Method and kit for the application of a permanent electrical contact to the web of rails and the like

Method for applying a permanent electrical contact to a hole (2) of a metal wall portion (1), particularly of a railway rail web or a tubular profile, comprising the steps of:

• providing a bush (12) with a tubular stem (13) having a distal end (14) and a proximal end (15),
• providing a punch (11) having an elongate shaft (16) with a distal end (17) and a proximal end (18), an enlarged expansion portion (19) arranged near the distal end (17) of the shaft (16) and a connecting portion (20) arranged near the proximal end (18) of the shaft (16), providing a pulling device (21) having a distal abutment portion (22) and a pulling mechanism (23) with a pull connector (24) adapted to engage the connecting portion (20) of the punch (11) and to pull it proximally with respect to the abutment portion (22),
• inserting the punch (11) in a passage hole (25) of the tubular stem (13) of the bush (12) so that the connecting portion (20) protrudes proximally from the proximal end (15) of the tubular stem (13) and the expansion portion (19) is located at the distal end (14) of the tubular stem (13),
• connecting the connecting portion (20) of the punch (11) to the pull connector (24) of the pulling device (21) to connect the preassembled bush (12)-punch (11)-unit with the pulling device (21),
• inserting the preassembled bush (12)-punch (11)-unit from a proximal side of the wall portion (1) distally in the hole (2),
• activating the pulling mechanism (23) of the pulling device (21) to pull the punch (11) with its expansion portion (19) proximally through the passage hole (25) of the tubular stem (13), while the distal abutment portion (22) pushes in stationary relationship in a distal direction against the proximal end (15) of the bush (12), thereby radially expanding the tubular stem (13) and permanently anchoring the bush (12) in the hole (2).