“ANTI CREEP COMPOSITE LINER FOR RAIL”
APPLICANT:

STAR TRACK FASTENERS PVT. LTD.
a company incorporated under the Indian
Companies Act, 1956 having office at
6-B, Raj Narain Marg, Civil Lines,
Delhi – 110054, India

PREAMBLE TO THE DESCRIPTION:

The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an improved anti creep composite liner for rail. More particularly, the invention provides an element to suitably grip the rail foot during train movement or due to the thermal expansion and contraction of the rails wherein the said composite element is provided with metal back plate.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Rail transport which is managed by central government is one of the most important modes of transport in India. Indian railway system is a public utility transport and has grown to be the fourth largest in the World and largest in the Asia. The total railway network covers 115000 Km of track over a route of 65000 Km with 7500 railway stations.
Because of importance of railway transport in India, large funds are invested every year to maintain and upgrade the railway system. The most important part of any railway system is railway track, hence the need for the maintenance of railway track cannot be overlooked. Safety and quality standard are set in every railway system for track maintenance, which includes inspection, track data collection and possible renewals.
In general, a railway track system consists of rail steel, concrete sleepers and the track fasteners. Track fasteners are used as rail-fastening systems to fasten the rail steel to the concrete sleeper. A Pandrol clip or Elastic Rail Clip (ERC) is the main fastening device used to fasten the rail steel to the concrete sleeper. Each concrete sleeper requires 4 ERC clips to fasten the rail steel. These clips are generally used along with rail rubber pad and liners.
Here, the main function of liners is to provide frictional gripping of the rail foot during train movement or due to thermal expansion and contraction of the rails. It also acts as wear-resistant liner which is capable of enveloping and absorbing foreign objects, such as, clay, sand, grit, and the like without impaired performance. Typically, these liners are made up of malleable cast iron and nylon components.
However, even with the provision of such hard liners the basic problem of excessive wear of rail foot, creeping of rails and cracking of liners exists. It happens regularly when night soil or saline water is entrapped below the liner seats and electro chemical process starts resulting in corrosion of rails and fastenings.

Traditionally, this problem has been addressed by providing a glass filled nylon liners (GFN-66) of 4mm thickness particularly for track circuited areas and sections, subject to severe corrosion. These glass filled nylon liners are considered to be technically superior because these are in single piece, have longer life and are free from corrosion. These liners are on extensive use on Indian Railways particularly with ERC clip assembly on 60 kg and 52 kg rails and PRC sleepers.
However, the test result has shown that GFN-66 liners are breaking particularly in yards where these liners have been fitted in ERC clip assembly on concrete sleepers due to rusting of the rail surface and uneven seating. To avoid such breakage of GFN-66 liners, it is necessary to take proper precautions to ensure that rail surfaces are cleared off rust etc and the liners are made to sit evenly on the 1 in 6 sloping surface of the rail flange. It is therefore generally desired to provide an alternative solution to the problem of premature breakage.
The present invention eliminates the problems and disadvantages of pre existing liners which are suitable for modern railway track requirement and quality standard. It provides better field properties like higher creep resistance and rust resistance and solves the problem of premature failure of liners.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
The main object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-identified disadvantages inherent to the conventional liner.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide an improved liner having the properties of high resistance to wear and tangential shear forces.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such liner having unique composition resulting in an improved long lasting element.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide an improved liner, where the said composite element is provided with metal back plate.
Yet another object of this invention is to create a novel composite material for rail foot liner.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a liner that is capable of withstanding higher vibrations, cyclic, torque and tangential shear forces.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a unique conforming surface to protect rail foot against wear and impact.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide better shelf life and higher creep resistance.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a simple alternative form liner which is cheaper to produce and is still as effective functionally as previous liners.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a liner which is able to resist railway forces with high durability.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the proposed invention relates to an improved anti creep composite liner for rail. More particularly, the invention provides an element to suitably grip the rail foot during train movement or due to the thermal expansion and contraction of the rails wherein the said composite element is provided with metal back plate.
In one aspect, the present invention provides an anti creep liner made from a suitable metallic and/or polymer composition, similar or different materials, with a suitable metal back plate, so as to impart additional tensile strength to the device. The invention further provides a liner having two or more fixed layers is characterized in that at least one of its opposite layers is made from a suitable metallic and/or polymer composition and a suitable metal baking plate are made and arranged alternately one into another so as to augment the better anti creep feature and high durability to the element.

The invention ensures to get very effective to prevent bite marks on foot of rails with a unique provision of composite material on the rail foot facing side of liner that is why it well acts as wear-resistant liner which is capable of enveloping and absorbing foreign objects and withstanding higher vibrations, cyclic, torque and tangential shear forces. The liner pad material prevents the formation of electrolytic cells on the rails, due to its continuous sand paper like cleaning action on the foot of rails resulting non corrosion of foot of rails. The liner pad material is chosen from a group comprising mineral fibers, zirconia, zircon, zirconium silicate, mica, alumina, ceramic fibers, calcium magnesium silicate, calcium magnesium zirconium silicate, calcium magnesium aluminum silicate, magnesium aluminum silicate, synthetic mineral fibers such as hardwool, slagwool and rockwool, silica, silicon dioxide, sand silicon carbide, iron oxide, iron chromite and magnesium oxide.
Further, the composite brake pad material of the Liner provides stronger gripping onto the Rail Foot. Hence provides a better anti creep composite liner for rail. The said composition being selected from the group consisting of polymers, non metal, metal fibers and metal alloy fibers, whereby said composition has a suppression characteristic. The Composite Liner along with metal plate prevents the cracking of liners under various static and dynamic forces. Hence provides long life of the fitting.

These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the drawings, discloses preferred embodiments of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention may be more completely understood in consideration of the following detailed description of various embodiments of the invention in connection with the accompanying drawings.
Fig.1 is a schematic side view of a liner showing composite layers in accordance with the present invention;
Fig. 2a is a schematic side view of a suitable metal back plate of liner in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2b is a schematic side view of a metallic and/or polymer composition of liner in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a schematic front view of a liner in accordance with the present invention is illustrated.

Fig. 4 is a schematic bottom view of a liner in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a liner in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 6 is an exploded view of a liner in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As shown in Figs. 1a, 2a & 2b, are schematic side views of a liner showing composite layers in accordance with the present invention is illustrated. The present invention provides an anti creep liner 100 made from a suitable metallic and/or polymer composition, similar or different materials, with a suitable metal back plate 1, so as to impart additional tensile strength to the device. The invention further provides a liner having two or more fixed layers 2 is characterized in that at least one of its opposite layers is made from a suitable metallic and/or polymer composition and a suitable metal baking plate are made and arranged alternately one into another so as to augment the better anti creep feature and high durability to the element.

As shown in Fig. 3, schematic front view of a liner in accordance with the present invention is illustrated. The invention ensures to get very effective to prevent bite marks on foot of rails with a unique provision of composite material on the rail foot facing side 4 of liner that is why it well acts as wear-resistant liner which is capable of enveloping and absorbing foreign objects through median groove 5 extending over the entire surface of the liner 100 and withstanding higher vibrations, cyclic, torque and tangential shear forces. The liner Pad material prevents the formation of electrolytic cells on the rails, due to its continuous sand paper like cleaning action on the foot of rails resulting non corrosion of foot of rails.
As shown in Fig. 4, a schematic bottom view of a liner in accordance with the present invention is illustrated. As shown in Fig. 5, a perspective view of a liner in accordance with the present invention is illustrated. As shown in Fig. 6, an exploded view of a liner in accordance with the present invention is illustrated.

It should be understood that the embodiments described above are merely exemplary and that modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the composite liner of the present invention is shown in accordance with the current standard of railway system. However, the liner may be modified in any desired shape and configuration. Additionally, one or more of the liners described above may alternatively include a different structure, or any other structure.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not to be limited to just the preferred embodiment disclosed, but that the invention described herein is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications and substitutions without departing from the scope of the claims hereafter.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the above-described preferred embodiments can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.

Dated this 20th day of May, 2015

LALIT AMBASTHA
of Patentwire Consultants Pvt. Ltd.
Agent for the Applicant
[IN/PA 1319]

WE CLAIM:

1. An improved anti creep composite liner for rail comprising:
a. at least one layer of anti creep liner made from a suitable metallic and/or polymer composition, similar or different materials, and;
b. a suitable metal back plate;

wherein:
said metal back plate and said liner are made and arranged alternately one into another so as to augment the better anti creep feature and high durability to the element, and;
a unique provision of composite material on the rail foot facing side of said liner is provided which prevents bite marks on foot of rails and acts as wear-resistant liner which is capable of enveloping and absorbing foreign objects and withstanding higher vibrations, cyclic, torque and tangential shear forces.

2. The improved anti creep composite liner for rail as claimed in claim 1, wherein said liner having two or more fixed layers is characterized in that at least one of its opposite layers is made from a suitable metallic and/or polymer composition and a suitable metal back plate are made and arranged alternately one into another so as to augment the better anti creep feature and high durability to the element.

3. The improved anti creep composite liner for rail as claimed in claim 1, wherein unique provision of composite material on the rail foot facing side of said liner is a liner pad.

4. The improved anti creep composite liner for rail as claimed in claim 3, wherein said liner pad material prevents the formation of electrolytic cells on the rail.

5. The improved anti creep composite liner for rail as claimed in claim 4, wherein said liner pad material is selected from a group comprising of mineral fibers, zirconia, zircon, zirconium silicate, mica, alumina, ceramic fibers, calcium magnesium silicate, calcium magnesium zirconium silicate, calcium magnesium aluminum silicate, magnesium aluminum silicate, synthetic mineral fibers such as hardwool, slagwool and rockwool, silica, silicon dioxide, sand silicon carbide, iron oxide, iron chromite and magnesium oxide.

6. The improved anti creep composite liner for rail as claimed in claim 1, wherein a continuous groove is formed on median of said liner for enveloping and absorbing foreign objects and withstanding higher vibrations, cyclic, torque and tangential shear forces.

7. The improved anti creep composite liner for rail as claimed in claim 1, wherein said composition being selected from the group consisting of polymers, non metal, metal fibers and metal alloy fibers, whereby said composition has a suppression characteristic.

8. The improved anti creep composite liner for rail as claimed in claim 1, for use as an element to suitably grip the rail foot during train movement or due to the thermal expansion and contraction of the rails.

Dated this 20th day of May, 2015

LALIT AMBASTHA
of Patentwire Consultants Pvt. Ltd.
Agent for the Applicant
[IN/PA 1319]