U-Shaped Fixing Clamp for Temporary Tie Plate Connection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing attachment devices for tie plates are complex and inefficient for provisional or temporary connection to rails, hindering unobstructed tie exchange and reuse.
Innovation Solution
A U-shaped fixing clamp with clamping legs, a clamp base, and stop noses cut from a sheet metal plate, allowing for quick and secure clamping with minimal bolt insertion, ensuring a temporary connection between the tie plate and rail.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If existing attachment devices are used for provisional connection of tie plate to rail, then connection function is achieved, but device complexity increases and ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment device is divided into distinct functional segments: clamping legs for insertion into the tie plate bore, a clamp base for bolt passage, and stop noses for rail engagement. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, simplifying the overall device while maintaining connection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and eliminates unnecessary components from existing attachment devices, retaining only the essential elements needed for provisional connection. The simplified structure consists of minimal components (clamping legs, clamp base, stop noses) that achieve the connection function without excess complexity.
2Productivity
If existing attachment devices are used for provisional connection, then connection is achieved, but productivity decreases due to complex operation
Solution Approach 1:
Each component of the attachment device is designed with localized specific properties: the clamping legs have inner surfaces for engagement with the tie plate bore, the clamp base provides a mounting surface for the bolt, and the stop noses are positioned for rail base contact. This local optimization enables rapid, intuitive operation without requiring complex procedures.
3Ease of operation
If minimal bolt insertion is used for quick clamping, then ease of operation improves, but connection reliability may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping legs feature asymmetric inner surfaces that converge toward the distal ends, creating a self-aligning and self-locking effect when inserted into the tie plate bore. This asymmetric geometry ensures reliable connection without requiring extensive bolt insertion, as the taper naturally secures the clamp in place.
Solution Approach 2:
The stop noses are pre-positioned on the clamping legs to automatically engage with the rail base upon insertion, establishing the connection's anchor point before the bolt is fully tightened. This preliminary engagement ensures reliability is built-in during installation, not added afterward.
Data Source
AI summary
An attachment device for provisionally or temporarily connecting a tie plate to a rail includes a U-shaped fixing clamp inserted slightly into a bore of the tie plate. A force-locking connection between the tie plate and the fixing clamp is established with the aid of a clamping bolt. A stop nose automatically also effects a connection between the tie plate and the rail. A simplified tie renewal can be performed as a result of the provisional or temporary connection. A method for producing an attachment device constructed as a fixing clamp is also provided.