GB2230729A

GB2230729A - Manufacture of concrete railway sleepers

Info

Publication number: GB2230729A
Application number: GB8909857A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Howard Peter John Taylor
Original assignee: Costain Building Products Ltd
Current assignee: Costain Building Products Ltd
Priority date: 1989-04-28
Filing date: 1989-04-28
Publication date: 1990-10-31
Anticipated expiration: 2009-04-28
Also published as: ES2024139A6; GB8909857D0; GB2230729B

Abstract

Concrete railway sleepers are cast using moulds carried on bogie wagons. The moulds may be arranged in groups of eight side-by-side across the wagons with adjacent groups abutting one another in end-to-end relationship. The moulds are filled with concrete by passing the line of wagons underneath a batching plant. After curing, the concrete railway sleepers are demoulded and placed on wagons on an adjacent track for onward carriage.

Description

MANUFACTURE OF CONCRETE RAILWAY SLEEPERS The invention relates to methods of manufacturing concrete railway sleepers.

Concrete railway sleepers are usually manufactured in a factory and transported to the location at which they are to be laid. This method of manufacture is satisfactory for many applications - for example where only a relatively short stretch of track is being laid or relaid. Where, however, very substantial lengths of track are to be laid or relaid, there can be problems in transporting the sleepers from the factory to the track.

According to the invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing concrete railway sleepers comprising mounting a plurality of moulds on a railway wagon, filling the moulds from a supply of concrete and then, on solidification of the concrete, demoulding the sleepers.

In this way, the sleepers can be manufactured close to the point at which they are to be used. Even if they are manufactured at some distance from the point at which they are to be used, they can readily be transported on the railway to a required destination.

Preferably, the moulds are filled by moving the wagon, with the moulds, on a track past the supply of concrete, from which the moulds are filled.

Preferably the moulds are arranged in end-to-end groups along the wagon, each group comprising two or more sideby-side moulds arranged with the length thereof parallel to the length of the wagon.

There may be eight moulds in each group.

Where there are end-to-end moulds, the method may comprise running parallel continuous strands through a line of end-to-end moulds, casting the sleepers and then cutting the strands between the sleepers before demoulding.

In this case, the strands may be tensioned before casting by at least one jack carried at an end of a wagon.

The wagon may be one of two or more such wagons coupled together and each carrying moulds.

In this arrangement, the moulds may be continuously arranged along the coupled wagons, connecting plates spanning the gap between adjacent wagons and supporting the moulds.

On demoulding, the demoulding sleepers may be loaded on to a wagon or series of wagons on a track parallel to and adjacent the track on which the mould carrying wagons run.

The method may also comprise curing the concrete in the moulds before demoulding. A boiler or an electrical system may be mounted on the wagons for this purpose and move with the wagons.

The following is a more detailed description of one embodiment of the invention, by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figures la, lb and lc show schematically the side elevation of successive sections of eight coupled wagons carrying sleeper moulds; Figures 2a, 2b and 2c are schematic plan views of the sections of the coupled wagons shown in Figures la, lb and lc, Figure 2b showing the arrangement of moulds on a wagon; Figure 3 shows a side elevation, in greater detail than Figures la, of an end wagon; Figure 4 is a sectional view through a wagon;; Figures 5a, 5b and 5c are schematic side elevations of the coupled wagons of Figures 1 to 4 and showing respective successive stages in the casting of sleepers, and Figure 6 is a plan view showing the arrangement of railway track for the wagons of Figures 1 to 5 and for wagons for removing cast sleepers.

Referring to the drawings, eight bogie wagons 10 run on a track 11. The wagons 10 are coupled together in conventional fashion and the gap 12 between adjacent wagons is, as best seen in Figure 3, spanned by a plate 13. In this way, the eight wagons 10 provide a continuous surface 14 (see Figure 4) along their length.

Two parallel but spaced longitudinal supports 15 (see Figure 4) are carried on this surface 14 and extend along the length of the wagons. A series of parallel transverse supports 16 are laid across the longitudinal supports 15, as best seen in Figures 3 and 5.

Groups of moulds 17 are arranged end-to-end on the transverse support 16. The spacing between the transverse support 16 is such that the ends of the groups of moulds abut on a transverse support 16 (see Figure 3). As best seen in Figure 2b, there are eight side-by-side moulds 17 in each group and there are 61 groups along the eight wagons 10.

Each mould 17 is of the required shape of a railway sleeper. Such shapes are well known in the art and so they will not be described in detail. The ends 18 of the moulds 17 are arranged to allow the passage of reinforcing strands (not shown) through the ends. The way in which this is done will be described in more detail below.

In use, the line of wagons 26 is arranged on siding rails 11 (see Figure 6) of sufficient length to allow the wagons 10 to be moved by a distance at least equal to their own length. A concrete batching plant 20 is arranged adjacent the rails 19.

Initially, the wagons are arranged with one end of the wagons adjacent the batching plant 20. This is shown in Figure 5a. The moulds are cleaned and set up, and then reinforcing strands (not shown) are run through the eight parallel lines of moulds from one end of the wagons to the other. At one end of the line of wagons, a jack 21 (see Figure 3) is provided to which these strands are attached and by which the strands are tensioned and detensioned. Tensioning may also be carried out by other means such as a calibrated winch or hand-held jack. Next, end plates are fitted which maintain the strands in tension.

The wagons are then moved along the siding rails 11 beneath the batching plant 20, from which concrete is poured into the moulds 17. This is shown in Figure# 5b. This continues until all the moulds 17 have been filled with concrete and the last wagon has passed the batching plant (this is shown in Figure 5c). The wagons 26 may be moved by winches or by jacks or by a locomotive or by gravity.

The concrete is then cured using a steam curing or electrical process until the concrete is set. The end plates are removed, the strands detensioned and the strands cut between the moulds 17. The cast sleepers are then demoulded.

A line of receiving wagons may be provided on siding rails 22 parallel to the casting track rails. The cast sleepers are then placed on the siding wagons for onward transport to the destination at which they are to be used.

It will be appreciated that, in this way, a substantial number of sleepers can be rapidly and easily cast. The cast sleepers can be readily transported from the point of manufacture, by rail, to any point at which they are to be used.

It will be appreciated, of course, that the number and arrangement of the moulds may be different from that described above. Further, more or less wagons may be used - indeed only a single wagon may be used. The wagons could be kept stationary and the source of concrete moved past the moulds.

It is preferable that the rails 11 are flat (although not necessarily horizontal). However, changes in level along the path of the wagons 26 can be accommodated by holding the strands between the wagons so that the tendency of the strands to move upwardly or downwardly as a result of a change in level is counteracted by changes in the forces on the wagons themselves.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing concrete railway sleepers comprising mounting a plurality of moulds on a railway wagon, filling the moulds from a supply of concrete and then, on solidification of the concrete, demoulding the sleepers.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the moulds are filled by moving the wagon, with the moulds, on a track past the supply of concrete, from which the moulds are filled.

3. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the moulds are arranged in end-to-end groups along the wagon, each group comprising two or more side- by-side moulds arranged with the length thereof parallel to the length of the wagon.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein eight moulds are provided in each group.

5. A method according to claim 3 or claim 4 and comprising running parallel continuous strands through a line of end-to-end moulds, casting the sleepers and then cutting the strands between the sleepers before demoulding.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein the strands are tensioned before casting by at least one jack carried at an end of a wagon.

7. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the wagon is one of two or more such wagons coupled together and each carrying moulds.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein the moulds are continuously arranged along the coupled wagons, connecting plates spanning the gap between adjacent wagons and supporting the moulds.

9. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein, on demoulding, the demoulded sleepers are loaded on to a wagon or series of wagons on a track parallel to and adjacent the track on which the mould carrying wagons run.

10. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 9 and comprising curing the concrete in the moulds before demoulding.

11. A method according to claim 10 wherein a boiler or an electrical system is mounted on the wagons for curing the concrete and moves with the wagons.

12. A method of manufacturing concrete railway sleepers substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.