Apparatus and a method for use in making a railway rail-fastening clip
AssigneePandrol Limited
InventorPeter E. Checkley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Part of a red-hot metal rod between the ends of the rod is supported and first and second bending members are displaced, preferably simultaneously, to bend parts of the rod on both sides of said part around respective forming surfaces to produce two U-bends substantially without movement of said part. Then the two end portions of the rod point in substantially opposite directions and overlap without touching one another. Preferably the rod bent in this way, still red-hot, proceeds to another location where it is bent further to produce a railway rail-fastening clip of the desired final shape.
Claims20
Apparatus for use in making railway rail-fastening clips comprising support means capable of supporting a part of a red-hot metal rod, which part is between the ends of the rod, first and second supports, first and second members mounted on the first and second supports, respectively, first and second forming surfaces on the first and second members, respectively, first and second displaceable bending members mounted on the first and second supports, respectively, means for displacing the bending members relative to the first and second forming surfaces, respectively, so that they bend the parts of the rod on both sides of said part about the first and second forming surfaces, respectively, and produce two U-bends in the rod, substantially without movement of said part of the rod, with the result that the end portions of the rod point in substantially opposite directions and overlap without touching one another and means for producing relative motion between the supports so that they come apart to allow the bent rod to move away from the zone in which it was bent.
An installation for use in making railway rail-fastening clips comprising a first apparatus comprising support means capable of supporting a part of a redhot metal rod, which part is between the ends of the rod, first and second supports, first and second members mounted on the first and second supports, respectively, first and second forming surfaces on the first and second members, respectively, first and second displaceable bending members mounted on the first and second supports, respectively, means for displacing the bending members relative to the first and second forming surfaces, respectively, so that they bend the parts of the rod on both sides of said part about the first and second forming surfaces, respectively, and produce two U-bends in the rod, substantially without movement of said part of the rod, with the result that the end portions of the rod point in substantially opposite directions and overlap without touching one another and means for producing relative motion between the supports so that they move apart to allow the bent rod to move away from the zone in which it was bent, and said installation further comprising a second apparatus for performing a second bending operation on the rod.
A method of making a railway rail-fastening clip including supporting a part of a red-hot metal rod, which part is between the ends of the rod, and displacing first and second bending members relative to first and second forming surfaces, respectively, so that they bend the parts of the rod on both sides of said part about said first and second forming surfaces, respectively, substantially without movement of said part of the rod, with the result that two U-bends are formed in the rod, said part remaining substantially straight and constituting one limb of each U, and the end portions of the rod point in substantially opposite directions and overlap without touching one another and are spaced apart laterally by a distance greater than the thickness of the rod.
A method of making a railway fastening clip as claimed in claim 11, wherein:
- the other limb of at least one of the U's is substantially straight and substantially parallel to said part.
A process for making a railway rail-fastening clip comprising a first method carried out in a first zone and including supporting a part of a red-hot metal rod, which part is between the ends of the rod, and displacing first and second bending members relative to first and second forming surfaces, respectively, so that they bend the parts of the rod on both sides of said part about said first and second forming surfaces, respectively, substantially without movement of said part of the rod, with the result that two U-bends are formed in the rod, said part remaining substantially straight and constituting one limb of each U, and the end portions of the rod point in substantially opposite directions and overlap without touching one another and are spaced apart laterally by a distance greater than the thickness of the rod and said process further comprising, subsequent to the first method, a second bending method performed on the rod at a second zone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.