Curved insulated rail joint bar and methods for making same
AssigneeL. B. Foster Company
InventorsSidney Shue, Faizan Ansari
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rail joint bar, comprising: a first side and a second side; wherein the first side has a longitudinal axis and a first outer surface curved convexly or concavely along the longitudinal axis and wherein the first outer surface defines a rounded shape conforming to and fitting within a concavely or convexly curved channel of a side of a curved railroad rail joint, wherein the concavely or convexly curved channel is defined by a web, a head and a foot of the railroad rail joint; and wherein the second side has a second outer surface that has a flat surface following the same curvature of the first side.
Claims20
A rail joint bar, comprising:
- a first side and a second side;
- wherein the first side has a longitudinal axis and a first outer surface curved convexly along the longitudinal axis and wherein the first outer surface defines a rounded shape conforming to and fitting within a concavely curved channel of a side of a curved railroad rail joint, wherein the concavely curved channel is defined by a web, a head and a foot of the railroad rail joint;
- and
- wherein the second side has a second outer surface that has a flat surface following the same curvature of the first side.
A rail joint bar, comprising:
- a first side and a second side;
- wherein the first side has a longitudinal axis and a first outer sui face curved concavely along the longitudinal axis and wherein the first outer surface defines a shape conforming to and fitting within a convexly curved channel of a side of a curved railroad rail joint, wherein the convexly curved channel is defined by a web, a head and a foot of the railroad rail joint;
- wherein the second side has a second outer surface that has a flat surface following the same curvature of the first side.
A method of making a curved rail joint bar having a plurality of bolt holes disposed along a longitudinal center line of the rail joint bar, wherein half of the plurality of bolt holes are equally-spaced on a first half of the rail joint bar and the other half of the plurality of bolt holes are equally-spaced on a second half of the rail joint bar, comprising:
- providing a blank rail joint bar without bolt holes, wherein the blank rail joint bar has a first side and a second side;
- wherein the first side has a longitudinal axis and a first outer surface defining a rounded shape conforming to and fitting within a channel of a side of a railroad rail joint, wherein the channel is defined by a web, a head and a foot of the railroad rail joint;
- and wherein the second side of the blank rail joint bar has a second outer surface that is flat;
- drilling all but the two innermost of the plurality of bolt holes into the blank rail joint bar;
- straightening the blank rail joint bar;
- immobilizing first and second ends of the blank rail joint bar;
- pushing on a center of the second outer surface to place the blank rail joint bar under load;
- releasing the load to produce a convex curve along the longitudinal axis of the first outer surface;
- and drilling the two innermost of the plurality of bolt holes into the blank rail joint bar.
A method of making a curved rail joint bar having a plurality of bolt holes disposed along a longitudinal center line of the rail joint bar, wherein half of the plurality of bolt holes are equally-spaced on a first half of the rail joint bar and the other half of the plurality of bolt holes are equally-spaced on a second half of the rail joint bar, comprising:
- providing a blank rail joint bar without bolt holes, wherein the blank rail joint bar has a first side and a second side;
- wherein the first side has a longitudinal axis and a first outer surface defining a rounded shape conforming to and fitting within a channel of a side of a railroad rail joint, wherein the channel is defined by a web, a head and a foot of the railroad rail joint;
- and wherein the second side of the blank rail joint bar has a second outer surface that is flat;
- drilling all but the two innermost of the plurality of bolt holes into the blank rail joint bar;
- straightening the blank rail joint bar;
- immobilizing first and second ends of the blank rail joint bar;
- pushing on a center of the first outer surface to place the blank rail joint bar under load;
- releasing the load to produce a concave curve along the longitudinal axis of the first outer surface;
- and
- drilling the two innermost of the plurality of bolt holes into the blank rail joint bar.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.