Railroad tie pad for crossings
AssigneeNorthwest Rubber Extruders, Inc.
InventorJoseph Lucas, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Elastomeric pads positioned on top of railroad ties have flanges that extend along chamfered corners of railroad ties and shoulders that extend upward and are located along the tops of the flanges. Pre-cast concrete panels that are commonly provided at railway grade crossings between and alongside the rails rest on the pads. The shoulders are compressible by the weight of the concrete panels and help to keep the flanges in place on the chamfered edges of the ties and resist movement of the pads from their intended positions between the concrete panels and the ties. The pads may be extruded of thermoplastic synthetic rubber.
Claims23
A tie pad of elastomeric material for use atop an elongate tie of a track having rails supported by a plurality of said ties, the tie pad comprising:
- (a) a main panel locatable on said tie and having a length, width, and a first side margin extending longitudinally along said main panel, the top surface of said main panel generally defining a plane;
- (b) a first flange, adjacent said first side margin of said main panel and engagable with said tie, said first flange having an inner margin connected to said first side margin of said main panel;
- and
- (c) a first shoulder projectable above said plane and located proximate said interconnection of said first side margin of said main panel and said inner margin of said first flange, said first shoulder extending longitudinally for at least a portion of said main panel.
A method of locating a tie pad laterally with respect to an elongate tie having a longitudinally extending top and side comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a tie pad having a main panel locatable on said top of said tie;
- (b) providing said tie pad with a flange adjacent said main panel and engagable with said side of said tie;
- (c) providing said tie pad with a shoulder proximate said flange and projectable above a plane defined generally by the top surface of said main panel;
- and
- (d) providing a substantially downward force on said shoulder urging said flange into engagement with said side of said tie.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.