APPARATUS FOR REINFORCING RAILROAD TIES

Abstract

The present invention comprises a railroad tie disposed below the rails to support the rails and comprising a protrusion on a sloped surface of the railroad tie; and a reinforcing plate comprising a groove on a sloped surface of the reinforcing plate, which corresponds to the sloped surface of the railroad tie, wherein the reinforcing plate is coupled with the railroad ties by inserting the protrusion into the groove and opposing the sloped surface of the reinforcing plate to the sloped surface of the railroad tie.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an apparatus for reinforcing railroad ties and particularly an apparatus for reinforcing railroad ties which disperses a force applied to the side of a railroad tie, thereby preventing railroad ties and/or rails from being deformed or broken and holding rails to the correct gauge, and facilitates installation and repair of railroad ties.

2. Description of the Related Art

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional railroad track including track ballast 10, rails 20 and railroad ties 30. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a conventional railroad track.

The railroad ties 30 are members generally laid transverse to the rails 20 and spaced apart from each other, on which the rails 20 are supported and fixed, to transfer the loads from rails 20 to the track ballast 10 and subgrade, and to hold the rails 20 to the correct gauge. Railroad ties 30 have traditionally been made of wood, but concrete is now widely used. The railroad ties 30 are normally laid on top of the track ballast 10, which supports and holds them in place, and provides drainage and flexibility. The track ballast 10 is packed between, below and around the railroad ties 30.

Generally, the rails 20 suffer a force in the travel direction A (hereinafter, “travel-directional force”) and a force in the direction B transverse to the rails 20 (hereinafter, “side-directional force”). The side-directional force generally results from centrifugal force which is generated by the train turning on a curved railroad track. These forces are transferred to the track ballast 10 through the railroad ties 30.

When a train travels on the rails 20, the track ballast 10 which is placed between the railroad ties 30 supports the railroad ties 30 through the front surfaces 30a of the railroad ties 30 against the travel-directional force, thereby preventing the railroad ties 30 from being deformed and moved.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the supporting force distribution of a conventional railroad track.

In a curved railroad track, the track ballast 10 which is placed around the side surface 30b of the railroad tie 30 supports the railroad tie 30 through the side surface 30b against the side-directional force F. However, because the area of the side surface 30b, which the track ballast 10 supports, is smaller than that of the front surface 30a, it is more difficult for the track ballast 10 to support the railroad tie 30 against the side-directional force F than the travel-directional force. Therefore, the rails 20 may be deformed due to deformation or movement of the railroad ties 30 by the side-directional force F.

When the rails 20 expand during the summer heat, the expanded rails 20 also apply side-directional force to the railroad ties 30 to which the rails 20 are fixed. If the track ballast 10 cannot support the railroad tie 30 sufficiently against the side-directional force, derailment may occur.

Furthermore, there has been a problem in conventional railroad tracks that the railroad ties cannot be easily and swiftly installed at constant intervals.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The purpose of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for reinforcing railroad ties which can prevent rails from being deformed by a side-directional force which results from the centrifugal force of a train and/or a side-directional force which results from heat-expanded rails.

Another purpose of the present invention is to facilitate precise installation of railroad ties at a designated position at constant intervals and swift replacement of damaged railroad ties.

Another purpose of the present invention is to prevent a reinforcing plate from being separated upward due to vibration of a train by installing a rotary latch on top of railroad ties.

In order to achieve the above purposes, an embodiment of the present invention is an apparatus for reinforcing railroad ties comprising: a railroad tie disposed below rails to support the rails and comprising a protrusion on a sloped surface of the railroad tie; and a reinforcing plate comprising a groove on a sloped surface of the reinforcing plate, the sloped surface of the reinforcing plate corresponding to the sloped surface of the railroad tie, wherein the reinforcing plate is coupled with the railroad ties by inserting the protrusion into the groove and opposing the sloped surface of the reinforcing plate to the sloped surface of the railroad tie. The railroad tie and the reinforcing plate may be made of ferroconcrete.

The side of the railroad tie has a trapezoidal shape, and the sloped surface of the railroad tie corresponds to an unparallel side of the trapezoidal shape. The side of the reinforcing plate has an inverted-trapezoidal shape, and the sloped surface of the reinforcing plate corresponds to an unparallel side of the inverted-trapezoidal shape.

The end surface of the protrusion becomes larger as the protrusion extends toward the end surface of the protrusion, and the bottom surface of the groove becomes larger as the groove extends toward the bottom surface of the groove to correspond to the protrusion. The protrusion is engaged with the groove by moving the reinforcing plate down to the railroad tie arranged under the reinforcing plate.

The end surface of the protrusion is vertical to the top surface of the railroad tie, and the bottom surface of the groove is vertical to the top surface of the reinforcing plate.

A rotary latch may be disposed on the top surface of the railroad tie, wherein the rotary latch rotates to prevent the reinforcing plate from moving upward.

The apparatus for reinforcing railroad ties according to the present invention couples the reinforcing plate with the railroad ties such that the area which the track ballast contacts is increased. Therefore, the present invention can prevent the rails from being deformed due to the deformation or movement of the railroad ties because the supporting force which is applied to the railroad ties against the side-directional force is reduced by the amount of the supporting force applied to the reinforcing plate. Since the present invention can remove the probability of rail deformation, the speed of a train can be increased and the chance of derailment can be reduced.

When railroad ties are damaged or rails need to be repaired, the reinforcing plate can be easily installed and removed due to the coupling system of the present invention, which can reduce maintenance costs for railroad tracks.

Furthermore, the rotary latch can prevent the reinforcing plate from being separated upward due to vibration of a train.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional railroad track.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a conventional railroad track.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the supporting force distribution of a conventional railroad track.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of an apparatus for reinforcing railroad ties according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the apparatus for reinforcing railroad ties according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the apparatus for reinforcing railroad ties according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the apparatus for reinforcing railroad ties according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is installed in a curved railroad track.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of the supporting force distribution of the apparatus for reinforcing railroad ties according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, an apparatus for reinforcing railroad ties according to an embodiment of the present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the apparatus for reinforcing railroad ties according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the apparatus for reinforcing railroad ties according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a side view of the apparatus for reinforcing railroad ties according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the apparatus for reinforcing railroad ties according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is installed in a curved railroad track. FIG. 8 is a schematic view of the supporting force distribution of the apparatus for reinforcing railroad ties according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The apparatus for reinforcing railroad ties 500 comprises railroad ties 110 having protrusions 111 and 112, and a reinforcing plate 210. The railroad ties 110 and the reinforcing plate 210 may be made of concrete or ferroconcrete.

The railroad ties 110 are arranged parallel with each other on track ballast 10. The track ballast 10 is packed between, below and around the railroad ties 110 like conventional railroad tracks. Rails 300 are fixed on top of the railroad tie 110. The railroad ties 110, which are laid transverse to the rails 300, transfer the loads from the rails 300 to the track ballast 10 and hold the rails 300 in their original positions.

The railroad tie 110 is a hexahedron, and the side 110c of the railroad tie 110 has a trapezoidal shape as shown in FIG. 6. The railroad tie 110 has the protrusions 111 and 112 which protrude on the opposed sloped surfaces 110a and 110b, which correspond to unparallel sides of the trapezoidal shape. The railroad tie 110 is coupled with the reinforcing plate 210 through the protrusions 111 and 112 as explained below.

The reinforcing plate 210 is placed between the railroad ties 110. The side 210c of the reinforcing plate 210 has an inverted-trapezoidal shape as shown in FIG. 6. The reinforcing plate 210 has grooves 211 and 212, into which the protrusions 111 and 112 are inserted, on the opposed sloped surfaces 210a and 210b, which correspond to unparallel sides of the inverted-trapezoidal shape.

As shown in FIG. 4, in order to insert the protrusions 111 and 112 into the grooves 211 and 212, the reinforcing plate 210 is moved down to the railroad ties 110 which have already been arranged on the track ballast 10. FIG. 5 shows the reinforcing plates 210 coupled with the railroad ties 110.

Because the side shape of the railroad tie 110 is trapezoidal and the side shape of the reinforcing plates 210 is inverted-trapezoidal, the area of the starting point of inserting the reinforcing plate 210 between the railroad ties 110 is larger than that of the ending point, which facilitates inserting the reinforcing plate 210 between the railroad ties 110.

In order to prevent the reinforcing plate 210 from being separated from the railroad tie 110, the end surfaces 111a and 112a of the protrusions 111 and 112 become larger as the protrusions 111 and 112 extend from the railroad tie 110 to the end surfaces 111a and 112a of the protrusions 111 and 112. Additionally, the bottom surfaces 211a and 212a of the grooves 211 and 212 become larger as the grooves 211 and 212 extend from the sloped surfaces 210a and 210b to the center of the reinforcing plate 210 to correspond to the protrusions 111 and 112.

Here, the end surfaces 111a and 112a, and the bottom surfaces 211a and 212a do not decline like the sloped surfaces 110a, 110b, 210a and 210b, but are vertical to the top surface of the railroad tie 110 or reinforcing plate 210.

The combination of the side shapes of the railroad tie 110 and reinforcing plate 210, and the triangular prism shapes of the protrusions 111 and 112 and grooves 211 and 212 prevents the reinforcing plate 210 from moving down excessively between the railroad ties 110.

The locations of the protrusions 111 and 112, and those of the grooves 211 and 212 into which the protrusions 111 and 112 are inserted, become the reference points for coupling the reinforcing plate 210 with the railroad ties 110, which can enhance the speed and preciseness of coupling them.

Also, because the railroad ties 110 can be arranged at constant intervals by the reinforcing plates 210 which are inserted between the railroad ties 110, the reinforcing plate 210 facilitates swift and precise placement of the railroad ties 110 to their designated positions during the installation or repair of the railroad ties 110.

In order to prevent the reinforcing plate 210 from being separated upward, a rotary latch 130 may be installed on the top surface of the railroad tie 110 as shown in FIG. 5. After the reinforcing plate 210 is coupled with the railroad tie 110, the rotary latch 130 rotates in the direction illustrated by arrows in FIG. 5 to be placed on the top surface of the reinforcing plate 210, thereby blocking the upward movement of the reinforcing plate 210. In order to remove the reinforcing plate 210 from the railroad ties 110, the rotary latch 130 rotates in the opposite direction.

In order to facilitate lifting of the reinforcing plate 210, a handle 215 may be installed on the top surface of the reinforcing plate 210 and be folded or unfolded on the reinforcing plate 210.

As shown in FIG. 7, when the railroad track is curved, the railroad ties 110 are arranged in a radial direction and the sloped surfaces of the reinforcing plate 210 are correspondingly formed in the same direction.

Referring to FIG. 8, because both the railroad ties 110 and the reinforcing plate 210 are supported by the track ballast 10, the supporting force against the side-directional force F is distributed to the reinforcing plate 210 as well as the railroad ties 110. Therefore, the supporting force on the railroad ties 110 is reduced by the amount of the supporting force applied to the reinforcing plate 210, thereby preventing the rails 300 from being deformed due to the deformation or movement of the railroad ties 110. Also, the railroad ties of the present invention can bear larger side-directional force than those of conventional railroad tracks and are deformed less than those of conventional railroad tracks.

From the above embodiment for the present invention, it is noted that modifications and variations could be made by a person skilled in the art in light of the above teachings. Therefore, it should be understood that changes may be made for a particular embodiment of the present invention within its scope and spirit outlined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An apparatus for reinforcing railroad ties, comprising: a railroad tie disposed below rails to support the rails and comprising a protrusion on a sloped surface of the railroad tie; anda reinforcing plate comprising a groove on a sloped surface of the reinforcing plate, the sloped surface of the reinforcing plate corresponding to the sloped surface of the railroad tie,wherein the reinforcing plate is coupled with the railroad ties by inserting the protrusion into the groove and opposing the sloped surface of the reinforcing plate to the sloped surface of the railroad tie.

2. The apparatus for reinforcing railroad ties of claim 1, wherein a side of the railroad tie has a trapezoidal shape, and the sloped surface of the railroad tie corresponds to an unparallel side of the trapezoidal shape, and wherein a side of the reinforcing plate has an inverted-trapezoidal shape, and the sloped surface of the reinforcing plate corresponds to an unparallel side of the inverted-trapezoidal shape.

3. The apparatus for reinforcing railroad ties of claim 2, wherein an end surface of the protrusion becomes larger as the protrusion extends toward the end surface of the protrusion, wherein a bottom surface of the groove becomes larger as the groove extends toward the bottom surface of the groove to correspond to the protrusion, andwherein the protrusion is engaged with the groove by moving the reinforcing plate down to the railroad tie arranged under the reinforcing plate.

4. The apparatus for reinforcing railroad ties of claim 3, wherein the end surface of the protrusion is vertical to a top surface of the railroad tie, and wherein the bottom surface of the groove is vertical to a top surface of the reinforcing plate.

5. The apparatus for reinforcing railroad ties of claim 1, further comprising a handle disposed on a top surface of the reinforcing plate.

6. The apparatus for reinforcing railroad ties of claim 1, wherein the railroad tie and the reinforcing plate are made of ferroconcrete.

7. The apparatus for reinforcing railroad ties of claim 1, further comprising a rotary latch disposed on a top surface of the railroad tie, wherein the rotary latch rotates to prevent the reinforcing plate from moving upward.