Back to results
US 7,261,244 B2Granted
Tie plate
AssigneePortec Rail Products, Inc.
InventorsWilliam T. Urmson, Jr., John W. Mospan, John M. Downey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electrically-insulated tie plate for electrically isolating parts of a railroad rail system from each other. The electrically-insulated tie plate includes a base plate having a recessed area for receiving a railroad rail and a layer of electrically-insulating material covering portions of the base plate.
Claims24
A tie plate, comprising:
- a base plate having a first surface and a second surface and defining a peripheral edge;
- a pair of longitudinally-extending shoulder members defined on said base plate, said pair of longitudinally-extending shoulder members define a recessed area on said first surface of said base plate for accommodating a railroad rail therebetween;
- a layer of electrically-insulating material covering at least said first surface of said base plate;
- and
- a plurality of slots defined on said base plate, at least one slot extends transversely through each of said pair of longitudinally-extending shoulder members from said first surface to said second surface of said base plate, said slots each define an inner surface, said inner surface covered by an inner layer made of an electrically-insulating material, wherein said slots are adapted to receive fasteners for securing a railroad rail.
2 more elements
A tie plate assembly for a railroad rail, comprising:
- an electrically-insulated tie plate adapted to receive a railroad rail, wherein said tie plate comprises a base plate having a first surface and defining a peripheral edge, a pair of longitudinally-extending shoulder members defined on said base plate, said pair of longitudinally-extending shoulder members define a recessed area on said first surface of said base plate for accommodating a railroad rail therebetween, and a layer of electrically-insulating material covering said first surface of said base plate;
- a plurality of slots defined on said tie plate;
- a fastener passing through one of said slots for securing said tie plate to a rail tie;
- and
- an electrically-insulated clip secured to said tie plate via said fastener, said clip having a surface comprising a first ledge and a second ledge, said first ledge adapted to coact with the railroad rail and said second ledge adapted to coact with a rail joint attached to the railroad rail for securing the railroad rail to said tie plate.
2 more elements
An electrically-insulated tie plate, comprising:
- a metallic core having a first surface and a second surface and defining a peripheral edge;
- a plurality of slots having an inner surface defined in said metallic core;
- a pair of longitudinally-extending shoulder members defined on said metallic core, said pair of longitudinally-extending shoulder members define a recessed area on said first surface of said metallic core for accommodating a railroad rail therebetween, wherein at least one slot extends transversely through each of said pair of longitudinally-extending shoulder members from said first surface to said second surface of said metallic core;
- and
- a layer of electrically-insulating material covering said first surface of said metallic core and said inner surface of said slots.
2 more elements
An electrically-isolated railroad rail system, comprising:
- a pair of railroad rails;
- a rail joint attaching each of said railroad rails together;
- an electrically-insulated tie plate having a plurality of slots for receiving said attached railroad rails;
- a fastener passing through one of said slots for securing said tie plate to a rail tie;
- and
- an electrically-insulated clip secured to said tie plate via said fastener, said clip having a surface comprising a first ledge and a second ledge, said first ledge adapted to coact with said railroad rail and said second ledge adapted to coact with said rail joint for securing said railroad rail to said tie plate.
3 more elements
A tie plate, comprising:
- a base plate having a first surface and a second surface and defining a peripheral edge;
- a pair of longitudinally-extending shoulder members defined on said base plate, wherein a recessed area is defined between said pair of longitudinally-extending shoulder members for accommodating a railroad rail therebetween, the recessed area defined by an inner surface of said pair of longitudinally-extending shoulder members and a portion of said first surface of said base plate;
- a layer of electrically-insulating material, said layer includes a pair of legs connected by a base and defining a U-shaped cross-section covering said inner surface of said pair of longitudinally-extending shoulder members and said first surface of the recessed area of said base plate, wherein said layer further comprises lips covering an upper surface of said shoulder members, wherein each lip depends from a respective leg, wherein a remaining portion of said first surface and said second surface of said base plate does not include a layer of electrically-insulating material;
- and
- a plurality of slots defined on said base plate and spaced from said pair of longitudinally-extending shoulder members, said slots extend transversely through said base plate from said first surface to said second surface.
2 more elements
A tie plate, comprising:
- a base plate having a first surface and a second surface and defining a peripheral edge;
- a pair of longitudinally-extending shoulder members defined on said base plate, each of said shoulders having a shoulder upper surface, wherein a recessed area is defined between said pair of longitudinally-extending shoulder members for accommodating a railroad rail therebetween, the recessed area defined by an inner surface of said pair of longitudinally-extending shoulder members and a portion of said first surface of said base plate;
- a layer of electrically-insulating material, said layer includes a pair of legs connected by a base and defining a U-shaped cross-section covering said inner surface of said pair of longitudinally-extending shoulder members and said first surface of the recessed area of said base plate, each of said legs having an upper surface wherein said upper surface of said pair of legs are positioned above said respective shoulder upper surfaces, wherein a remaining portion of said first surface and said second surface of said base plate does not include a layer of electrically-insulating material;
- and
- a plurality of slots defined on said base plate and spaced from said pair of longitudinally-extending shoulder members, said slots extend transversely through said base plate from said first surface to said second surface.
2 more elements
A tie plate arrangement, comprising:
- a base plate having a first surface and a second surface and defining a peripheral edge;
- a pair of longitudinally-extending shoulder members defined on said base plate, each of said shoulders having a shoulder upper surface, wherein a recessed area is defined between said pair of longitudinally-extending shoulder members for accommodating a railroad rail therebetween, the recessed area defined by an inner surface of said pair of longitudinally-extending shoulder members and a portion of said first surface of said base plate;
- a layer of electrically-insulating material, said layer includes a pair of legs connected by a base and defining a U-shaped cross-section covering said inner surface of said pair of longitudinally-extending shoulder members and said first surface of the recessed area of said base plate, each of said legs having an upper surface wherein said upper surface of said pair of legs are positioned above said respective shoulder upper surfaces, wherein a remaining portion of said first surface and said second surface of said base plate does not include a layer of electrically-insulating material;
- and
- a plurality of slots defined on said base plate and spaced from said pair of longitudinally-extending shoulder members, said slots extend transversely through said base plate from said first surface to said second surface;
- a fastener passing through one of said slots for securing said base plate to a rail tie;
- and
- a clip secured to said base plate via said fastener, said clip having a surface comprising a ledge adapted to coact with a rail joint attached to the railroad rail for securing the railroad rail to said tie plate.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.