US20110233292A1 - Integrated train rail system with ties and thermal expansion joints - Google Patents
Integrated train rail system with ties and thermal expansion joints Download PDFInfo
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- US20110233292A1 US20110233292A1 US13/133,088 US200913133088A US2011233292A1 US 20110233292 A1 US20110233292 A1 US 20110233292A1 US 200913133088 A US200913133088 A US 200913133088A US 2011233292 A1 US2011233292 A1 US 2011233292A1
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- rail
- section
- width
- joint
- railroad tie
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Images
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
Definitions
- Conventional train rail systems are comprised of six basic elements: (1) the steel rail; (2) the tie plate of “chair” that the rail sits on; (3) the railroad tie or “sleeper” to which two tie plates are affixed; (4) the fasteners that secure the rail to the tie plate and the railroad tie; (5) a joint system for adjoining consecutive lengths of rail sections; and (6) the foundation/bed of ballast rock within which the railroad ties rest and the track system is held in place.
- Typical railroad ties are generally rectangular in shape and are generally laid transverse to the direction of the rails. Traditionally and most commonly, railroad ties are made of wood, although concrete, plastic and steel railroad ties are currently used as well.
- Wood is the least expensive material used for the manufacturing of railroad ties, but it also has the shortest life cycle before needing replacement. For example, wooden railroad ties are more subject to weather related degradation, can be weakened due to insect attack, and are more likely to release the spike or screws that hold the rail to the tie plate. Additionally, the preservatives used to extend the life of the wood railroad ties can be an environmental contaminant.
- Concrete railroad ties are considerably more expensive than wooden railroad ties and cannot be comingled with other types of railroad ties due to their weight and the different equipment required for handling and installation of the concrete railroad ties. Concrete railroad ties are also susceptible to stress cracking from the wheel loads moving across the railroad tie, do not absorb vibrations as well as other railroad ties, and do not attenuate the wheel to rail noise as well as other types of railroad ties. Further, concrete railroad ties can have accelerated failure due to incorrect cement recipes, insufficient curing time, and/or environmental degradation.
- Plastic railroad ties are more expensive than wood and are not readily available in large quantities. Additionally, plastic railroad ties are more likely than concrete or wood to shift from side loads due to a lower coefficient of friction with the rock ballast.
- Steel railroad ties typically last longer and are less susceptible to weather related degradation than wooden railroad ties. Additionally, steel railroad ties can absorb the thermal stresses, but the relatively lightweight steel ties utilized due to cost concerns results in steel tie systems that do not resist shifting of the rails from accumulated thermal loads. Moreover, steel railroad ties can cause grounding/electrical isolation problems for track signaling systems.
- CWR continuous welded rail
- Typical steel rail is made from high quality hot rolled steel.
- Steel rail is subject to very high stress loads induced by the steel wheels of the train cars and environmental changes in the temperature. Accordingly, CWR faces certain intrinsic and serious problems that do not occur with sectioned rail that uses conventional expansion joints, in that they face significant thermal stresses as the steel used to make the rails expands in length when heated and contracts in length when cooled. Thus, the unsolved problem of thermal stress in CWR systems requires persistent, ongoing repair.
- Thermally induced stress problems in the steel rails are a well recognized and well understood issue in the rail industry.
- expensive and elaborate expansion joints are sometimes used in the more vulnerable and valuable track sections of high-speed passenger lines, such as bridges and curves.
- Full resolution of the thermal stress problem can be accomplished by the frequent use of these types of expansion joints along the full length of track. However, doing so would greatly increase the costs of installing a rail system.
- a new rail system is needed that can have a relatively low installed cost; be significantly durable and weather resistant; successfully attenuate vibration and noise; allow for precise rail positioning; eliminate thermally induced stresses without a penalty in cost; not compromise rail strength at the section joints; be impervious to insect attack; eliminate environmental contamination from wood preservatives; greatly reduce track maintenance; increase operational performance; and increase passenger safety.
- the present invention is directed to a railroad tie that is positioned on a rail bed as part of a rail system.
- the railroad tie comprises a first end section, a second end section, and a middle section.
- the middle section extends between and couples the first end section and the second end section.
- the first end section has a first width.
- the second end section has a second width.
- the middle section has a middle width that is at least five percent (5%) different than the first width and the second width.
- the middle width is at least five percent (5%) less than the first width and the second width. In one such embodiment, the middle width is at least twenty-five percent (25%) less than the first width and the second width. Additionally, in one embodiment, the first width is substantially equal to the second width.
- the pockets functions to inhibit relative movement between the railroad tie and the rail bed.
- the railroad tie is substantially Z-shaped.
- the middle section extends away from the first end section at a first angle of between approximately seventy-five (75) and ninety-five (95) degrees.
- the middle section also extends away from the second end section at a second angle of between approximately seventy-five (75) and ninety-five (95) degrees.
- the railroad tie can be substantially dumbbell shaped.
- the railroad tie further includes a first intermediate section and a second intermediate section.
- the first intermediate section is positioned between the first end section and the middle section.
- the first intermediate section has a first intermediate width that is different than the first width and the middle width.
- the second intermediate section is positioned between the second end section and the middle section.
- the second intermediate section has a second intermediate width that is different than the second width and the middle width.
- the railroad tie further includes a bottom surface and a top surface.
- the bottom surface has one or more cavities that each has an area at its opening that is at least approximately eighty (80) square millimeters. Further, the cavities can be substantially evenly spaced along the bottom surface. Additionally, in one such embodiment, the one or more cavities do not extend through the top surface.
- the present invention is directed to a rail system including a rail bed, a plurality of railroad ties that are positioned on the rail bed, and a pair of spaced apart rails that are coupled to the plurality of railroad ties.
- the railroad ties have features as described above.
- the present invention is directed to a rail joint for joining together a first rail section and a second rail section of a rail system that supports a rail vehicle, wherein the first rail section and the second rail section are positioned substantially along the same line.
- the rail joint comprises a first joint member and a second joint member.
- the second joint member is selectively coupled to the first joint member such that the second joint member at least partially overlaps the first joint member.
- each joint member is designed to individually support the weight of the rail vehicle.
- first joint member is fixedly secured to the first rail section and the second joint member is fixedly secured to the second rail section.
- the first joint member includes a first aperture and a first slot and the second joint member includes a second aperture and a second slot.
- the rail joint further comprises a pair of connectors that extend through the first joint member and the second joint member to selectively couple the first joint member to the second joint member.
- one connector can extend substantially through the first aperture and the second slot, and the other connector can extend substantially through the second aperture and the first slot. The connectors cooperate to allow relative translational movement between the first joint member and the second joint member.
- FIG. 1 is a top view of an embodiment of a portion of a rail system having features of the present invention
- FIG. 2A is a top view of an embodiment of a railroad tie having features of the present invention.
- FIG. 2B is a side view of the railroad tie illustrated in FIG. 2A ;
- FIG. 2C is a bottom view of the railroad tie illustrated in FIG. 2A ;
- FIG. 2D is a cross-sectional side view of the railroad tie taken along line 2 D- 2 D in FIG. 2C ;
- FIG. 3 is a top view of another embodiment of a railroad tie having features of the present invention.
- FIG. 4 is a top view of still another embodiment of a railroad tie having features of the present invention.
- FIG. 5A is a top view of an embodiment of a half expansion joint having features of the present invention.
- FIG. 5B is a side view of the half expansion joint illustrated in FIG. 5A ;
- FIG. 5C is a side view of the half expansion joint illustrated in FIG. 5A ;
- FIG. 5D is a cross-sectional end view of the half expansion joint cut along line 5 D- 5 D in FIG. 5C ;
- FIG. 5E is a cross-sectional end view of the half expansion joint cut along line 5 E- 5 E in FIG. 5C ;
- FIG. 5F is a cross-sectional end view of the half expansion joint cut along line 5 F- 5 F in FIG. 5C ;
- FIG. 5G is cross-sectional top view of the half expansion joint cut along line 5 G- 5 G in FIG. 5C ;
- FIG. 6A is a partially exploded top view of a rail expansion joint cut along line 5 F- 5 F having features of the present invention, wherein the rail expansion joint is being positioned in a contracted configuration;
- FIG. 6B is a top view of the rail expansion joint illustrated in FIG. 6A ;
- FIG. 6C is a cross-sectional top view cut along line 5 G- 5 G of the rail expansion joint of FIG. 6B ;
- FIG. 6D is a partially exploded top view of the rail expansion joint cut along line 5 G- 5 G illustrated in FIG. 6A , wherein the rail expansion joint is being positioned in an expanded configuration;
- FIG. 6E is a top view of the rail expansion joint illustrated in FIG. 6D ;
- FIG. 6F is a cross-sectional top view cut along line 5 G- 5 G of the rail expansion joint of FIG. 6E ;
- FIG. 7A is a top view of the rail expansion joint illustrated in FIG. 6A ;
- FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional end view of the rail expansion joint cut along line 7 B- 7 B in FIG. 7A ;
- FIG. 7C is a cross-sectional end view of the rail expansion joint cut along line 7 C- 7 C in FIG. 7A ;
- FIG. 7D is a cross-sectional end view of the rail expansion joint cut along line 7 D- 7 D in FIG. 7A ;
- FIG. 7E is a cross-sectional end view of the rail expansion joint cut along line 7 E- 7 E in FIG. 7A ;
- FIG. 7F is a cross-sectional end view of the rail expansion joint cut along line 7 F- 7 F in FIG. 7A ;
- FIG. 7G is a simplified top view of the rail expansion joint illustrated in FIG. 7A and a portion of a rail vehicle.
- FIG. 1 is a top view of an embodiment of a portion of a rail system 10 having features of the present invention.
- the rail system 10 includes a rail bed 12 , a plurality of railroad ties 14 that are positioned on and/or within the rail bed 12 , a first rail 16 and a spaced apart second rail 18 that are supported on the railroad ties 14 , a plurality of tie plates 20 that couple the first rail 16 and the second rail 18 to the railroad ties 14 , and one or more rail joints 22 .
- the design of the various components of the rail system 10 can be varied to suit the specific design requirements of the rail system 10 .
- the rail system 10 of the present invention includes various features that enable the production and operation of a rail system 10 that has a reduced cost, higher strength, greater system integrity, is longer lasting, is safer, performs better, and that eliminates the need for almost constant maintenance.
- the rail bed 12 is made up of a plurality of ballast rocks that cooperate with the railroad ties 14 to inhibit the rails 16 , 18 from moving or shifting relative to a surface 24 , e.g., the ground, upon which the rail system 10 is situated.
- the ballast rocks in the rail bed 12 (also referred to herein as the ballast rock bed) have a tendency to settle and subside over time due to use, weathering effects, thermally induced loads and lateral forces toward the center of a curve as trains go through. Maintenance of the ballast rock bed 12 and keeping up the edges of the ballast rock bed 12 on the outside of the ends of the railroad ties 14 , i.e.
- the railroad ties 14 are positioned on and/or within the rail bed 12 .
- the railroad ties 14 (five of which are shown in FIG. 1 ) are substantially evenly spaced apart from each other within the rail bed 12 with a plurality of ballast rocks positioned around and between each of the railroad ties 14 .
- the railroad ties 14 and the ballast rocks of the rail bed 12 cooperate to inhibit the rails 16 , 18 from moving or shifting relative to the surface 24 on which the rail system 10 is situated.
- the railroad ties 14 are uniquely designed to interact with the ballast rocks of the rail bed 12 so that the railroad ties 14 will not shift relative to the surface 24 due the forces that act upon the railroad ties 14 from the movement of trains along the rails 16 , 18 .
- the rails 16 , 18 are coupled to and are supported by the railroad ties 14 via the tie plates 20 .
- there are two tie plates 20 secured to each railroad tie 14 with one tie plate 20 being secured to each railroad tie 14 near either end of the railroad tie 14 .
- the rails 16 , 18 are mounted on the railroad ties 14 via the tie plates 20 such that the first rail 16 is mounted near one end of the railroad tie 14 and the second rail 18 is mounted near the other end of the railroad tie 14 .
- the tie plates 20 are secured to the railroad ties 14 with one or more fasteners 26 .
- the rail system 10 includes one or more fasteners 26 that are designed to secure the rails 16 , 18 to each of the tie plates 20 and each of the railroad ties 14 .
- each tie plate 20 can be secured to a single railroad tie 14 with four fasteners 26 .
- each tie plate 20 can be secured to a single railroad tie 14 with more than four or less than four fasteners 26 .
- the fasteners 26 are carriage bolts that have a smooth, semi-spherical head above a lower square shoulder. Alternatively, a different type of fastener 26 may also be used without altering the breadth and scope of the present invention.
- the one or more rail joints 22 are designed to couple together adjacent sections of rail.
- FIG. 1 illustrates that the first rail 16 includes a first rail section 16 A and a second rail section 16 B that are positioned substantially along a single line, wherein the first rail section 16 A and the second rail section 16 B are selectively coupled together with a rail joint 22 .
- FIG. 1 illustrates that the second rail 18 includes a third rail section 18 A and a fourth rail section 18 B that are positioned substantially along a single line, wherein the third rail section 18 A and the fourth rail section 18 B are selectively coupled together with a rail joint 22 .
- the rail joints 22 are uniquely designed to compensate for the possible thermal expansion of the rails 16 , 18 while maintaining the integrity and safety of the rail system 10 .
- FIG. 2A is a top view of an embodiment of a railroad tie 214 having features of the present invention.
- the design of the railroad tie 214 can be varied to suit the particular requirements of the rail system 10 (illustrated in FIG. 1 ).
- the railroad tie 214 has a shape that is similar to that of a narrow or tall “Z” shape, and the railroad tie 214 includes a first end section 228 , a spaced apart second end section 230 , and a middle section 232 that extends between and couples the first end section 228 and the second end section 230 .
- the first end section 228 has a first width 228 W and the second end section 230 has a second width 230 W.
- the first width 228 W and the second width 230 W can be substantially equal.
- the railroad tie 214 can be designed so that the first width 228 W is greater than or less than the second width 230 W.
- the middle section 232 has a middle width 232 W that is different than the first width 228 W and the second width 230 W.
- the middle width 232 W can be 5%, 10%, 15%, 25%, 40%, 50% or some other percent different than the first width 228 W and/or the second width 230 W.
- the middle width 232 W can be less than the first width 228 W and the second width 230 W.
- the middle width 232 W can be greater than the first width 228 W and/or greater than the second width 230 W.
- the first end section 228 is substantially rectangular in shape and includes a first side 228 F, an opposed second side 228 S that is substantially parallel to the first side 228 F, an outer end 228 O, and an opposed inner end 228 I that is substantially parallel to the outer end 228 O.
- the second end section 230 is substantially rectangular in shape and includes a first side 230 F, an opposed second side 230 S that is substantially parallel to the first side 230 F, an outer end 230 O, and an opposed inner end 230 I that is substantially parallel to the outer end 230 O.
- the first end section 228 and the second end section 230 can be designed to have a different shape.
- each end section 228 , 230 includes a plurality of fastener apertures 234 that are each adapted to receive one of the fasteners 26 (illustrated in FIG. 1 ) that are utilized to secure the tie plate 20 (illustrated in FIG. 1 ) to the railroad tie 214 .
- each end section 228 , 230 can include four fastener apertures 234 that are positioned in a substantially rectangular shaped orientation relative to each other so as to each receive one of the fasteners 26 that are utilized to secure the tie plate to the railroad tie 214 .
- the end sections 228 , 230 can be designed to include more than four or less than four fastener apertures 234 , the fastener apertures 234 can have a different orientation relative to each other, and/or the fastener apertures 234 can be positioned on a different part of the railroad tie 214 .
- the middle section 232 is substantially rectangular in shape and extends away from and between the inner end 228 I of the first end section 228 and the inner end 230 I of the second end section 230 .
- the middle section 232 extends away from the inner end 228 I of the first end section 228 near the second side 228 S of the first end section 228
- the middle section 232 extends away from the inner end 230 I of the second end section 230 near the first side 230 F of the second end section 230 , so as to form the substantially narrow “Z” shape of the railroad tie 214 .
- the middle section 232 extends away from the first end section 228 at a first angle 236 of between approximately 75 and 95 degrees, and the middle section 232 extends away from the second end section 230 at a second angle 238 of between approximately 75 and 95 degrees. In one such embodiment, the middle section 232 extends away from the first end section 228 at a first angle 236 of approximately 85 degrees, and the middle section 232 extends away from the second end section 230 at a second angle 238 of approximately 85 degrees.
- the middle section 232 can have a different shape, the middle section 232 can be oriented differently relative to the first end section 228 and the second end section 230 , and/or the middle section 232 can extend away from the first end section 228 and the second end section 230 at different positions.
- the middle section 232 can extend away from the first end section 228 at a first angle 236 of less than 75 degrees or greater than 95 degrees, and the middle section 232 can extend away from the second end section 230 at a second angle 238 of less than 75 degrees or greater than 95 degrees.
- middle section 232 can extend away from the inner end 228 I of the first end section 228 near the first side 228 F of the first end section 228 , and the middle section 232 can extend away from the inner end 230 I of the second end section 230 near the second side 230 S of the second end section 230 , so as to form a reversed narrow “Z” shape of the railroad tie 214 .
- the middle section 232 of the railroad tie 214 has a first vertical face 240 and an opposed second vertical face 242 that intersect respectively with the inner end 228 I of the first end section 228 and the inner end 230 I of the second end section 230 with curved surfaces.
- the “Z” shaped profile or footprint of the railroad tie 214 creates a first pocket 244 in the area where the inner end 228 I of the first end section 228 meets with the first vertical face 240 of the middle section 232 , and creates a second pocket 246 where the inner end 230 I of the second end section 230 meets with the second vertical face 242 of the middle section 232 .
- ballast rocks have been filled in and around the assembled railroad ties 214 and up to a top surface 214 T of the railroad ties 214
- the first pocket 244 and the second pocket 246 provide a hook into and across the greater majority of the rail bed 12 in both directions perpendicular to the rails 16 , 18 (illustrated in FIG. 1 ).
- These two pockets 244 , 246 of each railroad tie 214 provide far superior grip into the ballast rocks of the rail bed 12 so as to inhibit relative movement or shifting between the railroad ties 214 and the rail bed 12 when or if side loads are introduced to the rail system 10 .
- the railroad tie 214 is a single, contiguous piece and not an assembly of numerous pieces.
- the first end section 228 , the second end section 230 and the middle section 232 can be formed separately and subsequently fixedly secured together to form the completed railroad tie 214 .
- One method of manufacturing the railroad tie 214 would be conventional injection molding of the railroad tie 214 from virgin or recycled plastic.
- Another method of manufacturing the railroad tie 214 would be compression or ram-molding technique that would use a combination of finely ground plastic and sand as the material to be molded.
- a certain measure of the ground plastic would be uniformly mixed with an appropriate amount of conventional sand and then loaded within the lower cavity half of the mold pair.
- the upper mold half would be driven down and into the lower mold half with enough force to compress the sand and ground plastic mixture to create a cold flow of the plastic around the sand particles and binding them together. This process requires no added heat or cooling for the mixed plastic and sand or for the finished product.
- Similar compression or ram molding as described herein is known in other applications and results in a very tough finished product that is resistant to impact damage, equally capable of handling tension and compression loads as well as wood or plastic ties, resistant to weather damage, resistant to insect destruction, creates precision finished parts, quick to manufacture with no curing time required, long life cycle, does not generate any environmental contamination, can be fabricated from recycled or virgin plastics and has a lower anticipated cost than wood ties that have been treated with preservatives. Additional combinations of different materials can be used in the compression molding of the railroad ties 214 such as chipped ABS plastic from car bumpers, crumb rubber from tires and others. Still alternatively, another method can be utilized to fabricate the railroad tie 214 or other materials could be used without altering the breadth and scope of the present invention.
- FIG. 2B is a side view of the railroad tie 214 illustrated in FIG. 2A .
- FIG. 2B illustrates that the railroad tie 214 is designed to have a substantially uniform thickness or height throughout the first end section 228 , the second end section 230 and the middle section 232 .
- the first end section 228 , the second end section 230 and the middle section 232 can be designed so that one or more of the sections 228 , 230 , 232 have a different thickness than the other sections 228 , 230 , 232 .
- FIG. 2C is a bottom view of the railroad tie 214 illustrated in FIG. 2A .
- the railroad tie 214 further includes a bottom surface 214 B having the plurality of fastener apertures 234 and one or more cavities 248 .
- each end section 228 , 230 can include four fastener apertures 234 that are positioned in a substantially rectangular shaped orientation relative to each other so as to each receive one of the fasteners 26 that are utilized to secure the tie plate to the railroad tie 214 .
- the end sections 228 , 230 can be designed to include more than four or less than four fastener apertures 234 , the fastener apertures 234 can have a different orientation relative to each other, and/or the fastener apertures 234 can be positioned on a different part of the railroad tie 214 .
- the railroad tie 214 includes numerous cavities 248 that are substantially evenly spaced apart along the bottom surface 214 B of the railroad tie 214 .
- the cavities 248 are substantially circular shaped and can be at least approximately one centimeter or ten millimeters (0.39 inches) in diameter. Stated another way, in such embodiments, the cavities 248 can be at least approximately 0.80 square centimeters or eighty square millimeters.
- FIG. 2C illustrates that the railroad tie 214 can include 47 cavities 248 that are at least approximately one centimeter in diameter.
- the railroad tie 214 can be designed to include more than or less than 47 cavities 248 , the cavities 248 can be designed to have a different size or shape, and/or the cavities 248 can have a different positioning along the bottom surface 214 B of the railroad tie 214 .
- the cavities 248 can have a diameter that is at least approximately 0.5 centimeters, 0.75 centimeters, 1.25 centimeters, 1.5 centimeters, 2 centimeters, or some other size.
- the cavities 248 can be square shaped, rectangle shaped, hexagon shaped, octagon shaped, oval shaped, or some other shape.
- the openings to the cavities 248 can have sides that are approximately 0.9 centimeters or nine millimeters in length to result in the same approximate area at the opening, e.g., approximately eighty square millimeters, as the cavities 248 discussed above.
- the intent of the cavities 248 is to reduce the total volume and weight of the railroad tie 214 for ease of manufacture, lower cost of manufacturing with less material, shorter cycle time, generate more consistent material thickness throughout the railroad tie 214 , and provide slight recesses for grabbing on to the sharp edges and points of the ballast rocks of the rail bed 12 (illustrated in FIG. 1 ) upon which the bottom surface 214 B of the railroad tie 214 rests when installed. Stated another way, the cavities 248 cooperate with the pockets 244 , 246 (illustrated in FIG.
- each railroad tie 214 to provide far superior grip into the ballast rocks of the rail bed 12 so as to inhibit relative movement or shifting between the railroad ties 214 and the rail bed 12 when or if side loads are introduced to the rail system 10 (illustrated in FIG. 1 ).
- FIG. 2D is a cross-sectional side view of the railroad tie 214 cut along line 2 D- 2 D in FIG. 2C .
- the fastener apertures 234 are designed to extend fully through the bottom surface 214 B and the top surface 214 T of the railroad tie 214 .
- the fastener aperture 234 includes a cylindrical pathway 234 A that extends away from the top surface 214 T of the railroad tie 214 , and a shorter, wider diameter cylindrical recess 234 B that is positioned adjacent to the bottom surface 214 B of the railroad tie 214 .
- the cylindrical pathway 234 A and the cylindrical recess 234 B are substantially concentric with each other.
- the fastener apertures 234 are designed so that the shank of the fastener 234 (illustrated in FIG. 1 ), e.g., the carriage bolt, would pass though the cylindrical pathway 234 A and into the cylindrical recess 234 B.
- the overall length of the fastener 234 would be just less than the height of the railroad tie 214 plus the thickness of the tie plate 20 (illustrated in FIG. 1 ).
- the fastener 234 would include a threaded portion that would reside in the cylindrical recess 234 B, which would have a sufficient diameter for a conventional threaded nut to be fastened onto the threaded portion of the fastener 234 with a conventional socket without interference. When assembled, no portion of the fasteners 234 , i.e. not the carriage bolt or the threaded nut, would extend below the bottom surface 214 B of the railroad tie 214 .
- the cavities 248 can be substantially cylindrical shaped and can penetrate the bottom surface 214 B of the railroad tie 214 for a distance somewhat less than the overall vertical height of the railroad tie 214 . Stated another way, the cavities 248 do not extend through the top surface 214 T of the railroad tie 214 . In alternative, non-exclusive embodiments, the cavities 248 have a depth that is approximately 60, 70, 80, or 90 percent of the overall vertical height of the railroad tie 214 .
- FIG. 3 is a top view of another embodiment of a pair of railroad ties 314 having features of the present invention.
- the railroad ties 314 again include a first end section 328 , a spaced apart second end section 330 , and a middle section 332 that extends between and couples the first end section 328 and the second end section 330 .
- the railroad ties 314 can further include a first intermediate section 350 that is positioned substantially between the first end section 328 and the middle section 332 , and a second intermediate section 352 that is positioned substantially between the second end section 330 and the middle section 332 .
- the railroad ties 314 can have a shape that is somewhat similar to that of dumbbell weights.
- the first end section 328 has a first width 328 W and the second end section 330 has a second width 330 W.
- the first width 328 W and the second width 330 W can be substantially equal.
- the railroad tie 314 can be designed so that the first width 328 W is greater than or less than the second width 330 W.
- the middle section 332 has a middle width 332 W that is different than the first width 328 W and the second width 330 W.
- the middle width 332 W can be 5%, 10%, 15%, 25%, 40%, 50% or some other percent different than the first width 328 W and/or the second width 330 W.
- the middle width 332 W can be less than the first width 328 W and the second width 330 W.
- the middle width 332 W can be greater than the first width 328 W and/or greater than the second width 330 W.
- the first intermediate section 350 has a first intermediate width 350 W that is different than the first width 328 W and the middle width 332 W
- the second intermediate section 352 has a second intermediate width 352 W that is different than the second width 330 W and the middle width 332 W.
- the first intermediate width 350 W can be less than the first width 328 W and greater than the middle width 332 W
- the second intermediate width 352 W can be less than the second width 330 W and greater than the middle width 332 W.
- the first intermediate width 350 W can be greater than the first width 328 W and/or less than the middle width 332 W
- the second intermediate width 352 W can be greater than the second width 330 W and/or less than the middle width 332 W.
- the first intermediate width 350 W and the second intermediate width 352 W are substantially equal.
- the first intermediate width 350 W can be greater than or less than the second intermediate width 352 W.
- the first end section 328 is substantially rectangular in shape
- the second end section 330 is substantially rectangular in shape
- the first intermediate section 350 is substantially rectangular in shape and extends substantially perpendicularly away from the first end section 328 toward the second end section 330 from a center of the first end section 328
- the second intermediate section 352 is substantially rectangular in shape and extends substantially perpendicularly away from the second end section 330 toward the first end section 328 from a center of the second end section 330
- the middle section 332 is substantially rectangular in shape and extends substantially perpendicularly between the first intermediate section 350 and the second intermediate section 352 from a center of the first intermediate section 350 to a center of the second intermediate section 352 .
- first end section 328 , the second end section 330 , the first intermediate section 350 , the second intermediate section 352 and the middle section 332 can have different shapes, the sections 328 , 330 , 332 , 350 , 352 can be oriented differently relative to each other, and/or the sections 328 , 330 , 332 , 350 , 352 can extend away from each other at different positions.
- the different sections 328 , 330 , 332 , 350 , 352 of the railroad tie 314 cooperate to form eight pockets 354 in order to provide far superior grip into the ballast rocks of the rail bed 12 (illustrated in FIG. 1 ) so as to inhibit relative movement or shifting between the railroad ties 314 and the rail bed 12 when or if side loads are introduced to the rail system 10 (illustrated in FIG. 1 ).
- this railroad tie 314 could also include molded in cavities similar to the cavities 248 found in the railroad tie 214 illustrated in FIG. 2C .
- each tie plate 20 (illustrated in FIG. 1 ) is again secured to the railroad tie 314 with four fasteners 26 (illustrated in FIG. 1 ), which extend through the four fastener apertures 334 that are shown near either end of the railroad tie 314 .
- two fastener apertures 334 are positioned within each end section 328 , 330 and two fastener apertures 334 are positioned within each intermediate section 350 , 352 .
- each tie plate 20 can be secured to the railroad tie 314 with more than four or less than four fasteners 26 , and/or the fastener apertures 334 that are adapted to receive the fasteners 26 can be positioned in different areas of the railroad tie 314 .
- FIG. 4 is a top view of still another embodiment of a pair of railroad ties 414 having features of the present invention.
- This embodiment can provide similar functional benefits as described herein above for the railroad tie 214 illustrated in FIG. 2A .
- the railroad ties 414 can have a shape that could be described as an erect or straight “Z” shape.
- the railroad ties 414 again include a first end section 428 , a spaced apart second end section 430 , and a middle section 432 that extends between and couples the first end section 428 and the second end section 430 .
- the first end section 428 has a first width 428 W and the second end section 430 has a second width 430 W.
- the first width 428 W and the second width 430 W can be substantially equal.
- the railroad tie 414 can be designed so that the first width 428 W is greater than or less than the second width 430 W.
- the middle section 432 has a middle width 432 W that is different than the first width 428 W and the second width 430 W.
- the middle width 432 W can be 5%, 10%, 15%, 25%, 40%, 50% or some other percent different than the first width 428 W and/or the second width 430 W.
- the middle width 432 W can be less than the first width 428 W and the second width 430 W.
- the middle width 432 W can be greater than the first width 428 W and/or greater than the second width 430 W.
- the first end section 428 is substantially rectangular in shape
- the second end section 430 is substantially rectangular in shape
- the middle section 432 is substantially rectangular in shape and extends substantially perpendicularly between the first end section 428 and the second end section 430 from near a side of the first end section 428 to near a side of the second end section 430 .
- the first end section 428 , the second end section 430 , and the middle section 432 can have different shapes
- the sections 428 , 430 , 432 can be oriented differently relative to each other, and/or the sections 428 , 430 , 432 can extend away from each other at different positions.
- the different sections 428 , 430 , 432 of the railroad tie 414 cooperate to form two pockets 454 in order to provide far superior grip into the ballast rocks of the rail bed 12 (illustrated in FIG. 1 ) so as to inhibit relative movement or shifting between the railroad ties 414 and the rail bed 12 when or if side loads are introduced to the rail system 10 (illustrated in FIG. 1 ).
- this railroad tie 414 could also include molded in cavities similar to the cavities 248 found in the railroad tie 214 illustrated in FIG. 2C .
- each tie plate 20 (illustrated in FIG. 1 ) is again secured to the railroad tie 414 with four fasteners 26 (illustrated in FIG. 1 ), which extend through the four fastener apertures 434 that are shown near either end of the railroad tie 414 .
- two fastener apertures 434 are positioned within each end section 428 , 430 and four fastener apertures 434 are positioned within the middle section 432 with two of the fastener apertures 434 being positioned near each end section 428 , 430 .
- each tie plate 20 can be secured to the railroad tie 414 with more than four or less than four fasteners 26 , and/or the fastener apertures 434 that are adapted to receive the fasteners 26 can be positioned in different areas of the railroad tie 414 .
- FIG. 5A is a top view of an embodiment of a half expansion joint 522 A having features of the present invention.
- the design of the half expansion joint 522 A can be varied to suit the specific design of the rails 16 , 18 (illustrated in FIG. 1 ) and to suit the specific requirements of the rail system 10 (illustrated in FIG. 1 ).
- the half expansion joint 522 A is designed so that at least a portion of the half expansion joint 522 A has a cross-sectional shape that matches the cross-sectional shape of the rails 16 , 18 with which the half expansion joint 522 A will be used.
- the half expansion joint 522 A is designed to be utilized with a second half expansion joint 622 B (illustrated in FIG. 6A ) that can be substantially identical in design in order to form a complete rail joint 622 (illustrated in FIG. 6A ).
- a second half expansion joint 622 B illustrated in FIG. 6A
- one of the half expansion joints 522 A, 622 B will be fixedly secured, e.g., via butt-welding, to the first rail section 16 A and the other half expansion joint 522 A, 622 B will be fixedly secured to the second rail section 16 B.
- the half expansion joint 522 A is designed to have sufficient strength throughout its length to independently support the weight of a train or other rail vehicle as it moves over the rail joint 622 , even in those portions of the rail joint 622 where the half expansion joints 522 A, 622 B do not overlap.
- the half expansion joint 522 A includes a first side 556 , a second side 558 , a first end 560 , a second end 562 , a front section 564 that extends away from the first end 560 , an overlap section 566 that extends between the front section 564 and the second end 562 , and a first vertical face 568 that defines part of the front section 564 and that forms a portion of the border between the front section 564 and the overlap section 566 .
- the front section 564 extends from the first end 560 to the first vertical face 568
- the overlap section 566 extends from the first vertical face 568 to the second end 562 .
- the first side 556 of the half expansion joint 522 A is substantially linear along the entire length of the first side 556 .
- the second side 558 includes a stepped portion that is formed by the first vertical face 568 such that the width of the overlap section 566 is approximately one-half the width of the front section 564 .
- FIG. 5B is a side view of the half expansion joint 522 A illustrated in FIG. 5A .
- FIG. 5B illustrates certain features of the half expansion joint 522 A as viewed from the first side 556 of the half expansion joint 522 A.
- the half expansion joint 522 A further includes a head 570 , a foot 572 , a second vertical face 574 , a pair of joint apertures 576 , and a pair of joint slots 578 .
- the half expansion joint 522 A can include more or less than two joint apertures 576 and/or more or less than two joint slots 578 .
- the head 570 of the half expansion joint 522 A will cooperate with the top of the rails 16 , 18 to form a substantially uniform surface along which the wheels of the train will ride. Additionally, the foot 572 of the half expansion joint 522 A coincides with the bottom of the rails 16 , 18 and is secured to the railroad ties 14 (illustrated in FIG. 1 ) in a similar manner as the rails 16 , 18 are secured to the railroad ties 14 .
- the second vertical face 574 is positioned near the first end 560 of the half expansion joint 522 A.
- the second vertical face 574 and the first vertical face 568 (illustrated in FIG. 5A ) help to define the portions of the half expansion joint 522 A where the cross-section of the half expansion joint 522 A varies from the first end 560 to the second end 562 .
- the pair of joint apertures 576 extend fully through the half expansion joint 522 A from the first side 556 to the second side 558 (illustrated in FIG. 5C ).
- the joint apertures 576 are substantially circular in shape and are each adapted to receive a connector 680 (illustrated in FIG. 6A ) in order to selectively couple the first half expansion joint 622 A (illustrated in FIG. 6A ) to the second half expansion joint 622 B (illustrated in FIG. 6A ).
- the joint apertures 576 can be designed to have a different shape.
- the pair of joint slots 578 extend fully through the half expansion joint 522 A from the first side 556 to the second side 558 .
- the joint slots 578 have ends that are substantially semi-circular in shape and that are substantially identical in diameter to the joint apertures 576 .
- the joint slots 578 are also each adapted to receive a portion of the connector 680 in order to selectively couple the first half expansion joint 622 A to the second half expansion joint 622 B.
- the joint slots 578 can be designed so that the ends have a different shape.
- FIG. 5C is a side view of the half expansion joint 522 A illustrated in FIG. 5A .
- FIG. 5C illustrates certain features of the half expansion joint 522 A as viewed from the second side 558 of the half expansion joint 522 A.
- the joint apertures 576 and the joint slots 578 are visible to demonstrate that the joint apertures 576 and the joint slots 578 do extend fully through the half expansion joint 522 A from the first side 556 (illustrated in FIG. 5B ) to the second side 558 .
- both the first vertical face 568 and the second vertical face 574 are visible.
- FIG. 5C illustrates that the joint apertures 576 and the joint slots 578 are all positioned within the overlap section 566 of the half expansion joint 522 A.
- the half expansion joint 522 A has three different cross-sections as one moves from the first end 560 to the second end 562 of the half expansion joint, as illustrated in FIGS. 5D-5F .
- FIG. 5D is a cross-sectional end view of the half expansion joint 522 A cut along line 5 D- 5 D in FIG. 5C
- FIG. 5E is a cross-sectional end view of the half expansion joint 522 A cut along line 5 E- 5 E in FIG. 5C
- FIG. 5F is cross-sectional end view of the half expansion joint 522 A cut along line 5 F- 5 F in FIG. 5C .
- FIG. 5D illustrates the first cross-section of the half-expansion joint 522 A, which extends from the first end 560 (illustrated in FIG. 5C ) to the second vertical face 574 (illustrated in FIG. 5C ).
- the first cross-section as illustrated in FIG. 5D , is designed to match the cross-sectional profile of the rail section 16 A, 16 B, 18 A, 18 B (illustrated in FIG. 1 ) to which the half expansion joint 522 A is being fixedly secured in order to enable a smooth transition for the train as it travels from the rail section 16 A, 16 B, 18 A, 18 B to the half expansion joint 522 A and/or from the half expansion joint 522 A to the rail section 16 A, 16 B, 18 A, 18 B.
- the first cross-section includes the head 570 , the foot 572 and a web 582 that extends between the head 570 and the foot 572 .
- the foot 572 is somewhat wider than the head 570 and the web 582 is substantially narrower than both the head 570 and the foot 572 .
- This first cross-section is a profile of a typical Vignoles or flat bottom rail.
- FIG. 5E illustrates the second cross-section of the half expansion joint 522 A, which extends from the second vertical face 574 (illustrated in FIG. 5C ) to the first vertical face 568 (illustrated in FIG. 5C ).
- the web portion is essentially eliminated, and the half expansion joint 522 A maintains the same width from the head 570 all the way down to the foot 572 .
- the vertical edges of the head 570 have been extended down to intersect with the foot 572 of the half expansion joint 522 A.
- the unique design of the half expansion joint 522 A includes this second cross-section wherein the web portion has been fully extended to the outer edges of the head 570 . This widened cross-section for the full rail height is sufficient for the half expansion joint 522 A to carry fully loaded rail cars.
- FIG. 5F illustrates the third cross-section of the half expansion joint 522 A, which extends from the first vertical face 568 (illustrated in FIG. 5C ) to the second end 562 (illustrated in FIG. 5C ).
- the third cross-section is present through the entire length of the overlap section 566 (illustrated in FIG. 5A ) of the half expansion joint 522 A.
- the third cross-section essentially encompasses the same profile as the second cross-section as found in FIG. 5E , but the profile has been vertically cut in half. Accordingly, in the third cross-section, the head 570 as it extends all the way down to the foot 572 has a width that is approximately one-half of the width of the head 570 in the second cross-section. Further, in the third cross-section, the foot 572 has a width that is approximately one-half of the width of the foot 572 in the second cross-section.
- FIG. 5G is cross-sectional top view of the half expansion joint 522 A cut along line 5 G- 5 G in FIG. 5C .
- FIG. 5G illustrates the view of the half expansion joint 522 A that has been cut through the vertical axis of the half expansion joint 522 A and through the centers of the joint apertures 576 and the joint slots 578 .
- This view also reveals that the second side 558 is substantially planar in the vertical direction as it extends from the top of the head 570 (illustrated in FIG. 5B ) of the half expansion joint 522 A all the way to the bottom surface of the foot 572 (illustrated in FIG. 5B ) of the half expansion joint 522 A.
- half expansion joint 522 A would be cast or forged pieces from steel of a quality equal or superior to the steel rail to which it will be welded. Prior to welding to the steel rail section, it is anticipated that the vertical face of the second side 558 of the overlap section 566 and the horizontal interior surfaces of the joint aperture 576 and the joint slots 578 would be machined to precision tolerances to facilitate the interface or matching up with another half expansion joint that has been pre-welded to a different section of steel rail.
- the half expansion joint 522 A has a certain symmetrical shape and features such that two sections of steel rail, each with a half expansion joint 522 A pre-welded to one end, can be interfaced in a co-planar relationship with each second side 558 of the overlap section 566 and about the common vertical and longitudinal centerlines of the steel rails.
- FIG. 6A is a partially exploded top view of a rail expansion joint 622 cut along section line 5 G- 5 G having features of the present invention, wherein the rail expansion joint is being positioned in a contracted configuration.
- FIG. 6A illustrates a first half expansion joint 622 A and a second half expansion joint 622 B (also referred to herein as joint members) that are being selectively and slidingly coupled together to form the rail expansion joint 622 .
- the first half expansion joint 622 A and the second half expansion joint 622 B are substantially identical in design in order to form the complete rail expansion joint 622 .
- each of the half expansion joints 622 A, 622 B are substantially identical in design to the half expansion joint 522 A described in detail above in relation to FIGS.
- a coupling assembly 684 must be utilized that allows for the two half expansion joints 622 A, 622 B to slide relative to one another and still maintain the co-planar relationship of the second side 658 of the overlap section 666 of each of the joint members 622 A, 622 B.
- the rail expansion joint 622 of the present invention is uniquely designed such that the first joint member 622 A can be selectively coupled to the second joint member 622 B such that the first joint member 622 A at least partially overlaps the second joint member 622 B, i.e. the overlap section 666 of the first joint member 622 A at least partially overlaps the overlap section 666 of the second joint member 622 B in a co-planar fashion, wherein each joint member 622 A, 622 B is designed to individually support the weight of the train or other rail vehicle as it moves along the rail expansion joint 622 .
- joint members 622 A, 622 B can slide relative to each other from the contracted configuration, illustrated in FIGS. 6A-6C , to an expanded configuration, illustrated in FIGS. 6D-6F , or anywhere in between, as a means of compensating for the thermal expansion and contraction of the rail sections 16 A, 16 B, 18 A, 18 B (illustrated in FIG. 1 ) due to temperature changes in the surrounding environment.
- This unique design allows for the railcar wheel to smoothly transition from one section of rail to the next without having to bridge across a physical gap.
- the coupling assembly 684 includes the joint apertures 676 and joint slots 678 that are present in each of the half expansion joints 622 A, 622 B, and a plurality of connectors 680 that are adapted to extend through the joint apertures 676 and the joint slots 678 .
- the connectors 680 can be conventional UNC screw type bolt fasteners that can be used to assemble the half expansion joints 622 A, 622 B into a fully functional rail expansion joint 622 .
- each connector 680 would be a conventional threaded fastener with a hex head and a smooth or unthreaded portion known as the shank 680 A and a threaded portion 680 B.
- the length of the shank 680 A away from the bottom of the hex head would a small amount more, estimated to be 0.013 centimeters (0.005 inches), than twice the through dimension of joint apertures 676 and joint slots 678 and never less than twice that same through dimension.
- the threaded portion 680 B of the connectors 680 would have slightly smaller diameter than the shank 680 A and be fully threaded up to where the shank 680 A commences.
- a different type of connector 680 can be used.
- each connector 680 can include a conventional nut 685 (only one is illustrated in FIG. 6A ) and a flat washer (not shown) that would go over the threaded portion to engage to the bottom the shank 680 A.
- the length of the threaded portion 680 B would be somewhat longer than the height of the nut and the thickness of the washer.
- the coupling assembly 684 includes four connectors 680 for selectively and slidingly coupling the first joint member 622 A to the second joint member 622 B.
- the coupling assembly 684 can be designed to include more than four or less than four connectors 680 .
- the connectors 680 are not fully tightened so that the expansion joints 622 A and 622 B can slide relative to each other.
- each of the connectors 680 extends through one of the joint apertures 676 and is lined up to extend through one of the joint slots 678 at a semi-circular end of the joint slot 678 such that the second end 662 of one joint member 622 A, 6226 will be at its closest point to the first vertical face 668 of the other joint member 662 A, 662 B.
- each of the connectors 680 that extend through one of the joint apertures 676 will be in alignment with the end of the opposing joint slot 678 that allows the second end 662 of one joint member 622 A, 622 B to be at its closest point to the first vertical face 668 of the other joint member 662 A, 662 B.
- the gap distance between the first vertical face 668 of one joint member 622 A, 622 B and the second end 662 of the other joint member 622 A, 662 B in a fully assembled rail joint 622 is dependent upon the ambient temperature and the actual rail temperature. Additionally, the distance between rail expansion joints 622 is dependent upon the climatic zone in which the rail system is installed. The greater the expected temperature variation that the steel rail will see, the shorter the distance between the expansion joints 622 . For the upper Central Plains of North America spacing in the range of 200 feet would be anticipated.
- FIG. 6B is a top view of the rail expansion joint 622 illustrated in FIG. 6A .
- the connectors 680 are fully positioned through the corresponding joint apertures 676 (illustrated more clearly in FIG. 6C ) and joint slots 678 (illustrated more clearly in FIG. 6C ) such that the second sides 658 of the overlapping sections 666 of the joint members 622 A, 622 B are in a co-planar relationship with each other with the rail expansion joint 622 in the contracted configuration.
- FIG. 6C is cross-sectional top view cut along line 5 G- 5 G as found in FIG. 5C of the rail expansion joint 622 illustrated in FIG. 6B .
- FIG. 6C illustrates a top view of the rail expansion joint 622 that has been cut through the joint apertures 676 and the joint slots 678 to more fully demonstrate the positioning of the connectors 680 through the joint apertures 676 and the joint slots 678 .
- FIG. 6D is a partially exploded top view cut along line 5 G- 5 G as found in FIG. 5C of the rail expansion joint 622 illustrated in FIG. 6A , wherein the rail expansion joint is being positioned in an expanded configuration.
- each of the connectors 680 extends through one of the joint apertures 676 and is lined up to extend through one of the joint slots 678 at a semi-circular end of the joint slot 678 such that the second end 662 of one joint member 622 A, 622 B will be at its farthest point to the first vertical face 668 of the other joint member 662 A, 662 B.
- each of the connectors 680 that extend through one of the joint apertures 676 will be in alignment with the end of the opposing joint slot 678 that allows the second end 662 of one joint member 622 A, 622 B to be at its farthest point to the first vertical face 668 of the other joint member 662 A, 6628 .
- FIG. 6E is a top view of the rail expansion joint 622 illustrated in FIG. 6D .
- the connectors 680 are fully positioned through the corresponding joint apertures 676 (illustrated more clearly in FIG. 6F ) and joint slots 678 (illustrated more clearly in FIG. 6F ) such that the second sides 658 of the overlapping sections 666 of the joint members 622 A, 622 B are in a co-planar relationship with each other with the rail expansion joint 622 in the expanded configuration.
- FIG. 6F is a cross-sectional top view of the rail expansion joint 622 illustrated in FIG. 6E .
- FIG. 6F illustrates a top view of the rail expansion joint 622 that has been cut through the joint apertures 676 and the joint slots 678 along line 5 G- 5 G as found in FIG. 5C to more fully demonstrate the positioning of the connectors 680 through the joint apertures 676 and the joint slots 678 .
- FIG. 7A is a top view of the rail expansion joint 622 illustrated in FIG. 6A , wherein the first half expansion joint 622 A and the second half expansion joint. 622 B have been fully coupled together to form the assembled rail expansion joint 622 .
- FIG. 7A illustrates that the rail expansion joint 622 includes a first end 786 , a first gap 788 , an overlap area 790 , a second gap 792 , and a second end 794 .
- the rail expansion joint 622 has different cross-sections as one moves from the first end 786 , past the first gap 788 , the overlap area 790 and the second gap 792 to the second end 794 .
- each half expansion joint 622 A, 622 B is able to individually support the weight of a rail vehicle 796 , a portion of which is illustrated in FIG. 7G .
- FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional end view of the rail expansion joint 622 cut along line 7 B- 7 B in FIG. 7A .
- FIG. 78 illustrates the cross-section of the rail expansion joint 622 near the first end 786 (illustrated in FIG. 7A ) of the rail expansion joint 622 .
- the rail expansion 622 has a cross-section near the first end 786 that is substantially identical to the cross-section of the rail section 16 A, 16 B, 18 A, 18 B (illustrated in FIG. 1 ) to which the rail expansion joint 622 is being secured.
- the resistance to bending of the rail sections 16 A, 16 B, 18 A, 18 B between two consecutive railroad ties 14 is dependent on the height, the shape and thickness of the head and the foot of the rail section 16 A, 16 B, 18 A, 18 B and the thickness of the web between the head and the foot.
- the typical web thickness is approximately 1.27 centimeters (or 0.5 inches) and the typical head thickness is approximately seven centimeters (or 2.75 inches). Accordingly, the cross-section of the rail expansion joint 622 near the first end 786 , as illustrated in FIG.
- the ability of the rail expansion joint 622 near the first end 786 to support the weight of the rail vehicle 796 and to resist bending is substantially similar to that of a typical rail section 16 A, 16 B, 18 A, 18 B.
- FIG. 7C is a cross-sectional end view of the rail expansion joint cut along line 7 C- 7 C in FIG. 7A .
- FIG. 7C illustrates the cross-section of the rail expansion joint 622 in the first gap 788 (illustrated in FIG. 7A ), wherein a rail vehicle 796 (a portion of which is illustrated in FIG. 7G ) riding along the rail sections 16 A, 16 B, 18 A, 18 B (illustrated in FIG. 1 ) and the rail expansion joint 622 will only be supported by the first half expansion joint 622 A (illustrated in FIG. 7A ).
- the cross-section of the rail expansion joint 622 within the first gap 788 has a thickness from the head 770 downward of approximately one-half the thickness of a typical head, or approximately 3.5 centimeters (or 1.375 inches). As can be easily seen, the thickness of the rail expansion joint 622 within the first gap 788 is substantially greater than the thickness of the web of a typical rail. Accordingly, the ability of the rail expansion joint 622 within the first gap 788 to support the weight of the rail vehicle 796 and to resist bending is not any less than a typical rail section 16 A, 16 B, 18 A, 18 B.
- FIG. 7D is a cross-sectional end view of the rail expansion joint cut along line 7 D- 7 D in FIG. 7A .
- FIG. 7D illustrates the cross-section of the rail expansion joint 622 in the overlap area 790 (illustrated in FIG. 7A ), wherein the rail vehicle 796 (a portion of which is illustrated in FIG. 7G ) will be supported by both half expansion joints 622 A, 622 B (illustrated in FIG. 7A ).
- the cross-section of the rail expansion joint 622 within the overlap area 790 has a thickness from the head 770 downward of approximately the thickness of a typical head, or approximately seven centimeters (or 2.75 inches). As can be easily seen, the thickness of the rail expansion joint 622 within the overlap section 790 is substantially greater than the thickness of the web of a typical rail. Accordingly, the ability of the rail expansion joint 622 within the overlap section 790 to support the weight of the rail vehicle 796 and to resist bending is significantly increased as compared to a typical rail section 16 A, 16 B, 18 A, 18 B (illustrated in FIG. 1 ).
- FIG. 7E is a cross-sectional end view of the rail expansion joint cut along line 7 E- 7 E in FIG. 7A .
- FIG. 7E illustrates the cross-section of the rail expansion joint 622 in the second gap 792 (illustrated in FIG. 7A ), wherein the rail vehicle 796 (a portion of which is illustrated in FIG. 7G ) riding along the rail sections 16 A, 16 B, 18 A, 18 B (illustrated in FIG. 1 ) and the rail expansion joint 622 will only be supported by the second half expansion joint 622 B (illustrated in FIG. 7A ).
- the cross-section of the rail expansion joint 622 within the second gap 792 has a thickness from the head 770 downward of approximately one-half the thickness of a typical head, or approximately 3.5 centimeters (or 1.375 inches). As can be easily seen, the thickness of the rail expansion joint 622 within the second gap 792 is substantially greater than the thickness of the web of a typical rail. Accordingly, the ability of the rail expansion joint 622 within the second gap 792 to support the weight of the rail vehicle 796 and to resist bending is not any less than a typical rail section 16 A, 16 B, 18 A, 18 B.
- FIG. 7F is a cross-sectional end view of the rail expansion joint cut along line 7 F- 7 F in FIG. 7A .
- FIG. 7F illustrates the cross-section of the rail expansion joint 622 near the second end 794 (illustrated in FIG. 7A ) of the rail expansion joint 622 .
- the rail expansion 622 has a cross-section near the second end 794 that is substantially identical to the cross-section of the rail section 16 A, 16 B, 18 A, 18 B (illustrated in FIG. 1 ) to which the rail expansion joint 622 is being secured.
- the cross-section of the rail expansion joint 622 near the second end 794 has a web 782 thickness of approximately 1.27 centimeters (or 0.5 inches) and a head 770 thickness is approximately seven centimeters (or 2.75 inches), just as that of a typical rail section. Therefore, the ability of the rail expansion joint 622 near the second end 794 to support the weight of the rail vehicle 796 and to resist bending is substantially similar to that of a typical rail section 16 A, 16 B, 18 A, 18 B.
- FIG. 7G is a simplified top view of the rail expansion joint 622 illustrated in FIG. 7A and a portion of the rail vehicle 796 .
- FIG. 7G illustrates a wheel 796 A (although illustrated as a rectangle the contact between the wheel and the rail is nominally a line across the top surface of the rail) of the rail vehicle 796 at different positions along the length of the rail expansion joint 622 from the first end 786 to the second end 794 .
- FIG. 7G illustrates the surface contact area that the wheel 796 A “sees” as it passes through the length of the rail expansion joint 622 . As demonstrated, at no time is the wheel 796 A unsupported as it passes through the rail expansion joint 622 .
- the wheel 796 A passes along the length of the rail expansion joint 622 , the wheel 796 A is always and continuously supported as by at least one, if not both of the half expansion joints 622 A, 622 B (illustrated in FIG. 7A of the rail expansion joint 622 .
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Abstract
A railroad tie that is positioned on a rail bed as part of a rail system comprises a first end section, a second end section, and a middle section The middle section extends between and couples the first end section and the second end section The first end section has a first width The second end section has a second width The middle section has a middle width that is at least five percent different than the first width and the second width The middle width can be at least five percent less than the first width and the second width Additionally, the first width can be substantially equal to the second width Further, the middle section can extend away from the first end section at a first angle of between approximately 75 and 95 degrees
Description
- Conventional train rail systems are comprised of six basic elements: (1) the steel rail; (2) the tie plate of “chair” that the rail sits on; (3) the railroad tie or “sleeper” to which two tie plates are affixed; (4) the fasteners that secure the rail to the tie plate and the railroad tie; (5) a joint system for adjoining consecutive lengths of rail sections; and (6) the foundation/bed of ballast rock within which the railroad ties rest and the track system is held in place.
- Typical railroad ties are generally rectangular in shape and are generally laid transverse to the direction of the rails. Traditionally and most commonly, railroad ties are made of wood, although concrete, plastic and steel railroad ties are currently used as well.
- Wood is the least expensive material used for the manufacturing of railroad ties, but it also has the shortest life cycle before needing replacement. For example, wooden railroad ties are more subject to weather related degradation, can be weakened due to insect attack, and are more likely to release the spike or screws that hold the rail to the tie plate. Additionally, the preservatives used to extend the life of the wood railroad ties can be an environmental contaminant.
- Concrete railroad ties are considerably more expensive than wooden railroad ties and cannot be comingled with other types of railroad ties due to their weight and the different equipment required for handling and installation of the concrete railroad ties. Concrete railroad ties are also susceptible to stress cracking from the wheel loads moving across the railroad tie, do not absorb vibrations as well as other railroad ties, and do not attenuate the wheel to rail noise as well as other types of railroad ties. Further, concrete railroad ties can have accelerated failure due to incorrect cement recipes, insufficient curing time, and/or environmental degradation.
- Plastic railroad ties are more expensive than wood and are not readily available in large quantities. Additionally, plastic railroad ties are more likely than concrete or wood to shift from side loads due to a lower coefficient of friction with the rock ballast.
- Steel railroad ties typically last longer and are less susceptible to weather related degradation than wooden railroad ties. Additionally, steel railroad ties can absorb the thermal stresses, but the relatively lightweight steel ties utilized due to cost concerns results in steel tie systems that do not resist shifting of the rails from accumulated thermal loads. Moreover, steel railroad ties can cause grounding/electrical isolation problems for track signaling systems.
- The predominant means for affixing consecutive sections of steel rail is butt-welding them together for a connected length being as much as a mile or longer. The single piece of welded rail is then installed onto the tie plates and railroad ties. Such continuous welded rail, or CWR, can be stronger than sectioned rail and can be less maintenance intensive. Typical steel rail is made from high quality hot rolled steel. Steel rail is subject to very high stress loads induced by the steel wheels of the train cars and environmental changes in the temperature. Accordingly, CWR faces certain intrinsic and serious problems that do not occur with sectioned rail that uses conventional expansion joints, in that they face significant thermal stresses as the steel used to make the rails expands in length when heated and contracts in length when cooled. Thus, the unsolved problem of thermal stress in CWR systems requires persistent, ongoing repair.
- Thermally induced stress problems in the steel rails are a well recognized and well understood issue in the rail industry. Currently, expensive and elaborate expansion joints are sometimes used in the more vulnerable and valuable track sections of high-speed passenger lines, such as bridges and curves. Full resolution of the thermal stress problem can be accomplished by the frequent use of these types of expansion joints along the full length of track. However, doing so would greatly increase the costs of installing a rail system.
- Therefore, a new rail system is needed that can have a relatively low installed cost; be significantly durable and weather resistant; successfully attenuate vibration and noise; allow for precise rail positioning; eliminate thermally induced stresses without a penalty in cost; not compromise rail strength at the section joints; be impervious to insect attack; eliminate environmental contamination from wood preservatives; greatly reduce track maintenance; increase operational performance; and increase passenger safety.
- The present invention is directed to a railroad tie that is positioned on a rail bed as part of a rail system. In certain embodiments, the railroad tie comprises a first end section, a second end section, and a middle section. The middle section extends between and couples the first end section and the second end section. The first end section has a first width. The second end section has a second width. Further, the middle section has a middle width that is at least five percent (5%) different than the first width and the second width.
- In certain embodiments, the middle width is at least five percent (5%) less than the first width and the second width. In one such embodiment, the middle width is at least twenty-five percent (25%) less than the first width and the second width. Additionally, in one embodiment, the first width is substantially equal to the second width.
- As a result of this design, (i) the first end section and the middle section cooperate to define a first pocket, and (ii) the second end section and the middle section cooperate to define a second pocket. In such embodiments, the pockets functions to inhibit relative movement between the railroad tie and the rail bed.
- Further, in certain embodiments, the railroad tie is substantially Z-shaped. In such embodiments, the middle section extends away from the first end section at a first angle of between approximately seventy-five (75) and ninety-five (95) degrees. Still further, in one such embodiment, the middle section also extends away from the second end section at a second angle of between approximately seventy-five (75) and ninety-five (95) degrees.
- Alternatively, in one embodiment, the railroad tie can be substantially dumbbell shaped. In such embodiment, the railroad tie further includes a first intermediate section and a second intermediate section. The first intermediate section is positioned between the first end section and the middle section. Additionally, the first intermediate section has a first intermediate width that is different than the first width and the middle width. Further, the second intermediate section is positioned between the second end section and the middle section. The second intermediate section has a second intermediate width that is different than the second width and the middle width.
- In some embodiments, the railroad tie further includes a bottom surface and a top surface. In certain embodiments, the bottom surface has one or more cavities that each has an area at its opening that is at least approximately eighty (80) square millimeters. Further, the cavities can be substantially evenly spaced along the bottom surface. Additionally, in one such embodiment, the one or more cavities do not extend through the top surface.
- Additionally, the present invention is directed to a rail system including a rail bed, a plurality of railroad ties that are positioned on the rail bed, and a pair of spaced apart rails that are coupled to the plurality of railroad ties. In some embodiments, the railroad ties have features as described above.
- Still further, the present invention is directed to a rail joint for joining together a first rail section and a second rail section of a rail system that supports a rail vehicle, wherein the first rail section and the second rail section are positioned substantially along the same line. In certain embodiments, the rail joint comprises a first joint member and a second joint member. The second joint member is selectively coupled to the first joint member such that the second joint member at least partially overlaps the first joint member. In one embodiment, each joint member is designed to individually support the weight of the rail vehicle.
- In certain embodiments, the first joint member is fixedly secured to the first rail section and the second joint member is fixedly secured to the second rail section.
- Yet further, in some embodiments, the first joint member includes a first aperture and a first slot and the second joint member includes a second aperture and a second slot. In such embodiments, the rail joint further comprises a pair of connectors that extend through the first joint member and the second joint member to selectively couple the first joint member to the second joint member. For example, one connector can extend substantially through the first aperture and the second slot, and the other connector can extend substantially through the second aperture and the first slot. The connectors cooperate to allow relative translational movement between the first joint member and the second joint member.
- The novel features of this invention, as well as the invention itself, both as to its structure and its operation, will be best understood from the accompanying drawings, taken in conjunction with the accompanying description, in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts, and in which:
-
FIG. 1 is a top view of an embodiment of a portion of a rail system having features of the present invention; -
FIG. 2A is a top view of an embodiment of a railroad tie having features of the present invention; -
FIG. 2B is a side view of the railroad tie illustrated inFIG. 2A ; -
FIG. 2C is a bottom view of the railroad tie illustrated inFIG. 2A ; -
FIG. 2D is a cross-sectional side view of the railroad tie taken alongline 2D-2D inFIG. 2C ; -
FIG. 3 is a top view of another embodiment of a railroad tie having features of the present invention; -
FIG. 4 is a top view of still another embodiment of a railroad tie having features of the present invention; -
FIG. 5A is a top view of an embodiment of a half expansion joint having features of the present invention; -
FIG. 5B is a side view of the half expansion joint illustrated inFIG. 5A ; -
FIG. 5C is a side view of the half expansion joint illustrated inFIG. 5A ; -
FIG. 5D is a cross-sectional end view of the half expansion joint cut along line 5D-5D inFIG. 5C ; -
FIG. 5E is a cross-sectional end view of the half expansion joint cut along line 5E-5E inFIG. 5C ; -
FIG. 5F is a cross-sectional end view of the half expansion joint cut along line 5F-5F inFIG. 5C ; -
FIG. 5G is cross-sectional top view of the half expansion joint cut along line 5G-5G inFIG. 5C ; -
FIG. 6A is a partially exploded top view of a rail expansion joint cut along line 5F-5F having features of the present invention, wherein the rail expansion joint is being positioned in a contracted configuration; -
FIG. 6B is a top view of the rail expansion joint illustrated inFIG. 6A ; -
FIG. 6C is a cross-sectional top view cut along line 5G-5G of the rail expansion joint ofFIG. 6B ; -
FIG. 6D is a partially exploded top view of the rail expansion joint cut along line 5G-5G illustrated inFIG. 6A , wherein the rail expansion joint is being positioned in an expanded configuration; -
FIG. 6E is a top view of the rail expansion joint illustrated inFIG. 6D ; -
FIG. 6F is a cross-sectional top view cut along line 5G-5G of the rail expansion joint ofFIG. 6E ; -
FIG. 7A is a top view of the rail expansion joint illustrated inFIG. 6A ; -
FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional end view of the rail expansion joint cut alongline 7B-7B inFIG. 7A ; -
FIG. 7C is a cross-sectional end view of the rail expansion joint cut alongline 7C-7C inFIG. 7A ; -
FIG. 7D is a cross-sectional end view of the rail expansion joint cut alongline 7D-7D inFIG. 7A ; -
FIG. 7E is a cross-sectional end view of the rail expansion joint cut alongline 7E-7E inFIG. 7A ; -
FIG. 7F is a cross-sectional end view of the rail expansion joint cut alongline 7F-7F inFIG. 7A ; and -
FIG. 7G is a simplified top view of the rail expansion joint illustrated inFIG. 7A and a portion of a rail vehicle. -
FIG. 1 is a top view of an embodiment of a portion of arail system 10 having features of the present invention. As illustrated, therail system 10 includes arail bed 12, a plurality ofrailroad ties 14 that are positioned on and/or within therail bed 12, afirst rail 16 and a spaced apartsecond rail 18 that are supported on the railroad ties 14, a plurality oftie plates 20 that couple thefirst rail 16 and thesecond rail 18 to the railroad ties 14, and one or more rail joints 22. As discussed in greater detail herein, the design of the various components of therail system 10 can be varied to suit the specific design requirements of therail system 10. - As an overview, the
rail system 10 of the present invention includes various features that enable the production and operation of arail system 10 that has a reduced cost, higher strength, greater system integrity, is longer lasting, is safer, performs better, and that eliminates the need for almost constant maintenance. - In one embodiment, the
rail bed 12 is made up of a plurality of ballast rocks that cooperate with the railroad ties 14 to inhibit therails surface 24, e.g., the ground, upon which therail system 10 is situated. The ballast rocks in the rail bed 12 (also referred to herein as the ballast rock bed) have a tendency to settle and subside over time due to use, weathering effects, thermally induced loads and lateral forces toward the center of a curve as trains go through. Maintenance of theballast rock bed 12 and keeping up the edges of theballast rock bed 12 on the outside of the ends of the railroad ties 14, i.e. maintaining the integrity and positioning of the ballast rocks that make up therail bed 12, is vital to maintaining the integrity of therail system 10. For example, when forces parallel to the length of the railroad ties 14 occur, it is the friction force due to the weight of the railroad ties 14 and therails rail bed 12 outside the ends of the railroad ties 14 that prevent shifting of therails surface 24. Stated another way, correcting subsidence of theballast rock bed 12 along the edges of therail bed 12 outside the ends of the railroad ties 14 and keeping theballast rock bed 12 intact is an important maintenance function in order to preserve the integrity of therail system 10. - As illustrated in
FIG. 1 , the railroad ties 14 are positioned on and/or within therail bed 12. The railroad ties 14 (five of which are shown inFIG. 1 ) are substantially evenly spaced apart from each other within therail bed 12 with a plurality of ballast rocks positioned around and between each of the railroad ties 14. As noted above, the railroad ties 14 and the ballast rocks of therail bed 12 cooperate to inhibit therails surface 24 on which therail system 10 is situated. Stated another way, the railroad ties 14 are uniquely designed to interact with the ballast rocks of therail bed 12 so that the railroad ties 14 will not shift relative to thesurface 24 due the forces that act upon the railroad ties 14 from the movement of trains along therails - The
rails tie plates 20. In particular, in the embodiment illustrated inFIG. 1 , there are twotie plates 20 secured to eachrailroad tie 14, with onetie plate 20 being secured to eachrailroad tie 14 near either end of therailroad tie 14. Therails tie plates 20 such that thefirst rail 16 is mounted near one end of therailroad tie 14 and thesecond rail 18 is mounted near the other end of therailroad tie 14. - The
tie plates 20 are secured to the railroad ties 14 with one ormore fasteners 26. Stated another way, therail system 10 includes one ormore fasteners 26 that are designed to secure therails tie plates 20 and each of the railroad ties 14. As illustrated in this embodiment, eachtie plate 20 can be secured to asingle railroad tie 14 with fourfasteners 26. Alternatively, eachtie plate 20 can be secured to asingle railroad tie 14 with more than four or less than fourfasteners 26. In certain embodiments, thefasteners 26 are carriage bolts that have a smooth, semi-spherical head above a lower square shoulder. Alternatively, a different type offastener 26 may also be used without altering the breadth and scope of the present invention. - The one or
more rail joints 22 are designed to couple together adjacent sections of rail. In particular,FIG. 1 illustrates that thefirst rail 16 includes afirst rail section 16A and asecond rail section 16B that are positioned substantially along a single line, wherein thefirst rail section 16A and thesecond rail section 16B are selectively coupled together with arail joint 22. Somewhat similarly,FIG. 1 illustrates that thesecond rail 18 includes athird rail section 18A and afourth rail section 18B that are positioned substantially along a single line, wherein thethird rail section 18A and thefourth rail section 18B are selectively coupled together with arail joint 22. As an overview, the rail joints 22, as will be discussed in greater detail below, are uniquely designed to compensate for the possible thermal expansion of therails rail system 10. -
FIG. 2A is a top view of an embodiment of arailroad tie 214 having features of the present invention. The design of therailroad tie 214 can be varied to suit the particular requirements of the rail system 10 (illustrated inFIG. 1 ). In this embodiment, therailroad tie 214 has a shape that is similar to that of a narrow or tall “Z” shape, and therailroad tie 214 includes afirst end section 228, a spaced apartsecond end section 230, and amiddle section 232 that extends between and couples thefirst end section 228 and thesecond end section 230. - In this embodiment, the
first end section 228 has afirst width 228W and thesecond end section 230 has asecond width 230W. As illustrated, thefirst width 228W and thesecond width 230W can be substantially equal. Alternatively, therailroad tie 214 can be designed so that thefirst width 228W is greater than or less than thesecond width 230W. Further, themiddle section 232 has amiddle width 232W that is different than thefirst width 228W and thesecond width 230W. In different embodiments, themiddle width 232W can be 5%, 10%, 15%, 25%, 40%, 50% or some other percent different than thefirst width 228W and/or thesecond width 230W. As illustrated, themiddle width 232W can be less than thefirst width 228W and thesecond width 230W. Alternatively, themiddle width 232W can be greater than thefirst width 228W and/or greater than thesecond width 230W. - As illustrated in
FIG. 2A , thefirst end section 228 is substantially rectangular in shape and includes afirst side 228F, an opposedsecond side 228S that is substantially parallel to thefirst side 228F, an outer end 228O, and an opposed inner end 228I that is substantially parallel to the outer end 228O. Somewhat similarly, thesecond end section 230 is substantially rectangular in shape and includes afirst side 230F, an opposedsecond side 230S that is substantially parallel to thefirst side 230F, an outer end 230O, and an opposed inner end 230I that is substantially parallel to the outer end 230O. Alternatively, thefirst end section 228 and thesecond end section 230 can be designed to have a different shape. - In this embodiment, each
end section fastener apertures 234 that are each adapted to receive one of the fasteners 26 (illustrated inFIG. 1 ) that are utilized to secure the tie plate 20 (illustrated inFIG. 1 ) to therailroad tie 214. In particular, as illustrated, eachend section fastener apertures 234 that are positioned in a substantially rectangular shaped orientation relative to each other so as to each receive one of thefasteners 26 that are utilized to secure the tie plate to therailroad tie 214. In certain alternative embodiments, theend sections fastener apertures 234, thefastener apertures 234 can have a different orientation relative to each other, and/or thefastener apertures 234 can be positioned on a different part of therailroad tie 214. - As illustrated in
FIG. 2A , themiddle section 232 is substantially rectangular in shape and extends away from and between the inner end 228I of thefirst end section 228 and the inner end 230I of thesecond end section 230. In particular, in this embodiment, themiddle section 232 extends away from the inner end 228I of thefirst end section 228 near thesecond side 228S of thefirst end section 228, and themiddle section 232 extends away from the inner end 230I of thesecond end section 230 near thefirst side 230F of thesecond end section 230, so as to form the substantially narrow “Z” shape of therailroad tie 214. - In some embodiments, the
middle section 232 extends away from thefirst end section 228 at afirst angle 236 of between approximately 75 and 95 degrees, and themiddle section 232 extends away from thesecond end section 230 at asecond angle 238 of between approximately 75 and 95 degrees. In one such embodiment, themiddle section 232 extends away from thefirst end section 228 at afirst angle 236 of approximately 85 degrees, and themiddle section 232 extends away from thesecond end section 230 at asecond angle 238 of approximately 85 degrees. In alternative embodiments, themiddle section 232 can have a different shape, themiddle section 232 can be oriented differently relative to thefirst end section 228 and thesecond end section 230, and/or themiddle section 232 can extend away from thefirst end section 228 and thesecond end section 230 at different positions. For example, themiddle section 232 can extend away from thefirst end section 228 at afirst angle 236 of less than 75 degrees or greater than 95 degrees, and themiddle section 232 can extend away from thesecond end section 230 at asecond angle 238 of less than 75 degrees or greater than 95 degrees. Further, themiddle section 232 can extend away from the inner end 228I of thefirst end section 228 near thefirst side 228F of thefirst end section 228, and themiddle section 232 can extend away from the inner end 230I of thesecond end section 230 near thesecond side 230S of thesecond end section 230, so as to form a reversed narrow “Z” shape of therailroad tie 214. - Additionally, as illustrated in
FIG. 2A , themiddle section 232 of therailroad tie 214 has a firstvertical face 240 and an opposed secondvertical face 242 that intersect respectively with the inner end 228I of thefirst end section 228 and the inner end 230I of thesecond end section 230 with curved surfaces. The “Z” shaped profile or footprint of therailroad tie 214 creates afirst pocket 244 in the area where the inner end 228I of thefirst end section 228 meets with the firstvertical face 240 of themiddle section 232, and creates asecond pocket 246 where the inner end 230I of thesecond end section 230 meets with the secondvertical face 242 of themiddle section 232. After the railroad ties 214 have been installed on the rail bed 12 (illustrated inFIG. 1 ) and ballast rocks have been filled in and around the assembledrailroad ties 214 and up to atop surface 214T of the railroad ties 214, thefirst pocket 244 and thesecond pocket 246 provide a hook into and across the greater majority of therail bed 12 in both directions perpendicular to therails 16, 18 (illustrated inFIG. 1 ). These twopockets railroad tie 214 provide far superior grip into the ballast rocks of therail bed 12 so as to inhibit relative movement or shifting between the railroad ties 214 and therail bed 12 when or if side loads are introduced to therail system 10. - In certain embodiments, the
railroad tie 214 is a single, contiguous piece and not an assembly of numerous pieces. Alternatively, thefirst end section 228, thesecond end section 230 and themiddle section 232 can be formed separately and subsequently fixedly secured together to form the completedrailroad tie 214. - One method of manufacturing the
railroad tie 214 would be conventional injection molding of therailroad tie 214 from virgin or recycled plastic. Another method of manufacturing therailroad tie 214 would be compression or ram-molding technique that would use a combination of finely ground plastic and sand as the material to be molded. In the compression or ram-molding technique a certain measure of the ground plastic would be uniformly mixed with an appropriate amount of conventional sand and then loaded within the lower cavity half of the mold pair. The upper mold half would be driven down and into the lower mold half with enough force to compress the sand and ground plastic mixture to create a cold flow of the plastic around the sand particles and binding them together. This process requires no added heat or cooling for the mixed plastic and sand or for the finished product. Similar compression or ram molding as described herein is known in other applications and results in a very tough finished product that is resistant to impact damage, equally capable of handling tension and compression loads as well as wood or plastic ties, resistant to weather damage, resistant to insect destruction, creates precision finished parts, quick to manufacture with no curing time required, long life cycle, does not generate any environmental contamination, can be fabricated from recycled or virgin plastics and has a lower anticipated cost than wood ties that have been treated with preservatives. Additional combinations of different materials can be used in the compression molding of the railroad ties 214 such as chipped ABS plastic from car bumpers, crumb rubber from tires and others. Still alternatively, another method can be utilized to fabricate therailroad tie 214 or other materials could be used without altering the breadth and scope of the present invention. -
FIG. 2B is a side view of therailroad tie 214 illustrated inFIG. 2A . In particular,FIG. 2B illustrates that therailroad tie 214 is designed to have a substantially uniform thickness or height throughout thefirst end section 228, thesecond end section 230 and themiddle section 232. Alternatively, thefirst end section 228, thesecond end section 230 and themiddle section 232 can be designed so that one or more of thesections other sections -
FIG. 2C is a bottom view of therailroad tie 214 illustrated inFIG. 2A . As illustrated inFIG. 2C , therailroad tie 214 further includes abottom surface 214B having the plurality offastener apertures 234 and one ormore cavities 248. - As noted above, the plurality of
fastener apertures 234 are each adapted to receive one of the fasteners 26 (illustrated inFIG. 1 ) that are utilized to secure the tie plate 20 (illustrated inFIG. 1 ) to therailroad tie 214. In particular, as illustrated, eachend section fastener apertures 234 that are positioned in a substantially rectangular shaped orientation relative to each other so as to each receive one of thefasteners 26 that are utilized to secure the tie plate to therailroad tie 214. In certain alternative embodiments, theend sections fastener apertures 234, thefastener apertures 234 can have a different orientation relative to each other, and/or thefastener apertures 234 can be positioned on a different part of therailroad tie 214. - In the embodiment illustrated in
FIG. 2C , therailroad tie 214 includesnumerous cavities 248 that are substantially evenly spaced apart along thebottom surface 214B of therailroad tie 214. In certain embodiments, thecavities 248 are substantially circular shaped and can be at least approximately one centimeter or ten millimeters (0.39 inches) in diameter. Stated another way, in such embodiments, thecavities 248 can be at least approximately 0.80 square centimeters or eighty square millimeters. In particular,FIG. 2C illustrates that therailroad tie 214 can include 47cavities 248 that are at least approximately one centimeter in diameter. In certain alternative embodiments, therailroad tie 214 can be designed to include more than or less than 47cavities 248, thecavities 248 can be designed to have a different size or shape, and/or thecavities 248 can have a different positioning along thebottom surface 214B of therailroad tie 214. For example, thecavities 248 can have a diameter that is at least approximately 0.5 centimeters, 0.75 centimeters, 1.25 centimeters, 1.5 centimeters, 2 centimeters, or some other size. Further, thecavities 248 can be square shaped, rectangle shaped, hexagon shaped, octagon shaped, oval shaped, or some other shape. In an embodiment that includesnumerous cavities 248 that are substantially square shaped, the openings to thecavities 248 can have sides that are approximately 0.9 centimeters or nine millimeters in length to result in the same approximate area at the opening, e.g., approximately eighty square millimeters, as thecavities 248 discussed above. - The intent of the
cavities 248 is to reduce the total volume and weight of therailroad tie 214 for ease of manufacture, lower cost of manufacturing with less material, shorter cycle time, generate more consistent material thickness throughout therailroad tie 214, and provide slight recesses for grabbing on to the sharp edges and points of the ballast rocks of the rail bed 12 (illustrated inFIG. 1 ) upon which thebottom surface 214B of therailroad tie 214 rests when installed. Stated another way, thecavities 248 cooperate with thepockets 244, 246 (illustrated inFIG. 2A ) of eachrailroad tie 214 to provide far superior grip into the ballast rocks of therail bed 12 so as to inhibit relative movement or shifting between the railroad ties 214 and therail bed 12 when or if side loads are introduced to the rail system 10 (illustrated inFIG. 1 ). -
FIG. 2D is a cross-sectional side view of therailroad tie 214 cut alongline 2D-2D inFIG. 2C . As illustrated inFIG. 2D , thefastener apertures 234 are designed to extend fully through thebottom surface 214B and thetop surface 214T of therailroad tie 214. In particular, thefastener aperture 234 includes acylindrical pathway 234A that extends away from thetop surface 214T of therailroad tie 214, and a shorter, wider diametercylindrical recess 234B that is positioned adjacent to thebottom surface 214B of therailroad tie 214. Thecylindrical pathway 234A and thecylindrical recess 234B are substantially concentric with each other. Thefastener apertures 234 are designed so that the shank of the fastener 234 (illustrated inFIG. 1 ), e.g., the carriage bolt, would pass though thecylindrical pathway 234A and into thecylindrical recess 234B. The overall length of thefastener 234 would be just less than the height of therailroad tie 214 plus the thickness of the tie plate 20 (illustrated inFIG. 1 ). Thefastener 234 would include a threaded portion that would reside in thecylindrical recess 234B, which would have a sufficient diameter for a conventional threaded nut to be fastened onto the threaded portion of thefastener 234 with a conventional socket without interference. When assembled, no portion of thefasteners 234, i.e. not the carriage bolt or the threaded nut, would extend below thebottom surface 214B of therailroad tie 214. - Additionally, as illustrated in
FIG. 2D , thecavities 248 can be substantially cylindrical shaped and can penetrate thebottom surface 214B of therailroad tie 214 for a distance somewhat less than the overall vertical height of therailroad tie 214. Stated another way, thecavities 248 do not extend through thetop surface 214T of therailroad tie 214. In alternative, non-exclusive embodiments, thecavities 248 have a depth that is approximately 60, 70, 80, or 90 percent of the overall vertical height of therailroad tie 214. -
FIG. 3 is a top view of another embodiment of a pair ofrailroad ties 314 having features of the present invention. This embodiment can provide similar functional benefits as described herein above for therailroad tie 214 illustrated inFIG. 2A . In this embodiment, the railroad ties 314 again include afirst end section 328, a spaced apartsecond end section 330, and amiddle section 332 that extends between and couples thefirst end section 328 and thesecond end section 330. Additionally, the railroad ties 314 can further include a firstintermediate section 350 that is positioned substantially between thefirst end section 328 and themiddle section 332, and a secondintermediate section 352 that is positioned substantially between thesecond end section 330 and themiddle section 332. As illustrated, the railroad ties 314 can have a shape that is somewhat similar to that of dumbbell weights. - In this embodiment, the
first end section 328 has a first width 328W and thesecond end section 330 has asecond width 330W. As illustrated, the first width 328W and thesecond width 330W can be substantially equal. Alternatively, therailroad tie 314 can be designed so that the first width 328W is greater than or less than thesecond width 330W. Further, themiddle section 332 has amiddle width 332W that is different than the first width 328W and thesecond width 330W. In different embodiments, themiddle width 332W can be 5%, 10%, 15%, 25%, 40%, 50% or some other percent different than the first width 328W and/or thesecond width 330W. As illustrated, themiddle width 332W can be less than the first width 328W and thesecond width 330W. Alternatively, themiddle width 332W can be greater than the first width 328W and/or greater than thesecond width 330W. - Additionally, the first
intermediate section 350 has a firstintermediate width 350W that is different than the first width 328W and themiddle width 332W, and the secondintermediate section 352 has a secondintermediate width 352W that is different than thesecond width 330W and themiddle width 332W. As illustrated, the firstintermediate width 350W can be less than the first width 328W and greater than themiddle width 332W, and the secondintermediate width 352W can be less than thesecond width 330W and greater than themiddle width 332W. Alternatively, the firstintermediate width 350W can be greater than the first width 328W and/or less than themiddle width 332W, and the secondintermediate width 352W can be greater than thesecond width 330W and/or less than themiddle width 332W. Further, in this embodiment, the firstintermediate width 350W and the secondintermediate width 352W are substantially equal. In alternative embodiments, the firstintermediate width 350W can be greater than or less than the secondintermediate width 352W. - As illustrated in
FIG. 3 , thefirst end section 328 is substantially rectangular in shape, thesecond end section 330 is substantially rectangular in shape, the firstintermediate section 350 is substantially rectangular in shape and extends substantially perpendicularly away from thefirst end section 328 toward thesecond end section 330 from a center of thefirst end section 328, the secondintermediate section 352 is substantially rectangular in shape and extends substantially perpendicularly away from thesecond end section 330 toward thefirst end section 328 from a center of thesecond end section 330, and themiddle section 332 is substantially rectangular in shape and extends substantially perpendicularly between the firstintermediate section 350 and the secondintermediate section 352 from a center of the firstintermediate section 350 to a center of the secondintermediate section 352. In alternative embodiments, thefirst end section 328, thesecond end section 330, the firstintermediate section 350, the secondintermediate section 352 and themiddle section 332 can have different shapes, thesections sections - Further, in this embodiment, the
different sections railroad tie 314 cooperate to form eightpockets 354 in order to provide far superior grip into the ballast rocks of the rail bed 12 (illustrated inFIG. 1 ) so as to inhibit relative movement or shifting between the railroad ties 314 and therail bed 12 when or if side loads are introduced to the rail system 10 (illustrated inFIG. 1 ). - Although not shown herein, this
railroad tie 314 could also include molded in cavities similar to thecavities 248 found in therailroad tie 214 illustrated inFIG. 2C . - In this embodiment, each tie plate 20 (illustrated in
FIG. 1 ) is again secured to therailroad tie 314 with four fasteners 26 (illustrated inFIG. 1 ), which extend through the fourfastener apertures 334 that are shown near either end of therailroad tie 314. In particular, twofastener apertures 334 are positioned within eachend section fastener apertures 334 are positioned within eachintermediate section tie plate 20 can be secured to therailroad tie 314 with more than four or less than fourfasteners 26, and/or thefastener apertures 334 that are adapted to receive thefasteners 26 can be positioned in different areas of therailroad tie 314. -
FIG. 4 is a top view of still another embodiment of a pair ofrailroad ties 414 having features of the present invention. This embodiment can provide similar functional benefits as described herein above for therailroad tie 214 illustrated inFIG. 2A . As illustrated, the railroad ties 414 can have a shape that could be described as an erect or straight “Z” shape. In this embodiment, the railroad ties 414 again include afirst end section 428, a spaced apartsecond end section 430, and amiddle section 432 that extends between and couples thefirst end section 428 and thesecond end section 430. - In this embodiment, the
first end section 428 has afirst width 428W and thesecond end section 430 has asecond width 430W. As illustrated, thefirst width 428W and thesecond width 430W can be substantially equal. Alternatively, therailroad tie 414 can be designed so that thefirst width 428W is greater than or less than thesecond width 430W. Further, themiddle section 432 has amiddle width 432W that is different than thefirst width 428W and thesecond width 430W. In different embodiments, themiddle width 432W can be 5%, 10%, 15%, 25%, 40%, 50% or some other percent different than thefirst width 428W and/or thesecond width 430W. As illustrated, themiddle width 432W can be less than thefirst width 428W and thesecond width 430W. Alternatively, themiddle width 432W can be greater than thefirst width 428W and/or greater than thesecond width 430W. - As illustrated in
FIG. 4 , thefirst end section 428 is substantially rectangular in shape, thesecond end section 430 is substantially rectangular in shape, and themiddle section 432 is substantially rectangular in shape and extends substantially perpendicularly between thefirst end section 428 and thesecond end section 430 from near a side of thefirst end section 428 to near a side of thesecond end section 430. In alternative embodiments, thefirst end section 428, thesecond end section 430, and themiddle section 432 can have different shapes, thesections sections - Further, in this embodiment, the
different sections railroad tie 414 cooperate to form two pockets 454 in order to provide far superior grip into the ballast rocks of the rail bed 12 (illustrated inFIG. 1 ) so as to inhibit relative movement or shifting between the railroad ties 414 and therail bed 12 when or if side loads are introduced to the rail system 10 (illustrated inFIG. 1 ). - Although not shown herein, this
railroad tie 414 could also include molded in cavities similar to thecavities 248 found in therailroad tie 214 illustrated inFIG. 2C . - In this embodiment, each tie plate 20 (illustrated in
FIG. 1 ) is again secured to therailroad tie 414 with four fasteners 26 (illustrated inFIG. 1 ), which extend through the fourfastener apertures 434 that are shown near either end of therailroad tie 414. In particular, twofastener apertures 434 are positioned within eachend section fastener apertures 434 are positioned within themiddle section 432 with two of thefastener apertures 434 being positioned near eachend section tie plate 20 can be secured to therailroad tie 414 with more than four or less than fourfasteners 26, and/or thefastener apertures 434 that are adapted to receive thefasteners 26 can be positioned in different areas of therailroad tie 414. -
FIG. 5A is a top view of an embodiment of a half expansion joint 522A having features of the present invention. The design of the half expansion joint 522A can be varied to suit the specific design of therails 16, 18 (illustrated inFIG. 1 ) and to suit the specific requirements of the rail system 10 (illustrated inFIG. 1 ). In particular, thehalf expansion joint 522A is designed so that at least a portion of thehalf expansion joint 522A has a cross-sectional shape that matches the cross-sectional shape of therails - Additionally, in use, and as will be discussed in detail below, the
half expansion joint 522A is designed to be utilized with a second half expansion joint 622B (illustrated inFIG. 6A ) that can be substantially identical in design in order to form a complete rail joint 622 (illustrated inFIG. 6A ). For example, in joining together thefirst rail section 16A (illustrated inFIG. 1 ) and the second rail section (illustrated inFIG. 1 ) of thefirst rail 16, one of thehalf expansion joints first rail section 16A and the otherhalf expansion joint second rail section 16B. - As an overview, the
half expansion joint 522A is designed to have sufficient strength throughout its length to independently support the weight of a train or other rail vehicle as it moves over therail joint 622, even in those portions of therail joint 622 where thehalf expansion joints - As shown in the embodiment illustrated in
FIG. 5A , thehalf expansion joint 522A includes afirst side 556, asecond side 558, afirst end 560, asecond end 562, afront section 564 that extends away from thefirst end 560, anoverlap section 566 that extends between thefront section 564 and thesecond end 562, and a firstvertical face 568 that defines part of thefront section 564 and that forms a portion of the border between thefront section 564 and theoverlap section 566. Stated another way, thefront section 564 extends from thefirst end 560 to the firstvertical face 568, and theoverlap section 566 extends from the firstvertical face 568 to thesecond end 562. - As viewed from the top view, as illustrated in
FIG. 5A , thefirst side 556 of thehalf expansion joint 522A is substantially linear along the entire length of thefirst side 556. In contrast, as viewed from the top view, thesecond side 558 includes a stepped portion that is formed by the firstvertical face 568 such that the width of theoverlap section 566 is approximately one-half the width of thefront section 564. -
FIG. 5B is a side view of the half expansion joint 522A illustrated inFIG. 5A . In particular,FIG. 5B illustrates certain features of the half expansion joint 522A as viewed from thefirst side 556 of the half expansion joint 522A. As illustrated inFIG. 5B , thehalf expansion joint 522A further includes ahead 570, afoot 572, a secondvertical face 574, a pair ofjoint apertures 576, and a pair ofjoint slots 578. In alternative embodiments, the half expansion joint 522A can include more or less than twojoint apertures 576 and/or more or less than twojoint slots 578. - During use, the
head 570 of the half expansion joint 522A will cooperate with the top of therails foot 572 of thehalf expansion joint 522A coincides with the bottom of therails FIG. 1 ) in a similar manner as therails - As illustrated, the second
vertical face 574 is positioned near thefirst end 560 of the half expansion joint 522A. The secondvertical face 574 and the first vertical face 568 (illustrated inFIG. 5A ) help to define the portions of the half expansion joint 522A where the cross-section of thehalf expansion joint 522A varies from thefirst end 560 to thesecond end 562. - In the embodiment illustrated in
FIG. 5B , the pair ofjoint apertures 576 extend fully through the half expansion joint 522A from thefirst side 556 to the second side 558 (illustrated inFIG. 5C ). In this embodiment, thejoint apertures 576 are substantially circular in shape and are each adapted to receive a connector 680 (illustrated inFIG. 6A ) in order to selectively couple the firsthalf expansion joint 622A (illustrated inFIG. 6A ) to the second half expansion joint 622B (illustrated inFIG. 6A ). Alternatively, thejoint apertures 576 can be designed to have a different shape. - Additionally, in the embodiment illustrated in
FIG. 5B , the pair ofjoint slots 578 extend fully through the half expansion joint 522A from thefirst side 556 to thesecond side 558. In this embodiment, thejoint slots 578 have ends that are substantially semi-circular in shape and that are substantially identical in diameter to thejoint apertures 576. Thejoint slots 578 are also each adapted to receive a portion of theconnector 680 in order to selectively couple the first half expansion joint 622A to the second half expansion joint 622B. Alternatively, thejoint slots 578 can be designed so that the ends have a different shape. -
FIG. 5C is a side view of the half expansion joint 522A illustrated inFIG. 5A . In particular,FIG. 5C illustrates certain features of the half expansion joint 522A as viewed from thesecond side 558 of the half expansion joint 522A. As viewed from thesecond side 558 of thehalf expansion joint 522A, thejoint apertures 576 and thejoint slots 578 are visible to demonstrate that thejoint apertures 576 and thejoint slots 578 do extend fully through the half expansion joint 522A from the first side 556 (illustrated inFIG. 5B ) to thesecond side 558. Additionally, inFIG. 5C , both the firstvertical face 568 and the secondvertical face 574 are visible. Further, with theoverlap section 566 extending from the firstvertical face 568 to thesecond end 562,FIG. 5C illustrates that thejoint apertures 576 and thejoint slots 578 are all positioned within theoverlap section 566 of the half expansion joint 522A. - In one non-exclusive embodiment, the
half expansion joint 522A has three different cross-sections as one moves from thefirst end 560 to thesecond end 562 of the half expansion joint, as illustrated inFIGS. 5D-5F . In particular,FIG. 5D is a cross-sectional end view of the half expansion joint 522A cut along line 5D-5D inFIG. 5C ;FIG. 5E is a cross-sectional end view of the half expansion joint 522A cut along line 5E-5E inFIG. 5C ; andFIG. 5F is cross-sectional end view of the half expansion joint 522A cut along line 5F-5F inFIG. 5C . -
FIG. 5D illustrates the first cross-section of the half-expansion joint 522A, which extends from the first end 560 (illustrated inFIG. 5C ) to the second vertical face 574 (illustrated inFIG. 5C ). The first cross-section, as illustrated inFIG. 5D , is designed to match the cross-sectional profile of therail section FIG. 1 ) to which thehalf expansion joint 522A is being fixedly secured in order to enable a smooth transition for the train as it travels from therail section rail section - In the embodiment illustrated herein, the first cross-section includes the
head 570, thefoot 572 and aweb 582 that extends between thehead 570 and thefoot 572. As shown, thefoot 572 is somewhat wider than thehead 570 and theweb 582 is substantially narrower than both thehead 570 and thefoot 572. This first cross-section is a profile of a typical Vignoles or flat bottom rail. -
FIG. 5E illustrates the second cross-section of thehalf expansion joint 522A, which extends from the second vertical face 574 (illustrated inFIG. 5C ) to the first vertical face 568 (illustrated inFIG. 5C ). In the second cross-section, the web portion is essentially eliminated, and thehalf expansion joint 522A maintains the same width from thehead 570 all the way down to thefoot 572. Stated another way, in the second cross-section, the vertical edges of thehead 570 have been extended down to intersect with thefoot 572 of the half expansion joint 522A. In particular, in the transition zone, the unique design of thehalf expansion joint 522A includes this second cross-section wherein the web portion has been fully extended to the outer edges of thehead 570. This widened cross-section for the full rail height is sufficient for the half expansion joint 522A to carry fully loaded rail cars. -
FIG. 5F illustrates the third cross-section of thehalf expansion joint 522A, which extends from the first vertical face 568 (illustrated inFIG. 5C ) to the second end 562 (illustrated inFIG. 5C ). As such, the third cross-section is present through the entire length of the overlap section 566 (illustrated inFIG. 5A ) of the half expansion joint 522A. The third cross-section essentially encompasses the same profile as the second cross-section as found inFIG. 5E , but the profile has been vertically cut in half. Accordingly, in the third cross-section, thehead 570 as it extends all the way down to thefoot 572 has a width that is approximately one-half of the width of thehead 570 in the second cross-section. Further, in the third cross-section, thefoot 572 has a width that is approximately one-half of the width of thefoot 572 in the second cross-section. -
FIG. 5G is cross-sectional top view of the half expansion joint 522A cut along line 5G-5G inFIG. 5C . In particular,FIG. 5G illustrates the view of the half expansion joint 522A that has been cut through the vertical axis of the half expansion joint 522A and through the centers of thejoint apertures 576 and thejoint slots 578. This view also reveals that thesecond side 558 is substantially planar in the vertical direction as it extends from the top of the head 570 (illustrated inFIG. 5B ) of the half expansion joint 522A all the way to the bottom surface of the foot 572 (illustrated inFIG. 5B ) of the half expansion joint 522A. - It is anticipated that half expansion joint 522A would be cast or forged pieces from steel of a quality equal or superior to the steel rail to which it will be welded. Prior to welding to the steel rail section, it is anticipated that the vertical face of the
second side 558 of theoverlap section 566 and the horizontal interior surfaces of thejoint aperture 576 and thejoint slots 578 would be machined to precision tolerances to facilitate the interface or matching up with another half expansion joint that has been pre-welded to a different section of steel rail. - The
half expansion joint 522A has a certain symmetrical shape and features such that two sections of steel rail, each with a half expansion joint 522A pre-welded to one end, can be interfaced in a co-planar relationship with eachsecond side 558 of theoverlap section 566 and about the common vertical and longitudinal centerlines of the steel rails. -
FIG. 6A is a partially exploded top view of arail expansion joint 622 cut along section line 5G-5G having features of the present invention, wherein the rail expansion joint is being positioned in a contracted configuration. In particular,FIG. 6A illustrates a first half expansion joint 622A and a secondhalf expansion joint 622B (also referred to herein as joint members) that are being selectively and slidingly coupled together to form therail expansion joint 622. As noted above, in this embodiment, the firsthalf expansion joint 622A and the second half expansion joint 622B are substantially identical in design in order to form the completerail expansion joint 622. Further, each of thehalf expansion joints FIGS. 5A-5G . To complete therail expansion joint 622, acoupling assembly 684 must be utilized that allows for the twohalf expansion joints second side 658 of theoverlap section 666 of each of thejoint members - As an overview, the
rail expansion joint 622 of the present invention is uniquely designed such that the firstjoint member 622A can be selectively coupled to the secondjoint member 622B such that the firstjoint member 622A at least partially overlaps the secondjoint member 622B, i.e. theoverlap section 666 of the firstjoint member 622A at least partially overlaps theoverlap section 666 of the secondjoint member 622B in a co-planar fashion, wherein eachjoint member rail expansion joint 622. - Additionally, the
joint members FIGS. 6A-6C , to an expanded configuration, illustrated inFIGS. 6D-6F , or anywhere in between, as a means of compensating for the thermal expansion and contraction of therail sections FIG. 1 ) due to temperature changes in the surrounding environment. This unique design allows for the railcar wheel to smoothly transition from one section of rail to the next without having to bridge across a physical gap. With conventional expansion joints it is the vertical displacement cycle of the rail car steel wheels slightly dropping off the end of one rail and then being lifted up by the beginning of the next rail that causes damage to the wheel, introduces impact loads to the rails, joints, ties and rail bed and causes the clickity-clack aural signature. - As illustrated in
FIG. 6A , thecoupling assembly 684 includes thejoint apertures 676 andjoint slots 678 that are present in each of thehalf expansion joints connectors 680 that are adapted to extend through thejoint apertures 676 and thejoint slots 678. In certain embodiments, theconnectors 680 can be conventional UNC screw type bolt fasteners that can be used to assemble thehalf expansion joints rail expansion joint 622. In one such embodiment, eachconnector 680 would be a conventional threaded fastener with a hex head and a smooth or unthreaded portion known as theshank 680A and a threadedportion 680B. The length of theshank 680A away from the bottom of the hex head would a small amount more, estimated to be 0.013 centimeters (0.005 inches), than twice the through dimension ofjoint apertures 676 andjoint slots 678 and never less than twice that same through dimension. The threadedportion 680B of theconnectors 680 would have slightly smaller diameter than theshank 680A and be fully threaded up to where theshank 680A commences. In alternative embodiments, a different type ofconnector 680 can be used. - Additionally, each
connector 680 can include a conventional nut 685 (only one is illustrated inFIG. 6A ) and a flat washer (not shown) that would go over the threaded portion to engage to the bottom theshank 680A. The length of the threadedportion 680B would be somewhat longer than the height of the nut and the thickness of the washer. - In the embodiment illustrated in
FIG. 6A , thecoupling assembly 684 includes fourconnectors 680 for selectively and slidingly coupling the firstjoint member 622A to the secondjoint member 622B. Alternatively, thecoupling assembly 684 can be designed to include more than four or less than fourconnectors 680. It should be noted that in certain embodiments, theconnectors 680 are not fully tightened so that theexpansion joints - After the
rail expansion joint 622 has been assembled, it is anticipated that some means would be used to prevent the nut from backing off the threadedportion 680B and to thwart vandalism. Employing an orbital riveter on the back end of the threadedportion 680B would be such a means for preventing the nut from loosening due to vibration and prevent easy disassembly or vandalism. - To be positioned in the contracted configuration, illustrated in
FIGS. 6A-6C , each of theconnectors 680 extends through one of thejoint apertures 676 and is lined up to extend through one of thejoint slots 678 at a semi-circular end of thejoint slot 678 such that thesecond end 662 of onejoint member 622A, 6226 will be at its closest point to the firstvertical face 668 of the other joint member 662A, 662B. - As a result of the symmetry of the
half expansion joints connectors 680 that extend through one of thejoint apertures 676 will be in alignment with the end of the opposingjoint slot 678 that allows thesecond end 662 of onejoint member vertical face 668 of the other joint member 662A, 662B. - When being installed, the gap distance between the first
vertical face 668 of onejoint member second end 662 of the otherjoint member 622A, 662B in a fully assembledrail joint 622 is dependent upon the ambient temperature and the actual rail temperature. Additionally, the distance betweenrail expansion joints 622 is dependent upon the climatic zone in which the rail system is installed. The greater the expected temperature variation that the steel rail will see, the shorter the distance between the expansion joints 622. For the upper Central Plains of North America spacing in the range of 200 feet would be anticipated. -
FIG. 6B is a top view of therail expansion joint 622 illustrated inFIG. 6A . InFIG. 6B , theconnectors 680 are fully positioned through the corresponding joint apertures 676 (illustrated more clearly inFIG. 6C ) and joint slots 678 (illustrated more clearly inFIG. 6C ) such that thesecond sides 658 of the overlappingsections 666 of thejoint members rail expansion joint 622 in the contracted configuration. -
FIG. 6C is cross-sectional top view cut along line 5G-5G as found inFIG. 5C of therail expansion joint 622 illustrated inFIG. 6B . In particular,FIG. 6C illustrates a top view of therail expansion joint 622 that has been cut through thejoint apertures 676 and thejoint slots 678 to more fully demonstrate the positioning of theconnectors 680 through thejoint apertures 676 and thejoint slots 678. -
FIG. 6D is a partially exploded top view cut along line 5G-5G as found inFIG. 5C of therail expansion joint 622 illustrated inFIG. 6A , wherein the rail expansion joint is being positioned in an expanded configuration. - To be positioned in the expanded configuration, illustrated in
FIGS. 6D-6F , each of theconnectors 680 extends through one of thejoint apertures 676 and is lined up to extend through one of thejoint slots 678 at a semi-circular end of thejoint slot 678 such that thesecond end 662 of onejoint member vertical face 668 of the other joint member 662A, 662B. - As a result of the symmetry of the
half expansion joints connectors 680 that extend through one of thejoint apertures 676 will be in alignment with the end of the opposingjoint slot 678 that allows thesecond end 662 of onejoint member vertical face 668 of the other joint member 662A, 6628. -
FIG. 6E is a top view of therail expansion joint 622 illustrated inFIG. 6D . InFIG. 6E , theconnectors 680 are fully positioned through the corresponding joint apertures 676 (illustrated more clearly inFIG. 6F ) and joint slots 678 (illustrated more clearly inFIG. 6F ) such that thesecond sides 658 of the overlappingsections 666 of thejoint members rail expansion joint 622 in the expanded configuration. -
FIG. 6F is a cross-sectional top view of therail expansion joint 622 illustrated inFIG. 6E . In particular,FIG. 6F illustrates a top view of therail expansion joint 622 that has been cut through thejoint apertures 676 and thejoint slots 678 along line 5G-5G as found inFIG. 5C to more fully demonstrate the positioning of theconnectors 680 through thejoint apertures 676 and thejoint slots 678. -
FIG. 7A is a top view of therail expansion joint 622 illustrated inFIG. 6A , wherein the firsthalf expansion joint 622A and the second half expansion joint. 622B have been fully coupled together to form the assembledrail expansion joint 622. In particular,FIG. 7A illustrates that therail expansion joint 622 includes afirst end 786, afirst gap 788, anoverlap area 790, asecond gap 792, and asecond end 794. As will discussed in detail below, therail expansion joint 622 has different cross-sections as one moves from thefirst end 786, past thefirst gap 788, theoverlap area 790 and thesecond gap 792 to thesecond end 794. - As will be demonstrated herein below, the
rail expansion joint 622 is designed such that eachhalf expansion joint rail vehicle 796, a portion of which is illustrated inFIG. 7G . -
FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional end view of therail expansion joint 622 cut alongline 7B-7B inFIG. 7A . In particular,FIG. 78 illustrates the cross-section of therail expansion joint 622 near the first end 786 (illustrated inFIG. 7A ) of therail expansion joint 622. As shown, therail expansion 622 has a cross-section near thefirst end 786 that is substantially identical to the cross-section of therail section FIG. 1 ) to which therail expansion joint 622 is being secured. - The resistance to bending of the
rail sections FIG. 1 ) is dependent on the height, the shape and thickness of the head and the foot of therail section rail sections rail expansion joint 622 is secured has a substantially standard rail cross-section, the typical web thickness is approximately 1.27 centimeters (or 0.5 inches) and the typical head thickness is approximately seven centimeters (or 2.75 inches). Accordingly, the cross-section of therail expansion joint 622 near thefirst end 786, as illustrated inFIG. 7B , has aweb 782 thickness of approximately 1.27 centimeters (or 0.5 inches) and ahead 770 thickness is approximately seven centimeters (or 2.75 inches). Therefore, the ability of therail expansion joint 622 near thefirst end 786 to support the weight of therail vehicle 796 and to resist bending is substantially similar to that of atypical rail section -
FIG. 7C is a cross-sectional end view of the rail expansion joint cut alongline 7C-7C inFIG. 7A . In particular,FIG. 7C illustrates the cross-section of therail expansion joint 622 in the first gap 788 (illustrated inFIG. 7A ), wherein a rail vehicle 796 (a portion of which is illustrated inFIG. 7G ) riding along therail sections FIG. 1 ) and therail expansion joint 622 will only be supported by the firsthalf expansion joint 622A (illustrated inFIG. 7A ). - The cross-section of the
rail expansion joint 622 within thefirst gap 788 has a thickness from thehead 770 downward of approximately one-half the thickness of a typical head, or approximately 3.5 centimeters (or 1.375 inches). As can be easily seen, the thickness of therail expansion joint 622 within thefirst gap 788 is substantially greater than the thickness of the web of a typical rail. Accordingly, the ability of therail expansion joint 622 within thefirst gap 788 to support the weight of therail vehicle 796 and to resist bending is not any less than atypical rail section -
FIG. 7D is a cross-sectional end view of the rail expansion joint cut alongline 7D-7D inFIG. 7A . In particular,FIG. 7D illustrates the cross-section of therail expansion joint 622 in the overlap area 790 (illustrated inFIG. 7A ), wherein the rail vehicle 796 (a portion of which is illustrated inFIG. 7G ) will be supported by bothhalf expansion joints FIG. 7A ). - The cross-section of the
rail expansion joint 622 within theoverlap area 790 has a thickness from thehead 770 downward of approximately the thickness of a typical head, or approximately seven centimeters (or 2.75 inches). As can be easily seen, the thickness of therail expansion joint 622 within theoverlap section 790 is substantially greater than the thickness of the web of a typical rail. Accordingly, the ability of therail expansion joint 622 within theoverlap section 790 to support the weight of therail vehicle 796 and to resist bending is significantly increased as compared to atypical rail section FIG. 1 ). -
FIG. 7E is a cross-sectional end view of the rail expansion joint cut alongline 7E-7E inFIG. 7A . In particular,FIG. 7E illustrates the cross-section of therail expansion joint 622 in the second gap 792 (illustrated inFIG. 7A ), wherein the rail vehicle 796 (a portion of which is illustrated inFIG. 7G ) riding along therail sections FIG. 1 ) and therail expansion joint 622 will only be supported by the second half expansion joint 622B (illustrated inFIG. 7A ). - The cross-section of the
rail expansion joint 622 within thesecond gap 792 has a thickness from thehead 770 downward of approximately one-half the thickness of a typical head, or approximately 3.5 centimeters (or 1.375 inches). As can be easily seen, the thickness of therail expansion joint 622 within thesecond gap 792 is substantially greater than the thickness of the web of a typical rail. Accordingly, the ability of therail expansion joint 622 within thesecond gap 792 to support the weight of therail vehicle 796 and to resist bending is not any less than atypical rail section -
FIG. 7F is a cross-sectional end view of the rail expansion joint cut alongline 7F-7F inFIG. 7A . In particular,FIG. 7F illustrates the cross-section of therail expansion joint 622 near the second end 794 (illustrated inFIG. 7A ) of therail expansion joint 622. As shown, therail expansion 622 has a cross-section near thesecond end 794 that is substantially identical to the cross-section of therail section FIG. 1 ) to which therail expansion joint 622 is being secured. - Accordingly, the cross-section of the
rail expansion joint 622 near thesecond end 794, as illustrated inFIG. 7F , has aweb 782 thickness of approximately 1.27 centimeters (or 0.5 inches) and ahead 770 thickness is approximately seven centimeters (or 2.75 inches), just as that of a typical rail section. Therefore, the ability of therail expansion joint 622 near thesecond end 794 to support the weight of therail vehicle 796 and to resist bending is substantially similar to that of atypical rail section -
FIG. 7G is a simplified top view of therail expansion joint 622 illustrated inFIG. 7A and a portion of therail vehicle 796. In particular,FIG. 7G illustrates awheel 796A (although illustrated as a rectangle the contact between the wheel and the rail is nominally a line across the top surface of the rail) of therail vehicle 796 at different positions along the length of therail expansion joint 622 from thefirst end 786 to thesecond end 794. Stated another way,FIG. 7G illustrates the surface contact area that thewheel 796A “sees” as it passes through the length of therail expansion joint 622. As demonstrated, at no time is thewheel 796A unsupported as it passes through therail expansion joint 622. In fact, as thewheel 796A passes along the length of therail expansion joint 622, thewheel 796A is always and continuously supported as by at least one, if not both of thehalf expansion joints FIG. 7A of therail expansion joint 622. - Furthermore, referring back to
FIG. 1 , it should be noted that that there is arailroad tie 14 intentionally positioned underneath the center of the assembled rail joint 22 and the length of the rail joint 22 itself is such that the beginning of each half expansion joint has arailroad tie 14 underneath it as well. This spacial relationship between the railroad ties, the length of the half joints, the overlap portion and the anticipated amount of expansion/contraction perrail joint 22 is by design such that there is no reduction in rail strength as the rail car/wheel passes through theentire rail joint 22. - While a number of exemplary aspects and embodiments of a
rail system 10 have been discussed above, those of skill in the art will recognize certain modifications, permutations, additions and sub-combinations thereof. It is therefore intended that the following appended claims and claims hereafter introduced are interpreted to include all such modifications, permutations, additions and sub-combinations as are within their true spirit and scope.
Claims (25)
1. A railroad tie that is positioned on a rail bed as part of a rail system, the railroad tie comprising;
a first end section having a first width;
a spaced apart second end section having a second width; and
a middle section that extends between and that couples the first end section and the second end section, the middle section having a middle width that is at least five percent different than the first width and the second width,
2. The railroad tie of claim 1 wherein the middle Width is at least five percent less than the first width and the second width.
3. The railroad tie of claim 1 wherein the middle width is at least twenty-five percent less than the first width and the second width.
4. The railroad tie of claim 1 wherein the first width is substantially equal to the second width.
5. The railroad tie of claim 1 further comprising a bottom surface having one or more cavities that are at least approximately eighty square millimeters in area.
6. The railroad tie of claim 5 further comprising a top surface, wherein the one or more cavities do not extend through the top surface.
7. The railroad tie of claim 1 that is substantially Z-shaped
8. The railroad tie of claim 1 that is substantially dumbbell shaped.
9. The railroad tie of claim 1 wherein the middle section extends away from the first end section at a first angle of between approximately seventy-five and ninety-five degrees, and wherein the middle section extends away from the second end section at a second angle of between approximately seventy-five and ninety-five degrees.
10. The railroad tie of claim 1 wherein the first end section and the middle section cooperate to define a first pocket and the second end section and the middle section cooperate to define a second pocket, and wherein the first pocket and the second pocket inhibit relative movement between the railroad tie and the rail bed.
11. The railroad tie of claim 1 further comprising a first intermediate section that is positioned between the first end section and the middle section and a second intermediate section that is positioned between the second end section and the middle section, and wherein the first intermediate section has a first intermediate width that is different than the first width and the middle width, and wherein the second intermediate section has a second intermediate width that is different than the second width and the middle width.
12. A rail system comprising:
a rail bed:
a plurality of railroad ties that are positioned on the rail bed, the railroad ties having features as described in claim 1 ; and
a pair of spaced apart rails that are coupled to the plurality of railroad ties.
13. A railroad tie that is positioned on a rail bed as part of a rail system, the railroad tie comprising:
a top surface; and
a bottom surface having a plurality of cavities, wherein at least one of the cavities has an area at an opening to the cavity that is at least approximately eighty square millimeters, wherein the plurality of cavities do not extend through the top surface.
14. The railroad tie of claim 13 wherein the cavities are substantially evenly spaced along the bottom surface.
15. The railroad tie of claim 13 further comprising a first end section, a spaced apart second end section, and a middle section that extends between and that couples the first end section and the second end section, the middle section cooperating with the first end section to form a first pocket and cooperating with the second end section to form a second pocket, wherein the first pocket and the second pocket inhibit relative movement between the railroad tie and the rail bed.
16. The railroad tie of claim 15 wherein the middle section extends away from the first end section at a first angle of between approximately seventy-five and ninety-five degrees, and wherein the middle section extends away from the second end section at a second angle of between approximately seventy-five and ninety-five degrees.
17. The railroad tie of claim 15 wherein the first end section has a first width, the second end section has a second width and the middle section has a middle width that is at least five percent less than the first width and the second width.
18. A rail system comprising:
a rail bed;
a plurality of railroad ties that are positioned on the rail bed, the railroad ties having features as described in claim and
a pair of spaced apart rails that are coupled to the plurality of railroad ties.
19. A rail joint for joining together a first rail section and a second rail section of a rail system that supports a rail vehicle, the first rail section and the second rail section being positioned substantially along the same line, the rail joint comprising;
a first joint member;
a second joint member that is selectively coupled to the first joint member such that the second joint member at least partially overlaps the first joint member, wherein each joint member is designed to individually support the weight of the rail vehicle.
20. The rail joint of claim 19 wherein the first joint member is fixedly secured to the first rail section and the second joint member is fixedly secured to the second rail section.
21. The rail joint of claim 19 wherein the first joint member includes a first aperture and a first slot and the second joint member includes a second aperture and a second slot, and further comprising a pair of connectors that extend through the first joint member and the second joint member to selectively couple the first joint member to the second joint member, wherein one connector extends substantially through the first aperture and the second slot, and the other connector extends substantially through the second aperture and the first slot.
22. The rail joint of claim 21 wherein the connectors cooperate to allow relative translational movement between the first joint member and the second joint member.
23. The rail joint of claim 21 wherein the apertures are substantially circular in shape and the slots have ends that are substantially semi-circular in shape, and wherein the diameter of the apertures is substantially equal to the diameter of the ends of the slots.
24. A rail system comprising:
a first rail that includes a first rail section and a second rail section that is positioned substantially along the same line as the first rail section;
a second rail that is spaced apart from the first rail; and
a rail joint that is positioned substantially between the first rail section and the second rail section and that couples the first rail section to the second rail section, the rail joint having features as described in claim 19 .
25. The rail system of claim 24 wherein the second rail includes a third rail section and a fourth rail section that is positioned substantially along the same line as the third rail section, and further comprising a second rail joint that is positioned substantially between the third rail section and the fourth rail section and that couples the third rail section to the fourth rail section, the second rail joint having features as described in claim 19 .
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US13/133,088 US20110233292A1 (en) | 2008-12-11 | 2009-12-10 | Integrated train rail system with ties and thermal expansion joints |
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US20150808P | 2008-12-11 | 2008-12-11 | |
US13/133,088 US20110233292A1 (en) | 2008-12-11 | 2009-12-10 | Integrated train rail system with ties and thermal expansion joints |
PCT/US2009/067563 WO2010068801A1 (en) | 2008-12-11 | 2009-12-10 | Integrated train rail system with ties and thermal expansion joints |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US20110233292A1 true US20110233292A1 (en) | 2011-09-29 |
Family
ID=42243078
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US13/133,088 Abandoned US20110233292A1 (en) | 2008-12-11 | 2009-12-10 | Integrated train rail system with ties and thermal expansion joints |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
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US (1) | US20110233292A1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2010068801A1 (en) |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20120187276A1 (en) * | 2009-10-07 | 2012-07-26 | Robert Orsello | Method And System For Concentration Of Solar Thermal Energy |
US20140076980A1 (en) * | 2012-09-14 | 2014-03-20 | Koppers Delawre, Inc. | Single Bend Rail |
Families Citing this family (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US8397918B2 (en) | 2008-09-28 | 2013-03-19 | Keith A. Langenbeck | Multiple flat disc type pump and hydrocyclone |
WO2015027083A1 (en) | 2013-08-21 | 2015-02-26 | Lewis Bolt & Nut Company | Bridge tie fastener system |
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US1006492A (en) * | 1911-04-27 | 1911-10-24 | Duncan K Mcdaniel | Plastic tie. |
US1299879A (en) * | 1919-01-06 | 1919-04-08 | Joah Haigh Walker | Pad or pot sleeper for railway-tracks. |
US1715837A (en) * | 1928-08-27 | 1929-06-04 | Charles A Hunt | Railroad joint |
US1800453A (en) * | 1930-08-04 | 1931-04-14 | Walter H Kirkbride | Railway-track construction |
US3008644A (en) * | 1959-06-17 | 1961-11-14 | Conley Frog And Switch Co | Sliding joint for railway system |
US3593918A (en) * | 1968-03-28 | 1971-07-20 | Henry V Borst | Apparatus for temporarily connecting a conventional bolted rail to a laid portion of a continuous welded rail of a railway track |
US3682383A (en) * | 1970-08-07 | 1972-08-08 | Henry V Borst | Method for temporarily connecting rails |
US3955895A (en) * | 1973-07-27 | 1976-05-11 | Societe Dite Aeropar Societe Anonyme Francaise | Rail expansion joint |
US4171774A (en) * | 1977-09-14 | 1979-10-23 | Deslauriers Alphege P | Expansion joint for railroad tracks |
US4221330A (en) * | 1978-01-27 | 1980-09-09 | Burlington Northern Inc. | Center butt tie connector |
US4785994A (en) * | 1987-07-13 | 1988-11-22 | Crone Walter G | Sliding joint for welded rail sections |
US5533670A (en) * | 1995-04-05 | 1996-07-09 | Chen; Chi-Shiang | Rail joint for expansion between rails with inverted T-shaped base holder |
US5590833A (en) * | 1992-05-08 | 1997-01-07 | Bwg Butzbacher Weichenbau, Gmbh | Expansion joint for part of a railway track |
US5634591A (en) * | 1992-10-28 | 1997-06-03 | Stretto Di Messina S.P.A. | Sliding joint system for railway tracks, allowing a great longitudinal excursion, particularly for suspension bridges |
US6000624A (en) * | 1998-03-20 | 1999-12-14 | Marron; Gerald I. | Miter rail system |
US6363564B1 (en) * | 2000-08-08 | 2002-04-02 | Progress Rail Services Corp. | Three-piece bridge joint |
US6393644B1 (en) * | 2000-08-08 | 2002-05-28 | Progress Rail Services Corp. | Bridge joint |
US6672516B1 (en) * | 2001-01-19 | 2004-01-06 | National Railroad Passenger Corporation | Thick web miter rail joint system between stationary and vertically movable track sections |
US20040129792A1 (en) * | 2001-03-23 | 2004-07-08 | Lohren Alf Helge | Tie |
US20080142611A1 (en) * | 2005-03-23 | 2008-06-19 | Scobie Michael A N | Railway Ground Crosstie |
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2009
- 2009-12-10 WO PCT/US2009/067563 patent/WO2010068801A1/en active Application Filing
- 2009-12-10 US US13/133,088 patent/US20110233292A1/en not_active Abandoned
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US1006492A (en) * | 1911-04-27 | 1911-10-24 | Duncan K Mcdaniel | Plastic tie. |
US1299879A (en) * | 1919-01-06 | 1919-04-08 | Joah Haigh Walker | Pad or pot sleeper for railway-tracks. |
US1715837A (en) * | 1928-08-27 | 1929-06-04 | Charles A Hunt | Railroad joint |
US1800453A (en) * | 1930-08-04 | 1931-04-14 | Walter H Kirkbride | Railway-track construction |
US3008644A (en) * | 1959-06-17 | 1961-11-14 | Conley Frog And Switch Co | Sliding joint for railway system |
US3593918A (en) * | 1968-03-28 | 1971-07-20 | Henry V Borst | Apparatus for temporarily connecting a conventional bolted rail to a laid portion of a continuous welded rail of a railway track |
US3682383A (en) * | 1970-08-07 | 1972-08-08 | Henry V Borst | Method for temporarily connecting rails |
US3955895A (en) * | 1973-07-27 | 1976-05-11 | Societe Dite Aeropar Societe Anonyme Francaise | Rail expansion joint |
US4171774A (en) * | 1977-09-14 | 1979-10-23 | Deslauriers Alphege P | Expansion joint for railroad tracks |
US4221330A (en) * | 1978-01-27 | 1980-09-09 | Burlington Northern Inc. | Center butt tie connector |
US4785994A (en) * | 1987-07-13 | 1988-11-22 | Crone Walter G | Sliding joint for welded rail sections |
US5590833A (en) * | 1992-05-08 | 1997-01-07 | Bwg Butzbacher Weichenbau, Gmbh | Expansion joint for part of a railway track |
US6068196A (en) * | 1992-05-08 | 2000-05-30 | Bwg Butzbacher Weichenbau, Gmbh | Expansion joint for part of a railway track |
US5634591A (en) * | 1992-10-28 | 1997-06-03 | Stretto Di Messina S.P.A. | Sliding joint system for railway tracks, allowing a great longitudinal excursion, particularly for suspension bridges |
US5533670A (en) * | 1995-04-05 | 1996-07-09 | Chen; Chi-Shiang | Rail joint for expansion between rails with inverted T-shaped base holder |
US6000624A (en) * | 1998-03-20 | 1999-12-14 | Marron; Gerald I. | Miter rail system |
US6363564B1 (en) * | 2000-08-08 | 2002-04-02 | Progress Rail Services Corp. | Three-piece bridge joint |
US6393644B1 (en) * | 2000-08-08 | 2002-05-28 | Progress Rail Services Corp. | Bridge joint |
US6672516B1 (en) * | 2001-01-19 | 2004-01-06 | National Railroad Passenger Corporation | Thick web miter rail joint system between stationary and vertically movable track sections |
US20040129792A1 (en) * | 2001-03-23 | 2004-07-08 | Lohren Alf Helge | Tie |
US20080142611A1 (en) * | 2005-03-23 | 2008-06-19 | Scobie Michael A N | Railway Ground Crosstie |
Cited By (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20120187276A1 (en) * | 2009-10-07 | 2012-07-26 | Robert Orsello | Method And System For Concentration Of Solar Thermal Energy |
US9029747B2 (en) * | 2009-10-07 | 2015-05-12 | Robert Orsello | Method and system for concentration of solar thermal energy |
US20140076980A1 (en) * | 2012-09-14 | 2014-03-20 | Koppers Delawre, Inc. | Single Bend Rail |
WO2014043440A1 (en) * | 2012-09-14 | 2014-03-20 | Koppers Delaware, Inc. | Single bend rail |
US9328464B2 (en) * | 2012-09-14 | 2016-05-03 | Koppers Delaware, Inc. | Single bend rail |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
WO2010068801A1 (en) | 2010-06-17 |
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