Rail-tie fastening assembly with rocking bearing seat

A rail-tie fastening assembly for connecting a rail flange with an upper surface, a lower surface, a first side and a second side to a tie having an upper surface, comprising:

• a rail seat assembly connectable to the upper surface of the tie having a seat hook assembly formed on a portion of the rail seat assembly and being adapted to extend a distance generally over a portion of the upper surface of the rail flange generally near the first side of the rail flange, a portion of the rail seat assembly being formed on a first radius to provide a rail seat curved bearing surface;
• and
• a rail anchor, the rail anchor being operatively associated with the rail seat assembly, an anchor hook assembly being formed on a portion of the rail anchor with a portion of the anchor hook assembly being adapted to extend over a portion of the upper surface of the rail flange generally near the second side of the rail flange, a portion of the rail anchor being formed on a second radius to provide a rail anchor curved bearing surface, the rail anchor curved bearing surface being disposed adjacent the rail seat curved bearing surface in an assembled position of the rail anchor and the rail seat assembly, the first radius being larger than the second radius and the rail anchor curved bearing surface rocking or rolling on the rail seat curved bearing surface for reducing friction therebetween;
• a first seat plate having an upper surface, a lower surface, a first end, a second end, a first side and a second side, a first seat hook being formed on the first end of the first seat plate and the first seat hook being an extended distance over a portion of the upper surface of the rail flange and the first seat hook forming a portion of the seat hook assembly, a first rail seat curved bearing surface being formed on the first end of the first seat plate generally near and intersecting the second side of the first seat plate and the first rail seat curved bearing surface on the first seat plate forming a portion of the rail seat curved bearing surface of the rail seat assembly;
• and
• a second seat plate having an upper surface, a lower surface, a first end, a second end, a first side and a second side, a second seat hook being formed on the first end of the second seat plate and the second seat hook being an extended distance generally over a portion of the upper surface of the rail flange and the second seat hook forming a portion of the seat hook assembly of the rail seat assembly, a second rail seat curved bearing surface being formed on the first end of the second seat plate generally near and intersecting a portion of the second side of the second rail seat plate with the second rail seat curved bearing surface forming a portion of the rail seat curved bearing surface of the rail seat assembly, the first side of the first seat plate being spaced a distance from the first side of the second seat plate defining an anchor slot having a slot width;
• and
• the rail anchor further comprising:
• a first tine having a first end, a second end, a first side, a second side, an upper surface and a lower surface;
• a second tine having a first end, a second end, a first side, a second side, an upper surface and a lower surface;
• and
• means for connecting the second end of the first tine to the second end of the second tine, the second side of the first tine being spaced a distance from the second side of the second tine defining an anchor width with the anchor width being greater than the slot width, the first tine being movable generally toward the second tine to move the rail anchor to a moved, stressed position and the first tine being movable generally away from the second tine to move the rail anchor from the moved, stressed position to a normal, unstressed position, the first ends of the first and the second tines being disposable in the anchor slot between the first side of the first seat plate and the first side of the second seat plate and the rail anchor being movable in an insertion direction generally from the second ends of the first and the second seat plates generally toward the first ends of the first and the second seat plates while in the moved, stressed position of the rail anchor, and the rail anchor being movable from the moved, stressed position to the normal, unstressed position wherein the rail anchor curved bearing surface is disposed adjacent the rail seat curved bearing surface, the rail anchor curved bearing surface comprising a first seat surface formed on the first side of the first tine and a second seat surface formed on the second side of the second tine, the first seat surface on the first tine engaging the first rail seat curved bearing surface on the first rail seat plate and the second seat surface on the second tine engaging the second rail seat curved bearing surface on the second seat plate in the assembled position of the rail anchor and the rail seat assembly.

A rail-tie fastening assembly for connecting a rail flange with an upper surface, a lower surface, a first side and a second side to a tie having an upper surface, comprising:

• a rail seat plate having a first end, a second end, a first side, and a second side, a distance between the first side and the second side of the rail seat plate forming an anchor slot, the rail seat plate being connectable to the upper surface of the tie and having a seat hook connected to the first end thereof with the seat hook being adapted to extend a distance over a portion of the upper surface of the rail flange generally near the first side of the rail flange, a first seat surface being formed on the first end of the rail seat plate near the first side of the rail seat plate and a second seat surface being formed on the first end of the rail seat plate near the second side of the rail seat plate with the first and second seat surfaces on the rail seat plate being formed on a first radius and forming parts of a rail seat curved bearing surface;
• a rail anchor, the rail anchor being operatively associated with the rail seat plate, an anchor hook assembly being formed on a portion of the rail anchor with a portion of the rail anchor hook assembly being adapted to extend over a portion of the upper surface of the rail flange generally near the second side of the rail flange, a portion of the rail anchor being formed on a second radius to provide a rail anchor curved bearing surface, the rail anchor curved bearing surface being disposed adjacent the rail seat curved bearing surface in an assembled position of the rail anchor and the rail seat plate, the first radius being larger than the second radius and the rail anchor curved bearing surface rocking or rolling on the rail seat curved bearing surface for reducing friction therebetween, the rail anchor further comprising:
• a first tine having a first end, a second end, a first side, a second side, an upper surface and a lower surface, a first seat surface being formed on the second side of the first tine with the first seat surface forming a portion of the rail anchor curved bearing surface;
• and
• a second tine having a first end, a second end, a first side, a second side, an upper surface and a lower surface, a second seat surface being formed on the second side of the second tine with the second seat surface forming a portion of the rail anchor curved bearing surface, a distance between the second side of the first tine and the second side of the second tine forming an anchor width with the slot width being greater than the anchor width;
• and
• means for connecting the second end of the first tine to the second end of the second tine, the first tine being movable generally away from the second tine for moving the rail anchor from a normal, unstressed position to a moved, stressed position and the first tine being movable generally toward the second tine for moving the rail anchor from the moved, stressed position to the normal, unstressed position, the first tine being movable generally over the first side of the rail seat plate in a direction from the second end toward the first end of the rail seat plate and the second tine being movable generally over the second side of the rail seat plate in a direction generally from the second end toward the first end of the rail seat plate for moving the rail anchor toward an assembled position with the rail seat plate, the rail anchor being movable from the moved, stressed position to the normal, unstressed position in the assembled position of the rail anchor and the rail seat plate with the first rail anchor curved bearing surface formed on the first tine engaging the first seat surface formed on the first end of the rail seat plate near the first side of the rail seat plate and the second rail anchor curved bearing surface on the second tine being engageable with the second seat surface formed on the first end of the rail seat plate near the second side of the rail seat plate in the assembled position of the rail anchor and the rail seat plate.