Rail pad assembly with on-tie retaining means

Abstract

A rail pad assembly includes a rail pad for engagement with a rail and a protective member extending between the pad and a tie. Each of two notches formed at opposed ends of the rail pad conforms to a retainer shoulder component on the tie such the rail pad assembly is received onto and constrained on the tie. Flexible projections extend out away from the body of the rail pad in lateral directions and are located adjacent to one of the notches on the rail pad such that each flexible projection engages a laterally-outwardly sloped face surface on the shoulder component. The flexible projections are resiliently deflected relatively upward and wedge the rail pad between shoulder components so that the rail pad assembly is retained on the tie.

1 . A rail pad assembly for use with a rail tie that has a pair of rail retainer shoulder components that oppose each other for receiving the rail pad assembly onto the rail tie upon a relatively downward vertical movement of the rail pad assembly into engagement with the rail tie, each shoulder component having a center projection portion and two stepped-back side portions that have laterally-outwardly sloped face surfaces adjacent to the center projection portion, the rail pad assembly including: 
 a rail pad for engagement with a rail; and    a protective member extending between the rail pad and the rail tie;    the rail pad including two notches formed at laterally-opposed ends of a body of the rail pad for mating with the center projection portions of the shoulder components by the center projection portions extending into the notches when the rail pad assembly is received onto the rail tie, each notch having a face surface and two side surfaces that conform in shape and position to respective face and side surfaces of the center projection portion of the shoulder component such that with the rail pad assembly received onto the rail tie the rail pad is constrained against translational movement;    the rail pad including flexible projections that extend out away from the body of the rail pad in lateral directions, each projection being located adjacent to one of the notches on the rail pad such that each flexible projection engages the laterally-outwardly sloped face surface of a respective one of the stepped-back side portions of the shoulder component as the rail pad assembly is moved vertically downward toward the rail tie and nears a final position in engagement with the rail tie, the flexible projections having a construction such that the flexible projections are resiliently deflected relatively upward during the relative downward vertical movement of the rail pad assembly subsequent to engagement between the flexible projections and the face surfaces of the stepped-back side portions as the rail pad assembly settles into the final position in engagement with the rail tie to wedge the rail pad between the face surfaces of stepped-back side portions to retain the rail pad assembly onto the rail tie.    
   
   
       2 . A rail pad assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein each flexible projection has a portion that tapers to thin as the projection extends in a direction laterally away from the body of the rail pad.  
   
   
       3 . A rail pad assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein each flexible projection has a portion that has a generally constant thickness, the constant thickness portion is located proximal to the body of the rail pad, and the tapered portion is located at the distal end of the projection away from the body of the rail pad.  
   
   
       4 . A rail pad assembly according to  claim 3 , wherein the thickness of the constant thickness portion is greater than the maximum thickness of the tapered portion such that there is a step-down of thickness going from the constant thickness portion to the tapered portion.  
   
   
       5 . A rail pad assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the two side surfaces of each notch is located on one of the projections.  
   
   
       6 . A rail pad assembly according to  claim 5 , wherein a curved surface segment connects each side surface to a respective face surface within each notch.  
   
   
       7 . A rail pad assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the rail pad includes a stepped-in recess that is open above and open toward the notch to receive an insulator member, at least a portion of the face surface of the notch is located below the stepped-in recess.  
   
   
       8 . A rail pad assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the entire portion of the rail pad that defines the notch and includes the projections has a maximum thickness that is no greater than a maximum thickness of a portion of the rail pad that is for engagement with the rail.  
   
   
       9 . A rail pad assembly according to  claim 1 , further including a foam sheet adhered to an undersurface of the protective member by spray adhesive.  
   
   
       10 . A rail pad assembly for use with a rail tie that has a pair of rail retainer shoulder assemblies that oppose each other for receiving the rail pad assembly onto the rail tie upon a relatively downward vertical movement of the rail pad assembly into engagement with the rail tie, each shoulder component having a center projection portion and two stepped-back side portions that have laterally-outwardly sloped face surfaces adjacent to the center projection portion, the rail pad assembly including: 
 a rail pad for engagement with a rail; and    a protective member extending between the rail pad and the rail tie;    the rail pad including two notches formed at laterally-opposed ends of a body of the rail pad for mating with the center projection portions of the shoulder components by the center projection portions extending into the notches when the rail pad assembly is received onto the rail tie, each notch having a face surface and two side surfaces that conform in shape and position to respective face and side surfaces of the center projection portion of the shoulder component such that with the rail pad assembly received onto the rail tie the rail pad is constrained against translational movement;    the rail pad including projections that extend out away from the body of the rail pad in lateral directions, each projection being located adjacent to one of the notches on the rail pad such that each projection engages the laterally-outwardly sloped face surface of a respective one of the stepped-back side portions of the shoulder components as the rail pad assembly is moved vertically downward toward the rail tie, each of the two side surfaces of each notch being located on a portion of one of the projections, and each projection has a portion that tapers to thin as the projection extends in a direction laterally away from the body of the rail pad.    
   
   
       11 . A rail pad assembly according to  claim 10 , wherein each of the projections is flexible and has a construction such that the flexible projections are resiliently deflected relatively upward during the relative downward vertical movement of the rail pad assembly subsequent to engagement between the flexible projections and the face surfaces of the stepped-back side portions as the rail pad assembly settles into the final position in engagement with the rail tie to wedge the rail pad between the face surfaces of stepped-back side portions to retain the rail pad assembly onto the rail tie.  
   
   
       12 . A rail pad assembly according to  claim 10 , wherein each flexible projection has a portion that has a generally constant thickness, the constant thickness portion being located proximal to the body of the rail pad, and the tapered portion being located at the distal end of the projection away from the body of the rail pad.  
   
   
       13 . A rail pad assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein the thickness of the constant thickness portion is greater than the maximum thickness of the tapered portion such that there is a step-down of thickness going from the constant thickness portion to the tapered portion.  
   
   
       14 . A rail pad assembly according to  claim 10 , wherein the tapered portion has a horizontal top surface and an upswept bottom surface.  
   
   
       15 . A rail pad assembly according to  claim 10 , wherein each of the two side surfaces of each notch is located on one of the projections and a curved surface segment connects each side surface to a respective face surface within each notch.  
   
   
       16 . A rail pad assembly on a rail tie that has a pair of rail retainer shoulder components that oppose each other for receiving the rail pad assembly onto the rail tie upon a relatively downward vertical movement of the rail pad assembly into engagement with the rail tie, each shoulder component having a center projection portion and two stepped-back side portions that have laterally-outwardly sloped face surfaces adjacent to the center projection portion, the rail pad assembly including: 
 a rail pad for engagement with a rail; and    a protective member extending between the rail pad and the rail tie;    the rail pad including two notches formed at laterally-opposed ends of a body of the rail pad and mating with the center projection portions of the shoulder components by the center projection portions extending into the notches with the rail pad assembly received onto the rail tie, each notch having a face surface and two side surfaces that conform in shape and position to respective face and side surfaces of the center projection portion of the shoulder component such that with the rail pad assembly received onto the rail tie the rail pad is constrained against translational movement;    the rail pad including flexible projections that extend out away from the body of the rail pad in lateral directions, each projection being located adjacent to one of the notches on the rail pad such that each flexible projection is engaged with the laterally-outwardly sloped face surface of a respective one of the stepped-back side portions of the shoulder components, the engagement having occurred during movement of the rail pad assembly vertically downward toward the rail tie, the flexible projections being resiliently deflected relatively upward, the resilient deflection having occurred during the relative downward vertical movement of the rail pad assembly subsequent to engagement between the flexible projections and the face surfaces of the stepped-back side portions and as the rail pad assembly settles into the final position in engagement with the rail tie, the resiliently-deflected flexible projections engaged with the face surfaces of the stepped-back side portions wedge the rail pad between the face surfaces of stepped-back side portions and retain the rail pad assembly onto the rail tie.    
   
   
       17 . A rail pad assembly according to  claim 16 , wherein each of the two side surfaces of each notch is located on one of the projections.  
   
   
       18 . A rail pad assembly according to  claim 16 , wherein each flexible projection has a portion that tapers to thin as the projection extends in a direction laterally away from the body of the rail pad, and the tapered portion has a horizontal top surface and an upswept bottom surface.  
   
   
       19 . A rail pad assembly according to  claim 16 , wherein the rail pad assembly is adjacent to an insulator member, the rail pad includes a stepped-in recess that is open to the notch, the insulator member being received within the stepped-in recess, at least a portion of the face surface of the notch being located below the stepped-in recess.  
   
   
       20 . A rail pad assembly according to  claim 16 , further including a foam sheet adhered to an undersurface of the protective member by spray adhesive.