US3206123A

US3206123A - Rail clip

Info

Publication number: US3206123A
Application number: US191490A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert S Baker
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-05-01
Filing date: 1962-05-01
Publication date: 1965-09-14
Anticipated expiration: 1982-09-14
Also published as: GB1005683A

Description

Sept. 14, 1965 R. s. BAKER 3,206,123

RAIL CLIP Filed May l, 1962 INVENTOR United States Patent 3,206,123 RAIL CLIP Robert S. Baker, Tampa, Fla., assignor to Julian L. Cone, Jr., Charles W. Con, and Douglas P. Cone, all of Tampa, Fla. v V Y Filed May 1, 1962, Ser. No. '191,490 2 Claims. (Cl. 23S-349) This invention relates to improved clips for fastening railroad rails to crossties, and particularly to clips specially adapted to hold rails to concrete crossties.

It has been traditional practice to secure rails to wooden ties by means of spikes'. With the advent of the concrete crosstie it became necessary to provide other securing means. Bolts were tried, but these fastened the rails too rigidly to the ties. Some form of spring clips have been proposed, but these either required the use of heavy rail anchor plates, or in some way did not adequately perform the task of holding the rails to the ties.

The general object of the present invention is to provide an improved clip which will hold the rail to the tie with just the proper pressure, and completely eliminate the need for rail anchor plates.

A more specific object is the provision of such a clip which is fastened to the tie intermediate its ends so that its bearing upon both the tie and rail is through spring pressure.

Another object is to provide a clip which will hold the rail against lateral shifting.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a rail anchor clip which can be secured in place with but one bolt, but will be held against turning movement relative to the rail.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description of one practical embodiment thereof, When taken in conjunction with the drawings which accompany, and form part of, this specification.

In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a top plan view of a portion of a rail and its supporting tie, the rail being secured to the tie by means of anchor clips embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a section taken on the line 2 2 of FIG- URE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the improved anchor clip.

In general, the invention contemplates the use of anchor clips for securing rails to concrete crossties, which clips are formed of spring steel shaped to have rocking bearing contact on both the tie and rail ange and be anchored intermediate the ends. Means are provided on the clips for abutment with the rail liange to yieldingly hold the rail against lateral movement and prevent rotational movement of the clip.

Referring to the drawings in detail, there is shown a tie 1 upon which a rail 2 is supported. The crosstie can be of conventional pre-stressed concrete construction, but will be provided with a rail seat 3 adjacent each end. Transversely extending grooves 4 will be formed at each end of the rail seat, and threaded sleeve anchors 5 are embedded in the tie having their tops opening into the rail seat adjacent the grooves 4. The rail is of usual form, having base anges 6, web 7 and head 8.

In the mounting illustrated, the rail seats upon a pad 9 of polyethylene, or similar plastic material. This will provide some resilience between the tie and rail to absorb shock.

Two clips are shown, a gage clip 10 on the gage, or inner, side of the rail, and a field clip 11 on the ield,

ICC

or outer, s'ide of the rail. The two clips are identical except for length. The gage clip is somewhat shorter than the field clip to provide stiier connection on the inside to maintain the rail spacing or gage. Although the two clips have been given dilerent reference characters,- the similar parts of the two will be referred to by the same numerals.

The clip is formed from a piece of steel plate which is approximately cruciform.- At the center, there is a bolt hole 12. The forward arm 13 of the plate is reversely curved to provide a rail-bearing lip 14 having a convex underside 15 for bearing contact with the rail flange. The convex curvature of the lip allows for rocking contact upon the rail tiange as the clip is flexed. The rear arm 16 of the plate is rolled downwardly to form an anchoring foot 17 to rest within the groove 4. Here again, the contacting surface of the clip is a convex one and flexing of the clip will cause rocking movement of the foot within its seat. The two side arms are bent downwardly to provide spaced rail stops 19. The forward edges 20 of the rail stops 19 are for actual engagement with the rail, to position the rail and to hold it in position, as will be described.

The central portion of the plate, that is the top area 18, may be provided with stitfening ribs 21 to reinforce the plate in the direction of thrust. The ribs will extend lengthwise between the forward and rear arms to strengthen the clip in the direction of lateral thrust of the rail.

When a rail is to be laid, the crossties will be positioned, and rail pads 9 placed on the rail seats. The rail is then put upon the ties resting on the pads 9. The clips will next be placed in position with their curved feet 17 resting in the grooves 4 and their lips 14 bearing upon the tops of the rail flanges. Bolts 22 are inserted through the clip openings 12 and threaded into the anchor sleeves 5. The bolts will be turned down sufficiently to bring the required pressure upon the clips to cause the desired spring pressure to be exerted upon the rail iianges. It will be noted that the pad 9 is notched along its edges at the bolt positions, to provide arcuate recesses 23 to surround the bolts and hold the pad against shifting on the rail seat of the tie.

When the clips are in position, the lips 14 and feet 17 are in tirm contact with the rail flange and crosstie, respectively. Downward pressure at the center of the clip imposed by the bolt will cause the lip and foot to roll, or rock, slightly on the rail iiange and in the groove 4, but bearing contact is retained. The two convex surfaces will maintain constant pressure bearing on the respective members. The same is true if the rail moves vertically under load. Thus, the rail is held by a constant, but yielding, bearing pressure.

When the clip is in place, the leading edges 20 of the downturned rail stop will be in engagement with the side edges of the rail anges to hold the rail against lateral shifting. Here, again, the holding pressure is a yielding one, for endwise pressure on the clip is opposed by the foot 17 in the rail seat groove 4 in the tie. The clip is quite stiii` in opposition to lateral movement of the tic, however, so that but minute movement may take place in this direction.

By providing the clip with two spaced rail stops, the clip is automatically held in proper position at right angles to the rail. This permits the clip to be anchored by a single holt, yet be held against rotation around the bolt.

While in the above one practical embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it will be understood that the details of construction shown are merely by way of illustration, and the invention may take other forms Within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A clip for fastening a rail to a concrete crosstre having a rail seat thereon with arcuate recesses extending transversely of the crosstie at the'edges of the rail seat comprising, a spring steel plate member having a central generally at body portion, a rear arm projecting from the body portion and being curved downwardly and forwardly to provide a convex foot to seat in one of the arcuate recesses at the edge of the rail seat in the crosstie to anchor the clip against movement longitudinally of the crosstie, a forward arm terminating in a bearing lip with a convex bearing surface for contact with a flange of a rail on the rail seat, the body portion of the plate having a hole therein to receive a bolt to exert pressure upon the body of the plate to hold the convex foot seated in a recess in the crosstie and the bearing lip in Contact with the rail ange to hold the rail upon the crosstie seat, and side arms projecting laterally from either side of the body of the plate and terminating in downward extensions,

each downward extension having a leading edge for con- 20 tact with the rail flange side edge whereby side thrust of the rail toward the clip will be transmitted from the side arms through the plate to the convex foot seated in the recess in the crosstie rail `seat and the Vrail will be References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,634,341 7/27 Romne 104242 1,975,377 10/34 Sharp 238-338 2,218,156 10/40 Scholes 23S-349 2,324,134 7/43 Chidester 23S-349 2,378,590 6/45 Snyder 23S-349 2,486,388 8/49 Sonneville 23S-349 FOREIGN PATENTS 10/ 61 Great Britain 12/ 32 Switzerland.

Claims

1. A CLIP FOR FASTENING A RAIL TO A CONCRETE CROSSTIE HAVING A RAIL SEAT THEREON WITH ARCUATE RECESSES EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF THE CROSSTIE AT THE EDGES OF THE RAIL SEAT COMPRISING, A SPRING STEEL PLATE MEMBER HAVING A CENTRAL GENERALLY FLAT BODY PORTION, A REAR ARM PROJECTING FROM THE BODY PORTION AND BEING CURVED DOWNWARDLY AND FORWAR<DLY TO PROVIDE A CONVEX FOOT TO SEAT IN ONE OF THE ARCUATE RECESSES AT THE EDGE OF THE RAIL SEAT IN THE CROSSTIE TO ANCHOR THE CLIP AGAINST MOVEMENT LONGITUDINALLY OF THE CROSSTIE, A FORWARD ARM TERMINATING IN A BEARING LIP WITH A CONVEX BEARING SURFACE FOR CONTACT WITH A FLANGE OF A RAIL ON THE RAIL SEAT, THE BODY PORTION OF THE PLATE HAVING A HOLE THEREIN TO RECEIVE A BOLT TO EXERT PRESSURE UPON THE BODY OF THE PLATE TO HOLD THE CONVEX FOOT SEATED IN A RECESS IN THE CROSSTIE AND THE BEARING LIP IN CONTACT WITH THE RAIL FLANGE TO HOLD THE RAIL UPON THE CROSSTIE SEAT, AND SIDE ARMS PROJECTING LATERALLY FROM EITHER SIDE OF THE BODY OF THE PLATE AND TERMINATING IN DOWNWARD EXTENSIONS, EACH DOWNWARD EXTENSION HAVING A LEADING EDGE FOR CONTACT WITH THE RAIL FLANGE SIDE EDGE WHEREBY SIDE THRUST OF THE RAIL TOWARD THE CLIP WILL BE TRANSMITTED FROM THE SIDE ARMS THROUGH THE PLATE TO THE CONVEX FOOT SEATED IN THE RECESS IN THE CROSSTIE RAIL SEAT AND THE RAIL WILL BE HELD AGAINST SIDEWISE MOVEMENT IN THE DIRECTION OF THE CLIP.