An integral swing type rack track turnout

Abstract

An integral swing rack switch effectively reduces the swing length and amplitude of the movable rail, achieving high-precision engagement of the rack at the rail junction. The fixed rail includes a switch fixing assembly fixed to the switch sleeper by fasteners. The switch fixing assembly includes a straight rail, a straight rack, an oblique rail, an oblique rack, and a frog, with the frog located between the straight rack and the oblique rack. The arc-shaped dividing line between the switch swing assembly and the switch fixing assembly is located in front of the proximal end face of the frog, and the proximal end faces of the switch swing assembly and the switch fixing assembly are located on either side of the arc-shaped dividing line, respectively. The slide bed is seated on an underframe, the top surface of which has a slide groove extending along the track direction, and a strip-shaped slider corresponding to the slide groove is provided on the bottom surface of the slide bed. The proximal end of the switch fixing assembly is fixedly connected to the proximal end of the slide bed, and the distal end of the switch swing assembly is fixedly connected to the distal end of the slide bed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of mountain rail transit systems, and in particular relates to an integral swinging rack rail switch. Background Art

[0002] Cog railways utilize rack and pinion transmission systems. The key difference between these railways and conventional lines lies in the addition of a rack between the two rails. The meshing force of the rack and pinion provides propulsion, effectively overcoming the lack of wheel-rail adhesion found on conventional railways. Consequently, cog railways offer superior gradeability.

[0003] A rack rail turnout is a connecting device used by rack trains to switch from one track to another. Unlike conventional turnouts, the straight and lateral racks in a rack rail turnout can interfere with the heels of the straight and lateral rails at the guide curve. Currently, two main solutions exist: movable rack turnouts and integral swing turnouts.

[0004] The movable rack type turnout mainly solves the problem of cross-interference between the rack and the rail by rotating or translating the rack. For example, the invention patent application specification with publication number CN110593026A discloses a continuous movable rack structure in the turnout area, which includes a straight rail and a curved rail. The rack of the straight track in the turnout area intersects with the curved rail to form a first intersection, and is longitudinally disconnected at this intersection to form a first inner movable rack and a first outer movable rack; the rack of the curved track in the turnout area intersects with the straight rail to form a second intersection, and is disconnected at this intersection to form a second inner movable rack and a second outer movable rack; the first inner movable rack, the first outer movable rack, the second inner movable rack and the second outer movable rack are respectively hinged and fixed on the sleeper at one end away from the intersection, and the other end is respectively connected to the switch machine and driven by the switch machine to rotate around the hinge point.

[0005] For example, the invention specification with publication number CN209276915U discloses a rack switch comprising a first rail and a second rail. The first rail comprises a first outer rail, a first inner rail, and a first rack, with the first rack positioned between the first outer rail and the first inner rail. The second rail comprises a second outer rail, a second inner rail, and a second rack, with the second rack positioned between the second outer rail and the second inner rail. The first rack and the second outer rail are connected to form a first rack assembly, while the second rack and the first inner rail are connected to form a second rack assembly. The first and second rack assemblies are connected by a connecting rod, and a switch is connected to the connecting rod. The switch drives the first and second rack assemblies to swing via the connecting rod, thereby switching between the first and second rails. This prevents cross-interference between the straight and lateral racks in the guide curve and the straight and lateral rails of the switch.

[0006] An integrally swinging turnout primarily utilizes a track structure consisting of rails, racks, and sleepers designed as a single, movable structure. Switching is achieved through the integrated swinging of the track. Integrally swinging turnouts lack a point rail structure, thus preventing interference between the rack and the heel of the point rail. For example, the invention patent specification with publication number CN208072102U discloses a front-end movable rack rail switch switching mechanism. This mechanism includes a movable rail positioned between a first front stock rail, a second front stock rail, and a rear stock rail. A slider bed is positioned beneath the movable rail, with sleepers spaced longitudinally along its surface. The front of the slider bed has an arc-shaped guide groove, within which a curved slide is positioned. A switch mechanism is located on one side of the slider bed, acting on the curved slide. The pair of rails comprising the movable rail and the rack rail located therebetween are fixedly connected to the curved slide and each sleeper. The fixed rail and sleeper at the rear end of the rack rail are fixedly connected to the slider bed. The integrated swinging of the front track allows rack rail trains to pass through the turnout smoothly and quickly.

[0007] However, the above technical solution has the following shortcomings:

[0008] The movable rack type turnout (such as CN110593026A, CN209276915U) has two movable point rails and two movable racks inside, with many movable parts and poor integrity and reliability;

[0009] Existing integral swing turnouts (such as CN208072102U) require significant force due to their large swing length and amplitude. Furthermore, precise control of the movable track's alignment is difficult, especially when the turnout is switched to a side track. Maintaining a stable curved track is particularly challenging, making it prone to track instability when a train passes, jeopardizing driving safety.

[0010] In operational practice, it was discovered that both the movable rack-type turnout at the free end of the movable rack and the integral swing-type turnout at the end of the movable rail face the problem of unconstrained expansion and contraction of the rack. Under temperature fluctuations, due to the expansion and contraction of the rack end and changes with the temperature, after the movable rack (or the rack on the movable rail) swings into position, it is difficult to achieve high-precision engagement with the rack in the turnout fixed assembly. There are tooth misalignment errors or pitch errors at the rack interface, which cannot meet the high-precision meshing requirements of the gear and rack during operation. This causes a series of problems such as large impact vibration when the train passes the switch, poor driving stability and comfort, and serious damage to the rack. In severe cases, it can even induce a series of safety accidents such as "tooth jamming" and "tooth climbing."

[0011] The development of rack railways urgently requires a rack switch system with good integrity, convenient switching, easy control, and the ability to achieve high-precision engagement under temperature changes. Summary of the Invention

[0012] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an integral swinging rack rail switch, so as to effectively reduce the swing length and swing amplitude of the movable rail row, realize high-precision connection of the rack at the rail joint, improve the integrity, safety and stability of the rack rail switch, and make switching convenient and easy to control, thereby ensuring the safety and stability of the rack rail train when passing the switch.

[0013] The technical solutions adopted by the present invention to solve the technical problems are as follows:

[0014] The present invention provides an integral swing type rack rail switch, comprising a movable rail and a fixed rail, and a switch mechanism acting on the proximal end of the movable rail to make it swing back and forth along an arc, wherein the movable rail is seated on a slide bed and comprises a switch swing assembly fixedly mounted on a steel sleeper by a fastener, the switch swing assembly comprising a movable rail and a movable rack, and is characterized in that: the fixed rail comprises a switch fixed assembly fixedly mounted on the switch sleeper by a fastener, the switch fixed assembly comprises a straight rail, a straight rack, an oblique rail, an oblique rack and a frog, the frog being located between the straight rack and the oblique rack; the switch swing assembly and the switch fixed assembly are fixedly mounted on the switch sleeper by a fastener, the switch fixed assembly comprising a straight rail, a straight rack, an oblique rail, an oblique rack and a frog, the frog being located between the straight rack and the oblique rack; the switch swing assembly and the switch fixed assembly are fixedly mounted on the switch The arc-shaped dividing line of the fixed assembly is set in front of the proximal end surface of the frog, and the proximal end surfaces of the turnout swing assembly and the turnout fixed assembly are respectively located on both sides of the arc-shaped dividing line; the slide bed is seated on the sub-frame, and the top surface of the sub-frame is provided with a slide groove extending along the track direction, and a strip-shaped slider corresponding to the slide groove is provided on the bottom surface of the slide bed; the slide bed is fixedly connected to the proximal end of the sub-frame and is longitudinally movable at the distal end; the proximal end of the turnout fixed assembly is fixedly connected to the proximal end of the slide bed; the distal end of the turnout swing assembly is fixedly connected to the distal end of the slide bed and is longitudinally movable at the proximal end;

[0015] The steel sleepers are arranged at intervals within a certain length range from the proximal end to the distal end of the movable rail, and the planar shape of each steel sleeper is arc-shaped, and its bending radius is the same as the rotation radius of the movable rail at that position; an arc-shaped slide groove corresponding to the position of each steel sleeper and adapted in shape is provided on the top surface of the slide bed, and the lower part of each steel sleeper is located in the corresponding arc-shaped slide groove.

[0016] The beneficial effects of the present invention are mainly reflected in the following aspects:

[0017] First, by placing the dividing line between the swing and fixed components of the turnout before the frog, at the intersection of the rack and rail, the swing length and amplitude of the movable rail are significantly reduced while avoiding cross-interference between the rack and rail. This solves the problems of existing integral swing turnouts, such as the high force required to move the movable rail, the difficulty in maintaining the movable rail's linear shape, and the large deformation of the rack at the end of the rail. Compared with existing integral swing turnouts, this invention can reduce the length of the movable rail by 40% and the swing amplitude of the free end of the movable rail by 60%.

[0018] Second, a sub-frame is installed under the slider bed, which can slide along the track direction, forming an adaptive expansion and contraction compensation system. The movable rail and the slider bed can expand and contract by equal amounts and in opposite directions. The expansion and contraction displacements of the two offset each other, effectively eliminating the temperature expansion and contraction deformation of the end of the movable rail relative to the fixed rail. This solves the problem of difficulty in constraining the expansion and contraction deformation of the proximal end (free end) of the movable rack in existing rack rail turnouts, which leads to problems such as inability to ensure pitch accuracy at the rail joint and misalignment of the meshing surfaces. This ensures the safety and stability of rack rail trains when passing through turnouts.

[0019] 3. By arranging multiple arc-shaped steel sleepers at longitudinal intervals below the proximal ends of the movable rail and movable rack, and the bending radius of each arc-shaped steel sleeper is the same as the rotation radius of the rail at that location, and corresponding arc-shaped slide grooves are arranged on the slide bed, the swing trajectory and swing amplitude of each arc-shaped steel sleeper are limited, thereby realizing multi-point segmented control of the swing line of the movable rail, greatly improving the linear control accuracy and stability of the movable rail, and ensuring driving safety. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] This specification includes the following nine drawings:

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of an integral swing type rack track switch according to the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic structural diagram of a movable rail and a switch mechanism in an integral swing type rack rail switch of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic structural diagram of a fixed rail row in an integral swing type rack rail switch of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a structural schematic diagram of a slide bed in an integral swing type rack rail turnout of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a schematic structural diagram of a lower frame of an integral swing type rack rail turnout according to the present invention;

[0026] Figure 6 、 Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the principle of an adaptive telescopic compensation system in an integral swing type rack rail turnout of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 8 、 Figure 9 This is a comparison chart of the track swing length and swing amplitude of an integral swing type rack track switch of the present invention and the existing technology.

[0028] The figure shows the names of the main components and their corresponding marks: movable rail row 10, movable steel rail 11, movable rack 12, steel sleeper 14, fixed rail row 20, straight steel rail 21a, oblique steel rail 21b, straight rack 22a, oblique rack 22b, frog 23, slide bed 30, slide bed body 31, rear end rail support platform 32, front end rail support platform 33, arc-shaped slide 34, strip-shaped slider 35, under-bed frame 40, crossbeam 41, longitudinal beam 42, slide 43, switch sleeper 50, switch mechanism 60, switch machine 61, pull rod 62, longitudinal movable connection 70, longitudinal fixed connection 80, fastener 90, arc-shaped dividing line C. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples.

[0030] In this specification, the "proximal end" and "front end" are based on the arc dividing line C between the turnout swing assembly and the turnout fixed assembly. The end of the component adjacent to the arc dividing line C is its proximal end, and the end away from the arc dividing line C is its distal end.

[0031] Reference Figure 1 、 Figure 2 and Figure 3The present invention discloses an integral swing rack switch, comprising a movable rail 10 and a fixed rail 20, and a switch mechanism 60 that acts on the proximal end of the movable rail 10 to cause it to swing back and forth along an arc. The movable rail 10 is seated on a slide bed 30 and includes a switch swing assembly fixedly mounted on a sleeper 14 via fasteners 90. The switch swing assembly includes a movable rail 11 and a movable rack 12. The fixed rail 20 includes a switch fixed assembly fixedly mounted on a switch sleeper 50 via fasteners 90. The switch fixed assembly includes a straight rail 21a, a straight rack 22a, an oblique rail 21b, an oblique rack 22b, and a frog 23. The frog 23 is located between the straight rack 22a and the oblique rack 22b. The arc-shaped dividing line C between the switch swing assembly and the switch fixed assembly is located in front of the proximal end surface of the frog 23. The proximal end surfaces of the switch swing assembly and the switch fixed assembly are located on both sides of the arc-shaped dividing line C.

[0032] Reference Figure 1 The proximal end (free end) of the movable rail 10 is pulled by the switch mechanism 60 to swing left and right. When the movable rail 10 is connected to the straight strand of the fixed rail 20, it can guide the rack railway train to pass the switch in a straight direction. When the movable rail 10 is connected to the side strand of the fixed rail 20, it can guide the rack railway train to pass the switch in a side direction.

[0033] Figure 8 、 Figure 9 Taking the meter gauge No. 7 turnout, the most commonly used in rack railways, as an example, the present invention is compared with the existing integral swing turnout in terms of the swing length of the movable rail and the swing amplitude of the free end of the rail. Figure 8 It is an existing integral swinging 7-meter track turnout. Since there is no frog structure, the arc-shaped dividing line C between the turnout swinging component and the fixed component needs to be set at the place where the straight and side rails behind the turnout are completely separated. The length of the movable rail is 16.791m, and the swing amplitude of the free end of the movable rail is 1.378m. Figure 9 This is a meter gauge No. 7 turnout with integral swinging type in front of the frog of the present invention. The arc dividing line C between the turnout swinging assembly and the fixed assembly is set in front of the frog 23. The proximal end faces of the turnout swinging assembly and the turnout fixed assembly are respectively located on both sides of the arc dividing line C. The length of the movable rail 10 is 10.460m, and the swing amplitude of its free end is 0.564m. Figure 8 and Figure 9 A comparison shows that compared to existing technologies, the present invention can reduce the length of the movable rail by approximately 40% and the swing amplitude of the free end of the rail by approximately 60%. This significant reduction in the length and swing amplitude of the movable rail 10 not only reduces the swing force required, significantly saving investment in the electrical system, but also facilitates the control and precision of the rail swing line, improving the safety and smoothness of trains passing through switches.

[0034] Reference Figure 1 、 Figure 4 and Figure 5 The slide bed 30 is located on the lower frame 40. The upper surface of the lower frame 40 has a slide groove 43 extending along the line direction. The lower surface of the slide bed 30 is provided with a strip-shaped slider 35 corresponding to the slide groove 43. The slide bed 30 can slide along the line direction on the lower frame 40. Figure 6 The proximal end of the slider bed 30 is fixedly connected to the sub-frame 40, and the distal end is longitudinally movable. The proximal end of the switch fixed assembly is fixedly connected to the proximal end of the slider bed 30. The distal end of the switch swing assembly is fixedly connected to the distal end of the slider bed 30, and the proximal end is longitudinally movable. The connection between the slider bed 30, the sub-frame 40, the switch fixed assembly and the switch swing assembly and the slider bed 30 constitutes an adaptive telescopic compensation system, which makes the movable rail 10 and the slider bed 30 have equal telescopic amounts and opposite telescopic directions. By offsetting the telescopic displacement of the two, the temperature telescopic displacement of the proximal end of the movable rail 10 relative to the fixed rail 20 is effectively eliminated, and the problem of the proximal end (free end) of the movable rack in the existing rack turnout being difficult to constrain the telescopic deformation is solved, resulting in the inability to ensure the pitch accuracy at the joint and the misalignment of the meshing surface. This ensures the safety and stability of the rack train when passing the turnout.

[0035] Figure 6 、 Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the principle of the adaptive telescopic compensation system in an integral swing type rack rail switch of the present invention. From top to bottom in the figure are the movable rail 10 and the fixed rail 20, the slide bed 30, and the under-bed frame 40. Figure 6 , establish a one-dimensional longitudinal coordinate axis OX with point M as the origin, then the coordinates of points M and E are 0, and the coordinates of points F and D are L DE , the coordinates of point G are (L DE- L FG ), where L DE is the longitudinal length of the slide table 30, L FG is the longitudinal length of the movable rail 10. Figure 7 , when the temperature changes, the length of the slide table 30 becomes (L DE +△L DE ), the length of the movable rail 10 becomes (L FG +△L FG ), where △L DE , △L FG are the expansion and contraction of the slide table 30 and the movable rail 10 under temperature changes. Then, the coordinates of points F and D become (L DE +△L DE ), the coordinates of point G become [(L DE +△L DE )-(L FG +△L FG)]. Since the slide bed 30 and the movable rail 10 are of similar length and made of the same material, the expansion and contraction amount ΔL under temperature changes is DE ≈△L FG Therefore, the coordinates of point G [(L DE +△L DE )-(L FG +△L FG )]≈(L DE- L FG ), that is, the position of the free end point G of the movable rail 20 remains unchanged under temperature changes.

[0036] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 4 The steel sleepers 14 are spaced apart within a certain length range from the proximal end to the distal end of the movable rail 10. The planar shape of each steel sleeper 14 is arc-shaped, and its bending radius is the same as the rotation radius of the movable rail 10 at that position. An arc-shaped chute 34 corresponding to the position and shape of each steel sleeper 14 is provided on the top surface of the slide bed 30, and the lower part of each steel sleeper 14 is seated in the corresponding arc-shaped chute 34. The arc-shaped chute 34 constrains the swing trajectory and extreme position of the steel sleeper 14. When the movable rail 10 swings to the straight section of the switch, the steel sleeper 14 fits in the arc-shaped chute 34 at one end. When the movable rail 10 swings to the side section of the switch, the arc-shaped steel sleeper 14 fits in the arc-shaped chute 34 at the other end. In this way, by coupling multiple sets of arc-shaped steel sleepers 14 with arc-shaped slide grooves 34, precise control of the linear shape of the movable rail 10 is achieved, which greatly improves the linear control accuracy and stability of the movable rail and ensures driving safety.

[0037] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 4 A front rail support 33 is provided on the top surface of the proximal end of the slider bed 30. The proximal ends of the straight rail 21a, straight rack 22a, angled rail 21b, angled rack 22b, and frog 23 extend onto this front rail support 33 and are fixedly connected to this front rail support 33 via fasteners 90. Rear rail support 32 are provided on the top surface of the distal end of the slider bed 30 at intervals along the track direction. The distal ends of the movable rail 11 and movable rack 12 are fixedly connected to this rear rail support 32 via fasteners 90.

[0038] Reference Figure 5 The under-stage frame 40 is composed of horizontal beams 41 spaced apart along the line direction and longitudinal beams 42 spaced apart along the transverse direction, and the chute 43 is arranged on the top surface of the longitudinal beam 42.

[0039] The above description is merely a diagram illustrating some principles of an integral swinging rack turnout of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the present invention to the specific structure and applicable scope shown and described. Therefore, all corresponding modifications and equivalents that may be utilized fall within the scope of the patent applied for by the present invention.

Claims

1. An integral swing type rack rail switch, comprising a movable rail (10) and a fixed rail (20), and a switch mechanism (60) acting on the proximal end of the movable rail (10) to cause it to swing back and forth along an arc, wherein the movable rail (10) is seated on a slide bed (30) and comprises a switch swing assembly fixedly mounted on a steel sleeper (14) via a fastener (90), the switch swing assembly comprising a movable steel rail (11) and a movable rack (12), and is characterized in that: The fixed rail row (20) includes a turnout fixed assembly fixedly mounted on a turnout sleeper (50) via a fastener (90), the turnout fixed assembly including a straight rail (21a), a straight rack (22a), an oblique rail (21b), an oblique rack (22b) and a frog (23), wherein the frog (23) is located between the straight rack (22a) and the oblique rack (22b); an arc-shaped dividing line (C) between the turnout swing assembly and the turnout fixed assembly is located before the proximal end surface of the frog (23), and the proximal end surfaces of the turnout swing assembly and the turnout fixed assembly are respectively located on the arc-shaped dividing line (C ) on both sides; the slide bed (30) is located on the lower frame (40), the upper surface of the lower frame (40) is provided with a slide groove (43) extending along the line direction, and a strip-shaped slider (35) corresponding to the slide groove (43) is provided on the lower surface of the slide bed (30); the proximal end of the slide bed (30) and the lower frame (40) are fixedly connected, and the distal end is longitudinally movable; the proximal end of the switch fixing assembly is fixedly connected to the proximal end of the slide bed (30); the distal end of the switch swing assembly is fixedly connected to the distal end of the slide bed (30), and the proximal end is longitudinally movable; The steel sleepers (14) are arranged at intervals within a certain length range from the proximal end to the distal end of the movable rail (10), and the plane shape of each steel sleeper (14) is arc-shaped, and its bending radius is the same as the rotation radius of the movable rail (10) at that position; an arc-shaped chute (34) corresponding to the position of each steel sleeper (14) and having a shape adapted thereto is provided on the top surface of the slide bed (30), and the lower part of each steel sleeper (14) is seated in the corresponding arc-shaped chute (34).

2. The integral swing type rack turnout according to claim 1, characterized in that: A front rail support platform (33) is provided on the top surface of the proximal end of the slide bed platform (30); the proximal ends of the straight rail (21a), the straight rack (22a), the oblique rail (21b), the oblique rack (22b) and the frog (23) extend to the front rail support platform (33) and are fixedly connected to the front rail support platform (33) via fasteners (90); rear rail support platforms (32) are provided on the top surface of the distal end of the slide bed platform (30) at intervals along the line direction, and the distal ends of the movable rail (11) and the movable rack (12) are fixedly connected to the rear rail support platform (32) via fasteners (90).

3. The integral swing rack turnout according to claim 1, characterized in that: The under-stage frame (40) is composed of horizontal beams (41) spaced apart along the line direction and longitudinal beams (42) spaced apart along the transverse direction, and the chute (43) is arranged on the top surface of the longitudinal beam (42).

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