US2869792A - Rail fastening device - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 20, 1959 v H. HODEL 2,869,792

RAIL FASTENING DEVICE Filed Dec. 27, 1954 lVe-fzfor:

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United States Patent O RAIL FASTENING DEVICE Hans Hodel, Engelberg, Switzerland Application December 27, 1954, Serial No. 477,683

Claims priority, application Switzerland January 7, 1954 6 Claims. (Cl. 23S-349) Elastic` rail spikes of various types for fixing` rails to sleepers have been known and used in railway permanent way construction for a long time. They have proved their worth in practice and this is also the reason why they are being used to an ever greater degree.

The present invention is concerned with a particular type of such elastic spikes; it` consists essentially in that the elastic arm of the spike extends along the rail toot in` such manner that-when seen in the plan view-it engages only with its end portion over the said rail foot and isthereby subjected to torsional stress.

Further features of the invention will be evident from the claims, the specification and the drawings, wherein several constructional forms of the rail fastening device according to the invention are illustrated purely by way of example. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view ofa first constructional form;

Fig. 2 is a front View according to Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a plan view according to Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a plan View of a second constructional form;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a third constructional form, and

Fig. 6 is a side view of a portion of a lnodiried` spike.

According to the constructional example shown in Figs. 1-3, the elastic spike consists of a driven-in pin portion l of an elastic arm 3 connected thereto, the said arm 3 being bent over at the point 2 and having its free end designated as 6. The elastic spike can consist of a bent rolled bar of any desired cross-sectional form, advantageously' of round crosswsectional form. to tix the rail 4 to the support or sleeper 5, an elastic spike is driven into the sleeper 5 in the manner shown in the drawing, the end 6 of the elastic arm 3 pressing the foot 4b of the rail 4 downwards on to the support c-r sleeper 5.

Seen in plan view as shown in Fig. 3, the elastic arm 3 extends along the rail foot in such manner that it engages only with its short end 6 overthe said rail foot and is subjected to torsional and bending stresses practically over its entire length. A further bend 7 brings the elastic arm 3 to merge into the relatively short end portion 6, which presses the rail foot 4 on to the support 5.

According to the constructional example as in Fig. 4, the elastic arm 3, 6 can also extend in an are from the point at which the arm end 6 contacts the rail foot 4,

so that the elastic arm 3 is subjected to a higher degree of torsional stressing than the elastic arm according to Figs. l3.

.ln order to obtain an even greater spring distance for the arm 3, the constructional form according to Fig. 3

is provided, wherein after the drivemin pin portion l..

ln order ice 2 any desired angle relatively to the edge of the rail foot other than the angle a shown in Fig. 4.

As will be seen from Figures 3, 4 and 5, the spikes are so driven into the sleepers 5a that the driven-in pin portion 1 is driven into the edge zone 5c of the sleeper 5, and the elastic armpart 6 which engages over a sho-rt length over the rail foot 4 presses the rail on tol the sleeper Sa substantially over the centre line 5b of the said sleeper. The result is thereby achieved that the rail is always pressed centrally on to the sleeper. This has the advantage that the support of the rail on the sleeper corresponds rather to a rocker bearing, especially if anl elastic interlayer is inserted between the rail foot 4 andy the sleeper 5. From the permanent way constructional point ot" view this arrangement has the advantage that the sleeper remains steadier in tlie ballast bed, that is: it rocks less than hitherto known arrangements and consequently exerts a more uniform stress on the ballast under the rail and thereby reduces the amount of rail maintenance necessary. The spike can be positioned between the rail 4 and the sleeper 5' with or without steel supports.

Theelastic` spike 1, 3, 6 described is of such construction and is so arranged that in order to release the rail 4 from the sleeper 5 the spike need only be partially drawn out and then swung away, when in this position, from the rail foot. Therefore the spike does not have to be completely drawn out of the sleeper in order to release the rail.

instead of using a single` spike in each case in accordance with the construction shown in Figs. l and 2, it is also possible to use two spikes in laterally inverted larrangement on one side of the rail foot 4, as shown in chain lines in Figs. l, 3 and 4. In this case two laterally inverted single-pin elastic torsion spikes can be combined to form one single spike, the two single-pin spikes being connected rigidly to one another to form a two-pin elastic torsion spike by any desired means, e. g. by welding.

As will be seen from the arrangement of two laterally inverted spikes (Figs. l, 3 and 4), they are secured by virtue of their construction and mutual arrangement against unintentional swinging out of the arms 3, thereby securing the fastening device.

The resistance against withdrawal of the elastic tor sion spike may be increased, especially in the case of soft wood. sleepers, by providing notches, Fig. 6, along the driven-in pin portion. These notches will be particularly eilective if arranged in the manner of fish-scales pointing upwards so that, when being withdrawn, they will engage like barbs into the material of the timber sleepers, Fig. 6.

Said notches may also be arranged in a screw-thread like manner at the circumference of the pin part. This has the advantage thatwith the driven-in portion made of round rolled material-the elastic spike, on being turned, will automatically engage into the timber sleeper.

Hitherto known single-pin elastic spikes have the disadvantage that the elastic head is only subjected to bending stress and` not to torsional stress, thus using the material in very nneconornical manner. Moreover the known consti-action of elastic heads, which is subjected only to bending stress, has the disadvantage of having only slight elasticity, and therefore the nail must consist of two parts bearing on one another in order to obtain the' elasticity necessary in practice. Experience also shows that the elastic heads of the known elastic spikes, even where they are of square cross-section, become turned out of position under the effect of train running and, therefore aord no security against rail creep.

Elastic spikes with two driven-in pin portions situated some distance from one-another are also known. These have the disadvantage that they also exhibit little elasticity, and are subjected in the vicinity of the driven-in pin portions, as in the case of a fixed girder, to negative bending moments which have a drawing-out effect and therefore readily loosen the spikes.

Moreover hitherto known elastic spikes have the disadvantage that, for example, when the rails are being replaced, the said spikes have to be withdrawn completely out of the sleeper, which requires considerable expenditure of energy. The elastic spikes according to the present invention is formed from a rolled bar having generally a round cross-section, which by its special construction or conguration and arrangement obviates the aforesaid disadvantages.

What I claim is:

1. A rail supporting and fastening means comprising 4. A rail supporting and fastening means according to claim 1, in'which on one and the same side of the rail flange there are provided two resilient spikes, the sleeper-engaging portion of each spike being driven into a sleeper edge zone so that their depressing ends which are at right angles to the rail axis substantially contact each other so that the two spikes prevent each other from turning about the sleeper-engaging spike portions.

5. A rail supporting and fastening means according to claim 1, in which the spring arm is curved from said engaging portion in a direction opposite to the depressing end and subsequently in a further arc to the end portion which is directed at right angles towards the rail axis.

a sleeper, and a resilient spike to contact a flange of the lrelative to the spring arm, said spike also having a flange engaging portion on the other end of the spike, said 'sleeper-engaging portion of the spike being anchored in the sleeper immediately adjacent said rail flange near the edge zone of the sleeper, and the spring arm of the spike by means of its ilange engaging portion clampedly engaging said rail'flange. on the approximate longitudinal center line of the sleeper and the flange engaging portion being at approximately right angles to the spring arm of the spike.

2. A rail supporting and fastening means according to claim 1, in which the spring arm is disposed mainly adjacent the rail flange as viewed in a vertical direction on the rail.

3. A rail supporting and fastening means according to 6. A rail supporting and fastening means comprising a sleeper, and a resilient spike to contact a iange of the rail and driven into the sleeper, said spike having an integral spring arm with a llange engaging portion on one end of the spike and extending at approximately right angles tothe spring arm, said spike having a sleeper engaging pin to be embedded in the sleeper near onel side edge zone thereof and the flange engaging portion with its free end engaging the flange at the `approximate longitudinal axis of the sleeper.

claim 1, in which the spring arm is in the shape of a References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,178,478 Kuckuck Oct. 31, 1939 2,207,262 Loutrel July 9, 1940 2,299,754 Johnson Oct. 27, 1942 2,417,385 Tilly Mar. 11, 1947 2,628,035 v Fawcette 2 Feb. 10, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 141,386 Australia a May 28, 1951 882,409 Germany July 9, 1953

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