Rail anchor

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including an apparatus that is a rail anchor comprising a head, a tail, and a belly section. The belly section comprises a top surface, a bottom surface, and two side surfaces. Each side surface comprises a contact-bearing surface area. The head comprises a bend along a length of the head. The tail comprises a notch. Each contact-bearing surface area has a surface area of at least 3 square inches and is adapted to extend at least 1.5 inches downward from the top of a railroad track crosstie along a side of the railroad track crosstie.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing one or more rail anchors for a railroad track structure, comprising the steps of: for each of said one or more rail anchors: feeding a bar into a press, wherein the bar is oriented so that a height of a cross section of the bar is greater than a width of the cross section of the bar; forging each end of said bar to form, at each end, a shorter and wider profile, wherein a middle section of said bar is left having an original profile to form a belly section having a top surface, a bottom surface, and two side surfaces; forming a rail anchor shape; forming a jaw and a tail on said rail anchor, wherein said jaw comprises a widened top surface along the length of a jaw opening, said widened top surface widened with respect to a width of said top surface of said belly section, said widened top surface comprising widened opposed upper and lower surfaces of said jaw opening; and forming a notch near said tail; quenching said one or more rail anchors; cooling said one or more rail anchors; and tempering said cooled rail anchors; wherein each rail anchor has a contact-bearing surface of at least 3.0 square inches and is adapted to extend at least 1.5 inches downward from the top of a railroad track crosstie along a side of the railroad track crosstie.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: inspecting said rail anchors; testing said rail anchors; and packaging said rail anchors.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said quenching utilizes a quench tank comprising oil.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said rail anchor is formed at a temperature in a range of about 1900 degrees Fahrenheit to 2300 degrees Fahrenheit, and said cooled rail anchor is tempered at a temperature in a range of about 700 degrees Fahrenheit to 1000 degrees Fahrenheit.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said rail anchor is formed at a temperature of about 2100 degrees Fahrenheit, and tempering said cooled rail anchors occurs at a temperature of about 800 degrees Fahrenheit for at least one hour.

6. A method of installing a rail anchor on a railroad track structure, comprising the steps of: anchoring a rail with a rail anchor comprising a contact-bearing surface area adapted to contact a railroad track crosstie; wherein said rail anchor comprises a head, a tail, and a belly section; wherein said belly section comprises a top surface, a bottom surface, and two side surfaces; wherein said head comprises a bend along a length of said head, said bend comprising a jaw opening; wherein said head comprises a widened top surface along a length of said head, said widened top surface widened with respect to a width of said top surface of said belly section, said widened top surface comprising widened opposed upper and lower surfaces of said jaw opening; wherein each of said side surfaces comprises said contact-bearing surface area; wherein said contact-bearing surface area has a surface area of at least 3 square inches; and wherein said increased bearing surface area is adapted to extend at least 1.5 inches downward from the top of the railroad track crosstie along a side of the railroad track crosstie in said railroad track structure.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said contact-bearing surface area has a surface area of about 5.5 square inches.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIGS. 1, 1A and 1B show different views of an example rail anchor.

(2) FIG. 2 shows an example longitudinal cross section of an installed version of the rail anchor.

(3) FIGS. 3A and 3B show steps of an example process for forming the head and the tail.

(4) FIG. 4 shows an example process for manufacturing rail anchors.

(5) Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements.

DESCRIPTION

(6) FIG. 1 shows an example rail anchor 10 in accordance with this disclosure. The rail anchor 10 includes a head 12 (comprising an ear 14 and a jaw 16), a tail 18, and a belly section 20. The belly section 20 includes a top surface 22, a bottom surface 24, and two side surfaces 26. The side surfaces 26 are on opposite sides of the rail anchor 10 (e.g., only one side surface 26 is shown in FIG. 1). Each side surface 26 includes a contact-bearing surface area 28 for contacting the side of a railroad track crosstie. In some implementations, each contact-bearing surface area 28 includes an increased surface area 30, depicted in FIG. 1 as shaded portions of the contact-bearing surface area 28. The un-shaded portion of the contact-bearing surface area 28 corresponds to existing rail anchors having smaller contact-bearing surface areas, or alternatively to existing rail anchors having increased contact-bearing surface areas wherein the increased contact-bearing surface area is adapted to engage with an upper portion of a crosstie. As shown in FIG. 1, the contact-bearing surface area 28, having its increased surface area 30, is adapted to engage with and stabilize lower or deeper portions of a crosstie as compared with existing rail anchors. In other words, as shown in FIG. 1, a substantial portion of the advantageously increased contact-bearing surface area 28 is below a plane 29 that is perpendicular to the view depicted in FIG. 1.

(7) As an example, the rail anchor 10 in accordance with this disclosure may have a contact-bearing surface area 28 of about 5.6 square inches, whereas a typical rail anchor in current use may have a contact-bearing surface area of approximately 2.9 square inches. In this example, the improved rail anchor 10 of this disclosure has a contact-bearing surface area 28 more than 93% larger than existing rail anchors. As shown in FIG. 1, a significant portion of the increased surface area 30, compared with existing rail anchors in current use, is located on the bottom or lower portion of the rail anchor 10, such that the contact-bearing surface area 28 can contact and engage with lower or deeper portions of a crosstie. In this embodiment, the improved rail anchor 10 of this disclosure can provide improved bearing and support, including as the crosstie deteriorates over time.

(8) FIG. 1A shows an example cross section 32 of a steel member 34 (e.g., a steel bar or rod) that may be used as the starting material for the manufacture of the rail anchor 10. For example, the steel member 34 can start as a substantially straight piece of steel before the shape of the rail anchor 10 is formed during the manufacturing process. The shape of the cross section 32 is present throughout substantially most of the belly section 20, as indicated by the top surface 22, the bottom surface 24, and the side surface 26 shown in FIGS. 1 and 1A. In some implementations, the contact-bearing surface area 28 can be at least 3.0 square inches and can be adapted to extend at least 1.5 inches downward from the top of a railroad track crosstie along a side of the railroad track crosstie. In some implementations, the contact-bearing surface area 28 can be about 5.5 square inches. This improved design increases the contact-bearing surface area 28 in the lower part of the rail anchor 10, which is advantageous for longer and better support and life of the anchored track structure, without requiring an increase in rail anchor weight. For example, the design of the rail anchor 10 avoids the requirement for additional weight that would be needed in order to increase the contact-bearing surface area 28. The design further avoids any resulting undesirable increase in the materials cost of the finished rail anchor 10, as well as significant changes to installation equipment.

(9) FIG. 1B shows an example reshaped cross section 36 that can be used for the head 12 and the tail 18 of the rail anchor 10. In some implementations, the reshaped cross section 36 can include a widened contacting surface 38 that can be formed from the steel member 34 that originally has the substantially rectangular shape of the cross section 32. By comparison, the bell shape of the reshaped cross section 36 includes the widened contacting surface 38 and an un-widened non-contacting surface 40 that can be substantially similar to the bottom surface 24. In some implementations, the widened contacting surface 38 in the head 12 and the tail 18 can provide an increased contacting area where the rail anchor 10 contacts the railroad rail (not shown) after installation of the rail anchor 10. The widened contacting surface 38 can be formed into the rail anchor 10 without increasing the overall weight or the amount of material used in manufacturing. This is because the reshaped cross section 36 represents a reshaping of the steel member 34. In some implementations, as shown by the cross section 32, the steel member 34 has a width of about 0.65 inches and a height of about 1.156 inches. Other implementations have different dimensions of the steel member 34. In some implementations, as shown by the reshaped cross section 36, the steel member 34, after it has been reshaped during the manufacturing process, has a width of about 1.0 inches and a height of about 1.0 inches. Other implementations have different dimensions of the reshaped cross section 36.

(10) Using a longer axis of the bar stock and inducing a bell-shaped cross section in the head 12 and jaw 16 can resist yielding, i.e., jaw gap widening, thereby maintaining designed holding force to the rail and lessening rail anchor slippage. These characteristics can also lead to better performance during reapplication of rail anchors.

(11) In some implementations, the height of the contact-bearing surface area 28 that hangs below the plane 29 representing the top of a crosstie and where the rail anchor 10 contacts the side of the crosstie can be about 2.4 inches. In some implementations, the portions of the rail anchor 10 that can have a cross-sectional shape that matches the reshaped cross-section 36 can include the head 12 and the tail 18, providing a modified profile 42 on the rail anchor 10. For example, the modified profile 42 can extend from the end of the ear 14 to a transition point 44a, at which point the cross-sectional shape of the rail anchor 10 matches the shape of the cross section 32. Similarly, a transition point 44b can mark the point along the rail anchor 10 at which ends the cross-sectional shape of the belly section 20 having a shape matching the cross section 32. At the a transition point 44b, the cross-sectional shape of the rail anchor 10 transitions toward having a shape matching the reshaped cross section 36 present in most of the tail 18. Contour lines 46 in the modified profile 42 correspond to major curves 48 in the reshaped cross section 36.

(12) In some implementations, a middle portion of the belly section 20 can have a height 48 of about 1.156 inches, e.g., matching the height of the cross section 32 of the steel member 34. In some implementations, a top-to-bottom thickness 49 of a substantial portion of the head 12 can be at least about 0.875 inches, e.g., the resulting thickness of the head 12 after being bent to form the jaw 16 during the manufacturing process. In some implementations, a notch 50 formed in the tail 18 can have a height 52 of about 0.15 inches. In some implementations, a portion 54 of the tail 18 that is beyond the notch 50 can have a length of between about 0.4 to 0.8 inches. In some implementations, the jaw 16 can have an opening 56 of about 0.5 inches, e.g., slightly less than the thickness of the base of a standard rail, e.g., allowing the jaw 16 to deflect when installed and to produce a clamping force that holds the jaw 16 in place on the rail. In some implementations, a distance 58 between the most distant ends of the jaw 16 and the notch 50 can be about 6.125 inches, e.g., matching the width of the base of a standard rail. For example, the opening 56 in the jaw 16 can be sized to allow for easy and efficient installation of the rail anchor 10 onto the base of a standard rail. In some implementations, for rail anchors 10 manufactured for rails of other sizes (e.g., a 5 inch rail), the distance 58 between the most distant ends of the jaw 16 and the notch 50 can be different (e.g., about 5 inches).

(13) FIG. 2 shows an example longitudinal cross section of an installed version of the rail anchor 10 in accordance with this disclosure. The installed rail anchor 10 connects a rail 60 to a crosstie 62. The contact-bearing surface area 28 of the rail anchor 10 can fit against the edge of a crosstie 62 and can serve to support the rail 60 against the crosstie 62. In some implementations, another rail anchor 10 can be installed on the other side of the crosstie 62. The rail 60 rests on top of a tie plate 64. As shown in FIG. 2, no connection exists between the rail anchor 10 and the tie plate 64.

(14) FIGS. 3A and 3B show simulation steps 66 and 68, respectively, of an example process for forming the bell shape of the reshaped cross section 36 onto the head 12 and the tail 18. In some implementations, the reshaped cross section 36 can be formed when a die 70, in motion downward, contacts the steel member 34 and presses the steel member 34 downward, as shown by directional arrows 72. At this step 66 in the simulation, the steel member 34 has a cross-sectional shape matching the cross section 32. In this example, the steel member 34 is hot (e.g., about 2100 degrees Fahrenheit), allowing the steel member 34 to be shaped. As a result, the steel member 34 can be pressed downward, and the bottom edge of the steel member 34 can be substantially flattened against a hard surface 74, as shown in FIG. 3B. In this way, the bell shape of the reshaped cross section 36 can be formed. In some implementations, the die 70 can have substantially a bell-shaped opening, or a portion thereof, approximately slightly wider than the width of the steel member 34.

(15) FIG. 4 shows an example process 400 for manufacturing rail anchors 10 of this disclosure. A bar is fed into a press (402). The bar is oriented so that a height of a cross section of the bar is greater than a width of the cross section of the bar. For example, the steel member 34 can be fed into a press, such that the cross section of the steel member 34 is upright as shown in the cross section 32. In some implementations, the bar can be transferred to a first blow station. Each end of the bar is forged to form a shorter and wider profile, wherein a middle section of bar is left having an original profile (404). For example, during a process such as that described with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B, the bell shape of the reshaped cross section 36 ends of the bar are formed in the ends of the steel member 34 that will become the head 12 and the tail 18.

(16) In some implementations, the bar can be transferred to a second blow station. The rail anchor shape is formed (406). For example, bends in the rail anchor 10 at either end of the belly section 20 can be formed. In some implementations, the bar can be transferred to a third blow station. A jaw and a tail are formed on the rail anchor (408). For example, the jaw 16 and the tail 18 can be formed by a third blow, and as a result, the rail anchor 10 can achieve its general shape. A notch is formed near the tail (410). For example, referring to FIG. 2, the notch 50 can be formed in the tail 18. Steps in the process 400 can be repeated for other rail anchors (412). For example, other rail anchors 10 can be formed from steel members 34. In some implementations, one or more rail anchors 10 simultaneously can undergo the same manufacturing steps at any one blow station. For example, one or more of the manufacturing stations can work on rail anchors in parallel. In some implementations, the head, tail and belly sections can be formed when the rail anchor 10 is at a temperature in a range of about 1900 degrees Fahrenheit to 2300 degrees Fahrenheit (e.g., about 2100 degrees Fahrenheit).

(17) In some implementations, the rail anchors 10 can be transferred to a quenching station. In some implementations, the quenching station can include one or more quench tanks, each of which can contain oil, an oil mixture, or some other mixture. In some implementations, as each rail anchor 10 is formed into its final shape, it can be transferred to a quenching station. In some implementations, shaped rail anchors 10 can be transferred to the quenching station. One or more rail anchors are quenched (414). In some implementations, the rail anchors 10 can be removed from the quench tank for cooling. The rail anchors are cooled (416). The cooled rail anchors are tempered (418). In some implementations, rail anchors 10 can be tempered at a temperature in a range of about 700 degrees Fahrenheit to 1000 degrees Fahrenheit. In some implementations, rail anchors can be tempered at a temperature of about 800 degrees Fahrenheit for at least one hour. In some implementations, the rail anchors 10 can be inspected, tested and packaged. In some implementations, the rail anchors 10 can be inspected for dimensional accuracy. In some implementations, the rail anchors 10 can be tested for hardness (e.g., heat treat results), resistance to slipping on a rail, and resistance to impact (e.g., impacts applied to the jaw 16).

(18) To use the rail anchor 10 of this disclosure, the rail anchor 10 may be installed in a railroad track structure manually or by machine. Because of the advantageous structure in which the design provides for an increased bearing surface without increasing the weight of the finished rail anchor, the rail anchor 10 of this disclosure may be adapted to existing installation methods and equipment.

(19) Other embodiments of the rail anchor of this disclosure are within the scope of the appended claims.