GB2394244A

GB2394244A - Hollow steel railway sleeper

Info

Publication number: GB2394244A
Application number: GB0223482A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Farrington
Original assignee: Corus UK Ltd
Current assignee: Corus UK Ltd
Priority date: 2002-10-10
Filing date: 2002-10-10
Publication date: 2004-04-21
Also published as: WO2004033794A1; GB0223482D0; AU2003300511A1

Abstract

The sleeper, of inverted "U" cross-section, has its upper surface 21 and/or one or both side surfaces and/or one or both spade ends 22 formed with openings 19,20 through which stone ballast can be injected. The openings 19,20 are at least partially bordered by deflector plates 23,24 which project into the sleeper interior and are positioned to direct pneumatically injected stone ballast towards a predetermined area within the sleeper interior. Alternatively, the openings may have feedpipes with pluralities of openings, each with deflectors (Fig 7, not shown). The feedpipes may be bifurcated.

Description

STEEL RAILWAY SLEEPERS

This invention relates to steel railway sleepers and more especially to such sleepers of inverted "U" cross-section.

Railway tracks require frequent maintenance inter alla because of progressive deterioration of the bed of ballast on which rail-supporting sleepers are positioned. Essentially, two different maintenance methods are presently employed for conventional slab-like sleepers, these being tamping and stone blowing. Each method involves lateral and vertical adjustment of sleeper positions to correct misalignments which may have occurred since the time of the previous maintenance. Once the position of a sleeper has been adjusted, this is maintained by moving ballast beneath the sleepers.

Tamping involves the use of mechanical tines which push ballast underneath a sleeper and stone blowing involves pneumatic injection of ballast stones underneath the sleeper.

For sleepers of inverted "U" cross-section ballast stones are conventionally injected into the space below the sleeper upper surface using feeder nozzles. For this operation to succeed, the stone ballast must be directed to specific positions within the sleeper interior to correct any misalignments. Such feeder nozzles have proved, in practice, to be generally unsatisfactory inter alla because of an inability correctly to direct stone ballast to the required areas of the sleeper interior.

The present invention sets out to provide an improved steel railway sleeper designed to assist correct stone ballast injection during stone blowing. According to the present invention in one aspect, there is provided a steel railway sleeper of inverted "U" cross-section whose upper surface and/or one or both side surfaces and/or one or both spade ends are formed

with openings through which stone ballast can be injected, the openings being at least partially bordered by deflector plates which project into the sleeper interior and are positioned to direct pneumatically injected stone ballast towards a predetermined area within the sleeper interior.

More than on opening may be positioned in the upper surface and/or one or each side surface and/or one or each spade end of the sleeper. The or each deflector plate may be formed with a funnel-shaped exit area to inhibit the outflow of stone ballast through the respective opening.

Removable cover plates may be provided to close off the or each opening during normal operation of the sleeper.

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side view in section of a railway sleeper in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a side view in section of an alternative railway sleeper in accordance with the invention; Figure 3 is a scrap view of a part of the sleeper shown in Figure 2; Figures 4 and 5 are sectional side views of alternative steel sleepers in accordance with the invention; Figure 6 is a detail of a feature of a railway sleeper in accordance with the invention; and Figure 7 is a side view in section of an alternative railway sleeper in accordance with the invention.

Figure 1 shows a steel sleeper 1 formed in its upper surface with an opening 2 through which stone ballast can be injected pneumatically from a discharge pipe 3. Secured to the underside of the upper surface of the sleeper is a deflector plate 4. The deflector plate is conveniently produced from steel and may be secured to the sleeper by any conventional means, the most likely of which is welding. The opening 2 may be circular, rectangular or elongate in shape. The deflector plate 4 has a downwardly extending surface 5 followed by an inclined surface 6 which operates to direct stone ballast towards one side rail seat area 7 of the sleeper to correct any misalignment of the position of the sleeper which may have occurred due to rail traffic since the time of the previous maintenance operation. More than one opening may be provided in the sleeper upper surface. If additional openings 2 are provided, each will be partially bordered by a deflector plate.

In this way stone ballast can readily be directed pneumatically towards other areas below the sleeper upper surface.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, an opening 8 is formed in one side wall 9 of the sleeper. A deflector plate 10 is secured to one border of the opening and operates to direct pneumatically introduced stone ballast towards a rail seat area 11 of the sleeper. An opening and deflector plate may be provided on the other side wall of the sleeper. The deflector plate 10 may be formed with one or more gaps to cause stone ballast to enter a spade region 12 of the sleeper.

The sleeper illustrated in Figure 4 includes an opening 14 formed in the upper surface of the sleeper at one spade end 15. In this arrangement, a deflector plate 16 is secured to one border of the opening 14 and operates to direct pneumatically injected stone ballast from a discharge pipe 17 towards a rail seat area 18 of the sleeper.

The sleeper illustrated in Figure 5 has two openings 19, 20 one formed in its upper surface 21, and the other at the junction between the upper surface and one spade end of the sleeper. Deflector plates 23, 24 are

i positioned below the openings.

An alternative deflector plate 25 is illustrated in Figure 6. This plate is formed with a funnel-shaped exit area 26 which alleviates any tendency of stone ballast to leave the sleeper through the opening 27.

Figure 7 illustrates an alternative arrangement which comprises a feedpipe 28 formed with a plurality of openings 29 each of which is designed to direct pneumatically injected stone ballast below one rail seat area 30 of the sleeper. Each opening may be at least partially bordered by a deflector plate as described above. These deflector plates may protrude inwardly into the feedpipe or outwardly into the open area of the sleeper below its upper surface. The feedpipe 29 may be bifurcated to enable stone ballast to be directed towards both rail seat areas of the sleeper.

In each of the described embodiments, the or each sleeper opening may be selectively closed by means of a removable cover plate.

It will be appreciated that the foregoing is merely exemplary of steel sleepers in accordance with the invention and that various modifications can readily be made thereto without departing from the true scope of the invention.

Claims

( CLAIMS

1. A steel railway sleeper of inverted "U" cross-section whose upper surface and/or one or both side surfaces and/or one or both spade ends are formed with openings through which stone ballast can be injected, the openings being at least partially bordered by deflector plates which project into the sleeper interior and are positioned to direct pneumatically injected stone ballast towards a predetermined area within the sleeper interior.

2. A sleeper as claimed in claim 1 wherein a plurality of openings are positioned in the upper surface and/or one or each side surface and/or one or each spade end of the sleeper.

3. A sleeper as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the or each deflector plate is formed with a funnel-shaped exit area to inhibit the outflow of stone ballast through the respective opening.

4. A sleeper as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein removable cover plates are provided to close off the or each opening during normal operation of the sleeper.

5. A steel railway sleeper substantially as herein described and as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.