Patent Application
20240229365
The present invention belongs to the field of railway infrastructures. More specifically, it concerns an assembly comprising at least one rail and a support.
Rail supports hold the rail in the desired position, and transmit the forces of rolling stock from the rail to the substructure.
Traditional plain track supports are made up of concrete sleepers. To be able to fasten the rails to the concrete sleeper, if necessary by means of a tie plate, appropriate recesses must be made in the concrete sleeper, and in the right place with a good accuracy, in the millimeter range.
Sleepers are available with a groove to accommodate bolt heads, for fastening the rails to the sleepers. However, these would have to be cast in a wedge slab, which is cast in a foundation slab. Installation is therefore more complex.
A turnout is a track element used to support and guide railway rolling stock in special cases. The turnout can be used, for example, to create a bifurcation or a crossing. The turnout can also be an expansion device, particularly in cases where the rails need to expand more freely than conventional joints, for example on a bridge joint. The geometry of turnouts depends on the track configuration, and is specific to each situation.
There are various ways of supporting a turnout.
It is possible to lay concrete sleepers on a substructure following the geometry of the turnout, then pour concrete between the sleepers to obtain a complete support. The disadvantage of this type of installation is that it is intolerant of settlement, which cannot be compensated for once the sleepers have been laid, and that once the concrete has been poured, fine adjustments to the position of the turnouts are no longer possible. In order to achieve greater flexibility of adjustment once the support has been installed, it is possible to use grooved sleepers such as those presented in document EP2603637. However, with these solutions involving cast concrete, a large quantity of concrete is required to achieve satisfactory strength, which is costly, cumbersome and heavy.
Alternatively, there are turnout supports made of prefabricated slabs, for example as shown in document AT521653. The shape of these slabs is adapted to the geometry of the turnout. The points of attachment of the turnouts to the slabs can be predefined during the manufacture of the slabs, the disadvantage being that a large number of different molds is required to manufacture supports adapted to different turnout geometries. This also has the disadvantage that subsequent adjustment of the geometry of the turnouts in relation to the slabs is complex and restricted.
The problem the present invention sets out to solve is to propose an assembly comprising a support for a track or turnout which is easy to manufacture, and/or transport, and/or assemble, and/or maintain, on the one hand, and whose design and implementation are independent of the type of fastening devices and the variable geometries of the turnouts. The proposed invention makes the support of the track or turnout independent of the type of fastening devices and therefore of the type of track or turnout.
One object of the present invention is to provide a track or tumout support with a limited number of separate parts.
A further object of the present invention is to offer a turnout support compatible with a large number of different turnout geometries.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a track or turnout support allowing adjustment after installation.
The object of the present invention is to meet, at least in part, the above-mentioned objects by proposing a track or turnout arranged on a support comprising prefabricated concrete blocks allowing flexible use. To this end, it proposes an assembly comprising a support, at least one rail and a plurality of devices for fixing said rail to said support. This assembly is particular in that:
Thanks to these arrangements, the support is largely made of standardizable modular blocks, whose use can be adapted to many different contexts. In plain track, for special geometries, in particular those with strong curvature, and in the event of curvature variations (gradients in radius of curvature), the usual supports, all identical, are not suitable, and these arrangements allow the use of identical blocks for different track geometries.
According to other features:
The present invention also relates to a group of at least two assemblies according to the invention, each comprising a plain track section, respectively a turnout, in which at least one block of a first assembly is identical to at least one block of a second assembly, the plain track sections, respectively turnouts, of the first and second assemblies having different geometries.
Thanks to these arrangements, it is possible to reuse the same mold for a greater number of blocks, which reduces manufacturing costs on the one hand, but also makes it possible to standardize and thus simplify the processes of installation and implementation of an assembly according to the invention.
The present invention also relates to a group of at least two assemblies according to the invention, each comprising a turnout, each comprising at least one switch point and a maneuvering mechanism comprising at least one means of applying a maneuvering force to a point of application of the said switch point with a view to moving it between an open position and a closed position, wherein the distance between the point of application closest to the free end of said switch and at least one edge of the block above which said point of application is disposed, is the same for both sets, the turnouts of the first and second sets having different geometries. In this way, a different positioning distance of the frog from the edges of the block(s) supporting the frog can be observed for the two assemblies, as the turnouts of the first and second assemblies have different geometries.
Thanks to these provisions, it also becomes easier to use identical blocks for turnout assemblies with different geometries; in particular, the block above which the said point of application is arranged can more easily be identical, especially when it includes a recess, for turnout assemblies with different geometries.
The present invention also concerns a one-piece concrete block comprising at least two grooves as a replacement or reuse part for an assembly according to the invention, which can be used indifferently for at least two assemblies whose plain track sections, or turnouts respectively, have different geometries.
Thanks to these provisions, a reduced stock of spare parts can be planned for a given site, since several blocks at this site are identical; moreover, the reuse of blocks no longer required at a particular site is facilitated.
The present invention also relates to a method for installing an assembly according to the invention, comprising at least the following steps:
Thanks to these provisions, the assembly according to the invention can be produced simply and inexpensively, making it possible to standardize and thus simplify the installation and implementation processes.
According to further features:
Finally, the present invention relates to a process for installing at least two assemblies according to the invention, comprising the following steps:
The present invention will be better understood when reading the detailed description that follows, with reference to the appended figures in which:
The present invention applies to a support and rails for plain track, as shown in
It has the advantage of being able to use the same supports for different types of rail or undercarriage, and avoids the difficulty of having to provide precise fixings when manufacturing the supports.
What's more, the support is largely made of standardizable modular blocks, whose use can be adapted to many different contexts. In plain track, for special geometries, in particular those with strong curvatures and variations in curvature (gradients in curvature radii), the usual identical supports are not suitable, and these provisions allow the use of identical blocks for different track geometries.
The present invention has a large number of advantages when applied to turnouts, and will be described in more detail in this context below.
The assembly shown in
The turnout comprises at least one rail 4 and a plurality of devices 5 for securing the rail 4 to the turnout support.
In the context of the present invention, a fastening device is defined as any device used to fasten a rail, stock rail, switch point, guard rail or frog to the turnout support. The person skilled in the art will be able to choose the most appropriate fastening device for each application. This could be a direct fastening system, in which the rail 4 is fastened directly to the turnout support. Alternatively, it may be an indirect fastening device, in which an interface piece is fastened to the support by a first fastening means, and the rail 4 is fastened to said interface piece by a second fastening means, each fastening means comprising an elastic fastener, an angle guide, an insulator, a screw spike, a flange, or an inclination wedge. The interface piece may then be continuous or discontinuous, particularly in the longitudinal direction of rail 4.
The turnout support comprises a plurality of precast concrete blocks 6. The blocks 6 are monobloc, i.e. they are each cast in one piece, preferably in one mold.
As shown in
The fastening devices 5 each comprise at least one head 8 arranged in a groove 7 of a block 6. The head 8 may have the shape of a screw head, or be parallelepipedic in shape, or any other shape that prevents the device from being extracted from the groove 7 from above.
For indirect fastening, attaching a baseplate to block 6 can be difficult. A baseplate usually has four fastening holes, two on each side of the rail. However, with blocks 6 of an assembly according to the invention, these two holes are not necessarily located above a groove.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, illustrated in
Alternatively, baseplates can be used that are sufficiently wide to be attached to the blocks 6 by two adjacent grooves 7. This may be by means of a long hole as described above, or by means of baseplates specially adapted to a given profile.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, illustrated in
Groove 7 has a profile suitable for receiving head 8, for example a rectangular profile. Preferably, groove 7 has a narrowing (11) at its open end, so that head 8 cannot move vertically out of groove 7.
The grooves 7 are preferably straight, but can also be curved or have one or more corners.
In addition, the grooves 7 may not be arranged from one end of the block to the other, but only on those parts of the block that can receive a fastener. This improves electrical insulation between the two rails of a track, by not allowing the groove to conduct electrical current from one rail of the track to the other. This can also enable blocks to be designed with recesses in places where the groove is not present. This also reduces the amount of rail in a block, and therefore its cost.
The grooves 7 of a block 6 are preferably parallel to each other and spaced at a same distance, for example between 450 and 750 mm. This spacing is defined according to the class of turnout or the axle load of the rolling stock that is to run on the turnout, the cross-section of rail 4, the stiffness of the track, or the installation of locking systems, maneuvering or referral mechanisms, as well as the frog.
The grooves 7 allow each block 6 to have a multiplicity of potential fastening points for a fastening device 5 on the block 6, so that once the block 6 has been installed on the track site, it is possible to adjust the position of the fastening device 5 on the block 6 along the groove 7, for example transversely to the direction of the rail 1. This also makes it possible to use identical blocks 6 for different turnout geometries, for example by placing the fastening devices at different levels of the grooves 7. In this way, a limited number of different blocks 6 can be defined to support a wide variety of turnouts.
In the context of the present invention, “turnout geometry” refers to all the parameters of the turnout, in particular the radii of curvature of the deviated track, the radius being constant or not along the turnout, the turnout tangent, defined as the tangent of the angle between the direct and deviated track at the crossing, the rail types, the different classes of turnouts, etc. The term “geometry of the plain track section” also refers to all the track's geometric parameters, in particular the track's radii of curvature, which may or may not be constant along the plain track section.
According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the assembly according to the invention can comprise at least two identical blocks 6, each located at different positions on the plain track section or turnout. This is all the easier to achieve for turnouts with large radii of curvature, where the spacing of the rails 4 varies little from one block 6 to the next. For plain track, this is particularly useful with strong curvatures and variable curvatures.
If the turnout includes a switch zone, the two identical blocks 6 can be configured to support the switch zone at least in part. This is because the gauge of the rails 4 varies least at the switch zone, which is where two identical blocks 6 are most easily installed.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, several identical blocks 6 can be used for several turnouts of different geometries; the adaptation of the position of the fastening means in the grooves 7 is sufficient for the supports comprising these blocks 6 to be adapted to different turnout geometries.
For example, a group of at least two assemblies, each comprising a plain track section, can be considered, in which at least one block 6 of a first assembly is identical to at least one block 6 of a second assembly, while the geometries of the plain track sections of the first and second assemblies are different, for example by presenting different curvatures, or different curvature variations. The assemblies of the same group can be installed, for example, on the same site, at locations that are more or less distant from one another.
A group of at least two assemblies can also be considered, one comprising a section of plain track, the other a turnout, in which at least one block 6 of the plain track section is identical to at least one block 6 of the turnout. Alternatively, a group of at least two assemblies can be considered, in which one of the two assemblies comprises at least two identical blocks, either a part of the plain track or a turnout.
A group of at least two assemblies can also be considered, each comprising a turnout in which at least one block 6 of a first assembly is identical to at least one block 6 of a second assembly, while the geometries of the turnouts of the first and second assemblies are different. Assemblies of the same group can be installed, for example, on the same site, at locations that are more or less distant from one another.
For example, the assembly shown in
For even longer turnouts, the same blocks 6 can be used in larger numbers. So, for example, with around ten different blocks 6, most of the blocks 6 for turnout supports of any geometry can be produced.
The blocks 6a are arranged in the same way between the assembly shown in
Blocks 6g located in the crossing area 2 can be used for both assemblies even if the frog is not located in the same way for both sets, in particular if the tip of the frog is not arranged at the same distance from the edge of block 6g.
In this way, a different positioning distance of the frog from the edges of the block(s) supporting the frog can be observed for the two assemblies, as the turnouts of the first and second assemblies have different geometries.
A frog can also be based on two adjacent blocks.
The present invention therefore enables identical block molds 6 to be reused for a large number of different turnouts. Many different assemblies can thus be produced with a reduced number of molds in which the blocks 6 are cast. Costs are reduced thanks to the small number of molds, which can be used for different turnout geometries, and designs are simplified thanks to the high degree of standardization.
For turnouts with a straight direct track 12, the grooves 7 of the blocks 6 can be arranged perpendicular to the direct track, facilitating the use of identical blocks 6.
In order to further optimize this advantage, as illustrated in
It is known that short switch rails 13 can be operated by a single point of application of the operating force, in which case this point of application 14 will be considered to be closest to the free end of switch rail 13. For longer switch rails, it is necessary to provide two or more points of application of the operating force, in which case the point of application 14 to be considered will be the closest to the switch rail tip 13. In some cases, a mechanism is provided for locking the switch rail 13 in the closed position, and/or in the open position; such a locking mechanism is generally located close to the point of application 14 of the operating force closest to the tip of the switch rail 13.
A group of at least two assemblies can thus be considered according to the invention, in which each assembly comprises at least one switch rail 13 and one operating mechanism. Each maneuvering mechanism comprises at least one means 14 for applying a maneuvering force to a point of application of said switch rail 13 in order to move it between an open position and a closed position. The distance between the point of application 14 closest to the free end of said switch rail 13 and at least one edge of the block 6 above which said point of application 14 is arranged, is the same for both sets, whereas the turnouts of the first and second sets have different geometries. The units of the same group can be installed, for example, on the same construction site, at locations that are more or less distant from one another.
An advantage of the invention is that, once the fixing device 5 has been installed, adjustments can still be made by moving the fixing device 5 along the groove 7.
A given block 6 can be considered as a spare part of a set according to the invention. Such a block 6 can then be used indiscriminately for several assemblies whose turnouts have different geometries. This makes it possible to optimize stocks of spare parts, particularly for a site with turnouts of different geometries, and to promote better utilization of these parts.
In addition, whereas the parts making up turnout supports are usually discarded after use because they are too specific to a turnout with a particular geometry, the present invention increases the potential for reuse of blocks 6. This reduces the number of new parts to be manufactured and thus cuts raw material consumption.
The one-piece nature of block 6 provides greater mechanical strength, since the entire block 6 can contribute to absorbing the forces acting on grooves 7. The assembly according to the invention can therefore be used for relatively heavy rolling stock, with a support comprising a moderate quantity of concrete.
The height of the blocks 6 is determined by the person skilled in the art, to ensure the mechanical strength of the assembly. In order to accommodate all the components of the turnout, this height may have to be adapted to obtain a constant level of the rail 4. It is possible, for example, to use a first height for all blocks located in the switch zone 1, a second height for blocks located in the transition zone 3, and a third height for blocks located in the crossing zone 2. Preferably, the height of the blocks 6 allows the use of maintenance tools such as C clamps, glued insulating joints or welding.
According to two particular embodiments of the invention, in the case where the assembly comprises a switch zone 1, at least one block located in the switch zone 1 may have a larger dimension in the direction of travel of the rail vehicle than its dimension in the direction perpendicular to travel. If the assembly includes a crossing zone 2, at least one block located in the crossing zone 2 may have a smaller dimension in the direction of travel of the rail vehicle than its dimension in the direction perpendicular to travel. In both cases, the space requirement and number of blocks is optimized, as they are adapted to the horizontal space requirement of the turnout.
Viewed from above, the blocks 6 have a preferably quadrilateral shape, such as a rectangle or trapezoid.
The blocks 6 can be configured in any way to be adapted to support a specific element of a turnout, for example a frog. The assembly according to the invention may also comprise a frog support 17, located between the frog and at least one block 6; frog support 17 may, for example, be a steel plate. Such a frog support 17 can be configured to receive fastening devices anywhere along the length of the frog support 17; this facilitates the use of identical blocks with other assemblies featuring different crossover frogs, and facilitates the implementation of crossover frogs manufactured in existing molds in assemblies according to the invention.
As shown in
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the blocks 6 can be designed to be easily transportable; provision can be made, for example, for all the blocks 6 to be made with their smallest dimension not exceeding the maximum dimension permitted for transport on a railway wagon, or even the maximum dimension permitted for transport on a truck. For example, in the switch zone 1, where the cross-traffic dimension is sufficiently small, the longitudinal dimension may be larger, e.g. over 4 or even 5 meters, whereas in the crossing area, where the cross-traffic dimension must be larger, the longitudinal dimension will be kept below 3.5 meters, for example.
The dimensions of blocks 6 can also be chosen so that they do not exceed a maximum weight, to facilitate handling of these blocks on a building site.
The assembly according to the invention can be installed according to a process comprising the following steps:
After the fastening step, the above process can include a step for adjusting the height and/or lateral position of a fastening device 5 relative to a block 6. This adjustment step makes it possible, in particular, to modify the position of at least one of said fastening devices 5 relative to said support.
Two assemblies according to the invention, each comprising a plain track section, respectively a turnout, can be installed according to a process comprising the following steps:
In the above process, the two installation stages can be carried out, for example, on the same construction site, at locations that are more or less distant from one another. In addition, the geometries of the plain tracks, or turnouts, of the first and second assemblies can be different.
Although the above description is based on particular embodiments, it is by no means limitative of the scope of the invention, and modifications may be made, in particular by substitution of technical equivalents or by different combination of all or some of the features developed above.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| FR2105112 | May 2021 | FR | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2022/062503 | 5/9/2022 | WO |
