GB2278385A

GB2278385A - Rail clip

Info

Publication number: GB2278385A
Application number: GB9410350A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Neil Frank Gill; Simon Francis Klippel
Original assignee: Victaulic Co PLC
Current assignee: Victaulic Co PLC
Priority date: 1993-05-25
Filing date: 1994-05-24
Publication date: 1994-11-30
Anticipated expiration: 2014-05-24
Also published as: GB2278385B; GB9410350D0; GB9310802D0

Abstract

A rail 12 is fastened to a chair 11 by a clip 15 and a fastener bolt 14 which is solid with the chair 11. Each chair 11 has two clips 15 mounted thereon and has a recess in the underside of the chair 11 between the clips 15 to accommodate a sleeper. Each clip 15 has a nose portion 24 for engaging the flange of the rail 12, a tail portion for engaging the chair 11 and a through hole for receiving a shank of the fastener bolt 14. Each clip 15 also has a pair of downwardly projecting legs 29 for engaging an outer face 30 of the chair 11 to resist any rotational dislodgement of the clip 15 during its fastening and when in service. In an alternative embodiment the clip 15 is provided with a pair of downwardly projecting prongs which are receivable in a hole in the chair 11 and which are shaped to receive a T-shaped head of a seperate fastener. <IMAGE>

Description

RAIL CLIP This invention relates to a rail clip for use with a rail chair in order to hold down a lower flange of a rail when the latter is mounted on the chair, the clip being operative in conjunction with a fastener in order to hold down the rail flange.

It is well known that, when laying or replacing a railway line, either underground or overground, the rail is positioned by seating the rail in a rail "chair" which is shaped to engage a lower portion of the rail i.e. the bottom surface of the lower flange of the rail, and also one side of the web of the rail. The rail chair is also shaped to cooperate with one or more fasteners which also cooperate with the rail, and serve to hold the rail in place in the rail chair. The entire rail assembly is then secured to railway sleepers with any suitable fittings.

A problem when laying or replacing an underground railway line is that work is often carried out in very poor light conditions. This increases the possibility that the fasteners may be incorrectly fitted. This is potentially dangerous, as it may lead to the rail becoming dislodged from the rail chair.

According to the invention there is provided a rail clip for use with a rail chair in order to hold down a lower flange of a rail when the latter is mounted on the chair, said clip being operative in conjunction with a fastener in order to hold down the rail flange and said clip comprising: a clip body having a through-hole for receiving a shank of the fastener; a nose portion and a tail portion provided on the clip and diametrically opposed to each other with respect to the axis of the through-hole, the nose portion being engageable downwardly onto the lower flange of the rail and the tail portion being downwardly engageable on a clip seating provided on the chair; and, a leg projecting downwardly of said body in order to lie alongside and to be engageable with a side face of the chair located outwardly of the seating, and thereby to resist dislodgement of the clip during fastening of the clip and in service.

Therefore, a rail clip according to the invention can be readily manipulated in order to be assembled with the chair at a required rail mounting position, with the nose portion engaging with the rail flange and the tail portion fitting on the clip seating, and this can be carried out by the operative by "feel" when lighting conditions are poor.

The downwardly projecting leg serves a dual purpose, in that it resists any tendency for the clip to rotate when the tightening of the fastener takes place, but in addition it provides a visible, or tangible indication that proper assembly has taken place. Thus, while it might be possible initially to install the clip upside down i.e. with the leg projecting upwardly, this would be recognisable rapidly as being incorrect, and re-assembly could then take place with the leg projecting downwardly before fastening is completed.

Further, with the leg projecting downwardly, there will be only one way in which the clip can be correctly assembled i.e. with the nose portion on the rail flange, the tail portion on the clip seating, and the leg extending downwardly alongside the side face of the chair outwardly of the clip seating.

Preferably, a pair of downwardly projecting legs are provided to increase the resistance to rotational dislodgement of the clip in service.

The fastener with which the clip can cooperate may comprise a standard fastener solid with the chair and projecting upwardly of the seating, so that assembly of the clip merely requires the clip to be fitted downwardly over the projecting upper end of the fastener.

However, the use of this type of fastener is not essential to the invention, and any suitable fastener may be used, which can be taken downwardly through the hole in the clip and into suitable underlying anchorage in order to fasten the clip to the chair.

Preferably, the chair has a pair of longitudinally spaced seatings each serving to mount a respective clip and with a recess defined between the seatings of a length sufficient to house a railway sleeper therein, which will extend perpendicular to, and below the rail to an opposite side of the track.

In a first preferred embodiment, each clip seating is formed by a respective raised ledge onto which the tail portion of the clip can be seated, in order to raise the clip by a sufficient amount so that the nose portion can make rigid and reliable engagement with the upper surface of the rail flange.

In a second preferred embodiment, the clip seating is formed by any suitable location along a flat cast formation of the chair, and the necessary raising in height of the tail portion of the clip may be obtained by forming a ledge or rib on the underside of the clip body.

This second embodiment may be adapted for use with a particular type of headed fastener, known for use in rail fastening operations, in which the head of the fastener will be located below the chair and comprises a T-shaped crosshead, and the upper projecting end of the fastener will receive a "nut" which can be clamped thereto e.g. by rotational tightening.

In order to guide and hold captive upward movement of the fastener head during fastening, the second embodiment of clip may have a pair of downwardly projecting prongs receivable by a mounting hole formed in the chair at the mounting location for each clip, said prongs having cam or guide faces at their lower ends shaped to engage the T-shaped cross-head and rotate the latter until the cross-head is located between the prongs. Then, upon further tightening of the fastener, the head can slide upwardly between the prong until it comes into firm abutment and further tightening then completes the clamping operation.

A further type of fastener which may be used with a rail clip according to the invention comprises a bolt having a number of grooves extending circumferentially around the surface of the bolt, and which will be near the upper end thereof in use, but these grooves are not conventional screw threads. A special tool is required to position a suitably shaped "nut" appropriately on the bolt. If the clip has been positioned incorrectly, the or each leg will extend upwardly, and in this situation it will not be possible for this special tool to engage the nut. This will alert the fitter that he has incorrectly positioned the clip.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a rail clip in which the clip seating is formed by any suitable location along a flat cast formation of the chair, and the necessary raising in height of the tail portion of the clip is obtained by forming a ledge or rib on the underside of the clip body.

Preferred embodiments of rail clip according to the invention will now be described in detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic end view of a first embodiment of rail clip according to the invention, in assembly with a rail and rail chair; Figure 2 is a side view showing assembly of two rail clips on the rail chair; Figures 3 to 7 show detail views of the rail clip shown in Figures 1 and 2; Figures 8 to 11 are detail views of a second embodiment of rail clip according to the invention; Figures 12 to 16 are detailed views of a third embodiment, comprising modification of the embodiment shown in Figures 8 to 11; and, Figures 17 to 21 are detailed views of a fourth embodiment.

Referring first to Figure 1 of the drawings, there is shown a rail assembly designated generally by reference 10, and comprising a rail chair 11 on which is mounted a rail 12.

Rail chair 11 has a rail receiving portion 13 on which is mounted a lower flange of rail 12, and with the chair also engaging one side of the web 12a of rail 12.

A rail clip according to the invention is designated by reference 15, and cooperates with rail chair 11 in order to hold down the lower flange of the rail 12 when the latter is mounted on the chair, the clip 15 being operative in conjunction with a fastener 14 in order to hold down the rail flange.

In the illustrated arrangement, the fastener 14 is solid with the chair 11, and therefore projects upwardly of the base 13a of the chair 11 so as to indicate a clip mounting location.

As can be seen in Figure 2, chair 11 has a pair of clips 15 mounted thereon, spaced apart from each other along the length of the chair 11, and a downwardly open recess 20 is defined in the underside of chair 11, between the clips 15, which accommodates a railway sleeper (not shown) which will extend perpendicular to rail 12 to the opposite side of the track.

The clip 15 has a clip body 21 which is provided with a through-hole 22 (see Figures 3 to 7) for receiving a shank 23 of fastener bolt 14.

Clip body 15 has a nose portion 24 and tail portion 25 provided on the clip at diametrically opposed locations to each other with respect to the axis 26 of the through-hole 22 and fastener bolt 14. The nose portion 24 is engageable downwardly onto the lower flange 27 of the rail 12, and the tail portion 25 is engageable downwardly onto a clip seating 28 provided on the chair 11.

The clip body 21 also has at least one leg projecting downwardly of the body, and in the illustrated arrangement there is a pair of downwardly projecting legs 29. The purpose of the legs is to project downwardly so as to lie alongside and be engageable with an outer generally upright side face 30 of the chair 11 which is located outwardly of seating 28. Legs 29 therefore serve to resist any rotational dislodgement of the clip 15, both during fastening of the clip, and also during service, when the rail, chair and clip assembly will be exposed to periodic vibration when trains run along the track.

The rail clip 15 therefore can be readily manipulated in order to be assembled with the chair 11 at a required rail mounting position, with the nose portion 24 engaging with the rail flange 27 and the tail portion 25 fitting on the clip seating 28, and this can be carried out by the operative by "feel" when lighting conditions are poor.

The downwardly projecting legs 29 serve a dual purpose, firstly by resisting any tendency for the clip to rotate when tightening of the fastener takes place, and also in service, and secondly by providing a visible, or tangible indication that proper assembly has taken place.

The fastening is completed by use of a special tool which can clamp a specially designed nut 31 on a circumferentially grooved upper end surface of the fastener bolt 14, which in one known arrangement is not a screw thread, but an arrangement of generally parallel grooves. A special tool is used in order to fit and then clamp the nut 31 firmly thereon.

However, in the event of improper assembly of the clamp 15 i.e. with legs 29 projecting upwardly, the tool will not be able to make proper engagement with the fastener bolt 14, and this will be an indication of an improper assembly, assuming of course that this has not earlier been noticed following initial assembly.

The embodiment of clip 15 shown in Figures 1 to 7 can only be properly fitted in one position, i.e. as shown in Figure 1, and this will be the only possible way in which the clip can be fitted with the legs 29 projecting downwardly.

If the clip should be presented upside down, it might be possible for initial assembly to take place with the clip occupying a number of different positions, but the upward projection of the legs 29 will be an indication of improper assembly, either visibly or tangibly, but even if this should be not noticed immediately, it will be impossible to complete the fastening operation with the legs projecting upwardly.

A second embodiment of rail clip is shown in Figures 8 to 11, and this differs in two significant respects from the first embodiment. First of all, it is no longer necessary to provide specially formed clip seating on the chair 11, as shown by rib or ledge 28 in Figure 1, and the clip mounting locations can be provided at any suitable positions along the length of a flat smooth cast formation of the chair 11.

Therefore, to provide the necessary raising of the clip so that the nose portion 24 can make rigid and reliable engagement with the upper surface of rail flange 27, a ledge or rib 32 is provided on the underside of the clip body.

Parts corresponding with those already described for the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and will not be described in detail again.

A second difference in the second embodiment comprises a pair of downwardly projecting prongs 33 which are receivable by a mounting hole formed in the chair at the mounting location for the clip, and these prongs have lower cam or guide faces 34 which are shaped to engage a T-shaped cross-head of a particular type of headed fastener (not shown) known for use in rail fastening operations. The faces 34 are able to engage the cross-head and rotate the latter until the cross-head is located between the prongs 33. Then, upon further tightening of the fastener, the head can slide upwardly until it reaches a suitable abutment, and further tightening then completes the clamping operation.

Apart from these two additional features, the mode of assembly, and recognition of an incorrect assembly, is generally the same as described above for the first embodiment.

Referring now to Figures 12 to 16, this shows a third embodiment, generally similar to the second embodiment, but in which the shape of the clip is modified, such clip being designated generally by reference 115. Clip 115 has a nose portion 116 which is shaped so as to make engagement with both the lower flange 117 of a bullhead rail 118, but also makes engagement with a lower portion of a side face of the web 119. A tail portion 120 of clip 115 fits securely in a seating recess 121 in the upper surface of the chair.

Clip 115 also has a pair of downwardly projecting legs 122 between which are received the shank of the T-shaped fastener 123. The fastener 123 has a cross head 124 at its lower end, which can be rotated to a clamping position, as shown in Figure 12, to complete the fastening of the clip to the chair.

Finally, referring to Figures 17 to 21, this shows a fourth embodiment, and which effectively combines some of the features of the first embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 7, with some of the features of the subsequent embodiments.

Thus, as can be seen from Figures 17 to 21, the fastening clip has locating legs 124, similar to legs 29 of Figure 1, together with downwardly projecting central legs 125, between which is received T-shaped fastener 126 having cross head 127.

Claims

1. A rail clip for use with a rail chair in order to hold down a lower flange of a rail when the latter is mounted on the chair, said clip being operative in conjunction with a fastener in order to hold down the rail flange and said clip comprising: a clip body having a through-hole for receiving a shank of the fastener; a nose portion and a tail portion provided on the clip and diametrically opposed to each other with respect to the axis of the through-hole, the nose portion being engageable downwardly onto the lower flange of the rail and the tail portion being downwardly engageable on a clip seating provided on the chair; and, a leg projecting downwardly of said body in order to lie alongside and to be engageable with a side face of the chair located outwardly of the seating, and thereby to resist dislodgement of the clip during fastening of the clip and in service.

2. A rail clip according to Claim 1, including a pair of legs protecting downwardly of said body.

3. A rail clip according to Claim 1 or 2, and in combination with said rail chair, in which the chair has a pair of longitudinally spaced seatings, each serving to mount a respective clip and with a recess defined between the seatings of a length sufficient to house a railway sleeper therein.

4. A rail clip according to Claim 3, in which each clip seating is formed by a respective raised ledge onto which the tail portion of the clip can be seated, in order to raise the clip by a sufficient amount so that the nose portion can make rigid and reliable engagement with the upper surface of the rail flange.

5. A rail clip according to Claim 3, in which the clip seating is formed by any suitable location along a flat cast formation of the chair, and the necessary raising in height of the tail portion of the clip is obtained by forming a ledge or rib on the underside of the clip body.

6. A combination of a rail clip for use with a rail chair in order to hold down a lower flange of a rail when the latter is mounted on the chair, and a T-shaped fastener operative in conjunction with the clip in order to hold down the rail flange, and said clip comprising: a clip body having a through-hole for receiving a shank of the fastener; a nose portion and a tail portion provided on the clip and diametrically opposed to each other with respect to the axis of the through hole, the nose portion being engageable downwardly onto the lower flange of the rail and the tail portion being downwardly engageable on a clip seating provided on the chair; and, a pair of legs projecting downwardly of said body to be received by an opening in the chair, said legs serving to receive a cross head of said fastener therebetween, in order to fasten the clip to the chair.

7. A rail clip according to Claim 6, in which said nose portion is shaped so as to be engageable both with the upper surface of a lower flange of the rail, and also with an adjacent surface of an adjoining web of the rail.

8. A rail clip according to Claim 3, in which said fastener comprises a fastener solid with the chair and projecting upwardly of the seating, so that assembly of the clip can be achieved by fitting the clip downwardly over the projecting upper end of said fastener.

9. A rail clip according to Claim 1, including a further pair of legs projecting downwardly of said body and located on opposite sides of said through-hole, and in combination with a T-shaped fastener, the shank of which is receivable between said pair of legs, and having a cross head which is rotatable and then tightenable in order to complete the fastening of the rail clip to the chair.