway rail and a wedge piece for being forced between the upstanding wall of the railway chair and the spring piece to wedge the spring piece against the web of the railway rail.

In another embodiment, a combination of the spring element and the railway chair is provided.

In yet another embodiment, an assembly of the spring element, the railway chair and the railway rail is provided.

In a yet further embodiment, a method is provided of securing a railway rail to a railway chair. The railway chair comprises a jaw opposed to an upstanding wall having received therebetween the railway rail positioned against the jaw. The method includes providing the spring element, positioning the spring piece against a web of the railway rail on a side facing away from the jaw, and driving the wedge piece between the spring piece and the upstanding wall of the railway chair to wedge the spring piece against the web of the railway rail.

Further, a method of disassembly of the spring element from a railway chair is provided.

By providing a spring element having a plurality separate pieces, it becomes easier to demount the spring element from the railway chair. Further, the spring piece and the wedge piece can be optimized for biasing and wedging functions to ensure a secure positioning of the spring piece relative to the railway chair and for securing the railway rail.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Exemplifying embodiments will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the following drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements and wherein:

Fig. 1 is an illustration an assembly including a railway chair, a railway rail and a spring element, in accordance with various embodiments;

Fig. 2 is an illustration of the assembly of Fig. 1 in an assembled state in cross-section, in accordance with various embodiments;

Fig. 3 is an illustration of the assembly of Fig. 1 in an assembled state in side view, in accordance with various embodiments;

Figs. 4A and 4B are illustrations of a wedge piece of the spring element in different views, in accordance with various embodiments; and

Figs. 5A and 5B are illustrations of a holding piece of the spring element in different views, in accordance with various embodiments.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following detailed description is merely exemplifying in nature and is not intended to limit the application and uses. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, summary or the following detailed description.

With reference to Fig. 1, an assembly 10 is illustrated of a spring element 12, a railway rail 14 and a railway chair 16. The spring element 12 is for securing the railway rail 14 to the railway chair 16. The spring element 12 is configured for being wedged between the railway rail 14 and an upstanding wall 18 of the railway chair 16. The spring element 12 biases the railway rail 14 against a jaw 20 of the railway chair 16.

The spring element 12 is made of a plurality of separable pieces including a spring piece 22, a holding piece 24 and a wedge piece 26. The spring piece 22 is made of a springy material for applying a biasing force when compressed as a result of being wedged against the railway rail 14. The spring piece can also serve as a vibration damper. The holding piece 24 includes a recess 58 for holding the spring piece 22 therein. The holding piece 24 is configured for engagement by the wedge piece 26 when the wedge piece 26 is driven into a space between the holding piece 24 and the upstanding wall 18 of the railway chair 16. The holding piece 24 forms an intermediary between the driven wedge piece 26 and the spring piece 22. The wedge piece 26 is configured to be received between the holding piece 24 and the upstanding wall 18 of the railway chair 16 and to receive a driving force from a tool (e.g. a hammer or mallet) to wedge the holding piece 24 and the spring piece 22 held therein against the railway rail 14.

The railway rail 14 is of a kind known as double-headed rail, in the illustrated embodiment. The assembly 10 of the present disclosure can be applied to other types of railway rail 14 including bull-headed railway rails. The railway rail 14 includes a foot 32, a head 34 and web 36 connecting the foot 32 and the head 34. The railway rail 14 is generally in the form of an I-beam and has a longitudinal direction extending parallel to a direction of travel of a train riding on the rail 14. The I-beam shape is generally symmetrical about a central vertical axis, but not about a central horizontal axis such that the foot 32 and the head 34 are of differing profiles.

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1, the railway chair 16 includes the jaw 20 and the upstanding wall 18 arranged in an opposed manner for receiving the railway rail 14 and the spring element 12 therebetween. The railway chair 16 includes a base plate 72 and is configured for being attached to railway sleepers or tiles. The jaw 20 includes a shoe portion 90 for receiving one side of the foot 32 of the railway rail extending beyond the web 36. The shoe portion 90 is defined by walls to receive, in a shape-conforming way, the one side of the foot 32 of the railway rail 14. The base plate 72 has through-holes 92 for receiving fastening members therethrough for securing the railway chair 16 to a railway sleeper.

The jaw 20 of the railway chair 16 includes an engagement surface 98 for contacting the web 36 of the railway rail 14 on a front side opposite to the rear side of the web 36 contacted by the spring piece 22. The railway chair 16 includes a base platform 96 raised from an upper surface of the base plate 72. The base platform 96 is configured for engaging an underside of the foot 32 of the railway rail 14.

In the illustrated embodiment, the spring piece 22 is formed as a pad or block having a front surface 28, which is a flat surface in the embodiment, for contacting the web 36 of the railway rail. Herein, “front” is used to refer to a direction facing the railway rail 14 or the jaw 20 when the assembly 10 is in the assembled state (see Figs. 2 and 3) and “rear” is used to refer to an opposed direction facing the upstanding wall 18 of the railway chair 16. The spring piece 22 has a notch 32 extending from the front surface 28 to a rear surface 30 (see Fig. 2) at an edge (e.g. a top edge) of the spring piece 22. The notch 32 is used for receiving a tongue 34 of the holding piece 24. It can be envisaged that the notch 32 could alternatively be located on the holding piece 24 and the tongue 34 located on the spring piece 22.

The spring piece 22 is made of a compressible material that is configured for being in a compressed state when wedged against the web of the railway rail. The spring piece is 22 is made of, or substantially of, an elastomeric material. In various embodiments, the spring piece 22 is made of, or substantially of, a polymer material. One exemplifying material would be rubber. The elastomeric material provides a biasing force between the upstanding wall 18 and the jaw 20 of the railway chair 16 to positively force the railway rail 14 onto the jaw 20 of the railway chair 16.

With continued reference to Fig. 1 and additional reference to Figs. 4A and 4B, the wedge piece 26 comprises a recess 38 defining lateral walls 40, 42 for receiving in the recess 38, between the lateral walls 40,42, the upstanding wall 18 of the railways chair

16. The recess 38 defines an upper wall 44 for engaging an upper edge of the upstanding wall 18 of the railway chair 16. Referring additionally to Figs. 1 and 3, when the assembly 10 is in the assembled state, the lateral walls 40, 42 of the wedge piece 26 extend over lateral surfaces of the upstanding wall 18 to laterally restrain a position of the wedge piece 26 relative to the railway chair 16. Further, an underside of the upper wall 44 is positioned against an upper side of the upstanding wall 18 of the railway chair

16. In this way, the wedge piece 26 receives the upstanding wall 18 of the railway chair 16 in the recess 38 between the lateral walls 40, 42 and the upper wall 44.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 4, in various embodiments the wedge piece 26 includes a rear face 52 and a front face 54. The rear face 52, which is included in the recess 38, is for engaging a front surface of the upstanding wall 18. The front face 54 is for engaging a rear face 56 of the holding piece 24. The wedge piece 26 includes ribs or grooves 48 in the rear face 52 for engaging grooves or ribs 50 of a front surface of the upstanding wall 18 of the railway chair 16. The ribs and grooves 48, 50 interlock to resist movement of the wedge piece 26 relative to the railway chair 16 in a vertical direction. The front face 54 of the wedge piece 26 is flat to match the similarly flat rear face 56 of the holding piece 24, which engage one another when the assembly 10 is in the assembled state.

The wedge piece 26 includes a projecting head 46 for extending over the upstanding wall 18 of the railway chair 16. The projecting head 46 forms an upper surface of the upper wall 44 and is centrally disposed therein. The projecting head 46 is configured for receiving an impact from a driving tool for driving the wedge piece 26 into position.

The wedge piece 26 is made of, or substantially of, metal.

Referring particularly to Figs. 5A and 5B, the holding piece comprises a recess 58 defining lateral walls 60, 62 and lower and upper walls 64, 66 defining a pocket for receiving the spring piece 22 therein. A perimeter of the recess 58 further includes the tongue 34 as described above for engaging a corresponding notch 32 in the spring piece to assist in aligning the spring piece 32 and the recess 58 of the holding piece 24. The spring piece 22 is sized to forwardly project, i.e. project in a direction of the railway rail 14, from a periphery of the recess 58 of the holding piece 24 to allow the spring piece 22 to contact, and be compressed against, the web 36 of the railway rail 14.

The holding piece 24 includes a front face including the recess 58 and an opposed rear face 56. The rear face 56 is flat in the illustrated embodiment. The holding piece 24 includes flanking wings 68, 70 projecting rearwardly from the rear face 56. The rear face 56 of the holding piece 24 matingly engages the front face 54 of the wedge piece 26. In the assembled state shown in Fig. 2, the front face 54 of the wedge piece 26 and the rear face 56 of the holding piece 24 are slightly inclined relative to the vertical (which is perpendicular to the base plate 72 of the railway chair 16), thereby providing for a wedging action. That is, the wedge piece 26 has a relatively thin lower end and a relatively fat upper end between which the flat front face 54 extends. Co-operatively, the holding piece 24 has a relatively thin upper end and a relatively fat lower end between which the flat rear face 56 extends. The flanking wings 68, 70 receive the wedge piece 26 therebetween to laterally constrain the wedge piece 26 relative to the holding piece

24. That is, the flanking wings 68, 70 overlap lateral walls 40, 42 of the wedge piece 26 in the assembled state of the assembly 10, particularly as shown in the side view of Fig.

3.

In embodiments as shown in Figs. 4A, 4B, 5A and 5B, the holding piece 24 includes at least one step member 74 to define a stop position for the wedge piece 26 relative to the holding piece 26 in a direction of driving of the wedge piece 26 (which is a vertical direction). The at least one step member 74 protrudes relative to the rear face 56 to be received in at least one corresponding cut-out 76 in a lower end of the wedge piece 54. In addition to providing a stop function, the co-operating step members 74 and cut-outs 76 serve to laterally align the wedge piece 26 and the holding piece 24 as do the flanking wings 68, 70 of the holding piece 24 extending on opposed lateral sides of the wedge piece 26.

Referring particularly to Figs. 2, 3, 5A and 5B the holding piece 24 is configured for positioning between the foot 32 and the head 34 of the railway rail 14, adjacent the web 36. The holding piece 24 includes a ramped bottom surface 80 for being positioned adjacent to, and conforming to, a sloped topside surface 82 of the foot 32 of the railway rail 14. The holding piece 24 includes a ramped top surface 78 for being positioned adjacent to, and conforming to, a sloped underside surface 84 of the head 34 of the railway rail 14. The topside surface 82 and the underside surface 84 of the railway rail 14 define a sloped transition from the foot 32 and the head 34 to the web 36 of the railway rail 14. By conforming the shape of the holding piece 24 to the profile of the railway rail 14, the holding piece 24 is able to nest between the foot 32 and the head 34 ofthe railway rail 14 and to position the spring piece 22 against the web 36 ofthe railway rail 14.

In the illustrated embodiments, at least one of the ramped top and bottom surfaces 78, 80 includes undulations for assisting frictional contact with the topside 82 and underside 84 surfaces of the railway rail and ensuring lateral stability. For example, spaced notches are defined in the top and bottom surfaces 78, 80 as shown in Fig. 5B.

In embodiments, particularly as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the assembly 10 further comprises a removable securing member 86 in the exemplifying form of a split pin having a finger loop. The removable securing member 86 is for being received through at least one opening 88 in the wedge piece 26 and beneath the holding piece 24. Since the holding piece 24 is prevented from moving upward by way of the head 34 engaging the upper surface 78 of the holding piece 24, the securing member 86 serves to prevent removal of the wedge piece 26 until the securing member 86 is removed from the at least one opening 88. That is, one prong of the split-pin shaped securing member 86 is received through the at least one opening 88 and another prong engages against an underside of the holding piece 24. The removable securing member 86 serves to lock the wedge piece 26 and the railway chair 16 together to prevent accidental dislodging or removal of the wedge piece 26. The removable securing member 86 is removable to allow the wedge piece 26 to be removed such as for maintenance of the railway rail 14, the railway chair 16 or the spring element 12.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 5, an example of a method of securing the railway rail 14 to the railway chair 16 will be described according to various embodiments of the present invention. The railway chair 16 is generally already secured to a railway sleeper or tile.

The railway rail 14 is positioned against the jaw 20 of the railway chair 16. In particular, one side of the foot 32 of the railway rail 14 is positioned in the corresponding shaped shoe portion 90 of the jaw 20, with the web 36 on a front side of the railway rail 14 engaging the engagement surface 98 of the jaw 20. The railway rail 14 is disposed with an underside of the foot 32 on the base platform 96.

The spring piece 22 is placed inside the recess 58 of the holding piece 24 with the tongue 34 received in the notch 32. The holding piece 24 and the spring piece 22 are, in an alternative embodiment, pre-assembled. The holding piece 24, with the spring piece 22 projecting forwardly therefrom, is positioned adjacent the web 36 of the railway rail 14 in a hollow formed between the head 34 and the foot 32 of the railway rail. The spring piece 22 is thus positioned against the web 36 of the railway rail 14 on the rear side of the railway rail 14. Upper and lower surfaces 78, 80 of the holding piece 24 mate with underside and topside surfaces 84, 82 of the foot and head 32, 34 of the railway rail 14 in a shape-matching manner.

The wedge piece 26 is driven between the holding piece 24 and the upstanding wall 18 of the railway chair 16 to wedge the holding piece 24 and the spring piece 22 against the rear side of the web 18 of the railway rail 14, thereby positively biasing the railway rail 14 against the jaw 20 of the railway chair 16. In particular, the wedge piece is driven in a vertical direction. An impact force is, in embodiments, applied through a tool such as a hammer or mallet onto the projecting head 46. Unlike prior art devices, the wedge piece 26 of the present disclosure is moved in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal extension of the rail 14 to wedge the holding piece 24 and the spring piece 22 in place against the railway rail 14. The wedge piece 26 has the flat forward surface 54, which is forwardly inclined with a top end being fatter than a bottom end. The holding piece has a mating flat rear surface 56, which is inclined in an opposite sense to that of the forward surface 54 of the wedge piece 26. The mating surfaces 54, 56 co-operate to provide a vertically down and forward wedging force to the holding piece 24 and thus to the spring piece 22. In this way, a positive wedging force is applied by the spring piece 22 to the railway rail 14. Further, the spring piece 22 will undergo elastic compression to maintain a biasing force tending to push the railway rail 14 against the jaw 20.

In driving the wedge piece 26 in a vertical direction, the wedge piece 26 is guided with lateral sides thereof moving along flanking wings 68, 70 of the holding piece. Further, guidance is provided by the lateral walls 40, 42 of the wedge piece 26 being guided in movement along lateral surfaces of the upstanding wall 18. In this way, the wedge piece 26 is constrained from lateral dislocation by the lateral walls 40, 42 and the upstanding wall 18. Further, the holding piece 24 is constrained from lateral dislocation by the flanking wings 68, 70 on opposed sides of the wedge piece 26.

The wedge piece 26 is moved downwardly until the upper wall 44 of the wedge piece 26 is positioned adjacent the top edge ofthe upstanding wall 18 ofthe railway chair 16 such that the upstanding wall 18 is received in the recess 38 of the wedge piece 26. Further, at such a location, the at least one step member 74 of the holding piece 24 is received in the at least one cut-out 76 of the wedge piece 54.

In order to vertically secure the wedge piece 26, the ribs or grooves 48 of the wedge piece 26 engage ribs or grooves 50 of the upstanding wall 18 of the railway chair 16. Further, the removable securing member 86 is threaded through at least one opening 88 in the wedge piece 26 and engages with an underside of the holding piece 24.

Embodiments of the present invention include disassembling the assembly 10 in the assembled state shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The wedge piece 26 is moved in an upward direction, thereby releasing the wedge on the holding piece 24 and the spring piece 22 so that the spring piece 22 and the holding piece can be easily removed. Access is straightforward to the wedge piece 26 as the head portion 46 sits atop the upstanding wall. In particular, the securing member 86 is removed and a lever tool, for example, is used between the upper wall 44 of the wedge piece 26 and a top edge of the upstanding wall 18 of the railway chair 16 to dislodge the wedge piece 26 in an upward direction.

While at least one embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the embodiment or embodiments are only examples and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing the embodiment or embodiments. It should be understood that various changes can be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the scope of the disclosure as set forth in the appended claims and the legal equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A spring element for securing a railway rail to a railway chair, the spring element configured for being wedged between a web of the railway rail and an upstanding wall of the railway chair, the spring element comprising:

a spring piece for placement against the web of the railway rail; and a wedge piece for being forced between the upstanding wall of the railway chair and the spring piece to wedge the spring piece against the web of the railway rail.

2. A spring element according to claim 1, wherein the spring piece is formed as a pad having a flat surface for contacting the web of the railway rail.

3. A spring element according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the spring piece is made of a compressible material that is configured for being in a compressed state when wedged against the web of the railway rail.

4. A spring element according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the spring piece is made of or substantially of an elastomeric material.

5. A spring element according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the spring piece is made of or substantially of a polymer material.

6. A spring element according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the wedge piece comprises ribs or grooves for engaging grooves or ribs of the upstanding wall of the railway chair.

7. A spring element according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the wedge piece comprises a recess defining lateral walls for receiving therein, between the lateral walls, the upstanding wall of the railways chair.

8.

A spring element according to claim 7, wherein the recess defines an upper wall

413 for engaging an upper edge of the upstanding wall.

9. A spring element according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a face of the wedge piece intended to face the railway rail is flat.

10. A spring element according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the wedge piece is made of, substantially of, metal.

11. A spring element according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the wedge piece comprises a projecting head for extending over the upstanding wall and receiving an impact from a tool for driving the wedge.

12. A spring element according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a holding piece for holding the spring piece and being positioned between the spring piece and the wedge piece.

13. A spring element according to claim 12, wherein the holding piece comprises a recess defining lateral walls for receiving the spring piece in the walls between the lateral walls.

14. A spring element according to claim 13, wherein the recess defines at least one of upper and lower walls.

15. A spring element according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the holding piece comprises a flat surface facing the upstanding wall.

16. A spring element according to claim 15, wherein the flat surface of the holding piece is configured for engaging a corresponding flat surface of the wedge piece.

17. A spring element according to any one of claims 12 to 16, wherein the holding piece is configured for positioning between a foot and a head or opposed heads of the railway rail.

y

18. A spring element of any one of claims 12 to 17, wherein the holding piece includes ramped top and bottom surfaces for being positioned against, and conforming to, a foot and a head or opposed heads of the railway rail.

19. A spring element according to claim 18, wherein at least one of the ramped top and bottom surfaces include notches.

20. A spring element of any one of claims 12 to 18, wherein the holding piece comprises flanking wings for receiving therebetween the upstanding wall of the railway chair.

21. A spring element according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the wedge piece comprises a relatively thin lower end and a relatively fat upper end to define a wedge form.

22. A spring element according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a removable securing member for locking the wedge piece and the railway chair together and allowing the wedge piece to be removed when the securing member is removed.

23. A spring element according to claim 22, wherein the removable securing member is a securing pin receivable in at least one opening of the wedge piece. .

24. A combination of a railway chair and a spring element according to any one of the preceding claims.

25. The combination according to claim 24, wherein the railway chair comprises a jaw and the upstanding wall for receiving the railway rail and the spring element therebetween.

26. The combination according to claim 24 or claim 25, wherein the railway chair comprises a base plate having through-holes for receiving fastening members

V

I·· therethrough for securing the railway chair to a railway sleeper.

27. An assembly comprising a combination according to any one of the preceding claims 24 to 26 and a railway rail.

28. An assembly according to claim 27, wherein the railway rail is a double-headed railway rail or a bull-headed railway rail.

29. A method of securing a railway rail to a railway chair, wherein the railway chair comprises a jaw opposed to an upstanding wall and the railway rail is positioned against the jaw of the railway chair, the method comprising:

providing the spring element according to any one of claims 1 to 23; positioning the spring piece against a web of the railway rail on a side facing away from the jaw; and driving the wedge piece between the spring piece and the upstanding wall of the railway chair to wedge the spring piece against the web of the railway rail.

30. A method according to claim 29, wherein the providing step comprises providing the spring element according to claim 13 or claim 14 and positioning the spring piece in the recess of the holding piece, wherein the driving step comprises driving the wedge piece between the upstanding wall of the railway chair and the holding piece.

31. A method of disassembly of a spring element according to any one of claims 1 to 23 from a railway chair, wherein the spring element secures a railway rail to the railway chair by being wedged between a web of the railway rail and an upstanding wall of the railway chair and wherein the spring piece of the spring element is disposed within a recess of the holding piece and against the web of the railway rail and the wedge piece is forced between the upstanding wall of the railway chair and the holding piece so as to wedge the spring piece against the web of the railway rail, the method of disassembly comprising:

dislodging the wedge piece in an upward direction relative to the upstanding wall and the spring piece thereby releasing wedging of the spring piece against the railway rail.

······ • · • ·· • · · ···· ···· • · · ·· · ·· · • · ··

Intellectual

Property

Office

Application No: GB1702125.4 Examiner: Mr Benjamin PottsJohnson

31. A method according to claim 29 or claim 30, wherein the driving of the wedge piece occurs in a vertical direction or perpendicular to a length of the rail.

32. A method of disassembly of a spring element according to any one of claims 1 to 23 from a railway chair, wherein the spring element secures a railway rail to the railway chair by being wedged between a web of the railway rail and an upstanding wall of the railway chair and wherein the spring piece of the spring element is disposed against the web of the railway rail and the wedge piece is forced between the upstanding wall of the railway chair and the spring piece so as to wedge the spring piece against the web of the railway rail, the method of disassembly comprising:

Amendments to the Claims have been filed as follows:

a spring piece for placement against the web of the railway rail; a wedge piece for being forced between the upstanding wall of the railway chair and the spring piece to wedge the spring piece against the web of the railway rail; and a holding piece for holding the spring piece and being positioned between the spring piece and the wedge piece.

4. A spring element according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the spring piece is made of, or substantially of, an elastomeric material.

5. A spring element according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the spring piece is made of, or substantially of, a polymer material.

8. A spring element according to claim 7, wherein the recess defines an upper wall for engaging an upper edge of the upstanding wall.

10. A spring element according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the wedge piece is made of, or substantially of, metal.

• ·· • · · * · · . 12. A spring element according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the ‘ holding piece comprises a recess defining lateral walls for receiving the spring piece in ; . · ·. the walls between the lateral walls.

····

13. The spring element of claim 12, wherein the spring piece is sized to project, in a direction toward the railway rail, from a periphery of the recess of the holding piece to allow the spring piece to contact, and be compressed against, the web of the railway rail.

14. A spring element according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the recess defines at least one of upper and lower walls.

15. A spring element according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the holding piece comprises a flat surface facing the upstanding wall.

···

17. A spring element according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the holding piece is configured for positioning between a foot and a head or opposed heads of the railway rail.

18. A spring element of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the holding piece includes ramped top and bottom surfaces for being positioned against, and conforming to, a foot and a head or opposed heads of the railway rail.

20. A spring element of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the holding piece comprises flanking wings for receiving the wedge piece therebetween to laterally constrain the wedge piece relative to the holding piece..

• ·· • · · • ·· . 21. A spring element according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the * wedge piece comprises a relatively thin lower end and a relatively fat upper end to ; define a wedge form.

23. A spring element according to claim 22, wherein the removable securing member is a securing pin receivable in at least one opening of the wedge piece.

···

26. The combination according to claim 24 or claim 25, wherein the railway chair comprises a base plate having through-holes for receiving fastening members therethrough for securing the railway chair to a railway sleeper.

27. An assembly comprising a combination according to any one of claims 24 to 26 and a railway rail.

.·,··' providing the spring element according to any one of claims 1 to 23;

• · · . positioning the spring piece in a recess of the holding piece;

······ * positioning the spring piece against a web of the railway rail on a side facing

Σ .··. away from the jaw;

·· · ·

... driving the wedge piece between the holding piece and the upstanding wall of the railway chair to wedge the spring piece against the web of the railway rail.

···· • · · ·· · .··. ; 30. A method according to claim 29, wherein the driving of the wedge piece occurs in a vertical direction or perpendicular to a length of the rail.