Expansion joint for part of a railway track

Details Expansion joint for part of a railway track Expansion joint for part of a railway track

1994-11-08

1997-01-07

Morano, S. Joseph

Railways: surface track

Rail joints

Expansion deflectors

E01B 1142

Patent

active

055908330

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an expansion joint for part of a railway track disposed on a foundation which has a stock rail with a stock rail head, web and foot and a tongue movable with respect to and along said stock rail, upon which tongue at least one fastening means acts to press it onto the head of the stock rail.
In known expansion joints, also designated as expansion devices and permitting a movement between the structure and the rail in the vicinity of bridges, for example, a positive connection is made to permit movement of the tongue relative to the stock rail. To this end, a tongue of solid rail profile can be fixed between the stock rail and a clamming jaw disposed stationarily on the opposite side. The foot of the tongue and that of the stock rail are disposed on a common foundation at the same level. As a result, the stock rail is supported substantially on the foundation only by the stock rail half facing away from the tongue. Instabilities are compensated for by the stock rail being attached with supports and angle pieces. This entails additional maintenance work.
A conventional rail joint is described in DE 30 16 492 A1, for example. There is a slight clearance between the clamping jaws and the facing web surface of the tongue, permitting the requisite movability of the tongue in relation to the stock rail. This too can led to tipping of the tongue or the rail.


OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

The object underlying the present invention is to develop an expansion joint of the type described at the outset such that on the one hand a problem-free relative movement between the stock rail and the tongue in the longitudinal direction of the latter is possible, and on the other hand it is ensured that neither the stock rail nor the tongue can tip, and that the tongue firmly presses against the stock rail head.
The problem is solved in accordance with the invention on the one hand in that the tongue presses against the stock rail in a non-positive connection via the fastening means. In particular, the fastening means acts in the transitional area of the tongue foot and tongue web such that a force component division takes place in the direction both of the foundation and of the stock rail head.
In particular, it is provided that the fastening means is a clamp extending from the foundation or from an element disposed thereon and being supported in the transitional area of tongue foot and web, in order to transmit force components in the direction both of the foundation and of the stock rail head.
Alternatively, it is provided that the fastening means extends from the foundation or from an element such as a sliding or support block disposed thereon, and is supported-by a rolling or sliding element in the transitional area of tongue foot and web in order to transmit force components in the direction of both the foundation and the stock rail head.
In accordance with the invention, applicants have discovered that a positive or bolted connection is no longer necessary to fix the tongue, which has a pointed tongue profile known from railway switches; a non-positive or pressure only connection is substantially sufficient, if aligned such that the forces to be transmitted for fixing the rail are split up such that on the one hand tip-free support on the foundation and on the other hand firm pressure against the stock rail head, are assured.
Using the measures in accordance with the invention, it is possible for the stock rail underside and the tongue foot underside to be at different levels, with the rail foot extending underneath the tongue foot, i.e. with the stock rail being supported over the full width of the rail foot.
To hold down the stock rail, a conventional clamp can be used on one side, and on the opposite side the tongue, indirectly or directly, a support block, a slide chair, or a spring element extending therefrom, can be used.
In particular, it is provided that the tongue is disposed on a slide chair in a longitudinally movable manner, from which slide chair extends a

REFERENCES:
patent: 411362 (1889-09-01), Weir
patent: 2067598 (1937-01-01), Clarke
patent: 4171774 (1979-10-01), Deslauriers
patent: 4785994 (1988-11-01), Crone et al.

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