Rail fastening tool

Abstract

To provide a rail fastening tool capable of easily fastening a rail fastener and reducing workload with a simple structure.SOLUTION: A rail fastening tool 11 is a tool for fastening a rail 2 to a support body 3, and includes a load action portion 15 for allowing load to act on a fastening spring 6 that presses down the rail 2, and a reaction force reception portion 18 that is attached to the rail 2 to be freely detachable and receives a reaction force corresponding to the load made by the load action portion 15 to act on the fastening spring 6, from the rail 2. The load action portion 15 allows the load to act on the fastening spring 6 so that a gap Δ for inserting an insertion member 10 is formed between a stationary member 9 to be attached to the support body 3 and the fastening spring 6. The rail fastening tool 11 has a lever part 12 on which the load action portion 15 allows an external force to act in order to allow the load to act on the fastening spring 6. The reaction force reception portion 18 supports a fulcrum part 17 for supporting the lever part 12 to be rotatable.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a rail fastening tool for fastening a rail to a support. [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, screwless fastening devices using wire springs have been gradually installed, which demonstrate a specified level of 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 has been proposed that utilizes existing rail supports 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 [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-041500 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] Prior Art 3, when constructing a rail fastening device, involves a process of inserting the frame member by leaving a gap between the head of the shaft member and the spring member equal to the thickness of the frame member. However, in Prior Art 3, while inserting the frame member between the head of the shaft member and the spring member, the frame member must press the upper spring of the spring member against the lower spring to leave a gap between them, and a large force is required to insert the frame member between them against the restoring force of the spring member. For this reason, a device that can safely and easily press down the leaf spring with a simple structure and mechanism is needed.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a rail fastening tool that can easily fasten a rail fastening device with a simple structure and reduce the workload. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] 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 rail fastening tool (11) for fastening a rail (2) to a support (3), as shown in Figures 7, 8, 12, 18 and 19, which is equipped with a load acting portion (15) that applies a load to a fastening spring (6) that presses the rail, and a reaction force receiving portion (18) that is detachably attached to the rail and receives a reaction force from the rail against the load that the load acting portion applies to the fastening spring.

[0010] The invention of claim 2 is a rail fastening tool according to claim 1, characterized in that, as shown in Figures 9, 13 and 20, the load acting portion applies a load to the fastening spring so that a gap (Δ) for inserting an insertion member (10) is formed between the fastening spring and a fixing member (9) attached to the support body.

[0011] The invention of claim 3 is a rail fastening tool according to claim 1, characterized in that, as shown in Figures 14 and 21, the load acting portion applies a load to the fastening spring so as to form a gap for removing an insertion member inserted between the fastening spring and a fixing member attached to the support body.

[0012] The invention of claim 4 is a rail fastening tool according to claim 1, characterized in that the load acting portion applies a load to the fastening spring so that the fastening spring is compressed, as shown in Figures 7, 9, 10, 12 to 14, and 19 to 21.

[0013] The invention of claim 5 is a rail fastening tool according to claim 1, characterized in that, as shown in Figures 4 and 19, the load acting portion applies a load to the fastening spring attached to a fixing member whose protrusion amount (H) from the support body is approximately constant.

[0014] The invention of claim 6 is a rail fastening tool as described in claim 1, characterized in that the load acting portion is provided with a lever portion (12) that applies an external force to apply a load to the fastening spring, and the reaction force receiving portion supports a fulcrum portion (17) that rotatably supports the lever portion, as shown in Figures 6, 7, 10, 12 and 19.

[0015] The invention of claim 7 is a rail fastening tool according to claim 1, characterized in that the reaction force receiving portion is detachably attached to the rail so as to sandwich the rail from the width direction of the rail, as shown in Figures 7, 8, 12, 18 and 19. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, the rail fastening device can be easily fastened with a simple structure, and the workload can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view of a rail fastening device in which a rail fastening tool according to a first embodiment of the present invention is used. [Figure 2] 1 is a side view showing, with a part cut away, a rail fastening device in which a rail fastening tool according to a first embodiment of the present invention is used. [Figure 3] 1A and 1B are external views of a fixing member of a rail fastening device in which a rail fastening tool according to a first embodiment of the present invention is used, where (A) is a plan view and (B) is a front view. [Figure 4] 1 is a front view showing, with a portion of a fixing member omitted, of a rail fastening device in which a rail fastening tool according to a first embodiment of the present invention is used. FIG. [Figure 5] 1A and 1B are external views of an insertion member of a rail fastening device in which a rail fastening tool according to a first embodiment of the present invention is used, where (A) is a plan view and (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-VB in (A). [Figure 6]1 is a side view showing a folded state of a rail fastening tool according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 1 is a side view showing a state in which a rail fastening tool according to a first embodiment of the present invention is in use. [Figure 8] 1 is a plan view showing a state in which a rail fastening tool according to a first embodiment of the present invention is in use. [Figure 9] 8 is a schematic rear view of the device as viewed from direction IX in FIG. 7, with some parts omitted. [Figure 10] 1A and 1B are enlarged partial views showing the state in which the rail fastening tool according to the first embodiment of the present invention is in use, where FIG. 1A is an enlarged partial view showing the state in which a load is applied to a fastening spring by the rail fastening tool, and FIG. 1B is an enlarged partial view showing the state in which a gap is formed between the fixing member and the fastening spring by the rail fastening tool. [Figure 11] 1 is a side view schematically showing a fulcrum support part of a rail fastening tool according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 12] 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams for explaining a method of using the rail fastening tool according to the first embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a schematic diagram of the rail fastening tool in an installed state, (B) is a schematic diagram of a state in which a load is applied to a fastening spring by the rail fastening tool, and (C) is a schematic diagram of a state in which a gap is formed between a fixing member and a fastening spring by the rail fastening tool. [Figure 13] 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams for explaining a method of assembling a rail fastening device using a rail fastening tool according to a first embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a load acting portion is in contact with a fastening spring, (B) is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a gap is formed between a fixing member and the fastening spring, (C) is a schematic diagram showing a state in which an insertion member is inserted, and (D) is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the load acting portion has released the load acting on the fastening spring. [Figure 14]1A and 1B are schematic diagrams for explaining a method for disassembling a rail fastening device using a rail fastening tool according to a first embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a load acting portion is applying a load to a fastening spring, (B) is a schematic diagram showing a state in which an insertion member has been removed, (C) is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the load acting portion has released the load acting on the fastening spring, and (D) is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the fastening spring has been removed. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a rail fastening device in which a rail fastening tool according to a second embodiment of the present invention is used. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a partially cutaway front view of a rail fastening device in which a rail fastening tool according to a second embodiment of the present invention is used. [Figure 17] 10A and 10B are external views of a fixing member of a rail fastening device in which a rail fastening tool according to a second embodiment of the present invention is used, 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 XVII-IVIID 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 18] FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a rail fastening tool according to a second embodiment of the present invention with some parts omitted. [Figure 19] FIG. 5 is a side view showing a rail fastening tool according to a second embodiment of the present invention with some parts omitted. [Figure 20] 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams for explaining a method for assembling a rail fastening device using a rail fastening tool according to a second embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the load acting portion is in contact with the fastening spring, (B) is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a gap is formed between the fixing member and the fastening spring, (C) is a schematic diagram showing a state in which an insertion member is inserted, and (D) is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the load acting portion has released the load acting on the fastening spring. [Figure 21]5A and 5B are schematic diagrams for explaining a method for disassembling a rail fastening device using a rail fastening tool according to a second embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a load acting portion is applying a load to a fastening spring, (B) is a schematic diagram showing a state in which an insertion member has been removed, (C) is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the load acting portion has released the load acting on the fastening spring, and (D) is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the fastening spring has been removed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] (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.

[0019] 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 wheels 1. The rail head 2a comprises a head top surface (head upper surface) 2d that directly supports the wheels 1, head side surfaces 2e that form the left and right side portions of the rail head 2a and are continuous with the head top surface 2d, an upper neck portion 2f that forms the curved portion below the rail head 2a, and a jaw portion 2g that forms the curved portion connecting the head side surfaces 2e and the upper neck portion 2f. The rail bottom 2b is the portion that is supported by a support body 3. The rail bottom 2b is installed and attached to the support body 3 by a rail fastening device 4. The rail bottom 2b has a bottom upper surface 2h that is pressed by the fastening springs 6 of the rail fastening device 4, a bottom lower surface 2i that contacts the support body 3, bottom side surfaces 2j that form the left and right side portions of the rail bottom 2b, and a lower neck 2k that forms the upper curved surface portion of the rail bottom 2b. The rail web 2c 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.

[0020] 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 track 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 2j, and a seat surface 3b formed in the concave flat portion of the support body 3 and facing the rail 2.

[0021] (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.

[0022] 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 screwless 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 by, for example, replacing the fastening bolt of the screw-tightening rail fastening device 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 achieve cost reduction because it uses the sleepers and other components of the screw-tightening rail fastening device as they are without replacing them. Furthermore, compared to a screw-type rail fastening device that secures fastening force by a screw mechanism, the rail fastening device 4 reduces the effort required for maintenance such as torque management, making it possible to achieve labor-saving maintenance management.

[0023] 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 and 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. The track pad 5 protects the surface of the support 3 and has the function of electrically insulating the rail 2 from the support 3.

[0024] The fastening spring 6 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a spring that presses the rail 2. As shown in FIG. 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 2h as a pressing force (fastening force) that presses the bottom upper surface 2h of the rail 2, and also applies its restoring force to the bottom lower surface 10c of the insert member 10 as a pressing force that presses the upper surface 10b of the insert member 10 against the seat surface 9g of the fixing member 9. The fastening spring 6 is detachably attached to the fixing member 9. The fastening spring 6 is a plate spring (main spring) formed by bending plate-shaped spring steel into a substantially U-shape, and functions as a presser foot (spring clip) and also 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 2h 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 2h and bottom side surface 2j 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.

[0025] 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.

[0026] 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.

[0027] 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 2h 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, replacing the fastening bolt used in a screw-tightening rail fastening device. The fixing member 9 is attached to the embedded plug 8 after removing the fastening bolt of the screw-tightening rail fastening device, for example. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the fixing member 9 is a fixing bolt whose appearance is similar to a hexagon bolt. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the fixing member 9 includes a male thread portion 9a, a shaft portion 9b, a head portion 9c, and a height setting portion 9d. 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 insert member 10, and is screwed into the female threaded portion 8a of the embedded plug 8 and fixed.

[0028] 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 that extends 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 (width of the elongated hole) 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). The portion of the shank 9b that is embedded in the embedded plug 8 is partially or entirely bonded to the inner periphery of the embedded plug 8 with an epoxy resin adhesive or the like.

[0029] 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.

[0030] 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 inserting member 10 can be inserted with a 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. Here, the height H is set to a dimension that allows for easy insertion of the inserting 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 to a constant value when the male threaded portion 9a of the fixing member 9 is threaded into the female threaded portion 8a of the flush plug 8 so that the fixing member 9 does not thread deeper than a certain depth. By limiting the amount of threading of the male threaded portion 9a of the fixing member 9 into the female threaded portion 8a of the flush plug 8 to a constant value, the height setting portion 9d keeps the amount of protrusion of the fixing member 9 from the seating surface 3b of the support 3 constant. As shown in Figure 4, the height setting portion 9d sets the height H of the fixing member 9 to be approximately constant based on the seat surface 3b of the support body 3 by having the lower end of the height setting portion 9d come into contact with the upper surface of the spring support base 7.

[0031] 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 in a plan view. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, 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 and 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.

[0032] As shown in Figures 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 a washer that is installed between the fastening bolt and fastening spring of a screw-tight rail fastening device. As shown in Figure 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 from the side 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.

[0033] 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 an 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 an 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.

[0034] 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.

[0035] 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 seat 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 seat 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 seat surface 9g 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.

[0036] (rail fastening tool) The rail fastening tool 11 shown in FIGS. 6 to 9 is a tool for fastening the rail 2 to the support body 3. The rail fastening tool 11 is a lever-based (manual) fastening tool that is driven by manual operation by an operator. As shown in FIG. 13, when assembling the rail fastening device 4 by inserting an insert member 10 between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9, the rail fastening tool 11 applies a load to the fastening spring 6 to form a gap Δ between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9. As shown in FIG. 14, when removing the insert member 10 from between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9 to disassemble the rail fastening device 4, the rail fastening tool 11 applies a load to the fastening spring 6 to form a gap between the fixing member 9 and the insert member 10. The rail fastening tool 11 is folded when not in use, such as during transportation or storage, as shown in FIG. 6, and is unfolded when in use, such as during assembling or disassembling the rail fastening device 4, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 10. The rail fastening tool 11 includes a lever portion 12 shown in Figures 6 to 8, a reaction force receiving portion 18 shown in Figures 6 to 8 and 10, attachment / detachment portions 24, 25 shown in Figures 6 to 8, and an operation portion 26 shown in Figures 6 to 8 and 10. Below, in Figures 7, 8 and 12 to 14, only the rail fastening device 4 on the side to which the rail fastening tool 11 is attached is shown, and the rail fastening device 4 on the side to which the rail fastening tool 11 is not attached is not shown.

[0037] The lever unit 12 shown in Figures 6 to 8 is a means for converting a relatively small force into a relatively large force by the principle of leverage. When an operator presses the operating unit 13 toward the operator with a relatively small force, the lever unit 12 rotates around the fulcrum unit 17, thereby applying a relatively large force to the load application unit 15. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the lever unit 12 has a substantially L-shaped appearance and is manufactured with a length that makes it easy for an operator to operate and easy to carry and store. The lever unit 12 includes the operating unit 13 shown in Figures 6 to 8, an arm unit 14, a load application unit 15 shown in Figures 6 to 10, a displacement prevention unit 16, and a fulcrum unit 17 shown in Figures 6, 7, and 10. 6 and 7, the lever unit 12 is a second-class lever in which the load application unit 15 and the operating unit 13 are arranged in this order from the fulcrum unit 17, and a relatively small force applied to the operating unit 13 is applied as a relatively large force by the load application unit 15 in the same direction as the relatively small force. As shown in FIG. 7, the load application unit 15 is located between the operating unit 13 and the fulcrum unit 17 and close to the fulcrum unit 17 so that a force larger than the force applied by the operator to the operating unit 13 acts on the fastening spring 6 from the load application unit 15.

[0038] The operating unit 13 shown in Figures 6 to 8 is a means operated by an operator. The operating unit 13 is manually operated by an operator when assembling and disassembling the rail fastening device 4. The operating unit 13 is the point of application (point of force) at which the operator applies force to compress the fastening spring 6. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the operating unit 13 is a cylindrical member, and is produced by cutting a metal tube such as a carbon steel pipe for piping to a predetermined length. The operating unit 13 is inserted into a through-hole formed in the upper end of the arm unit 14, and the center of the operating unit 13 is fixed to the arm unit 14 by welding or the like.

[0039] The arm 14 shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 is a means for connecting the operating unit 13 and the load application unit 15. The arm 14 has a rectangular cross section when cut along a plane perpendicular to the center line of the arm 14, and is manufactured by cutting a square pipe such as a rolled steel pipe for general structural use to a predetermined length. When an operator grips the operating unit 13 and tilts it toward the operator, the arm 14 applies force from the load application unit 15 to the fastening spring 6. The arm 14 includes a connecting unit 14a that connects the upper end of the load application unit 15 to the lower end of the arm 14. The arm 14 is detachably replaceable depending on the type of rail 2 to accommodate multiple types of fastening springs 6 with different dimensions, such as width or thickness. For example, multiple types of arm 14 with different dimensions are prepared in advance to accommodate different types of fastening springs 6.

[0040] The load application unit 15 shown in FIGS. 6 to 10 is a means for applying a load to the fastening spring 6. The load application unit 15 is a point of application of a force to the fastening spring 6 to compress the fastening spring 6. As shown in FIGS. 7, 10(B), and 12(C), the load application unit 15 applies a load to the fastening spring 6 so that the fastening spring 6 is compressed. As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the load application unit 15 applies a load to the fastening spring 6 attached to a fixing member 9 whose protrusion from the support 3 (height H shown in FIG. 4) is approximately constant. As shown in FIGS. 13(B) and 13(C), the load application unit 15 applies a load to the fastening spring 6 so that a gap Δ is formed between the fixing member 9 and the fastening spring 6 for inserting the inserting member 10. As shown in FIG. 14, the load application unit 15 applies a load to the fastening spring 6 so that a gap is formed between the fixing member 9 and the fastening spring 6 for removing the inserted inserting member 10.

[0041] As shown in Figures 13(B) and 13(C), the load application unit 15 applies a load to the surface of the upper spring portion 6c so that a gap Δ 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, allowing the insertion member 10 to be inserted. As shown in Figure 13(B), the load application unit 15 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. As shown in Figure 13, when assembling the rail fastening device 4, the load application unit 15 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 was acting on the upper spring portion 6c after inserting the insertion member 10 between the fixing member 9 and the fastening spring 6. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 14, when the rail fastening device 4 is disassembled, the load-acting portion 15 acts on the upper spring portion 6c of the fastening spring 6, widens the gap between the fixing member 9 and the fastening spring 6, and then removes the load that had been acting on the upper spring portion 6c after the insertion member 10 has been extracted.

[0042] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 , the load application portion 15 is a plate-shaped member that has a substantially U-shaped appearance when viewed from the side and a substantially inverted U-shaped appearance when viewed from the back, as shown in FIG. 9 . The load application portion 15 is manufactured by machining a general structural rolled steel material or the like. As shown in FIGS. 6 , 7 , and 10 , the load application portion 15 constitutes the tip of the lever portion 12 and is formed by bending the portion of the lever portion 12 toward the tip. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 , the load application portion 15 includes a push-down portion 15a and a connecting portion 15b. The load application portion 15 is detachably attached to the arm portion 14 depending on the type of fastening spring 6 to accommodate multiple types of fastening springs 6 with different dimensions, such as width or thickness. Multiple types of load application portions 15 are pre-prepared, each with different spacings W4 between a pair of push-down portions 15a and different spacings W5 between a pair of displacement prevention portions 16, to accommodate the width W1 of the fastening spring 6, for example, as shown in FIG. 9 .

[0043] The push-down portion 15a shown in FIG. 9 is a portion that pushes down the fastening spring 6. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the push-down portion 15a is formed by branching into two from the tip end side of the load application portion 15. The pair of push-down portions 15a are arranged parallel to each other with a gap between them, and as shown in FIGS. 7 and 10, the push-down portion 15a has an obtuse triangular appearance when viewed from the side, and is formed on a flat surface so as to be able to contact the surface of the upper spring portion 6c of the fastening spring 6. As shown in FIG. 10, when an operator rotates the lever portion 12 around the fulcrum portion 17 as the center of rotation, the contact position P1 between the push-down portion 15a and the upper spring portion 6c of the fastening spring 6 changes in accordance with the rotation of the lever portion 12. As shown in Fig. 10(A), while push-down portion 15a comes into contact with upper spring portion 6c and compresses upper spring portion 6c, distance L1 from contact position P1 between push-down portion 15a and upper spring portion 6c to center O of fulcrum portion 17 gradually increases according to the rotation angle of lever portion 12. As shown in Fig. 10(B), when push-down portion 15a brings upper spring portion 6c into contact with lower spring portion 6d, distance L1 from contact position P1 between push-down portion 15a and fastening spring 6 to center O of fulcrum portion 17 becomes the longest. As shown in Fig. 9, push-down portions 15a are formed in load application portion 15 so that spacing W4 between the pair of push-down portions 15a is wider than width W2 of insertion member 10 so that insertion member 10 can be attached and detached between the pair of push-down portions 15a.

[0044] 9 and 10 is a portion that is connected to the arm portion 14. The connection portion 15b is formed at the upper end of the load-application portion 15, and the outer periphery of this connection portion 15b fits into the inner periphery of the connection portion 14a so that the connection portion 15b can be inserted into the lower end of the connection portion 14a on the arm portion 14. The connection portion 15b is connected to the connection portion 14a on the arm portion 14 by, for example, welding or the like.

[0045] The misalignment prevention portion 16 shown in FIGS. 6 to 10 is a means for preventing the rail fastening tool 11 from shifting in position relative to the fastening spring 6. The misalignment prevention portion 16 prevents the rail fastening tool 11 from shifting in the longitudinal direction (lateral direction) of the rail 2 relative to the fastening spring 6 when the fastening spring 6 is pressed down by the press-down portion 15a shown in FIG. 9. The misalignment prevention portion 16 functions as a guide portion that is guided by the fastening spring 6 when the rail fastening tool 11 is attached to the fastening spring 6. The misalignment prevention portion 16 also functions as a positioning portion that positions the rail fastening tool 11 relative to the fastening spring 6 when the rail fastening tool 11 is attached to the rail 2. As shown in FIG. 7, when the upper spring portion 6c of the fastening spring 6 comes into close contact with the lower spring portion 6d, the lower end portion of the misalignment prevention portion 16 comes into contact with the bottom upper surface 2h of the rail bottom portion 2b. The misalignment prevention portion 16 also functions as a stopper portion that stops the rotation of the arm portion 14 at the rotation position where a gap Δ is formed between the fixing member 9 and the fastening spring 6 shown in Figure 9 when the worker operates the operating portion 13 of the rail fastening tool 11 to rotate the arm portion 14.

[0046] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the misalignment prevention parts 16 are plate-like members that have a substantially rectangular appearance when viewed from the side of the rail fastening tool 11, and are arranged on the outside of the push-down parts 15a, as shown in Figure 9. The misalignment prevention parts 16 are arranged to protrude downward from the push-down parts 15a, and are detachably attached to the outer side surfaces of the load-applying part 15 with fastening members such as bolts. As shown in Figure 9, the misalignment prevention parts 16 are arranged so that the gap W5 between the pair of misalignment prevention parts 16 is slightly wider than the width W1 of the fastening spring 6, so that both edges of the fastening spring 6 are sandwiched between the pair of misalignment prevention parts 16.

[0047] The fulcrum portion 17 shown in Figures 6 to 8 and 10 is a means for rotatably supporting the lever portion 12. The fulcrum portion 17 is fixed at a predetermined position relative to the rail 2 when the rail fastening device 4 is assembled and disassembled, and serves as a fulcrum that is the center of rotation of the lever portion 12. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the fulcrum portion 17 is disposed at the tip portion that rises upward from the load application portion 15 of the lever portion 12, and connects the load application portion 15 and the reaction force receiving portion 18 by a pin. As shown in Figure 7, the fulcrum portion 17 is a pin that passes through the portion between the center and the lower end of the fulcrum support portion 19 of the reaction force receiving portion 18 and the tip portion of the load application portion 15, rotatably connecting them.

[0048] The reaction force receiving portion 18 shown in Figures 6 to 8 and 10 is detachably attached to the rail 2 and is a means for receiving, from the rail 2, a reaction force against the load applied by the load application portion 15 to the fastening spring 6. As shown in Figures 7 and 10, the reaction force receiving portion 18 supports the fulcrum portion 17 of the lever portion 12 and is detachably attached to the rail 2 so as to sandwich the rail 2 from the width direction of the rail 2 (a direction intersecting the length direction of the rail 2) as shown in Figures 7 and 8. As shown in Figure 10, the reaction force receiving portion 18 comes into contact with the upper neck portion 2f, the jaw portion 2g, and the rail web portion 2c near the lower neck portion 2k located below one head side surface 2e of the rail head 2a, and the other head side surface 2e of the rail head 2a. The reaction force receiving portion 18 is attached so as to sandwich the rail 2 from the width direction of the rail 2. The reaction force receiving portion 18 receives from the rail 2 a force that resists the load that the load acting portion 15 applies to the fastening spring 6 .

[0049] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 12(A), the reaction force receiving portion 18 is folded when not in use, and its appearance when viewed from the side changes to a roughly inverted J-shape. On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 12(B) and (C), the reaction force receiving portion 18 is unfolded when in use, and its appearance when viewed from the side changes to a roughly inverted U-shape. The reaction force receiving portion 18 is manufactured by machining a plate-shaped member such as a general structural rolled steel material. The reaction force receiving portion 18 includes a fulcrum support portion 19 shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, 10 and 11, a position shift prevention portion 20 shown in FIGS. 6, 7, 10 and 11, an attachment portion 21 shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 and 10, a connecting portion 22 shown in FIGS. 6, 7, 10 and 11, and a retaining portion 23 shown in FIGS. 6 to 8. In order to accommodate multiple types of rails 2 with different dimensions such as width or height and multiple types of fastening springs 6 with different dimensions such as width or thickness, the reaction force receiving portion 18 is detachably replaceable from the arm portion 14 in accordance with the type of fastening spring 6 or rail 2. For example, multiple types of reaction force receiving portions 18 with different dimensions are prepared in advance so as to be compatible with the type of rail 2 or fastening spring 6.

[0050] The fulcrum support 19 shown in Figures 6 to 8, 10, and 11 is a means for supporting the fulcrum 17 of the lever part 12. As shown in Figures 6, 7, 10, and 11, the fulcrum support 19 is a plate-like member that has a generally inverted I-shape when viewed from the side, and the center and lower end of this fulcrum support 19 are rotatably connected to the fulcrum part 17. The fulcrum support 19 functions as a fixing block that fixes the lever part 12 to the rail 2 when the rail fastening tool 11 is attached to the rail 2. The fulcrum support 19 positions the fulcrum part 17 at a predetermined position relative to the rail 2 by coming into detachable contact with the rail 2. The fulcrum support 19 is equipped with reaction force acting parts 19a and 19b.

[0051] The reaction force acting portions 19a and 19b shown in Figures 6, 7, 10, and 11 are portions on which a reaction force is applied from the rail 2. The reaction force acting portion 19a receives a reaction force from the rail head portion 2a by contacting the rail head portion 2a. The reaction force acting portion 19a is formed into a curved surface shaped along the upper neck portion 2f and the jaw portion 2g of the rail head portion 2a so as to be in close contact with the upper neck portion 2f and the jaw portion 2g. The reaction force acting portion 19b receives a reaction force from the rail web portion 2c by contacting the rail web portion 2c. The reaction force acting portion 19b is formed into an arcuate surface so as to be in close contact with the rail web portion 2c near the lower neck portion 2k of the rail bottom portion 2b. As shown in Figures 6, 7, 10, and 11, the reaction force acting portions 19a and 19b are formed at the center and lower end of the fulcrum support portion 19 so as to protrude from the front edge of the fulcrum support portion 19.

[0052] 6, 7, 10, and 11 is a means for preventing the positions of the fastening spring 6 and the fulcrum support portion 19 from shifting when the load application portion 15 applies a load to the fastening spring 6. As shown in FIG. 10, the positional deviation prevention portion 20 prevents the fastening spring 6 from coming out of the spring receiving base 7 when the push-down portion 15a pushes down on the tip portion 6b of the upper spring portion 6c, causing the bent portion 6e of the fastening spring 6 to lift up and tilt forward. The positional deviation prevention portion 20 comes into contact with the tip portion 6b of the upper spring portion 6c, thereby preventing the position of the fulcrum support portion 19 from shifting up and down, creating a gap between the upper spring portion 6c and the load application portion 15, and changing the contact position P1 between them. The misalignment prevention part 20 positions the fastening spring 6 relative to the rail fastening tool 11 when the rail fastening tool 11 is attached to the rail 2, and also functions as a positioning part that positions the fulcrum support part 19 relative to the fastening spring 6. The misalignment prevention part 20 is attached to the lower end of the fulcrum support part 19 at a predetermined inclination angle relative to the fulcrum support part 19, and is fixed to the rear edge of the fulcrum support part 19 by welding or the like. As shown in FIG. 10 , the misalignment prevention part 20 has a contact surface 20a that comes into contact with the tip part 6b of the upper spring part 6c so as to guide the tip part 6b of the upper spring part 6c when the push-down part 15a pushes down the upper spring part 6c. The position shift prevention part 20 prevents the fastening spring 6 from tilting forward when the worker operates the operating part 13 of the rail fastening tool 11 to rotate the arm part 14 by bringing the contact surface 20a into contact with the tip part 6b of the upper spring part 6c, thereby preventing the fastening spring 6 from shifting out of the spring support base 7 and preventing the fulcrum support part 19 from shifting.

[0053] The mounting portion 21 shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 and 10 is a means for detachably mounting the fulcrum support portion 19 to the rail 2. As shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 10, the mounting portion 21 is a plate-like member that has a substantially L-shaped appearance when viewed from the side, and the rear end of this mounting portion 21 is rotatably connected to the upper end of the fulcrum support portion 19. By detachably coming into close contact with the rail 2, the mounting portion 21 functions as a positioning portion that positions the fulcrum portion 17 at a predetermined position relative to the rail 2, and also functions as a fixing claw that fixes the fulcrum support portion 19 to the rail 2. The mounting portion 21 changes between a closed state (deployed state) and an open state (folded state) around the connecting portion 22 as the center of rotation. When not in use, the mounting portion 21 changes from a closed state to an open state by rotating upward, as shown in FIG. 6, and is separated from the rail head portion 2a. 7 and 10, the mounting part 21 changes from an open state to a closed state by rotating downward during use, and catches on the rail head part 2a. The mounting part 21 clamps the rail 2 between itself and the fulcrum support part 19, and mounts the rail fastening tool 11 to the rail 2. The mounting part 21 is equipped with a reaction force acting part 21a shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.

[0054] The reaction force acting portion 21a shown in Figures 6 and 7 is a portion on which a reaction force acts from the rail 2. The reaction force acting portion 21a receives a reaction force from the rail head portion 2a by coming into contact with the rail head portion 2a. The reaction force acting portion 21a is formed into a flat surface shaped along the head portion side surface 2e of the rail head portion 2a so as to be in close contact with the head portion side surface 2e. As shown in Figures 6, 7 and 12, the reaction force acting portion 21a is formed on the inner edge portion on the tip end side of the mounting portion 21.

[0055] 6, 7, 10, and 11 is a means for rotatably connecting the fulcrum support part 19 and the mounting part 21. The connecting part 22 connects the fulcrum support part 19 and the mounting part 21 by a pin. The connecting part 22 is a pin that passes through the upper end of the fulcrum support part 19 and the rear end of the mounting part 21, connecting them rotatably.

[0056] The retaining portion 23 shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 is a means for preventing the mounting portion 21 from slipping out of the rail head portion 2a. As shown in FIG. 8, the retaining portion 23 is a plate-like member having a rectangular planar shape and a tip formed at an acute angle as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. The tip of the mounting portion 21 is fixed to the upper surface of the retaining portion 23 by welding or the like. As shown in FIG. 12, when the mounting portion 21 is rotated relative to the fulcrum support portion 19 to mount the mounting portion 21 on the rail head portion 2a, the tip of the retaining portion 23 comes into contact with the upper neck portion 2f of the rail head portion 2a. The retaining portion 23 functions as a stopper that prevents the mounting portion 21 from slipping out upward when an operator operates the operating portion 13 of the rail fastening tool 11 to rotate the arm portion 14. The retaining portion 23 also functions as a reaction force slip-out prevention portion that prevents the mounting portion 21 from coming off the rail head portion 2a, which would cause the reaction force receiving portion 18 to be unable to receive the reaction force from the rail 2.

[0057] The detachable parts 24, 25 shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 and 10 are means for attaching and detaching the lever part 12 and the reaction force receiving part 18. The detachable parts 24, 25 are, for example, magnets that generate a magnetic force (magnetic attraction force) between the lever part 12 and the reaction force receiving part 18. As shown in FIG. 6, the detachable parts 24, 25 attach the reaction force receiving part 18 to the lever part 12 by the magnetic force generated between the lever part 12 and the reaction force receiving part 18. The detachable parts 24, 25 also function as posture maintaining parts that maintain a constant posture of the rail fastening tool 11 so that the rail fastening tool 11 is in a folded state when not in use. As shown in FIG. 6, the detachable parts 24, 25 connect the reaction force receiving part 18 and the lever part 12 by magnetic force so that the rail fastening tool 11 is in a folded state when not in use. On the other hand, as shown in Figures 7 and 10, when the rail fastening tool 11 is in use, the detachable parts 24, 25 allow the reaction force receiving part 18 and the lever part 12 to separate when the worker rotates the lever part 12 against the magnetic force so that the rail fastening tool 11 is deployed. As shown in Figures 6, 7 and 10, the detachable part 24 is attached to protrude from the front edge of the lever part 12 and connects the load application part 15 and the fulcrum support part 19 by contacting the rear edge of the fulcrum support part 19. As shown in Figure 7, the detachable part 25 is attached to protrude from the upper edge of the mounting part 21 and connects the lever part 12 and the mounting part 21 by contacting the front edge of the lever part 12 as shown in Figure 6.

[0058] The operating unit 26 shown in Figures 6 to 8 and 10 is a means operated by an operator when attaching or detaching the mounting part 21 to or from the rail 2. The operating unit 26 is, for example, a shaft-shaped member such as a grip lever that is gripped by the operator. The operating unit 26 is attached so as to protrude from the outer edge of the mounting part 21, and is operated by the operator when rotating the mounting part 21. When the rail fastening tool 11 is in use, the operating unit 26 is rotated downward by the operator to attach the mounting part 21 to the rail head part 2a. When the rail fastening tool 11 is not in use, the operating unit 26 is rotated upward by the operator to remove the mounting part 21 from the rail head part 2a.

[0059] (How to use the rail fastening tool) Next, a method of using the rail fastening tool according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. As shown in Figure 12(A), an operator inserts the rail fastening tool 11 from above between the rail 2 and the fastening spring 6. At this time, the operator positions the rail fastening tool 11 on the rail 2 so that the fastening spring 6 is located between a pair of displacement prevention parts 16 as shown in Figure 9, and the contact surface 20a of the displacement prevention part 20 comes into contact with the tip part 6b of the upper spring part 6c of the fastening spring 6 as shown in Figure 11. At the same time, the operator positions the rail fastening tool 11 on the rail 2 so that the upper neck part 2f and jaw part 2g of the rail head part 2a come into contact with the reaction force acting part 19a of the fulcrum support part 19, and the rail web part 2c near the lower neck part 2k comes into contact with the reaction force acting part 19b as shown in Figure 11.

[0060] 12(A) , the operator grasps the operating part 26 and rotates the mounting part 21 downward relative to the fulcrum support part 19, with the connecting part 22 as the rotation center. As a result, as shown in FIG. 12(B) , the mounting part 21 separates from the lever part 12 against the magnetic force of the attaching / detaching part 25, the reaction force acting part 21a of the mounting part 21 comes into contact with the head side surface 2e of the rail head part 2a, and the retaining part 23 comes into contact with the upper neck part 2f of the rail head part 2a, and the mounting part 21 is attached to the rail head part 2a. As a result, the rail fastening tool 11 is deployed, the rail 2 is sandwiched between the mounting part 21 and the fulcrum support part 19 in the width direction of the rail 2, and the retaining part 23 is caught on the upper neck part 2f of the rail head part 2a, and the rail fastening tool 11 is installed on the rail 2.

[0061] As shown in Figures 10(A) and 12(B), with the rail fastening tool 11 installed on the rail 2, the worker grips the operating portion 13 and rotates the lever portion 12 downward relative to the fulcrum support portion 19 around the fulcrum portion 17 as the center of rotation. As a result, the lever portion 12 separates from the fulcrum support portion 19 against the magnetic force of the attachment / detachment portion 24. When the worker further rotates the lever portion 12, the depressing portion 15a of the load application portion 15 comes into contact with the upper spring portion 6c of the fastening spring 6 at contact position P1, as shown in Figure 10(A). When the worker further rotates the lever portion 12, the reaction force receiving portion 18 receives a reaction force from the rail 2, and the load application portion 15 applies a load to the upper spring portion 6c, compressing the fastening spring 6 and causing the upper spring portion 6c to gradually elastically deform toward the lower spring portion 6d. At this time, the tip 6b of the upper spring portion 6c is guided by the contact surface 20a of the displacement prevention portion 20 shown in Fig. 11, so that the tip 6b of the upper spring portion 6c is positioned by the contact surface 20a and the contact surface 20a prevents the fastening spring 6 from slipping out of the spring receiving base 7. When the upper spring portion 6c is gradually elastically deforming toward the lower spring portion 6d, both edges of the fastening spring 6 are guided between the pair of displacement prevention portions 16 as shown in Fig. 9, so that the pair of displacement prevention portions 16 prevent the fastening spring 6 from shifting in the longitudinal direction of the rail 2.

[0062] As shown in Figures 10(B) and 12(C), when the worker further rotates the lever portion 12, the load application portion 15 further compresses the upper spring portion 6c, and the upper spring portion 6c comes into close contact with the lower spring portion 6d. At this time, as shown in Figures 7 and 10(B), the pair of displacement prevention portions 16 come into contact with the bottom upper surface 2h of the rail 2, restricting the rotation of the lever portion 12 and stopping the load application portion 15. As a result, as shown in Figure 9, a gap Δ is formed between the head portion 9c of the fixing member 9 and the upper spring portion 6c, and the worker manually inserts the insertion member 10 into the gap Δ, and the insertion member 10 is inserted between the head portion 9c of the fixing member 9 and the upper spring portion 6c.

[0063] Next, when the worker rotates the lever part 12 in the upward direction in the reverse direction around the fulcrum part 17 shown in Fig. 12(C) as the center of rotation, the attachment / detachment part 24 shown in Fig. 12(A) comes into contact with the fulcrum support part 19, and the lever part 12 and the fulcrum support part 19 are coupled together. When the worker grasps the operation part 26 shown in Fig. 12(A) and rotates the mounting part 21 in the upward direction in the reverse direction around the connecting part 22 as the center of rotation, the attachment / detachment part 25 comes into contact with the lever part 12, and the lever part 12 and the mounting part 21 are coupled together. As a result, the rail fastening tool 11 is in a folded state as shown in Fig. 6, and the worker removes the rail fastening tool 11 from between the rail 2 and the rail fastening device 4, completing the series of operations.

[0064] (Method of assembling a rail fastening device using a rail fastening tool) Next, a method for assembling a rail fastening device using the rail fastening tool according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 13(A), the load application portion 15 applies a load to the fastening spring 6 so that a gap Δ for inserting the insertion member 10 is formed between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9. As shown in FIGS. 13(A) and 13(B), a load is applied from the load application portion 15 to the fastening spring 6 so that the fastening spring 6 is compressed. As shown in FIG. 13(A), with the load application portion 15 in contact with the upper surface of the upper spring portion 6c of the fastening spring 6, the load application portion 15 applies a load to the fastening spring 6 toward the bottom upper surface 2h of the rail 2, and the load application portion 15 presses down the upper spring portion 6c. As a result, as shown in FIG. 13(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 15 to the fastening spring 6 while the load application portion 15 is moved 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 spring force of the fastening spring 6, elastically deforming the fastening spring 6. A load is applied from the load application portion 15 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 15 is stopped, and the state in which the load is applied from the load application portion 15 to the upper spring portion 6c is maintained.

[0065] Next, as shown in FIG. 13(C), the insert member 10 is inserted into the gap Δ between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9. The operator inserts the insert 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 portion 9c of the fixing member 9. When the gap Δ shown in FIG. 4 is slightly wider than the thickness T of the insert member 10 shown in FIG. 5(B), the operator inserts the insert member 10 without pushing it in. When the thickness T of the insert member 10 shown in FIG. 5(A) and the gap Δ shown in FIG. 4 are approximately the same, the operator pushes the insert member 10 in with slight force. When the operator inserts the insert member 10 laterally relative to the shaft portion 9b of the fixing member 9 as shown in FIG. 5(A), the notch 10a of the insert member 10 is guided by the shaft portion 9b of the fixing member 9, and the insert member 10 is inserted into the gap Δ as shown in FIG. 13(C).

[0066] Next, as shown in FIG. 13(D), the load acting on the fastening spring 6 is released by the load acting portion 15, and the spring force of the fastening spring 6 sandwiches the insert member 10 between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9. When the load acting portion 15 is moved upward from the upper spring portion 6c of the fastening spring 6, the load acting on the upper spring portion 6c from the load acting portion 15 decreases. When the load acting portion 15 moves away from the upper spring portion 6c, the load acting on the upper spring portion 6c from the load acting portion 15 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 spring 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. As a result, the insert member 10 is sandwiched between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9, and the fastening spring 6 presses against the bottom upper surface 2h of the rail bottom portion 2b. As a result, the rail fastening tool 11 assembles the rail fastening device 4 , and the rail 2 is fastened to the support body 3 by the rail fastening device 4 .

[0067] (Method for disassembling a rail fastening device using a rail fastening tool) Next, a method for disassembling the rail fastening device using the rail fastening tool according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 14(A), the load application portion 15 applies a load to the fastening spring 6 so as to form a gap between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9 for removing the inserted member 10. The load application portion 15 applies a load to the fastening spring 6 so as to compress the fastening spring 6. The load application portion 15 is brought into contact with the upper spring portion 6c of the fastening spring 6, and the load application portion 15 applies a load to the fastening spring 6, pushing down the upper spring portion 6c. The fastening spring 6 is elastically deformed against the restoring force of the fastening spring 6, and the load application portion 15 applies a load 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 insert member 10. Once a small gap is formed between the fixing member 9 and the insert member 10, the load application portion 15 is stopped, and the state in which the load application portion 15 applies a load to the upper spring portion 6c is maintained.

[0068] Next, as shown in FIG. 14(B), the insert member 10 is removed from between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9. The worker 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. The worker manually removes the insert member 10 because the gap Δ shown in FIG. 4 is slightly wider than the thickness T of the insert member 10 shown in FIG. 5(B). When the thickness T of the insert member 10 shown in FIG. 5(B) and the gap Δ shown in FIG. 4 are approximately the same, the worker pulls out the insert member 10 with a slight force. When the worker 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.

[0069] 14(C), the load acting on the fastening spring 6 by the load acting portion 15 is released. When the load acting portion 15 is moved upward from the upper spring portion 6c of the fastening spring 6 and separated from the upper spring portion 6c, the load acting on the upper spring portion 6c from the load acting portion 15 is released.

[0070] Next, as shown in FIG. 14(D), the fastening spring 6 is removed from the fixing member 9. The load application portion 15 moves away from the fastening spring 6, and the fastening spring 6 is 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 to be smaller than the inner diameter φ2 of the through holes 6f, 6g of the fastening spring 6. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 14(D), with the fixing member 9 attached to the flush plug 8, an operator 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 body 3, work such as replacing the rail 2 is performed. After the rail 2 replacement work is completed, the rail fastening device 4 is assembled using the rail fastening tool 11, and the rail 2 is fastened to the support body 3 by the rail fastening device 4.

[0071] The rail fastening tool according to the first embodiment of the present invention has the following effects. (1) In this first embodiment, the load application portion 15 applies a load to the fastening spring 6 that presses the rail 2, and the reaction force receiving portion 18, which receives a reaction force against the load applied by the load application portion 15 to the fastening spring 6, is detachably attached to the rail 2. This allows the load application portion 15 to easily apply a load to the fastening spring 6 against the restoring force of the fastening spring 6. For example, compared to a structure such as Prior Art 3 in which a frame member is inserted between the head of the shaft member and the spring member, and the frame member presses the upper spring of the spring member against the lower spring to create a gap between them, the rail fastening tool 11 has a simple structure and allows the load to be applied to the fastening spring 6. As a result, by using the dedicated rail fastening tool 11 to absorb the reaction force from the rail 2, the efficiency of assembly of the rail fastening device 4 can be improved and the workload can be reduced. Furthermore, compared to a structure in which a reaction force is received from the shaft member as in Prior Art 3, the reaction force can be absorbed from the strong rail 2, preventing excessive force from acting on the shaft member.

[0072] (2) In this first embodiment, the load application portion 15 applies a load to the fastening spring 6 so that a gap Δ for inserting the insert member 10 is formed between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9 attached to the support 3. This eliminates the need to use a large force to push the insert member 10 between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9, and allows the rail 2 to 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 the same as the thickness T of the insert member 10, a worker can easily insert the insert member 10 manually, 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.

[0073] (3) In this first embodiment, the load application portion 15 applies 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 attached to the support body 3. Therefore, it is not necessary to use a large force to pull out the insertion 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.

[0074] (4) In the first embodiment, the load application portion 15 applies a load to the fastening spring 6 so that the fastening spring 6 is compressed. Therefore, compared to inserting the insertion member 10 by pushing it between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9 with a large force, the load application portion 15 applies a load to the fastening spring 6 from the outside 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.

[0075] (5) In this first embodiment, the load application portion 15 applies a load to the fastening spring 6 that is attached to the fixing member 9 that protrudes a substantially constant amount from the support body 3. As a result, the height H of the fixing member 9 from the support body 3 becomes substantially constant, and when the load application portion 15 applies a load to the fastening spring 6, a substantially constant gap Δ can be formed between the fixing member 9 and the fastening spring 6.

[0076] (6) In this first embodiment, the lever portion 12 applies an external force to the load application portion 15 to apply a load to the fastening spring 6, and the reaction force receiving portion 18 supports the fulcrum portion 17, which rotatably supports the lever portion 12. Therefore, by having an operator rotate the lever portion 12, a large force can be generated by the principle of leverage, and a large load can be applied from the load application portion 15 to the fastening spring 6. In addition, the rail fastening device 4 can be easily assembled and disassembled using a manual tool that an operator manually operates the lever portion 12. Therefore, the rail fastening tool 11 can be manufactured more inexpensively than when the rail fastening device 4 is assembled and disassembled using automated machinery, tools, or equipment, and the burden on railway operators can be reduced.

[0077] (7) In this first embodiment, the reaction force receiving portion 18 is detachably attached to the rail 2 so as to sandwich the rail 2 from the width direction of the rail 2. Therefore, by sandwiching the rail 2, the rail fastening tool 11 can easily receive the reaction force from the rail 2, and the fastening spring 6 can be reliably compressed by the load application portion 15, improving the efficiency of assembling the rail fastening device 4. For example, the reaction force can be received from the head side surface 2e, upper neck portion 2f, and jaw portion 2g of the rail head portion 2a, and the load application portion 15 can press the upper spring portion 6c against the lower spring portion 6d with a large force. In addition, the rail fastening tool 11 can be easily attached so that the reaction force receiving portion 18 is hooked onto the rail head portion 2a.

[0078] (Second embodiment) In the following, the same parts as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 14 are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted. The support body 3 shown in Fig. 16 is a bearing body that supports the rail 2 via a tie plate 27. 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.

[0079] (Rail fastening device) 1 and 2, the rail fastening device 4 shown in Figs. 15 and 16 fastens the rail 2 to the support body 3 via a tie plate 27. 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 27. 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. 16, a fastening spring 6 shown in Figs. 15 and 16, a fixing member 9 shown in Fig. 17, an insert member 10 shown in Figs. 15 and 16, a tie plate 27, a fastening member 28, and an insulating plate 29.

[0080] 1 and 2, the fastening spring 6 shown in Figures 15 and 16 has notches 6h and 6i that penetrate the upper spring portion 6c and the lower spring portion 6d. The fastening spring 6 is detachably attached to the fixing member 9. The notches 6h and 6i are formed with a predetermined length from the tip portions 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.

[0081] The fixing member 9 is a component attached to the tie plate 27. As shown in FIG. 17(E), the fixing member 9 is hooked to the hook portion 27d of the tie plate 27, thereby protruding from the tie plate seat surface 27a of the tie plate 27 as shown in FIG. 16. As shown in FIG. 17, the fixing member 9 is attached to the hook portion 27d of the tie plate 27 in a state where it is sandwiched between the bent portion 6e of the fastening spring 6 and the bottom side surface 2j of the rail bottom portion 2b. The fixing member 9 is a component used in the screwless rail fastening device 4 shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, replacing the fastening bolt used in a screw-tightening rail fastening device. For example, the fixing member 9 is attached to the hook portion 27d after the fastening bolt of the screw-tightening rail fastening device has been removed from the hook portion 27d. Unlike the fixing member 9 shown in FIG. 3, the fixing member 9 does not have a threaded portion as shown in FIG. 17. As shown in Fig. 17, 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. 16, 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 27d of the tie plate 27 to be fixed.

[0082] The shaft portion 9b shown in Fig. 17 has an outer diameter φ1 smaller than the width W4 of the notches 6h, 6i of the fastening spring 6 shown in Fig. 15 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 2j of the rail 2 and the spring bearing portion 27c of the tie plate 27 from the side of the fastening member 9. The head portion 9c is circular as shown in Fig. 18(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.

[0083] 16 and 17 is a portion that is hooked onto the hook portion 27d on the tie plate 27. As shown in FIG. 17(B), the hook portion 9h has a generally T-shaped appearance. When attaching the fixing member 9 to the tie plate 27 shown in FIG. 16, the hook portion 9h is fitted laterally into the hook portion 27d of the tie plate 27 so as to approach the rail 2. The hook portion 9h functions as a retaining portion that prevents the fixing member 9 from coming off the tie plate 27. As shown in FIG. 16, the hook portion 9h has a convexly curved arc surface 9j that makes line contact with the inclined surface 27f of the hook portion 27d of the tie plate 27 as shown in FIGS. 17(E) to 17(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.

[0084] The anti-rotation portion 9i shown in Figure 17 is a portion that prevents the fixed member 9 from rotating around the central axis. As shown in Figures 17(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 17(D). The anti-rotation portion 9i prevents the fixed member 9 from rotating by fitting into the anti-rotation portion 27e on the tie plate 27 side.

[0085] The tie plate 27 shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 is a member inserted between the rail 2 and the support body 3. The tie plate 27 also functions as a support for the rail 2. As shown in FIG. 15, the tie plate 27 is a plate-like member with a rectangular planar shape and is a fastening member detachably attached to the support body 3. The tie plate 27, together with the track pad 5 and the fastening spring 6, constitutes a dual elastic fastening device. As shown in FIG. 16, the tie plate 27 shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 is installed with the rail 2 inclined toward the inside of the gauge (the inside of the left and right rails 2) (inclined installation), thereby reducing the force acting from the wheel 1 to the rail 2. The tie plate 27 includes a tie plate seat 27a shown in FIG. 16, a shoulder portion 27b shown in FIGS. 15 to 17, a spring receiving portion 27c shown in FIG. 16, a latch portion 27d shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, and a rotation prevention portion 27e shown in FIG. 17.

[0086] The tie plate seating surface 27a shown in FIG. 16 is a portion where the rail 2 is installed. The tie plate seating surface 27a is formed as a flat, inclined surface, and the track pad 5 is sandwiched between the bottom lower surface 2i of the rail bottom portion 2b and this tie plate seating surface 27a. The shoulder portion 27b shown in FIGS. 15 to 17 is a portion that restricts lateral movement of the rail 2. As shown in FIG. 15, the shoulder portion 27b is formed continuously along the width direction of the tie plate 27 and protrudes from the upper surface of the tie plate 27 as shown in FIG. 16. The shoulder portion 27b is a wall portion formed opposite to the shoulder portion 27b so as to sandwich the bottom side surface 2j of the rail bottom portion 2b, and positions the rail bottom portion 2b on the tie plate 27. The spring seating portion 27c shown in FIG. 16 is a portion that positions the fastening spring 6. The spring seating portion 27c is formed so as to protrude from the upper surface of the tie plate 27 so as to sandwich the bent portion 6e of the fastening spring 6.

[0087] 16 and 17 is a portion that hooks onto the hook portion 9h on the fixing member 9. The hook portion 27d functions as an attachment portion for attaching the fixing member 9, and also functions as a retaining portion that prevents the fixing member 9 from slipping out of the tie plate 27. As shown in FIG. 17(E), the hook portion 27d is formed by penetrating the shoulder portion 27b 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 27b. The hook portion 27d has a flat inclined surface 27f that makes line contact with the arcuate surface 9j of the hook portion 9h of the fixing member 9.

[0088] Anti-rotation portion 27e shown in Fig. 17 is a portion that prevents rotation of fixed member 9 around the central axis. As shown in Fig. 17(D), anti-rotation portion 27e 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. 17(E).

[0089] 16 and 17 is a member that fastens the tie plate 27 to the support body 3. The fastening member 28 includes an anchor bolt 28a that is attached to a flush plug embedded in the support body 3, a cover plate 28b that prevents the intrusion of rainwater or dust, a plain washer 28c that is sandwiched between the head seat of the anchor bolt 28a and the cover plate 28b, and a spring washer 28d that is sandwiched between the plain washer 28c and the cover plate 28b. The insulating plate 29 is a member that electrically insulates the support body 3 and the tie plate 27. The insulating plate 29 is inserted between the support body 3 and the tie plate 27.

[0090] (rail fastening tool) The rail fastening tool 11 shown in Figures 18 and 19 is a tool used in a direct-coupled rail fastening device that directly fastens a rail 2 to a support body 3 via a tie plate 27. As shown in Figures 20 and 21, the load application portion 15 applies a load to a fastening spring 6 that is attached to a fixing member 9 that protrudes from the tie plate 27 by a substantially constant amount. The rail fastening tool 11 shown in Figures 18 and 19 can be used without changing the basic structure by replacing the components of the rail fastening tool 11 used in the rail fastening device 4 shown in Figures 6 to 12 with the components of the rail fastening tool 11 used in the rail fastening device 4 shown in Figures 18 and 19. The rail fastening tool 11 shown in Figures 18 and 19 can be used by replacing the components, such as the load application portion 15, fulcrum support portion 19, and mounting portion 21 shown in Figures 6 to 8 and 10, with components having different dimensions and shapes. In the following, in Figures 18 and 19, only the rail fastening device 4 on the side on which the rail fastening tool 11 is attached is shown, and the rail fastening device 4 on the side on which the rail fastening tool 11 is not attached is not shown.

[0091] (Method of assembling a rail fastening device using a rail fastening tool) Next, a method for assembling a rail fastening device using a rail fastening tool according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 20(A), the load application portion 15 applies a load to the upper spring portion 6c of the fastening spring 6. As shown in FIG. 20(B), when a predetermined gap Δ is formed 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, the load application portion 15 stops, and the state in which the load is applied to the upper spring portion 6c by the load application portion 15 is maintained. In this state, as shown in FIG. 20(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 portion 9c of the fixing member 9. As shown in FIG. 20(D), when the load application portion 15 moves away from the upper spring portion 6c, the restoring force of the fastening spring 6 sandwiches the insertion member 10 between the fastening spring 6 and the fixing member 9. The rail fastening device 4 is assembled by the rail fastening tool 11, and the rail 2 is fastened to the tie plate 27 by the rail fastening device 4.

[0092] (Method for disassembling a rail fastening device using a rail fastening tool) Next, a method for disassembling a rail fastening device using a rail fastening tool according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 21(A), the load application portion 15 applies a load 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 insert member 10 and the seat surface 9g of the head portion 9c of the fixing member 9, the load application portion 15 stops. As shown in FIG. 21(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. Next, as shown in FIG. 21(C), when the load application portion 15 moves away from the upper spring portion 6c, the load acting on the upper spring portion 6c from the load application portion 15 is released. As shown in FIG. 21(D), with the fixing member 9 attached to the tie plate 27, an operator pulls the fastening spring 6 laterally, removing the fastening spring 6 from the bottom side surface 2j of the rail 2 and the spring seat 27c of the tie plate 27. After the replacement work of the rail 2 is completed, the rail fastening device 4 is assembled using the rail fastening tool 11, and the rail 2 is fastened to the support body 3 by the rail fastening device 4. The second embodiment has the same effects as the first embodiment.

[0093] (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 dual-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-elastic fastening device in which the track pad 5 is omitted and the rail 2 is directly fastened to the support body 3 by the fastening spring 6. Also, in this 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 cutouts 6h, 6i. In this case, the fastening spring 6 can be attached and detached from the lateral direction of the fixing member 9. Furthermore, in this embodiment, an example has been described in which the insertion member 10 has guide portions 10d, 10e, but the present invention can also be applied to a case in which one or both of the guide portions 10d, 10e are not provided.

[0094] (2) In this embodiment, an example has been described in which a screw-type rail fastening device is changed to a screwless rail fastening device 4, but 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 attached to the support body 3 from the beginning. Also, in this embodiment, an example has been described in which a screwless rail fastening device 4 is assembled or disassembled, but the present invention can also be applied to a case in which a screw-type rail fastening device is assembled or disassembled. Furthermore, in this embodiment, an example has been described in which the connecting portion 14a on the arm portion 14 side and the connecting portion 15b on the load application portion 15 side are welded, but these can also be detachably connected to make the load application portion 15 interchangeable depending on the type of fastening spring 6.

[0095] (3) In this embodiment, the reaction force receiving portion 18 receives a reaction force from three reaction force acting portions 19a, 19b, and 21a. However, the present invention can also be applied to a case where a reaction force is received from four or more reaction force acting portions. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the reaction force receiving portion 18 receives a reaction force from the head side surface 2e, the upper neck portion 2f, the jaw portion 2g, and the lower neck portion 2k of the rail 2. However, the locations where a reaction force is received are not limited to these locations. For example, the present invention can also be applied to a case where a reaction force is received from the bottom underside surface 2i, the bottom side surface 2j, or the rail web portion 2c of the rail 2, in addition to or instead of these locations. [Explanation of symbols]

[0096] 1 wheel 2 Rails 3 Support (Support) 4 Rail fastening device (screwless rail fastening device) 5 Railroad Pad 6 Fastening spring 6c Upper spring part 6d Lower spring part 7 Spring support 8. Recessed plug (mounting part) 9 Fixing member 9a Male thread 9b Shaft 9c head 9d Height setting section 9g seat 10 Insertion member 10a Notch 11 Rail fastening tool 12 Lever 13 Control section 14 Arm section 15 Load acting part 15a Push-down part 16 Position shift prevention part 17 Fulcrum 18 Reaction force receiving part 19 Fulcrum support part 19a, 19b Reaction force acting portion 20 Position shift prevention part 21 Mounting part 21a Reaction force acting part 22 Connecting part 23 Retaining part 24,25 Detachable part 26 Control section 27 Tie plate (support part) 28 Fastening members 29 Insulating plate Δ Gap H Height D1 Diagonal distance D2 Width across flats T Thickness W1~W3 width W4, W5 spacing φ1, φ3 outer diameter φ2 inner diameter P1 contact position L1 distance O center

Claims

1. A rail fastening tool for fastening a rail to a support, a load acting portion that applies a load to a fastening spring that presses the rail; a reaction force receiving portion that is detachably attached to the rail and receives, from the rail, a reaction force against a load that the load acting portion applies to the fastening spring; A rail fastening tool comprising:

2. The rail fastening tool according to claim 1, the load acting portion applies a load to the fastening spring so that a gap for inserting an insertion member is formed between the fastening spring and a fixing member attached to the support; A rail fastening tool characterized by:

3. The rail fastening tool according to claim 1, the load acting portion applies a load to the fastening spring so as to form a gap for removing an insertion member inserted between the fastening spring and a fixing member attached to the support; A rail fastening tool characterized by:

4. The rail fastening tool according to claim 1, the load acting portion applies a load to the fastening spring so that the fastening spring is compressed; A rail fastening tool characterized by:

5. The rail fastening tool according to claim 1, the load acting portion applies a load to the fastening spring attached to a fixing member having a substantially constant protrusion amount from the support body; A rail fastening tool characterized by:

6. The rail fastening tool according to claim 1, The load acting portion includes a lever portion that applies an external force to the fastening spring to apply a load, the reaction force receiving portion supports a fulcrum portion that rotatably supports the lever portion; A rail fastening tool characterized by:

7. The rail fastening tool according to claim 1, the reaction force receiving portion is detachably attached to the rail so as to sandwich the rail from the width direction of the rail; A rail fastening tool characterized by:

Images