Rail Brace Assembly

Abstract

A rail brace assembly for first and second rails includes a first support having an electrically insulating material configured to be engaged with a first side of base portions of the first rail and the second rail, with the first support defining a plurality of openings, a second support having an electrically insulating material configured to be engage with a second side of the base portions of the first rail and the second rail, with the second support defining a plurality of openings, a first base member having an electrically insulating material configured to be engaged with a bottom surface of the base portions of the first rail and the second rail, and a plurality of fasteners each configured to extend through one of the plurality of openings of the first support and the second support.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A rail brace assembly for first and second rails each having a head portion, a web portion extending from the head portion, and a base portion extending from the web portion, a longitudinal axis of the first rail aligned with a longitudinal axis of the second rail, the rail brace assembly comprising:
 a first support comprising an electrically insulating material configured to be engaged with a first side of the base portions of the first rail and the second rail, the first support defining a plurality of openings;   a second support comprising an electrically insulating material configured to be engage with a second side of the base portions of the first rail and the second rail, the second support defining a plurality of openings;   a first base member comprising an electrically insulating material configured to be engaged with a bottom surface of the base portions of the first rail and the second rail; and   a plurality of fasteners each configured to extend through one of the plurality of openings of the first support and the second support.   
     
     
         2 . The rail brace assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a second base member configured to abut the first base member and extend between the first support and the second support.   
     
     
         3 . The rail brace assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the second base member is a metal plate. 
     
     
         4 . The rail brace assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first support and the second support each comprises a rail joint bar. 
     
     
         5 . The rail brace assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the first support and the second support each comprise a polyurethane encapsulated rail joint bar. 
     
     
         6 . The rail brace assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fasteners each comprise a bolt and a nut. 
     
     
         7 . The rail brace assembly of  claim 6 , further comprising a first washer plate configured to be engaged with the first support and a second washer plate configured to be engaged with the second support, wherein the first and second supports and the first and second washer plates are configured to be positioned between the nut and a head of the bolt. 
     
     
         8 . The rail brace assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first base member includes a body defining a plurality of openings configured to be aligned with the plurality of openings of the first and second supports. 
     
     
         9 . A rail joint assembly comprising:
 a first rail having a head portion, a web portion extending from the head portion, and a base portion extending from the web portion;   a second rail having a head portion, a web portion extending from the head portion, and a base portion extending from the web portion, a longitudinal axis of the first rail aligned with a longitudinal axis of the second rail;   a first rail joint bar attached to a first side of the first and second rails;   a second rail joint bar attached to a second side of the first and second rails; and   a rail brace assembly comprising:
 a first support comprising an electrically insulating material engaged with a first side of the base portions of the first rail and the second rail, the first support defining a plurality of openings; 
 a second support comprising an electrically insulating material engaged with a second side of the base portions of the first rail and the second rail, the second support defining a plurality of openings; 
 a first base member comprising an electrically insulating material engaged with a bottom surface of the base portions of the first rail and the second rail; and 
 a plurality of fasteners each extending through one of the plurality of openings of the first support and the second support. 
   
     
     
         10 . The rail joint assembly of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a second base member abutting the first base member and extending between the first support and the second support.   
     
     
         11 . The rail joint assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the first support and the second support each comprises a rail joint bar. 
     
     
         12 . The rail joint assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the first support and the second support each comprise a polyurethane encapsulated rail joint bar. 
     
     
         13 . The rail joint assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of fasteners each comprise a bolt and a nut. 
     
     
         14 . The rail joint assembly of  claim 9 , further comprising a first washer plate engaged with the first support and a second washer plate engaged with the second support, wherein the first and second supports and the first and second washer plates are positioned between the nut and a head of the bolt. 
     
     
         15 . The rail joint assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the first base member includes a body defining a plurality of openings aligned with the plurality of openings of the first and second supports. 
     
     
         16 . A rail brace assembly for first and second rails each having a head portion, a web portion extending from the head portion, and a base portion extending from the web portion, a longitudinal axis of the first rail aligned with a longitudinal axis of the second rail, the rail brace assembly comprising:
 a base plate defining a plurality of openings;   a plurality of clips, each of the plurality of clips comprising an electrically-insulating material configured to engage the base portion of the first rail or second rail, each of the plurality of clips defining an opening configured to be aligned with one of the plurality of openings of the base plate; and   a plurality of fasteners configured to extend through respective openings of the plurality of clips and the plurality of openings of the base to secure the clips and the base plate to the first and second rails.   
     
     
         17 . The rail brace assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the base plate is metal. 
     
     
         18 . The rail brace assembly of  claim 16 , further comprising a plurality of washer plates configured to be positioned on a top surface of each of the plurality of clips, wherein the plurality of fasteners each comprise a bolt with a head and a nut, and wherein each of the plurality of washer plates, each of the plurality of clips, and the base plate are positioned between the head of the bolt and the nut when the rail brace assembly is attached to the first and second rails. 
     
     
         19 . The rail brace assembly of  claim 16 , further comprising an insulator plate configured to be positioned between the base portions of the first and second rails and the base plate. 
     
     
         20 . A rail joint assembly comprising:
 a first rail having a head portion, a web portion extending from the head portion, and a base portion extending from the web portion;   a second rail having a head portion, a web portion extending from the head portion, and a base portion extending from the web portion, a longitudinal axis of the first rail aligned with a longitudinal axis of the second rail;   a first rail joint bar attached to a first side of the first and second rails;   a second rail joint bar attached to a second side of the first and second rails; and   a rail brace assembly comprising:
 a base plate positioned below the base portions of the first and second rails, the base plate defining a first opening and a second opening; 
 a first clip comprising an electrically-insulating material engaged with the base portion of the first rail or second rail at the first side of the first and second rails, the first clip defining an opening; 
 a second clip comprising an electrically-insulating material engaged with the base portion of the first rail or second rail at the second side of the first and second rails, the second clip defining an opening; 
 a first fastener extending through the opening of the first clip and the first opening of the base plate to secure the first clip and the base plate to the first and second rails; and 
 a second fastener extending through the opening of the second clip and the second opening of the base plate to secure the second clip and the base plate to the first and second rails.