Rail fastening device assembling and disassembling method and rail fastening devices replacement method

Abstract

To provide a method for assembling and disassembling a rail fastening device, and a method for replacing the rail fastening device, which allow the rail fastening device to be easily assembled and disassembled and the rail fastening device to be easily replaced from a screw-tightening type to a non-screw-tightening type.SOLUTION: An assembly method for a rail fastening device 4 that fastens a rail 2 to a support body 3 includes a load application process in which a load is applied from a load application part 11 to a fastening spring 6 so that a gap Δ for inserting an insert member 10 is formed between the fastening spring 6 that presses the rail 2 and a fixing member 9 attached to the support body 3. The load application process includes a process in which a load is applied from the load application part 11 to the fastening spring 6 so that the fastening spring 6 is compressed. The assembly method includes an insertion process in which the insert member 10 is inserted into the gap Δ between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9, and a clamping process in which the load applied to the fastening spring 6 is released and fastening force of the fastening spring 6 is used to clamp the insert member 10 between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a rail fastening device assembling method for assembling a rail fastening device that fastens a rail to a support body, a rail fastening device disassembly method for disassembling a rail fastening device that fastens a rail to a support body, and a rail fastening device replacement method for replacing a screw-tightening type rail fastening device that fastens using a screw mechanism with a screwless type rail fastening device that fastens without using a screw mechanism. [Background technology]

[0002] In Japan, rail fastening devices are mainly of the screw-type, which fastens a leaf spring with a bolt and nut fastener. For example, a conventional Type 5 rail fastening device (hereinafter referred to as Prior Art 1) is equipped with a fastening spring that presses against the upper surface of the bottom of the rail, a receiving plug that supports the end of the fastening spring and is embedded in the PC sleeper that supports the rail, an embedded plug embedded in the PC sleeper, and a fastening bolt that is screwed into the embedded plug to fasten the fastening spring (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1).

[0003] In recent years, the installation of screwless fastening devices using wire springs has been expanding, as they demonstrate a specified performance after fastening and require no subsequent maintenance, thereby contributing to labor-saving and cost-saving maintenance.For example, a conventional wire spring-type rail fastening device (hereinafter referred to as Prior Art 2) comprises a wire spring that presses against the top surface of the bottom of the rail, a shoulder that is embedded in a PC sleeper and fitted by pushing in one end of the wire spring, and an insulator that is sandwiched between the wire spring and the top surface of the bottom of the rail to provide electrical insulation between them (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1).

[0004] However, adopting the screwless fastening system requires replacing rail supports (PC sleepers, etc.) with ones equipped with a dedicated fastening mechanism, and the high introduction costs are a factor preventing widespread adoption. For example, when changing from a screw-tightened rail fastening device (Conventional Technology 1) to a wire spring-type rail fastening device (Conventional Technology 2), the embedded plugs of the screw-tightened rail fastening device must be changed to shoulders of the wire spring-type rail fastening device. In this case, the existing PC sleepers with embedded plugs must be replaced with PC sleepers with embedded shoulders, which poses the issue of time-consuming and costly replacement work.

[0005] To address the above-mentioned issues, a screwless rail fastening method that utilizes existing rail supports has been proposed, so that existing rail supports can be switched to a screwless type without replacing them.A conventional rail fastening device (hereinafter referred to as Prior Art 3) comprises a shaft member fixed to the support, a spring member arranged between the support and the head of the shaft member, and a frame member inserted between the spring member and the head so as to surround the shaft portion of the shaft member (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Non-Patent Document 1] "66th Rail Fastening Devices", RRR, Kenyusha General Incorporated Foundation, 2017, Vol. 74, No. 11, pp. 28-31

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-041500 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] In Prior Art 3, when installing a rail fastening device, it is necessary to insert a frame member between the head of the shaft member and the spring member. However, in Prior Art 3, when inserting the frame member between the head of the shaft member and the spring member, an excessive force is required to insert the frame member between them against the restoring force of the spring member, which causes the problem of labor-intensive work.

[0009] An object of the present invention is to provide a method for assembling and disassembling a rail fastening device, and a method for replacing the rail fastening device, which allows the rail fastening device to be easily assembled and disassembled, and also allows the rail fastening device to be easily replaced from a screw-tightening type to a non-screw-tightening type. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The present invention solves the above problems by the means described below. Although the description will be given with reference numerals corresponding to the embodiments of the present invention, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. The invention of claim 1 is a method for assembling a rail fastening device that fastens a rail (2) to a support (3; 12), as shown in Figures 1, 2, 4, 6, 13, 14, 17, 18, 20 and 22, and is a method (#200) for assembling a rail fastening device, characterized in that it includes a load application process (#230) in which a load is applied from a load application portion (11) to a fastening spring (6) that presses the rail, so that a gap (Δ) for inserting an insertion member (10) is formed between the fastening spring (6) that presses the rail and a fixing member (9) attached to the support.

[0011] The invention of claim 2 is a method for assembling a rail fastening device according to claim 1, characterized in that the load application step includes a step of applying a load from the load application portion to the fastening spring so that the fastening spring is compressed, as shown in Fig. 12 and Fig. 14(A)(B).

[0012] The invention of claim 3 is a method for assembling a rail fastening device according to claim 1, characterized in that it includes an insertion step (#240) of inserting the insertion member into the gap (Δ) between the fastening spring and the fixing member, and a clamping step (#250) of unloading the load acting on the fastening spring and clamping the insertion member between the fastening spring and the fixing member by the restoring force of the fastening spring, as shown in Figs. 6, 13, 14(C)(D), 18 and 20.

[0013] The invention of claim 4 is a method for disassembling a rail fastening device that fastens a rail (2) to a support (3; 12), as shown in Figures 15, 16(A) and 23(B), characterized in that it includes a load application step (#310) of applying a load from a load application part (11) to a fastening spring (6) that presses the rail and an insertion member (10) inserted between the fastening spring and a fixing member (9) attached to the support, so that a gap (Δ) is formed for removing the insertion member (10) from between the fastening spring and the fixing member (9).

[0014] The invention of claim 5 is the method for disassembling a rail fastening device according to claim 4, characterized in that the load application step includes a step of applying a load from the load application portion to the fastening spring so that the fastening spring is compressed.

[0015] The invention of claim 6 is a method for disassembling a rail fastening device according to claim 4, characterized in that it includes a removal step (#340) of removing the insertion member from between the fastening spring and the fixing member, as shown in Fig. 15, Fig. 16(B) and Fig. 23(B).

[0016] The invention of claim 7 is a rail fastening device replacement method for replacing a screw-tightening type rail fastening device (104) that is fastened using a screw mechanism with a screwless type rail fastening device (4) that is fastened without using a screw mechanism, as shown in Figures 1, 2, 4, 6 to 14, 17, 18, and 20 to 22, which includes a fastening bolt removal process (#110; #150) for removing a fastening bolt (109) of the screw-tightening type rail fastening device from a support body (3; 12) that supports a rail (2), and a method for replacing the screwless type rail fastening device (4) that is fastened without using a screw mechanism. The method (#100) for replacing a rail fastening device includes a fixing member attaching step (#210) for attaching a fixing member (9) of the rail fastening device to the support body, a fastening spring attaching step (#220) for attaching a fastening spring (6) for pressing the rail to the fixing member, and a load application step (#230) for applying a load from a load application portion (11) to the fastening spring so that a gap (Δ) for inserting an insertion member (10) of the screwless rail fastening device is formed between the fastening spring and the fixing member.

[0017] The invention of claim 8 is the method for replacing a rail fastening device according to claim 7, characterized in that, as shown in Fig. 12, Fig. 14(A) and Fig. 22(A), the load application step includes a step of applying a load from the load application portion to the fastening spring so that the fastening spring is compressed.

[0018] The invention of claim 9 is a rail fastening device replacement method according to claim 7, characterized in that it includes an insertion step (#240) of inserting the insertion member into the gap (Δ) between the fastening spring and the fixing member, and a clamping step (#250) of releasing the load acting on the fastening spring and clamping the insertion member between the fastening spring and the fixing member by the restoring force of the fastening spring, as shown in Figs. 6, 13, 14(C)(D), 18 and 20.

[0019] The invention of claim 10 is the method for replacing a rail fastening device according to claim 7, wherein the fastening spring attachment step includes a step of passing the through portion of the fastening spring through the head of the fixing member and attaching the fastening spring to the fixing member.

[0020] The invention of claim 11 is a rail fastening device replacement method according to claim 7, characterized in that, as shown in Figs. 7 to 11, the fixing member attachment step includes a step of attaching the fixing member to the attachment portion (8) of the support body to which the fastening bolt (109; 109A) of the screw-tightening type rail fastening device (104) was attached. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] According to this invention, the rail fastening device can be easily assembled and disassembled, and the rail fastening device can be easily replaced from a screw-fastening type to a non-screw-fastening type. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view of a rail fastening device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a partially cutaway front view of a rail fastening device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1A and 1B are external views of a fixing member of a rail fastening device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, where FIG. 1A is a plan view and FIG. 1B is a front view. [Figure 4] 4A and 4B are partially enlarged views of a fixing member of the rail fastening device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a front view with some parts omitted, and (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IVB in (A). [Figure 5] 1A and 1B are external views of an insertion member of a rail fastening device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, where FIG. 1A is a plan view and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-VB in FIG. 1A. [Figure 6]3A to 3C are process diagrams showing a method for replacing and assembling the rail fastening device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway front view of a screw-type rail fastening device before replacement in a rail fastening device replacement method according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a front view showing a state in which a fastening bolt of a screw-tightening type rail fastening device is being removed in a method for replacing a rail fastening device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a front view showing a state in which a fastening bolt of a screw-type rail fastening device has been removed in the rail fastening device replacement method according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a front view showing a state in which a fastening spring of a screw-type rail fastening device has been removed in the rail fastening device replacement method according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a front view showing a state in which a fixing member of a screwless rail fastening device has been attached in the method for assembling a rail fastening device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a front view showing a state in which a load is applied to a fastening spring of a screwless-tightening rail fastening device in a method of assembling a rail fastening device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a front view showing a state in which an insertion member of a screwless rail fastening device has been inserted in the method for assembling a rail fastening device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams illustrating the steps of an assembly method for a rail fastening device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) and (B) are schematic diagrams illustrating a load application step, (C) is a schematic diagram illustrating an insertion member insertion step, and (D) is a schematic diagram illustrating an insertion member clamping step. [Figure 15] 3A to 3C are process diagrams showing a method of disassembling the rail fastening device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16]1A to 1D are schematic diagrams illustrating the steps of a disassembly method for a rail fastening device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a schematic diagram of a load application step, (B) is a schematic diagram of an insertion member removal step, (C) is a schematic diagram of an unloading step, and (D) is a schematic diagram of a fastening spring removal step. [Figure 17] FIG. 4 is a plan view of a rail fastening device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] FIG. 6 is a partially cutaway front view of a rail fastening device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19] 9A and 9B are external views of a fixing member of a rail fastening device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, where (A) is a plan view, (B) is a front view, (C) is a right side view, (D) is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IXD in (B), (E) is a front view of a latching portion of the fixing member, (F) is a side view of the latching portion of the fixing member, and (G) is a side view showing the latching portion of the fixing member in an inclined state. [Figure 20] 10A to 10C are process diagrams of a replacement method and an assembly method for a rail fastening device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is a partially cutaway front view showing a screw-type rail fastening device before replacement in a rail fastening device replacement method according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 22] 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams illustrating the steps of an assembly method for a screwless rail fastening device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) and (B) are schematic diagrams illustrating a load application step, (C) is a schematic diagram illustrating an insertion member insertion step, and (D) is a schematic diagram illustrating an insertion member clamping step. [Figure 23] 5A to 5D are schematic diagrams illustrating the steps of a disassembly method for a screwless rail fastening device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, where (A) is a schematic diagram of a load application step, (B) is a schematic diagram of an insertion member removal step, (C) is a schematic diagram of an unloading step, and (D) is a schematic diagram of a fastening spring removal step. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] (First embodiment) A first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 is a member that comes into rolling contact with a rail 2. The wheel 1 has a tread surface 1a that comes into contact with the head surface 2d of the rail head 2a and receives frictional resistance, and a flange surface 1b that is formed continuously on the outer periphery of the wheel 1 to prevent it from coming off the track.

[0024] The rail 2 is a member that supports and guides the wheels 1 of a railway vehicle, allowing the railway vehicle to run. The rail 2 comprises a rail head 2a, a rail bottom (flange portion) 2b, and a rail web (web portion) 2c. The rail head 2a is the portion that comes into contact with the wheel 1. The rail head 2a comprises a head top surface (top upper surface) 2d that directly supports the wheel 1, and head side surfaces 2e that form the left and right side surfaces of the rail head 2a and are continuous with the head top surface 2d. The rail bottom 2b is the portion that is supported by the support body 3. The rail bottom 2b is installed and attached to the support body 3 by the rail fastening device 4. The rail bottom 2b comprises a bottom upper surface 2f that is pressed by the fastening springs 6 of the rail fastening device 4, a bottom lower surface 2g that comes into contact with the support body 3, and bottom side surfaces 2h that form the left and right side surfaces of the rail bottom 2b. The rail web portion 2c is the portion that connects the rail head 2a and the rail bottom 2b. The rail web 2c transmits the wheel load and lateral pressure acting on the rail head 2a to the rail bottom 2b. The rail 2 shown in Figures 1 and 2 is, for example, a 50 kgN rail used mainly on conventional lines, or a 60 kgN rail used on the Shinkansen (registered trademark) and major conventional lines.

[0025] The support body 3 is a bearing that supports the rail 2. The support body 3 is installed between the rail 2 and the track bed in order to fix the rail 2 and accurately maintain the gauge, as well as to widely distribute the train load transmitted from the rail 2 across the track bed. The support body 3 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is a prestressed concrete (PC) sleeper that is prestressed by steel used as tendons. As shown in Fig. 2, the support body 3 has a shoulder portion 3a formed at a predetermined inclination angle in the concave step portion of the support body 3 and facing the bottom side surface 2h, and a seat surface 3b formed in the concave flat portion of the support body 3 and facing the rail 2.

[0026] (Rail fastening device) The rail fastening device 4 is a device that fastens the rail 2 to the support body 3. The rail fastening device 4 is a direct-coupled rail fastening device that directly fastens the rail 2 to the support body 3 and has a buffer function that absorbs vibrations generated when a train passes. The rail fastening device 4 includes a track pad 5 shown in FIG. 2, a fastening spring 6 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a spring support 7, an embedded plug 8 shown in FIG. 2, a fixing member 9 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, and an insert member 10 shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 5. The rail fastening device 4 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a dual-elastic fastening device that sandwiches the track pad 5 between the rail bottom 2b and the seat surface 3b, as shown in FIG. 2, and fastens the rail 2 to the support body 3 with the fastening spring 6.

[0027] The rail fastening device 4 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a screwless rail fastening device that differs from a screw-tightening rail fastening device. Here, the screw-tightening rail fastening device is a rail fastening method that uses a screw mechanism for fastening. The screw-tightening rail fastening device generates a fastening force using a screw mechanism such as a bolt and nut to fasten the rail 2 to the support body 3. On the other hand, the screwless rail fastening device is a rail fastening method that does not use a screw mechanism. The screw-tightening rail fastening device is a rail fastening method that generates a fastening force without using a screw mechanism such as a bolt and nut to fasten the rail 2 to the support body 3. The rail fastening device 4 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 fastens the rail 2 to the support body 3, for example, by replacing the fastening bolt 109 of the screw-tightening rail fastening device 104 shown in FIG. 7 with the fixing member 9 shown in FIG. 2 and inserting an insert member 10 between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9. The rail fastening device 4 can be used as is without replacing the sleepers of a screwless rail fastening device, which allows for low costs, and also reduces the maintenance work required, such as torque management, compared to screwless rail fastening devices that ensure fastening force through a screw mechanism, thereby enabling labor-saving maintenance.

[0028] The track pad 5 shown in Figure 2 is an elastic body inserted between the rail 2 and the support 3. The track pad 5 is a plate-like member made of vulcanized rubber or urethane that is sandwiched between the rail bottom 2b and the seat surface 3b to absorb the impact load generated when a train passes and to ensure resistance to the longitudinal movement of the rail 2. Some track pads 5 have a steel plate bonded and fixed to the surface that comes into contact with the rail bottom 2b. The track pad 5 protects the surface of the support 3 and functions to electrically insulate the rail 2 from the support 3.

[0029] The fastening spring 6 shown in Figures 1 and 2 is a spring that presses the rail 2. As shown in Figure 2, when an insert member 10 is inserted between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9, the fastening spring 6 is compressed from its neutral position, generating a restoring force (elastic force). The fastening spring 6 applies its restoring force to the bottom upper surface 2f as a pressing force (fastening force) that presses the bottom upper surface 2f of the rail 2, and also applies its restoring force to the bottom surface 10c of the insert member 10 as a pressing force that presses the top surface 10b of the insert member 10 against the seat surface 9g of the fixing member 9. The fastening spring 6 is formed by bending plate-shaped spring steel into a substantially U-shape, and is a leaf spring (main spring) that functions as a presser foot (spring clip) and also functions as a compression spring that receives a compressive load. The fastening spring 6 includes tip portions 6a and 6b shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an upper spring portion 6c, a lower spring portion 6d shown in FIG. 2, a bent portion 6e shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and through holes 6f and 6g. The tip portions 6a and 6b shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are portions that press against the bottom upper surface 2f of the rail 2 by the elastic force of the leaf spring. The tip portion 6a has a hook-shaped appearance as shown in FIG. 2 and presses against the bottom upper surface 2f and bottom side surface 2h of the rail 2. The tip portion 6b presses against the tip portion 6a from above. The upper spring portion 6c shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a portion that constitutes the upper leaf spring of the fastening spring 6. The lower spring portion 6d shown in FIG. 2 is a portion that constitutes the lower leaf spring of the fastening spring 6. The bent portion 6e is an end portion formed by bending spring steel into a substantially U-shape. The through holes 6f and 6g are portions that pass through the upper spring portion 6c and the lower spring portion 6d. The through holes 6f and 6g are elongated holes that are long in the left-right direction of the rail 2 and function as passages through which the shaft portion 9b of the fixing member 9 passes.

[0030] The spring support 7 shown in Figures 1 and 2 is a member that supports the fastening spring 6. The spring support 7 is located between the shoulder portion 3a of the support body 3 and the bent portion 6e of the fastening spring 6, and is a plastic member that provides electrical insulation between the support body 3 and the fastening spring 6. As shown in Figure 2, the spring support 7 is in close contact with the bent portion 6e of the fastening spring 6 to support the fastening spring 6 and absorb the lateral pressure that is generated in the left-right direction of the rail 2 when a train passes. The spring support 7 is attached to the support body 3 so that the top surface of the spring support 7 is at the same height (flush) as the top surfaces of the shoulder portion 3a and seat surface 3b of the support body 3.

[0031] The flush plug 8 shown in Figure 2 is a member that is embedded in the support body 3 to fasten the fixing member 9. The flush plug 8 functions as an attachment portion for attaching the fixing member 9. The flush plug 8 is a receiving plug made of unsaturated polyester resin or nylon that provides electrical insulation between the support body 3 and the fixing member 9. The flush plug 8 is embedded in an embedding hole formed in the surface of the support body 3. The flush plug 8 is equipped with a female thread portion 8a formed on the inner periphery of the flush plug 8, a spiral groove 8b formed on the outer periphery of the flush plug 8 to prevent it from coming loose, an iron spiral reinforcement 8c that reinforces the concrete around the flush plug 8, and a drain collar 8d that drains water that has seeped into the flush plug 8 from the underside of the support body 3.

[0032] The fixing member 9 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 is a member attached to the support body 3. As shown in FIG. 2, the fixing member 9, together with the insert member 10, presses the fastening spring 6 against the bottom upper surface 2f of the rail 2, thereby constituting a fastening member that fastens the rail bottom portion 2b and the fastening spring 6. As shown in FIG. 2, the fixing member 9 is fixed to the support body 3, and protrudes from the seat surface 3b of the support body 3 by being screwed into the embedded plug 8 of the support body 3. The fixing member 9 is a component used in the screwless rail fastening device 4 shown in FIG. 2, instead of the fastening bolt 109 used in the screw-type rail fastening device 104 shown in FIG. 7. For example, the fastening bolt 109 of the screw-type rail fastening device 104 shown in FIG. 7 is removed from the embedded plug 8 as shown in FIG. 10, and then the fixing member 9 is attached to the embedded plug 8 as shown in FIG. 11. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the fixing member 9 is a fixing bolt whose appearance is similar to a hexagon bolt. 3 and 4, the fixing member 9 includes a male thread portion 9a, a shaft portion 9b, a head portion 9c, a height setting portion 9d, an attachment portion 9e, and a positioning portion 9f. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the fixing member 9 passes through the through holes 6f, 6g of the fastening spring 6 and the notch 10a of the insertion member 10, and is screwed into the female thread portion 8a of the embedded plug 8 to be fixed.

[0033] The male thread portion 9a shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is a portion that meshes with the female thread portion 8a of the embedded plug 8. As shown in FIG. 3(B), the male thread portion 9a is a trapezoidal thread formed a predetermined length from the lower end of the fixing member 9. The shank portion 9b shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is a portion that is inserted into the through holes 6f, 6g of the fastening spring 6 and the notch 10a of the insert member 10. As shown in FIG. 5(A), the shank portion 9b has a circular cross-sectional shape. The outer diameter φ1 of the shank 9b is smaller than the inner diameter φ2 of the through holes 6f, 6g of the fastening spring 6 shown in FIG. 3(A) and the width W3 of the notch 10a of the insert member 10 shown in FIG. 5(A). Part or all of the portion of the shank 9b that is embedded in the embedded plug 8 is bonded to the inner periphery of the embedded plug 8 with an adhesive.

[0034] The head 9c shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is a portion that is rotated using a tool when attaching or detaching the fixing member 9 to or from the flush plug 8. The head 9c also functions as a retaining portion that prevents the insert member 10 from slipping out of the fixing member 9 upward when the insert member 10 is inserted between the fixing member 9 and the fastening spring 6. As shown in FIG. 3(A), the head 9c is formed in a hexagonal shape similar to a normal hexagon bolt. The head 9c is formed such that the diagonal distance D1, which is the distance between the opposing corners of the head 9c (the maximum outer diameter of the head 9c shown in FIG. 3), is smaller than the inner diameter φ2 of the through holes 6f, 6g of the fastening spring 6 so that the fastening spring 6 can be attached to the fixing member 9 from above when the fixing member 9 is attached to the flush plug 8. As shown in FIGS. 3(B) and 5(B), the head 9c has a flat bearing surface (under-neck) 9g on its underside that comes into contact with the upper surface of the insert member 10.

[0035] The height setting portion 9d shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is a portion that sets the height H of the fixing member 9 to a constant value. The height setting portion 9d keeps the distance from the seating surface 3b of the support 3 to the seating surface 9g of the fixing member 9 constant so that the insert member 10 can be inserted while maintaining a substantially constant gap Δ between the upper surface of the upper spring portion 6c of the fastening spring 6 and the seating surface 9g of the fixing member 9. If the height H is set to a strict dimension, it will be difficult to insert the insert member 10 into the gap Δ due to manufacturing tolerances on the support 3 side. If the height H is set too large, the upper spring portion 6c will return too much when the insert member 10 is inserted, reducing the pressing force of the fastening spring 6. The height H is set to a dimension that allows for easy insertion of the insert member 10 and ensures that the pressing force of the fastening spring 6 is within an optimal range. As shown in FIG. 4, the height setting portion 9d functions as a stopper that limits the amount of threading of the fixing member 9 when the male thread portion 9a of the fixing member 9 is threaded into the female thread portion 8a of the flush plug 8 so that it does not screw in deeper than a certain depth. The height setting portion 9d limits the amount of threading of the male thread portion 9a of the fixing member 9 into the female thread portion 8a of the flush plug 8, thereby keeping the amount of protrusion of the fixing member 9 from the seat surface 3b of the support body 3 constant. As shown in FIG. 4(B), the height setting portion 9d is a cylindrical member that is inserted from the lower end of the fixing member 9 and attached to the mounting portion 9e of the fixing member 9. As shown in FIG. 4(A), the lower end of the height setting portion 9d comes into contact with the upper surface of the spring support 7, thereby setting a constant height H of the fixing member 9 relative to the seat surface 3b of the support body 3.

[0036] The mounting portion 9e shown in Figures 3 and 4 is a portion where the height setting portion 9d is mounted. The mounting portion 9e is a small-diameter portion formed on the lower part of the shaft portion 9b of the fixing member 9, and the inner peripheral surface of the height setting portion 9d fits into the outer peripheral surface of this mounting portion 9e. The positioning portion 9f is a portion that positions the height setting portion 9d. The positioning portion 9f is a large-diameter portion (step) formed on the shaft portion 9b above the mounting portion 9e, and the outer diameter of this positioning portion 9f is formed larger than the outer diameter of the mounting portion 9e. The positioning portion 9f positions the height setting portion 9d at a predetermined position in the longitudinal direction of the fixing member 9 by contacting the upper end portion of the height setting portion 9d.

[0037] The inserting member 10 shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 is a member inserted between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9. As shown in FIG. 5(A), the inserting member 10 is a thick plate-like block with an appearance similar to a U-shaped square washer, which has a substantially U-shaped planar shape. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4(A), when the inserting member 10 is sandwiched between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9, it elastically deforms the fastening spring 6 against the restoring force of the fastening spring 6. As shown in FIG. 2, the inserting member 10 presses the upper spring portion 6c of the fastening spring 6 downward against the lower spring portion 6d, bringing the upper spring portion 6c into close contact with the lower spring portion 6d. The inserting member 10 generates a pressing force in the fastening spring 6 that presses the fastening spring 6 against the rail bottom portion 2b of the rail 2.

[0038] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 , the insert member 10 is inserted between the upper surface of the upper spring portion 6c of the fastening spring 6 and the seat surface 9g of the head 9c of the fixing member 9, thereby functioning as a fastening washer that fastens the rail 2 to the support body 3. The insert member 10 also functions as a pressing member that presses down the fastening spring 6 so that the fastening spring 6 generates a restoring force, and also functions as a slip-out prevention member that prevents the fastening spring 6 from slipping out of the fixing member 9. The insert member 10 is a component used in the screwless rail fastening device 4, replacing the washer 110 that is attached between the fastening bolt 109 and the fastening spring 6 of the screw-tight rail fastening device 104 shown in FIG. 7 . As shown in FIG. 4 , when the fixing member 9 is attached to the embedded plug 8, a gap Δ is formed between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9, and the insert member 10 can be attached and detached laterally into the gap Δ. Here, the gap Δ is the distance formed when the upper spring portion 6c of the fastening spring 6 is in close contact with the lower spring portion 6d, reaches a predetermined fastening force, and the upper surface of the upper spring portion 6c becomes approximately parallel to the seat surface 9g of the head 9c of the fixing member 9.

[0039] The thickness T of the insertion member 10 shown in Fig. 5(B) is set to be slightly thinner than the gap Δ so that the operator can insert the insertion member 10 into the gap Δ without pushing it in, or set to be approximately the same thickness as the gap Δ (loose fit) so that the operator can push the insertion member 10 in with little force. As shown in Fig. 1, the width W2 of the insertion member 10 is formed narrower than the width W1 of the fastening spring 6. As shown in Fig. 5, the insertion member 10 has a notch 10a, an upper surface 10b, a lower surface 10c, and guide portions 10d and 10e.

[0040] The notch 10a shown in FIG. 5 is a portion through which the shank 9b of the fixing member 9 passes when the inserting member 10 is inserted laterally into the shank 9b. The notch 10a allows the inserting member 10 to be attached and detached laterally between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9 while the fixing member 9 remains attached to the embedded plug 8 without being removed. The notch 10a fits into the shank 9b of the fixing member 9 when assembling the rail fastening device 4 and comes out of the shank 9b of the fixing member 9 when disassembling the rail fastening device 4. As shown in FIG. 5(A), the notch 10a is formed at a predetermined length from the end of the inserting member 10 along the length of the inserting member 10 and is an elongated notch groove that penetrates the inserting member 10 in the vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 5(A), the width W3 of the notch 10a is slightly wider than the outer diameter φ1 of the shank 9b of the fixing member 9 so that the shank 9b of the fixing member 9 can pass through. The width W3 of the notch 10a is formed narrower than the width across flats D2, which is the distance between the two opposing faces of the head 9c, so that the insertion member 10 does not slip out of the head 9c of the fixing member 9.

[0041] The upper surface portion 10b shown in FIG. 5 is a portion that constitutes the surface of the insert member 10. The upper surface portion 10b is formed as a flat surface so as to come into close contact with the seating surface 9g of the fixing member 9. The lower surface portion 10c is a portion that constitutes the back surface of the insert member 10. The lower surface portion 10c is formed as a flat surface parallel to the upper surface portion 10b so as to come into close contact with the upper surface of the upper spring portion 6c of the fastening spring 6. The guide portions 10d and 10e are portions that are guided by the seating surface 9g of the fixing member 9 when the insert member 10 is inserted between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9. The guide portions 10d and 10e guide the insert member 10 by the seating surface 9d of the fixing member 9 so that the insert member 10 can be easily inserted even when, for example, the gap Δ between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9 shown in FIG. 4 is narrower than the thickness T of the insert member 10. As shown in Fig. 5(B), guide portion 10d is formed by chamfering upper surface portion 10b on the tip side of insertion member 10, and is a flat inclined surface that slopes downward toward the tip side. As shown in Fig. 5(A), guide portion 10e is formed at the tip of insertion member 10, and is an arcuate surface that is rounded from both side surfaces of insertion member 10 toward notch portion 10a.

[0042] (Load acting part) The load application unit 11 shown in Figures 12 to 14 and 16 is a means for applying a load to the fastening spring 6. As shown in Figures 14(B) and (C), the load application unit 11 applies a load to the surface of the upper spring portion 6c of the fastening spring 6 so that a gap Δ into which the insertion member 10 can be inserted is formed between the seat surface 9g of the head 9c of the fixing member 9 and the upper surface of the upper spring portion 6c of the fastening spring 6. As shown in Figure 14(B), the load application unit 11 elastically deforms the fastening spring 6 against the restoring force of the fastening spring 6, and presses down the upper spring portion 6c until the upper spring portion 6c comes into close contact with the lower spring portion 6d. The load application unit 11 is, for example, a machine, tool, or device that applies a load to the fastening spring 6 from the outside. The load application portion 11 comes into contact with both edges of the upper spring portion 6c of the fastening spring 6 on the outsides of both edges of the insert member 10 shown in FIG. 1 and presses against the upper spring portion 6c, pushing the upper spring portion 6c downward. As shown in FIG. 14, when assembling the rail fastening device 4, the load application portion 11 applies a load to the upper spring portion 6c of the fastening spring 6 until the upper spring portion 6c comes into close contact with the lower spring portion 6d, and then releases the load that had been applied to the upper spring portion 6c after the insert member 10 is inserted between the fixing member 9 and the fastening spring 6. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 16, when disassembling the rail fastening device 4, the load application portion 11 applies a load to the upper spring portion 6c of the fastening spring 6, and then releases the load that had been applied to the upper spring portion 6c after the gap between the fixing member 9 and the fastening spring 6 is widened and the insert member 10 is removed.

[0043] (How to replace rail fastening devices) Next, a method for replacing and assembling the rail fastening device according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. The following description will be given taking as an example a case where the screw-type rail fastening device 104 shown in Fig. 7 is replaced with the screwless rail fastening device 4 shown in Fig. 13. In Figs. 7 to 10, the same parts as those shown in Fig. 2 are given the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0044] The rail fastening device 104 shown in FIG. 7 is a screw-tightening type rail fastening device and includes a track pad 5, a spring receiving base 7, a built-in plug 8, a fastening spring 106, a fastening bolt 109, and a washer 110. The fastening bolt 109 is a member that tightens the fastening spring 106. The fastening spring 106 has the same structure as the fastening spring 6 of the screwless rail fastening device 4 shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, but the width and length of the through holes 106f, 106g of the fastening spring 106 are different from the width and length of the through holes 6f, 6g of the fastening spring 6. The fastening bolt 109 is a hexagonal bolt similar to the fixing member 9 of the screwless rail fastening device 4 shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, but has a larger diagonal distance D1 and a larger width across flats D2 than the head 9c of the fixing member 9. The fastening bolt 109 shown in Fig. 7 has a structure in which the diagonal distance D1 of the head 109c is longer than the width of the through holes 106f, 106g of the fastening spring 106, and therefore the fastening spring 106 cannot be removed without removing the fixing member 109, and the fastening spring 106 cannot be attached until after the fastening spring 106 is attached. The washer 110 is a member that is sandwiched between the fastening bolt 109 and the fastening spring 106. The washer 110 is a round washer with a circular planar shape, and has a circular through hole through which the fastening bolt 109 passes, but unlike the insertion member 10 shown in Fig. 5, it does not have the notch 10a.

[0045] Replacement method #100 shown in Fig. 6 is a method for replacing a screw-tightening type rail fastening device 104 with a non-screw-tightening type rail fastening device 4. In replacement method #100, the fastening spring 106, fastening bolt 109, and washer 110 of the screw-tightening type rail fastening device 104 shown in Figs. 7 to 10 are removed and replaced with the fastening spring 6, fixing member 9, and insertion member 10 shown in Figs. 11 to 13, and the non-screw-tightening type rail fastening device 4 is assembled. As shown in Fig. 6, replacement method #100 includes a fastening bolt removal step #110, a fastening spring removal step #120, and an assembly method #200.

[0046] Fastening bolt removal process #110 shown in Fig. 6 is a process of removing the fastening bolt 109 of the screw-type rail fastening device 104. In fastening bolt removal process #110, as shown in Fig. 8, the fastening bolt 109 of the existing rail fastening device 104 is loosened and the fastening bolt 109 is removed from the embedded plug 8.

[0047] Fastening spring removal process #120 shown in Fig. 6 is a process of removing the fastening spring 106 of the screw-type rail fastening device 104. In fastening spring removal process #120, as shown in Fig. 9, when the fastening bolt 109 of the rail fastening device 104 is removed, the fastening spring 106 and washer 110 that were constrained by the fastening bolt 109 are released from the fastening bolt 109, and the fastening spring 106 and washer 110 are removed as shown in Fig. 10.

[0048] (Method of assembling rail fastening device) Assembly method #200 shown in FIG. 6 is a method for assembling a rail fastening device 4 that fastens a rail 2 to a support body 3. In assembly method #200, as shown in FIG. 10, the fastening spring 106, fastening bolt 109, and washer 110 of a screw-tightening rail fastening device 104 are removed, and then the fastening spring 6, fixing member 9, and insert member 10 shown in FIGS. 11 to 14 are attached to assemble the screwless rail fastening device 4. In assembly method #200, as shown in FIG. 14, a gap Δ is forcibly formed between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9 by the load application portion 11, and the insert member 10 is inserted into this gap Δ while a load is applied to the fastening spring 6 by the load application portion 11. As shown in FIG. 6, assembly method #200 includes a fixing member attachment step #210, a fastening spring attachment step #220, a load application step #230, an insertion step #240, and a clamping step #250.

[0049] Fixing member attachment process #210 is a process of attaching fixing member 9 of screwless rail fastening device 4. In fixing member attachment process #210, as shown in FIG. 11, the male threaded portion 9a of fixing member 9 is screwed into the female threaded portion 8a of embedded plug 8, and adhesive is applied between the shank 9b of fixing member 9 and the inner periphery of embedded plug 8, thereby bonding shank 9b to embedded plug 8. At this time, as shown in FIG. 4, the lower end of height setting portion 9d of fixing member 9 comes into contact with the upper surface of spring receiving base 7, so that seat surface 9g of fixing member 9 protrudes a certain height H from seat surface 3b of support body 3, and fixing member 9 is attached to support body 3.

[0050] The fastening spring installation process #220 is a process for installing the fastening spring 6 of the screwless rail fastening device 4. In the fastening spring installation process #220, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14(A), with the fixing member 9 attached to the support body 3, the fastening spring 6 is installed on the bottom upper surface 2f of the rail 2 and the spring receiving base 7. In the fastening spring installation process #220, the fastening spring 6, which has through holes 6f, 6g of different sizes than the fastening spring 106 removed from the screw-type rail fastening device 104 in the fastening spring removal process #120, is installed on the bottom upper surface 2f of the rail 2 and the spring receiving base 7. In the fastening spring installation process #220, the fastening spring 6 is installed on the bottom upper surface 2f of the rail 2 and the spring receiving base 7 by passing the through holes 6f, 6g of the fastening spring 6 through the head 9c of the fixing member 9 and inserting it from the head 9c to the shaft 9b. The fastening spring 6 is attached by moving the fastening spring 6 from top to bottom until the lower spring portion 6d of the fastening spring 6 contacts the bottom upper surface 2f of the rail 2 and the bent portion 6e of the fastening spring 6 contacts the spring support 7.

[0051] In the load application step #230, a load is applied to the fastening spring 6 so as to form a gap Δ between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9 for inserting the insertion member 10. In the load application step #230, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 14(A) and (B), a load is applied from the load application portion 11 to the fastening spring 6 so as to compress the fastening spring 6. As shown in FIG. 14(A), the load application portion 11 is brought into contact with the upper surface of the upper spring portion 6c of the fastening spring 6, and a load is applied from the load application portion 11 to the fastening spring 6 toward the bottom upper surface 2f of the rail 2, and the upper spring portion 6c is pressed down by the load application portion 11. As a result, as shown in FIG. 14(B), the gap between the upper spring portion 6c and the lower spring portion 6d narrows, and the fastening spring 6 is compressed. A load is applied from the load application portion 11 to the fastening spring 6 while moving the load application portion 11 downward until the upper spring portion 6c of the fastening spring 6 comes into close contact with the lower spring portion 6d, and the upper spring portion 6c is pressed down against the restoring force of the fastening spring 6, elastically deforming the fastening spring 6. A load is applied from the load application portion 11 to the upper spring portion 6c until a predetermined gap Δ is formed between the top surface of the upper spring portion 6c of the fastening spring 6 and the seat surface 9g of the head portion 9c of the fixing member 9. When the gap Δ is formed between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9, the load application portion 11 is stopped, and the state in which the load is applied from the load application portion 11 to the upper spring portion 6c is maintained.

[0052] Insertion member insertion process #240 is a process of inserting an insertion member 10 into the gap Δ between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9. In insertion member insertion process #240, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14(C), an operator inserts the insertion member 10 into the gap Δ between the upper surface of the upper spring portion 6c of the fastening spring 6 and the seat surface 9g of the head 9c of the fixing member 9. When the gap Δ shown in FIG. 4(A) is slightly wider than the thickness T of the insertion member 10 shown in FIG. 5(B), the operator inserts the insertion member 10 without pushing it in. When the thickness T of the insertion member 10 shown in FIG. 5(A) and the gap Δ shown in FIG. 4(A) are approximately the same, the operator pushes in the insertion member 10 with a slight force. As shown in Figures 13 and 14(C), when an operator inserts the insertion member 10 from the side relative to the shaft portion 9b of the fixing member 9, the cutout portion 10a of the insertion member 10 is guided by the shaft portion 9b of the fixing member 9, and the insertion member 10 is inserted into the gap Δ.

[0053] The insert member clamping process #250 is a process in which the load acting on the fastening spring 6 is released and the insert member 10 is clamped between the fastening spring 6 and the fixed member 9 by the restoring force of the fastening spring 6. As shown in FIG. 14(D), when the load application portion 11 is moved upward from the upper spring portion 6c of the fastening spring 6, the load acting from the load application portion 11 on the upper spring portion 6c decreases. When the load application portion 11 moves away from the upper spring portion 6c, the load acting on the upper spring portion 6c from the load application portion 11 is released, and the downward force acting on the upper spring portion 6c is removed. As a result, the fastening spring 6 returns to its original position due to the restoring force, and the upper surface of the upper spring portion 6c of the fastening spring 6 and the lower surface portion 10c of the insert member 10 come into close contact with each other. As a result, the insert member 10 is sandwiched between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9, the fastening spring 6 presses against the bottom upper surface 2f of the rail 2, and the rail 2 is fastened to the support body 3 by the rail fastening device 4.

[0054] (Method for disassembling rail fastening devices) Next, a method for disassembling the rail fastening device according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. The following description will be given taking as an example the case where the screwless rail fastening device 4 shown in FIG. 13 is disassembled. Disassembly method #300 shown in FIG. 15 is a method for disassembling a rail fastening device 4 in which a rail 2 is fastened to a support body 3. In disassembly method #300, the rail fastening device 4 is disassembled by removing the fastening spring 6 and insertion member 10 shown in FIG. 13. In disassembly method #300, as shown in FIGS. 16(A) and 16(B), a minute gap is forcibly formed between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9 by the load application portion 11, and the insertion member 10 is removed from this gap while a load is applied to the fastening spring 6 by the load application portion 11. Disassembly method #300 includes load application step #310, insertion member removal step #320, unloading step #330, and fastening spring removal step #340 shown in FIG. In disassembly method #300, the rail fastening device 4 is disassembled to remove the rail 2, for example, when performing rail replacement work.

[0055] The load application step #310 shown in FIG. 15 is a step of applying a load to the fastening spring 6 so as to form a gap for removing the insertion member 10 inserted between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9. In the load application step #310, as shown in FIGS. 16(A) and 16(B), a load is applied from the load application portion 11 to the fastening spring 6 so as to compress the fastening spring 6. As shown in FIG. 16(A), the load application portion 11 is brought into contact with the upper spring portion 6c of the fastening spring 6, and a load is applied from the load application portion 11 to the fastening spring 6, thereby pressing down the upper spring portion 6c. The fastening spring 6 is elastically deformed against the restoring force of the fastening spring 6, and a load is applied from the load application portion 11 to the upper spring portion 6c until a small gap is formed between the seat surface 9g of the head portion 9c of the fixing member 9 and the upper surface portion 10b of the insertion member 10. When a minute gap is formed between the fixing member 9 and the inserting member 10, the load acting portion 11 is stopped, and the state in which the load acting portion 11 acts on the upper spring portion 6c is maintained.

[0056] The insert member removal process #320 is a process of removing the insert member 10 from between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9. In the insert member removal process #320, as shown in FIG. 16(B), an operator manually removes the insert member 10 from between the upper surface of the upper spring portion 6c of the fastening spring 6 and the seat surface 9g of the head portion 9c of the fixing member 9. When the gap Δ shown in FIG. 4(A) is slightly wider than the thickness T of the insert member 10 shown in FIG. 5(B), the operator removes the insert member 10. When the thickness T of the insert member 10 shown in FIG. 5(B) and the gap Δ shown in FIG. 4(A) are approximately the same, the operator pulls out the insert member 10 with a slight force. When the operator removes the insert member 10 from the side relative to the shaft portion 9b of the fixing member 9, the notch 10a of the insert member 10 is guided by the shaft portion 9b of the fixing member 9, and the notch 10a comes out of the shaft portion 9b.

[0057] The unloading process #330 is a process of unloading the load acting on the fastening spring 6. In the unloading process #330, as shown in FIG. 16(C), the load acting portion 11 is moved upward from the upper spring portion 6c of the fastening spring 6, and when the load acting portion 11 moves away from the upper spring portion 6c, the load acting from the load acting portion 11 to the upper spring portion 6c is unloaded.

[0058] The fastening spring removal process #340 is a process of removing the fastening spring 6 from the fixing member 9. In the fastening spring removal process #340, the fastening spring 6 is separated from the load-applying portion 11 and removed from the fixing member 9. As shown in FIG. 3(A), the diagonal distance D1 of the head 9c of the fixing member 9 is set smaller than the inner diameter φ2 of the through-holes 6f, 6g of the fastening spring 6. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 16(D), with the fixing member 9 attached to the embedded plug 8, the worker lifts the fastening spring 6 upward and passes it from the head 9c through the through-holes 6f, 6g, thereby removing the fastening spring 6 from the fixing member 9. With the fixing member 9 attached to the support 3, work such as replacing the rail 2 is performed. After the rail 2 replacement work is completed, the process proceeds to the fastening spring attachment process #220 and subsequent steps shown in FIG. 6, where the rail 2 is fastened to the support 3 by the rail fastening device 4.

[0059] The method for assembling the rail fastening device according to the first embodiment of the present invention has the following effects. (1) In this first embodiment, a load is applied to the fastening spring 6 from the load application portion 11 so that a gap Δ for inserting the insert member 10 is formed between the fastening spring 6 that presses the rail 2 and the fixing member 9 attached to the support 3. This eliminates the need to apply a large force to push the insert member 10 between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9, and the rail 2 can be easily fastened to the support 3 in a short time. For example, by making the gap Δ between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9 approximately the same as the thickness T of the insert member 10, a worker can manually insert the insert member 10, thereby reducing the labor required for the fastening work. In addition, it is possible to prevent a large bending stress from acting on the fixing member 9 due to the force used to push the insert member 10 between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9.

[0060] (2) In the first embodiment, a load is applied from the load application portion 11 to the fastening spring 6 so that the fastening spring 6 is compressed. Therefore, compared to when the insertion member 10 is inserted by pushing it between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9 with a large force, a load is forcibly applied from the outside to the fastening spring 6 from the load application portion 11 to form a gap Δ in advance, and the insertion member 10 can be easily inserted into the gap Δ between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9.

[0061] (3) In this first embodiment, the insert member 10 is inserted into the gap Δ between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9, and the load acting on the fastening spring 6 is released, and the insert member 10 is sandwiched between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9 by the restoring force of the fastening spring 6. Therefore, by releasing the force pressing down on the fastening spring 6, the insert member 10 can be easily sandwiched between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9 by the restoring force of the fastening spring 6, and the rail 2 can be easily fastened to the support body 3.

[0062] The method for disassembling a rail fastening device according to the embodiment of the present invention has the following effects. (1) In this first embodiment, a load is applied to the fastening spring 6 from the load application portion 11 so as to form a gap for removing the inserting member 10 inserted between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9 from between them. Therefore, it is not necessary to use a large force to pull out the inserting member 10 from between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9, and the rail 2 can be easily removed from the support body 3 in a short time.

[0063] (2) In the first embodiment, a load is applied from the load application portion 11 to the fastening spring 6 so that the fastening spring 6 is compressed. Therefore, compared to when the insert member 10 is removed by pulling it out between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9 with a large force, a gap is formed in advance between the fastening spring 6 and the insert member 10 by forcibly applying a load from the outside to the fastening spring 6 from the load application portion 11, and the insert member 10 can be easily removed from between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9.

[0064] (3) In the first embodiment, the insertion member 10 is removed from between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9. Therefore, compared to a structure in which the fastening bolt 109 is removed from the support body 3 to disassemble the rail fastening device 104, such as a screw-type rail fastening device 104, the rail fastening device 4 can be easily disassembled while the fixing member 9 remains attached to the support body 3. Therefore, for example, when performing rail replacement work, the rail 2 can be removed from the support body 3 in a short time.

[0065] The rail fastening device replacement method according to the first embodiment of the present invention has the following effects. (1) In this first embodiment, the fastening bolts 109 of the screw-tightening rail fastening device 104 are removed from the support body 3 that supports the rail 2. Also, in this first embodiment, a fixing member 9 is attached to the support body 3 of the screwless rail fastening device 4, and a fastening spring 6 that presses the rail 2 is attached to the bottom upper surface 2f of the rail 2 and the spring receiving base 7. Furthermore, in this first embodiment, a load is applied to the fastening spring 6 from the load application portion 11 so that a gap Δ for inserting the insertion member 10 of the screwless rail fastening device 4 is formed between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9. Therefore, the fastening bolts 109 of the screw-tightening rail fastening device 104 can be removed and the fixing member 9 of the screwless rail fastening device 4 can be attached. As a result, the support body 3 to which the screw-tightening rail fastening device 104 is attached can be used as is to change to a screwless rail fastening device 4, thereby reducing costs. Also, the insertion member 10 can be inserted after the gap Δ is forcibly formed between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9 by the load application portion 11. As a result, there is no need to use excessive force when inserting the insertion member 10, and the insertion member 10 can be easily replaced with a screwless rail fastening device 4 in a short time.

[0066] (2) In the first embodiment, the fastening spring 6 is attached to the fixing member 9 by passing the through holes 6f, 6g of the fastening spring 6 through the head 9c of the fixing member 9. Therefore, the fastening spring 6 can be attached to the fixing member 9 while the fixing member 9 is attached to the support body 3. As a result, for example, when performing rail replacement work, the fastening spring 6 can be attached and detached while the fixing member 9 is attached to the support body 3, which reduces the workload and shortens the work time.

[0067] (3) In this first embodiment, the fixing member 9 is attached to the embedded plug 8 of the support body 3 to which the fastening bolt 109 of the screw-tightening type rail fastening device 104 was attached. Therefore, the embedded plug 8 of the screw-tightening type rail fastening device 104 can be used as is in the screwless type rail fastening device 4. As a result, when changing from the screw-tightening type rail fastening device 104 to the screwless type rail fastening device 4, there is no need to replace the support body 3, which allows for cost reduction.

[0068] (Second embodiment) In the following, the same parts as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 16 are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted. The support body 3 shown in Figure 18 is a bearing body that supports the rail 2 via a tie plate 12. The support body 3 is a rectangular flat plate or frame-shaped precast concrete slab (track slab) used in slab track, a type of labor-saving track developed to reduce periodic maintenance work.

[0069] (Rail fastening device) 1 and 2, the rail fastening device 4 shown in Figs. 17 and 18 fastens the rail 2 to the support body 3 via a tie plate 12. The rail fastening device 4 is a direct-coupled rail fastening device that directly fastens the rail 2 to the track slab via the tie plate 12. Like the rail fastening device 4 shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the rail fastening device 4 is a screwless rail fastening device that fastens without using a screw mechanism. The rail fastening device 4 includes a track pad 5 shown in Fig. 18, a fastening spring 6 shown in Figs. 17 and 18, a fixing member 9 shown in Fig. 19, an insert member 10 shown in Figs. 17 and 18, a tie plate 12, a fastening member 13, and an insulating plate 14.

[0070] 1 and 2, the fastening spring 6 shown in Figures 17 and 18 has notches 6h and 6i that penetrate the upper spring portion 6c and the lower spring portion 6d. The notches 6h and 6i are formed with a predetermined length from the tip ends 6a and 6b toward the bent portion 6e, and function as a through portion for passing the shaft portion 9b of the fixing member 9.

[0071] The fixing member 9 is a component attached to the tie plate 12. As shown in FIG. 19(E), the fixing member 9 is hooked to the hook portion 12d of the tie plate 12, thereby protruding from the tie plate seat surface 12a of the tie plate 12 as shown in FIG. 18. As shown in FIG. 18, the fixing member 9 is attached to the hook portion 12d of the tie plate 12 in a state where it is sandwiched between the bent portion 6e of the fastening spring 6 and the bottom side surface 2h of the rail bottom portion 2b. The fixing member 9 is a component used in the screwless rail fastening device 4 shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, replacing the fastening bolt 109A used in the screw-tightening rail fastening device 104 shown in FIG. 21. For example, the fixing member 9 is attached to the hook portion 12d after the fastening bolt 109A of the screw-tightening rail fastening device 104 shown in FIG. 21 is removed from the hook portion 12d. Unlike the fixing member 9 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the fixing member 9 does not have a thread as shown in FIG. 19. As shown in Fig. 19, the fixing member 9 includes a shaft portion 9b, a head portion 9c, a latch portion 9h, and a rotation prevention portion 9i. As shown in Fig. 18, the fixing member 9 passes through the notches 6h and 6i of the fastening spring 6 and the notch 10a of the insertion member 10, and is fitted into the latch portion 12d of the tie plate 12 to be fixed.

[0072] The shaft portion 9b shown in Fig. 19 has an outer diameter φ1 smaller than the width W4 of the notches 6h, 6i of the fastening spring 6 shown in Fig. 17 so that, with the fastening member 9 attached to the latch portion 9h, the fastening spring 6 can be attached to the bottom side surface 2h of the rail 2 and the spring bearing portion 12c of the tie plate 12 from the side of the fastening member 9. The head portion 9c is circular as shown in Fig. 19(A), unlike the hexagonal shape of the head portion 9c shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The outer diameter φ3 of the head portion 9c is larger than the width W3 of the notch 10a of the inserting member 10 shown in Fig. 5 so that the inserting member 10 does not slip out of the head portion 9c.

[0073] 18 and 19 is a portion that is hooked onto the hook portion 12d on the tie plate 12. As shown in FIG. 19(B), the hook portion 9h has a generally T-shaped appearance and is fitted laterally into the hook portion 12d of the tie plate 12. The hook portion 9h functions as a retaining portion that prevents the fixing member 9 from coming off the tie plate 12. As shown in FIG. 18, the hook portion 9h has a convexly curved arc surface 9j that makes line contact with the inclined surface 12f of the hook portion 12d of the tie plate 12 as shown in FIGS. 19(E) to 19(G) so that the bearing surface 9g of the head 9c of the fixing member 9 is also inclined in accordance with the inclination of the upper surface of the upper spring portion 6c of the fastening spring 6.

[0074] The anti-rotation portion 9i shown in Figure 19 is a portion that prevents the fixed member 9 from rotating around the central axis. As shown in Figures 19(B), (C), and (E), the anti-rotation portion 9i is formed between the shaft portion 9b and the latch portion 9h, and is a rectangular portion with a square cross section as shown in Figure 19(D). The anti-rotation portion 9i prevents the fixed member 9 from rotating by fitting into the anti-rotation portion 12e on the tie plate 12 side.

[0075] The tie plate 12 shown in Figures 17 and 18 is a member inserted between the rail 2 and the support body 3. The tie plate 12 also functions as a support for the rail 2. As shown in Figure 17, the tie plate 12 is a plate-like member with a square planar shape and is a fastening member that is detachably attached to the support body 3. The tie plate 12, together with the track pad 5 and fastening spring 6, constitutes a dual-elastic fastening device. As shown in Figure 18, the tie plate shown in Figures 17 and 18 is installed with the rail 2 inclined toward the inside of the gauge (inside the left and right rails 2) (inclined installation), thereby reducing the force acting from the wheel 1 to the rail 2. The tie plate 12 includes a tie plate seat 12a shown in Figure 18, a shoulder portion 12b shown in Figures 17 to 19, a spring bearing portion 12c shown in Figure 18, a latch portion 12d shown in Figures 18 and 19, and a rotation prevention portion 12e shown in Figure 19.

[0076] The tie plate seating surface 12a shown in FIG. 18 is a portion where the rail 2 is installed. The tie plate seating surface 12a is formed as a flat, inclined surface, and the track pad 5 is sandwiched between the bottom lower surface 2g of the rail bottom portion 2b and this tie plate seating surface 12a. The shoulder portion 12b shown in FIGS. 17 to 19 is a portion that restricts lateral movement of the rail 2. As shown in FIG. 17, the shoulder portion 12b is formed continuously along the width direction of the tie plate 12 and protrudes from the top surface of the tie plate 12 as shown in FIG. 18. The shoulder portion 12b is a wall portion formed opposite to the shoulder portion 12b so as to sandwich the bottom side surface 2h of the rail bottom portion 2b, and positions the rail bottom portion 2b on the tie plate 12. The spring seating portion 12c shown in FIG. 18 is a portion that positions the fastening spring 6. The spring seating portion 12c protrudes from the top surface of the tie plate 12 so as to sandwich the bent portion 6e of the fastening spring 6.

[0077] 18 and 19 is a portion that hooks onto the hook portion 9h on the fixing member 9. The hook portion 12d functions as an attachment portion for attaching the fixing member 9, and also as a retaining portion that prevents the fixing member 9 from slipping out of the tie plate 12. As shown in FIG. 19(E), the hook portion 12d is formed by penetrating the shoulder portion 12b to match the shape of the hook portion 9h so as to cut out a concave shape in the upper surface of the shoulder portion 12b. The hook portion 12d has a flat inclined surface 12f that makes line contact with the arcuate surface 9j of the hook portion 9h of the fixing member 9.

[0078] Anti-rotation portion 12e shown in Fig. 19 is a portion that prevents rotation of fixed member 9 around the central axis. As shown in Fig. 19(D), anti-rotation portion 12e is a flat surface that comes into contact with anti-rotation portion 9i on the fixed member 9 side, and prevents rotation of fixed member 9 by fitting with anti-rotation portion 9i as shown in Fig. 19(E).

[0079] 18 and 19 is a member that fastens the tie plate 12 to the support body 3. The fastening member 13 includes an anchor bolt 13a that is attached to a flush plug embedded in the support body 3, a cover plate 13b that prevents the intrusion of rainwater or dust, a plain washer 13c that is sandwiched between the head seat of the anchor bolt 13a and the cover plate 13b, and a spring washer 13d that is sandwiched between the plain washer 13c and the cover plate 13b. The insulating plate 14 is a member that electrically insulates the support body 3 and the tie plate 12. The insulating plate 14 is inserted between the support body 3 and the tie plate 12.

[0080] (How to replace rail fastening devices) Next, a method for replacing, assembling and disassembling a rail fastening device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The following description will be given taking as an example a case where the screw-type rail fastening device 104 shown in Fig. 21 is replaced with the screwless rail fastening device 4 shown in Fig. 18. In Fig. 21, the same parts as those shown in Fig. 18 are given the same reference numerals, and detailed description will be omitted. Furthermore, the same steps as those shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 15 will be described using the same reference numerals.

[0081] The rail fastening device 104 shown in FIG. 21 is a screw-tightening type rail fastening device, unlike the rail fastening device 4 shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, and includes a fastening spring 106, a fastening bolt 109A, a nut 109B, and a washer 110. The fastening spring 106 shown in FIG. 21 has the same structure as the fastening spring 6 of the screwless rail fastening device 4 shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, but the lower spring portion 106d of the fastening spring 106 is a through hole 106i, which is different from the notch 6i of the lower spring portion 6d of the fastening spring 6 shown in FIG. 18. The fastening bolt 109A is attached to the tie plate 12 and is a T-bolt with a T-shaped appearance. The fastening bolt 109A has a male thread portion 109a at the top of the fastening bolt 109A. The nut 109B is a member attached to the fastening bolt 109A. The nut 109B is fastened onto the fastening bolt 109A, thereby generating a fastening force in the fastening spring 106 that presses the rail bottom portion 2b against the fastening spring 106. The washer 110 is a member sandwiched between the nut 109B and the fastening spring 106.

[0082] In replacement method #100 shown in Fig. 20, the fastening spring 106, fastening bolt 109A, nut 109B, and washer 110 of the screw-tightening rail fastening device 104 shown in Fig. 21 are removed and replaced with the fastening spring 6, fixing member 9, and insertion member 10 shown in Fig. 18, to assemble a screwless rail fastening device 4. As shown in Fig. 20, replacement method #100 includes a nut removal process #130, a fastening spring removal process #140, a fastening bolt removal process #150, and an assembly method #200.

[0083] Nut removal process #130 is a process of removing the nut 109B of the screw-type rail fastening device 104. In nut removal process #130, an operator loosens the nut 109B of the existing rail fastening device 104 shown in FIG. 21, and removes the nut 109B and washer 110 from the fastening bolt 109A.

[0084] Fastening spring removal process #140 is a process of removing the fastening spring 106 of the screw-tight rail fastening device 104. When the nut 109B is removed from the fastening bolt 109A, the fastening spring 106 that had been constrained by the nut 109B is released. In fastening spring removal process #140, with the fastening bolt 109A of the screw-tight rail fastening device 104 shown in FIG. 21 attached to the tie plate 12, an operator lifts the fastening spring 106 upward so as to move away from the rail 2, and the fastening spring 106 is removed from the fastening bolt 109A.

[0085] Fastening bolt removal process #150 shown in Figure 6 is a process of removing fastening bolt 109A of a screw-tightening type rail fastening device 104. In fastening bolt removal process #150, a worker slides fastening bolt 109A of an existing screw-tightening type rail fastening device 104 shown in Figure 21 laterally so as to move away from rail 2. As a result, hook portion 9h of fastening bolt 109A comes out of hook portion 12d of tie plate 12 shown in Figure 18, and fastening bolt 109A is removed from tie plate 12.

[0086] (Method of assembling rail fastening device) In assembly method #200 shown in Fig. 20, after removing the fastening bolt 109A, nut 109B, and washer 110 from the screw-type rail fastening device 104 shown in Fig. 21, the fastening spring 6, fixing member 9, and inserting member 10 shown in Fig. 18 are attached to assemble the screwless rail fastening device 4. In assembly method #200, as shown in Fig. 22, a gap Δ is forcibly formed between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9 by the load acting portion 11, and the inserting member 10 is inserted into this gap Δ while a load is applied to the fastening spring 6 by the load acting portion 11.

[0087] In the fixing member attachment process #210, the hook portion 9h of the fixing member 9 is fitted laterally into the hook portion 12d of the tie plate 12 shown in FIG. 19 so as to approach the rail 2 shown in FIG. 18, thereby attaching the fixing member 9 to the tie plate 12. In the fastening spring attachment process #220, as shown in FIG. 18, with the fixing member 9 attached to the tie plate 12, a fastening spring 6 having a notch 6i shown in FIG. 18, which differs from the fastening spring 106 having a through hole 106i removed from the screw-type rail fastening device 104 shown in FIG. 21, is slid laterally so as to approach the rail 2. As a result, the notches 6h, 6i of the fastening spring 6 are guided by the shaft portion 9b of the fixing member 9, and the fastening spring 6 is attached to the bottom upper surface 2f of the rail 2 and the spring receiving portion 12c of the tie plate 12.

[0088] In load application step #230, as shown in Figure 22(A), the load application portion 11 applies a load to the upper spring portion 6c of the fastening spring 6. As shown in Figure 22(B), when a predetermined gap Δ is formed between the top surface of the upper spring portion 6c of the fastening spring 6 and the seat surface 9g of the head portion 9c of the fixing member 9, the load application portion 11 is stopped, and the state in which the load is applied from the load application portion 11 to the upper spring portion 6c is maintained.

[0089] In inserting member inserting step #240, as shown in Figure 22(C), an operator inserts inserting member 10 into gap Δ between the top surface of upper spring portion 6c of fastening spring 6 and seat surface 9g of head portion 9c of fixing member 9. In inserting member clamping step #250, as shown in Figure 22(D), when load-applying portion 11 moves away from upper spring portion 6c, the restoring force of fastening spring 6 clamps inserting member 10 between fastening spring 6 and fixing member 9, and rail 2 is fastened to tie plate 12 by rail fastening device 4.

[0090] (Method for disassembling rail fastening devices) Next, a method for disassembling the rail fastening device according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In disassembly method #300 shown in Fig. 15, as shown in Fig. 23(A), a load is applied from the load application portion 11 to the upper spring portion 6c of the fastening spring 6. When a small gap is formed between the upper surface portion 10b of the insertion member 10 and the seat surface 9g of the head portion 9c of the fixing member 9, the load application portion 11 is stopped.

[0091] In the insertion member removal process #320, as shown in FIG. 23(B), the worker manually removes the insertion member 10 from between the upper surface of the upper spring portion 6c of the fastening spring 6 and the seat surface 9g of the head portion 9c of the fixing member 9. In the unloading process #330, as shown in FIG. 23(C), the load acting on the upper spring portion 6c from the load acting portion 11 is released when the load acting portion 11 moves away from the upper spring portion 6c. In the fastening spring removal process #340, as shown in FIG. 23(D), with the fixing member 9 attached to the tie plate 12, the worker pulls out the fastening spring 6 laterally, removing it from the bottom side surface 2h of the rail 2 and the spring receiving portion 12c of the tie plate 12. After the rail 2 replacement work is completed, the process proceeds to the fastening spring installation process #220 and subsequent processes shown in FIG. 20, where the rail 2 is fastened to the support body 3 by the rail fastening device 4. This second embodiment has the same effects as the first embodiment.

[0092] (Other embodiments) The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and alterations are possible as described below, and these are also within the scope of the present invention. (1) In this embodiment, a double elastic fastening device has been described as an example of the rail fastening device 4, but the present invention can also be applied to a single fastening device that omits the track pad 5 and fastens the rail 2 directly to the support body using the fastening spring 6. Also, in this embodiment, PC sleepers and track slabs have been described as examples of the support body 3, but the present invention can also be applied to support bodies of other structures.

[0093] (2) In this embodiment, the height H of the fixing member 9 is set to a constant value by fitting the inner peripheral portion of the height setting portion 9d into the outer peripheral portion of the fixing member 9, but the structure of the height setting portion 9d is not limited to this structure. For example, the present invention can also be applied to a case in which the height setting portion 9d is formed by integrally forming a large-diameter portion on the outer peripheral portion of the fixing member 9 or by adhering a cylindrical member to the outer peripheral portion of the fixing member 9, thereby setting the height H of the fixing member 9 to a constant value. In addition, in this embodiment, the insertion member 10 is provided with guide portions 10d and 10e, but the present invention can also be applied to a case in which one or both of the guide portions 10d and 10e are not provided.

[0094] (3) In this embodiment, an example has been described in which a screw-tightening rail fastening device 104 is replaced with a screwless rail fastening device 4. However, the present invention can also be applied to a case in which a screwless rail fastening device 4 is assembled with the fixing member 9 already attached to the support body 3. Also, in this embodiment, an example has been described in which the assembly method #200 and disassembly method #300 of the screwless rail fastening device 4 are used. However, the present invention can also be applied to a case in which a screwless rail fastening device 104 is assembled or disassembled. Furthermore, in this embodiment, an example has been described in which the fastening spring 6 is removed in the fastening spring removal steps #120 and #140, and then the fixing member 9 is attached in the fixing member attachment step #210, and the fastening spring 6 is attached in the fastening spring attachment step #220. However, the present invention can also be applied to a case in which the fastening spring removal steps #120 and #140 and the fastening spring attachment step #220 are omitted. In this case, after removing the fastening bolt 109A, the fixing member 9 can be attached with the fastening spring 6 still attached.

[0095] (4) In this embodiment, an example has been described in which the screwless rail fastening device 4 is disassembled by disassembly method #300 and then assembled by assembly method #200, but the present invention can also be applied to a case in which the screwless rail fastening device 4 is disassembled and then reassembled into a screw-type rail fastening device 104. Also, in this first embodiment, an example has been described in which the fastening spring 6 has through holes 6f, 6g, but the present invention can also be applied to a case in which the fastening spring 6 has cutout portions 6h, 6i. In this case, the fastening spring 6 can be attached and detached from the lateral direction of the fixing member 9.

[0096] (5) In the second embodiment, the fastening spring 6 includes the notches 6h and 6i. However, the present invention can also be applied to a case where the fastening spring 6 includes the through holes 6f and 6g. In this case, the fastening spring 6 can be attached and detached from the top and bottom of the fastening member 9 by making the outer diameter φ3 of the head 9c of the fixing member 9 smaller than the inner diameter φ2 of the through holes 6f and 6g of the fastening spring 6. Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the tie plate 12 is used as an example of the support body. However, the present invention can also be applied to support parts such as branch tie plates used in turnouts and floor plates that support multiple rails of turnouts. [Explanation of symbols]

[0097] 1 wheel 2 Rails 3 Support (Support) 3a Shoulder 3b Seat 4 Rail fastening device (screwless rail fastening device) 5 Railroad Pad 6 Fastening spring 6c Upper spring part 6d Lower spring part 6f, 6g Through holes (through parts) 6h, 6i Notch (through part) 7 Spring support 8. Recessed plug (mounting part) 8a Male thread 9 Fixing member 9a Male thread 9b Shaft 9c head 9d Height setting section 9g seat 9h Hook stopper 10 Insertion member 10a Notch 11 Load acting part 12 Tie plate (support part) 12a Tie plate seat 12b Shoulder 12c Spring bearing part 12d Hook stopper (mounting part) 13 Fastening members 14 Insulating plate 104 Rail fastening device (screw-type rail fastening device) 109,109A Fastening bolt 109B Nut 110 Washer Δ Gap H Height D1 Diagonal distance D2 Width across flats T Thickness W1~W4 width φ1, φ3 outer diameter φ2 inner diameter

Claims

1. A method for assembling a rail fastening device that fastens a rail to a support, comprising: a load application step of applying a load from a load application portion to the fastening spring so that a gap for inserting an insertion member is formed between the fastening spring that presses the rail and the fixing member attached to the support; A method for assembling a rail fastening device, comprising:

2. 2. The method for assembling a rail fastening device according to claim 1, the load application step includes a step of applying a load from the load application portion to the fastening spring so that the fastening spring is compressed; A method for assembling a rail fastening device, comprising:

3. 2. The method for assembling a rail fastening device according to claim 1, an insertion step of inserting the insertion member into a gap between the fastening spring and the fixing member; a clamping step of clamping the insertion member between the fastening spring and the fixing member by removing a load acting on the fastening spring and using the restoring force of the fastening spring; A method for assembling a rail fastening device, comprising:

4. A method for disassembling a rail fastening device that fastens a rail to a support, comprising: a load application step of applying a load from a load application portion to a fastening spring that presses the rail and a fixing member attached to the support body so as to form a gap for removing an insert member inserted between the fastening spring and the fixing member from between the two; A method for disassembling a rail fastening device, comprising:

5. The method for disassembling a rail fastening device according to claim 4, the load application step includes a step of applying a load from the load application portion to the fastening spring so that the fastening spring is compressed; A method for disassembling a rail fastening device, comprising:

6. The method for disassembling a rail fastening device according to claim 4, a removing step of removing the insertion member from between the fastening spring and the fixing member; A method for disassembling a rail fastening device, comprising:

7. A rail fastening device replacement method for replacing a screw-tightening type rail fastening device that is fastened using a screw mechanism with a screwless rail fastening device that is fastened without using a screw mechanism, a fastening bolt removal process of removing a fastening bolt of the screw-tightening type rail fastening device from a support body that supports a rail; a fixing member attachment step of attaching a fixing member of the screwless rail fastening device to the support; a fastening spring attachment step of attaching a fastening spring that presses the rail to the fixing member; a load application step of applying a load to the fastening spring from a load application portion so that a gap for inserting an insertion member of the screwless rail fastening device is formed between the fastening spring and the fixing member; A method for replacing a rail fastening device comprising:

8. The rail fastening device replacement method according to claim 7, the load application step includes a step of applying a load from the load application portion to the fastening spring so that the fastening spring is compressed; A method for replacing a rail fastening device, comprising:

9. The rail fastening device replacement method according to claim 7, an insertion step of inserting the insertion member into a gap between the fastening spring and the fixing member; a clamping step of clamping the insertion member between the fastening spring and the fixing member by removing a load acting on the fastening spring and using the restoring force of the fastening spring; A method for replacing a rail fastening device, comprising:

10. The rail fastening device replacement method according to claim 7, the fastening spring attaching step includes a step of attaching the fastening spring to the fixing member by passing a through portion of the fastening spring through a head portion of the fixing member; A method for replacing a rail fastening device, comprising:

11. The rail fastening device replacement method according to claim 7, the fixing member attaching step includes a step of attaching the fixing member to an attachment portion of the support body to which the fastening bolt of the screw-tightening type rail fastening device was attached; A method for replacing a rail fastening device, comprising:

Images