Boltless rail brace

Abstract

A boltless brace assembly for a rail includes a base block interlocked with a brace, and further includes a wedge to be inserted between an upper surface of the base block and a lower surface of the brace, thereby applying an upward force to the brace and a resultant downward force to secure the rail base. The brace assembly may be modified to provide a universal brace assembly, a resilient brace assembly, or a frog base clamp.

Claims

1. An assembly to brace a rail, comprising: a brace positionable on a base of said rail, said brace having a nose portion extending away from said rail; a base block having a bottom surface and an opposed top surface, separated by a front side surface facing said rail, and an opposed rear side surface, said front side surface of said base block being interlockable with said brace and a portion of said top surface being located under said nose portion; and a wedge insertable in a channel in said top surface of said base block and at least partially below said nose portion of said brace such that said wedge applies an upward force on said nose portion of said brace and a resultant downward force on said rail base.

2. The rail brace assembly of claim 1 wherein said wedge tapers through its thickness, along its length.

3. The rail brace assembly of claim 1, further comprising a shoulder on said base block to accommodate an elastic fastener.

4. The rail brace assembly of claim 3 further comprising a locking washer placeable over a portion of said wedge to be retained by said fastener.

5. The rail brace assembly of claim 4 wherein said washer further comprises a pair of legs that extend beside said shoulder.

6. The rail brace assembly of claim 1, further comprising: a groove in said brace; and a tongue on said front side surface of said base block; wherein meshing of said groove and said tongue causes said base block and said brace to interlock.

7. The rail brace assembly of claim 1 wherein said brace does not contact the head of said rail.

8. The rail brace assembly of claim 1 further comprising a resilient element.

9. The rail brace assembly of claim 8 wherein said resilient element is between said brace and said rail.

10. The rail brace assembly of claim 8 wherein said resilient element is between said wedge and said brace.

11. The rail brace assembly of claim 8 wherein said resilient element is between said wedge and said base block.

12. The rail brace assembly of claim 1 wherein a top portion of said brace is articulated.

13. The rail brace assembly of claim 12 further comprising a resilient element between said top portion of said brace and said rail.

14. The rail brace assembly of claim 1 further comprising a shoulder on said brace to accommodate an elastic fastener.

15. The rail brace assembly of claim 14 further comprising a locking washer placeable over a portion of said wedge to be retained by said fastener.

16. The assembly of claim 1, used to brace a base of a frog, wherein said brace contacts only said base of said frog.

17. A method of installing an assembly to brace a rail comprising the steps of: placing a base block a predetermined distance from said rail, said base block having a bottom surface and an opposed top surface, separated by a front side surface facing said rail, and an opposed rear side surface; placing a brace on a base of said rail and between said rail and said base block such that said brace interlocks with said front side surface of said base block and a nose portion of said brace extends above said top surface of said base block; inserting a wedge into a channel provided in said top surface of said base block until at least a portion of said wedge fits snugly under said nose portion of said brace such that said wedge applies an upward force on an underside of said nose portion and a resultant downward force on said rail base.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said wedge tapers through its thickness, along its length.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of installing a fastener in a shoulder on said base block, wherein said fastener bears on a top surface of said wedge.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of providing a locking washer on top of said wedge.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein at least one of said locking washer, said wedge and said nose portion comprises a serrated surface.

22. The method of claim 20 further comprising the step of installing a fastener in a shoulder on said base block, wherein said fastener bears on a top surface of said locking washer.

23. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of providing a resilient element between said brace and said rail.

24. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of providing a resilient element between said wedge and said brace.

25. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of providing a resilient element between said wedge and said base block.

26. The method of claim 17 wherein said assembly is used to brace a base of a frog and said brace contacts only said base of said frog.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) At least one mode for carrying out the invention in terms of one or more examples will be described by reference to the drawings thereof in which:

(2) FIG. 1a is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the rail brace assembly of the invention;

(3) FIG. 1b is a side view of the rail brace assembly of FIG. 1a;

(4) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a base block of the rail brace assembly of FIG. 1;

(5) FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the base block of FIG. 2, taken along line A-A;

(6) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a brace of the rail brace assembly of FIG. 1;

(7) FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the brace of FIG. 4, taken along line B-B;

(8) FIG. 6 is a top view of a wedge of the rail brace assembly of FIG. 1;

(9) FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the wedge of FIG. 6, taken along line C-C;

(10) FIGS. 8a and 8b are perspective and side views, respectively, of the rail brace assembly of FIG. 1 including an optional locking washer and spring clip;

(11) FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a locking washer for the rail brace assembly as shown in FIG. 8;

(12) FIG. 10 is a sectional view of the locking washer of FIG. 9, taken along line D-D;

(13) FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the rail brace assembly of the invention;

(14) FIG. 12 is a side view of the rail brace assembly of FIG. 11;

(15) FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the rail brace assembly of the invention;

(16) FIG. 14 is a side view of the rail brace assembly of FIG. 13;

(17) FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the rail brace assembly of the invention;

(18) FIG. 16 is a side view of the rail brace assembly of FIG. 15;

(19) FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a fifth embodiment of the rail brace assembly of the invention;

(20) FIG. 18 is a side view of the rail brace assembly of FIG. 17;

(21) FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a sixth embodiment of the rail brace assembly of the invention;

(22) FIG. 20 is a side view of the rail brace assembly of FIG. 19;

(23) FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a seventh embodiment of the rail brace assembly of the invention, in use as a frog base clamp; and

(24) FIG. 22 is a sectional view of the frog base clamp of FIG. 21.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AT LEAST ONE MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION IN TERMS OF EXAMPLE(S)

(25) In a first embodiment, best shown in FIGS. 1a-7, the invention comprises a boltless rail brace assembly 10 including a base block 12 mounted on a tie plate 14, interlocking with a brace 38 and a wedge 60. The tie plate 14 comprises a rail seat 16 to accommodate the base of a rail 18. The base block 12 is essentially a rectangular block having bottom 20, top 22 and two side 24 surfaces, along with a rear surface 26, which faces away from the rail seat 16, and an opposed nose 28 that faces towards the rail seat 16. In the embodiment shown, the nose 28 includes a tongue 30 that extends towards the rail seat 16, when the base block 12 is in place on the tie plate 14. In some embodiments, such as that shown in FIGS. 8-10, a shoulder 32 to retain an elastic fastener, such as spring clip 34, may be fastened to the top surface 22 of the base block 12; however, the spring clip (and the shoulder to retain it) is not necessary for the rail brace assembly 10 to perform its rail bracing function and may be omitted. The top surface 22 also contains a channel 36, preferably running in a direction substantially parallel to the rail axis. The rear surface 26 may be curved, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, or may be a vertical face or any other suitable configuration as required to accommodate and provide clearance for any installation hardware, such as clips, holding the plate down to the tie. The base block 12 may be a substantially solid block, or, as shown, may have one or more cavities 35 in its body to reduce the overall weight and cost of the base block 12.

(26) The brace 38 comprises an angled vertical rear surface 40, which is shaped to substantially abut the web 42 of rail 18, although a space 43, may be left, for example to accommodate a rail heater. In the embodiment shown, the top 44 of the brace 38 is shaped to abut the underside of the rail head 46, while the bottom surface 48 of the brace 38 is shaped to rest on top of the rail base 50. The front side 52 of the brace 38, being the side that faces away from the rail seat 16, includes a groove 54, preferably running in a direction substantially parallel to the rail axis. Above the groove 54, a nose 56 extends away from the rail seat 16. The front edge 58 of the nose 56 is preferably at least partially serrated. It will be understood that a reverse interlocking configuration may be used; i.e. the nose 28 of base block 12 may be provided with a groove while the front side 52 of the brace 38 is provided with a tongue.

(27) The wedge 60 comprises an approximately rectangular piece, sized to fit snugly fit into the channel 36 in the top surface 22 of the base block 12 and underneath the nose 56 of the brace 38. The thickness of wedge 60 preferably tapers along its length, as best seen in FIG. 7, which may assist with insertion of the wedge between the base block 12 and the brace 38. The top surface 62 of the wedge 60 is preferably at least partially serrated 64, and may be relatively smooth otherwise.

(28) In use, the brace 38 slides between the rail web 42 and the base block 12, so that the brace groove 54 interlocks with tongue 30 of the base block 12, while the bottom surface 48 of the brace 38 abuts the rail base 50. The nose 56 of the brace 38 extends towards and slightly over the channel 36. The wedge 60 slides into the channel 36, smooth side under the nose 56 of the brace 38, until the wedge 60 fits snugly with the brace nose 56. In this configuration, the essentially upward force applied by the wedge 60 to the underside of the nose 56 results in a rotational force in the brace 38 around the tongue 30 of the base block 12, thereby causing the rail brace assembly 10 to provide a downward force primarily on the rail base 50. This restraining force is applied to the rail, holding it in place, even without the need for an elastic fastener or other force applied to the exposed portion of the wedge 60. In contrast to the prior art references discussed earlier, the clamping force is not merely a downward force provided on the toe of a brace by the toe of the spring clip and/or a wedge near the brace toe, removed from the rail base 50. Instead, the force is applied quite near or directly to the rail base 50 and against rail web 42, making the entire brace assembly stronger and more secure, even without the additional force that may be provided by an elastic fastener. This transfer of an upward force applied by the wedge 60 on the underside of the brace 38 to a downward force on the bottom of the brace 38 and then to the rail base 50, occurs whether the interlock between the brace groove 54 and tongue 30 is rounded as shown, or is of another configuration, such as squared or otherwise angled. It follows that the shape of the interlock is preferably rounded, but may be otherwise.

(29) Optionally, locking washer 66, which is an approximately U-shaped piece having a rear surface 68, an opposed front surface 70 with a pair of extending legs 72, and top 74 and bottom 76 surfaces, may be used with a spring clip 34 or similar elastic fastener to maintain the alignment of the rail brace assembly 10, as best shown in FIGS. 8a-10. The washer is preferably tapered from rear 68 to front 70. Rear surface 68 is preferably at least partially serrated 78; bottom surface 76 is likewise preferably at least partially serrated 80.

(30) The locking washer 66 is placed on top of wedge 60 with the serrated underside 78 overlying serrated area 64 on wedge 60, while the rear serrated surface 78 meshes with the serrated front edge 58 of the nose 56. The interlocking of the serrated portions of the brace assembly 10 provide a friction fit between the brace 38, wedge 60 and locking washer 66. The legs 72 of the locking washer 66 sit on either side of shoulder 32, preventing movement of the washer in the direction substantially parallel to the rail axis.

(31) The spring clip 34 may then be installed, with one leg 84 being retained by the shoulder 32 on the base block 12 and the toe 86 bearing on the exposed top surface of the locking washer 66. This downward pressure on the locking washer 66 provides a downward force on the exposed top surface 64 of the wedge 60, forcing the wedge 60, locking washer 66 and brace 38 more tightly together and providing additional support to the assembly 10. The spring clip bears directly on the locking washer 66, and then on to wedge 60. Alternatively, the locking washer 66 may be omitted and the spring clip 34 may bear directly on the top surface 62, which may be fully or partially serrated, or which may not be serrated, of the wedge 60. It does not bear directly on the brace 38, nor does it apply any generally downward force on the brace 38. The toe strength of the spring clip 34 is therefore not the limiting factor in determining the resistance of the rail brace assembly 10 to rollover or lateral forces.

(32) It is also contemplated that the brace 38 may be provided in a more universal configuration. Typically, a brace must be designed with an appropriate size to specifically match the height of a rail section (115RE, 133RE, 136RE, etc.) where it is to be installed, in order to fit snugly and to allow the brace to properly wedge against the head and base of the rail. In the present invention, the brace is effectively clamped to the rail primarily at the rail base, via the pressure applied by the wedge through rotation of the brace about the tongue of the base block. Because the top of the brace does not exert any real force directly on the rail head, an embodiment of brace 38a could be provided wherein some or most of the brace 38a could substantially be eliminated above about the centerline 88 of the rail web, as best shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. This configuration would be applicable to several different, if not all, rail sections, making it possible to install the same brace assembly at any point in a track without the need to worry whether the brace matches the profile of the rail section.

(33) There has been an interest in the industry in adding resilience to stock rails to better manage lateral loads applied by wheels. In a third embodiment of the invention, best shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, a resilient element 90 has been added in order to cushion the assembly. The resilient element 90 may be made of a suitable material; for example, a conventional material such as a steel spring may be used, or an engineered polymer such as polyurethane or rubber. The resilient element 90 is shown as a pad, but could be fashioned as a compression coil spring, a leaf spring, a torsional spring or a polymer or rubber compression element, as well as any other suitable configuration and material. In the brace assembly of FIGS. 13 and 14, the resilient element 90 is illustrated as being placed below the wedge 60 and the base block 12. It may be a separate or integral part of the wedge 60. It will be understood that the exact location of a resilient element 90 may vary. In a further embodiment of the invention, best shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, the top portion 44a of the brace 38a can be articulated to the body of the brace 38a and a resilience established between the two components by fitting resilient element 90a as a pad between the brace 38a and the web 42 of the rail 18. Again, the exact form of the resilient element 90a may also vary, as may the location.

(34) In a further embodiment of the invention, best shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the shoulder 32 may be attached to the body of the brace 38, rather than to the base block 12. The clip 34 is still positioned for the toe 86 to exert force on the exposed top surface 74 of the locking washer 66, and the overall forces are therefore identical to those in the first embodiment. This may provide a more compact, lightweight and/or cost-effective arrangement than having the shoulder 32 on the top of the base block 12, as the length of the base block can be significantly shortened.

(35) A universal embodiment of the rail brace assembly in which the shoulder 32 is attached to the body of the brace 38a is shown in FIGS. 17 and 18.

(36) In a further application, a version of the brace could be employed as a frog base clamp 92. This device is typically used to adjust gauge in the frog area, compensate for irregular frog base footprints, and/or clamp a frog firmly to a baseplate. As best shown in FIGS. 21 and 22, the clamp 92 may utilize the same wedge/rotating brace design as the rail brace assembly but the brace 38b need not necessarily contact sidewall 94 of the frog 96. Otherwise the parts of the brace 38b are the same as in previous embodiments, as are the other parts of the assembly, including the base block 12 and wedge 60. Shoulder 32 and an elastic fastener, such as spring clip 34, may be provided along with locking washer 66, but as with the other embodiments, it will be understood that these components are not strictly necessary for the brace assembly to retain the frog base 98.

(37) In the foregoing description, exemplary modes for carrying out the invention in terms of examples have been described. However, the scope of the claims should not be limited by those examples, but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent with the description as a whole. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.