US3088674A

US3088674A - Railway track support

Info

Publication number: US3088674A
Application number: US61463A
Authority: US
Inventors: Louis X H Maynier
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1959-10-21
Filing date: 1960-10-10
Publication date: 1963-05-07
Anticipated expiration: 1980-05-07

Description

y 1963 x. H. MAYNIER RAILWAY TRACK SUPPORT Filed 001;. 10, 1960 Z & 5 0a @256 //VVEN70R Zoo/s X H MA r/v/ae United States Patent 3,088,674 RAILWAY TRACK SUPPORT Louis X. H. Maynier, 7 Scott St, Waverley, Johannesburg, Transvaal, Republic of South Africa Filed Oct. 10, 1960, Ser. No. 61,463 Claims priority, application Republic of South Africa Oct. 21, 1959 Claims. (Cl. 238-44) This invention relates to permanent way and more particularly to a method of laying it.

One method of laying a railway track is to attach the rails to transverse sleepers which are laid on a prepared earth foundation. Ballast is then distributed and packed under the sleepers. Many disadvantages are manifest in a permanent way of this kind. For instance, the support provided by the ballast may vary at different points along the length of a sleeper. Also, the foundation may be overloaded at certain points due to the inconstancy of the ballast.

The conventional sleepered track requires a space to be left between sleepers in order to pack more ballast under the sleepers when necessary. Four portions only of the sleepers entire length are tightly packed with ballast, namely, those portions immediately adjacent the rails and on both sides thereof. The result of this is that the load is transmitted from a sleeper to the foundation mainly via these four columns of ballast. Thus the load is applied to the earth foundation only at isolated places within any given area available for foundation loading. It usually happens that through attrition, vibration, shock and other forces from moving loads as well as through rain, wind, heating and cooling, the four columns referred to rarely give constant and equal support for any length of time and concave or convex bending of the sleepers follows and is accompanied by corresponding tilting of the rails, either inwardly or outwardly.

Ballast, as normally used and maintained is subject to a number of drawbacks.

When lost rail height is restored by packing or tamping the ballast columns back to their correct height, either hand tools or mechanical tampers are used. These tools tend to break up the ballast. Track resilience is best achieved with clean hard ballast of uniform size. The interstices between stones leave room for elastic movement under load. Progressive breaking up of ballast, whether it be by way of attrition, exposure to the elements, vibration and so on, destroys this ideal state of affairs. Furthermore, coal dust, ash, sand and dust are trapped in the outer surface of the ballast from which they find their way into the interstices due to the vibration of passing trains, rain or wind. Gradually the dirt fills the interstices in the ballast, to form with it, a solid unyielding mass. Other factors and circumstances contribute to the disadvantages of ballast as the ideal cushioning medium for permanent Way.

Many of the present disadvantages of the sleeper-andballast system of laying permanent way have been minimised by the use of concrete sleepers and resilient means. Other attempts at improving permanent way have been the use of heavier and more durable materials, the elimination of rail joints and the preparation of improved foundations. Varying success has attended these efforts but much of the reduction in maintenance costs has been offset by greatly increased initial costs.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of laying permanent way that minimises or substantially overcomes the disadvantages outlined above, particularly those relating to the use of ballast and the inefilcient exploitation of the available earth foundation.

According to the invention railway permanent way includes a foundation, at least one base member on the foundation, the base member supporting at least one intermediate longitudinal beam by means of resilient pads at either end of the longitudinal beam; the longitudinal beam being split longitudinally and a Strip of resilient material located centrally in the split, the longitudinal beam being provided on its upper surface with raised portions at either end thereof, and rails resting on the raised portions and attached to one of the group comprising the intermediate beams and the base members.

In the preferred form of the invention, the raised portions are constituted by rubber or other resilient pads located at either end of the intermediate beams.

It will be realised that the load 011 the rail is directed firstly on the raised portions at either end of the upper surface of the longitudinal beams. Next, the load is transferred to the centrally-located strip of resilient material in the split longitudinal beam, the spaces at either end of which (being under the raised portions on the upper surface of the beam) allow a deflection of the top half of the beam. The load is then transferred to the resilient pads between the bottoms of the longitudinal beam and the base, which pads are located at either end of the beam. Thus, the load on the rail undergoes two deviations in direction one from the ends of the beam (raised portions) to the centre and the other from the centre to the ends again. The deflection of the intermediate longitudinal beam may be adjusted by means of the attachment of the rails to either the beam or the base.

The load on the rail is therefore largely dissipated through its deviations in direction, absorption by the various resilient pads and the deflection of the intermediate longitudinal beam.

Further according to the invention a beam is split longitudinally and a rubber or other resilient strip is located in the split, preferably centrally therein. Rubber pads may be located on the longitudinal beams to constitute the raised portions.

Still further according to the invention resilience is provided between a rail and a beam and/ or a beam and a base.

The resilience between a rail and a beam and/or a beam and a base may take the form of a rubber pad or the like ,and/ or the natural deflection of the beam. The rails are held to the correct gauge of the railway by tie rods which may be insulated and adjustable and which may join opposite rails, or beams, or bases.

The bases and beams used in the method of the invention may be constructed from wood, concrete or steel.

An embodiment of the invention is described hereunder with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which.

FIGURE 1 is a side view, partly in section of permanent way laid according to the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a part plan view of permanent way laid according to the invention,

FIGURE 3 is a section along the line 33 of FIG- URE 1,

FIGURE 4 is a section along the line 4-4 of FIG- URE l, and

FIGURE 5 is a similar View to FIGURE 4, with parts omitted, illustrating the attechment of the tie-rod to a rail.

In the drawings a base member 10 is first laid on to an earth foundation 11 at an inward cant to suit the particular railway system (a common cant is about 1 in 20) and secured thereto by pins 12. Alternatively the rails may be canted. The base 10 is provided with upstanding projections 13 between which intermediate beams 14 are located on top of pads 15 of rubber or other resilient material. Timber may be regarded in this respect as resilient.

The intermediate beams 14 are split longitudinally as shown at 16 and a rubber or other resilient strip 17 is inserted in the split. This serves to impart a resilience to the beam by giving it freedom to deflect.

To prevent longitudinal displacement of a beam, it is provided with a pair of lugs 18 fitting into correspond.- ing depressions in the base member 10.

Two resilient pads 19 are located on top of each of the beams 14 and metal trays 20 are then located on the pads 19. The trays 20 are flanged as at 21 to prevent movement of the tray and the rail. Rails 22 are held inside the trays 20. It will be realized that the trays rest on the raised portions of the intermediate beams 14.

The rails 22 are held down by claws 23 from which leaf springs 24 are suspended. At either end of the leaf springs are downwardly-extending elements 25 terminating in books 26 engaging in staples 27 embedded into the base members 10.

It will be realized that many difierentmethods of holding down the rail are possible and the invention is not limited to the method described above; for example a single coil or other spring may engage with claw 23 above and with a rod passing through staples 27 in the bases. Alternatively a rubber thong or the like may be used.

It will be seen that the resilience of the arrangement is provided by deflection of the rail itself between each raised portion provided by the pads 19'and also between the two portions of the beams 14; through the resilience of the beams 14 themselves (provided by strips 17 and 15) and also by means of resilient pads 15 themselves.

An adjustable tie-rod 28 is located between adjacent rails 22 so that the gauge of the railway may be varied, if required;

I claim:

1. Railway permanent Way including a foundation, a base member on the foundation, a rail and supporting means for the rail comprising at least one longitudinal intermediate beam between the base member and the rail, raised portions at each end of the longitudinal beam, on' which the rail rests, and a strip of resilient material disposed between said base member and said longitudinal intermediate beam, said resilient material being staggered in relation to the raised portions in plan and side views.

2. Railway permanent way including a foundation, at least one base member on the foundation, the base member supporting at least one intermediate longitudinal beam by means of resilient pads, one at either end of the longitudinal beam; the longitudinal beam being split longitudinally and a strip of resilient material located Inidway in the split, the longitudinal beam being provided on its upper surface with raised portions at either end thereof, the raised portions being vertically above the resilient pads supporting the longitudinal beam and S a gered in relation to thestrip of resilient material in the split, and a rail resting on the raised portions and attached to one of the group comprising the intermediate beams and the base members.

3. Railway permanent way including a foundation, at least one base member on the foundation, the base member supporting at least one intermediate longitudinal beam by means of resilient pads, one at either end of the longitudinal beam; the longitudinal beam being split longitudinally and a strip of resilient material located mid-way in the split, the longitudinal beam being provided on its upper surface with a raised portion at either end thereof, the raised portions being vertically above the resilient pads supporting the longitudinal beam and staggered in relation to the strip of resilient material in the split; a metal tray located on the raised portions, and a rail resting inthe tray and attached to one of the group comprising the intermediate beams and the base members.

4. Railway permanent way including a foundation, at least one base member on the foundation, the base member supporting at least one intermediate longitudinal beam by means of two resilient pads, one at either end of the longitudinal beam; the longitudinal beam being split longitudinally and a strip of resilient material located mid-way in the split, the longitudinal beam being provided on its upper surface with two resilient pads one at either end thereof, the latter resilient pads and the resilient pads supporting the intermediate longitudinal beams being in the same vertical line 'and staggered with respect to the strip of. resilient material in the split; and a rail resting on the resilient pads on the upper surface of the beam and attached to one of the group comprising the intermediate beams andthe base members.

5. Railway permanent way including a foundation, at least one base member on the foundation, the base member supporting at least one intermediate longitudinal beam by means of two resilient pads, one at either end of the longitudinal beam; the longitudinal beam being split longitudinally and a strip of resilient material located mil-way inthe split, the longitudinal beam being provided on its upper surface with two resilient pads one at either end thereof, the latter resilient pads andthe resilient pads supporting the intermediate longitudinal beams being in the same vertical line and staggered with respect to the strip of resilient material in the split; a metal tray located on the resilient pad on the upper surface of the beamand a rail resting in the tray and attached to one of the group comprising the intermediate beams and the base members.

References ,Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 109,504 Fisher Nov. 22, 1870 208,957 Card Oct. 15, 1878 758,613 Beezer May 3, 1904 771,862 Deemer Oct. 11, 1904 896,501 Womer Aug. 18, 1908 1,139,753 Cooper May 18, 1915 1,191,044 Trow July 11, 1916 1,213,141 Wells, Mar. 6, 1917 1,413,085 Wells Apr. 18, 1922 1,704,545, Petterson Mar. 5, 1929 2,779,543 Gronlund Jan. 29, 1957

Claims

1. RAILWAY PERMANENT WAY INCLUDING A FOUNDATION, A BASE MEMBER ON THE FOUNDATION, A RAIL AND SUPPORTING MEANS FOR THE RAIL COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE LONGITUDINAL INTERMEDIATE BEAM BETWEEN THE BASE MEMBER AND THE RAIL, RAISED PORTIONS AT EACH END OF THE LONGITUDINAL BEAM, ON WHICH THE RAIL RESTS, AND A STRIP OF RESILIENT MATERIAL DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID BASE MEMBER AND SAID LONGITUDINAL INTERMEDIATE BEAM, SAID RESILIENT MATERIAL BEING STAGGERED IN RELATION TO THE RAISED PORTIONS IN PLAN AND SIDE VIEWS.