Center Supported Bond Joint

Abstract

A center support sleeve for a bonded rail joint bar that includes a body having a head portion, a web portion, and a base portion. The head portion depends from the web portion, which depends from the base portion. The head portion and the base portion are bent in the same direction thereby defining a recess area therebetween. The web portion of the body also defines a plurality of holes.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A rail joint assembly, comprising:
 two abutting railroad rails having abutting ends connected by a bonded joint;   a rail joint bar attached to the abutting railroad rails, the rail joint bar including a body having a length defined between opposite ends of the rail joint bar, a front surface and a back surface and defining a head section, a web section depending from the head section and a base section depending from the web section; the web section having a plurality of holes defined in the body, wherein the holes are adapted to receive fasteners for securing a rail joint bar to two abutting railroad rails;   an adhesive sandwiched between the back surface of the body of the rail joint bar and the two abutting railroad rails; and   a center support sleeve made of an electrically-insulating material sandwiched between a center portion of the back surface of the body of the rail joint bar and the two abutting railroad rails, the support sleeve configured to spread the impact loads of rail cars away from the center portion of the rail joint bar, wherein the support sleeve is positioned intermediate of the ends of the rail joint bar and extends across the abutting ends of the two abutting railroad rails and increases the electrical insulating capabilities of the rail joint assembly, wherein a compressive strength of the rail joint assembly in a region occupied by the center support sleeve is different than a compressive strength of the rail joint assembly at the ends of the rail joint bar, and wherein the support sleeve is capable of supporting a load of at least 100,000 psi tensile strength.   
     
     
         22 . The rail joint assembly of  claim 21 , wherein the adhesive is dispersed across lateral portions of the rail joint bar. 
     
     
         23 . The rail joint assembly of  claim 21 , wherein the adhesive is only dispersed across lateral portions of the rail joint bar. 
     
     
         24 . The rail joint assembly of  claim 21 , wherein the adhesive is dispersed across the entire length of the rail joint bar. 
     
     
         25 . The rail joint assembly of  claim 21 , wherein the center support sleeve comprising a body having a head portion, a web portion, and a base portion, the head portion depends from the web portion which depends from the base portion, wherein the head portion and the base portion are bent in the same direction thereby defining a recess area therebetween, and wherein the web portion of the body defines a plurality of holes adapted to receive fasteners. 
     
     
         26 . The rail joint assembly of  claim 21 , wherein the adhesive is dispersed across lateral portions of the back surface of the body of the rail joint bar and the sleeve is positioned on a center portion of the back surface between the lateral portions of the body of the rail joint bar. 
     
     
         27 . The rail joint assembly of  claim 22 , comprising a plurality of fasteners passing through the holes in the rail joint bar and the holes in the sleeve for securing the rail joint bar to the two abutting railroad rails. 
     
     
         28 . The rail joint assembly of  claim 21 , wherein the sleeve has a compression strength of at least 70,000 psi. 
     
     
         29 . The rail joint assembly of  claim 21 , wherein the adhesive comprises an epoxy that is capable of creating a bond of at least 3,000 psi shear strength and at least 0.001 inch per inch elasticity. 
     
     
         30 . The rail joint assembly of  claim 21 , wherein the center support sleeve comprising a body having a head portion and a web portion depending from said head portion. 
     
     
         31 . The rail joint assembly of  claim 21 , wherein the compressive strength of the rail joint assembly in the region occupied by the center support sleeve is greater than the compressive strength of the rail joint assembly at the opposite ends of the rail joint bar. 
     
     
         32 . The rail joint assembly of  claim 21 , further comprising a layer of fiberglass beaded plate sandwiched between the back surface of the body of the rail joint bar and the two abutting railroad rails and extending from positions adjacent to the center support sleeve to each end of the rail joint bar. 
     
     
         33 . A method for securing two abutting railroad rails, comprising the steps of:
 joining two railroad rails end to end;   positioning an electrically-insulating spacer between the ends of the two railroad rails positioned end to end;   placing an adhesive on a surface of a rail joint bar;   positioning a center support sleeve on a center portion of the surface of the rail joint bar intermediate of opposite ends of the rail joint bar; and   attaching the rail joint bar having the adhesive and the support sleeve to the railroad rails via a fastener, wherein the support sleeve is sandwiched between the railroad rails and the rail joint bar and extends across the joined ends of the two railroad rails, the support sleeve configured to spread the impact loads of rail cars away from the center portion of the rail joint bar, wherein the support sleeve provides a different compressive strength in a region occupied by the center support sleeve than a compressive strength at the ends of the rail joint bar and wherein the support sleeve is capable of supporting a load of at least 100,000 psi tensile strength.   
     
     
         34 . The method as claimed in  claim 33 , wherein the adhesive is dispersed across lateral portions of the rail joint bar. 
     
     
         35 . The method as claimed in  claim 33 , wherein the adhesive is only dispersed across lateral portions of the rail joint bar. 
     
     
         36 . The method as claimed in  claim 33 , wherein the adhesive is dispersed across the entire length of the rail joint bar. 
     
     
         37 . The method as claimed in  claim 33 , wherein the adhesive is dispersed across lateral portions of the surface of the rail joint bar and the support sleeve is positioned on the surface of the rail joint bar between the lateral portions thereof. 
     
     
         38 . The method as claimed in  claim 33 , further comprising the step of placing an adhesive on a surface of the sleeve before attaching the rail joint bar to the railroad rails, wherein the adhesive is sandwiched between the railroad rails and the sleeve. 
     
     
         39 . The method as claimed in  claim 33 , wherein the support sleeve provides a greater compressive strength in the region occupied by the center support sleeve than the compressive strength at the ends of the rail joint bar. 
     
     
         40 . The method as claimed in  claim 33 , further comprising the step of positioning a layer of fiberglass beaded plate on portions of the surface of the rail joint bar adjacent to the center support sleeve and extending to each end of the rail joint bar. 
     
     
         41 . A rail joint assembly, comprising:
 two abutting railroad rails having abutting ends connected by a bonded joint;   a rail joint bar attached to the abutting railroad rails, the rail joint bar including a body having a length defined between opposite ends of the rail joint bar, a front surface and a back surface and defining a head section, a web section depending from the head section and a base section depending from the web section; the web section having a plurality of holes defined in the body, wherein the holes are adapted to receive fasteners for securing a rail joint bar to two abutting railroad rails;   an adhesive sandwiched between the back surface of the body of the rail joint bar and the two abutting railroad rails; and   a center support sleeve made of an electrically-insulating material sandwiched between a center portion of the back surface of the body of the rail joint bar and the two abutting railroad rails, the support sleeve configured to spread the impact loads of rail cars away from the center portion of the rail joint bar, wherein the support sleeve is positioned intermediate of the ends of the rail joint bar, wherein the support sleeve increases the electrical insulating capabilities of the rail joint assembly, and wherein a compressive strength of the rail joint assembly in a region occupied by the center support sleeve is different than a compressive strength of the rail joint assembly at the ends of the rail joint bar.   
     
     
         42 . The rail joint assembly of  claim 41 , wherein the adhesive is dispersed across lateral portions of the rail joint bar. 
     
     
         43 . The rail joint assembly of  claim 41 , wherein the adhesive is only dispersed across lateral portions of the rail joint bar. 
     
     
         44 . The rail joint assembly of  claim 41 , wherein the adhesive is dispersed across the entire length of the rail joint bar. 
     
     
         45 . The rail joint assembly of  claim 41 , wherein the compressive strength of the rail joint assembly in the region occupied by the center support sleeve is greater than the compressive strength of the rail joint assembly at the opposite ends of the rail joint bar. 
     
     
         46 . The rail joint assembly of  claim 41 , further comprising a layer of fiberglass material sandwiched between the back surface of the body of the rail joint bar and the two abutting railroad rails and extending from positions adjacent to the center support sleeve to each end of the rail joint bar.