Removable rail seal
A rail seal for sealing the gap between a rail and the surrounding surface material in a rail crossing or track construction, wherein the rail seal is removable from the gap and can be re-installed in the gap without damaging the surrounding surface material. More particularly, the rail seal is formed with an integral hinge element that has a closed position and an open position wherein an upper portion of the rail seal is released from and extends upwardly away from a lower portion of the seal body thereby imparting additional flexibility to the seal body. To remove the rail seal from the gap adjacent the rail, the rail seal can be manipulated so as to be pulled free from the gap. In order to re-install the rail seal, the additional flexibility provided by the hinge element allows the rail seal to be manipulated and deformed as required so as to be re-installed within the open gap. The rail seal may also be formed with anchor recesses at opposed ends of the rail seal body for receiving anchoring keys which help to secure the rail seal within the gap so as to prevent longitudinal movement and shifting of the rail seal over time.
1. A rail seal for sealing a gap between a rail and a surrounding surface material, the rail having a rail head, a rail base and a web portion interconnecting the rail head and rail base, the rail seal comprising:
an elongated elastomeric seal body;
a first surface formed along the length of the seal body for generally abutting and sealing with a corresponding side of the web portion of the rail;
a second surface formed along the length of the seal body generally opposite to the first surface, the second surface generally abutting and sealing with a corresponding edge of the surrounding surface material;
an upper surface formed along the length of the seal body, the upper surface extending between the rail head and the upper surface of the corresponding surrounding surface material; and
a hinge element formed in the second surface of the seal body, the hinge element having a closed position and an open position, the hinge element comprising:
a slit formed within the elastomeric material of the seal body, the slit having opposed faces, the opposed faces being in face-to-face contact when the hinge element is in said closed position, the second surface thereby forming a generally continuous surface.
2. A rail seal as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the hinge element further comprises:
a cavity passage formed within the seal body and extending along the length thereof
the slit extending between the second surface through to the cavity passage.
3. A rail seal as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the rail seal is removable from the gap formed between the rail and the corresponding surrounding surface material by means of generally upwards forces and manual manipulation of the seal body.
4. A rail seal as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the hinge element permits re-installation of the rail seal within the gap once the hinge element has been brought into the open position.
5. A rail seal as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the upper surface is formed with a flangeway for receiving a flanged wheel of a rail car, the flangeway extending along the length of the seal body generally parallel to and adjacent the rail head, the rail seal being a gauge-side rail seal.
6. A rail seal as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the flangeway lies generally in a plane below the rail head of the rail.
7. A rail seal as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the rail seal is a field-side rail seal, the upper surface of the rail seal therefore extending between the corresponding edge of the adjacent surrounding surface material and the rail head, the upper surface lying generally in the same plane as the upper surface of the surrounding surface material and the upper surface of the rail head.
8. A rail seal as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first surface has an upper leg extending generally upwardly and outwardly therefrom for engaging a bottom edge of the rail head, and a lower leg extending generally downwardly and outwardly therefrom for abutting and engaging the base flange of the rail.
9. A rail seal as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one anchor recess is formed in the second surface of the elongate seal body, the at least one anchor recess forming a void within the seal body for receiving an anchoring key to secure the seal body within the gap formed between the rail and the surrounding poured surface material.
10. A rail seal as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the anchoring key is formed by poured surface material entering the void formed by the anchor recess within the seal body when the surface material is poured against the rail seal to form the surrounding surface material.
11. A rail seal as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the anchoring key is in the form of an anchor insert inserted into the at least one anchor recess, the anchor insert protruding outwardly from the second surface of the seal body.
12. A rail seal as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the seal body has an upper portion and a lower portion separated by said hinge element, the upper portion and lower portion each defining one of the opposed faces of said slit, the upper portion rotating about said hinge element with respect to said lower portion bringing said opposed faces out of face-to-face contact when said hinge element is in said open position.
13. A rail seal as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the seal body has an upper portion and a lower portion separated by said hinge element, the upper portion being angled upwardly with respect to the lower portion and being rotatable about the hinge element from said open position to said closed position.
14. A rail seal for sealing a gap between a rail and a surrounding surface material in a track construction, the surface material being a poured surface material, the rail having a rail head, a rail base and a web portion interconnecting the rail head and rail base, wherein the rail seal comprises:
an elongated elastomeric seal body, the seal body having opposed ends;
a first surface formed along the length of the seal body for generally abutting and sealing with a corresponding side of the web portion of the rail;
a second surface formed along the length of the seal body generally opposite to the first surface, the second surface generally abutting and sealing with a corresponding edge of the surrounding surface material;
an upper surface formed along the length of the seal body, the upper surface extending generally between the rail head and the upper surface of the corresponding surrounding surface material; and
at least one anchor recess formed in the second surface of the elongate seal body, the at least one anchor recess forming a void within the seal body for receiving an anchoring key to secure the seal body within the gap formed between the rail and the surrounding poured surface material.
15. A rail seal as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the anchoring key is formed by poured surface material entering the void formed by the anchor recess within the seal body when the surface material is poured against the rail seal to form the surrounding surface material.
16. A rail seal as claimed in claim 14 , wherein an anchor recess is formed at each opposed end of the elongate seal body.
17. A rail seal as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the at least one anchor recess has a tapered inner end formed within the seal body, the tapered inner end extending between a larger upper end and a smaller, lower end.
18. A rail seal as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the anchoring key is in the form of an anchor insert inserted into the at least one anchor recess, the anchor inserts protruding outwardly from the second surface of the seal body.
19. A rail seal as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the rail seal further comprises:
a hinge element formed in the second surface of the seal body, the hinge element having a closed position and an open position, the hinge element comprising:
a slit formed within the elastomeric material of the seal body, the slit having opposed faces, the opposed faces being in face-to-face contact when the hinge element is in said closed position,
wherein the hinge element is located at a level which lies generally above the anchor recesses.
20. A rail seal as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the hinge element further comprises:
a cavity passage formed within the seal body and extending along the length thereof
the slit extending between the second surface through to the cavity passage.
21. A rail seal as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the anchor recess is deformable over the anchoring key to permit removal of the seal body from the gap formed between the rail and the corresponding surrounding surface material by means of generally upwards forces and manual manipulation of the seal body.
22. A rail seal as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the rail seal can be reinstalled within the gap formed between the rail and the corresponding surrounding surface material by bringing the hinge element into the open position and by removing a lower portion of the anchor recess, the lower portion being removed along the length of the seal body.
23. A rail seal for sealing a gap between a rail and a surrounding surface material, the rail having a rail head, a rail base and a web portion interconnecting the rail head and rail base, the rail seal comprising:
an elongated elastomeric seal body;
a first surface formed along the length of the seal body for generally abutting and sealing with a corresponding side of the web portion of the rail;
a second surface formed along the length of the seal body generally opposite to the first surface, the second surface generally abutting and sealing with a corresponding edge of the surrounding surface material;
an upper surface formed along the length of the seal body, the upper surface extending between the rail head and the upper surface of the corresponding surrounding surface material; and
a hinge element formed in the second surface of the seal body, the hinge element having a closed position and an open position, the hinge element comprising:
a cavity passage formed within the seal body and extending along the length thereof; and
a slit formed within the elastomeric material of the seal body, the slit extending between the second surface through to the cavity passage and having opposed faces, the opposed faces being in face-to-face contact when the hinge element is in said closed position,
wherein the rail seal is a field-side rail seal, the upper surface of the rail seal extending between the corresponding edge of the adjacent surrounding surface material and the rail head, the upper surface lying generally in the same plane as the upper surface of the surrounding surface material and the upper surface of the rail head.
24. A rail seal for sealing a gap between a rail and a surrounding surface material, the rail having a rail head, a rail base and a web portion interconnecting the rail head and rail base, the rail seal comprising:
an elongated elastomeric seal body;
a first surface formed along the length of the seal body for generally abutting and sealing with a corresponding side of the web portion of the rail;
a second surface formed along the length of the seal body generally opposite to the first surface, the second surface generally abutting and sealing with a corresponding edge of the surrounding surface material;
an upper surface formed along the length of the seal body, the upper surface extending between the rail head and the upper surface of the corresponding surrounding surface material; and
a hinge element formed in the second surface of the seal body, the hinge element having a closed position and an open position, the hinge element comprising:
a cavity passage formed within the seal body and extending along the length thereof; and
a slit formed within the elastomeric material of the seal body, the slit extending between the second surface through to the cavity passage and having opposed faces, the opposed faces being in face-to-face contact when the hinge element is in said closed position,
wherein at least one anchor recess is formed in the second surface of the elongate seal body, the at least one anchor recess forming a void within the seal body for receiving an anchoring key to secure the seal body within the gap formed between the rail and the surrounding poured surface material.
25. A rail seal for sealing a gap between a rail and a surrounding surface material, the rail having a rail head, a rail base and a web portion interconnecting the rail head and rail base, the rail seal comprising:
an elongated elastomeric seal body;
a first surface formed along the length of the seal body for generally abutting and sealing with a corresponding side of the web portion of the rail;
a second surface formed along the length of the seal body generally opposite to the first surface, the second surface generally abutting and sealing with a corresponding edge of the surrounding surface material;
an upper surface formed along the length of the seal body, the upper surface extending between the rail head and the upper surface of the corresponding surrounding surface material; and
a hinge element formed in the second surface of the seal body, the hinge element having a closed position and an open position, the hinge element comprising:
a cavity passage formed within the seal body and extending along the length thereof; and
a slit formed within the elastomeric material of the seal body, the slit extending between the second surface through to the cavity passage and having opposed faces, the opposed faces being in face-to-face contact when the hinge element is in said closed position;
wherein at least one anchor recess is formed in the second surface of the elongate seal body, the at least one anchor recess forming a void within the seal body for receiving an anchoring key to secure the seal body within the gap formed between the rail and the surrounding poured surface material; and
wherein the anchoring key is formed by poured surface material entering the void formed by the anchor recess within the seal body when the surface material is poured against the rail seal to form the surrounding surface material.
26. A rail seal for sealing a gap between a rail and a surrounding surface material, the rail having a rail head, a rail base and a web portion interconnecting the rail head and rail base, the rail seal comprising:
an elongated elastomeric seal body;
a first surface formed along the length of the seal body for generally abutting and sealing with a corresponding side of the web portion of the rail;
a second surface formed along the length of the seal body generally opposite to the first surface, the second surface generally abutting and sealing with a corresponding edge of the surrounding surface material;
an upper surface formed along the length of the seal body, the upper surface extending between the rail head and the upper surface of the corresponding surrounding surface material; and
a hinge element formed in the second surface of the seal body, the hinge element having a closed position and an open position, the hinge element comprising:
a cavity passage formed within the seal body and extending along the length thereof; and
a slit formed within the elastomeric material of the seal body, the slit extending between the second surface through to the cavity passage and having opposed faces, the opposed faces being in face-to-face contact when the hinge element is in said closed position;
wherein at least one anchor recess is formed in the second surface of the elongate seal body, the at least one anchor recess forming a void within the seal body for receiving an anchoring key to secure the seal body within the gap formed between the rail and the surrounding poured surface material; and
wherein the anchoring key is in the form of an anchor insert inserted into the at least one anchor recess, the anchor inserts protruding outwardly from the second surface of the seal body.