EP3143205A1 - Ensemble rails et traverses polymères composites associées - Google Patents

Ensemble rails et traverses polymères composites associées

Info

Publication number
EP3143205A1
EP3143205A1 EP15793020.7A EP15793020A EP3143205A1 EP 3143205 A1 EP3143205 A1 EP 3143205A1 EP 15793020 A EP15793020 A EP 15793020A EP 3143205 A1 EP3143205 A1 EP 3143205A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
rail
crossties
crosstie
assembly
railseat
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP15793020.7A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP3143205A4 (fr
Inventor
Brian Abramson
James R. Inglis
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Duropar Techonologies Inc
Original Assignee
Duropar Techonologies Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Duropar Techonologies Inc filed Critical Duropar Techonologies Inc
Publication of EP3143205A1 publication Critical patent/EP3143205A1/fr
Publication of EP3143205A4 publication Critical patent/EP3143205A4/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E01—CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS, RAILWAYS, OR BRIDGES
    • E01B—PERMANENT WAY; PERMANENT-WAY TOOLS; MACHINES FOR MAKING RAILWAYS OF ALL KINDS
    • E01B3/00—Transverse or longitudinal sleepers; Other means resting directly on the ballastway for supporting rails
    • E01B3/46—Transverse or longitudinal sleepers; Other means resting directly on the ballastway for supporting rails made from different materials
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E01—CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS, RAILWAYS, OR BRIDGES
    • E01B—PERMANENT WAY; PERMANENT-WAY TOOLS; MACHINES FOR MAKING RAILWAYS OF ALL KINDS
    • E01B9/00—Fastening rails on sleepers, or the like
    • E01B9/02—Fastening rails, tie-plates, or chairs directly on sleepers or foundations; Means therefor

Definitions

  • the present disclosure relates to rail assemblies, and in particular, to a rail assembly and composite polymer crossties therefor.
  • a rail is typically coupled to the crosstie by way of two or more rail clips which are coupled to the crosstie by way of an intervening tie plate fastened to the crosstie using spikes or screw-type spikes. A portion of the clip correspondingly applies pressure to the railseat to maintain the rail against the crosstie.
  • the compressive forces exerted by a train as it passes over a given railway crosstie are known to cause degradation in the railway crosstie.
  • the compressive force of the base (railseat) of the railway rail, with the tie plate thereunder, against the crosstie as a train passes thereover, over time causes the wood fibres of the crosstie to breakdown. Therefore the railway rail, or the tie plate in instances where one is present, cuts into the wood and a gap is formed between the bottom of the railway rail and the crosstie.
  • the compressive forces cause the concrete and/or a compression pad ("also termed a cushion mat") under the tie plate to wear under the railway rail and a gap to form.
  • a compression pad also termed a cushion mat
  • the rail to flex into the created gap and impact the crosstie, thus causing further breakdown of the crosstie and the gap to increase in size.
  • the impact of the rail across the gaps may cause the concrete crosstie to fracture, leading to catastrophic failure.
  • resilient cushioning mats are used in conjunction with concrete crossties to minimize abrasion of the railseat area, and reduce impact and vibration effects on the track structure in an attempt to minimize gaps from forming.
  • a surface area-increasing force-distributing steel plate is often used between the railseat and the crosstie to increase the surface area and distribute the compressive forces from the train over a larger area of the crosstie. This aids to reduce the wood fibres immediately under the rail from breaking down as rapidly as if the surface area-increasing force-distributing steel plate were not present.
  • United States Patent Application Publication number US 2006/0226247 Al, published October 12, 2006 to Abramson, et al. and entitled “Railway Ties and Structural Elements” describes a composite structural element such as a railway tie made from an asphaltic component and a fibre reinforced plastics component.
  • United States number 8,252,216, issued August 28, 2012 to Abramson, et al. and entitled “Method for the Production of Railway Ties” describes a method for producing composite railway ties from two co-extruded compositions where each composition comprises an asphaltic component, a polymeric component and a strengthening agent.
  • the strengthening agent may be a fibre and is preferably a glass fibre.
  • a railway tie assembly for securing a rail along a railway track, the assembly comprising: a plurality of composite polymer crossties fabricated from a composition comprising an asphaltic component, a polymeric composition component and a strengthening agent; and a pair of rail clips for securing the rail across each of said composite polymer crossties, wherein each of said rail clips comprises a rail-engagement portion configured to engage a corresponding railseat, and an anchoring portion to be anchored within a given crosstie and cooperate with said rail-engagement portion, once installed, to secure said corresponding railseat against a load-bearing surface of said given crosstie.
  • an anchoring of the rail to said crossties maintains or strengthens the anchoring portion's gripping power to the crosstie under use by virtue of said composition.
  • a railway track comprising: a plurality of composite polymer crossties fabricated from a composition comprising an asphaltic component, a polymeric composition component and a strengthening agent, wherein said crossties are disposed at regular intervals along the railway track; one or more rails each composed of rail segments juxtaposed end-to-end along the railway track, a respective railseat thereof disposed crosswise upon a respective load-bearing surface of each of said crossties; and respective pairs of rail clips securing respective ones of said rail segments to each of said composite polymer crossties, wherein each of said rail clips comprises a rail-engagement portion engaging a corresponding railseat, and an anchoring portion anchored to a given composite crosstie and cooperating with said rail-engagement portion to secure said corresponding railseat against said respective load-bearing surface of said given crosstie.
  • an anchoring of said rail segments to said crossties is maintained or strengthened under use by virtue of said composition.
  • Figure la is a top perspective view of a portion of an exemplary composite polymer crosstie having a railseat receiving rectangular channel formed therein, in accordance with one embodiment
  • Figure lb is a top perspective view of a portion of a composite polymer crosstie having an exemplary railseat and abrasion guard receiving rectangular channel formed therein, as shown in ghost lines, in accordance with one embodiment
  • Figure lc is a front elevation view of the composite polymer crosstie portion of Figure la showing a cross-sectional view of a rail section mounted thereon with a railseat thereof received in the rectangular channel;
  • Figure 2a is a top plan view of the composite polymer crosstie portion of Figure la showing a rail portion coupled thereto using exemplary inner and outer rail clips and with a portion of the railseat received in the rectangular channel, in accordance with one embodiment;
  • Figure 2b is a top plan view of the composite polymer crosstie section of Figure lb showing a rail portion coupled thereto using exemplary inner and outer rail clips and with a portion of the railseat and an exemplary abrasion guard received in the rectangular channel;
  • Figure 3a is a top plan view of a portion of railway tracks showing a plurality of the composite polymer crossties of Figure la with two rail sections coupled thereto using exemplary inner and outer rail clips and with portions of the respective railseats received in respective rectangular channels;
  • Figure 3b is an enlarged top perspective view of a portion of the rail installation of Figure 3a showing inner and outer shims in communication with respective inner and outer rail clips and further showing in cross section the railseat received in the rectangular channel, in accordance with one embodiment;
  • Figure 4 is a side view of an alternative rail installation similar to that shown in Figure 3b showing inner and outer rail clips coupled to the composite polymer crosstie using fasteners bored into the composite polymer crosstie (shown in ghost lines), and further showing an abrasion guard received along an outermost sidewall of the rectangular channel;
  • Figure 5 is a side view of an alternative rail installation similar to that shown in Figure 4, comprising an extended abrasion guard having a flange portion extending along a top surface of the composite polymer crosstie and along a bottom load-bearing surface of the rectangular channel;
  • Figure 6 is a side view of an alternative rail installation similar to that shown in Figure 5, comprising a further extended abrasion guard having an inner rectangular channel sidewall portion;
  • Figure 7 is a top perspective view of a partially assembled rail assembly composed of an exemplary composite polymer crosstie having a rail seat-receiving wedge formed therein and opposed rail clip anchoring structures fastened on either side thereof to directly or indirectly restrict a lateral travel of a railseat subsequently disposed therebetween;
  • Figure 8 is a top perspective view of the assembly of Figure 7, further showing respective rail-engaging portions slidingly received within corresponding anchoring portions of the anchoring structures in a pre-assembled configuration, a rail received inclined in the rail seat-receiving wedge, and respective collars disposed about the anchoring portions to directly restrict a lateral travel of the railseat resting therebetween; and
  • Figure 9 is an enlarged perspective view of the assembly of Figure 8 once fully assembled, showing a sliding engagement of the rail-engaging portion upon the railseat.
  • an exemplary composite polymer crosstie 12 is shown for use in a rail assembly as contemplated herein and described below (e.g. see assembly 10 of Figure 2a).
  • the composite polymer crosstie 12 has a rectangular channel 14 formed or cut in a top surface 16 thereof for receiving therein a base portion or railseat 18 of a railway rail 20 as shown in Figure lc.
  • the rectangular channel 14 is dimensioned across distance A to substantially match the width of the railseat 18.
  • the rectangular channel 14 may be dimensioned across A to also fit an abrasion guard 22 along with the railseat 18.
  • the rectangular channel is further dimensioned to have a depth B suitable to accommodate the railseat 18, and optionally different embodiments of the abrasion guard 22 as shown in Figures 4 to 6.
  • An exemplary depth B for use with the various embodiments of abrasion guards 22 is also shown in ghost in Figure lb relative to the rectangular channel 14 for use in embodiments devoid of an abrasion guard 22.
  • the rectangular channel 14 serves to inhibit or prevent lateral movement of the railway rail 20 relative to the crosstie 12 during use.
  • the railhead 26 may be inwardly inclined or canted (i.e. toward one another in a two rail assembly) as shown, for example, in Figures lc, and 4 to 6 at angle ⁇ .
  • the bottom surface 24 may be provided at an angle which is inclined towards an outer edge 28 of the composite polymer crosstie 12.
  • the cant angle ⁇ to the rail 20, and thus the railhead 26 resultant from the outward incline of the bottom surface 24, is shown in the figures relative to vertical at ⁇ .
  • the cant to the railhead 26 may be, for example, from about 1 :40 to about 1 : 10 dependent on that required by the specific application of the rail assembly and composite polymer crossties 12 used therefor. In some examples, the cant is provided at about 1 :20.
  • the cants noted herein should not be considered to be limiting and are provided for exemplary purposes, only. One of skill in the art would readily understand which cants may be required for specific applications.
  • the bottom surface 24 may be provided as being parallel with the top surface 16 and the abrasion guard 22, in embodiments with an abrasion guard bottom portion 22a, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, for example, may be fashioned to provide the desired cant to the railhead 26. Therefore, in such embodiments the abrasion guard base portion 22a may be wedge- shaped to provide the outward incline as noted above.
  • a plurality of composite polymer crossties 12 are provided to have coupled thereto and maintain two rails 20 at a desired spacing.
  • Figure 3b shows an enlarged perspective view of the assembly 10 in relation to a cut through section of one of the rails 20.
  • the railseat 18 is laid into a correspondingly dimensioned rectangular channel 14 such that the railseat 18 fits substantially snuggly in the rectangular channel 14.
  • An inner rail clip 30 and an outer rail clip 32 are provided to maintain the railseat 18 in the rectangular channel 14 and thus couple the rail 20 to the composite polymer crosstie 12.
  • Both the inner rail clip 30 and the outer rail clip 32 are provided in the embodiments described herein as having a substantially "W" shape, as can be seen in the figures. Furthermore, as can be seen in Figures 3b to 6, for example, the inner rail clip 30 and the outer rail clip 32 have an arced profile which aids to provide resiliency against vibrations from a train passing along the rails and to maintain the rail 20 in a coupled arrangement with the composite polymer crossties 12.
  • Such resiliency provided by a formed arc of the inner and outer rail clips 30 and 32 allows a degree of bending of the rail clips under load and resists fracturing of the rail clips with repeated vibrations and train travel. Should the inner rail clip 30 and the outer rail clip 32 not be provided with some degree of resiliency, they may have a tendency to prematurely crack and fail.
  • the inner rail clip 30 has a shim contacting outer portion 30a, a rail contacting inner portion 30b (e.g. rail-engagement portion) and a center region (e.g. anchoring structure) having a fastener passage 30c, as shown, for example in Figure 2a.
  • the outer rail clip 32 also as shown in Figure 2a, has a shim contacting outer portion 32a, a rail contacting inner portion 32b and a center portion having a fastener passage 32c.
  • a fastener 34 is passed through the fastener passages 30c and 32c located in the center portion of the respective rail clips 30 and 32.
  • the faster 34 is inserted and maintained in a bore 36 of the composite polymer crosstie 12 as shown, for example, in Figures 4 to 6.
  • the fastener 34 may be provided as a screwspike fastener having helical threads as is commercially available and known in the art.
  • the fastener 34 may be provided as an impact force-driven spike which is devoid of helical threads.
  • the general shape of the inner and outer rail clips 30 and 32 should not be limited specifically to a "W” shape as other rail clips, such as that described below with reference to Figures 7 to 9 in accordance with another illustrative embodiment, may be readily considered herein without departing from the general scope and nature of the present disclosure.
  • the "W” shape is noted herein as an example, only, other shapes for the inner and outer rail clips 30 and 32 may be suitable.
  • such a shape for one or both of the inner and outer rail clips 30 and 32 may be a "V" shape, a "U” shape, a "J" shape, an "N” shape, and so on.
  • the assembly 10 also includes shims 38 and 40, which, in use, are respectively placed on the top surface 16 of the composite polymer crossties 12 under the shim contacting outer portions 30a and 32a of the inner rail clip 30 and the outer rail clip 32 respectively.
  • the fasteners are then inserted and driven into the composite polymer crossties 12 as shown in the figures, passing through the respective inner and outer rail clip fastener passages 30c and 32c. Therefore, in use, the rail contacting inner portions 30b and 32b of the respective inner and outer rail clips 30 and 32, with the fasteners 34 in place maintain, the railseat 18 in the rectangular channel 14.
  • the inner shim 38 and the outer shim 40 are provided to elevate the shim contacting outer portions 30a and 32a and thus increase the toe pressure of the rail contacting inner portions 30b and 32b on the respective areas of the railseat 18, as shown in particular in Figures 3b to 6. Additionally, as shown in the aforementioned figures, in some embodiments, it is preferable to have the outer shim 40 be of a greater height or thickness as compared to the inner shim 38 so as to increase the toe pressure applied to the railseat 18 along the outer side thereof (i.e. in a two rail system).
  • Such increased toe pressure of the outer rail clip 32 compared to the inner rail clip 30 may be used, for example, in applications where the railhead 26 is inwardly inclined as shown in Figures 4 to 6 by way of an outwardly inclined rectangular channel bottom surface 24, as discussed above.
  • the increased toe pressure provided by the outer shim 40 having an increased thickness versus the inner shim 38 may also aid to maintain the railseat 18 in the rectangular channel 14 and counter the downward forces applied to the railhead 26 by a train passing thereover.
  • the rail 20 may have a tendency to rotate inward and lead to failure of the system.
  • the toe pressure of the rail contacting inner portions 30b and 32b on the respective areas of the railseat 18 is provided in a range from about 500 psi to about 10,000 psi by way of tightening corresponding fastener 34 and the interaction of the shim contacting outer portions 30a and 32a with shims 38 and 40, respectively.
  • the dimensions of shims 38 and 40 may also be varied in order to achieve the desired toe pressures.
  • the toe pressure of the rail contacting inner portions 30b and 32b is provided in a range from about 2,000 psi to about 3,200 psi.
  • Various different toe pressures may be required depending on the application of the assembly defined herein so as to couple the railway rail 20 to the crosstie 12 in different environments and may be readily determined by one of skill in the art.
  • the composite polymer crossties 12 of the system 10 as disclosed herein are more resistant to abrasion and compressive forces compared to conventionally used wooden crossties, in some instance it may be desirable for the system 10 to include an abrasion guard 22.
  • abrasion guard 22 Various embodiments and orientations of the abrasion guard 22 are discussed above in relation to their installation relative the railseat 18 and the rectangular channel 14. More specifically, the abrasion guard 22 in one embodiment, as shown Figure 4, may be placed in the rectangular channel 14 along an outermost side wall 42 of the rectangular channel 14.
  • the rectangular channel 14 along distance A is made wider so as to accommodate the width of the railseat 18 plus the abrasion guard 22.
  • the abrasion guard 22 fashioned and employed as shown in Figure 4, the forces exerted on the rail 20 by a train passing thereover and applied both downward and in the direction towards the outer edge 28 of the composite polymer crosstie 12 are absorbed by the abrasion guard 22 so as to reduce damage/wear to the composite polymer crosstie 12 along the outermost side wall 42 of the rectangular channel 14.
  • FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the abrasion guard 22 wherein an abrasion guard base portion or flange 22a is provided.
  • the abrasion guard 22 is fashioned to line the outermost sidewall 42 as well as the bottom wall 24 of the rectangular channel 14. The railseat 18 then rests on the abrasion guard base portion 22a, in use.
  • an innermost sidewall 46 of the rectangular channel 14 is also lined with a portion of the abrasion guard 22, namely an inner rectangular channel sidewall abrasion guard portion 44. Therefore, in the embodiment shown in Figure 6, the abrasion guard 22 is fashioned to form a substantially "U-shaped" member in profile, which lines the interior surfaces of the rectangular channel 14.
  • two independent abrasion guards may rather be provided where one of the abrasion guards is located along the outermost sidewall 42 of the rectangular channel 14 as shown in Figure 5 and the other of said abrasion guards 22 is located along the innermost sidewall 46 of the rectangular channel.
  • the abrasion guards may be considered to be respectively an outer rectangular channel sidewall abrasion guard and an inner rectangular channel sidewall abrasion guard.
  • the abrasion guards 22 do not substantially increase the surface area from which forces from a train passing over the rails 20 are exerted on the composite polymer crossties 12; in other words, these rail guards do not substantively increase a load-bearing area of the crossties, as would otherwise be provided by conventional tie plates used in wooden rail assemblies. Therefore, the assembly 10 generally consists of a plateless system, that is one absent a force-distributing plate.
  • the optional abrasion guards noted herein are provided for the purposes of inhibiting abrasion damage and fracturing of the composite polymer crossties 12 at certain points of the railseat 18 maintaining rectangular channel 14.
  • the various embodiments of abrasion guards 22 disclosed herein do not act to substantially increase the surface area of the railseat 18 to distribute compressive forces over a larger area of the crosstie.
  • the abrasion guard 22 may be fashioned to have a flange portion 48 which extends along a portion of the top surface 16 of the composite polymer crosstie 12 towards the composite polymer crossties outer edge 28.
  • the outer shim 40 may be coupled to the flange portion 48, whereas in other embodiments, the outer shim 40 may be integrally formed with the flange portion 48.
  • the flange portion 48 in the various abovementioned embodiments, may have a passage made therein (not shown) for receiving therethrough a portion of the fastener 34 employed with outer rail clip 32.
  • the abrasion guard 22 is resistant to movement and as such is not able to move out of place in the rectangular channel 14. Vibrations caused by repeated train travel over the rails 20 may cause unsecured abrasion guards 22 to move from the desired position and thus in certain applications it may be desirable to protect against abrasion guard 22 movement.
  • an alternative rail assembly 100 will now be described in accordance with another embodiment.
  • the rail assembly 100 again makes use of composite polymer crossties 112 upon and across which one or more rails 126 are mounted and secured via respective rail clips 130, 132.
  • a wedge-shaped cutout 114 is fashioned in a top surface 116 of the crosstie 112 so to receive inclined a correspondingly shaped railseat 118 therein.
  • the rail clips 130, 132 are preassembled with the crossties 112 via respective screw-type fasteners 135 to substantially define thereon the rail load bearing surface therebetween.
  • respective clip anchoring structures 134 may be anchored to the crosstie via respective anchoring fasteners (e.g.
  • a collar 138 is further disposed about respective anchoring structures 134 so to further define the rail load bearing surface, namely in providing for a direct lateral contact with the rail once so disposed therebetween. Accordingly, the collar 138 may act to provide a similar function as that provided by the inner and outer channel sidewall abrasion guard portions described above with reference to the embodiments of Figures 4 to 6. Otherwise, the anchoring structure shoulders 136 may be disposed to abut directly or substantially directly against the railseat 118 to directly limit a lateral travel thereof once installed therebetween. [00047] In either configuration, a rail-engagement portion 140 may be slidingly engaged (in this embodiment) with the anchoring portion 134 in a pre-assembled configuration and ready for deployment upon rail installation (i.e. see Figure 8).
  • the rail engagement portions 138 and 140 may be laterally slid into position such that a rail-engaging toe 142 (and toe cap) thereof operatively slides onto the railseat 118 to secure it into position upon the crosstie rail load-bearing surface defined between the clips 130, 132.
  • the composite polymer crossties used therefor may be fabricated, in some embodiments, according the compositions and methods disclosed in United States Patent Application Publication number US 2006/0226247 Al, published October 12, 2006 to Abramson, et al. and entitled “Railway Ties and Structural Elements” and United States patent number 8,252,216, issued August 28, 2012 to Abramson, et al. and entitled “Method for the Production of Railway Ties”; the entire contents of each one of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
  • the composite polymer crosstie may be fabricated, in some embodiments, from a composition comprising at least an asphaltic component, a polymeric composition component and a strengthening agent.
  • the strengthening agent may be fibres which are pre-included in the input polymeric component.
  • the fibres may be included, in some embodiments, in the starting mix pre-included in the polymeric component.
  • the fibres may, in some embodiments, be glass fibres.
  • the composite polymer crossties comprise an asphalt component, a polymeric composition component and a strengthening agent component pre-included in the polymeric component (thus forming a fiber-reinforced plastics component) and optionally plastics chosen from the group consisting of virgin plastics, recycled plastics, and combinations and mixtures thereof.
  • the composite polymeric crossties comprise an asphalt component, a polymeric composition component and a strengthening agent component which is not pre- included in the polymeric component.
  • the asphalt component comprises between 15% and 95%, by weight of the composite polymer crossties and the total polymeric component content comprises between 5 and 85% by weight of the crosstie. It should be noted that although a minor amount of impurities may be present in the starting materials, such as moisture, the effect on the manufacturing process of the composite structural element is negligible.
  • the asphalt component comprises about 65% to
  • the asphalt component in some embodiments comprises about 70% to 80% by weight of the total weight of the composite polymer crosstie.
  • the total polymeric component comprises about 10% to 45% by weight of the total weight of the composite polymer crosstie. More preferably, in some embodiments, the total polymeric component comprises about 15% to 40% by weight of the total weight of the composite polymer crossties. Even more preferably, the total polymeric component comprises about 20% to 30%) by weight of the total weight of the composite polymer crossties.
  • the fiber-reinforced plastics component in some embodiments comprises between about 25% and 75% by weight of the total polymeric component content. In some embodiments, the fiber-reinforced plastics preferably comprises between about 30% and 70%) by weight of the total polymeric component content. However, in most preferred embodiments, the fiber-reinforced plastics component comprises between about 40% and 60%) by weight of the total plastics component content. In some embodiments, the composite polymer crossties are formed from about 75% of an asphalt component, about 11%) of a glass fiber-reinforced polypropylene component and about 14% of a high- density polyethylene component.
  • the composite polymer crossties are typically formed from an asphalt component, fiber-reinforced plastics and other plastics
  • the composite polymer crossties of the instant disclosure may further comprise an elastomer in a proportion of about 0 to 80% by weight.
  • the elastomer comprises between 0 and 30% by weight of the composite polymer crosstie.
  • asphalt used in the composite polymer crosstie of the instant disclosure is recycled asphalt that has been crushed and subsequently screened for size.
  • the asphalt component is typically passed through a series of screens having progressively smaller square openings. Larger asphalt particles are caught in the first screens while finer particles are caught by later screens.
  • greater than about 75% of the asphalt is able to pass through a screen having 0.75 inch square openings.
  • at least 50% of the asphalt is able to pass through a screen having 0.5-inch square openings.
  • suitable fines of asphalt material for use have a size from 3 ⁇ 4" to about 1 ⁇ 4", which are readily available from asphalt manufacturers.
  • Polymeric materials suitable for use in composite polymer crossties of the instantly disclosed system may be chosen from, for example, low-density polyethylene (LDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and polypropylene (PP). Additionally, although virgin polymeric materials or, in other words, virgin plastics materials, may be used to form the composite polymer crossties, in some embodiments it may be preferable to use recycled plastics materials so as to reduce the amount of waste in our environment.
  • LDPE low-density polyethylene
  • HDPE high-density polyethylene
  • PP polypropylene
  • Such recycled plastics materials may be polymeric materials such as, for example, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and combinations and mixtures thereof.
  • PVC polyvinyl chloride
  • LDPE low-density polyethylene
  • HDPE high-density polyethylene
  • PP polypropylene
  • PS polystyrene
  • PET polyethylene terephthalate
  • the polymeric material component in some embodiments, is prepared for incorporation into the composite polymer crosstie during the manufacturing process of the composite polymer crossties, by aligning the mesh sizing with that noted above for the asphalt component or smaller.
  • the polymeric component may also be sized as required by pelletizing, grinding or flaking or otherwise provided at a suitable particle size.
  • the polymeric component when provided as a fibre-reinforced plastics component, may be, for example glass-filled polypropylene with a pre-determined proportion of glass fibres. Such a material is readily available commercially and as a recycled material where the glass is intertwined with the polypropylene and is continuous throughout the polypropylene component.
  • Embodiments utilizing glass-filled polypropylene are preferred as the inclusion of the glass fibres enhances the strength of the composite polymer crosstie.
  • Other fibers such as carbon fibers or silicon fibers may also be utilized in various embodiments to reinforce the polymeric component and thus the composite polymeric crossties.
  • the composite polymer crossties in some embodiments may further comprise an elastomer.
  • the elastomer is preferably tire rubber that has been recycled from sources such as scrap tires.
  • at least about 75% of the elastomer is able to pass through a screen mesh having 0.25-inch square openings.
  • at least about 75% of the elastomer is able to pass through a screen mesh having 0.125-inch square openings.
  • the composite polymer crossties may be made from more than one composition.
  • a first portion and a second portion comprise the asphalt component, the polymer component and the strengthening agent as described above.
  • the first portion may comprise from about 15% to 75% asphaltic component and from about 85% to 25%) of a first polymeric component, and optionally a strengthening agent.
  • the first polymeric component comprises about 50% of a plastics material and about 50% of a glass fibre-filled recyclable thermoplastic material, such as a glass fibre-filled polypropylene, acting as the strengthening agent.
  • the second portion may comprise from about 20% to about 85% by weight of an asphaltic component and from about 15% to about 80% by weight of a second polymeric component, and optionally a strengthening agent.
  • the second polymeric component comprises a glass fibre-filled recyclable thermoplastic material as a strengthening agent.
  • composite polymer crossties may be manufactured utilizing the first and second portions noted above according to the method as disclosed in U.S. Patent number 8,252,216.
  • the first and second portions may be separately prepared and blended.
  • the first and second portions are then separately heated to a temperature suitable to at least melt a portion the polymeric component and then processed in processors operable to heat and feed said blends separately as composite asphalt plastic compositions to pump means associated with a co-extrusion die.
  • the heated and pliable first portion is then pumped into a first section of a mold to form a core portion of the composite polymer crosstie, and the heated and pliable second portion is simultaneously pumped into an outer portion of the mold to form the outer portion of the composite polymer crosstie.
  • the subject composite polymer crossties each weighting approximately 350 lbs., having dimensions of about 102 inches in length and cross-sectional dimensions of about 7 inches by 9 inches were tested.
  • the rails were coupled to the composite polymer crossties using generic 1 :20 cant intervening tie plates with a contact surface area substantially matching of the railseat anchored to the crosstie surface using screw-spikes and PandrolTM-type E2055 rail clips were used to couple the rails to the generic tie plates. It should be noted that such tie plates used to couple the rails to the crossties are not considered to "force-distributing" as they do not substantially increase the surface where downward force from the rail is applied to the crosstie. Such tie plates coupled to the crossties are used as intervening anchoring points for the clips.
  • This test was performed to determine the ability of the crossties to resist railseat loads. Briefly, the test consists of applying a vertical load on a pre-determined area. There are two methods which were used in testing the composite polymer crossties of the instant disclosure. In any and all cases, the maximum elastic deformation while under load should not exceed 1 ⁇ 4-inch, with permanent deformation after release of the compressive force not exceeding 1/8-inch within 1 minute of releasing the load.
  • the first method uses the rail itself (i.e. devoid a force-distributing plate) having a surface area contacting the composition polymer crosstie of 5 1 ⁇ 2 inches by 9 inches.
  • the second method uses a force-distributing plate having a surface area contacting the rail of 7 3 ⁇ 4 inches by 14 inches.
  • a pressure according to the test parameters, was applied at 900 psi (44,550 lbs.) for the rail only first method and 921 psi (100,000 lbs.) for the force- distributing plate second method.
  • the pass/fail requirements are set at 0.250 inch for max deflection and 0.125 inch for residual deflection.
  • Table 1 the composite polymer crossties and system disclosed herein passed the test. Additionally, in the long term, there was no evidence of permanent deflection. The tester also noted that upon removal of the compression device, the top surface of the composite polymer crossties were in pristine condition and this was achieved without the aid of any protective pad or interim force-distributing plate of any kind.
  • the Spike Lateral Restraint Test was performed to determine the ability of a screw-spike to resist lateral movement. Briefly, the spike is driven in the tie to a normal working depth and a load is applied laterally to 0.2-inch at a rate of 0.2-inch per minute. A load/deflection curve is then generated and a maximum load is recorded. It should be noted, that there is no pass/fail criteria provided for AREMA for this test.
  • the Tie and Fastener System Wear-Deterioration Test was performed to determine railseat deterioration and fastener system performance in heavy axle load environments due to repeated load. In this test a complete track system is emulated where two rails are coupled to the composite polymer crosstie and the crosstie is solidly fixed to the test bed.
  • This testing was preformed using standardly shaped polymer crossties of the compositional embodiments discussed above devoid of the rectangular channel noted above in one set of tests (noted below as example Tie and Fastener System Wear-Deterioration Test 1) and in another set of tests using polymer crossties of the compositional embodiments discussed above having the rectangular channel milled in the top surface for receiving the railseat therein (noted below as example Tie and Fastener System Wear-Deterioration Test 2).
  • the testing machine comprises a load frame with a servo-controlled dual action hydraulic actuator.
  • the test load is distributed through to load arm set at an angle of 27.5 degrees from vertical.
  • the load is transmitted equally to each of the two railheads of a full crosstie using the appropriate fastening system.
  • a load of 65,000 lbsf was cyclically applied to the set-up, for a lateral top vertical ratio of 0.52.
  • An abrasive environment must also be simulated on each rail seat for this test. Accordingly, water drip nozzles were positioned over the field and gauge sides of each railseat. Clean and dry sand was also spread on both sides of the railseat.
  • the results of the Tie and Fastener System Wear-Deterioration Test 1 are as follows.
  • standardly shaped polymer crossties i.e. devoid of a rectangular channel milled in the top surface for receiving therein the railseat of a railway rail
  • the rails were coupled to the polymer crosstie using commonly known intervening tie plates which were coupled to polymer crosstie by four screw spikes each.
  • the rail rests on the tie plate and a pair of tie clips interact with the railseat and the tie plate so as to couple the rail to the polymer crossties in a manner commonly known in the art for coupling railway rails to wooden crossties.
  • test was to be run for at least 3,000,000 cycles with close monitoring of the components for signs of breakage (failure) of a given component and/or head lateral displacement of the railhead in excess of 0.200 inch, which would represent a fail.
  • Tie Plates - Tie plate A showed no signs of fatigue Assuring and was used throughout the test. As noted above, tie plate at position B required two changes and the cause of the failure was unknown.
  • Rail Clips All four rail clips performed well and no signs of permanent deformation where observed.
  • Screw-spikes No damage or signs of failure were noted with the screw- spikes. Even the spikes that were re-driven with respect to the tie plate changes at position B performed well.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Architecture (AREA)
  • Civil Engineering (AREA)
  • Structural Engineering (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Road Paving Structures (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne différents modes de réalisation d'un ensemble traverse de chemin de fer pour la fixation d'un rail le long d'une voie de chemin de fer. Dans un mode de réalisation, l'ensemble comprend une pluralité de traverses polymères composites fabriquées à partir d'une composition comprenant un constituant asphaltique, un constituant de composition polymère et un agent de renforcement ; et une paire d'agrafes de rail pour fixer le rail à travers chacune desdites traverses polymères composites, chacune des agrafes de rail comprenant une partie d'entrée en prise avec le rail configurée pour venir en prise avec un appui de rail correspondant, et une partie d'ancrage destinée à être ancrée à une traverse donnée et à coopérer avec la partie d'entrée en prise avec le rail pour fixer l'appui de rail correspondant contre une surface de support de charge de la traverse donnée.
EP15793020.7A 2014-05-15 2015-05-05 Ensemble rails et traverses polymères composites associées Withdrawn EP3143205A4 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA2852525A CA2852525A1 (fr) 2014-05-15 2014-05-15 Assemblage de rails et traverses intermediaires en polymere composite associees
PCT/CA2015/050392 WO2015172244A1 (fr) 2014-05-15 2015-05-05 Ensemble rails et traverses polymères composites associées

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EP3143205A1 true EP3143205A1 (fr) 2017-03-22
EP3143205A4 EP3143205A4 (fr) 2018-02-28

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DE102017204464A1 (de) * 2017-03-17 2018-09-20 Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft Fahrwerkskomponente für ein Kraftfahrzeug und Verfahren zum Herstellen einer Fahrwerkskomponente
US10844201B2 (en) 2018-11-16 2020-11-24 King Fahd University Of Petroleum And Minerals Thermally stable high density polyethylene-asphaltene composite
CN114295508B (zh) * 2021-12-30 2023-07-18 中国铁道科学研究院集团有限公司铁道建筑研究所 铁路扣件垫板材料及结构分别对轨枕的磨损性能评定方法

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US417426A (en) * 1889-12-17 Railway-rail tie
FR2285491A1 (fr) * 1974-09-20 1976-04-16 Vial Louis Traverse pour voie de chemin de fer
US4355754A (en) * 1981-05-18 1982-10-26 Board Of Control Of Michigan Technological University Structural members comprised of composite wood material and having zones of diverse density
US5367007A (en) * 1991-12-09 1994-11-22 Enviropaver Inc. Multi-layer composite block & process for manufacturing
US5722589A (en) * 1995-01-05 1998-03-03 Green Track Inc. Composite load bearing structure
JP3929413B2 (ja) * 2003-04-18 2007-06-13 東海旅客鉄道株式会社 まくら木
US20060226247A1 (en) * 2005-03-29 2006-10-12 Duropar Technologies Inc. Railway Ties and Structural Elements
US20080179418A1 (en) * 2007-01-31 2008-07-31 Chris Brough Composite load bearing structure
WO2010096911A1 (fr) * 2009-02-27 2010-09-02 Duropar Techonologies Inc. Composition et procédé de production de traverses de chemin de fer

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CA2852525A1 (fr) 2015-11-15
US20170058460A1 (en) 2017-03-02
EP3143205A4 (fr) 2018-02-28
WO2015172244A1 (fr) 2015-11-19

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