Abstract: A railroad grade crossing system comprises a plurality of plates that rest on selected ties. The plates have two or more upstanding projections with threaded openings extending through them. The plates are positioned at the intersections of adjacent elastomeric grade crossing panels that have recesses defined in their lower surfaces that receive the projections. Bores extending through the panels coaxially with the recesses permit bolts to be installed through the panels into threaded engagement with the projections. Since adjacent panels are attached to a common plate, they become interconnected so that the weight of an entire crossing element will resist movement of the panels. In a typical application there are three crossing elements; a gauge element between the rails, and a field crossing element between each rail and the adjacent roadway. Typically, the gauge panels only extend half-way between the rails so that each gauge plate is coupled to the inner corner of four adjacent gauge panels.

Abstract: A railroad grade crossing comprising a plurality of elastomeric panels that are interconnected to provide integral multiple panel crossing units. Each panel has a plurality of elongate tapered cylindrical passageways extending through it that are parallel with the tracks being crossed. Pins are partially inserted into aligned passageways in adjacent panels to interconnect adjacent panels to one another. Because the passageways are tapered, and thus create larger openings at one end of the panels and smaller openings at the other ends, the pins are divided into larger ends, which fit into the larger openings, and smaller ends, which fit into the smaller openings. If it is desired to interconnect the panels into integrated crossing units prior to installation, the pins can be attached to the passageways and the ends of adjacent panels can be attached to one another with an adhesive. This permits the combined crossing units to be transported and installed as a unit.

Abstract: A grade crossing system for extending a roadway across a railroad track comprises elongate elastomeric pad units which abut each side of the rails in the track but do not extend across the entire crossing. The elastomeric pad units rest on the ties that carry the rails and have planar top surfaces that are coplanar with the tops of the rails. The remainder of the crossing is filled with non-elastomeric panels that also rest on the ties and have planar top surfaces that are coplanar with the top surface of the rails. The abutting edges of the pad units and the panels overlap such that the panels hold the pad units down against the ties and urge them against the sidewalls of the rail flanges. Thus, mechanical fasteners are not required to hold the crossing elements in place.

Abstract: A consolidated, rubber article such as a filler segment for composite solid rubber tires is made by reducing solid rubber articles to small pieces, placing the pieces in a mold having the configuration of the desired tire filler segment, and heating the pieces in the mold while applying pressure thereto.The mold assembly includes a filling chamber and a releasably attachable mold body. A press block fits slidably in the filling chamber and is operable to compress the rubber pieces into the mold. The press block then is locked to the mold body to close the mold, whereby the mold body and press block may be separated from the filling chamber while maintaining the closure. The pieces in the mold body are then heated, while compressed, sufficiently to consolidate the mold contents into a tire filler segment having a density of from 15 to 75 pounds per cubic foot. The consolidated product is then cooled and removed from the mold.