Tie assembly

Abstract

A rail clamp for model railroad track has a base having an upper surface and a lower surface. The upper surface has two spaced apart hooks, each hook having its open end facing away from the open end of the other hook. Male fasteners extend through holes formed in the base component, spaced apart from the hooks a suitable distance to fit a train rail, and each male fastener engages a corresponding female fastener. One of the bottom flanges of a standard train rail fits under the hook, and the other flange is clamped down by heads of the male fasteners. Two conductive sheets lie on the base, each trapped under a rail and between a hook and a pair of screws.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A rail clamp assembly for a model railroad track, the assembly comprising:
 a base component having an upper surface and a lower surface;   a hook formed on the upper surface of the base component, the hook overhanging the base component upper surface and defining a groove having a lower surface flush with the base component upper surface;   two holes formed in the base component, extending down from the upper surface, spaced apart from the hook so that the groove faces towards the holes and the holes are spaced apart parallel to the length of the groove; and   a pair of male threaded fasteners having overhanging heads, extending into the holes formed in the base component, and engaging threads in or on the base;   the hook and the heads of the threaded fasteners dimensioned to receive under and between them the flanges of a length of model railroad track rail.   
     
     
         2 . The rail clamp assembly according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a second hook formed on the upper surface of the base component, the second hook overhanging the upper surface and defining a second groove having a lower surface flush with the base component upper surface;   two second holes formed in the base component, extending down from the upper surface, spaced apart from the second hook so that the second groove faces towards the second holes and the second holes are spaced apart parallel to the length of the second groove; and   a pair of second threaded fasteners having overhanging heads and extending into the second holes formed in the base component and engaging threads in or on the base component;   the second hook and the heads of the second threaded fasteners dimensioned to receive under and between them the flanges of a second length of model railroad track rail.   
     
     
         3 . The rail clamp assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein the first and second hooks are on separate base component portions that are connected to one another by a web so as to cause the first and second hooks to be spaced apart by a distance dimensioned to maintain a pair of model railroad rails with their flanges seated in the first and second grooves spaced apart at a commercially available standard gauge. 
     
     
         4 . The rail clamp assembly according to  claim 3 , wherein the commercially available standard gauge is 45 mm. 
     
     
         5 . The rail clamp assembly according to  claim 1 , further comprising a sheet of material overlying the base component upper surface between the hook and the two male threaded fasteners. 
     
     
         6 . The rail clamp assembly according to  claim 5 , wherein the sheet of material is electrically conducting, and is operative to form an electrical connection between ends of two lengths of rail clamped between the groove and respective ones of the two male threaded fasteners. 
     
     
         7 . The rail clamp assembly according to  claim 5 , wherein the sheet of material is formed with two holes through which the male threaded fasteners pass. 
     
     
         8 . The rail clamp assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the threads in the base are formed in female fasteners located in the base member. 
     
     
         9 . A pair of rail clamps, each rail clamp according to  claim 1 , each having a connector on a side away from which the hooks face, the connectors mating to secure the two rail clamps together with the upper surfaces of their base components coplanar and their hooks a desired distance apart. 
     
     
         10 . A set of parts for a rail clamp assembly according to  claim 1 , comprising at least a base member and two male threaded fasteners. 
     
     
         11 . A set of parts for a rail clamp assembly according to  claim 10 , further comprising a sheet of electrically conductive material having two holes and dimensioned to fit between the two male threaded fasteners and the hook. 
     
     
         12 . A rail clamp assembly for a model railroad track, the assembly comprising: a base component having an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface having two spaced apart hooks formed thereon, each hook having its open end facing away from the open end of the other hook, two conductive sheets for disposing on the base component, each sheet extends from a hook to an edge of the base component so as to define a conductive layer for contact by a train rail, each conductive sheet attachable to the base component with mating male and female threaded fasteners, the male fasteners extending through holes formed in the base component and the conductive sheet at a location spaced apart from the hooks a sufficient distance to fit a train rail, each male fastener engaging a corresponding female fastener.