GB2041046A - Rail Track - Google Patents

Abstract

A rail joint comprises a fastening element 6 welded at each rail end to be joined, the element being provided with a through bore 10 extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the associated rail length and a projection 11 located in a position in which it intersects the bore and being radially displaceable to a location in which it lies clear of the bore. A necked connecting pin inserted into the bore radially displaces the projections 11 by means of frusto-conical surfaces 19, 25 on the pin and is retained when fully home by shoulders 27, 28 on the pin. The projections 11 are constituted by a steel pin bonded to a rubber bush 15 itself bonded to the inside of sleeve 13 which is screwed into a tapped hole 14 in fastening element 5. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Rail Track This invention relates to rail tracks and in particular to rail lengths and to joints for adjacent ends of adjacent rail lengths. The track may be in the form of two spaced apart rails e.g. of conventional cross-section comprising a rail head spaced by a web from a rail foot, or may be in the form of a monorail, of any suitable cross-section.

The well-known rail joint employs fish plates, one secured to each side of the web, with a plurality of bolts passing through co-axial holes in both fish plates and the web. Although the effectivess of this system has proved itself over many years use, insertion or removal of the bolts during assembly or dismantling of the track, as well as inspection and adjustment of the bolts in service is a laborious operation, especially if the track is located in a difficult operating location, e.g. a mine roadway.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a rail length to form part of a rail track comprises a fastening element secured at each rail end to be joined, the element being provided with a through bore extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the associated rail length and a projection located in a position in which it intersects the bore and being radially displaceable to a location in which it lies clear of the bore.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a rail length as defined above is provided at one end with a male fastening element housing in part a connecting pin, and is provided at its other end with a female fastening element adapted to receive a portion of a connecting pin of an adjacent similar rail length.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, a rail joint comprises two rail lengths as defined above, the through bores of each fastening element being co-axial and a connecting pin of length approximating to the overall length of the two abutting fastening elements being inserted into the co-axial bores, the pin having two axially spaced necks one of which in the inserted position is located opposite each projection.

Thus, in use, to assemble the joint as defined above, the pin may simply be hammered into the co-axial bores, thereby obviating any nut and bolt assembly and subsequent tightening in order to join rail lengths together.

Although it is possible to observe when the pin has been satisfactorily inserted, the pin is preferably provided at one end with an enlarged head to dictate the extent of penetration into the bores, while it is also preferred to provide the pin with a pair of axially spaced necks. Preferably, the bores and the pin are of circular cross-section. To ease insertion of the pin, the latter is preferably provided with a frusto-conical nose, while other frusto-conical surfaces may connect inner ends of the necks to the full diameter of the pin, a radially extending shoulder defining the outer end of each neck. The fastening elements are preferably secured by welding to their respective ends of the rail lengths.

Conveniently, each projection may be constituted by a Studlock (Trade Mark) element wherein each projection is constituted by a portion of a steel pin around a central portion of which is bonded a rubber bush retained in a housing having a screw-threaded outer periphery.

Thus each fastening element is provided with a tapped hole extending radially to its through bore, into which hole the retainer housing is screwed.

Upon inserting the connecting pin, the projections are pushed radially outwardly, against the urge of their respective rubber bushes which automatically advance the projections upon the appearance of the necks opposite the pins.

Preferably, one of the fastening elements is provided with a projection having a head engageable by a tool to withdraw the projection from the through bore when it is required to dismantle the joint.

The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows rail lengths in accordance with first and second aspects of the invention, forming part of a rail track and incorporating rail joints in accordance with a third aspect of the invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged part-sectional view of one end of a rail length of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line Ill-Ill of Figure 2; and Figure 4 is a part-sectional view through a rail joint of Figure 1.

In the drawings, a pair of spaced apart, parallel rail lengths 1 having a longitudinal axis 2 are secured to common sleepers 3 to form a portion of rail track 4, the rail lengths 1 being secured at rail joints 5 to adjacent ends of adjacent rail lengths 1A, which lengths are identical to the lengths 1.

Each rail length 1 comprises a fastening element 6 welded to one rail end 7 and a fastening element 8 welded to the other rail end 9. As best seen in Figures 2 to 4, each fastening element 6, 7 is provided with a through bore 10 which extends parallel to the longitudinal axis 2 of each rail length 1. A projection 11 is located in a position in which it intersects the bore 10, but is so mounted with respect to its fastening element 6 that it is radially displaceable from the bore 1 0.

Thus the projection 11 may be constituted by a portion of a steel pin of a Studlock (Trade Mark) element comprising a hexagonal head 12 carrying an externally scew-threaded sleeve 13, which sleeve is screwed into a tapped radial hole 1 4 in the fastening element 5, a rubber bush 1 5 being bonded to the inside of the sleeve 13, and also being bonded around a portion of the external periphery of the pin 11 , the latter passing coaxially through the bush 1 5, whereby the resilience of the bush 15 accommodates radially outward displacement of the pin 11.

In accordance with the second aspect of the invention, the rail length 1 has one of its fastening elements 6 constituting a male fastening element, by being provided with a connecting pin 1 6 having a head 1 7 and a body portion 18, the latter having a maximum diameter such that it is insertable into a bore 10, while the head 1 7 is of dimensions such that it cannot enter a bore 11.

The pin 1 6 is furthermore provided with a frustoconical nose 19 and with spaced apart necks 20 and 21 separating portion 22,23 and 24, the portion 23 being provided with frusto-conical surfaces 25, 26, leading respectively to each neck 20,21 while a radially-extending shoulder 27,28, defines another end respectively of each neck 20, 21. It is arranged for the diameter of each neck 20, 21 to be such that it accommodates the projecting pin 11 with the latter engaged behind a shoulder 27 or 28, when the bush 1 5 is in a noncompressed condition.Thus the other fastening element 8 constitutes a female fastening element and to enable the rail joint 5 to be readily dismantleable, the pin 11, at its end remote from the bore 10 is provided with a head 29, for engagement with any suitable extraction tool, so that the pin 11 may be retracted from engagement with its associated shoulder 27, whereupon the connecting pin may be retracted from the bore 10 of the female fastening element 8.

In Figure 4 is illustrated the rail joint 5 effected between adjacent ends of two rail lengths 1, 1 A, the joint 5 comprising two fastening elements 6, 8. The fastening elements are butted together as shown in Figure 4 and the pin head 1 7 is struck by a hammer to drive the nose 1 9 into the bore 10 of the female fastening element 8, thereby displacing the projecting pin 11 of that element into its rubber bush 1 5. Upon appearance of the neck 20 opposite the pin 11 of the female fastening element 8, that pin, under the urge of its bush 1 5 snaps into engagement behind the shoulder 28, simultaneously the projecting pin 11 of the male fastening element 6 is radially displaced by the action of initially the surface 25 and thereafter the external periphery of the portion 23, this pin thereafter being allowed to reenter the bore 10 of the male fastening element 6 under the control of the surface 26, until the condition shown in Figure 4 is reached. In this condition, it will be appreciated that any separating forces on the rail ends 7 are resisted by the two pins 9 of each rail joint 5 engaging an adjacent shoulder 27, 28.

Claims (22)

Claims

1. A rail length to form part of a rail track comprising a fastening element secured at each rail end to be joined, the element being provided with a through bore extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the associated rail length and a projection located in a position in which it intersects the bore and being radially displaceable to a location in which it lies clear of the bore.

2. A rail length as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the bores are of circular section.

3. A rail length as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the fastening elements are secured by welding.

4. A rail length as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein each projection is constituted by a portion of a steel pin around a central portion of which is bonded a rubber bush retained in a housing having a screw-threaded outer periphery, with each fastening element provided with a tapped hole extending radially to its through bore, into which hole the retainer housing is screwed.

5. A rail length as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the fastening element is provided with a head engageable by a tool to withdraw the projection from the through bore.

6. A rail length as defined in any one of Claims 1 to 5, provided at one end with a male fastening element housing in part a connecting pin, and provided at its other end with a female fastening element adapted to receive a portion of a connecting pin of an adjacent, similar rail length.

7. A rail length as defined in Claim 6 wherein the pin is provided at one end with an enlarged head.

8. A rail length as claimed in Claim 6 or Claim 7 wherein the bores and the pin are of circular section.

9. A rail length as claimed in any one of'Claims 6 to 8, wherein the fastening elements are secured by welding to their respective ends of the rail lengths.

10. A rail length as claimed in any one of Claims 6 to 9 wherein the pin is provided with a frusto-conical nose.

11. A rail length as claimed in any one of Claims 6 to 10 wherein other frusto-conical surfaces connect inner ends of the necks to the full diameter of the pin, a radially extending shoulder defining the outer end of each neck.

12. A rail length as claimed in any one of Claims 6 to 11, wherein each projection is constituted by a portion of a steel pin around a central portion of which is bonded a rubber bush retained in a housing having screw-threaded outer periphery, with each fastening element provided with a tapped hole extending-radially to its through bore, into which hole the retainer housing is screwed.

13. A rail joint comprising two rail lengths as defined in any preceding Claim, the through bores of each fastening element being co-axial and a connecting pin of length approximating to the overall length of the two abutting fastening elements being inserted into the co-axial bores, the pin having two axially spaced necks one of which in the inserted position is located opposite each projection.

14. A rail joint as defined in Claim 13 wherein the pin is provided at one end with an enlarged head.

15. A rail joint as claimed in Claim 13 or Claim 14, wherein the bores and the pin are of circular section.

1 6. A rail joint as claimed in any one of Claims 13 to 15, wherein the fastening elements are secured by welding to their respective ends of the rail lengths.

17. A rail joint as claimed in any one of Claims 1 3 to 1 6 wherein the pin is provided with a frusto-conical nose.

18. A rail joint as claimed in any one of Claims 1 3 to 1 7 wherein other frusto-conical surfaces connect inner ends of the necks to the full diameter of the pin, a radially extending shoulder defining the outer end of each neck.

19. A rail joint as claimed in any one of Claims 13 to 1 8 wherein each projection is constituted by a portion of a steel pin around a central portion of which is bonded a rubber bush retained in a housing having a screw-threaded outer periphery, with each fastening element provided with a tapped hole extending raially to its through bore, into which hole the retainer housing is screwed.

20. A rail length to form part of a rail track substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

21. A rail length as claimed in Claim 6 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

22. A rail joint as claimed in Claim 13 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.