EP0697485A1 - Method and installation for making railway tracks - Google Patents

Abstract

Railway track device, in particular for urban vehicles of the tramway type, characterized by a concrete form or slab (1) disposed in a shaped bottom (26) and delimiting from its top a space (7) and trenches or engravings (2, 3) for armatures (4) and the support for adjusting screws (15) of the altimetric dimension of crosspieces (8) having holes (10) for centering saddles (12) supporting rails (13) by forming lost templates for said rails fixed to the saddles (12) by lag bolts (23) screwed into sheaths or sockets (24) extending below the saddles (12) and which are embedded in concrete poured at least in said trenches or engravings (2, 3).

Description

The invention relates to a new track device for railway vehicles of the tramway type which are intended to travel on the same tracks as ordinary road vehicles.

The invention allows the realization of a simple, therefore inexpensive, track, the essential elements of which can be manufactured in the factory and then brought to the place of assembly and assembled in a short time but with great precision and using means. extremely simple adjustment, the presetting of the railway being ensured by its own constituent elements.

Furthermore, the invention makes it possible simultaneously to set up various pipes without complicating the work of making the track.

According to the invention, the railroad device, in particular for urban vehicles, of the tramway type, is characterized by a concrete form or slab placed in a shaped bottom and delimiting, from its top, a space and trenches or engravings for reinforcements and the support for screws for adjusting the altimetric dimension of sleepers having holes for centering saddles supporting rails by forming lost templates for said rails fixed to the saddles by lag bolts or screws screwed into sheaths or sockets extending below the saddles and which are embedded in concrete poured at least in said trenches or pits.

The invention also extends to a method for implementing the above railroad device.

In accordance with this second arrangement of the invention, the method is characterized in that a form bottom is produced, in that it is poured by means of a sliding formwork carried by a vehicle in the form or concrete slab, in what we put in place, in longitudinal trenches or engravings formed, reinforcements, in that we link together said reinforcements, in that we put in sleepers, in that we put on said sleepers saddles, in that the rails are placed on the saddles, in that there are lag bolts in blades resting on the rails, in that said lag bolts are screwed in sheaths, in that there are altimeter adjustment screws in the crosspieces, in that said altimeter adjustment screws are supported by spacers, in that the rails are pushed by means of jacks against said spacers and in that a filling concrete is poured to drown the said reinforcements and the said sheaths or sockets remove the adjustment cylinders and the altimeter adjustment screws.

Various other characteristics of the invention will also emerge from the detailed description which follows.

Embodiments of the subject of the invention are shown, by way of nonlimiting examples, in the accompanying drawing.

Fig. 1 is a plan seen from above of the railway track device produced in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view along line II-II of FIG. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section similar to FIG. 2 illustrating specific operations for producing the railway track device.

Fig. 4 is a partial section, on a larger scale, showing particular characteristics of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a schematic cross section illustrating one of the operations for producing the railway.

Fig. 6 is a schematic section showing another operation for the production of the railway.

Fig. 7 is a perspective of an accessory element appearing in FIG. 6.

Fig. 8 is a perspective of another accessory element appearing in FIG. 6.

Fig. 9 is a partial section showing a development of the invention.

As illustrated in particular in FIGS. 1 and 2, the rail track device comprises a concrete form or slab 1 which, in the illustrated embodiment, has in section substantially the shape of a trapezoid.

The particular embodiment of form 1 is described in the following.

The shape 1 delimits two longitudinal trenches or engravings 2, 3 in which are successive reinforcements 4. The reinforcements 4 are, for example, constituted by successive metal cages arranged equidistantly in the engravings 2, 3 and connected together by longitudinal connecting irons, for example those designated by 5 in FIG. 4.

The concrete form 1 has, on its two lateral sides, raised edges 6, 6a which border the trenches or engravings 2, 3. The space 7 delimited between the edges 6, 6a and between the trenches or engravings 2, 3 serves when putting in place crosspieces 8 formed by metal profiles having in section the shape of the letter U, the bottom of the profile being disposed at the top.

The crosspieces 8 are arranged at equal distance from each other for example every 180 cm and they are provided, at their bottom, with threads or welded nuts 9 arranged with precision. Similarly, the sleepers have, near the threads or welded nuts 9, oblong holes 10 whose major axis is parallel to the axis of each sleeper.

The oblong holes 10 are used for the passage of bolts 11 (fig. 2) for holding saddles 12 intended to support rails 13 represented in the form of grooved rails for guiding railway vehicles intended to travel on a road traffic lane .

The saddles 12 are made of composite or other material (steel, cast iron, etc.) or are provided with a lining 14 of elastic material on which the sole 13a of the rails rests.

The threaded or welded nut 9 is used for the establishment of a screw 15 or other removable cylinder intended to bear against the bottom of the trench or corresponding groove 2. By screwing more or less the screw 15, the cross member 8 is raised and can thus be adjusted in height with great ease since screws 15 are provided opposite each trench 2 as shown in fig. 3. Since the bottom of the trenches or engravings is made of concrete and has a regular surface, the adjustment of the screws is precise and reliable.

The screws 15 are also used for setting up adjustment shims 16 constituted by a square plate having an eccentric hole 17 (fig. 3). It is also possible that the adjustment shim has another polygonal shape as illustrated in 16a, the hole 17a also being eccentric.

The tapped thread or the welded nut 9 being placed with precision, the positioning of the adjustment shim threaded on the screw 15 makes it possible to constitute a stop making it possible to ensure an extremely precise spacing of the rails of a track by choosing the side of the shim which is suitable for a determined spacing, for example 141 cm, 141.5 cm, etc. In fact, the shim 16 or 16a constitutes a stop against which the saddle 12 of each rail is applied. It is also possible, in order not to take account of possible imperfections in the saddles 12, to arrange the shims so that it is directly the lateral edge of the sole 13a of the rail which comes to bear against the shims.

To be sure that each rail is securely tightened against the adjustment shims carried by each cross member 8, sockets 18 are provided in the form or slab 1 made of concrete, these sockets serving to set up adjustment jacks 19 (fig. . 3 and 4). The jacks 19 are retained by a curved edge 20 against the rim 6 and they actuate a movable part 21 constituting a vice jaw by the end 21a which ensures the thrust of the rail.

The above shows that each cross member 8 constitutes a lost template serving both for centering and for maintaining the rails 13.

The sole 13a of the rails is then fixed to each saddle 12 by means of blades 22 crossed by lag bolts 23 screwed into sheaths or sockets 24 bearing against the underside from the bottom of the sleeper 8.

After tightening the lag bolts 23, the space 7 as well as the trenches or engravings 2, 3 as well as the interior of each cross member 8 are filled with concrete supplied by pouring and vibrated in situ so as to extend to the level from the top of the edges 6.

The screws 15 forming height adjustment cylinders can then be removed by unscrewing them, and the same applies to the adjustment cylinders 19 which can be reused.

After the poured concrete has hardened, a filling material 25, for example concrete or asphalt or the like, is spread until it is flush with the top of the rail 13.

For the construction of the railway, we proceed as follows:
First of all, a bottom 26 is produced as illustrated in FIG. 5, then there are reinforcement panels 27 held at a distance from the ground from the bottom of the form by pins 28 and retaining wedges 29.

Fig. 7 shows a pin 28 which has a groove 28a for centering a longitudinal or transverse iron of the frame panel. Likewise, fig. 9 shows a retaining wedge which comprises a locking clip 30 for an iron of the reinforcement panel and a base 31 having openings 32 for the installation of anchoring pins not shown.

The retaining wedges thus prevent any sliding of the reinforcement panels with respect to the form bottom.

After installation of the reinforcing panels 27, the concrete form or slab 1 is poured into a sliding formwork 33 carried by a vehicle 34 which is moved on wheels or tracks 35. The vehicle 34 is normally controlled by members allowing it to be maintained according to a pre-established attitude so that the top of the concrete bottom or slab 1 has the flatness sought and to be respected.

The concrete form 1 can, if necessary, be completed as illustrated in FIG. 9 so as to comprise, in one or the other of its sides, pipes 36 which are put in place in a manner known in itself at the same time as the vehicle 34 carrying the sliding formwork 33 is moved along the path to be followed later by the track.

The reinforcement cages 4 are then put in place and longitudinal fittings, not shown, are tied to the reinforcement cages before positioning the crosspieces 8 then the saddles 12 fixed to the crosspieces as explained in the foregoing.

The rails 13 are then placed on the saddles, then the blades 22 are themselves put in place, as are the lag bolts 23, the tightening of which is carried out only after adjusting the spacing of the rails as explained in the foregoing.

Fig. 1 shows that intermediate saddles 12a can be put in place between the successive crosspieces 8 forming a holding template.

The adjustment to the altimetric dimension of the track is finally achieved by means of the screws 15 then the concrete is poured and vibrated or injected and vibrated to completely fill the space 7 and the longitudinal trenches or engravings, which has the effect of drowning the reinforcements and anchor the sheaths or sockets 24 which maintain the lag bolts or screws.

The sheaths or sockets 24 being alone anchored in the concrete, it remains possible, if necessary, to replace sections of rail and saddles since the lag bolts can always be unscrewed and then screwed back.

The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments, shown and described in detail, since various modifications can be made thereto without departing from its scope. In particular, it can be implemented with all types of rails, all types of saddles, all types of fasteners, etc.

Claims (10)

Railway track device, in particular for urban vehicles of the tramway type, characterized by a concrete form or slab (1) arranged in a shaped bottom (26) and delimiting from its top a space (7) and trenches or engravings ( 2, 3) for armatures (4) and the support for adjusting screws (15) of the altimetric dimension of crosspieces (8) having holes (10) for centering saddles (12) supporting rails (13) in forming lost templates for said rails fixed to the saddles (12) by lag screws (23) screwed into sheaths or sockets (24) extending below the saddles (12) and which are embedded in concrete poured at least in said trenches or engravings (2, 3). Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the screws (15) for the altimetric adjustment of the sleepers rest on the bottom of the trenches or pits (2, 3). Device according to either of Claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the altimeter adjustment screws (15) are screwed into threads or welded nuts (9) precisely arranged in the bottom of the crosspieces (8). Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the crosspieces (8) have in section the shape of the letter U, their bottom being turned upwards and the inside of said crosspieces being filled with concrete. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the altimeter adjustment screws support adjustment shims constituted by polygonal plates having an eccentric hole so that said plates form stops to hold the rails together way to a chosen preset spacing. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by adjustment cylinders removably mounted on the concrete form or slab (1). Method for implementing the rail track device of one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that a shaped bottom is produced, in that it flows by means of a sliding formwork (33) carried by a vehicle (34) the form or slab (1) of concrete, in that one sets up, in longitudinal trenches or engravings (2, 3) formed, reinforcements (4), in that one binds between them said reinforcements, in that one places crosspieces (8), in that one places on said crosspieces saddles (12), in that one places the rails (13) on the saddles , in that there are lag bolts in blades resting on the rails, in that said lag bolts are screwed in sheaths (24), in that there are altimetric adjustment screws in the crossbars, in that that said altimetric adjustment screws are made to support spacers (16, 16a), in that the rails are pushed by means of jacks against said spacers and that concrete is poured filling to drown said frames and said sheaths or sockets before removing the adjustment cylinders (19) and the altimeter adjustment screws (15). Method according to claim 7, characterized in that the reinforcement panels (27) are arranged on pins (28) before the concrete is poured into the sliding formwork (33). Method according to either of Claims 6 and 7, characterized in that retaining wedges (29) anchored to the ground by pins are placed between the form bottom and the reinforcement to prevent any displacement of said reinforcement during pouring the concrete into the sliding formwork. Device for making railways and method for implementing it substantially as described and shown in the accompanying drawings.

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