GB867298A - Improvements relating to fastening devices for fastening railway rails to sleepers - Google Patents

Abstract

867,298. Fastening railway rails. BAYLISS, JONES & BAYLISS Ltd. Dec. 23, 1957 [Dec. 24, 1956], No. 39151/56. Class 104 (2). In a rail clip comprising a U-shaped portion which can be pressed downwardly on to a sleeper by a screw-threaded element and which includes torsion-bar limbs extending transversely to the rail length, the clip also includes inner crank-arm limbs extending oppositely to each other lengthwise of the rail foot in a downwardly-inclined manner from the inner end of the torsion-bar limbs and each is of a length greater than the cross-sectional width of the torsion-bar limbs to which it is connected so that upon tightening of the threaded element the torsion bar limbs are torsionally stressed and the crank-arm limbs become more and more flattened on to the rail foot until a sudden increase to further tightening is offered when the crank-arm limbs reach the flattened-down position. In the arrangement shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, spaced arched arms 18, 19 are connected at 20 at their outer ends and are provided at their inner ends with downwardly-inclined limbs 24, 25, the free ends of which bear on the rail flange 11. When a nut 31 is tightened the limbs 24, 25 are flattened on to the rail flange 11 so that when the limbs reach the fully flattened position they are in contact with the rail flange 11 over the whole of their lengths and offer a greatly increased resistance to the effort required to tightening the nut 31. About 75% of the pressure exerted by the limbs 24, 25 on the rail flange 11 is due to the torsional stress in the limbs 18, 19. In a modification, Fig. 5 (not shown), the limbs 24, 25 are arched so that when pressure is applied thereto they are pressed on to the rail flange until the arched points contact the rail flange 11 to offer an increase to the effort required to tighten the nut 31. The connecting portion 20 of the clip may be seated in a U- shaped groove in a metal plate 22 or any formation defining a channel such as upstanding ribs or projections to prevent angular displacement of the clip in a horizontal plane. Alternatively the free ends of the limbs 24, 25 may be bent towards the web of the rail 10. The clip may be tightened by other forms of fastening such as a cam, wedge or a " T " headed fastening element. Shock-absorbing and electrically-insulating pads 12 and 23 are placed beneath the rail 10 and the plates 22. The clip may be used in conjunction with a bed-plate in place of the plates 22 which bed-plate extends under the rail 10 and is formed with a seating to receive the pad 12.