AU609434B2 - Cast iron sleeper with built-in rail anchors - Google Patents

Abstract

Rail sleeper (1), directly obtained by cast iron, with built in anchorages (hooks) (2), suitable to be used for tracks locking. Cast anchorages (hooks) (2), built in with the rail sleeper (1), guarantee the locking with no need of fastening movable plates, while ensuring the anticipated gauge already at the casting stage. The adopted material guarantees resistance and non-wearing in the long term.

Description

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PCT

WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ORGANIZATION International Bureau INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION PUB LIS4 7 %I ftl- Jr ~OARATI0 N TREATY (PCT) I) -M J) In 1tiTEunI imer (51) International Patent Classification 4 E01B 3/44 A'l (43) International Pubjlicationi"Date, WO 88/ 03973 2 June 1988 (02.06.88) (21) International Application Number: PCT/1T87/00097 (22) International Filing Date: 13 November 1987 (13.11.87) (31) Priority Application Nunber; 828 18 A/86 (32) Priority Date: (33) Priority Country: 17 November 1986 (17,1 W16) (81) Designated States: AT (European patent), AU, BB, BE (European patent), BG, BJ (GAP! patent), BR, CF (OAPI patent), CG (QAPI patent), CH (European patent), CM (OAPI patent), DE (European patent), DK, FI, FR (European patent), GA (OAPI patent), GB (Europ-,an patent), H U, IT (European patent), JP, KP, KR, LK, LU (European patent), MIC, MG, ML (QAPI piatent), MR (QAPI patent), MW, NL (Euro.

pe 'n pattint), NO, RO, SD, SE, SE (European patent), SN (0AP1 patent), SU, TD (QAPI patent), TO (OAPI patent), US, Published With international search report.

K) 2 1 J UL 1988 (71) Applicant all designated States except US): ATI'IVI- TA INDUSTRIALI TRIESTINE S-P,A. (IT/IT]: V,1le C, P,-torio, 122, 1-00 185 Roma (IT).

(72) Inv-ntor; and lnventow/Applicant (for US only) ,DE CARLI, Fulvio [IT/IT1]; Via Gortan, 19, 1,34139 Trieste (IT), (74) Agent, ZORZUT, Ermenegildo; Studio Tecniqo S,AI,, Via Imbriani, 2, 1-34122 Trieste LP ~J ~L.h U

AU~ALIAN

S16 JUN 1988 PATENT OFFICE I- (54)Title: CAST [RON SLEEPER WI "11 BUILT-IN RAIL ANCHORS I (57) Abstract Rail sleeper directly obtained by cast iron, with built In anchorages (hooks) suitable to be used for tracks locking, Cast, anchorages (hooks) built I n with the rail sleeper guarantee the locking with no need of fastening, may.

able plates, while ensuring the. anticipated gauge already at the casting stage, The adopted material guarantees resistance and non-wearing in~ the long term, other witness required To: The Commissioner of Patents P1O/// PHILLIPS ORMONDE FITZPATRICK Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys 367 Collins Street Melbourne, Australia El .I Cast iron sleeper with built-in rail anchors

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0a This invention is directed to a cast iron sleeper with built in anchorages (hooks) for rail track.

It is known that at present the most used rail sleepers are made of various types of wood, suitably treated and processed, on which the track linking items are set.

The average life of the wood sleepers ranges from to 20 years.

The continuous increase in costs, and the procurement difficulty to a very large extent the uood is imported have made it necessary to replace this part of the track.

SFurthermore, there are also sleepers made of S pre-compressed reinforced concrete with built in wooden Swedges where the anchoring plates on which the track shall be locked are secured by screw dowels.

Pre-compressed leinforced concrete sleepers can 40 replace wood ir its function of Stress distributor, but it cannot obviate the need to separately arrange anchorages, prior to preparation, seasoning, impregnation, and bituminization work on the sleeper; all this is definitely expensive.

There also exists a steel sleeper obtained by hot forging, holed for the fitting of locking items although Sthis type of sleeper is falling into disuse. It is not widely used both for reasons of cost, and because of packing difficulties, since this type of sleeper 30 discharges stresses on its short edges, and does not totally lay on the ballast.

United States Patents 1 626 082 and 1 671 877 relate to cast iron sleepers which have an anchorage obtained by means of pins, drift bolts or other means. United States Patent 1 626 082 in particular deals with a sleeper, where the junction of the rail with the sleeper is obtained by means of drift bolts passing through a bearing block and inserting themselves within special cavities provided in 3 .t he sleeper. The major deficiency of this invention is s.

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its high constructive complexity: the construction of the sleeper apart from bearing blocks, the drilling of holes in the sleeper itself, the difficulty of insertion and fastening of pins in the pre-arranged holes.

United States Patent 1 671 877 presents a deficiency too: in this case, in fact, there are only some bearing pins which keep each rail in position, preventing sideways movement. This system of steady retention does not seem to be very safe, considering the high speed of modern trains.

I These problems and the above-mentioned defects of the sleepers made up of wood or of pre-compressed reinforced concrete are alleviated or ameliorated by the j present invention.

t The present invention provides cast iron sleeper for see: use in forming a railway track, said sleeper comprising on each end of its top surface an anchorage for obtaining an anticipated gauge and for securing rails thereto with conventional fastening means, each rail having at least 20 one flange and said fastening means being adapted to interact with said anchorage and the flange portions of the rails, and wherein the rail sleeper and the anchorages are cast in one piece.

S" The following description refers in more detail to the various features of the sleeper of the present S invention.-- To facilitate an understanding of the invention, reference is made in the description to the accompanying drawings where the sleepir is illustrated in a preferred embodiment. It is to be understood that the S" 30 sleeper of the pesent invention is not limited to the S preferred embodiment Ps illustrated in the drawings.

In the drawings, Table 1 shows: Figure 1 which is a side view of the sleeper according to the present invention; Figure 2 which is a cross sectional end view of the sleeper in Figure 1 along line A-A; Figure 3 which is a plan view of the sleeper in Figure 1.

39 Referring to Figures i and 2, there is generally 'LS -2a i- i ii i ~LII~II~IF1I1 i I~--lil_-L shown sleeper 1. In this cast iron sleeper each anchorage 2 includes an inclined support surface for the rail flange limited by two parallel pawls, one of which has been located towards the sleeper centre, and the other towards its outer side.

The invention in question is obtained by casting and makes it possible to obtain a rail sleeper 1 with well-defined mechanical characteristics, able optimally to meet the necessary requirements of strength and resistance of the track to the specific pressure stresses, distributing them on a wide surface, and allowing by using anchorages 2 obtained by casting (in a single piece, with the rail track 1 casting) the track to be locked by the classical dogs and plate system.

As for the intrinsic characteristics of the material, the cast iron rail sleeper 1 in question has a e practically unlimited life, it does not need to be imported; thanks to its structure and shape, it optimally distributes stresses; it lends the track a strength suitable to heavy and very fast traffic; it does not require plate anchorage arrangements, since they already are obtained by casting.

it has further and important advantages compared to the traditional types of sleepers. Already during the casting, the anticipated gauge is obtained; as the anchoring (hook) is a cast product, it does not shift (unlike all types used so far: possible shifting of bolts, dowels, etc. due to vibrations and material wear); the gauge is fixed and set; maintenance is practically 30 unnecessary; safety is maximum.

AS an example, the shape for the casting of the cast iron sleeper is prepared with the moulding in stop block of a sand resin mixture. The model is removed, and the cores relative to the cast brackets are inserted. Cores vary in, accordance with the anchorage (hook) geometry, to meet various supply requirements.

The mould is painted and, after the hardening of the forming mixture, is prepared for the pouring stage. The 39 liquid cast iron, whose composition is suitable for the required mechanical characteristics of the cast, is poured in the mould which is shaken out and deburred (once the hardening process is finished).

If necessary, a mechanical process is carried out to give anchorages (hooks) the precise geometry required in the coupling with fastening dogs.

The result is a cast iron sleeper 1 with built in anchorages (hooks) for rail track.

It can be added that said sleeper 1 can have any section (if anticipated cast anchorages (hooks) are built in) Moreover, said sleeper 1 can be totally hollow, with different thicknesses, and completely filled uo with inert S: material (for example: sand), in order to dampen vibrations, thus giving a lighter cast.

Thickness, shape, length sections as shown in the t drawings of table 1 represent a preferred embodiment of the invention for the functionality, the optimal shape, g and overall weight.

What is described and shown in Table 1 is a practical and schematic example of the invention, since its shape, dimensions, manufacturing and material details can vary, without going against the inspiring and building principle of the invention itself.

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Claims (4)

1. Cast iron sleeper for use in forming a railway track, said sleeper comprising on each end of its top surface an anchorage for obtaining an anticipated gauge and for securing rails thereto with conventional fastening means, each rail having at least one flange and said fastening means being adapted to interact with said anchorage and the flange portions of the rails, and wherein the rail sleeper and the anchorages are cast in one piece.

2. Sleeper according to claim 1, wherein each anchorage includes an inclined support surface for a respective rail Sflange limited by two parallel pawls, one of which has been located towards the centre of said sleeper and the *i other towards its outer side, S

3. Sleeper according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said sleeper is hollow inside. S.

4. Sleeper according to claim 3, wherein said hollow is filled with an inert material. A sleeper as set forth in claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to what is shown in the accompanying drawings. S* I Dated: 1 February 1991 PHILLIPS ORMONDE FITZPATRICK EAttorneys for: ATTIVITA' INDUSTRIALI TRIESTINE S.p.A. 27461 39X r