Spikeless tie plate fasteners, pre-plated railroad ties and related assemblies and methods

Abstract

Railroad tie plates secured collectively by spikeless fasteners to a tie with railroad spikes securing the rails to the ties and related methodology are disclosed wherein two-part fasteners are used in respect to sets of aligned tie and tie plate apertures such that the two fastener parts are joined together against inadvertent separation within each tie aperture at a connection or union site, which includes but is not limited to force fit unions and threaded unions, and spikes are driven into the ties through other tie plate apertures.

Description

CONTINUITY [0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of my co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11 / 089,164, filed Mar. 24, 2005.FIELD OF INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates generally to tie-supported railroad tracks and more particularly to spikeless tie plate fasteners, pre-plated railroad ties having at least one spikeless tie plate fastener and at least one spike fastener through each tie plate, related assemblies and methods. BACKGROUND [0003] In regard to railroad ties formed of wooden, plastic and composite materials, some of which may comprise one piece or multiple layers, traditionally only spikes are driven through apertures in two-spaced tie plates, each placed on top of each tie, into non-apertured tie locations. The extent to which the spikes, once driven, and the tie plates through which the spikes pass are held in place depends on the compression forces of the tie material against each spike. If the spikes loosen, the associated tie plate will...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0014] Another significant object is to provide novel combinations comprised of a multi-layered railroad tie,

Problems solved by technology

If the spikes loosen, the associated tie plate will also loosen, creating a potential for damage and a danger for trains traveling over the track.

While the driven-spike-only approach typically works well with soft wood and other soft materials, it often does not with hard woods and other hard materials.

While hard wood ties last longer than soft wood ties, hard wood ties are too often split by the spikes as the spikes are driven.

Thus, the split hard wood tie does not compressively hold the spikes in the fully driven position and the tie plates become loose creating the potential for damage and danger as mentioned above.

Use of nut and bolt fasteners in lieu of and/or together with spikes for hard wood ties has heretofore been rejected in the railroad industry because of the

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