Center supported bond joint

A rail joint assembly, comprising:

• first and second railroad rails having abutting ends;
• a rail joint bar attached to the abutting railroad rails, the rail joint bar including a body having a front surface and a back surface and defining a head section, a web section depending from the head section, and a base section depending from the web section;
• the web section having a plurality of holes defined in the body, wherein the holes are adapted to receive fasteners for securing a rail joint bar to two abutting railroad rails;
• a center support sleeve made of an electrically-insulating material sandwiched between a center portion of the back surface of the body of the rail joint bar and the two abutting railroad rails, the support sleeve positioned intermediate of ends of the rail joint bar and extending across the abutting ends of the first and second railroad rails, wherein the support sleeve is adapted to spread impact loads of rail cars away from a center portion of the rail joint bar;
• shapeable fiberglass mattings positioned between the back surface of the body of the rail joint bar and the first and second railroad rails at lateral portions of the rail joint bar and adjacent to the center support sleeve;
• a first layer of adhesive positioned between the center support sleeve and the first and second railroad rails and between the shapeable fiberglass mattings and the first and second railroad rails;
• and
• a second layer of adhesive positioned between the center support sleeve and the rail joint bar and between the shapeable fiberglass mattings and the rail joint bar.