GB2091790A - Railway sleepers incorporating rail securing means - Google Patents

Abstract

A steel sleeper for a portable railway comprises two L-section bars 1 held back-to-back by bolts or studs 7 and slots 8 to allow relative longitudinal movement after release of locking means 13. For each rail 10 each bar has, in its vertical web, a gap defined by a vertical edge 4 and a notched vertical edge 6-5 shaped to embrace one rail flange. In the position shown the rail 10 is clamped between the opposed notched vertical edge of the misaligned gaps in the two bars. To release the rail the bars are moved longitudinally to align the gaps (Figure 4A, not shown) so that the rail can be lifted out.

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to rail sleepers with rail securing devices Where a railway tract is to form part of a permanent transport system, there are several methods of attaching the rails to the sleepers and securing them against the effects of vibration caused by the passage of the rail traffic. One such system is to use compenents such as U shaped steel chairs which are bolted to the sleepers, the rail itself is located between the two uprights of the U shape and is secured in that position by wooden wedges driven between the chair uprights and the web of the rail section. This and other similar systems are suitable and adequate for the duties they have to perform because the track is to be permanent, thus the length of time needed to install the sleepers and attach the rails is of no great importance.

There are rail transport systems however where the track is not permanent but needs to be dismantled, moved to a new locations and relaid again at frequent intervals of time ; these circumstances occurr in many of the extractive industries such as mining, quarrying, forestry, etc. For example, in the mining industry, the excavated mineral is loaded into wagons which are coupled together to form a train which is hauled along the rail transport system to the mine exit, in a similar manner, the supplies which are needed in the areas of mineral extraction are conveyed in rail mounted trollies.When a particular area of mineral has been extracted, it is necessary to dismantle the track and move it to a new location where it is relaid and ready for use once again;this cycle of laying and recovering the rail system may be repeated several times in a year so the need for a rapid rail securing device is evident.

In addition to the above, other special conditions exist in mining which require the constant relaying of rail track, during movement of the strata when the mineral has been extracted the floor of the roadway becomes distorted and lifts in an irregular manner such that it bemomes necessary to dismantle lengths of tracking, regrade the undulations of the roadway floor and then relay the track.

The present invention relates to rail sleepers which incorporate devices which will allow the complete system of sleepers and rails to be quickly and easily dismantled and there-after just as quickly and easily relaid, it will ensure that the correct gauge between the rails will always be maintained, it will contain no screw threaded parts which can be affected when used in damp, corroding conditions and will secure the rail against dislodgement when subjected to the vibrations of passing rail traffic. In addition to the above mentioned objects, the man nerofconstruction and design means that both of the major components of the rail sleeper are identical thus simplifying their manufacture, reducing costs and preventing the disruption associated with the loss of differing parts.

The object of the present invention is to provide a rail sleeper which incorporates a rail securing device and will comprise, for example, two identical steel plates of an L or U section which may be formed from steel plate, at two locations along the length of the bar, portions of the vertical limb of the L section are removed to form gaps which are wide enough to allow the base flange of a rail section to be inserted therein. The distance between these gaps will be determined by the gauge of the rail track but these gaps are not equidistant from each end of the bar thus presenting a short L section extremity at one end of the bar and a longer L section extremity at the other end.

At each gap, the vertical limb of the L section is exposed on both sides, at one particular side the face presents a vertical surface while on the other side of the gap the lower portion of the vertical surface is shaped to form a V notch which is recessed at the base, this V notch being of such a configuration that it will receive the inserted flange of the rail section.

In order for the invention to perform its designed function of securing a rail section, one of the identical bars is turned around through an angle of 180 degrees and the two bars are placed with the other faces of the vertical flanges abutting each other. In order to connect the two bars in tandem and also to allow restricted lateral movement between the bars, slots are provided in the vertical flange of each bar while a pin or stud afixed to the other bar protrudes through an opposing lateral slot and is held in that position by a rivet or bolt fitted to the end.

In actual use, the two adjoining bars are placed on the ground and one bar is moved laterally in relation to the other bar until the gaps in the bars are in alignment with each other thus allowing the rail section to be placed within the gap, when the bars are moved back into their original position, that is to say, with the ends of the bars are in line, this lateral movement causes the gaps to close with the base flange of the rail section securely located within the V shaped recesses while the vertical edge of the notches abutts the web of the rail.

To prevent further lateral movement between the tandem bars when the rail section has been clamped, a U shaped clip which is attached to and hinges from each end of the bars, is clipped over the abutting vertical flanges of the L section bar and secures them in position.

In order that the invention may be fully understood and readily carried into effect, a preferred embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings which accompany this specification in which Figure 1A shows a Plan View of the invention in which the two bars are laterally displaced to receive the rail section.

Figure 18 shows a Plan view of the invention in which the two bars are in alignments at their ends.

Figure 2A shows a Front Elevational View of the invention in which the two bars are laterally displaced to receive the rail section.

Figure 2B shows a Front Elevational View of the invention in which the two bars are in alignment at their ends.

Figure 3 shows an End Elevational View of the invention with the rail inserted.

Figure 4A shows a Pictorial View of the invention in which the two bars are laterally displaced to receive the rail section.

Figure 4B shows a Pictorial View of the invention in which the two bars are in alignment at their ends.

Two identical bars 1 of an L shaped cross section, have a portion of the vertical limb 2 removed to form gaps 3, one gap is located near to one end of the bars while the other gap is at a further distance from the opposite end of the bar; on one side of the gaps 3, the exposed face 4 of the vertical limbs is at right-angles to the horizontal limb of the L section, while the facer which is exposed on the other side of the gap has a recessed V notch 5 cut into its lower portion while the upper portion 6 is vertical.

In actual use, one bar is turned through an angle of 180 degrees and the two are placed with the outer faces of the vertical limbs abutting each other, these bars are held together in this manner by a bolt or stud 7 which is attached to the outer face of one bar and protrudes through a corresponding longitudinal slot 8 in the vertical limb of the other bar and is held in that position by a nut or rivet 9 thus allowing relative longitudinal movement between the bars.

When one of the abutting bars is moved a certain distance longitudinally, as dictated by the length of the slots 8, relative to the other bar, the gaps 3 are in alignment thereby allowing a rail section 10 to be placed therein but when the first bar is slide back into its original position, the gap closes thus captivating the base flanges 11 of the rail section 10 within the opposing V notches 5 while the upper portion 6 abutts the web 12 of the rail section. In order to maintain the two identical bars in this position, U shaped clips 13, which are attached to and hinge upon the vertical limbs 2, is rotated through an angle of 90 degrees until it embraces the adjoined vertical limbs in their aligned position.

Claims (4)

1. A rail sleeperwhich incorporates a rail securing device and will comprise, for example two identical steel bars of an L cross-section having portions of the vertical limb removed to form two gaps, one of which is located near to one end of the bar while the second gap is located a further distance from the other end, the gaps are of sufficient width to allow a rail section to be placed therein; of the exposed faces of the vertical limb, those on one side are vertical while the opposing faces have a V shaped notch cut into the lower portiion while the upper portion remains vertical; these two identical bars are placed back to back with the outer faces of the vertical limbs abutting each other, they are held in this position by means of bolts protruding from one bar passing through longitudinal slots provided in the adjoining bar and being captivated by nuts or rivers, such an arrangement allows limited longitudinal movement between the two bars such that the movement of one of them in a certain direction will cause the gaps to be opposite each other in order to receive the rail section, when the moved bar is returned te its original position, the opposing V shaped notches will embrace the base flange of the rail section and secure it firmly.

2. A rail sleeper which incorporates a rail securing device in which the two bars are prevented from further longitudinal movement by means of hinged clip which will embrace the ajoining vertical limbs of the two bars.

3. A rail sleeper which incorporates a rail securing device as claimed in claims 1 and 2 in which the V shaped notches at the base of the gaps may be of a different shape to embrace rail flanges of a different configuration.

4. A rail sleeper which incorporates a rail securing device, constructed and arranged substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by the drawings which accompanying this specification.