Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E01—CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS, RAILWAYS, OR BRIDGES
  • E01B—PERMANENT WAY; PERMANENT-WAY TOOLS; MACHINES FOR MAKING RAILWAYS OF ALL KINDS
  • E01B7/00—Switches; Crossings
  • E01B7/02—Tongues; Associated constructions
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E01—CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS, RAILWAYS, OR BRIDGES
  • E01B—PERMANENT WAY; PERMANENT-WAY TOOLS; MACHINES FOR MAKING RAILWAYS OF ALL KINDS
  • E01B5/00—Rails; Guard rails; Distance-keeping means for them
  • E01B5/02—Rails
  • E01B5/08—Composite rails; Compound rails with dismountable or non-dismountable parts
  • E01B5/10—Composite grooved rails; Inserts for grooved rails

Definitions

• This invention relates to a rail element, in particular for subway, tramway and railway tracks.
• the traditional railway or tramway superstructure generally comprises two rails supported by sleepers resting on ballast. In other cases it is also known to replace the sleepers and ballast with a single concrete bed.
• the rails are grooved, and the entire superstructure is embedded in the roadway, with the rail iron surface at the same level as the road surface, and the connection between adjacent rails being made by joints or welding.
• Total rail replacement involves on the one hand the problem of cost deriving from the material and the labour employed, and on the other hand problems of service interruption along the line, traffic problems and problems related to the excavation and renovation of the seat housing the rail.
• the switch formed from a movable element known as the switch tongue which is interposed between two fixed elements known as stock rails, each consisting of a piece of rail which is suitably machined in the region below the head, is screwed to a support plate and is welded at its ends to the prolongations of the track rails.
• the blade also consisting of a shaped rail element, is thinned at one end to be able to perfectly fit below the head of the adjacent stock rail.
• Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a rail element according to the invention
• Figure 2 is a cross-section thereof
• Figure 3 shows a modified embodiment thereof in the same view as Figure 2;
• Figure 4 shows a further modified embodiment thereof in the same view as Figure 2;
• Figure 5 is a cross-section through a rail element for railway tracks;
• Figure 6 schematically shows the connection between two rail elements;
• Figure 7 is a schematic plan view of a switch formed from the rail element of the invention.
• Figure 8 is a cross-section therethrough on the line VIII- VIII of Figure 7; and
• Figure 9 is a cross-section therethrough on the line IX-IX of
• the rail element of the invention comprises substantially a monolithic iron body 2 of substantially H-shaped cross-section, closed lowerly to form a chamber 4 and provided externally with two appendices 6 for its fixing to support plates 7 and shaped substantially as the support flanges of traditional rails.
• Said monolithic body 2 comprises two sidepieces 8 forming a seat 10 for housing the head 12 and the counterblade 14, constituting the wheel contact elements.
• the head 12 and counterblade 14 are fixed by bolts 16 engaged in self-locking threaded bushes 17 screwed into a seat 18.
• Gaskets 29 of self-adhesive rubber are interposed between the outer surface of the head and/or the blade and the inner surface of the box seat.
• the interior of the chamber 4 can be filled with sound- absorbent material 20.
• the monolithic body 2 is rested on the roadway 23 or embedded in it and welded to the adjacent elements to create a continuous structure.
• Each H-shaped element is welded to plates 7 which have the same purpose as traditional sleepers.
• the plates 7 rest on an insulating anti-vibration layer.
• the space between the two H-shaped elements can be provided with reinforcements and filled with concrete, or can be covered with a continuous plate 25 to provide a seat for the passage of cables and/or manifolds.
• the rolling element (head 12 and counterblade 14) is then inserted into the seat 10 and is fixed to the base by the bolts 16.
• the butt joint between adjacent elements is made at an angle of 45° to the cross-section.
• the rail element according to the invention has numerous advantages, and in particular: - it enables the head and counterblade to be easily replaced in accordance with programmed maintenance at very low cost compared with the cost of installing the entire rail, in that it necessitates merely the removal of the worn parts without involving the road surface, hence avoiding long traffic interruptions and all the discomfort connected therewith; - it enables the removable element to be constructed of a different material than the structure itself, which material can be of greater strength and moreover is not subject to any limitation regarding welding, as is the constituent material of the monolithic body;
• the superstructure If the superstructure is positioned on the roadway, it can be arranged between the two road lanes and a ramp 22 be applied to the outer surfaces of the box structures housing the rails.
• the head 12 and counterblade 14 are formed as separate parts, each of them being fixed to the structure 2 by corresponding bolts 16.
• This embodiment has the further advantage of being able to replace merely that part of the rail element subjected to greater wear, for example on bends.
• the rail is fixed to the box body 2 by inserting a bolt 16 through a slotted hole 21 of different width and engaging it in a nut 19 after interposing a bush 31 and a coil spring 32.
• This embodiment presents greater stability of rail fixing to the box body and avoids any problem relating to possible thermal and/or mechanical deformation of the bolt.
• a traditional rail (Vignole) is shown with the top 12' of the head resting via the connection surface 24 on the upper edges of the shoulders 8 of the body 2.
• the head is fixed by inserting bolts 28 through the body shoulders to engage the shank 30 of the head.
• FIGS 7-9 show a rail 33 prolonged by a switch 34 for directing a vehicle either onto the rail 35 or onto the rail 35'.
• the switch 34 consists of a piece shaped upperly to form a seat 36 for housing the switch tongue 38, the two corresponding stock rails 40, 40' and the section bar 41 directly in contact with the heel 43 of the tongue 38.
• the two stock rails 40, 40' and the section bar 41 are fixed to the base of the seat 36 by traditional bolts 42, whereas the switch tongue 38 is screwed to the box body in correspondence with the heel 43 and slides with its toe 45 on the base of said seat via an interposed plate (not shown on the drawings) of antiwear material.
• the interior of the chamber 4 is filled with sound absorbent material and can also house traditional electrical resistance heater elements (not shown on the drawings) to ensure movement of the switch tongue even in the coldest weather.
• the deviation element can also be used for cross-overs, in which case the movable elements are in the form of a single profiled piece comprising two crossing groves.
• the invention foreseen that, due to the displacement of the switch tongue a space occuring in correspondece of the front end of the heel and the facing end of the switch tongue, this displacement causing a wear in this zone, the heel is hinged near the end facing the adiacent rail and is elastically biased to follow the displacement of the switch tongue.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Architecture (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Train Traffic Observation, Control, And Security (AREA)
• Railway Tracks (AREA)
• Devices For Checking Fares Or Tickets At Control Points (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (5)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=26332569

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Families Citing this family (3)

Family Cites Families (10)

• 1996
  • 1996-01-22 WO PCT/EP1996/000241 patent/WO1996023106A1/fr not_active Ceased
  • 1996-01-22 EP EP96901750A patent/EP0805899B1/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1996-01-22 AU AU46204/96A patent/AU4620496A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1996-01-22 DE DE69605022T patent/DE69605022T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1996-01-22 AT AT96901750T patent/ATE186346T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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