Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E01—CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS, RAILWAYS, OR BRIDGES
  • E01B—PERMANENT WAY; PERMANENT-WAY TOOLS; MACHINES FOR MAKING RAILWAYS OF ALL KINDS
  • E01B7/00—Switches; Crossings
  • E01B7/02—Tongues; Associated constructions
  • E01B7/08—Other constructions of tongues, e.g. tilting about an axis parallel to the rail, movable tongue blocks or rails

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method for switching railway switches comprising sleeper-carried stock rails and points which are preferably actuated by separate actuators and are alternatively movable in a substan- tialla vertical direction between an active or operative position in which the tread surface, or upper surface, of respective point, or tongue, is located on the same level as the tread surface, or upper surface, of an adjacent rail head, and a lowered, inactive or inopera ⁇ tive position in which the point is out of reach of the flange of a railway wheel on the tread surface of the stock rail.
• the invention also relates to a switch, and more speci ⁇ fically to a switch of the kind described in the pre- amble of claim 7.
• switches are known to the art in which the tongues or points of the switch move vertically when the switch is switched from one crossing to another.
• An example of one such construction is described and illustrated in SE-A-642,698 (Tailland) .
• This construc ⁇ tion is in its entirety much too exposed to the elements for use in winter, and requires such pene- trative exploration into the sleepers as to jeopardize the load-bearing capacity of the switch.
• Another serious drawback with this known switch construction is that the wheel flanges are intended to be guided in tracks embodied in the rails, which is most unsuitable in the case of high—speed switches.
• a ⁇ -B-62861/80 (Daimler-Benz) describes a similar switch which incorporates a track-like groove and therewith has the same drawbacks.
• US-A-1 ,790,548 (Lofstrand) describes a switch construc- tion in which the points, upon pivotal movement, are either brought into plane-vertical abutment with the stock rails, which experience has shown to be imprac ⁇ ticable, especially in the case of high-speed switches in view of the ensuing risk of derailment, or into inclined abutment and more robust point tips.
• This has the drawback that when the points, or tongues, occupy their lowered position they are out of abutment with the stock rails, thereby enabling dirt, ice and snow to enter between the points and stock rails to prevent satisfactory switching of the points.
• One object of the present invention is to provide a method for switching railway points, and a railway switch, which substantially eliminates problems result ⁇ ing from the ingress of sand, dirt, snow and ice, and also the risk that movable parts of the switch will freeze together during winter months.
• Another object is to provide a method and a switch of the aforesaid kind which eliminate substantially the need to remove snow from the point or tongue arrange ⁇ ments.
• Still a further object is to provide a switch which a) can be manufactured at low costs, b) requires the minimum modification to present day railway switch constructions, and c)' the novel and modified parts of which are constructed for simple manufacture, afford long and reliable service in use, and can be assembled for quick and simple care and maintenance.
• switch points are carried by actuators in the form of arms which are caused to swing about horizontal axes located between the points while utilizing the elasticity of the points; and in that this swinging or pivotal movement is guided by mutually engaging surfaces and mutually co-acting guide surfaces having a concave and a convex arcuate shape, respectively, and located between respective stock rails and points.
• the points and stock rails of the inventive switch are arranged to engage one another in such close relation ⁇ ship as to prevent the compaction of snow and ice there ⁇ between when switching from one crossing to another, in the absence of electric heating devices. This enables the various drawbacks encountered hitherto with known switching methods to be avoided.
• the arms are preferably caused to pivot about axes which are located centrally on respective sleepers between the points, or tongues, and which are preferably mutually coincidental.
• the mutually engaging guide surfaces which fit against one another, are of an arcuate configuration with the centre of the arc lying between the points, from the tips thereof to the location on the point construction at which the distance between the point and the stock rail permits a wheel flange to pass freely. As a point is swung, the extent to which the point moves will decrease progressively from this location down to the root of the point from about 50 mm to 0.
• the points will execute a uniform rotational movement about their respective longitudinal axes when moved from their active to their inactive positions. This movement will thus decrease progressively down to zero, from the aforesaid location to the root or base of the point.”
• the tips of respective points are made as wide as possible, in order to ensure that they have sufficient mechanical strength and resistance to wear.
• the pivot journals of respective arms are placed at low locations on the sleepers concerned.
• the pivotal movement of respective points between an inactive and an active position is steered by a spacer block arranged between the stock rail and the point, the width of which block increases from the tip of the point to its root.
• a spacer block arranged between the stock rail and the point, the width of which block increases from the tip of the point to its root.
• the level of the tread on the point in the lowered position of the point is preferably constant from the tip up to the spot for free passage of wheel flanges, but is then successively raised up to the root of the point, the point being held laterally by the widest end of the spacer block out of the path of a wheel flange on the stock rail before the tread surface of the point falls to the level of the lowest part of the flanged wheel.
• support devices supported by the sleepers and preferably carried on rollers or ball-runners, are moved in under the points when said points are swung up to their respective active positions.
• the same actuator means connected to a drive means, may simultaneously move a plurality of support shoes forming part of a shoe-unit out of an active position and a corresponding number of opposing support shoes in respective shoe-units into an active position.
• the invention also relates to a railway switch, the main characteristic features of which are disclosed in the following apparatus claims.
• Figure 1 is a plan view of a part of a switch constructed in accordance with the invention.
• Figure 2 is a side view-of the switch taken on the line II-II in Figure 1 ;
• Figures 3-8 are vertical sections through the switch taken on the lines III-III, IV-IV, etc. up to and including VIII-VIII in Figure 1 ;
• Figure 9 is an enlarged view of part of the switch illustrated in Figure 1 , with the point being shown in its rest position in full lines and in its active position in chain lines.
• the illustrated switch includes sleepers or cross-ties 1 which carry respectively in a known manner stock rails 2 and 3 and points, or tongues, 4 and 5.
• the stock rails 2 comprise a rail head 2a which presents a tread surface 2b, a web 2c, and a rail foot 2d.
• the right-hand rail consists of corresponding parts 3a-3d.
• Auxiliary actuating devices in the form of arms 8 and 9 which, in the. illustrated embodiment, can be swung about axes 10; 11 coincidental with respective sleepers 10, are provided for vertical movement of respective points between an active position in which the tread surface 4b, 5b of respective points lie in the same horizontal plane as the tread surface of an adjacent rail head 2b, 3b, and a lowered rest position in which the tread surface of the point is out of reach of a flange 6a of a flanged wheel 6 running on the tread or track surface of the stock rail.
• the arms 8 are connected to a drive device 16, in the form of an hydraulic piston-cylinder device, via linkages 12, 14 " .
• the arms 9 are also connected to a corresponding hydraulic piston-cylinder device 17, via linkages 15, 13.
• the point or tongue 4 is carried by the arm 8 at a location thereon spaced from the place at which the arm is connected to the linkage 12, whereas the point or tongue 5 is carried by the arm 9 at the outer end thereof.
• Movement of the points 4, 5 between their inactive position and their active position is effected with the aid of the elasticity of the points. Bending and turning operations take place at the spot of free passage of the wheel flanges, cf. Fig. 5.
• the tongue is then forced to be rotated, elevated and lowered non-uniformly between the fixed point root (Fig. 8) and said spot; uniformly, however, up to the tip 4a of the point or tongue (Fig. 3) .
• movement-of the left- hand point 4 is steered by mutually engaging guide surfaces, namely one guide surface 2e on the rail 2 and one guide surface 4e on the point 4.
• the rail 3 and the point 5 present corresponding guide surf-ces 3e and 5e, respectively.
• the guide surfaces 2e and 4e engage one another in such close mutual contact as to prevent particles of dirt, e.g. sand, or snow from penetrating therebetween and therewith impair the function of the switch.
• the guide surface 2e is located on a thickened part of the web 2c of rail 2.
• the thickened rail portion has the form of a separate spacer block 18 which incorporates a guide surface 18e for co-action with the guide surface 4e on the point 4.
• the point 4 has a convex arcuate guide surface 4e which co-acts with a concave arcuate guide surface 2e or 18e on the stock rail 2 and the spacer block 18, respectively.
• These guide surfaces have mutually the same radius.
• Figures 6 and 7 show that the tread or track surface of the point 4 in its downwardly lowered position present a rising level and from rotation successively re-assumed horizontal position from Fig. 5 to the root of the point seen in Fig. 8.
• the point has an arcuate guide surface 2e, 4e (Fig. 6) between the point and a support shoe 29, 31.
• the support shoes 24, 25 are joined to form a shoe-unit which is manipulated by drive means 30 in the form of hydraulic piston-cylinder devices, through an auxiliary device 28.
• drive means 30 in the form of hydraulic piston-cylinder devices
• auxiliary device 28 When activa ⁇ ting the drive and auxiliary devices, the shoe-units are moved in one and the same plane between an active position, in which they lie beneath a point in the active position of said point and an inactive position in which they lie on one side of the point in the inactive position of said point.
• one shoe 24 is moved to an active position at the same time as an opposing shoe 25 is moved to an inactive position, and vice versa.
• the switch also incorporates sealing and protecting plates arranged between the points 4, 5.
• These plates include parts 32, 33 which are located between the rails 2, 3 and which can swing together with the points 4, 5, and stationary protective parts 34 which lie outwardly of the point drive means.
• the plate parts 32, 33 cover the whole area between respective points from the tip to the root of each point.
• the right-hand 'Stock rail 3 is straight with its point or tongue 5 curved to the left, whereas the left-hand stock rail 2 is curved to the left and has a straight point or tongue.
• a light signal placed on the upline side of the switch signals that the vehicle is "in the curve".
• the point control contacts deliver a proceed signal to the light signal, therewith changing the stop signal to a proceed signal for movement onto the straight section of track in the switch.
• a safety device in corresponding hydraulic piston-cylinder devices 16, 17 is brought into function when the points are to be raised or lowered.
• two vibrators (not shown) are automatically activated, therewith to crush any ice-film which might be present, causing it to lose its grip. This obviates the need to heat the points or stock rails electrically.
• the invention enables points to be switched fully automatically even when high train speeds in the track curve require-crossing angles which reach to between 1:12 and 1:15. Furthermore, the invention enables the points to be switched totally manually, by means of four "switch levers".
• the invention affords considerable advantages even in this regard, inter alia, since the need to remove snow, oil-laden gravel and dust, leaves and similar rubbish likely to occur on, e.g., industrial railway tracks, can be avoided.
• the invention also affords the possibility of constructing semi-automatic switches or turn-outs, in which case only one switch operating lever is required.
• the plate surface extending between the points or tongues 4, 5 and comprising readily handled metal sheets 32, 33 is removed.
• the protective hoods 32a, 33a can also be made detachable if considered suitable.
• the switch con ⁇ struction incorporates switch points or tongues which are also rotatable about their longitudinal axes.
• the points constantly lie against a respective stock rail and move upwardly and downwardly in a vertical plane. Consequently, it is possible to retain points and stock rail constructions that were developed more than a century ago.
• the points are each guided for movement by at least two mutually parallel and movable arms which are attached to the points and extend at right angles thereto from the track.
• the respective points and arms together describe a circular sector against the stock rails with a length of arc of for instance about 55 mm and a radius of arc equivalent to the length of the arms, which- with a view to said arcuate surfaces are given mutually the same lengths.
• the points are guided and driven essentially at the location at which the distance of the points from the stock rails allows the passage of wheel flanges, the raising, lowering and lengthwise rotation of the points decreasing progressively from said location through a distance of for instance about 4f5 meters along support shoes arranged on each sleeper and adapted for tight or close abutment with the points, up to the root of the point where the stationary intermediate rail of the crossing starts.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Architecture (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Railway Tracks (AREA)
• Train Traffic Observation, Control, And Security (AREA)
• Pinball Game Machines (AREA)
• Indexing, Searching, Synchronizing, And The Amount Of Synchronization Travel Of Record Carriers (AREA)
• Control Of Vending Devices And Auxiliary Devices For Vending Devices (AREA)
• Machines For Laying And Maintaining Railways (AREA)
• Addition Polymer Or Copolymer, Post-Treatments, Or Chemical Modifications (AREA)
• Braking Arrangements (AREA)
• Lock And Its Accessories (AREA)
• Keying Circuit Devices (AREA)
• Input Circuits Of Receivers And Coupling Of Receivers And Audio Equipment (AREA)

Priority Applications (3)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=20364889

Family Applications (1)

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Cited By (2)

Families Citing this family (3)

Citations (4)

• 1986
  • 1986-06-23 SE SE8602781A patent/SE453604B/sv not_active IP Right Cessation
• 1987
  • 1987-06-18 DE DE8787904356T patent/DE3772204D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1987-06-18 WO PCT/SE1987/000287 patent/WO1987007920A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1987-06-18 EP EP87904356A patent/EP0310627B1/en not_active Expired
  • 1987-06-18 AT AT87904356T patent/ATE66264T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
• 1988
  • 1988-02-22 NO NO880749A patent/NO161576C/no unknown

Patent Citations (4)

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