GB2117035A

GB2117035A - Railway rail-fastening clips

Info

Publication number: GB2117035A
Application number: GB08202927A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Brian George Conroy
Original assignee: Pandrol Ltd
Current assignee: Pandrol Ltd
Priority date: 1982-01-29
Filing date: 1982-01-29
Publication date: 1983-10-05
Also published as: AU1070083A; GB2117035B

Abstract

A rail-fastening clip which has been made by bending a metal rod has on one side a flat surface (5A) to which is bonded a flat surface of a block (40) of electrically insulating material. The flat surface (5A) may be formed either at a part of the clip which is to bear downwardly on the upper side of a flange at the bottom of the railway rail, so that the clip bears downwardly on the flange through the intermediary of the block, or at a part of the clip which is to bear downwardly on a metal anchorage for the clip, so that the clip bears downwardly on said part through the intermediary of the block. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Railway rail-fastening clips According to the invention, there is provided a structural unit comprising a railway rail-fastening clip which has been made by bending a metal rod and which has on one side a flat surface to which is bonded a flat surface, parallel to the flat surface of the clip, on a block of electrically insulating material, there being no other metal part in the structural unit on the side of the block further from the flat surface on the block.

The clip may have been made be bending a steel rod of circular cross-section and forming said flat surface of the clip either at a part of the clip which is to bear downwardly on the upper side of a flange at the bottom of a railway rail, so that the clip bears downwardly on the flange through the intermediary of the block, or at a part of the clip which is to bear downwardly on a metal anchorage for the clip, so that the clip bears downwardly on said part through the intermediary of the block. In the latter case the clip may directly contact the flange on the rail and be electrically insulated from the anchorage.

The clip may, for example, be a so-called "P-R clip" such as is disclosed in British Patent Specification No. 861,473 (the inventor was a Mr.

Pande-Rolfsen) or No. 869,385 (Figures 1 to 3), or it may be a so-called "flat-toe P-R clip-" as disclosed in British Patent Specification No.

1,213,762 (Figures 4 to 6). Alternatively, the clip may be a so-called "short-heel P-P clip", such as is disclosed in British Patent Specification No.

1,497,908, or a so-called "e-clip", such as is disclosed in British Patent Specification No.

1,510,224.

In the accompanying drawings:- Figures 1 and 3 show three views of a rail clip which has a block of electrically insulating material bonded to it, although this is not shown in Figure 3, Figures 4 to 6 show three views of another rail clip which has no such block bonded into it but could have one bonded to it, Figures 7 to 9 show an assembly on a railway track, Figure 10 shows a side view of a block of electrically insulating material, and Figure 11 shows a plan view of the same block.

Figures 1 to 9 are copies of the correspondingly numbered figures in British Patent Specification No. 1,510,224 except that Figures 1 and 2 show a modification of the upper side of the "fifth portion" 5 of the clip and a block 40 of electrically insulating material having a flat upper surface which is parallel to and bonded to the flat surface 5A at the lower side of the "fifth portion" 5 of the clip. There is no other metal part, in the structural unit comprising the clip and the block 40, on the lower side of the block 40.

The clip according to Figures 4 to 6 may in the same way have a block 40 of electrically insulating material bonded to its flat surface 5A.

An assembly according to Figures 7 to 9 may be modified by replacing the illustrated clip by a structural unit comprising a clip and a block as described above and replacing the insulator 24 shown in Figures 7 to 9 by an insulator which insulates the block 33 from the rail but does not extend over any part of the upper surface of the rail flange. The lower side of the block 40 then directly contacts the upper surface of the rail flange.

For a more complete description of other parts of Figures 1 to 9, see Specification No. 1,510,224.

The block 41 shown in Figures 10 and 11 may be used instead of the block 40. Like the latter, it is broader at one end 42, where the end face of the insulator is flat and perpendicular to the flat and parallel upper and lower faces of the block, than it is at the other end 43 but the width of the end 42 of the block 41 is greater than the width of the corresponding end of the block 40.

The blocks 40 and 41 are preferably made by casting suitable material to the desired final shape in a mould.

In both cases, the block is about 6 mm thick, although it may be thinner or thicker, for example anywhere within the range 4 to 9 mm, and about 33 mm long, although it may be shorter or longer, for example anywhere within the range 20 to 40 mm.

Figure 11 show that a line 44 joining the midpoint of the end 42 of the block 41 to the point at the end 43 which is further from the end 42 is not quite perpendicular to the end 42. The major faces of the block 41 are somewhat in the form of a flat iron. It is the end 42 of the block which is nearer the extreme end B of the clip.

The material of the blocks 40 and 41 is preferably a urethane elastomer or a polyether elastomer, and it is bonded to the flat surface on the clip by an adhesive, for example a cyanoacrylate type instant-bond adhesive.

It is possible to apply all over the part 5 of the clip and over all or the upper part of the block 40 or 41 a layer of electrically insulating material which extends also a short distance along the part 4 of the clip, the purpose being to create a longer surface leakage path between the clip and the rail flange or the anchorage for the clip in the case where it is upon that which the clip bears through the intermediary of the block.

It is also possible to provide recesses, for example grooves, in the flat surface of the clip and/or the flat surface of the block which is bonded to the clip, in order to provide a better key.

1. A structural unit comprising a railway railfastening clip which has been made by bending a metal rod and which has on one side a flat surface to which is bonded a flat surface, parallel to the flat surface of the clip, on a block of electrically insulating material, there being no other metal part in the structural unit on the side of the block further from the flat surface on the block.

2. A structural unit as claimed in claim 1,

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Railway rail-fastening clips According to the invention, there is provided a structural unit comprising a railway rail-fastening clip which has been made by bending a metal rod and which has on one side a flat surface to which is bonded a flat surface, parallel to the flat surface of the clip, on a block of electrically insulating material, there being no other metal part in the structural unit on the side of the block further from the flat surface on the block. The clip may have been made be bending a steel rod of circular cross-section and forming said flat surface of the clip either at a part of the clip which is to bear downwardly on the upper side of a flange at the bottom of a railway rail, so that the clip bears downwardly on the flange through the intermediary of the block, or at a part of the clip which is to bear downwardly on a metal anchorage for the clip, so that the clip bears downwardly on said part through the intermediary of the block. In the latter case the clip may directly contact the flange on the rail and be electrically insulated from the anchorage. The clip may, for example, be a so-called "P-R clip" such as is disclosed in British Patent Specification No. 861,473 (the inventor was a Mr. Pande-Rolfsen) or No. 869,385 (Figures 1 to 3), or it may be a so-called "flat-toe P-R clip-" as disclosed in British Patent Specification No. 1,213,762 (Figures 4 to 6). Alternatively, the clip may be a so-called "short-heel P-P clip", such as is disclosed in British Patent Specification No. 1,497,908, or a so-called "e-clip", such as is disclosed in British Patent Specification No. 1,510,224. In the accompanying drawings:- Figures 1 and 3 show three views of a rail clip which has a block of electrically insulating material bonded to it, although this is not shown in Figure 3, Figures 4 to 6 show three views of another rail clip which has no such block bonded into it but could have one bonded to it, Figures 7 to 9 show an assembly on a railway track, Figure 10 shows a side view of a block of electrically insulating material, and Figure 11 shows a plan view of the same block. Figures 1 to 9 are copies of the correspondingly numbered figures in British Patent Specification No. 1,510,224 except that Figures 1 and 2 show a modification of the upper side of the "fifth portion" 5 of the clip and a block 40 of electrically insulating material having a flat upper surface which is parallel to and bonded to the flat surface 5A at the lower side of the "fifth portion" 5 of the clip. There is no other metal part, in the structural unit comprising the clip and the block 40, on the lower side of the block 40. The clip according to Figures 4 to 6 may in the same way have a block 40 of electrically insulating material bonded to its flat surface 5A. An assembly according to Figures 7 to 9 may be modified by replacing the illustrated clip by a structural unit comprising a clip and a block as described above and replacing the insulator 24 shown in Figures 7 to 9 by an insulator which insulates the block 33 from the rail but does not extend over any part of the upper surface of the rail flange. The lower side of the block 40 then directly contacts the upper surface of the rail flange. For a more complete description of other parts of Figures 1 to 9, see Specification No. 1,510,224. The block 41 shown in Figures 10 and 11 may be used instead of the block 40. Like the latter, it is broader at one end 42, where the end face of the insulator is flat and perpendicular to the flat and parallel upper and lower faces of the block, than it is at the other end 43 but the width of the end 42 of the block 41 is greater than the width of the corresponding end of the block 40. The blocks 40 and 41 are preferably made by casting suitable material to the desired final shape in a mould. In both cases, the block is about 6 mm thick, although it may be thinner or thicker, for example anywhere within the range 4 to 9 mm, and about 33 mm long, although it may be shorter or longer, for example anywhere within the range 20 to 40 mm. Figure 11 show that a line 44 joining the midpoint of the end 42 of the block 41 to the point at the end 43 which is further from the end 42 is not quite perpendicular to the end 42. The major faces of the block 41 are somewhat in the form of a flat iron. It is the end 42 of the block which is nearer the extreme end B of the clip. The material of the blocks 40 and 41 is preferably a urethane elastomer or a polyether elastomer, and it is bonded to the flat surface on the clip by an adhesive, for example a cyanoacrylate type instant-bond adhesive. It is possible to apply all over the part 5 of the clip and over all or the upper part of the block 40 or 41 a layer of electrically insulating material which extends also a short distance along the part 4 of the clip, the purpose being to create a longer surface leakage path between the clip and the rail flange or the anchorage for the clip in the case where it is upon that which the clip bears through the intermediary of the block. It is also possible to provide recesses, for example grooves, in the flat surface of the clip and/or the flat surface of the block which is bonded to the clip, in order to provide a better key. CLAIMS

2. A structural unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the clip has been made by bending a steel rod of circular cross-section and forming said flat surface of the clip at a part of the clip which is to bear downwardly on the upper side of a flange at the bottom of a railway rail, so that the clip bears downwardly on the flange through the intermediary of the block.

3. A structural unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the clip has been made by bending a steel rod of circular cross-section and forming said flat surface of the clip at a part of the clip which is to bear downwardly on a metal anchorage for the clip, so that the clip bears downwardly on said part through the intermediary of the block.

4. A structural unit as claimed in claim 3, wherein, in use of the clip, the clip directly contacts the flange on the rail and is electrically insulated from the anchorage.

5. A structural unit as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the block is broader at one end than at the other, the end face at said one end being flat and perpendicular to the upper and lower faces of the block, which are flat and parallel to one another.

6. A structural unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the block has been made by casting suitable material to the desired final shape in a mould.

7. A structural unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the block is within the range of 4 to 9 mm thick and within the range 20 to 40 mm long.

8. A structural unit as claimed in claim 7, wherein the block is substantially 6 mm thick and 33 mm long.

9. A structural unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the major faces of the block are substantially in the form of a flat-iron.

10. A structural unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said block is made of a urethane elastomer.

11. A structural unit as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein said block is made of a polyether elastomer.

12. A structural unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said block is bonded to the flat surface on the clip by an adhesive.

13. A structural unit as claimed in claim 12, wherein said adhesive is a cyanoacrylate type instant-bond adhesive.

14. A structural unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein a layer of electrically insulating material is applied all over the part of the clip in the region of its flat surface and over all or the upper part of said block.

1 5. A structural unit, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 or Figures 10 and 11 of the accompanying drawings.