AU2015354366B2

AU2015354366B2 - Trough sleeper comprising substantially U-shaped cross-section

Info

Publication number: AU2015354366B2
Application number: AU2015354366A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Karl Schnedl; Christoph Zechner
Original assignee: Voestalpine Signaling Zeltweg GmbH
Current assignee: Voestalpine Signaling Austria GmbH
Priority date: 2014-11-28
Filing date: 2015-11-17
Publication date: 2020-11-05
Anticipated expiration: 2035-11-17
Also published as: AT516560B1; TR201902213T4; EP3224414A1; BR112017002250B1; LT3224414T; AT516560A1; EP3224414B1; PL3224414T3; HUE043503T2; AU2015354366A1; BR112017002250A2; WO2016081962A1

Abstract

With a trough sleeper which has a substantially U-shaped cross-section, comprising a base surface and lateral walls extending therefrom, and which has a rail fastening system, wherein the rail fastening system comprises at least one ribbed plate, which is fastened with fastening means to the trough sleeper, wherein the fastening means comprise at least one bolt extending through an elongated hole in order to longitudinally position the ribbed plate, the ribbed plate comprises fastening flanges which extend along the lateral walls of the trough sleeper and which are attached to same, wherein the fastening flanges on each lateral wall interact with the fastening means such that at least one bolt extends through the associated elongated hole substantially parallel to the base surface of the trough sleeper.

Description

olI'w sleeper having a substantial ys v 'apedU cross-ecton

Te invention rates to a hollow sleeper having a substantially shaped0 055s see comprising se race and se asI extedingtlherefr'tf, and5 a rail fatein 1 herein, the ri fast.enn coprises atlas one rr-,,bned -plate fastened to the h o-,ow s ee er y astenn means, s ad fasfefngn e eans

comprising at las one botp igthrough an elongated hl for the ongqidinal Positioninoo te hedplate

Railway sleepers as elements of the track supestrcte

railayssunortthe rails andtrnsi their loads to the track substructure Another function of a sleeper is to secure n s

position the rail fastened thereto so as to ensure the

observance of the track width Unlike standad concrete or

wooden Sleepers, ho low sleepers are designed to be hollw and

therefore are also referred to as trough sleepers, They have a

trough-shaped or U-shaped cross section and are open on top, In

the interior of such a.oug.-shaped sleeper of steel, all the

essential elemets 1 fr instance of a switch actutor1 vetOaso other devices ret lred for the operational safety such. as

control means hot-boxdetection devices or even connection means for sensors, can be accommodated. The fastenng of the

rails .the hollow sleepers is effected b means of ribbed

plates which, in. turn, are sua fastened to carer fange

laterallV canieverng from the side walls of the hollow

sleeper .

From FP 2703559 Al, a hllow sleper of theinit3lyvdefined

ki;'nd has beoeknown, in hc the laerll ,anft LI.levesring carrier f]Ianges are poiewihln tc otstruhwic fastening bolts for securing the ribbed plates pass Th s

enables the ntoniang or the r:bbe plates in the dn

ireCtion of tohe holow sleeper n order t enable. the arJa.-ntatioJ'cn of. h pos ,ition of the ribdplates todifen 7 C.,ck Widths. The C- S described. , ¾lr'P 270355'9 Af however, involves the drawback that the longitudinal adjustment requi es the te ra lly cant lvering Carr er flanges. T la t erall cnleei crirfaesc'onstitute a d i t ina1 em.ements, which render the production a no low seeper complex and expensive In addition, the carrier flanges usually suppor4 ,- stbi0zaior e su, p o rt1.n q require s eparatL-e .

s3as or the lske incrase, t c exedto'res. Mreover, t he rossibliy o a longitdnl adu stment s limited t the longitudinal of the hollow

steener in wihthe carrier'.Tf lane CA arranced I ote words, the carrier fiange haveto extendover the entire n

or a hollow eeper n oter LO achieve maxzmuu varia in

the ad ustability of the longitudinal posf the rIbbed

Thmnetion is, ' herefore, base-d on, th to fu rt he r develc holo shpro h taly-eie idt h ha Vingface4

lon gitudinal adjustab l fthe ribed plate

To solve this Ob ect he nventhoWlo s e

intilltdeindkJind, esetalycnsss i that n rbo

plate copse s extending of the hc llIo w s I o:epcr and fsened teeo hri h dWerac vI t I' fastenin fsei Iancee on eac- W9

means in such a manner that least one bolt passes t brought

assoc ated elongated hole y to the base

surface ofthe holplowsleer, The fe na te ribbela ~~usmaenot.- to laterall cantilverinri carrier fi'ancee of

the wall extending. upadsfo t-' bas s-urtfac-e i substantially perpendicular manner. ren oTI o of laraly cantilevering carrier flanges can be colpIete V uIess e tasu 5 I t obiated unless required for other purposes hef t Ikhe rwbd pate according to tne invention is efCt.ed 1y bol a n e ngated-hOle Structure wherein the bolt tes howev, no: pasF though a late y cantiieVer g carrier hollow sleeper but extends transversely to the flange of the sice wail, thus passing through the associated elonta hole substantially parallel to the base surface Of the hollow sleeper.

Par thre hori zontal I-r o h ribbed plate, teltr

preferably rests on the upper sile of the ide1 wall by the

fstering Ilange or any other part, preferably over the ent re

lngitudinal extension of the ribedplateor asnng ag

context of the invention, the elongated hoe can be the formed either in the side wall f. the hollow sleeper r in

flange of the ribbed which iteracts wth the fastening plate

In this connection, a configuratIon in which the side wall

formed in the side wail is preferre Thebolt elongatedhole iS

thus passes through the sie wa and can be displaced within

elonuated hoic in the longitudi. section a the ollw the 'his e nd, he lngtdnehas q. ongit d im.I slepr.To extension extending in the longitudinal direction of the holow

sleeper.

The fastening means ay compr several in articu a wo

Ilo ncae hole pe atnn lnge4 through each of: wh-,ich ant

associatedbotpasse

event that the elongated holes are formed in the side In the wall ofthe hallow sleepe a plurality of elongated hoes can'0

be distributedl arranged over the longitudinal extension t e hollow sleeper thus prodding a clrresponingv large number or positions for fastening the ribbed plates,

In order to secure the ribbed plate in the respectively adjusted longitudinal position, the fastening means prefe,:raboly ;mrs campingmeans for securing the position of the bot relative to the elongated hole! The camping means preferably provide a force fit between the fastening' flance of. t'he ribbed plate andi

the side wiall of the hollow sleeper, said force fit being, in

particular, caused by the stat friction between the fastening flange~ and the side wall of the hollow sleeper, In a preferred

manner, it is provided that: the bolt nteraC wt clapig

means to dlamn the side wall between the fastening flange and ia counter member. Thus, a :particularly sipe ostuton i~s feasible, in which the fastening flange rests on one side ofthe side wall and the countermemner abuts on the other side of the side wall, the side wall being clampedtherebetween.

The clamping means required for generating tne clampingforce are, preferably comprised of a thread formed on the bolt and

interacting with a counter thread The counter thread may be formed in a separate bolt nut or directly in tne elements to be clamped together, i.e. the fastening flange or the counter member, respectiveLv.

Pails are frequently used to transruit electric signals, e.g. for track monitoring. in order to provide an electric insulation between the ribbed plate and the hollow sleeper, it is

preferably envisaged that the bol t is surrounded by an electrical insulating sleeve in the portion passing through the elongated hole. it may, moreover, be provided that. an

electrically insulating intermediate layer is dsnosedp between the side wall, on the one hand, and the ribbed plate, the

fastening flange and optionaly the counter member, on the other iento contepiate tater chn have apatinteaclty t-sanpcd dre icci an encipason sde wail of the hollow sleeper rro-mabove, ore tn to aci.t1,at e t h e~ aIust-a bi1,it y fOt the -11,.11g- .,a1 ositiono the rtbe ipnate a pd c invetion pate o cotpracts abytrodates that the ribbedbeCmpie t the an datandee! traedl SPfg-a1o dodf itinal smetionaler tiat. is oheapceab Le rin th ona dietiono the deolto thug ntmembeeo for plta come criest I e one adteaded spnle Ts de v ice

Prove s abiditVina teasure. for securing the ribbed plate n

its positionofn tIIe st o ith ni CIt l dire cto f the

In order to naditin to the onqithen enabliuc

osf the ribbed ate also an angular adjustent of the v rag, it

i, preferally providrtd that the ribbed pLle at loast

one sto carstwo stop Sumac fo r the r ail f o Th he pioll rositonal fixiof the stock raibb ed int

thie tudnof a deviationfromt the rihtenpera desib aovh

stok rilrelative to the hollow slee.In orde toiorv suc n osnt -- f r lPr-t½y pro'ided 4.'-at the -:ie

P]ate cmrse s at least- one adiusteable S-t o fb r a, 1. to t

The adj ustabiit in this caseCl~l5teotmmdute of,

t he p os iion ofL the stop In the logit-udial direction .'- o b te hollow leeper The!ajsmn of the stOIt will then it1aL.;. pos"ationin hitter wi-'-llhave an oinaindvaio t -ro-a a r i.ght angl to t he s leeper. h ite plate, in paricuar 1 cariestwo tos o the,~a~ foot. ot a rail-U one

s-top surac be ing arranged to herot-.aable - -. relative to th'-,e ribedrsate an. the o-ther s-top sur'-face bnaulldiustable1 ad

oninll oaabe eatiet the ribbed nola ,te IO th-e longitdinaldrectinoftheollowleepe ras desrb~due,-1aoe

The adjustability, in a constructively particularly advantageous manner, can be achieved in that the adjustable stop is configured as an element rotatable about an axis of rotation and comprising a plurality of stop surfaces disposed at different radial distances from the axis of rotation. The respective one of the stop surfaces will thus interact with the rail foot as a function of the rotary position of the stop, wherein the respective radial distance of the stop surface determines the position of the stop surface, and hence the position of the rail foot.

Another preferred configuration provides that the ribbed plate has a substantially U- or H-shaped contour with legs extending in the longitudinal direction of the sleeper, which carry the fastening flanges and are interconnected by a plate extending transversely thereto. The legs and the transversely extending plate can also be designed in one piece to form a common element. The transversely extending plate serves to connect to each other the two legs and the side walls of the hollow sleeper connected to the former in order to obtain a closed profile, in particular rectangular profile, of the hollow sleeper. The stability of the hollow sleeper will thus be considerably increased. Such a ribbed plate having a substantially U- or H shaped contour allows for the arrangement of slide chairs on the two legs of the ribbed plate.

According to one aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a hollow sleeper having a substantially U-shaped cross section, comprising a base surface and side walls extending therefrom, and a rail fastening, wherein the rail fastening comprises at least one ribbed plate fastened to the hollow sleeper by fastening means, said fastening means comprising at least one bolt passing through an elongated hole for a longitudinal positioning of the ribbed plate, characterized in that the ribbed plate comprises fastening flanges extending along the side walls of the hollow sleeper and fastened thereto, wherein the fastening flanges on each side wall interact with the fastening means in such a manner that at least one bolt passes through the associated elongated hole substantially parallel to the base surface of the hollow sleeper.

In the following, the disclosure will be explained in more

detail by way of exemplary embodiments schematically illustrated

in the drawing. Therein, Fig. 1 is a front view of the hollow

sleeper with mounted ribbed plates; Fig. 2 is a ground plan of

the hollow sleeper according to Fig. 1; Fig. 3 depicts a section

along line III-III of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 depicts a section along

line IV-IV of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is an oblique view of the ribbed

plate with a rail fastened thereto; Fig. 6 depicts a section

along line VI-VI of Fig. 1; and Fig. 7 illustrates a section

along line VII-VII of Fig. 2.

Fig. 1 depicts a hollow sleeper 1 including a base 2 and

upwardly oriented side walls 3 extending therefrom. Two ribbed

plates 4 are each fastened to the side walls 3, the fastening

being effected such that an adjustment of the ribbed plates 4 in

the sense of arrow 5 will be enabled. The ribbed plates each

comprise a downwardly protruding fastening flange 6, which is

fastened to the side wall 3 in a manner described in more detail

below. The ribbed plates 4 each carry two slide chairs 7, on

which a tongue rail 8 rests in a manner displaceable between an

abutting position and a spaced-apart position. The tongue rail 8

illustrated on the right-hand side in Fig. 1 is in abutment on

the stock rail 9. The tongue rail 8 illustrated on the left-hand

side in Fig. 1 is in a spaced-apart relation to the stock rail

9. The stock rails 9 are each held in a form-fit manner by a

rail fastening 10 so as to secure their positions relative to

the ribbed plate.

From the top view according to Fig. 2, it is apparent that the ribbed plates 4 are substantially H-shaped, each comprising two legs 11 and a plate 12 connecting the legs 11. The legs 11 carry the slide chairs 7 and the downwardly protruding fastening flange 6. To adjust the longitudinal position of the ribbed plates 4, and secure the position in the longitudinal direction of the hollow sleeper, a threaded spindle 13 associated with the respective ribbed plate 4 is fastened to the side wall 3 of the hollow sleeper 1. A rotation of the threaded spindle 13 causes the adjustment of an axial stop 14 (Fig. 3) that interacts with a stop surface of the ribbed plate 4.

In the sectional illustration according to Fig. 3, the fastening of the ribbed plate 4 to the side walls 3 of the hollow sleeper

1 is represented. In the side wall 3 are formed elongated holes through which a bolt 16 each passes. In the region where the bolts 16 pass through the elongated hole 15 they carry insulating sleeves 17, which are received in the elongated holes in a form-fit manner. From Fig. 4, it is apparent that the bolts 16, with their male-threaded free ends, are each screwed into a bore with female thread of the fastening flange 6, thus causing the head 18 of the bolt 16 to be pressed against a counter member 19. Thereby, a clamping force is created, by which the side wall 3 is clamped between the fastening flange 6 and the counter member 19 so as to ensure the force-locking fastening of the ribbed plate 4 to the side wall 3. In the region of the bore, the fastening flange 6 is designed to be thickened.

The ribbed plate 4 rests on the upper side 20 of the side wall 3 by its portion adjacent the fastening flange 6 so as to provide a vertical support of the ribbed plate 4. In the clamped region, the side wall 3 carries an intermediate layer 21 of an electrically insulating material with a U-shaped cross section.

Fig. 3, moreover, illustrates the form-fit fixation of the position of the foot 22 of the stock rail on the ribbed plate 4. The rail foot 22 is held in abutment against a rib 23 on the inner side. A spring element 24 braced in a hollow space of the slide chair 7 serves to hold the rail foot 22 down. On the outer side, the stop is formed by a rotatable stop element 25, which interacts with the lateral surface of the rail foot 22 and comprises a portion overlapping the rail foot 22. The stop element 25 is mounted to the ribbed plate 4 by a screw fastener 26.

From Fig. 5, it is apparent that the rail fastening comprises the rotatable stop element 25 on one leg 11 of the ribbed plate and a further rotatable stop element 27, which is adjustably designed, on the other leg 11.

From the detailed sectional view according to Fig. 6, it is apparent that the adjustable stop element 27 is rotatable about an axis 28 and carries stop surfaces 28a, 28b, 28c, 28d, 28e etc. adjoining each other in the circumferential direction. The stop surfaces are disposed at different distances relative to the axis of rotation 31 such that the rail foot 22 will assume different positions as a function of the stop surface on which it is supported. In that the stop element 27 is rotatable and adjustable, whereas the stop element 25 is only rotatable, an angular adjustment of the stock rail 9 will result due to the described change in position. In order to enable such change of angle, a clearance 29 is provided on the side of the rail foot 22 facing away from the stop element 27. The rib 23 located opposite the stop element 25 is rigidly arranged. A pivotal movement of the stock rail 9 substantially occurs about the axis of the stop element 25, which is mounted so as to be rotatable about the axis 30 in order to enable the stop surface

32 to adjust itself to the altered angular position of the stock

rail 9.

Fig. 7 depicts a sectional view in the region of the rotatable

and adjustable stop element 27, from which it can be recognized

that the stop element 27, just as the rotatable stop element 25,

comprises a portion overlapping the rail foot 22 to hold down

the rail foot 22 by tightening the screw fastener 26.

It will be understood that the term "comprise" and any of its

derivatives (eg comprises, comprising) as used in this

specification is to be taken to be inclusive of features to

which it refers, and is not meant to exclude the presence of any

additional features unless otherwise stated or implied.

The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and

should not be taken as, an acknowledgement or any form of

suggestion that such prior art forms part of the common general

knowledge.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the

invention is not restricted in its use to the particular

application described. Neither is the present invention

restricted in its preferred embodiment with regard to the

particular elements and/or features described or depicted

herein. It will be appreciated that various modifications can be

made without departing from the principles of the invention.

Therefore, the invention should be understood to include all

such modifications in its scope.

Claims

Claims:

1. A hollow sleeper having a substantially U-shaped cross section, comprising a base surface and side walls extending therefrom, and a rail fastening, wherein the rail fastening comprises at least one ribbed plate fastened to the hollow sleeper by fastening means, said fastening means comprising at least one bolt passing through an elongated hole for a longitudinal positioning of the ribbed plate, characterized in that the ribbed plate comprises fastening flanges extending along the side walls of the hollow sleeper and fastened thereto, wherein the fastening flanges on each side wall interact with the fastening means in such a manner that at least one bolt passes through the associated elongated hole substantially parallel to the base surface of the hollow sleeper.

2. A hollow sleeper according to claim 1, characterized in that the elongated hole is formed in the side wall.

3. A hollow sleeper according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the bolt interacts with clamping means to clamp the side wall between the fastening flange and a counter member.

4. A hollow sleeper according to claim 3, characterized in that the clamping means are comprised of a thread formed on the bolt and interacting with a counter thread.

5. A hollow sleeper according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the bolt is surrounded by an electrically insulating sleeve in a portion passing through the elongated hole.

6. A hollow sleeper according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that an electrically insulating intermediate layer is disposed between the side wall, on the one hand, and the ribbed plate, the fastening flange and optionally the counter member, on the other hand.

7. A hollow sleeper according to claim 6, characterized in that

the intermediate layer has a substantially U-shaped cross

section and encompasses the side wall of the hollow sleeper from

above.

8. A hollow sleeper according to any one of claims 1 to 7,

characterized in that the ribbed plate interacts with an

adjustment member that is displaceable in the longitudinal

direction of the hollow sleeper.

9. A hollow sleeper according to any one of claims 1 to 8,

characterized in that that the ribbed plate comprises at least

one stop with a rotatable stop surface for a rail foot.

10. A hollow sleeper according to any one of claims 1 to 9,

characterized in that the ribbed plate comprises at least one

adjustable stop for a rail foot.

11. A hollow sleeper according to claim 10, characterized in

that the adjustable stop is configured as an element rotatable

about an axis of rotation and comprising a plurality of stop

surfaces disposed at different radial distances from the axis of

rotation.

12. A hollow sleeper according to any one of claims 1 to 11,

characterized in that the ribbed plate has a substantially U- or

H-shaped contour with legs extending in the longitudinal

direction of the sleeper, which carry the fastening flanges and

are interconnected by a plate extending transversely thereto.