Railways – Switches
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-15
2003-08-05
Morano, S. Joseph (Department: 3617)
Railways
Switches
C246S41500R
Reexamination Certificate
active
06601518
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to a system for securing and/or controlling the final position of a first rail, e.g. a tongue rail, that can be adjusted in relation to a stationary second rail, e.g. a rigid rail, wherein the first rail interacts with at least one retaining element that is acted upon by a spring element and can be shifted in relation to a guide element that is rotatable about a stationary first axis, said retaining element in turn supporting the first rail in its respective final position.
In particular, the invention refers to a system for securing and/or controlling the final position of a first rail, e.g. a tongue rail, that can be adjusted in relation to a stationary second rail, e.g. a rigid rail, wherein the first rail interacts with at least one retaining element that is acted upon by a spring element and which, in turn, supports the first rail in its respective final position.
A system of the aforementioned type can be found in DE 295 10 718 U1. The known control mechanism for a switch ensures that the tongue rail always assumes only one of the two final positions, i.e. the abutting or remote final position. For this purpose, an adjusting rod leading to an axis of rotation extends from the tongue rail, two symmetrically arranged retaining and guide element arrangements which are each swivable about a stationary axis extending for their part from said adjusting rod. In this case, a spring tension acts on the retaining element in such a way that the guide/retaining element arrangements must always assume, due to the spring tension, one of two stationary positions which each correspond to one of the final positions of the tongue rail. The axis of rotation from which the adjusting rod extends is thereby found in the respective final position on opposite sides of a straight line connecting the stationary axes of the guide/retaining elements. This means that an often undesired space requirement is needed. Furthermore, considerable forces are required to overcome the spring elements acting on the retaining elements when adjusting the guide/retaining element arrangements. Independent of the previously known adjusting device, additional end position controls are required in order to be able to monitor the position of the tongue rail. Corresponding final position controls are thereby fastened to the bearing rail outside of the ties, control rods extending from the tongue rails themselves to the final position controls. Due to the additional structurally dependent elements, it is necessary to regularly check said elements with respect to their efficiency.
A change-over mechanism for switches can be found in FR A 2 387 833. To adjust the tongue switch, an adjustable lever is turned about a first axis from which a connecting rod extends that is connected with a toggle lever on which a correcting element is articulated that leads to the tongue rail. The first axis extends at a right angle to the swivel axes of the toggle lever and correcting element. A prestressed retaining element that can be turned about a stationary axis acts on the pivotal point between toggle lever and correcting element.
A device for adjusting and locking or unlocking a rail section is described in DE 44 03 259 A1. Final positions of the rail sections can be stopped by means of a prestressed ball element.
The object of the present invention is to provide a system of the aforementioned tape which, with a compact and structurally low-maintenance construction ensures that a movable rail, e.g. a tongue rail, is securely held in its final positions, whereby the position should be simultaneously controlled. It should thereby be ensured, independent of the spring tensions required for fixing the final positions, that undesirably high adjusting forces must be applied to overcome the spring tensions when adjusting the first rail.
According to the invention, the object is solved essentially thereby that a lever element is pivoted so as to be stationary about a second axis, stationary to the stationary first axis of the guide and retaining element, said lever element being connected with the retaining element and interacting with at least one catch element extending from the adjustable first rail, in such a way that, in the respective final position of the first rail, the retaining element is acted upon in such a way that the respective final position can be supported and controlled, whereby the lever element is articulated about a third axis with the retaining element via a hinged element that is flexibly connected with the lever element, said third axis being parallel to the first and second axis.
According to the invention, a system is proposed with which the first rail, e.g. tongue rail, is additionally fixed in its respective final position via the spring element acting on the retaining element. To this end, the catch element extends from the rail, said catch element interacting with the retaining element via the lever element or the hinged element flexibly connected thereto in such a way that, when in one of the final positions, the spring tension acts on the catch element in such a way that it is secured, and thus also the first rail. In particular, the tension produced by the spring element acting on the retaining element is thereby always directed in such a way that the lever element endeavours to interact with the catch element in such a way that the final position of the first rail to be obtained is supported when said rail is moved, that is, especially in the last third of the adjusting movement.
Furthermore, a switch element should be assigned to the catch element in such a way that its actuator produces switching signals dependent on the position of the catch element, namely, when the first rail is in one of its final positions. In particular, two switch elements, e.g. snap switches, are allocated to the catch element, the actuator of each switch element then engaging in a recess in the catch element when the first rail, e.g. tongue rail, is in one of its final positions. As a result, the position of the rail can be controlled to the extent that both the final positions and the intermediate positions can be checked based on the signals derived from the switch elements. Since the switch element or switch elements interact directly with the catch element, which is in turn connected with the adjustable rail, a compact structure results in such a way that the overall system, including the switches, can be positioned within a tie field, so that the bearing rails outside of the ties otherwise required, to which final position controls are fastened and which, in turn, are connected with tongue rails via control rods, can be omitted.
Alternatively, the retaining element and switch element can form a unit or actuate the latter. There is also the possibility of being able to use, or construct accordingly, other elements of the system that are moved or adjusted with the movement of the first rail to release a signal, e.g. a switch signal.
In particular, the invention is distinguished therein that two catch elements extend from the adjustable first rail, whereby one of the catch elements interact with the lever element in each of the final positions of the rail in such a way that the catch element is secured in its position, whereby a movement is first supported.
Preferably, the lever element is a two-armed element, a glide element sliding along each catch element, e.g. a roll, being provided on opposite sides of its axis of rotation. In particular, the corresponding glide elements are placed on each end of a straight arm or arm section which passes over into an angular section on which the hinged element leading to the retaining element is articulated.
The catch element is thereby configured, or the glide element aligned to it, in such a way that, when the first rail is in one of the final positions, one of the glide elements interacts with one of the catch elements and the other glide element is disengaged with the other catch element. As a result, the lever element can be selectively swivelled due to the conn
Demmig Albrecht
Dietze Hans-Ulrich
Höhne Hubertus
Dennison, Schultz & Dougherty
Morano S. Joseph
Olson Lars A.
Werth Messtechnik GmbH
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