US3919946A

US3919946A - Overhead railway structure for suspended load carrying devices

Info

Publication number: US3919946A
Application number: US478108A
Authority: US
Inventors: Claude Laurent
Original assignee: AERAIL SERIM
Current assignee: Aerail D'etudes Et De Representations Industrielles Mecaniques Et Metallurgiques Serimm Ste; AERAIL SERIM
Priority date: 1973-06-12
Filing date: 1974-06-10
Publication date: 1975-11-18
Anticipated expiration: 1992-11-18
Also published as: FR2233443A1; DE2427721B2; IT1011948B; FR2233443B1; DE2427721A1; GB1471698A; CH580708A5

Abstract

There is provided an overhead railway having two supporting sections, each of which is adapted to carry a track on which running gear is intended to run. The tracks, which are mounted separately to the rail, are provided along the longitudinally extending edges thereof with lips such that in cross-section the tracks obtain a generally S-shaped configuration. The attachment of the tracks to the rail is such that a certain clearance is respectively obtained between the upwardly facing surfaces of the upper lip and the means used to attach the tracks to the rail. The advantage afforded hereby is that lateral deformation of the track caused by the running gear is taken up by the lengthening of said lips.

Description

Umted States Patent 11 1 [111 3,919,946

Laurent Nov. 18, 1975 [5 OVERHEAD RAILWAY STRUCTURE FOR 3,039,401 6/1962 Bishop 104/106 x SUSPENDED LOAD CARRYING DEVICES 3,059,588 10/1962 Chadenson 104/94 [75] Inventor: Claude Laurent, Ecuelle, France FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Assignegz Aerail Societe [YEtudes et de 1,356,455 2/1964 France 104/94 Represfmamm lndustrieues Primary ExaminerM. Henson 'Wood, Jr. Mecanlques et Metallurglques A A d K h S'ER'LM-Mr Malakofi, France sststant wamznern res as n1 ow Attorney, Agent, or Ftrm-Eyre, Mann & Lucas [22] Filed: June 10, 1974 21 Appl. No.: 478,108 [57] ABSTRACT There is provided an overhead railway having two supporting sections, each of which is adapted to carry a 1 1 Foreign Apphcatlon y Data track on which running gear is intended to run. The June 12, 1973 France 73.21801 tracks, which are mounted separately to the rail, are provided along the longitudinally extending edges [52] US. Cl. 104/94 thereof with lips such that in cross-section the tracks [51] Int. C- B61B 3/00; 8618 /22 obtain a generally S-shaped configuration. The attach- [58] Field of Search 104/93-95, ment of the tracks to the rail is such that a certain 104/ 106-109, 111, 118, 120, 89, 110, 119, clearance is respectively obtained between the up- 121; /141, 144, 148, 150, l52-155, 145, wardly facing surfaces of the upper lip and the means 146, 147 used to attach the tracks to the rail. The advantage afforded hereby is that lateral deformation of the track [56] References Cited caused by the running gear is taken up by the length- UNITED STATES PATENTS ening of sald p 1,876,904 9/1932 Francis 104/107 x 14 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures US. Patent Nov. 18, 1975 mdI OVERHEAD RAILWAY STRUCTURE FOR SUSPENDED LOAD CARRYING DEVICES The present invention relates to overhead railways.

Experience has shown that the running gear of an overhead railway system, for example a roller-mounted monorail carriage, tends to flatten the fibres in the upper surface of the track and deform the same. These fibres, since they cannot extend except toward the outside of the track, ultimately give rise to lateral wear in the track. In addition, at the joints between the track sections, the repeated impacts of the rollers on the ends of the sections, give rise to longitudinal wear in the track. 7

Tracks are known in which the carrier rail comprises two supporting sections upon each of which there is attached a rolling track independent of the rail and extended laterally in the form of a substantially vertical, upper lip. However, these tracks, in the form they have taken thus far, do not overcome the aforesaid drawbacks.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improvement in the tracks of overhead railways systems, of the kind hereinbefore described, which at least substantially overcomes the said drawbacks.

Accordingly, the invention consists in an overhead railway having a rail comprising two supporting sections each having attached thereto an elongate track, wherein the tracks have located along the longitudinally extending edges thereof elongate lips which extend substantially perpendicular to the long axes of the tracks and wherein attachment means are provided for attaching said tracks to said sections in a manner to provide a clearance between one edge surface of re spective lips and an opposing surface of respective ones of said attachment means.

In a particular embodiment of the invention in which each of the rolling tracks, in its position of use, is extended laterally by a substantially vertical bottom lip, said lip is integral with the rolling track and constitutes a folded portion thereof, said bottom folded portion being in contact with the edge of the corresponding supporting portion of the rail.

If, as is usual, the supporting rail and the rolling tracks are constituted respectively by sequentially arranged rail and track elements, the joints between the rolling track elements are, preferentially, staggered in relation to those between the rail elements.

So that the invention will be more readily understood and further features thereof made apparent, an overhead railway constructed in accordance with the invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a transverse sectional view of the overhead railway;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section taken on the line ll-II of FIG. 1.

As illustrated in the drawing, the overhead railway comprises a supporting rail 1 formed by two substantially vertical sections Ia each of which, at its bottom end, has a horizontal inwardly extending portion lb, the two sections being connected to one another by a box section member lc.

An independent rolling track 2, preferably of drawn alloy steel with a high elastic limit, is attached to each of the portions 112, which constitutes a supporting section for the track with the illustrated embodiment. The

track, in cross section, has a generally S-shaped form, that of its part in contact with the section portion lb being extended, at one of its ends, in the form of a fold 2a which is intended to contact the end of the portion 1b, and is extended at its other end in the form of a fold 2b, which is intended to be applied against the corresponding section portion la. In the present instance, the attachment of the track 2 to the supporting rail 1 is effected, at spaced locations, by keys 3 which contain a milled groove in which there fits with a certain degree of clearance the fold 2b of a track, the keys being attached to the sections 1b by bolts 4 so that the folds 2b of the tracks are maintained in contact with said sections.

As will be seen in FIG. 2, the supporting rail 1 and the rolling tracks 2 respectively comprise sequentially arranged rail elements and section elements; the joints between the track elements 2 are staggered in relation to those between the rail elements.

When a carriage 5 passes over the tracks 2,'the top fibres in the tracks 2 are flattened. However, these tracks are able to extend laterally in both senses; moreover, any increase in length inwardly will be taken up by their respective folded portion or lip 2a, while an outward increase is taken up to their respective folded portion or lip 2b, which can move into the free space left between it and its respective key. The result is that in effect their profile is unmodified. In addition, the stagger between the joints in the track sections, and those in the supporting elements, improves the continuity and eliminates shock effects.

Although the invention has been described with reference to a particular embodiment thereof, it is not restricted thereto, but can be modified within the scope of the following claims.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An overhead railway structure for suspended load carrying devices having a rail comprising two supporting sections each having attached thereto an elongate track, wherein the tracks have located along the longitudinally extending edges thereof elongate lips which extend substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the tracks and wherein attachment means are provided for attaching said tracks to said sections in a manner to provide a clearance between one edge surface of respective lips and an opposing surface of respective ones of said attachment means.

2. An overhead railway structure for suspended load carrying devices as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lips are formed integrally with the tracks and wherein a respective side surface of said lips is in contact respectively with an adjacent surface on said section.

3. An overhead railway structure for suspended load carrying devices as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said tracks has two lips formed such that, in cross-section, said track has a generally S-shaped configuration.

4. An overhead railway structure for suspended load carrying devices as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sec tions and the tracks comprise respectively section elements and track elements arranged one after the other in superposed relationship; and wherein the joints between respective track elements are staggered in relation to those between respective section elements.

5. An overhead railway structure for suspended load carrying devices as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tracks are attached to the supporting sections by a 3 number of spaced keys.

6. An overhead railway structure for suspended load carrying devices as claimed in claim 2 wherein each of said tracks has two lips formed such that, in cross-section, said trackhas a generally S-shaped configuration.

7. An overhead railway structure for suspended load carrying devices as claimed in claim 2, wherein said lips are formed integrally with the tracks and wherein a respective side surface of said lips is in contact respectively with an adjacent surface on said section.

8. An overhead railway structure for suspended load carrying devices as claimed in claim 3, wherein the sections and the tracks comprise respectively section elements and track elements arranged one after the other in superposed relationship; and wherein the joints between track elements are staggered in relation to those between respective section elements.

9. An overhead railway structure for suspended load carrying devices as claimed in claim 2, wherein the tracks are attached to the supporting sections by a number of spaced keys.

. 4 10. An overhead railway structure for suspended load carrying devices as claimed in claim 3, wherein the tracks are attached to the supporting sections by a number of spaced keys.

11. An overhead railway structure for suspended load carrying devices as claimed in claim 4, wherein the number of spaced keys.

Claims

4. An overhead railway structure for suspended load carrying devices as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sections and the tracks comprise respectively section elements and track elements arranged one after the other in superposed relationship; and wherein the joints betweeN respective track elements are staggered in relation to those between respective section elements.

5. An overhead railway structure for suspended load carrying devices as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tracks are attached to the supporting sections by a number of spaced keys.

6. An overhead railway structure for suspended load carrying devices as claimed in claim 2 wherein each of said tracks has two lips formed such that, in cross-section, said track has a generally S-shaped configuration.

10. An overhead railway structure for suspended load carrying devices as claimed in claim 3, wherein the tracks are attached to the supporting sections by a number of spaced keys.

11. An overhead railway structure for suspended load carrying devices as claimed in claim 4, wherein the tracks are attached to the supporting sections by a number of spaced keys.

12. An overhead railway structure for suspended load carrying devices as claimed in claim 6, wherein the tracks are attached to the supporting sections by a number of spaced keys.

13. An overhead railway structure for suspended load carrying devices as claimed in claim 7, wherein the tracks are attached to the supporting sections by a number of spaced keys.

14. An overhead railway structure for suspended load carrying devices as claimed in claim 8, wherein the tracks are attached to the supporting sections by a number of spaced keys.