Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SURFACE RAIL FOR COMPOSITE CONTINUOUS RAIL
CROSS RE~ERF~CE TO RELATED PATENTS
This application is a Continuation-In-Part of copending
patent application Serial No. 07/760,658 filed September
5 16, 1991, now U.S. Patent No. 5,154,346 lssued on October
~3, lg92 and entitled "Rail Mounting Clip for Railroad"
which is a Divlsion of copending patent application
Serial No. 07/569,104 filed August 17, 1990, no~ U.S.
Patent No. 5,120,910 issued on June 9, 1992 and ent~tled
10 "Mini Joint Electrified Rail System."
FIELD OF 'rHE lNVE~TION
;~ This invention relates to continuous Rurface rails for a
railroad. ~ore particularly the invention relates to a
composite rail and the composite rail components that
make up a rail with a continuous surface.
BAC~GROUND OF THE INVENTION
A long standing problem with continuous rails in railr~ad
tracks has been the expansion and contraction of long
continuous or welded rails. Typically, the entire rail
in a continuous rail section is made of steel, steel
alloy~, brass or aluminum. These materials expand and
contract ~ignificantly ~ith the changes in temperature.
For example, with a wide range in temperature ~ariations
from -20~C to l40~C! the expansion or contraction of a
continuous steel rall 1 km long can be 0.9 meters. This
amount of expansion or contraction ~ill distort or even
buckle the track. On straighta~ays the track will
ripple, but the thermal expansion problem is particularly
severe on curves. An expanding r~il at a curve will push
laterally against tie plates and cause the rails in
doublo rail track to spread more than the standard rail
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separation. Such spreading of the rails causes
derailment of wheeled vehicles running on and guided by
the rail .
of course these problems have been solved in the past by
shorten1ng the rail sections and provid~ng enough
longitudinal separation at abutment joints in successive
rails to absorb the thermal expansion of the rails.
However, such joints are noisy and provide a rough ride.
In addition the separated abutting joints are severe wear
points for the ralls, and this produces high maintenance
cost for the railroad. In addition if the rail is
electrified, it is difficult to maintain electrical
continuity across the rail section joint from one rail to
the next abutting rail.
One solution for the electrical continulty problem in the
past has included electrified rail sections that have
electrical cables connecting across rail ~oints as in
U.S. Patent 3,813,502. Further, composlte rails are
known and, for example, include rails sho~n in U.S.
Patent 2,S40,433, Norwegian Patent 10654, and United
Kingdom Patent Specification 256,434. None of these
prior designs are directed to handling the thermal
expansion in continuous surface rails. In all cases the
co~posite rail contains fixedly attached components so
that in essence they are a solid rail.
Summary of the Invention
It is an ob~ect of this invention to provide a continuous
surface rail that does not distort ~ith therma}
expanslon.
It is another object of this invention to provide a
continuous surface rail that may be electrified.
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The problem of thermal expanslon in continuous rails has
been sol~ed by fabricating a composite surface rail ~hich
effecti~vely eliminates joints bet~een abutting rail
sections at the wheel contact surface of the rails. ~he
composite rail comprise~ a sectional support rail for
carrying the ~eight of the ~heeled vehicle riding on the
rails and a surface rail that lnserts in and slideably
engages the top surface of the support rail.
Ac~ordingly, this surface rail may be vie~ed as a rail
mounted in a rail. For ease of installation, the surface
rail is more flexible than the support rail. Further,
the surface ra~l has a length independent of the support
rail sections and spans the abutment joints bet~een
support rail section~. A wheeled vehicle riding on the
surface rail see~ no mechanical joint or electrical
discontinuity across support rail abutment joints.
In addition the surface ra~l includes t~o types of
~urface rails for insertion in the top surface of the
support rail. ~hose t~o types are a running surface rail
and an expansion rail. The running surface rail may be
of any length and typically would span multiple support
rail sections. The expan~ion surface rail is a short
surface rail constructed to expand and contract; it is
placQd bet~een the end~ or adjacent running rails. The
~xp~nsion rail ~ills the gap bet~een running rails,
absorbs ther~al expansion of the running ra$1, and
provides surface continuity bet~een running rails.
In one aspect of the inven~lon the head of the support
rail is shaped to receive and guide the surface rail.
After the support rail slideably engages the surface rail
it serveq to gulde the more flexlble surface rail to the
head of the next abutting ~upport rail. The surface
rails mate with the support rails in a num~er of ~ays.
There may be grooves in the top surface of the support
rai~ and matching beads on the under surface of the
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surface rail. The surface rail bead may have be~eled
edges that fit bet~een matchlng counter-beveled edges on
the top surface of the ~upport rail. The surface rail
may be a box channel shaped to slide over the head of the
support rail.
If the composite rail is to be electrified, the support
rail and/or surface rail may be made of electrically
conductlve ~aterials. In one embodiment the support rail
is non-conductlve while the urface running rail is
conductive. The expansion rail may be conductive or
lnsulati~e depending on ~hether the rail is in the middle
of an electrical control block or at the end of an
electrical control block.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWI~GS
Figure 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the continuous
surface composite rail.
Figures 2A, 2B and 2C show a fish plate for connecting
abutting support rails.
Figure 3A sho~s a spring-loaded clip for mountinq the
support rail on ~nterconnecting ties.
Flgure 3B shous a support rail with a conductive surface
ra~l and a ~econd strip which ic conductive, the surface
rail for providing power to the vehicle and second strip
for proYiding control signals.
Figure 4A sho~s a conductive support rail having
In~ulating layers to lnsulate the support rail from the
conducti~e top or surface rail.
Figures 4B and 4C show a preferred embodiment of a rail
clip for mounting the rail on ties or a roadbed.
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Figure 5 shows a double cylindrical groove and matching
bead for attaching the surface rail to the ~upport rail.
Figure 6 shows a support rail head ~ith a cylindrical
groove to receive a cylindrical shaped top ra~l
Flgure 1 sho~s a support rail head ~ith two continuous
surface rails ~ith dovetail beads.
Figure 8 is the bottom view of a surface rail ~ith
discontinuou~ beads at spaced intervals.
Figure 9 show~ a mono-rail embodiment where the support
10 ra~l carries two continuo~s conductive rails under the
support rail overhang.
Figure 10 ~hows a hanglng mono-rail embodiment ~here the
continuous conductiYe rails are slideably engaged to a
vertical portion of the I-beam.
15 Figures llA and llB show a ~upport rail ~ith a head
ha~ing a do~etail groove and a foot designed to mate ~ith
the tie plates of Figures 16 and 17.
Figures 12A, 12B and 12C show a support rail with a head
shaped to slideably engage a box channel surface rail and
a root designed to mate ~ith the tie plates of Figures 16
and 17.
Figure 13A is illustrative of surface rails that span
multiple joints in support rails and surface rails that
are shorter than a support rail.
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Figures 133 and 13C show an expansion rail used between
the surface running rails.
Figure 14 illustrates applicat~on of the lnvention to
double rail track.
Figure 15 shows a tie plate that slideably engages the
foot of the support rails in Figures 11 and 12 is pinned
to the tie plate and tie ~ith fluted pins.
Figures 16A and 16B show a tie plate ~here the fluted
plns are vertically oriented.
Figures 17A and 17B sho~ a tie plate ~here the fluted
pins are oriented at 45 from the vertical.
DETAlLED DESCRIPTION oF T~E INVENTIO~
one embodt ment of the invention is sho~n in Figure 1.
Support rail 10 is made of electrically non-conductive or
insulative material such as poly-carbonate materials,
carbon fibers, ceramics, or combinations thereof. Any
insulati~e materi21 that has sufficient structural
strength to support a vehicle on the rail may be used.
The top of the support rail 10 contains a notch 12 that
runs the length of rail 10. In the preferred embodiment,
notch 12 is a dovetail groo~e. This dovetail groove is
designed to recel~e the dovetail bead 14 of a continuous
surface, conductive rail 16 on top of support rail 10.
Support rails 10 are abutted end-to-end to form any
desired length of rail in a track system. In Figure 1,
support rail 10 i~ joined to abutting support rail 18 at
joint 22 by fish plate 20 and a matching counterpart fish
plate (not shown) on the other side of rails 10 and 18.
The fish plate brackets are usually bolted together
through the body of the support rail ~ith bolt~ and nuts.
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In a light railroad Implementation ~ith lo~ loads on the
rails, the fish plates are plastic ~ith bolts and nuts
molded as a part of each fish plate. Each molded bolt
(see Fig. 2C) has a nub 39 and shaft 38 molded on the
fish plate. The nub 39 snapfits through holes 58 in a
matching fish plate on the other side of the rail. For
example, nubs (not shown) from the opposite-side flsh
plate pas~ through holes in rails and snapfit through
holes 26 (Fig. 1) in fish plate 20. False nuts 24 are
molded into fish plate 20 to simulate real nuts.
The surface rai~ 16 is attached to both rails 10 and 18
by inserting the dovetail bead 14 into matching dovetail
groove 12 in the rails. The flat portion of conducti~e
surface rail 16 ~ests on the top sur~ace of support rai~s
10 and 18. The bead 14 of rail 16 riding in groove 12
holds the conductive rail in place. Thus surface rail 16
spans the support rail abutment joint 22 so that relative
to a ~heeled vehicle or electro-motive device riding on
the rail there is no physical discontinuity or electrical
discontinuity of the composite continuous conductive rail
at joint 22.
The surface rail 16 terminates at some point along the
track ~here it is desirable to end an electrical con~rol
zone. In Figure 1, rail 16 termlnates where it abuts
ag~in~t floating insulator 28. Insulator 28 thus defines
the end of one electric control zone or control block
defined by conductive surface rail 16 and the beginning
of the next control block defined by conductive surface
rail 30.
Floating insulator 28 has a dovetail bead 32 to engage
groove 12 in the support rall in the same manner as
surface rail 16. lnsulator 28 floats on
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support rail 18 in that it may slid along the top of rail
18. This allows for expancion and contraction of the
surface rails due to chanses in temperature.
Figures 2A and 2B sho~ an alternative design for the
plastic f ish plates. Fish plates 34 and 35 are concave
relative to the support rail 44 so that a cavity 36 is
formed bet~een plates 34 and 35 and the non-conductive
support rails.
As illustrated in end vie~ in Flgure 2B, nub 39 of shaft
38 is pressed through a hole in the fish plate by
deforming the fish plates 34 and 35 inward as depicted by
arrows 33. Fish plates 34 and 35 are identical; ~hen
installed, plate 35 is reversed in direction relative to
plate 34. Thus, shaftc 38 of one plate extend through
holes 58 ~Fig. 2C) of the other plate. After nub 39 on
shaft 38 of fish plate 34 has snapped through the hole in
fish plate 35, plates 34 and 35 are held deformed toward
the support rail 44. As a result, plates 34 and 35 Yant
to extend in an up~ard and down~ard direction, as
depicted by arro~s 42, against the foot 46 and head 48 of
rail 44.
Figure 2C shows details of the fish plate or bracket 31
Shafts 38 and nuts 40 are molded as a part of plate 34
The position of the innermost edge of the concave inner
surface of plate 34 i illustrated by dashed line 56.
Holes 58 in the plate are tapered to receive the nubs 39
of sharts 38 that snapfit into holes S8. The molded
shape of nuts 40 is a matter of choice since they are
provided for aesthetic~ in s~mulating the appearance of
conventional track installation.
Figure 3A illustrates a clip 64 for holding the support
rail to a support member or ra~lroad tie 62.
Alternat~vely, the clip could hold the support rail
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direc~ly tQ the roadbed. Clip 64 has spring tension arms
60. A support rail ~ay be snapped into the clip 64
between the arms 60 as sho~n in Figure 3B and be held by
the clip on tie 62 or a roadbed (not shown).
Figure 3B shows a non-conductive support rail 65 and
continuous, conductive, surface rail 67 cimilar to rail
16 tn Figure 1. In addition Figure 3B shows a second
conductive strip 69 (sho~n ~n end vie~ at the end of the
composite rail) positioned at the bottom of ~upport rail
65. One or more conductive strips 69 might be used to
conduct control signals, such as a radlo frequency
control signals, down the length of the track.
Conductive strip 69 would be a continuous or minimum- -
joint strip in the same manner as surface rail 67.
A end view of support rail 65 ~ith surface rail 67 and
conductor 69 is shown ln Figure 4A. In addition in
Figure 4A, the support rail 65 is made of a conductive
metal such as steel, brass, aluminum or tin. In this
em~odlment with a conductive support rail, there must be
an insulating layer 67A and 69A bet~een the support rail
65 and surface rail 67 and conductor 6g. Insulating
layers 67A and 69A are preferably coatinqs of poly-
carbonate materialc. Plastics such as Vinyl or Teflon
might bo used.
Also sho~n in the end vie~ in Figure 4A ~s a space
bet~een the bottom of surface rail 67 and the bottom of
the dovetail groove. This space is provided so that a
electrical ~ire might be trapped in the space after
passing thro~gh a hole (not sho~n) in the support rail.
30 Thus thc conductive surf~ce rail conductor 67 can receive
electrical po~er from a po~er source.
A snap in rail clip 64 is sho~n ln Figures 4A, 4B and 4C.
Clip 64 is precast or molded out of flex~ble poly-
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carbonate materials and has posts 68 with ears 63 that
snap fit over the base 46 of support rail 44.
In the detail of Figure 4B, the clip 64 has upstanding
posts 68 ~ol~ed as a ~lngle piece ~ith base 65.
Upstanding posts 68 have arcuate, vertical-fluted
surfaces 66 and ears 63 to hold a rall firmly ln plac-
after it i5 snapped into clip 64. Fl~ted surfaces 66
would be shaped out of a harder material than the plastic
clip and for example might be a metal insert such as
steel, brass, or aluminum, molded into the clip. Further
the rail base is held in a recessed area 67.
In Figure 4C, ~here is a top ~Lew of clip 64 in Figure
4B. Four posts 68 are shown. Arcuate fluted surfaces 66
are shown by dashed lines. The edqes 67A of recess 67
1~ are 1ndicated. Also holes 61 in base plate 65 are
provided so that the clip 64 can be fastened to railroad
ties or roadbed with nails, spikes or bolts through the
holes.
When a rail is pushed down into clip 64, base 65 and
posts 68 flex to allow posts 68 to open sufficiently for
the base of the rail to slip past ears 63. After ears 63
snap over the bas~ of the rail, the rail is kept from
moving vertically and is held in recess 67 by ears 63
applying retentive forces in direction of arro~s 63A. In
addition the rail is kept from slipplng transverse to the
direction of the rail by the edges of recess 61 and by
retentive forces (in the direction of arrows 66A) from
the lnner arcuate surfaces 66 of posts 68. T~e rail is
kept from slipping along the length of the rail by the
vertic~l fluted surfaces 66.
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Figures 5 through 7 illustrate various alternative
embodiments for slideably engaging the eontinuous surface
rail on top of the sectlonal support rall. In Figure S,
the top or surface rail 71 has two rounded beads ~0 and
72 for engaglng rounded grooves 74 and 76 respectively in
support rail 69.
In Figure 6, the support rail 79 has a top surface
containing a cylindrical groove 80 with ears 82 and 83.
Continuous conductor 84 has ~ cylindrical cross-sec~ional
shape. ~hen the conductor 84 is pressed into groove 80,
ears 82 and 83 of the groove snap over the conductor.
Conductor 84 has a diameter some~hat greater than the
depth of groove 80 so that up to 20~ of the diameter of
the conductor protrudes above ~he ~urface of the support
rail. This will insure good electrical contact between
the conductive rail ~ember 84 and ~heels of an electro-
moti~e device drawing electrical po~er from the rail.
In Figure 7, the support rail 87 has two doYetail grooves
88 and gO to engage two surface rails 92 and 94
respectively. Top rails 92 and 94 each have a dovetail
bead 96 and 98 for engaging dovetail grooves 88 and 90.
If surface rail6 92 and 94 are conduc~ive, ~hey may be
insulated from each other by ~ ridge l~O on the head of a
non-conductive support rail 87.
2S In Figure 8, an alternati~e embodiment of the continuous
surface rail is shown. In this embodiment, the dovetail
bead 102 i~ discontinuous. The bead need not extend the
length of the surface rail. There only needs to be a
bead at spaced intervals. T~o beads 102 and 104 are
sho~n. The interval bet~een beads should be short enough
so that good engagement ~ith the support rail i8
maintained when the ~urface rail is slidea~ly engaged
into the matching ~roove in the suppor~ rail.
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Figures 9 ~nd 10 illustrate mating of continuous,
conductive surface rails to sectional non-conductive
mono-rails. ~he non-conducti~e mono-rail ~ould be built
of strong re}atively stiff mater$al to support the ~eight
S of the vehicle travelling on the rail. Aceordingly, the
mono-rall would be in ~ections ~h~ch would be assembled
to form a track. The surface rails ~ould be flex~ble and
of any length and would span any number of mono-rail
sectlons thereby providing electrlcal continuity for a
predetermined length of track.
ln the mono-rail illu-Qtrated as an end vie~ in Figure 9,
the rail i8 supported at the base 108 by pylons or a
roadbed in cross-section. The electro-motive vehicle
rides on the top surface 110 of the mono-rail and carries
two electrical conductive ~ipers or ~heels ~hich ~ake
contact with ~onductive surface rails 112 and 114. ~he
continuous surface rails have a dovetail bead 116 and
slidea~ly engage matching dovetail groove 118.
In the mono-rail illustrated as an end ~ie~ in Figure 10,
the rail i~ ~upported at the top 120 of the I-beam by
hanging suppore 122 in crosC-section. The electro-motive
vehlcle r~des on wheels running on the top surfaces 124
and 126 of the ba~e 128 of the I-beam. The vehicle also
carries t~o electrical conductive wipers or wheels ~hich
make contact wLth conductive surface rails 130 and 132.
The continuou~ conductlve ~urface rails ha~e a dovetail
~hape and ~lideably engag~ matching doYetail groo~es 131
and 133 respectively.
In Figures llA and llB another embodiment for the support
rail is illu~trated. Support rail 140 differs from the
support rail 10 in Figure 1 in the shape of the foot of
the rall. Foot 142 o~ support rail 140 has its lateral
edges shaped to provide a vertical surface 144 and an
angular surface 146 oriented approximately 45~ from the
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verttcal. The angles of the surfaces are selected so
that the foot of the rail 140 will mate uith the tie
plate shown in Figures 15 to 17. The fastening of the
rail to the tie plates and ties will be described ~n more
detail hereinafter in reference to Figures 15 to 17.
~he support rail 140 ln Figure llA and llB has a dovetail
groove 148 in the head of the support rail to receive a
continuous surface rail 150. Just as in Figure 1, the
doYe tall 152 on surface ra~l 150 slldeably engages the
head grooYe 148 in support rail 140. The surface rail
may extend for any dlstance; the length o~ the surface
rail has no relatlonship to the tocation of support rail
~oints except that preferably surface rail ~oints do not
occur at support rail joints.
Support rail 140 in Figure llA and llB also has a foot
groove 154. Groove 15~ mi~ht be used to carry a
conduc~ive wire. rf support rail 140 i~ made of a
flexible material such a~ Acetal Nylons and poly-
carbonates, so that it may be sh2ped to a desired path
for a track, groove ~5~ could receive a stiffening rib
(not shown). The rib could be attached to the road bed
on ~hich the support rail is ~ounted.
F~gures 12A, lZB and 12C show a support rail 156 similar
to rail 14~ ln Figure llA except that the head 158 of
rail 156 ~ designed to receive a box channel shaped
surface rail 160. Surface ra~l 160 is laid on top of
head 158 and ehen slideably engaged to the support rail
by bending the sides 162 of the channel around the head
}58 to produce the composite rail sho~n in Fiqure 12C.
The bending of the sides of the channel surface rail 160
would ~e accomplished by applying a combination of
localized heat and pressure (rollers) ~o the sides 162 of
the ch~nnel surfacc rail. The heat would soften the
surface rail and pressure rollers would bend the sldes
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around the head. The surface rail is hooked o~er the
head by this bending operation. The surface rail must
remain slideable relative to the head 158 of the support
rail 156.
The head 158 hafi its four corners 164 be~eled. In
addition the ~nside corners 166 of the channel 160 are
filled to match the beveled corners 164 of the support
rail head. This provides more material in the surface
rail at the corners of the head in the composite rail;
the corners of the surface rail are the points of
greatest ~ear as railway cars r~de on the composite rail.
Depending on ~he application of the continuous composite
rails, the support rail may be either a qlectrically
conductive or non-conducti~e material. Similarly, the
continuous surface rail may be conductive or non-
conductive. Some example~ of support rail material would
be steel, a~L in , iron, brass, ceramlc, thermo
plastics, and thermoset plastics; some examples of
surface rail materials would be aluminum, copper, steel,
steel alloys, thermo plastLcs, and thermoset plastics.
If ~he surface rail is to be electrified, then the
~upport rail should be nonconductive or an insulating
l~yer m~y be placed bet~een the surface rail and the
support rail as sho~n in Figure 4A.
~igure 13A sho~s a typical configuration of the
continuous compo~ite rail using short support rail
segments to illustrate the independence of the length of
the s~rface rall from the joints ln the support rail.
Sur~ace rails may span multiple joints ln the support
rail or may be shorter than a support rail segment. Four
support rail segments 170, 172, 174, and 176 abut at
jolnts 171, 173, and 175 respecti~ely. The support rail
se~ments ar- fastenod tog~ther ~ith fish plate brackets
lt1, lt8, and 179 (bolts for the fish plate brackets are
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not ~ho~n~. Continuous, surface, running rails 180, 182,
184 and 186 are Yeparated by surface, expansion rails
181, 183, and 185. The running rails and expansion rails
all slideably engage the support rail as pre~iously
described. The expansion rails are designed to compress
or expand longitudinally ~along the length of the rail)
to a~sor~ expansion of the running rails.
Figures 13B and 13C show the preferred structure for an
expansion rail. The structure of the h~gh load-bearing
expansion rail 181 i~ a honeycomb as most clearly seen in
the top ~iew in Figure l3a. The ~all thickness and the
material used in the walls 187 of the honeycomb should
have sufficient load-bearing strength so that the walls
of the honeycomb will transfer the axle ~eight of the
wheeled vehicle riding on the rails to the head of the
support rail. At the ~ame t~me the material should be
resilient enough so that if the surface rail contracts
after expanslon, the expansion rail ~ill expand and
continue to provide a continuous surface from a first
running rail to the next successi~e running r~il. The
mat-rials used in the expansion rail may be the same as
the materials used in the running rail as for example,
~teel, steel alloys, thermo plastics, and thermoset
pla~tic~ so long as the material has the necessary
~trength and resllience.
F$gure 13C is an end view of the honeycomb expansion rail
in Figure 13B. The honeycomb rail has no top or bottom
walls. It does ha~re end ~alls 188 and may have slde
~all~ or the honeycomb may be shaped at the side~ of the
rail to pro~ide side walls. Ho~ever, the main structure
cf the hon~c~i- rail must be the honeycomb and ~ny
exterior ualls to the honeycomb must not restrict the
~ n~ion~contraction characteristic~ of the honeycomb
structure. If desired to insure mechanical and
electrical continuity with the surface running rails, the
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end of the running rail and the abutting ends 188 of the
expan~ion rail may be welded, fused or bonded.
As sho~n in the Figure 13A, the dove tail bead on the
surface, runnlng, rail has a depth shorter than the depth
of the dovetail groove in the head of the support rail.
This is done to reduce friction between the running rail
and the support rall so that the running rail may more
easily slide ln the ~upport rail. The depth 189 of dove
tail bead for the expansion rail may be the same as the
dovetail bead on the running rail. Ho~ever for added
strength in transferring the load from the top of the
~YrAnsion rail to the support rail, the depth 189 of
dovetail bead on the expansion rail may have the same
dep~h as the depth of the groove in the head of the
~upport rail. In CUch an implementation, the load-
bearing on the top of the honeycomb will be transferred
to the bottom of the dovetail groove as well as the top
of the support rail head. The added friction bet~e~n the
expansion rail and the support rail does not impede the
slideable engagement bet~een the running rail and the
support rail.
The expansion ra~ls may be electrically conductive or
non-conducti~e. If the surface rail is conductive, the
expansion rails ~ould be nonconductive at the end of
electrical control blocks. Within an electrical control
block the expansion rail would be conductive to provide
electrical continuity from one running rail to the next
running rail. They would then perform the dual function
of c~ ting for thermal expansion in the surface
rails and insulating abutting surface rails so as to form
electrical control blocks in the rail ~ystem. The
expansion rail ~ill be insulative if formed from thermo
plastie or thermoset plastics. lt will be conductl~e ~f
formed from conducti~e ~etals or plast1cs plated with
conductivo metals.
AMEN~EO SHEET
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Each surface rail ~ould normally span many support rail
segment joints, but the surface rails may be of any
length. Figure 13A illustrates a sur~ace, running rail
182 that spans t~o joints 171 and 173. Figure 13A also
illustrates a running rail 184 that is shorter than a
single support rail segment 174 ~hereby there are t~o
expansion rails 183 and 185 bet~een ~oint~ 173 and 175.
Figure 14 shous t~o rall track implemented ~ith the
compo~lte rails of the present invention. Support rail
segments 190 are the same length and positioned on tie~
192 so that abutting joints 194, 196, 198, and 20~ for
one rail of the track are offset respectively from
abutting j~ints 201, 203, 205, 207, and 209 for the other -
rail. R~ ng rail 210 spans joint-~ 203, 205, 207, and
209 and is ~upported by more than three support rail
segments lg0. Similarly surface running rail 212 spans
~oints 194, 196 and 198. On the other hand running rail
2IS is shorter than one segment and positioned a~ sho~n
in Figure 14 does not span any joints.
All ~urface rails slideably engage the support rail
segments to ~lide relative to the support rail ~hen the
surface ralls expand or contract due to thermal
expanslon. The slideable engagement also facilitates
installation of the surface rails on the support rail
segments. Expansion rails 214 in Figure 14 are resilient
and expand or contract to absorb thermal expansion of the
surfacQ rails. The expan~ion rails have the same cross-
~ectional shape as the running rails and may also be
conductive or non-conductive if the runnin~ rails are
3~ electrified.
While the trac~ in Figure 1~ illustrates a pre~erred
~ o~ t for t~o rail trac~, it ~ill be appreciated by
one skilled in the art that ties and ~upport rail
segments could be preassembled in a different
A~E~DED SH~t~
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conriguration. In preassembled two rail ~rack the ends
of the support rail segments would be aligned. The
joints between abutting and parallel support rail~ ~ould
then be ~ligned rather than offset as shown in Figure 14.
This configuration would allow qu~ck inQtallation of
parallel support rails on a roadbed. Th~ two rail track
would be finished by adding the continuous surface
running rails and expansion rails.
The tle plates for fastening the support rails of Flgures
11-14 to the ties are shown in Figures 15-17. Figure 15
shows an asse~bled composite rail from Figure llA in
cross-sectlon fastened in tie plate 220 on tie 222. T~e
222 is notc~ed 50 that tie plate 220 is recessed in the
notch in the tie. Fluted pin~ 224 and 226 pass through
holes in tie plate 220 and holes in clamping shoes 228
and 230 and are driven into tie 222. Thus pins 224 and
226 fasten the rail to the tie plate and the tie plate to
the tie.
Pins 224 and 226 are fluted so as to engage the edge of
the foot of the cupport ra~l 140 as the pins are driven
into the tie. Pin 224 is oriented a~ 45~ to the vertical
and i~s flutes defor~ and engage 45 surface 146 at the
edge of the ioot of support rail 140. Pin 226 iQ
oriented vertlcally and it~ flutes deform and engage the
vertlcal surface 144 at the edge o~ support rail foot.
Since the pin~ enga~e the support rail foot, they tend to
hold the ~upport rail firmly against motion along the
direct~on of the rail.
Figures 16A and 16B are top and side vie~s of the tie
plate ~ith the holes for spikes oriented vertically.
Spike~ 232 are shown in Figure 16B. Figures 17A and 17B
are top and side ~ie~s of the tie plate with the holeQ
for ~pikQs 234 oriented at 45~ from the vertical. In
both embodiments the tle plates 231 and 233 are deslgned
AMEND~D SHEET
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for use with four spikes. In tie plate 231 holes 235
through the clamp shoes 239 and tie plate are oriented
vertically. In tie plate 233 hole~ 23~ through clamp
shoes 240 and the tie plate are oriented 45~ from
vertical. In addition to the holes for spikes 232 and
234, each of the tie plates also has four holes 235 to
receive 5pikes (not shovn~ for holdinq the tie plates 231
and 233 to ties.
Vertical or non-vert~cal orientation of spike hole~ in
the tie plates depend~ on the forces the rail ~ill be
su~ject to. Vert$cal orientation provides most
resistance to vertical force from the rail. Non-vertical
orientation provides more resistance to horizontal force
from the rail but less resistance to vertica} force from
the rail. Tie plate 220 in Figure 15 used a combination
of vertical and non-vertical spike holes. One s~illed in
the art will appreciate that dependinq on the hori20ntal
and ~ertical forces on the rail and the materials used
for the rail, tie plates, and ties, other angular
2C orientations of the spike holes may be selected.
~hile a n~ ~r of preferred embodiments of the in~ention
have been sho~n and described, it will be appreciated by
one ~killod ~n the art, that a number of f~rther
~ariation~ or modifications may be made uithout departing
from the splrit and scope of my inventlon.
AMENDED SHEET
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