Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Description
Railroad Track Switch Device
The invention relates to a railroad track switch device comprising a stock
rail, a switching rail
that merges into a control rail such as a channel rail, a guide rail, a
retainer that holds the
switching rail on the control rail side in a force-fit, in particular by means
of a wedge element,
and a slide device, such as a slide plate, that slidably supports the
switching rail.
A corresponding railroad track switch device is known from EP 0 603 883 B1. In
this case, the
guide or secondary rail may consist of flat stock. The retainer, which can
also be described as
a switch adapter, for the switching rail accommodates the switching rail by
sections and secures
it, in particular, by a double wedge clamping plate. The switch adapter itself
sectionally limits
a channel merging into the connecting rail.
A railroad track switch device is known from DE 199 20 858 A1 in which the
guide rail and
support bed for the switching rail are made as one piece. For this purpose, a
foundation block
may be produced by casting and may be given the desired geometry by machining.
The switch
adapter itself can thereby also be formed from the block. This is associated
with structural and
production-related disadvantages which are caused by the use of a massive
component. Thus,
massive rectangular sections do not have a defined rolling structure due to
their low degree of
shaping, so that gas bubbles and shrink holes may be present in the block
interior which can
permeate the surface during finishing, as a result of which the function of
the component is
affected. Massive rectangular sections also have worse material properties and
mechanical
properties in comparison to individual rolled components. Since there is
basically no
homogeneous structure, the slight fissure elongation promotes the tendency to
crack formation.
Due to the voluminous block, larger volumes must be heated during subsequent
welding work,
which can be required by necessary repairs, to ensure an adequate connection.
However, heat-
treatment cracks result in rail steels during welding at too great a rate of
cooling, i.e. with
insufficient preheating. Independently thereof, a low economic efficiency is
caused by the large
amount of machining.
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EP 013 826 A 1 relates to a switching rail which has a geometric shape on the
connecting rail side
that corresponds to the connecting rail. To this end, there is a partial
reforging of the end section
of the switching rail on the rail side.
A switching device in monoblock form is known from DE 808 713 C.
The present invention is based on the problem of further developing a railroad
track switch
device of the aforementioned type, as well as a method for the manufacture
thereof, such that
only a few components must be used for manufacturing the device without
forfeiting any
functional efficiency. At the same time, good material properties are to be
provided and they
should not change, or not substantially change, during a necessary machining.
Furthermore,
materials are to used which exhibit optimum suitability for a railroad track
switch device. A
simplified production should also be made possible.
According to the invention, the problem is essentially solved in that the
guide rail is a machined
section of a rolled section consisting, in particular, of a rail-steel, which
has on the control rail
side a cross-'section that corresponds to the control rail and seamlessly
merges into the latter.
Preferably, the rolled section is a structural rail such as a thick web rail
or a filled section rail or
a rectangular rail having e.g. a cross section of 180 x 180 mm2.
In contrast to the known state of the art, a rolled section, such as a
structural rail, is used as
starting material for the production of the guide rail, which has good
material properties and high
mechanical quality values, as is known for rail steel. There is also a
homogeneous structure, so
that a tendency to crack is not produced. By using, in particular, rail steel,
proven weld
constructions are maintained, so that all elements can be made with materials
best suited for their
function. In particular, a rolled sheet of a wear-resistant type of steel can
be used for the slide
device, such as a slide plate, a possibility that is not possible when
building the railroad track
switch device in a monoblock manner. In addition, a more economical production
is obtained,
in comparison to monoblock constructions, since the processing cost, such as
the machining cost,
is kept within bounds.
In a further embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the retainer,
such as a switch adapter,
receiving the end of the switching rail on the control rail side is welded
with the machined rolled
section such as the machined structural rail. Consequently, there is an
apparent monoblock
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construction in the area of the connection of the switching rail with the
adapter, so that the
advantages existing in this respect are assumed.
Alternatively, it is possible that the retainer is a reforged section of the
rolled section. It is also
possible to connect a separately produced retainer to the machined rolled
section fixedly, e.g. by
a screw connection.
The alignment of the retainer, on the one hand, to the machined rolled section
and, on the other
hand, to the section of the switching rail receiving the retainer is such that
the channel extending
in the area of the retainer and continuing in the control rail is only limited
by the machined rolled
section and the section of the switching rail.
To be able to carry out the necessary machining of the rolled section, even if
it is a thick web rail
as starting material, a further embodiment of the invention provides that the
rolled section, in the
form of a structural rail has before the retainer, as viewed from the switch
rail tip, a course which
is displaced is compared to the course in and beyond the retainer.
Alternatively, it is possible to obtain the desired course of the structural
section by cutting, such
as autogenous gas cutting, so that a bending is not required. This is followed
by a machining.
A corresponding contour is produced, in particular, with a rectangular rolled
section as "starting
rail".
A CDN working of the rolled section is also possible, so that processing steps
that differ from
the previously described series can be performed. The railroad track switch
device according to
the invention has a structure which has the advantages of a monoblock
construction without
assuming the disadvantages thereof. In this case, appropriate materials can be
used which satisfy
an optimum functional efficiency without having to accept any production-
related disadvantages.
It is especially advantageous if the guide rail is made from one component,
that is machined to
the required degree, over the entire length of the switching rail up to the
control rail.
A method for forming a section of a railroad track switch device comprising a
stock rail, a
switching rail that merges into a control rail such as a channel rail, a guide
rail, a retainer that
holds the switching rail as well as a slide device that slidably supports the
switching rail between
the stock rail and the guide rail is characterized in that the guide rail is
made from a rolled section
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consisting of a rail steel by machining and changes into a section having a
cross-sectional shape
which corresponds to the control rail and which is formed by machining of a
section of the rolled
section.
In this case, to obtain the desired shape of the guide rail, the rolled
section can be bent prior to
this processing, in particular the machining, thereof. In particular, it is
also possible that the
rolled section receives its basic contour prior to the machining by e.g.
autogenous gas cutting.
Furthermore, the rolled section can be connected, e.g. by welding, with the
retainer after the
machining and the rolled section can then be bent to obtain the desired shape.
Further details, advantages and features of the invention are found not only
in the claims, the
features to be found therein -alone or in combination - but also in the
following description of
a preferred embodiment which can be seen in the drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 a shows a plan view of a railroad track switch device,
Fig. 1 b shows a section of the device according to Fig. 1 a, insofar as it
relates to the guide rail,
Fig. 2 shows a section along the line A-A in Fig. 1 a,
Fig. 3 shows a section along the line B-B in Fig. 1 a,
Fig. 4 shows a section along the line C-C in Fig. 1 a,
Fig. 5 shows a section along the line D-D in Fig. 1 a,
Fig. 6 shows a perspective illustration of a section of an arrangement
corresponding in principle
to the railroad track switch device of Fig. 1,
Fig. 7 shows an alternative design of the guide rail in Fig. 1 b in the area
of a switch adapter, and
Fig. 8 shows a perspective illustration of a section of a railroad track
switch device.
Essential elements of a railroad track switch device having a basically known
construction can
be seen in Figs. la and 1b in a plan view. This indicates that the railroad
track switch device
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comprises a guide rail 10 and a stock rail 12 and a switching rail 14 which
can be slidably
adjusted on a sliding plate 16. Conventional control devices (not described in
greater detail) can
be used to adjust the switching rail 14. The switching rail 14 is fixed in a
retainer 18 on the root
side, i.e. secured in the retainer 18 by means of a wedge element 20 as per
Fig. 4, as described
5 by way of example in EP 603 883 B1. In this respect, reference is
emphatically made to the
disclosure of the corresponding document.
Outside of the railroad track switch device, the rail sections adjoin control
rails such as channel
rails which can be joined in the conventional manner by welding with the rail
sections.
According to the invention, it is now provided that the guide rail 10 in the
entire railroad track
switch device up to the end 22 at the control rail side is a section of a
rolled section, in particular,
in the form of a structural rail such as a thick web rail 24, which is given
the desired cross-
sectional shape by machining.
In other words, a rolled rail-steel section is used as starting material,
which is given the desired
geometric shape inside the railroad track switch device, in particular by
machining, in order to
form the guide rail 10 on the one hand and, on the other hand, to receive a
cross-sectional shape
on the control rail side which corresponds to that of the control rail. This
cross-sectional shape
is identified by reference numeral 26 in Fig. I b.
Prior to machining the rolled section 24, which will simply be called a
structural rail in the
following, it can be bent to the required degree, i.e. such that an outward
bend results directly in
front of the retainer 18 for the switching rail 14, also called switch
adapter, as can be seen in Fig.
1 b, or can obtain a desired contour shape as shown in Figs. 7 and 8 by e.g.
cutting a
corresponding profile.
The shape of the structural rail 24 relative to its web 28, on the one hand,
and, on the other hand,
to what degree it must be machined to obtain the desired end geometry along
the switching
device can be seen in Fig. 1b and in a comparison of Fig. 2 to Fig. 5. It is
also especially clear
from the basic illustration of Fig. 5 and the right sectional illustration in
Fig. 1 b that there is a
geometry in the end area on the control rail side which corresponds to the
control rail to be
welded to the joint abutment 22.
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In the area of the switch tip up to the switch adapter 18, the guide rail 10
has steps, which are not
identified in greater detail, on which the slide plate 16 can be supported,
which can be joined,
particularly by welding, to the guide rail 10 and the stock rail 12. In this
case, the slide plate 16
can essentially consist of smaller and larger slide plate sections 30, 32, 34,
as shown in Fig. 6.
The switch adapter 18 itself is welded to the structural rail 24 (Fig. 4) and
holds the switching
rail 14 in its end on the control rail side, i.e. root side, in a clamping
manner, as already
mentioned, especially by wedge clamping plates 20. The channel 36 extending in
this area and
continuing in the control rail is thereby defined as follows. Channel flanks
38, on the one hand,
and travel flanks 40 of the channel 36, on the other hand, are formed by
sections of the structural
rail 24 or the switching rail 14. The channel base 42 of the channel 36 is
also a section of the
structural rail 24, so that the switch adapter 18 itself does not directly
limit the channel 36.
Rather, the switch adapter 18 extends along the base 42 and the outer side 44
of the switching
rail 14 facing away from the channel and is welded to the web 28 of the
structural rail 24 on the
I S one hand and to the foot 46 on the other hand.
Furthermore, it can be seen that the machined structural rail 24 extends to
both sides of the
switch adapter 18, seen in longitudinal direction.
If, seen from the tip of the switching rail, the bend of the structural rail
24 extends directly in
front of the switch adapter 18, then a shape in the area of the switch adapter
18 according to Fig.
6 is also possible. However, the first construction is preferred.
A thick web rail (Type D 180/105) is especially suitable as structural
section. Other structural
rails such as filled line end rails, filled section rails or the like are also
suitable.
A rectangular rolled rail-steel section having an edge length XY of e.g. 180 x
180 mmz was used
as structural section to carry out the teaching of the invention in Figs. 7
and 8. Independently
thereof, the same reference numbers are used for the same elements in the
embodiments of Figs.
1 to 6. The contour and the shape of the guide rail 10 as well as the area in
which the switch
block 18 is connected, e.g. welded, to the structural section, as well as the
area 50 corresponding
to the cross-section 26 of a channel rail at the control rail side is produced
by e.g. autogenous gas
cutting of the initial section 124 or by similar methods and subsequent
machining. The cross-
sections in the peripheral areas, i.e. the guide rail 10 in the area of the
switch tip on the one hand
and the channel rail profile 26 in the end of the switching device on the
control rail side on the
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other hand, can be clearly seen in the sectional illustrations of Fig. 7. This
can also be seen in
the perspective illustration of Fig. 8, in which slide plate sections 32, 34,
as in Fig. 6, are also
shown.
Furthermore, it is illustrated that the switching rail 14 merges at the
oblique joint into the travel
head 48 of the end section 50 of the rolled section 124, the cross-section 26
of which corresponds
to the control rail. Consequently, the section 26 has the travel head 48, the
channel head 52 as
well as the channel 54 extending between them, which merges into the channel
36, as is shown
in Fig. 4.
