Highway railway crossing

Claim 2

A highway railway crossing comprising a pair of spaced, substantially parallel rails; a plurality of elongated ties subtending and supporting said rails and being disposed transversely thereof; means for securing said rails to said ties; and an elongated unitary composite member overlying a plurality of said ties and spanning the distance between said rails and having a height substantially the same as that of said rails; said composite member including a one-piece upper lamina of resilient moisture-proof material having elongated compressible side edges recessed from the upper exposed surface of said lamina and in resilient sealing engagement with upright web portions of said rails, said lamina having the exposed upper surface thereof provided with a plurality of laterally spaced elongated drain grooves terminating at least at one edge of said lamina; a plurality of elongated reinforcing elements arranged in laterally spaced relation and affixed to the underside of said lamina, each element being disposed angularly of and overlying a plurality of said ties; resilient pad means affixed to the underside of each reinforcing element and in contact with a portion of a tie aligned therewith; and means securing said composite member to said ties.

Claim 3

The highway crossing of claim 1 wherein the exposed upper surface of said lamina intermediate the recessed elongated sides thereof is substantially coplanar with the upper surface of said rails; each elongated side edge of said upper lamina cooperating with the surface of the adjacent rail and forming a space for freely accommodating a peripheral flange of a railway wheel.

Claim 4

The highway railway crossing of claim 1 wherein the bottom and lower side portions of each reinforcing element are spaced and separated from the corresponding portions of adjacent reinforcing elements whereby the corresponding bottoms and lower side portions of adjacent reinforcing elements are movable independently of each other upon said composite member being flexed upwardly for initial positioning between said rails.

Claim 5

The highway railway crossing of claim 1 including a side composite member overlying a plurality of ties, said side composite member being disposed adjacent one rail of said pair and extending outwardly therefrom and comprising an elongated upper lamina of resilient moisture-proof material and having one elongated side thereof in resilient sealing engagement with the outwardly facing surface of said one rail, at least one elongated reinforcing element secured to the underside of said upper lamina and disposed in substantially parallel relation with the said one rail and supported by a plurality of rail-supporting ties, and adjustable means disposed intermediate a pair of adjacent ties and subtending said one rail for retaining said side composite member in sealing engagement with the outwardly facing surface of said rail.

Claim 6

A highway railway crossing comprising a pair of spaced, substantially parallel rails; a plurality of elongated ties subtending and supporting said rails and being disposed Transversely thereof; means for securing said rails to said ties; and a pair of elongated unitary composite members overlying a plurality of said ties and spanning the distance therebetween, said composite members being arranged in abutting end-to-end relation, each composite member including a one-piece upper lamina of resilient moisture-proof material having elongated compressible side edges recessed from the upper exposed surface of said lamina and in resilient sealing engagement with upright web portions of the rails, said lamina having a plurality of laterally spaced elongated drain grooves formed in the exposed upper surface thereof and terminating at least at one end edge thereof, a plurality of elongated reinforcing elements arranged in laterally spaced relation between said rails and affixed to the underside of said lamina, each element overlying a plurality of said ties, resilient pad means affixed to the underside of each reinforcing element and interposed an element and a portion of a tie aligned therewith, corresponding reinforcing elements of said composite members being disposed in axially aligned relation, means securing said composite members to said ties, and splicer means interconnecting the adjacent ends of the correspodning axially aligned reinforcing elements of said abutting composite members.

Claim 7

A highway railway crossing comprising a pair of spaced, substantially parallel rails; a plurality of elongated ties subtending and supporting said rails and being disposed Transversely thereof; means for securing said rails to said ties; and a pair of elongated unitary composite members overlying a plurality of said ties and spanning the distance therebetween, said composite members being arranged in abutting end-to-end relation, each composite member including a one-piece upper lamina of resilient moisture-proof material having elongated compressible side edges recessed from the upper exposed surface of said lamina and in resilient sealing engagement with upright web portions of the rails, said lamina having a plurality of laterally spaced elongated drain grooves formed in the exposed upper surface thereof and terminating at least at one end edge thereof, a plurality of elongated reinforcing elements arranged in laterally spaced relation between said rails and affixed to the underside of said lamina, each element overlying a plurality of said ties, resilient pad means affixed to the underside of each reinforcing element and interposed an element and a portion of a tie aligned therewith, corresponding reinforcing elements of said composite members being disposed in axially aligned relation, means securing said composite members to said ties, and splicer means interconnecting the adjacent ends of the correspodning axially aligned reinforcing elements of said abutting composite members.

Claim 8

The highway railway crossing of claim 5 wherein said reinforcing elements are of tubular configuration and said splicer means includes a plurality of elongated pieces, each piece being snugly disposed wihtin the open ends of the abutting tubular elements and extending a substantial distance into each abutting tubular element.

Claim 9

The highway railway crossing of claim 6 wherein the joint formed between the abutting ends of the composite members is aligned with a given tie; the length of each elongated splicer piece spanning at least three ties with the center tie thereof being said given tie.

Claim 10

The highway railway crossing of claim 7 wherein each splicer piece is secured to the ties disposed adjacent said given tie by fastener means extending transversely through portions of said piece and said reenforcing element aligned with said adjacent tie; said fastener means when moving into securing position effecting camming of said adjacent composite members into abutting sealing engagement.

Claim 11

In a highway railway crossing having a pair of spaced substantially parallel rails secured to and supported by a plurality of transversely extending ties subtending said rails, a pair of elongated composite members arranged in abutting end-to-end relation and positionable between the rails and overlying a plurality of the rail-supporting ties, each composite member comprising a one-piece upper lamina of resilient moisture-proof material having recessed, compressible elongated side edges for resilient sealing engagement with web portions of the rails, a plurality of elongated reenforcing elements arranged in laterally spaced substantially parallel relation and affixed to the underside of the upper lamina, corresponding reenforcing elements of the pair of composite members being arranged in axially aligned relation, a joint formed between the abutting composite members being aligned with a given tie, and splicer means interconnecting the corresponding reenforcing elements, the splicer means for each pair of aligned reenforcing elements extending longitudinally of the elements a substantial distance in opposite directions from the joint.

Claim 12

In a highway railway crossing having a pair of spaced substantially parallel rails secured to and supported by a plurality of transversely extending ties subtending said rails, a pair of elongated composite members arranged in abutting end-to-end relation and positionable between the rails and overlying a plurality of the rail-supporting ties, each composite member comprising a one-piece upper lamina of resilient moisture-proof material having recessed, compressible elongated side edges for resilient sealing engagement with web portions of the rails, a plurality of elongated reenforcing elements arranged in laterally spaced substantially parallel relation and affixed to the underside of the upper lamina, corresponding reenforcing elements of the pair of composite members being arranged in axially aligned relation, a joint formed between the abutting composite members being aligned with a given tie, and splicer means interconnecting the corresponding reenforcing elements, the splicer means for each pair of aligned reenforcing elements extending longitudinally of the elements a substantial distance in opposite directions from the joint.

Claim 13

The composite members of claim 9 wherein the reenforcing elements of each composite member are of tubular configuration, and the splicer means for each pair of corresponding reenforcing elements is an elongated piece snugly inserted into the ends of the corresponding reenforcing means, each elongated piece extending in opposite directions from the joint so as to at least overlie the ties disposed adjacent opposite sides of the tie aligned with the joint.

Claim 14

In a highway railway crossing having a pair of spaced Substantially parallel rails secured to and supported by a plurality of transversely extending ties subtending said rails, an elongated unitary composite member for overlying a plurality of the ties and spanning the distance between the rails, said composite member comprising a one-piece upper lamina of resilient moisture-proof material having elongated compressible side edges recessed from the upper exposed surface of said lamina for engaging in resilient sealing relation upright web portions of the rails, the exposed upper surface of said lamina being provided with a plurality of laterally spaced elongated drain grooves terminating at least at one end edge of said lamina; a plurality of elongated reinforcing elements affixed to the underside of said lamina and arranged in laterally spaced relation for disposition intermediate the rails, each element being adapted to overlie a plurality of ties; resilient pad means affixed to the underside of each element for contacting a portion of a tie aligned therewith; and means for securing said composite member to the ties.

Claim 15

In a highway railway crossing having a pair of spaced Substantially parallel rails secured to and supported by a plurality of transversely extending ties subtending said rails, an elongated unitary composite member for overlying a plurality of the ties and spanning the distance between the rails, said composite member comprising a one-piece upper lamina of resilient moisture-proof material having elongated compressible side edges recessed from the upper exposed surface of said lamina for engaging in resilient sealing relation upright web portions of the rails, the exposed upper surface of said lamina being provided with a plurality of laterally spaced elongated drain grooves terminating at least at one end edge of said lamina; a plurality of elongated reinforcing elements affixed to the underside of said lamina and arranged in laterally spaced relation for disposition intermediate the rails, each element being adapted to overlie a plurality of ties; resilient pad means affixed to the underside of each element for contacting a portion of a tie aligned therewith; and means for securing said composite member to the ties.