Fastening rails to wooden sleepers

A rail fastening system comprising a wooden rail tie, a rail having a longitudinal axis and a vertical centerline establishing a vertical plane, a rail plate positioned between the tie and the rail, two pairs of attachment means associated with each rail plate, each pair being located on opposite sides of the rail and each attachment means is alongside of the rail to secure the plate to the wooden tie, each attachment means including a clamp-receiving recess and further having located below said recess, a spike portion extending through the plate and into the tie and having a longitudinal axis disposed in a plane substantially parallel to said vertical plane, and an elastic rail clamp associated with each pair of attachment means, the clamp having one portion lying on the rail flange and another portion held within opposed facing clamp-receiving recesses of the associated pair of attachment means, wherein said spike portion of said attachment means comprises a body having an outer surface, a lower end remote from said clamp-receiving recess and a side adapted to face the rail, said spike portion having recesses relieved relative to said outer surface and located over at least a portion of said outer surface to accommodate an adhesive which promotes adhesion between the wood rail tie and said spike portion, each of said recesses having an inner surface disposed in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of said outer surface, and said spike portion further incorporating a series of raised ribs defined relative to said outer surface and located on the side of the lower remote end of said spike portion facing said rail which ribs are forced into said wooden tie when said rail clamp imparts a component force tending to move the portion of said attachment means including said clamp-receiving recess away from the rail.

A support for an elastic rail clamp to be inserted into a wooden rail tie, said support including a receiving portion adapted to be above the surface of the wooden rail tie and to receive a portion of the elastic rail clamp, and a securing portion extending into the rail tie, said securing portion comprising a vertical leg portion having a longitudinal axis disposed in a plane substantially parallel to a plane established by the vertical center line of the rail, said vertical leg portion comprising a body having an outer surface, a lower end remote from said receiving portion and a side adapted to face the rail, said vertical leg portion having recesses relieved relative to said outer surface and located over at least a portion of said outer surface and being of a size and shape sufficient to accommodate an amount of adhesive which ensures effective adhesion between the wooden rail tie and said securing portion, each of said recesses having an inner surface relatively large in surface area and disposed in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of said outer surface and being located a relatively short distance inwardly from said inner surface so that said recesses are relatively shallow in depth, at least some of said recesses being located on said side of said vertical leg portion adapted to face the rail and along said lower remote end, said vertical leg portion including a series of raised ribs defined relative to said outer surface and located on the side of the lower remote end of said vertical leg portion adapted to face the rail, each of said ribs being located in a corresponding one of said recesses extending outwardly from the inner surface of said recesses, said ribs being disposed substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said leg portion, said recesses being located relatively closely together thereby defining raised surface portions between adjacent recesses, said raised portions being disposed substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said leg portion, said raised portions and said ribs being forced into said wooden tie when said rail clamp imparts a component force tending to move said receiving portion of said support away from the rail.