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US 11,732,423 B2Granted
Spring anchor assembly for track rail and spring anchor insulator for same
AssigneeProgress Rail Services Corporation
InventorEdward Constantine
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A spring anchor assembly for fastening track rail includes a spring anchor having a hook end, a tail end, and a middle section. An insulator is fitted upon the spring anchor and includes a plurality of rib walls extending fore and aft between a first outer insulator wall and a second outer insulator wall. The outer insulator walls form downward depending wall sections extending, respectively, from termination locations of the rib walls to the lower peripheral edges. A channel is formed between the wall sections and receives the middle section, contacted by the plurality of rib walls at the termination locations. The insulator insulates the spring anchor to limit leaking electrical currents from the track rail to ground.
Claims17
A spring anchor assembly for fastening track rail upon a tie comprising:
- a spring anchor including an elongate spring body having a hook end, a tail end, and a middle section;
- an insulator fitted upon the spring anchor and including an upper insulator side exposed between the hook end and the tail end, a lower insulator side, and a first outer insulator wall and a second outer insulator wall extending downward from the upper insulator side;
- the first outer insulator wall and the second outer insulator wall each include an upper peripheral edge extending along the upper insulator side, and a lower peripheral edge extending curvilinearly along the lower insulator side;
- the insulator further including a plurality of rib walls extending fore and aft from the first outer insulator wall to the second outer insulator wall, and downward from the upper insulator side to termination locations spaced upward from the lower peripheral edges;
- the first outer insulator wall and the second outer insulator wall form a first downward depending wall section and a second downward depending wall section extending, respectively, from the termination locations to the lower peripheral edges;
- a channel is formed fore and aft between the first downward depending wall section and the second downward depending wall section;
- and
- the middle section is received in the channel and contacted by the plurality of rib walls at each of the termination locations,
- wherein the plurality of rib walls form drain channels opening at the upper insulator side, and opening to the channel formed by the first downward depending wall section and the second downward depending wall section.
6 more elements
A spring anchor insulator comprising:
- an insulator body including an upper insulator side having an upper insulator surface extending between a first lateral insulator end and a second lateral insulator end, and a lower insulator side;
- the insulator body further including a first outer insulator wall and a second outer insulator wall each including an upper peripheral edge extending linearly along the upper insulator side, and a lower peripheral edge extending curvilinearly along the lower insulator side;
- the insulator body further including a plurality of rib walls extending fore and aft from the first insulator wall to the second insulator wall, and downward from the upper insulator side to termination locations spaced upward from the lower peripheral edges;
- the first outer insulator wall and the second outer insulator wall form a first downward depending wall section and a second downward depending wall section extending from the termination locations to the respective lower peripheral edges;
- and
- a channel is formed fore and aft between the first downward depending wall section and the second downward depending wall section and has a curvilinear shape between the first lateral insulator end and the second lateral insulator end to receive a curved middle section of a spring anchor,
- wherein the plurality of rib walls form drain channels opening at the upper insulator side, and to the channel formed between the first downward depending wall section and the second downward depending wall section.
4 more elements
A spring anchor insulator comprising:
- an insulator body including an upper insulator side having an upper insulator surface extending between a first lateral insulator end and a second lateral insulator end, and a lower insulator side;
- the insulator body further including a first outer insulator wall and a second outer insulator wall spaced apart in a fore and aft direction;
- the first outer insulator wall and the second outer insulator wall each including a planar outer face, an upper peripheral edge extending along the upper insulator side, and a lower peripheral edge extending along the lower insulator side;
- and
- the insulator body further including a plurality of anchor contact surfaces arranged in a curvilinear pattern between the first lateral insulator end and the second lateral insulator end, and spaced upwardly from the lower peripheral edges so as to form a channel between the first outer insulator wall and the second outer insulator wall, for receiving a curved middle section of a spring anchor,
- wherein the plurality of anchor contact surfaces are formed upon a plurality of rib walls forming drain channels extending between the upper insulator side and the lower insulator side.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.