GB1587181A - Rail clips - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO RAIL CLIPS (71) I, MICHAEL JOHN FRENCH, a British Subject, of Hurley Lodge, Mill Lane, Hurley, Berkshire, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: - The present invention relates to train rail clips, in particular, but not exclusively to á system of fastening rails to steel sleepers as currently used by the South African Railways.

The South African Railway uses steel sleepers with fastening holes punched therein, utilising three different clips to provide adjustment for three different gauges of tracks for main lines required, with an additional three other clips being used for sidings and marshalling yards.

The main line - types are types A, B and C and the sidings and marshalling yards are types D, E and F. Although there are variations in most dimensions of the types of clips presently in use, the main difference is the dimension between the tongue cooperating with the edge of the holes punched in the steel sleepers and the undercut machined face which fits the edge of the rail. This dimension varies considerably, for clip A being 1i inch, for clip B being 1 15/16 inch, for clip C being 2Q inch, for clip D being 2 5/16 inch, for clip E being 1 9/16 inch and for clip F being 2 7/16 inch.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method whereby existing (and new) rail mounted on steel sleepers can be insulated and it is a second object, to provide a clip which is capable of reducing the number of stock clips by being capable of performing the separate functions of two or more clips in different orientations of use.

According to the first aspect of the present invention there is provided a rail clip for mounting a rail on steel sleepers, which comprises a substantially rectangular block of insulating material, two or three sides of the block being undercut to fit the flange of a rail, and a hole for mount ing the clip, the hole being unequal dist ances from theundercut sides, the distance between the mounting hole and at least one non-undercut side being sufficient to enable a rail to be lifted from a sleeper past the clip or lowered past the clip onto the sleeper, when the clip is oriented so that the said non-undercut side is parallel to the edge of the rail flange.

According to the second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of mounting a rail on a steel sleeper, which comprises installing the rail on the steel sleeper by inserting an insulated pad between the rail and the sleeper, the insulated pad being located in both longi tudinal and transverse directions on the sleeper by lugs cooperating with holes in the sleeper, the rail being fastened to the track through the agency of a clip in accordance with the first aspect of the invention.

According to an embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided rail clip having locating lugs provided on two sides of the hole between the hole and two opposed undercut sides.

As will be appreciated, the undercut faces of the clip will lip over the rail.

With the clip of the first embodiment, the bolts holding the same to a rail can be loosened and the clips on both side of a rail turned so that the vertically cut side is adjacent the rail; the rails may then be changed or moved. Obviously, the rail is originally inserted into the fastenings with the clips in this position. It is important to note that the flat insulating pad which sits between the rail and the sleeper will extend outwardly covering the bolt and the slot and with the lug extending downwardly by, for example, half an inch into the -face of the slot furthest from the rail to ensure that the bolt bears against this lug, taking up the slack in the slot and transferring the side thrust on the rail to the sleeper. Since adjustment is attained with a clip, the bolt must be located in the constant position.It is also preferred to include a second lug projecting vertically about an eighth of an inch above the flat insulating pad so that the flap clip (of the first aspect of the present invention) bears on this lug and the rail like a bridge with the bolt pulling down in the middle and giving the clamping force required. The existing clips have one lug which locates in the back of the slot and by including the lug in the insulated base plate the present invention enables the use of an adjustable clip at the same time locating the insulated pad definitively on the sleeper. The existing pads can work loose.

Existing clips are made of malleable iron and it is proposed, as referred to above, to make the new clip of an insulating material, for example by injection moulding with a special I.C.I. powder, nylon 66 with 30% glass reinforcing. To reduce the stress in the lip overlying the rail, it is proposed to use a disc spring which will collapse under the load of the nut and will reinforce and increase the bearing area of the nut on the clip. It is preferable that the disc spring will be of sufficient diameter to always project over the section of the clip which is over the rail.

It will be seen that the present invention can enable the insulation of existing and new rail track mounted on steel sleepers and can insulate the rail from the sleeper by insulated pads which are located in both horizontal directions on the sleeper by lugs. The existing slots of the sleepers are used in the combined insulating fastener. South African Railways currently use six differing clips to obtain their gauge requirements and to suit rails of different ways and shape whereas the new clip will have at least two and preferably three (depending on the type) uses. When made of nylon, the various faces can of course be colour coded.

The clip proposed according to the preferred embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention will of course enable the stock of clips to be reduced from six clips to three clips. lf this were made of a plastics material, such as nylon 66 reinforced with glass fibre, it may also be colour coded.

In the accompanying drawings, there is shown, by way of example, various features.

Figure 1 shows a plan view of an insulating pad for use in the invention, Figure 2 shows a side view of the pad of Figure 1, Figure 3 shows an underneath view of a plastics material clip according to the first aspect of the present invention, Figure 4 shows a side view of the clip of Figure 3, Figure 5 shows an underneath view of another clip in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention, Figure 6 shows a side view of the clip of Figure 5, Figure 7 shows a section through a rail mounted by present means (Prior Art), Figure 8 shows views of present bolts (Prior Art), and Figure 9 shows views of a present clip (Prior Art).

WHAT I CLAIM IS: - 1. A rail clip for mounting a rail on steel sleepers, which comprises a substantially rectangular block of insulating material, two or three sides of the block being undercut to fit the flange of a rail, and a hole for mounting the clip, the hole being unequal distances from the undercut sides, the distance between the mounting hole and at least one non-undercut side being sufficient to enable a rail to be lifted from a sleeper past the clip or lowered past the clip onto the sleeper, when the clip is oriented so that one of the said non-undercut sides is parallel to the edge of the rail flange.

2. A rail clip according to Claim 1, wherein locating lugs are provided on two sides of the hole between the hole and two opposed undercut sides.

3. A method of mounting a rail on a steel sleeper, which comprises installing the rail on the steel sleeper by inserting an insulated pad between the rail and the sleeper, the insulated pad being located in both longitudinal and transverse directions on the sleeper by lugs cooperating with holes in the sleeper, the rail being fastened to the track through the agency of a rail clip in accordance with Claim 1 or 2.

4. A rail clip in accordance with Claim 1 for mounting a rail on steel sleepers, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.

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

Claims (4)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. a second lug projecting vertically about an eighth of an inch above the flat insulating pad so that the flap clip (of the first aspect of the present invention) bears on this lug and the rail like a bridge with the bolt pulling down in the middle and giving the clamping force required. The existing clips have one lug which locates in the back of the slot and by including the lug in the insulated base plate the present invention enables the use of an adjustable clip at the same time locating the insulated pad definitively on the sleeper. The existing pads can work loose. Existing clips are made of malleable iron and it is proposed, as referred to above, to make the new clip of an insulating material, for example by injection moulding with a special I.C.I. powder, nylon 66 with 30% glass reinforcing. To reduce the stress in the lip overlying the rail, it is proposed to use a disc spring which will collapse under the load of the nut and will reinforce and increase the bearing area of the nut on the clip. It is preferable that the disc spring will be of sufficient diameter to always project over the section of the clip which is over the rail. It will be seen that the present invention can enable the insulation of existing and new rail track mounted on steel sleepers and can insulate the rail from the sleeper by insulated pads which are located in both horizontal directions on the sleeper by lugs. The existing slots of the sleepers are used in the combined insulating fastener. South African Railways currently use six differing clips to obtain their gauge requirements and to suit rails of different ways and shape whereas the new clip will have at least two and preferably three (depending on the type) uses. When made of nylon, the various faces can of course be colour coded. The clip proposed according to the preferred embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention will of course enable the stock of clips to be reduced from six clips to three clips. lf this were made of a plastics material, such as nylon 66 reinforced with glass fibre, it may also be colour coded. In the accompanying drawings, there is shown, by way of example, various features. Figure 1 shows a plan view of an insulating pad for use in the invention, Figure 2 shows a side view of the pad of Figure 1, Figure 3 shows an underneath view of a plastics material clip according to the first aspect of the present invention, Figure 4 shows a side view of the clip of Figure 3, Figure 5 shows an underneath view of another clip in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention, Figure 6 shows a side view of the clip of Figure 5, Figure 7 shows a section through a rail mounted by present means (Prior Art), Figure 8 shows views of present bolts (Prior Art), and Figure 9 shows views of a present clip (Prior Art). WHAT I CLAIM IS: -

1. A rail clip for mounting a rail on steel sleepers, which comprises a substantially rectangular block of insulating material, two or three sides of the block being undercut to fit the flange of a rail, and a hole for mounting the clip, the hole being unequal distances from the undercut sides, the distance between the mounting hole and at least one non-undercut side being sufficient to enable a rail to be lifted from a sleeper past the clip or lowered past the clip onto the sleeper, when the clip is oriented so that one of the said non-undercut sides is parallel to the edge of the rail flange.

2. A rail clip according to Claim 1, wherein locating lugs are provided on two sides of the hole between the hole and two opposed undercut sides.

3. A method of mounting a rail on a steel sleeper, which comprises installing the rail on the steel sleeper by inserting an insulated pad between the rail and the sleeper, the insulated pad being located in both longitudinal and transverse directions on the sleeper by lugs cooperating with holes in the sleeper, the rail being fastened to the track through the agency of a rail clip in accordance with Claim 1 or 2.

4. A rail clip in accordance with Claim 1 for mounting a rail on steel sleepers, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.