Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DEVICE FOR SECURING RAILWAY LINES
This invention contains a device to secure tracks. The device can be used
between the
tracks on which track running vehicles such as trains, city light rails,
trams, etc., traffic,
which is in compliance with the introduction of patent claim 1. In particular,
the device has
been developed to prevent animals or humans from loitering on the tracks, as
well as the
additional purpose of preventing serious derailment of vehicles if they come
off the
tracks.
BACKGROUND
Every year, a great number of animals are either killed or severely injured as
a result of
them being run over by track running vehicles, in particular trains. In the
summer months
there is a tendency for sheep and other farms animals to loiter on the tracks,
while in the
winter it is often reindeer and moose, etc., that go on the tracks. This is
because it is
much easier to walk on tracks than in the heavy snow beside the track.
Today's track designs involve the placement of railway sleepers, wood or
concrete, on
the ground, to which the rails are fastened with suitable gadgets. Then gravel
is put
around the sleepers. The reason why animals walk on the tracks is because it
is easy as
the railway sleepers usually have a flat surface. In addition, the tracks are
snow
ploughed in the winter hence they are easy for animals to walk on.
Animal owners encounter huge expenses when their animals get run over by
trains, and
large compensation costs are incurred to companies who operate vehicles on the
tracks.
In addition, animals that have been run over often cause long delays on the
railways as
the driver must stop the vehicle once he has run over an animal and then
notify the
correct authority for assistance with putting the hurt animal down and
cleaning up. In
many instances the driver of the vehicle must also kill the animal.
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Occasionally, problems are caused by people walking on the tracks. This
sometimes
results in extremely dangerous situations arising and the loss of lives.
Because of these occurrences, it is very dear that there is a need for a
device that will
keep people and animals off the tracks.
PURPOSE
The main purpose of this invention is to create a device that will make
railways safer and
prevent people and animals from loitering on the tracks.
Moreover, the device is to prevent serious derailment if the railway vehicle
comes off its
tracks.
THE INVENTION
A device for securing railway tracks in compliance with the invention has been
stated in
patent claiml.
The beneficial features of this device are stated in the other patent
requirements.
The device in compliance with the invention is based on the principles of
cattle guards.
The fact that animals do not cross cattle guards, and that people find them
uncomfortable to walk on demonstrates that they are an effective way of
stopping
animals from crossing them, as well as people from loitering on them.
Therefore, in compliance with the invention, a device that can be placed
between the
existing railway tracks has been created. The device, in compliance with the
invention,
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includes artificial elevations designed to make people and animals feel
uncomfortable
when they walk on tracks that have the device.
The device, in compliance with the first design, is a concrete railway
sleeper. This
concrete sleeper has an elevation that extends between two parallel tracks on
a railway.
The elevation can be formed in two ways, either by casting an elevation as one
unit
which can be adapted to existing and new sleepers with the aid of a suitable
fastening
agent, such as glue, or that an integrated elevation is placed on new sleepers
when they
are cast. It should be noted that the elevation may take on any shape or form
that ends
up pointed.
In addition to preventing animals and humans from loitering on the railway
tracks, the
device, in compliance with the invention will improve the lifetime of the
sleeper
significantly. Today's sleepers are mainly flat on their top surfaces, which
allows
moisture, rainwater and dirt to collect on top of them and thus the sleeper
disintegrates.
This will not be an issue with this invention. Moisture, rainwater and dirt
will run off the
sleeper because of the elevation.
Further, the requirements concerning conductor rails along railway tracks are
getting
stricter all the time. In particular, the most recent demand was that
conductor rails shall
be mounted in connection with bridges and tunnels. The conductor rails are
safety rails
that lie parallel to the rails of the tracks that railway vehicles run on,
only they are on the
inside. It is a known problem that today's mounting of conductor rails
involves drilling
four holes in each of the sleepers to secure the conductor rail. This causes
water and
dirt to penetrate into the sleeper and its lifetime becomes drastically
reduced. The
purpose of the conductor rails is to prevent the railway vehicle from ending
up outside
the track if derailment occurs, as the wheels of the vehicle will be trapped
between the
conductor rail and track.
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The invention will solve this problem as the elevation is adapted to fasten
conductor rails
at each end of the device, for example through specially designed end blocks
and
adapted fastening methods. Therefore, where sleepers already exist, it should
be
possible to glue the elevation to the existing sleepers and then attach the
conductor rails
to the elevation. Thus, a solution to prolong the life of railway sleepers
while at the same
time satisfy new demands on safety has been found. With new sleepers, the
elevations
with blocks at both ends and fastening gadgets for the conductor rails are, of
course,
integrated during the casting process so that the conductor rails can be
mounted directly
onto the new sleeper that has an elevation.
In places where conductor rails shall not be used, the elevation will
preferably be cast
with a hollow cavity, or in a material that will become misshapen if the wheel
ends up on
top of the elevation after derailing and comes out of its track.
In compliance with the invention, the conductor rail is adapted to contain
cables, which
normally buried along the tracks, for example in a U-shape, where the opening
of the U-
shape faces the tracks or, for example they are a rectangular shape with a
hollow cavity.
If the conductor rails are hollow inside, it is preferred that they have
openings at regular
intervals, preferably on the side facing the tracks to provide access to the
hollow cavity
for the insertion and removal of cables, as well as access to cables that are
already
inside the conductor rails. In this way, cables that are usually buried along
the tracks or
put in culverts along the tracks are placed inside conductor rails instead. In
this way, the
cost of laying cables and their maintenance will be reduced. The benefits will
also be
seen when localising errors, as the tracks tend to be free of snow and ice.
The device, in compliance with a second design, is preferably formed by
parallel
conductor rails that have elevations that stretch at reciprocal fixed
distances between the
leading rails. Preferably, the distance between the conductor rails is
somewhat shorter
than the distance between the rails of the track. The elevations are also
shaped in a way
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that makes it uncomfortable to walk on the tracks. The distance between the
elevations
is adapted to make it very uncomfortable to walk there.
The device is further supplied with suitable connection gadgets which allows
for several
devices to be placed after one another in succession.
Further, the conductor rails do not necessarily have to be rectilinear for
either of the
designs. They can be curved shaped so they can adapt to the bends on the
tracks.
Moreover, in compliance with the second design, the device has a fastening
gadget that
makes it possible to secure the device onto an already existing sleeper. For
example,
this operation can be done the same way as rails are fastened to sleepers,
which is by
using special type of fastening gadget that attaches the bottom of the rails
to the
sleepers. For this, the conducting rails preferably have one or more
pronounced edges
which stretch longitudinally along the conductor rails.
Furthermore, it is important that the device will not be an obstacle for
railway vehicles
travelling on the tracks, so the overall height of the device is adapted to
cater for this.
The device further includes beneficial termination points in places where
conductor rails
have been utilised. It is crucial that railway vehicles do not hook on to the
device when
they enter an area where, in compliance with the invention, the device is
used.
Termination points are also vital elements that prevent railway vehicles from
ending up
on top of the device, in compliance with the invention, should they derail
just before the
termination point. They will however be led into the area between the track
and the
conductor rail instead. The termination points are preferably formed by two
conductor
rails, which through the extension of the parallel conductor rails stretch in
a longitudinal
direction and becomes narrower and narrow so that it ends up as a pointed
formation.
Also, the termination points, to their advantage, have elevations like those
described
above between the conductor rails, or placed on or integrated into the
sleepers. In
connection with elevations that are placed on or integrated into the sleepers,
the width of
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the elevations will be smaller in areas where the termination point has been
made to
adapt to the mounted termination point Alternatively, the elevation may in
such
instances be adapted to stretch to both sides of the termination point's
conductor rails.
In addition to its purpose of preventing people and animals from loitering on
the tracks,
this will also reinforce the termination points to stop them from bending away
if the
railway vehicle should derail.
In addition to having an effect on people and animals, this design also has
other
advantages. If a railway vehicle should derail where a device, in compliance
with the
invention, has been placed the wheels of the train will be'caught' between the
device's
rails and conductor rails- The device will thus lead to the derailment being
less serious
than it would otherwise have been. Another advantage of the invention is that
it reduces
the work of rail improvement staff. At certain times, new gravel is laid on
the tracks and
because of the design of the invention, the gravel will not lay on the
sleepers due to the
shape of the elevations.
Details of the advantages of the invention will be described in the following
example.
Example
More details about the invention will be given below through reference to the
enclosed
drawing:
Fig. 1a-b shows a traditional sleeper with and without rails
Fig. 2a-c shows the device in compliance with the first design in compliance
with
the device, and
Fig. 3a-c shows the device in compliance with the second design placed on
tracks.
I will now refer to fig. la-b that shows a traditional concrete sleeper 11 for
tracks usually
formed by two parallel rails 12. A traditional concrete sleeper 11 is formed,
for example,
by outer ends 13 that slant upwards to a joint flat area 14. Wooden sleepers
are also
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in existence, but often they do not have slanted outer edges and they are
mainly
rectangular in shape. The tracks 12 have rather pronounced edges 15 where
suitable
fastening gadgets 16 can be used to fasten the tracks 12 to the sleepers 11.
I will now refer to fig. 2a-c that shows a device 20 that is in compliance
with the first
design of the invention. In compliance with the first design of the invention,
a new
sleeper 20 has been created for railway tracks which primarily has a centrally
placed
elevation 21. The elevation 21 can be formed in two ways. It can be casted 21
as one
unit which can be adapted to the existing sleepers and new traditional
sleepers 11 by
fastening them with appropriate fastening gadgets so they become permanently
fixed to
each railway sleeper, or with new sleepers 11, the elevation is preferably
integrated
during the casting process for the sleeper 20. It should be noted that the
elevation 21
may take on any shape that ends up pointed, which makes it uncomfortable to
walk on.
In addition to preventing animals and humans from loitering on the railway
track, the
sleeper 20 will have a prolonged lifetime with this design. As mentioned
above, sleepers
today are design mainly with flat top surfaces, which allows for moisture,
rainwater and
dirt to collect on top of the sleeper leaving the sleeper disintegrates. This
will not be an
issue with the invention, since moisture, rainwater and dirt will run off the
railway sleeper
because of the elevation 21.
Because of stricter requirements regarding conductor rails along the tracks,
particularly
in connection with bridges and tunnels, the device in compliance with the
first design of
the invention is ready for the fastening of conductor rails 22. The advantage
of this
design is that the device primarily includes rectangular end blocks 23 on each
side of the
elevation 21, which will form a fastening surface for the conductor rails 22.
In addition it
is adapted to fastening gadgets 24 for the fastening of conductor rails 22 to
the end
blocks. After the conductor rails 22 have been placed on the device 20 they
will stretch
parallel to the tracks 12 that the railway vehicles run on, but on the inside.
Since the
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device can be suited to existing railway sleepers, which are made as new
sleepers, the
device will increase the lifetime of new and old sleepers, as well as increase
safety since
the conductor rails can be fastened to the device and concurrently prevent
animals and
humans from walking on the tracks. On new railway sleepers the elevation 21
has end
blocks 23 and any fastening gadget 24 for the conductor rails 22 is integrated
in the
casting process.
In places where conductor rails 23 shall not be used, the elevation 21 will
preferably
have a hollow cavity or made with suitable materials that will become
misshapen if the
railway vehicle's wheel touches on the elevation 21 after derailing.
Further, it shall be mentioned that the device can be made with adaptations
for
conductor rails, as shown in fig. 2b and 2c, and without adaptations for
conductor rails,
as shown in Fig. 2a.
As can be seen in Fig. 2c, the beneficial conductor rails 22 come to an end at
the
termination point 25. The design of the termination point 25 allows it to
stretch in a
longitudinal direction as its width becomes narrower, ending as a pointed
shape, i.e., two
conductor rails 22 that end up as a point. For this, the preferred device is
in compliance
with the invention that has sleepers 20 with elevations 21, which become
narrower in
width so they allow the conductor rails 22 to narrow into a pointed shape.
Alternatively,
the elevation 21 may have cut outs that allow the conductor rails 22 to narrow
into a
point.
Thus, the device will have an reinforcing function that prevents the
termination points 25
from bending easily should a train derail. The termination points 25 may also
include a
covering plate (not shown) that stretches over the narrowing area to the
conductor rails
22 so that an even surface forms over the termination points 25. This may be
in addition
tofinstead of elevations 21 on the sleepers 20. In this way, objects that are
hanging off
the moving train will not catch. It will also prevent a dangerous situation
from arising if
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the train should derail right in front of a device, in compliance with the
invention, since
the termination points 25 will direct the train between the conductor rails 25
and the
tracks 12.
I will now refer to fig. 3a which shows the second design of the device 30 in
compliance
with the invention. The device 30 in compliance with a second design includes
two
longitudinal and parallel conductor rails 22, which primarily have a rather
rectangular
profile. Between the conductor rails 22 elevations are found 21 as described
in the first
design, arranged at a recicprocal distance along the conductor rails 22. The
conductor
rails 22 also have connection devices (not shown), as well as a groove and
tongue
solution or other suitable fastening gadgets so that several devices 30 can be
fitted in
succession. Further, the device 30 has suitable fastening gadgets (not shown),
as well
as a turnbuckle or similar, mainly for fastening to the railway sleepers 20
that lie under
the rails 12 of the track. As an example, the conductor rails 22 may have a
longitudinal
pronounced edge 32 on the inside and/or the outside in the same way as the
rails 12
have a pronounced longitudinal edges 15, up to where a suitable fastening
gadget 16
can be used, as shown in fig. 1 b. In this way, an existing fastening gadget
16 can be
used to fasten the device 30 in compliance with the invention, to sleepers 11.
Even
though only rectilinear devices have been shown 30, it is clear that the
device can also
be curved shaped so that it can be adapted to curved railway tracks-
I will now refer to fig. 3b-c which shows a device 30 in compliance with the
invention that
has a termination point 25. As described above, the design of the termination
point 25
allows its width to become narrower in a longitudinal direction from the end
of the device
30 to form a final point. Preferably, the termination point 25 in this design
is all the
elevations 21 as described above in fig. 3a to prevent animals and humans from
loitering
on the tracks. The elevations 21 also have a reinforcing function that
prevents the
termination points 25 from bending easily should a train derail. The
termination points 25
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may as mentioned above have a covering plate (not shown) that stretches across
the
conductor rails 22 so that an even surface is formed over the termination
point 25_
As mentioned in the introduction, it is preferred that conductor rails 22 are
adapted to
house cables that are normally buried along the railway tracks or placed in
culverts
along the tracks. This is achieved, for example, by the conductor rails 22
being primarily
rectangular in shape with a hollow cavity 33, e.g., as shown in Fig. 3a, which
can be
used to pull cables through. In places where elevations 31 have not been used
directly
on the conductor rails 22, as shown in fig. 2c, the conductor rails 22 may
have a U-
shape, where the opening of the U-shape faces inwards to the track, so that
cables can
be arranged in the conductor rails 22. Another solution would be to have
conductor rails
22 with hollow cavities and cut outs in a longitudinal direction that provide
access to the
cavity. The advantage of the two aforementioned solutions versus the first
solution is
that there is full access to the cables; however they are more exposed to
damage.
In connection with the termination points, the conductor rails can have
openings to pull
cables through the bottom so they can be taken further into the ground or
culverts along
the railway tracks.
It can be mentioned that the two designs may be combined and modified to other
designs.
Modifications
Railway sleepers with elevations shall preferably be made of concrete when new
ones
are laid. The elevations may have different shapes that end up pointed, such
as a
triangle or similar shapes.
The termination points may, in addition to slanting inwards to form a point,
have a
waning height.
