Claims
- 1. An electrically insulated rail member to be secured to rails having an electric current passing through the rails, comprising:
a metallic core; and an electrically insulating material encasing said metallic core.
- 2. An electrically insulated rail member to be secured to rails having an electric current passing through the rails as claimed in claim 1, wherein said metallic core has a T-shaped cross section.
- 3. An electrically insulated rail member to be secured to rails having an electric current passing through the rails as claimed in claim 1, wherein said metallic core comprises steel.
- 4. An electrically insulated rail member to be secured to rails having an electric current passing through the rails as claimed in claim 1, wherein said electrically insulating material is molded about said metallic core.
- 5. An electrically insulated rail member to be secured to rails having an electric current passing through the rails as claimed in claim 1, wherein said electrically insulating material is a polymeric material.
- 6. An electrically insulated rail member to be secured to rails having an electric current passing through the rails as claimed in claim 5, wherein said polymeric material is polyurethane.
- 7. An electrically insulated rail member to be secured to rails having an electric current passing through the rails as claimed in claim 1, wherein said metallic core encased with said electrically insulating material defines a body having a hole adapted to receive a fastener for securing said electrically insulated rail member to an adjacent metallic member for maintaining a gauge of two adjacent rails, wherein the fastener is electrically insulated from said metallic core.
- 8. An electrically insulated rail member to be secured to rails having an electric current passing through the rails as claimed in claim 1, wherein said metallic core encased with said electrically insulating material defines a body having a plurality of holes which is adapted to receive a plurality of fasteners through the holes for securing said electrically insulated rail member to two adjacent metallic members for maintaining a gauge of two adjacent rails, wherein the fasteners are electrically insulated from said metallic core.
- 9. An electrically insulated rail member to be secured to rails having an electric current passing through the rails as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a bushing received by the body defining the hole.
- 10. An electrically insulated rail member to be secured to rails having an electric current passing through the rails as claimed in claim 9, wherein said bushing is electrically insulated from said metallic core.
- 11. An electrically insulated rail member to be secured to rails having an electric current passing through the rails as claimed in claim 1, wherein said electrically insulated rail member has a T-shaped cross section defined by a flat body and a depending leg.
- 12. An electrically insulated rail member to be secured to rails having an electric current passing through the rails as claimed in claim 11, wherein said metallic member is flat and said depending leg is completely defined by said electrically insulating material.
- 13. An electrically insulated rail member to be secured to rails having an electric current passing through the rails as claimed in claim 1, wherein said metallic core encased with said electrically insulating material defines a body having a plurality of holes adapted to receive a plurality of fasteners for securing said electrically insulated rail member to two adjacent metallic members of a switching arrangement, wherein the fasteners are electrically insulated from the metallic core.
- 14. An arrangement for maintaining the gauge between a first rail and a second rail that form a track having electric current passing therethrough, comprising:
a first member extending from the first rail toward the second rail; a second member extending from the second rail toward the first rail; and a gauge plate secured to said first member and said second member, comprising:
a metallic core; and an electrically insulating material encasing said metallic core, whereby said electrically insulating material electrically insulates said first member from said second member.
- 15. An arrangement for maintaining the gauge between a first rail and a second rail that form a track having electric current passing therethrough as claimed in claim 14, wherein a gap is defined between said first member and said second member, said gauge plate comprising a body having a leg depending therefrom, said leg received within the gap.
- 16. An arrangement for maintaining the gauge between a first rail and a second rail that form a track having electric current passing therethrough as claimed in claim 15, wherein said gauge plate defines a body having a plurality of holes and said first member and said second member define holes that align with respective holes of said gauge plate and said arrangement further comprising fasteners passing through the aligned holes for securing said gauge plate to said first member and said second member, wherein the fasteners are electrically insulated from said metallic core.
- 17. An arrangement for maintaining the gauge between a first rail and a second rail that form a track having electric current passing therethrough as claimed in claim 16, wherein said gauge plate further comprises bushings received in said body, said bushings define the plurality of holes of said body.
- 18. An arrangement for coupling a first rail and a second rail that form a track having an electric current passing therethrough, comprising:
a first member extending from the first rail towards the second rail; a second member extending from the second rail towards the first rail; and a first plate secured to said first member and said second member, comprising:
a metallic core; and an electrically insulating material encasing said metallic core.
- 19. An arrangement for coupling a first rail and a second rail that form a track having an electric current passing therethrough as claimed in claim 18, wherein said first plate is a gauge plate.
- 20. An arrangement for coupling a first rail and a second rail that form a track having an electric current passing therethrough as claimed in claim 18, wherein said first plate is a switch plate.
- 21. An arrangement for coupling a first rail and a second rail that form a track having an electric current passing therethrough as claimed in claim 18, wherein a gap is defined between said first member and said second member, said arrangement further comprising:
a second plate having a metallic core and an electrically insulating material encasing a metallic core, wherein said first plate and said second plate sandwich ends of said first member and said second member and are secured thereto.
- 22. An arrangement for coupling a first rail and a second rail that form a track having an electric current passing therethrough as claimed in claim 21, wherein each of said first plate and said second plate has a T-shaped cross section defined by a body and a leg depending therefrom, wherein said legs of said first plate and said second plate are received within the gap.
- 23. An arrangement for coupling a first rail and a second rail that form a track having an electric current passing therethrough as claimed in claim 22, wherein said legs of said first plate and said second plate have ends that abut against each other.
- 24. An arrangement for coupling a first rail and a second rail that form a track having an electric current passing therethrough as claimed in claim 21, wherein said first plate and said second plate define holes that align with holes defined in said first member and said second member and said arrangement further comprising fasteners passing through the aligned holes for securing said first member to said second member through said first plate and said second plate.
- 25. An arrangement for coupling a first rail and a second rail that form a track having an electric current passing therethrough as claimed in claim 24, further comprising a plurality of bushings received by said body, said bushings define the plurality of holes of said first plate and said second plate.
- 26. A method for manufacturing a T-shaped electrically insulated plate for use in coupling two rails having electric current passing therethrough, comprising the steps of:
a) providing a metallic core; and b) encasing said metallic core with an electrically insulating material and forming a T-shaped electrically insulating plate.
- 27. A method for manufacturing a T-shaped electrically insulated plate for use in coupling two rails having electric current passing therethrough as claimed in claim 26, wherein said metallic core has a T-shaped cross section.
- 28. A method for manufacturing a T-shaped electrically insulated plate for use in coupling two rails having electric current passing therethrough as claimed in claim 26, wherein said metallic core is flat.
- 29. A method for manufacturing a T-shaped electrically insulated plate for use in coupling two rails having electric current passing therethrough as claimed in claim 26, further comprising the step of:
providing bushings in said plate for receipt of fasteners.
- 30. A method for manufacturing a T-shaped electrically insulated plate for use in coupling two rails having electric current passing therethrough as claimed in claim 26, wherein said electrically insulating material is polyurethane.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of United States Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/065,519, filed Nov. 12, 1997.
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09723354 |
Nov 2000 |
US |
Child |
09941010 |
Aug 2001 |
US |