Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SPECIFICATION
The invention relates to a rail as defined in the
preamble of claim 1. Such a rail has obviously been employed
by the f,irm AEG-Magnetbahn GmbH in the maglev commuter train
system in Berlin.
The obviously prior art maglev commuter train system
employs primarily elevated tracks which are composed of
individual prefabricated track elements. These track
elements are configured as single field carriers or as
multiple field carriers. The vehicles of this commuter train
system travel over this track without the danger of derail-
ment and are based on the following operational principle:
by way of permanent magnets fastened to height adjustable
magnet carrier strips on both longitudinal sides of a
rectangular vehicle undercarriage frame, the vehicle weight
is dissipated substantially as a load distributed over the
surface area through the rails to the supporting structure of
the track. In order to stabilize the actually unstable state
between magnets and rails and to avoid a complete interrup-
tion of the magnetic attraction forces but also maintain a
minimum air gap, a residual load of the vehicle weight is
transferred by way of guide and spacer rollers running on the
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rails. The distance, that is, the air gap between the
surfaces of the permanent magnets of the vehicle undercar-
riage and the rails and the surfaces of the long stator
fastened to the rail is regulated as a function of the
respective vehicle weight (static and dynamic loads). The
vehicle is driven by the cooperation of the permanent magnets
of the vehicle undercarriage with the traveling electrical
field of the long stator on the track (linear motor drive).
As can be seen from the cross-sectional view of the
track of the obviously prior art commuter traffic system
shown in Figure 1, the track elements are composed of two
mutually parallel track carriers 21 which are connected with
one another by way of transverse connectors 12. The trans-
verse connectors 12 are structurally arranged at such a
depth that an upwardly open trough appears as the cross
section of the track. On both sides of the track carriers,
rails 13 are fastened in the longitudinal direction. Rails
13 form a functional component of the track and serve to
support, guide and drive the magnetic levitation vehicles.
As further evident from Figure 1, the track is configured as
a completely welded structure in which a railhead 131 is
welded at a right angle to the ends of each track carrier 11,
with a specially developed and fastened supporting and guide
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PCT/EP90/0159
angle rail 132 being welded to the end faces of the railhead.
For reasons of its supporting and driving function, riding
comfort and wear of the guide and spacer rollers, high
tolerance demands must be placed on the supporting structure
which is connected with high and expensive manufacturing
efforts. For example, the railheads 131, particularly if the
track curves, must be burnt with great accuracy out of steel
plates. Additionally, the angle rails 132 are relatively
thin and thus bendably soft so that their ends yield under
the vehicle load which results in comfort reducing jolts and
adversely affects the service life of the guide and spacer
rollers.
In view of this, it is the object of the invention to
create a rail of the above-mentioned type which, in spite of
high tolerance requirements for the supporting structure,
can be manufactured more easily and less expensively and
which, although of a comparable weight, additionally exhibits
fewer elastic deformations from the vehicle load, particular-
ly in the region of the rail joints.
This is accomplished according to the invention by the
characterizing features of patent claim 1.
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Advantageous features and modifications of the rail
according to the invention will become evi~ent from patent
claims 2 to 19.
The invention is based on the consideration that, with
respect to economical industrial prefabrication of the
complete rails including their railhead, lateral guide
profile and long stator components, a track structure is
provided which permits a change in manufacturing technology
from the customary, relatively rough supporting structure to
a precise structural unit. The invention does without
complicated special angle rails which pose engineering
problems and instead uses the railhead of the rail which is
employed in any case and which is supplemented by a lateral
guide profile fastened to the underside of the railhead to
serve as the vertical travel rail. The long stator is
fastened to the underside of the railhead preferably not by
the conventional welded connection but with the aid of a
screw connection. The screwable long stator offers con-
siderable advantages for the operation of a commuter traffic
system particularly for reasons of being more easily repaired
and maintained. If the rail according to the invention,
which is configured as a functional unit, is damaged it is
not necessary to exchange the entire track element. If
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PCT/EP90/01598
necessary, the encasing of the long stator, which is neces-
sary in the conventional welded method of fastening the long
stator in order to avoid crevice corrosion, may also be
omitted. The sufficient thickness of the railhead employed
as the rail permits the configuration of a simple, form-
locking connection at the joints with the aid of slide pins
that are introduced into the respective upper face of the
adjoining railheads. In this way, a level and thus jolt-free
transition can be ensured at the ends of the rails. The
rails which are preferably fastened in the track carrier as
deeply as possible result in greater rigidity of the track
structure which, in turn, leads to a reduction of traveling
and drive noises since it reduces vibrations. In addition,
the structural configuration with the deep-set track profile
brings considerable advantages for the realization of a
simple, cost-effective switch which, for compatibility with
existing commuter traffic systems may possibly be equipped
with a passively driven center switch member (frog) which
supports the vehicle by way of magnetic forces. This center
switch member, composed of two structurally interconnected
rails, is mounted around a pivot point or more precisely, a
displacement point. The switch frog is set for the desired
direction of travel by means of a conventional switch drive.
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PCT/EP90~01598
The reduction in track height due to the low lying track
profile leads to considerable savings of material particular-
ly in track sections that are embedded in ballast in tunnels
or on bridges.
With the aid of the rail according to the invention,
functional, manufacturing and operational advantages can be
realized over the obviously prior art maglev commuter train
system, leading to a significant reduction in costs.
The invention will now be described in greater detail
with reference to embodiments thereof that are illustrated in
the drawing figurès. It is shown in:
Fig. 2, a cross-sectional view of the low lying track
profile of a maglev commuter train system;
Fig. 3, a cross-sectional view of one of the two rails
of the track profile according to the inven-
tion as shown in Figure 2; and
Fig. 4, a cross-sectional view of the fastening means
of the rail according to Figure 3 at the
supporting structure of the track.
As can be seen in Figure 2, the track profile shown
there includes two mutually parallel track carriers 21 in the
form of a double-T profile whose lower, inwardly oriente,d
base is reconfigured into a box profile 24. Each box profile
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serves as a support for a rail 23 according to the invention
which is connected with the respective track carrier 21 or,
more precisely, with its box-shaped profile 24.
As can be seen in detail in Figure 3, each rail 23 is
S composed of a railhead 31 on* whose free end projecting
inwardly toward the track profile forms an upper running
surface 311 and a lower running surface 312 for the non-
illustrated guide and spacer rollers of the undercarriage of
the above-described magnetic levitation vehicle. A lateral
guide profile is fastened to the underside of railhead 31 -
offset relative to its free end - preferably at a right
angle. The surface of this lateral guide profile forms the
running surface 321 for the track guidance of the undercar-
riage and its vertical rollers within the maglev train
track. ~ailhead 31 is composed of a rectangular steel
profile having a thickness of at least 30 mm, a width of
about 500 to 600 mm and a length which is adapted to the
respective length of the individual supporting structure
elements. Railhead 31 may be straight in its longitudinal
extent or appropriately bent for horizontal curves. In
transitional sections of the track where the track goes
*Translator's note: appears as such in the Ger~an text.
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uphill or downhill, the railhead is also bent concavely or
convexly about its transverse axis.
The connection of the railhead 31 with longitudinal
carriers 21 of the supporting structure is effected by a weld
connection or, as shown in Figure 4, by a special screw
connection. The height position of rail 23 is selected so
that a minimum distance is maintained from transverse
connectors 22 (Figure 2) between longitudinal carriers 21.
The running surfaces 311 and 312 formed by railhead 31
at its free ends and the running surface 321 formed by the
interior surface of lateral guide profile 32 may be worked
further after installation in order to reduce waviness. The
ends of adjoining railheads 31 may be provided with form-
locking connecting elements, particularly sliding pins, which
are displaceably mounted in associated longitudinal bores in
the end faces of the adjacent railheads 31. The lateral
guide profile 32 for guiding the track of the magnetic
levitation vehicles by means of the horizontal rollers on its
undercarriage also has a rectangular cross section, as shown
in Figure 3, and is preferably welded at a right angle to the
underside of railhead 31.
Between the longitudinal track carriers 21 and the
lateral guide profile 32 of the associated rail 23, a long
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stator 33 is fastened to the underside of the railhead 31,
in particular, screwed on with the aid of angle rails 25 as
shown in Figure 3. Long stator 33 is composed of sheet metal
packets which are bundled in the longitudinal direction and
whose individual metal sheets are insulated while the entire
sheet metal packet is coated with an elastic insulating
material. The downwardly oriented face of each long stator
33 must be oriented very precisely in parallel with the upper
running surface 311 of the railhead 31 so that a uniform air
gap is ensured between the long stator and the non~
lustrated permanent magnets of the undercarriage of the
magnetia levitation vehicle which must be guided in parallel
therewith.
As already mentioned, track carriers 21 are either,
steel carriers or concrete carriers with steel reinforcements
and steel coverings. If concrete carriers are employed, the
fastening structure shown in Figure 4 between rail 23 and
concrete track carrier 21 is preferably suitable. In this
case, a metal anchor plate 41 is fixed to, for example, cast
into a horizontal platform (which may be a component of the
box profile 24 shown in Figure 2) of concrete track carrier
21. The free upper face of anchor plate 41 is proYided with
a spherical cap-shaped rounded portion and has a length, for
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PCT/EP90/01598 :
example, of about 150 to 200 mm. The flange-shaped regions
at both sides of the spherical cap-shaped rounded portion are
welded to fastening pins 45 which project vertically upward.
An adjustment rocker 43 is placed onto anchor plate 41 and is
provided with a spherical cap-shaped recess which corresponds
to the spherical cap-shaped rounded portion of the anchor
plate. Rocker 43 is provided with corresponding passage
bores for the passage of pins 45. Due to its spherical cap-
shaped support on anchor plate 41, adjustment rocker 43 is
able to tip down on both sides relative to the anchor plate
and track carrier 21, thus compensating for deviations from
the horizontal on the part of track carrier 21. By using
different thicknesses, rocker 43 further permits a height
adaptation in the case of dimensional inaccuracies. The end
15 section 46 of railhead 31 of rail 23 is placed onto adjust-
ment rocker 43, with end section 46 passing through
appropriate passage bores in pins 45. By means of an
adjusting gauge, rail 23 is aligned with the oppositely
disposed rail of the track profile, with this alignment
possibly being effected in the longitudinal and transverse
directions as well as in height and slope. Upon completion
; of the alignment of rail 23, rail 23 is fixed by means of
fastening nuts 44 which are screwed onto the ends of
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PCT/EP90/01598
fastening pins 45. The adjustment elements composed of
components 41, 43, 44 and 45 are fastened to the supporting
structure at longitudinal intervals and form support points
for the rail 23 fastened thereto; in order to reduce noise, a
damping layer may be provided between each anchor plate 41
and the associated adjustment rocker 43.
The length of the track carriers 21 shown in Figure 2 is
selected so that the upper, free ends of track carriers 21
project over the rails attached thereto at approximately the
illustrated ratio so that current rails and/or line conduc-
tors can be fastened to the vertical flanks of one of the two
parallel track carriers 21 in the region above the respective
rail 23. The illustrated height of track carriers 21 cor-
responds to the given height for an elevated construction.
In the case where the track carriers 21 are embedded in
ballast in tunnels or on bridge structures, the height of
track carriers 21 can be reduced, relative to the height
shown in Figure 2, down to the fastening location of rails 23
without this worsening the strength of the track profile.
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