TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to fastening track rail, and more particularly to a rail clip assembly having a toe insulator with a rail contact pad and a snap lock to enable locking or unlocking the toe insulator to a rail clip.

BACKGROUND

Track rail fastening systems are used the world over, and range in complexity from simple metal plates and clips or clamps, to composite structures employing multiple metallic body components and overmolded polymeric materials for vibration mitigation and cushioning. In many systems, a device known as a rail clip is used to clamp a section of track rail to a pad or pad assembly. Rail clips are typically positioned at intervals along both sides of a section of track rail.

So-called E-clips or the like are used in some systems as rail clips, and may include a shaft or shank portion that is received within a bore in a track rail fastener oriented generally along a length of the track rail. A clamping portion extends onto and exerts a downward clamping force against a base portion of a section of the track rail. Other systems employ clips that are more or less C-shaped and include a base end inserted into a laterally extending recess in a fixed shoulder cast in place in an underlying concrete substrate. An end or toe portion commonly equipped with a non-metallic insulator clamps down upon the base portion of a section of the track rail. One example rail clip mechanism is known from Japanese Patent Publication No. JPH0747422Y2. While the concept set forth in this disclosure may have various applications, there is always room for improvement and/or alternative strategies.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, a rail clip assembly includes a rail clip having a base end, a toe end, a middle spring section having a recurving shape and extending between the base end and the toe end, and an outer clip surface and an inner clip surface each formed in part upon the base end, the toe end, and the middle spring section. An insulator bore is formed in the toe end and opens at each of the outer clip surface and the inner clip surface. The rail clip assembly further includes a toe insulator having a pad with an inner pad surface in contact with the inner clip surface, an outer pad surface having a rail contact face oriented diagonally relatively to the toe end, and a locating projection extending upwardly from the inner pad surface through the insulator bore and including a first engagement surface. The toe insulator further includes a snap lock, the snap lock having an insulator retention surface facing the outer clip surface at locations outboard of the insulator bore, and a second engagement surface. The second engagement surface is in contact with the first engagement surface, such that the snap lock is in a locked configuration trapping the locating projection within the insulator bore, and is adjustable to an unlocked configuration where the locating projection is removable from the insulator bore for decoupling the toe insulator from the rail clip.

In another aspect, a rail clip assembly includes a rail clip having a base end, a toe end, a middle spring section having a recurving shape and extending between the base end and the toe end, and an insulator bore formed in the toe end. The rail clip assembly further includes a toe insulator including a pad with an inner pad surface in contact with the toe end, an outer pad surface having a rail contact face oriented diagonally relative to the toe end, and a locating projection extending upwardly from the inner pad surface through the insulator bore. The toe insulator further includes a snap lock, separate from the pad, and structured to engage with the locating projection in a locked configuration trapping the locating projection in the insulator bore and locking the toe insulator to the rail clip. The snap lock is deformable in opposition to an internal bias to adjust the toe insulator to an unlocked configuration permitting disengagement of the toe insulator from the rail clip.

In still another aspect, a toe insulator for a rail clip includes a pad having an inner pad surface, an outer pad surface with a rail contact face, and a locating projection extending upwardly from the inner pad surface and including a first engagement surface. The pad further includes a plurality of inner peripheral surfaces forming, together the inner pad surface, an open-sided pocket for receiving a toe end of a rail clip. The toe insulator further includes a snap lock having an insulator retention surface facing the inner pad surface at locations outboard of the locating projection, and a downwardly projecting prong including a second engagement surface. The toe insulator further includes an axially extending lock bore formed in the locating projection, and the downwardly extending prong is positionable in the axially extending lock bore to contact the second engagement surface to the first engagement surface. The downwardly projecting prong is deformable in opposition to an internal bias to adjust the toe insulator from a locked configuration, where the second engagement surface is in contact with the first engagement surface for trapping the locating projection within an insulator bore in the rail clip, to an unlocked configuration where the snap lock is separable from the pad and the locating projection is removable from the insulator bore.

