Steel tie insulating saddle
AssigneeUnited States Steel Corporation
InventorJoseph M. Wandrisco
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A unitized insulating element for use with a steel cross tie is provided. The insulating element is operative to electrically insulate the rail from the steel tie, from retaining elements associated with the tie which prevent lateral movement of the rail relative to the tie and from rail anchors which prevent longitudinal movement of the rail relative to the tie. The insulating element permits use of the rail as an on-line signal control conveying device when steel ties are used and is configured as a tie plate substitute from providing an inwardly-directed cant for the rail to be retained thereon.
Claims10
A unitized insulative element for use with a steel cross tie having associated rail retaining elements for preventing lateral movement of a rail on such steel tie and rail anchors for preventing longitudinal movement of such rail relative to such steel tie, said unitized insulative element comprising:
- insulating base means adapted to be positioned between such rail and such steel tie for insulating the one from the other;
- upwardly depending insulating detent means for insulating such rail retaining elements of such tie from such steel tie, said upwardly depending detent means being configured to provide means, relative to said base means and such associated rail retaining elements, for preventing movement of said unitized insulative element in a direction parallel to such railroad rail and in a direction normal thereto;
- and
- downwardly depending insulating means for insulating such steel tie from such rail anchors and additionally, for preventing movement of said unitized insulative element in a direction parallel to such railroad tie.
In combination,
- a steel tie, having integrally formed means for retaining a rail thereto and preventing movement of such rail relative to said tie, said rail being prevented from longitudinal movement relative to said tie by the use of rail anchors attached to such rail and which butt against a portion of said tie, and
- a unitized insulative member for electrically insulating the rail from said steel tie, said integrally formed retaining means and such rail anchors such that such rail may be employed for signal control purposes without being shorted out by said tie, said retaining means or such rail anchors, said unitized insulative member being configured having at least one means for preventing movement of said member relative to said steel tie in a direction parallel to the rail.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.