A steel rail aluminothermic welding fixture

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of aluminothermic welding technology for rails, specifically to a rail aluminothermic welding fixture, comprising a first support, a second support, a limiting rod, a longitudinal locking assembly, a locking assembly, and an adjusting assembly. The first and second supports are respectively installed at the lower ends of the first and second rails to be welded. This invention uses one end of the rail as a reference; by adjusting the height of the other end and then locking both ends, the straightness and inclination parameters of both rails can be adjusted simultaneously, thereby improving construction efficiency. Simultaneously, the locking assembly and longitudinal locking assembly restrict the longitudinal displacement of the rails at both ends, preventing longitudinal movement during vibration, impact, or temperature changes, thus ensuring the weld size of the rail weld joint and consequently guaranteeing the welding quality of the rail weld joint.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of aluminothermic welding technology for rails, specifically to a tooling for aluminothermic welding of rails. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of society and economy, railway transportation, as an important mode of transportation, has also developed rapidly. Seamless track structure is an important factor driving the development of railway transportation, and it is also the optimal choice for the structure of high-speed railways and heavy-haul railways today. Although seamless track has many advantages, the fracture of rail welded joints occurs frequently after the railway line is put into use. It is usually fatigue fracture. When trains pass over the fractured rail welded joints, it is easy to cause bumps and vibrations, which will affect the passenger's riding experience and may even cause serious safety accidents such as train derailment. Therefore, when the rail welded joints fracture, the railway department must immediately maintain and weld the fractured area.

[0003] Currently, the main rail welding methods used domestically and internationally include flash welding, gas pressure welding, aluminothermic welding, and electric arc welding. The first three methods are more widely used in my country. Flash welding offers high automation and controllable welding quality, producing a dense forged structure with mechanical properties close to the rail base material. However, the welding machines are expensive, the equipment is complex, and it requires a high-power power supply or diesel generator set. Furthermore, the welding process involves an upsetting step, consuming 25-50mm of rail length. Therefore, flash welding is mostly used for factory welding or base welding. Gas pressure welding has a lower initial investment cost than flash welding, and the welded joint also has a dense forged structure with mechanical properties close to the rail base material. However, gas pressure welding requires more complex butt welding... The requirements for the head section and process are relatively strict, and there are many human factors that affect the welding quality. The sealing time during welding is relatively long, and there is an upsetting process during welding, which consumes 25-30mm of rail length. Therefore, gas pressure welding is mostly used for on-site joint welding. The aluminothermic welded joint has a cast structure. Although the mechanical properties of the joint are slightly worse than those of flash welded joints and gas pressure welded joints, the aluminothermic welded joint has a self-heating source during construction, the equipment is simple and easy to operate, and the sealing time during welding is shorter. At the same time, the aluminothermic welded joint does not have an upsetting process and does not consume rail length. Therefore, it is suitable for rail break repair, seamless track turnout welding across sections, and track welding with heavy transportation tasks.

[0004] In aluminothermic welding, a crucial parameter for rail welding quality is the smoothness of the weld joint. Defects in the smoothness of the aluminothermic weld joint can easily lead to swaying and severe instability when the train passes the weld joint, affecting the passenger experience and potentially causing serious safety accidents such as derailment. The smoothness of the rail weld joint primarily depends on the welding fixtures. The smoothness of the rail weld joint is measured by two indicators: the straightness of the rail top surface and working edge at both ends of the weld, and the inclination of the two ends of the weld. Existing technology uses rail alignment frames to address these two indicators, requiring adjustments during the process. The rails at both ends need to be aligned horizontally and tilted separately. However, there is an interrelationship between straightness and tilt during the adjustment process. This means that when aligning the rails on both sides, the construction workers need to repeatedly adjust the straightness and tilt of the rails on both sides. As a result, the construction workers need to spend a lot of time adjusting the straightness and tilt of the rail ends, which reduces the construction efficiency. At the same time, the rail alignment frame has no longitudinal support for the rails. During the rail welding process, the rails at both ends are easily affected by vibration, impact or temperature changes, which can cause longitudinal movement. This can lead to changes in the size of the weld joints at both ends, resulting in a decrease in the welding quality of the rail weld joints. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a rail aluminothermic welding fixture to solve the problems of low construction efficiency caused by the need for construction personnel to repeatedly adjust the straightness and inclination of the rails on both sides when aligning them, the lack of longitudinal support of the rail alignment frame, and the susceptibility of the rails at both ends to longitudinal movement due to vibration, impact, or temperature changes during the rail aluminothermic welding process. This leads to changes in the size of the weld joint at both ends and a decrease in the welding quality of the rail weld joint.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0007] A rail aluminothermic welding fixture includes a first support, a second support, a longitudinal locking component, a locking component, and an adjusting component. The first support is installed at the lower end of the rail to be welded. Both the front and rear sides of the first support are slidably connected to vertically movable legs. The first support is equipped with two sets of adjusting components, which respectively drive the vertical movement of the two legs. The first support also has a locking component; when the legs move downwards, they drive the locking component to align and fix the first support with the rail. Thus, during construction, the height and inclination of the rail can be adjusted by separately adjusting the height of the two legs.

[0008] The second bracket is installed at the lower end of the second rail to be welded. The longitudinal center plane and upper end plane of the first and second brackets are flush, and a limiting rod is fixedly connected between them to restrict their relative displacement. The distance between the second rail joint and the adjacent sleeper mounting surface is greater than the distance between the first rail joint and the adjacent sleeper mounting surface. The second bracket is equipped with a longitudinal locking assembly for aligning and fixing the second bracket and the second rail. Thus, during the locking process of the second bracket and the second rail, the limiting rod restricts the movement of the second bracket. The No. 2 rail uses the No. 1 rail as the alignment reference, and simultaneously adjusts the straightness and inclination parameters of both the No. 1 and No. 2 rails, thereby improving construction efficiency. Furthermore, the locking assembly, longitudinal locking assembly, and limit rod simultaneously restrict the longitudinal displacement of the No. 1 and No. 2 rails, preventing them from moving longitudinally during vibration, impact, or temperature changes. This ensures the weld size of the weld joint between the No. 1 and No. 2 rails, and thus guarantees the welding quality of the weld joint between the No. 1 and No. 2 rails.

[0009] It should be noted that the height range of both the No. 1 and No. 2 supports is 200-220mm. This ensures the rapid installation of the No. 1 and No. 2 supports, while avoiding the need for the outriggers to move a long distance due to their low height. This enhances the stability of the outriggers when supporting the No. 1 rail, reduces the travel distance of the outriggers, and improves construction efficiency.

[0010] Optionally, the adjusting component can be any one of a screw nut, an electric push rod, a linear motor, or a cylinder. All four solutions can drive the outrigger to move up and down. However, electric push rods, linear motors, and cylinders all require independent drive sources. Since the aluminothermic welding of rails is easily restricted by the outdoor construction environment, setting up independent energy supply will cause inconvenience to construction. While the screw nut structure does not require an additional energy supply, due to the large weight of the rails, lifting the rails using the screw nut structure requires a large amount of manual labor. Therefore, these four solutions are not considered as preferred solutions of the present invention.

[0011] Preferably, the adjusting assembly includes a large piston, a small piston, a first check valve, a second check valve, a return bolt, a crank handle, and a connecting rod. The first support has an oil reservoir, an oil inlet passage, an oil return passage, a first piston chamber, and a second piston chamber. The lower end of the first piston chamber communicates with the lower end face of the first support. A large piston is slidably installed in the first piston chamber, and a support leg is fixedly installed at the lower end of the large piston. The upper end of the second piston hole communicates with the upper end face of the first support. A small piston is slidably installed in the second piston chamber, and a crank handle is hinged to the upper end of the small piston. One end is hinged to a connecting rod, and the other end of the connecting rod is hinged to the outer wall of the first bracket. Both ends of the oil inlet and return oil passages are connected to the oil storage chamber and the first piston chamber. The oil inlet is equipped with a first check valve and a second check valve. The oil inlet passes through the second piston hole. The first check valve and the second check valve are located on both sides of the second piston chamber. The first bracket is equipped with a return oil bolt for opening and closing the return oil passage. The opening direction of the first check valve is from the oil storage chamber to the second piston chamber, and the opening direction of the second check valve is from the second piston chamber to the first piston chamber.

[0012] It is easy to understand that when the small piston is lifted, due to the negative pressure in the second piston chamber, the first check valve opens while the second check valve closes, and hydraulic oil enters the second piston chamber from the oil reservoir through the oil inlet. When the small piston is pressed, due to the positive pressure in the second piston chamber, the first check valve closes while the second check valve opens, and hydraulic oil enters the first piston chamber from the second piston chamber through the oil inlet. Thus, by swinging the handles on both sides, the up and down adjustment of the two outriggers can be achieved, thereby adjusting the height and inclination of the first rail.

[0013] It should be noted that in the above preferred embodiment, the diameter ratio of the small piston and the large piston is in the range of 1:4 to 1:6, which reduces the force required for construction workers to crank the handle, shortens the time required for construction workers to adjust the height of the outriggers, and improves the accuracy of the outrigger height adjustment, thereby ensuring the straightness and inclination requirements of the No. 1 and No. 2 rails.

[0014] It should also be noted that the swing plane of the crank and connecting rod is parallel to the longitudinal center plane of the rail. Therefore, when the construction personnel adjust the height of the outrigger by swinging the crank, the direction of the force applied by the construction personnel to the crank is parallel to the longitudinal center plane of the rail. This prevents the No. 1 support from moving laterally after being subjected to force, thereby ensuring the stability of the No. 1 support during the rail alignment process. It also prevents the straightness of the No. 1 and No. 2 rails from being affected by lateral forces, reduces repeated adjustments during the alignment process, and thus improves construction efficiency.

[0015] Optionally, the locking component can be any one of a bolt and nut locking structure, a magnetic structure, or a pneumatic clamping mechanism. All three methods can lock the No. 1 bracket and the No. 1 rail. However, the magnetic structure and the pneumatic structure require a drive source, which is not suitable for outdoor construction environments where rail aluminothermic welding is performed. Although the bolt and nut locking structure does not require a drive source, its alignment effect is worse than the former two, which can easily affect the straightness and inclination of the No. 1 and No. 2 rails. Therefore, these three locking schemes are not preferred solutions of the present invention.

[0016] Preferably, the locking assembly includes a top rod, a return spring, a pull rod, and a locking block. The top rod, which mates with the bottom of the first rail, is slidably installed inside the first bracket. The pressure rod is sleeved with a return spring. The two ends of the spring are fixedly connected to the lower end of the top rod and the first bracket, respectively. Two pull rods are hinged to the lower end of the top rod. The two pull rods are symmetrical about each other along the longitudinal center plane of the rail, and each has a locking block fixedly installed at its top end, which mates with the bottom corner of the first rail. The first bracket is provided with a slide rail that mates with the pull rods, and both pull rods are slidably connected to the slide rail.

[0017] It should be understood that, in the above preferred embodiment, when the outrigger moves downward, the first support moves upward until the upper end face of the top rod contacts the bottom of the first rail. The outrigger continues to move upward, and under the action of the rail's gravity, the top rod slides into the first support, the return spring is stretched, and the two pull rods rotate in a circle about the hinge point between the pull rod and the top rod towards the first rail. At the same time, the pull rods slide in the slide rail, and the locking blocks move horizontally and approach the first rail until the two locking blocks contact the bottom corners of the first rail on both sides. This achieves the locking of the first support and the first rail. At the same time, during the locking process of the two locking blocks, the first rail and the first support are aligned, thereby completing the pre-adjustment of the straightness and inclination of the first and second rails.

[0018] It should be noted that the width ratio of the tie rod to the first support is 1:3 to 1:4, which avoids the first support from collapsing when supporting the first rail due to its low bending strength, thus ensuring effective support for the first rail. The width ratio of the locking block to the first support is 2:3, which avoids the locking block from bending vertically when locking the first rail due to its low strength at the connection with the tie rod, thus ensuring the stability of the fixed connection between the first support and the first rail. At the same time, it avoids the locking block from bending horizontally when locking the first rail, thus ensuring the alignment of the first rail and the first support.

[0019] Preferably, the longitudinal locking assembly includes a positioning block, a locking block, a locking bolt, and a locking nut. The positioning block and the locking nut are fixedly installed on the upper end of the second bracket. The positioning block and the locking nut are located on the left and right sides of the second rail, respectively. The positioning block has a positioning surface at the end near the second rail. The locking nut is rotatably connected to the locking bolt. The locking bolt is rotatably connected to the end near the second rail, which is engaged with the bottom corner of the second rail. There are two limiting rods, which are fixedly connected to the front and rear ends of the first bracket, respectively. The ends of the two limiting rods away from the first bracket are fixedly connected to the second bracket.

[0020] It should also be understood that, in the above preferred embodiment, when adjusting the locking nut until the locking block contacts the bottom corner of the second rail, and continuing to adjust the locking nut, the second rail moves towards the positioning block under the push of the locking bolt until the upper surface of the bottom of the second rail contacts the positioning surface; thus completing the locking and centering of the second rail and the second bracket, and under the action of the limiting rod, the first rail and the second rail complete the straightness adjustment of the rail top surface and working edge and lock them together, thereby ensuring the straightness requirements of the first rail and the second rail, reducing the repeated adjustment process during construction, and improving construction efficiency; at the same time, during the aluminothermic welding and weld grinding process, through the joint action of the locking block, positioning block, locking block and limiting rod, longitudinal movement of the first rail and the second rail is prevented when subjected to vibration, impact or temperature change, thereby ensuring the weld size of the weld joint of the first rail and the second rail, and thus ensuring the welding quality of the weld joint of the first rail and the second rail.

[0021] It is worth noting that the length range of the limiting rod is 900-1550mm. Thus, the first and second supports are installed within the gap between two adjacent sleepers at the rail weld joint, which facilitates the installation of the first and second supports and avoids the first and second supports and the limiting rod affecting the subsequent welding and weld grinding operations, thereby improving construction efficiency. At the same time, within this length range, the bending strength of the limiting rod is guaranteed, thereby ensuring the straightness requirements between the first and second rails.

[0022] Advantageously, in conventional 60kg / m rail aluminothermic welding operations, the locking block and the locking plate are respectively provided with locking surfaces and locking surfaces. Both the locking surface and the locking surface are in contact with the upper surface of the rail base of rail No. 1 and rail No. 2. The taper of the positioning surface, locking surface, and locking surface is all 1:9. This increases the contact area between the positioning surface, locking surface, and locking surface and the upper surface of the rail base of rail No. 1 and rail No. 2, thereby ensuring the welding quality of the welded joint of rail No. 1 and rail No. 2. The positioning surface and the locking surface... Both the positioning surface and the locking surface are shot peened to achieve a surface strength of 0.3–0.4 mmA and a surface roughness of Ra6.3–Ra12.5. This increases the friction between the positioning surface, locking surface, and locking surface and the upper surface of the bottom of rails No. 1 and No. 2, while also enhancing the surface strength of the positioning surface, locking surface, and locking surface. This ensures that rails No. 1 and No. 2 do not move longitudinally under vibration, impact, or temperature changes, further guaranteeing the welding quality of the welded joints of rails No. 1 and No. 2.

[0023] Advantageously, in the aluminothermic welding operation of heavy rails, the taper of the positioning surface, locking surface, and locking surface is 1:4 to 1:6, and all three surfaces are provided with serrated protrusions. The serrated protrusions are all surface hardened to a hardness of 50 to 60 HRC. This increases the friction between the positioning surface, locking surface, and locking surface and the upper surface of the bottom of the No. 1 and No. 2 rails, and at the same time enhances the surface strength of the positioning surface, locking surface, and locking surface. This ensures that the No. 1 and No. 2 rails do not move longitudinally when subjected to vibration, impact, or temperature changes, and further ensures the welding quality of the welded joint of the No. 1 and No. 2 rails.

[0024] Advantageously, a roller is rotatably mounted on the upper end face of the second support, and the roller is in rolling contact with the underside surface of the second rail. This converts the sliding friction between the second rail and the second support into rolling friction during the locking process, reducing the difficulty for construction workers in locking the second rail and the second support, thereby improving construction efficiency. The axis of the roller is parallel to the working surface of the second rail. After the locking block fixes the first rail and the first support, the upper end face of the top rod is flush with the upper end face of the roller. Thus, after the second rail and the second support are locked, the bottom surfaces of the first rail and the second rail are in the same plane, ensuring the straightness of the top surfaces and working edges of both rails.

[0025] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0026] 1. This invention uses one end of the rail as a reference. By adjusting the height of the other end of the rail and then locking both ends, the straightness and inclination parameters of both rails can be adjusted simultaneously, thereby improving construction efficiency. At the same time, the locking components and longitudinal locking components restrict the longitudinal displacement of the rails at both ends, preventing longitudinal movement of the rails at both ends when subjected to vibration, impact, or temperature changes, thus ensuring the weld size of the rail welded joint and the welding quality of the rail welded joint.

[0027] 2. This invention uses a hydraulic assembly to lift one side of the rail. During the movement, the height and inclination of the rail on that side are adjusted simultaneously, and the rails at both ends are pre-aligned. At the same time, the rail is only subjected to longitudinal and vertical forces during the movement of the hydraulic assembly, avoiding the rail from being deviated from the other end due to lateral forces. This further shortens the alignment time of the rail and improves construction efficiency.

[0028] 3. This invention uses locking components respectively installed on the rails at both ends. After the rails at both ends are pre-aligned, one rail is used as a reference. Only the other rail needs to be locked to complete the alignment and position locking of the rails at both ends. This improves work efficiency and prevents the rails at both ends from moving longitudinally when vibrating, impacting or changing in temperature. This ensures the weld size of the rail welded joint and thus ensures the welding quality of the rail welded joint. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the rail aluminothermic welding fixture of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 2 This is a front view of the rail aluminothermic welding fixture of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 3 This is a rear view of the rail aluminothermic welding fixture of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first bracket, locking assembly, and adjusting assembly of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 5 for Figure 4 AA section view in the middle;

[0034] Figure 6 for Figure 4 BB section view in the middle;

[0035] Figure 7 This is a front view of the first bracket, locking assembly, and adjusting assembly of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 8 for Figure 7 CC section view in the middle;

[0037] Figure 9 for Figure 7 DD section view in the image.

[0038] In the diagram: 1. Rail No. 1; 2. Rail No. 2; 3. Support No. 1; 301. Oil reservoir; 302. Oil inlet; 303. Oil return; 304. Piston chamber No. 1; 305. Piston chamber No. 2; 306. Slide rail; 4. Support No. 2; 401. Roller; 5. Outrigger; 6. Locking assembly; 601. Push rod; 602. Return spring; 603. Pull rod; 604. Locking block; 6041. Lock 7. Adjusting assembly; 701. Large piston; 702. Small piston; 703. No. 1 check valve; 704. No. 2 check valve; 705. Return bolt; 706. Handle; 707. Connecting rod; 8. Longitudinal locking assembly; 801. Positioning block; 8011. Positioning surface; 802. Locking nut; 803. Locking bolt; 804. Limit rod; 805. Locking block; 8051. Locking surface. Detailed Implementation

[0039] Please see Figures 1 to 9 This invention provides a rail aluminothermic welding fixture, the technical solution of which is as follows:

[0040] Please refer to Figures 1 to 3A rail aluminothermic welding fixture includes a first support 3, a second support 4, a longitudinal locking component 8, a locking component 6, and an adjusting component 7. The first support 3 is installed at the lower end of the first rail 1 to be welded. Both the front and rear sides of the first support 3 are slidably connected to vertically movable support legs 5. The first support 3 is equipped with two sets of adjusting components 7, which are used to drive the vertical movement of the support legs 5 on both sides. The first support 3 is also equipped with a locking component 6. When the support legs 5 move downwards, they drive the locking component 6 to center and fix the first support 3 to the first rail 1. Thus, during construction, the height and inclination of the first rail 1 can be adjusted by adjusting the height of the support legs 5 on both sides. The second support 4 is installed at the lower end of the second rail 2 to be welded. The longitudinal center plane and upper end plane of the first support 3 and the second support 4 are flush. A limiting rod 804 is fixedly connected between them to restrict their relative displacement. The distance between the bottom surface of rail joint 2 and the adjacent sleeper mounting surface is greater than the distance between the bottom surface of rail joint 1 and the adjacent sleeper mounting surface. The second support 4 is equipped with a longitudinal locking component 8 for aligning and fixing the second support 4 and rail 2. Thus, during the locking process between the second support 4 and rail 2, the limiting rod 804 restricts the second rail 2 to use rail 1 as the alignment reference, simultaneously adjusting the straightness and inclination parameters of both rails, thereby improving construction efficiency. Furthermore, the locking component 6, longitudinal locking component 8, and limiting rod 804 simultaneously restrict the longitudinal displacement of rails 1 and 2, preventing longitudinal movement of rails 1 and 2 during vibration, impact, or temperature changes, thus ensuring the weld size of the welded joint between rails 1 and 2, and consequently ensuring the welding quality of the welded joint between rails 1 and 2.

[0041] It is worth noting that the height range of both support 3 and support 4 is 200-220mm. This is because the rail height of Type II and Type III sleepers is currently 201-230mm. Taking the rail height of Type IIIa sleeper as an example (230mm), if the height of support 3 and support 4 is less than 200mm, adjusting rail 1 requires at least 30mm of adjustment, which takes a long time and reduces construction efficiency. Additionally, the extended outrigger 5 can easily reduce the stability of support 3. Conversely, if the height of support 3 and support 4 is greater than 230mm, it is difficult to pass the support under the rail during construction, requiring workers to damage the structure beneath the sleeper. Therefore, in this embodiment, a height of 220mm for support 3 and support 4 is optimally chosen. This ensures rapid installation of support 3 and support 4 while avoiding excessively low heights that would require extended outrigger 5 movement, thus enhancing the stability of outrigger 5 and reducing its travel distance.

[0042] Please refer to Figures 4 to 9The adjusting assembly 7 includes a large piston 701, a small piston 702, a first check valve 703, a second check valve 704, a return bolt 705, a crank handle 706, and a connecting rod 707. The first support 3 has an oil storage chamber 301, an oil inlet passage 302, an oil return passage 303, a first piston chamber 304, and a second piston chamber 305. The lower end of the first piston chamber 304 is connected to the lower end face of the first support 3. The large piston 701 is slidably installed in the first piston chamber 304, and a support leg 5 is fixedly installed at the lower end of the large piston 701. The upper end of the second piston hole is connected to the upper end face of the first support 3. The small piston 702 is slidably installed in the second piston chamber 305, and a crank handle 706 is hinged to the upper end of the small piston 702. The crank handle 706... One end is hinged to a connecting rod 707, and the other end of the connecting rod 707 is hinged to the outer wall of the first bracket 3. Both ends of the oil inlet passage 302 and the oil return passage 303 are connected to the oil storage chamber 301 and the first piston chamber 304. The oil inlet passage 302 is equipped with a first check valve 703 and a second check valve 704. The oil inlet passage 302 passes through the second piston hole. The first check valve 703 and the second check valve 704 are located on both sides of the second piston chamber 305. The first bracket 3 is equipped with a return bolt 705 for opening and closing the return oil passage 303. The opening direction of the first check valve 703 is from the oil storage chamber 301 to the second piston chamber 305, and the opening direction of the second check valve 704 is from the second piston chamber 305 to the first piston chamber 304.

[0043] Clearly, based on the diagram, an exemplary working process for adjusting the height of the outrigger 5 is as follows: When the small piston 702 is raised, due to the negative pressure in the second piston chamber 305, the first check valve 703 opens while the second check valve 704 closes, and hydraulic oil enters the second piston chamber 305 from the oil reservoir through the oil inlet 302; when the small piston 702 is pressed, due to the positive pressure in the second piston chamber 305, the first check valve 703 closes while the second check valve 704 opens, and hydraulic oil enters the second piston chamber 305 from the oil inlet 302. 02. The outriggers 5 enter the first piston chamber 304. By swinging the handles 706 on both sides, the up and down adjustment of the two outriggers 5 can be achieved, thereby adjusting the height and inclination of the first rail 1. When retracting the outriggers 5, by rotating the return oil bolt 705, the hydraulic oil pressure in the first piston chamber 304 is higher than the hydraulic oil pressure in the oil storage chamber 301. At this time, the hydraulic oil in the first piston chamber 304 flows back to the oil storage chamber 301 through the return oil passage 303. Under the gravity of the first rail 1 and the first support 3, the outriggers 5 are retracted.

[0044] It's easy to understand that, to avoid the situation where the diameter ratio of the small piston 702 to the large piston 701 is too small, requiring the operator to apply excessive force to the crank 706 to move the outrigger 5 downwards, or too large, requiring the operator to crank the crank 706 multiple times to lift the No. 1 rail 1 to the designated position, resulting in low efficiency, the diameter ratio of the small piston 702 to the large piston 701 is set between 1:4 and 1:6. When the diameter ratio is less than 1:4, the operator needs to apply significant force to the crank 706 to move the outrigger 5 downwards, placing high demands on their physical strength and potentially causing fatigue during prolonged work, thus reducing efficiency. Simultaneously, the large piston 701 has a large single-stroke displacement, which could prevent the operator from effectively moving the outrigger 5 downwards. Precise height adjustment is necessary, but if the outrigger 5 overtravels, readjustment is required, which also reduces construction efficiency. While a diameter ratio of small piston 702 to large piston 701 greater than 1:6 results in a smaller single-stroke displacement of the large piston 701, facilitating precise height adjustment of the outrigger 5, it requires multiple cranking of the crank handle 706 to raise rail 1 to the designated position, thus reducing construction efficiency. Therefore, in this embodiment, a diameter ratio of 1:5 for small piston 702 to large piston 701 is preferred. This reduces the effort required for cranking the handle 706, shortens the time needed to adjust the outrigger 5 height, and improves the accuracy of height adjustment, ensuring the straightness and inclination requirements of rail 1 and rail 2, and improving construction efficiency.

[0045] It should be noted that, in order to prevent the No. 1 support 3 from shifting laterally when the construction workers crank the handle 706, thus making it impossible for them to accurately control the straightness and inclination of the No. 1 rail and the No. 2 rail, the swing plane of the handle 706 and the connecting rod 707 is parallel to the longitudinal center plane of the rail. Therefore, when the construction workers crank the handle 706 to adjust the height of the outrigger 5, the direction of the force applied to the handle 706 is parallel to the longitudinal center plane of the rail, preventing the No. 1 support 3 from moving after being subjected to force. This ensures the stability of the No. 1 support 3 during the rail alignment process, thereby shortening the rail alignment time and improving construction efficiency.

[0046] Please refer to Figure 6The locking assembly 6 includes a top rod 601, a return spring 602, a pull rod 603, and a locking block 604. The top rod 601, which mates with the bottom of the first rail 1, is slidably installed inside the first bracket 3. The return spring 602 is sleeved on the pressure rod. The two ends of the spring are fixedly connected to the lower end of the top rod 601 and the first bracket 3, respectively. Two pull rods 603 are hinged to the lower end of the top rod 601. The two pull rods 603 are symmetrical about each other along the longitudinal center plane of the rail, and the top ends of each pull rod are fixedly installed with a locking block 604 that mates with the bottom corner of the first rail 1. The first bracket 3 is provided with a slide rail 306 that mates with the pull rod 603. Both pull rods 603 are slidably connected to the slide rail 306.

[0047] Clearly, as shown in the figure, an exemplary working process of the locking assembly 6 locking rail 1 and bracket 3 is as follows: When the outrigger 5 moves downward, bracket 3 moves upward until the upper end face of the top rod 601 contacts the bottom of rail 1. The outrigger 5 continues to move upward, and under the action of the rail's gravity, the top rod 601 slides into bracket 3, the return spring 602 is stretched, and the two tie rods 603 move towards each other in a circular motion around the hinge point between the tie rod 603 and the top rod 601. The first rail 1 rotates in the direction of rotation, while the pull rod 603 slides within the slide rail 306. The locking block 604 moves horizontally and approaches the first rail 1 until the two locking blocks 604 contact the bottom corners of the rail 1 on both sides. This locks the first support 3 and the first rail 1. At the same time, the two locking blocks 604 align the first rail 1 with the first support 3 during the locking process, thus completing the pre-adjustment of the straightness and inclination of the first rail 1 and the second rail 2.

[0048] It is worth noting that, for reasons of cost, material weight, and structural strength, in this embodiment, the first bracket 3, tie rod 603, and locking block 604 are all made of Q235 material. The first bracket 3 has a width of 150mm. To prevent the first bracket 3 from collapsing when supporting the first rail 1 due to insufficient bending strength, the width ratio of tie rod 603 to the width of the first bracket 3 is 1:3 to 1:4. This is because when the width ratio of tie rod 603 to the width of the first bracket 3 is less than 1:3... When the effective width of the support part of bracket 3 is too small, the overall bending strength of bracket 3 decreases, and bracket 3 is prone to bending when supporting rail 1. When the width ratio of tie rod 603 to bracket 3 is greater than 1:4, the overall bending strength of bracket 3 is effectively improved. However, when the width of tie rod 603 is too small, if the horizontal angle between bracket 3 and rail 1 is too large when they are locked, the locking block 604 is prone to horizontal deflection after contacting rail 1, thus causing... If the locking block 604 twists or breaks at the connection between it and the tie rod 603, it will prevent the first rail 1 and the first support 3 from being aligned. Therefore, this invention preferably selects a width ratio of 1:3 between the tie rod 603 and the first support 3. This avoids the first support 3 from collapsing when supporting the first rail 1 due to its low bending strength, and also avoids horizontal deflection of the locking block 604 when the first support 3 locks the first rail 1, thus ensuring the alignment of the first support 3 with the first rail 1. Rail 1 is effectively supported; at the same time, the width ratio of locking block 604 to No. 1 bracket 3 is 2:3, which avoids the locking block 604 from deflecting vertically when No. 1 bracket 3 locks No. 1 rail 1 due to the low strength at the connection between locking block 604 and tie rod 603. This ensures the stability of the fixed connection between No. 1 bracket 3 and No. 1 rail 1, and also avoids the locking block 604 from deflecting horizontally when No. 1 bracket 3 locks No. 1 rail 1, thereby ensuring the alignment of No. 1 rail 1 and No. 1 bracket 3.

[0049] Please refer to Figure 3 The longitudinal locking assembly 8 includes a positioning block 801, a locking block 805, a locking bolt 803, and a locking nut 802. The positioning block 801 and the locking nut 802 are fixedly installed on the upper end of the second bracket 4. The positioning block 801 and the locking nut 802 are located on the left and right sides of the second rail 2, respectively. The positioning block 801 and the end near the second rail 2 are provided with a positioning surface 8011. The locking nut 802 is rotatably connected to the locking bolt 803. The end of the bolt near the rail is rotatably connected to the locking block 805 that matches the bottom angle of the second rail 2. There are two limit rods 804, which are fixedly connected to the front and rear ends of the first bracket 3, respectively. The ends of the two limit rods 804 away from the first bracket 3 are fixedly connected to the second bracket 4.

[0050] Clearly, as shown in the figure, an exemplary working process of the longitudinal locking assembly 8 locking rail 2 and rail 2 together is as follows: Adjust the locking nut 802 until the locking block 805 contacts the bottom corner of rail 2. As the locking nut 802 is further adjusted, rail 2 moves towards the positioning block 801 under the push of the locking bolt 803 until the upper surface of the bottom of rail 2 contacts the positioning surface 8011. This completes the locking and alignment of rail 2 and bracket 4. Furthermore, under the action of the limiting rod 804, rail 1 and rail 2 are locked together. The straightness of the rail top surface and working edge is adjusted and locked, thus ensuring the straightness requirements of rail 1 and rail 2 and improving construction efficiency. At the same time, during the aluminothermic welding and weld grinding process, the locking block 604, positioning block 801, locking block 805 and limiting rod 804 work together to prevent longitudinal movement of rail 1 and rail 2 during vibration, impact or temperature change, thus ensuring the weld size of the weld joint of rail 1 and rail 2, and thus ensuring the welding quality of the weld joint of rail 1 and rail 2.

[0051] It is worth noting that the length range of the limiting rod 804 is 900–1550 mm. This is because during rail laying, the installation distance between two sleepers is 600 mm, while the width of a standard sleeper is 220–240 mm. If the length of the limiting rod 804 is less than 900 mm, it is not conducive to the installation of bracket 3 and bracket 4. Furthermore, if bracket 3 and bracket 4 are installed in the sleeper gap where the rail weld is located, the bending strength of the limiting rod 804 is optimal, but this arrangement will affect subsequent welding and weld grinding, impacting construction efficiency. Conversely, if the length of the limiting rod 804 is greater than 1500 mm, it... For the installation of bracket 3 and bracket 4, the excessive length of the limiting rod 804 can easily lead to a decrease in its bending strength. Therefore, in this invention, a length of 1500mm for the limiting rod 804 is preferred. Thus, bracket 3 and bracket 4 are installed within the gap between two adjacent sleepers at the rail joint, reducing the impact of the length of the limiting rod 804 on its own bending strength. This ensures the straightness requirement between rail 1 and rail 2, while also preventing bracket 3, bracket 4, and the limiting rod 804 from affecting subsequent welding and weld grinding operations, thereby improving construction efficiency.

[0052] For easy-to-understand explanations, please refer to [the provided text]. Figure 3To avoid excessive friction between rail 2 and support 4 during the locking process, which would result in low construction efficiency, a roller 401 is rotatably installed on the upper surface of support 4. The roller 401 is in rolling connection with the underside of rail 2. Thus, during the locking process, the sliding friction between rail 2 and support 4 is converted into rolling friction, reducing the difficulty for construction workers in locking rail 2 and support 4, thereby improving construction efficiency.

[0053] It should be noted that the axis of roller 401 is parallel to the working surface of rail 2. After the locking block 604 fixes rail 1 and bracket 3, the upper end face of the top rod 601 is flush with the upper end face of roller 401. Thus, after rail 2 and bracket 4 are locked, the bottom surfaces of rail 1 and rail 2 are in the same plane, ensuring the straightness of the top surfaces and working edges of both rails.

[0054] Please refer to Figure 3 In one embodiment of a conventional 60kg / m rail aluminothermic welding operation, locking block 805 and locking block 604 are respectively provided with locking surface 8051 and locking surface 6041. Both locking surface 8051 and locking surface 6041 are in contact with the upper surface of the rail base of rail 1 and rail 2. Since the taper of the upper surface of the rail base of the 60kg / m rail is 1:9, the taper of positioning surface 8011, locking surface 8051 and locking surface 6041 is 1:9 in this embodiment. This increases the contact area between positioning surface 8011, locking surface 8051 and locking surface 6041 and the upper surface of the rail base of rail 1 and rail 2, thereby ensuring the welding quality of the welded joint of rail 1 and rail 2.

[0055] Furthermore, to prevent wear on the positioning surface 8011, locking surface 8051, and locking surface 6041 during operation, which would reduce the friction between these surfaces and the rail, all three surfaces are shot-peened to a surface strength of 0.3–0.4 mmA and a surface roughness of Ra6.3–Ra12.5. This is because the surface strength of the positioning surface 8011 and the raised surface 6041 after shot peening is less than 0.3 mmA. When the surface roughness is less than 0.4 mmA, the poor surface strength easily leads to wear on the positioning surface 8011, locking surface 8051, and locking surface 6041 during use, resulting in a decrease in friction. However, when the surface strength of the positioning surface 8011, locking surface 8051, and locking surface 6041 after shot peening is greater than 0.4 mmA, the excessively high surface strength easily causes the surfaces of the positioning surface 8011, locking surface 8051, and locking surface 6041 to become excessively porous, resulting in the formation of a plate-like structure on the surface, which in turn leads to a decrease in friction. Furthermore, because the surface roughness is less than... When the surface roughness is Ra 6.3, the surface finish is too high, resulting in an excessively low coefficient of friction between the positioning surface 8011, locking surface 8051, and locking surface 6041 and the rail surface, thus leading to a decrease in friction. Conversely, when the surface roughness is greater than Ra 12.5, the surface finish is too low, resulting in a reduced contact area between the positioning surface 8011, locking surface 8051, and locking surface 6041 and the rail surface, thus also leading to a decrease in friction. Therefore, in this embodiment, the positioning surface 8011, locking surface 8051, and locking surface 6041 are preferably shot-peened. The surface strength after treatment is 0.4 mmA, and the surface roughness is Ra6.3, which increases the friction between the positioning surface 8011, locking surface 8051, and locking surface 6041 and the upper surface of the rail base of rail 1 and rail 2. At the same time, it enhances the surface strength of the positioning surface 8011, locking surface 8051, and locking surface 6041, thereby ensuring that rail 1 and rail 2 do not move longitudinally when subjected to vibration, impact, or temperature changes, and further ensuring the welding quality of the welded joint of rail 1 and rail 2.

[0056] In an embodiment of aluminothermic welding of heavy-duty rails, since the thermal effect time of aluminothermic welding of heavy-duty rails is longer and the affected area is also longer, to avoid insufficient friction between the positioning surface 8011, locking surface 8051, and locking surface 6041 and the rail, which could lead to longitudinal displacement of the rail during vibration, impact, or temperature changes, serrated protrusions (not shown in the figure) are provided on the positioning surface 8011, locking surface 8051, and locking surface 6041. The taper of the upper surface of the rail base used for heavy-duty rails is 1:4 to 1:6, therefore the positioning surface 8011, locking surface 8051, and locking surface 6041... The taper of both the positioning surface 8011 and the locking surface 6041 is 1:4 to 1:6. Taking a 75kg / m rail as an example, the taper of the upper surface of the rail base is 1:4. Therefore, the taper of the positioning surface 8011, the locking surface 8051, and the locking surface 6041 is also 1:4. This increases the friction between the positioning surface 8011, the locking surface 8051, and the locking surface 6041 and the upper surface of the rail base of rail 1 and rail 2, thereby ensuring that rail 1 and rail 2 do not move longitudinally when subjected to vibration, impact, or temperature changes, and further ensuring the welding quality of the welded joint of rail 1 and rail 2.

[0057] Furthermore, to prevent wear on the positioning surface 8011, locking surface 8051, and locking surface 6041 during operation, which would reduce the friction between these surfaces and the rail, the serrated protrusions are all heat-treated to a hardness of 50-60 HRC. Because a surface hardness less than 50 HRC easily leads to wear on the positioning surface 8011, locking surface 8051, and locking surface 6041 during use, resulting in a decrease in friction, but the surface... When the hardness is greater than 60 HRC, the toughness of the serrated protrusions decreases, and they are prone to peeling during use, resulting in a decrease in friction. Therefore, in this embodiment, the serrated protrusions are preferably heat-treated to a hardness of 55 HRC, thereby enhancing the surface strength of the positioning surface 8011, the locking surface 8051, and the locking surface 6041. This ensures that the No. 1 rail 1 and the No. 2 rail 2 do not move longitudinally when subjected to vibration, impact, or temperature changes, and further ensures the welding quality of the welded joint of the No. 1 rail 1 and the No. 2 rail 2.

[0058] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make modifications, alterations, substitutions, and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention, and all such modifications, alterations, substitutions, and variations should be included within the protection scope of the present invention without departing from the principles of the present invention.

Claims

1. A steel rail thermit welding tooling characterized by, The utility model relates to a steel rail welding device, including a support (3), a support (4), longitudinal locking assembly (8), locking assembly (6) and adjusting assembly (7), the support (3) is installed in the lower end of the steel rail (1) to be welded, the both sides of the support (3) before and after are all slidingly connected with the support leg (5) that can move up and down, be equipped with two sets of adjusting assembly (7) on the support (3), two sets of adjusting assembly (7) are used for driving two sides support leg (5) up and down movement respectively, the support (3) is equipped with locking assembly (6) still, the support leg (5) drives locking assembly (6) and is connected with the support (3) and the steel rail (1) centering and fixed when moving down, the support (4) is installed in the lower end of the steel rail (2) to be welded, be equipped with longitudinal locking assembly (8) for the support (4) with the steel rail (2) centering and fixed connection on the support (4), the height range of support (3) and support (4) is 200-220mm, and the limit rod (804) that both relative displacement is connected between two is limited, when the limit rod (804) is fixedly connected with the support (3), the support (4), the longitudinal center surface of support (3) and support (4), the upper end surface are flush. The adjusting assembly (7) comprises a large piston (701), a small piston (702), a first one-way valve (703), a second one-way valve (704), an oil return bolt (705), a crank (706) and a connecting rod (707), the first support (3) is provided with an oil storage cavity (301), an oil inlet channel (302), an oil return channel (303), a first piston cavity (304) and a second piston cavity (305), the lower end of the first piston cavity (304) is communicated with the lower end surface of the first support (3), the large piston (701) is slidably installed in the first piston cavity (304), the lower end of the large piston (701) is fixedly installed with a supporting leg (5), the upper end of the second piston cavity (305) is communicated with the upper end surface of the first support (3), the small piston (702) is slidably installed in the second piston cavity (305), the diameter ratio of the small piston (702) to the large piston (701) is 1:4-1:6, the crank (706) is hingedly connected to the upper end of the small piston (702), one end of the crank (706) is hingedly connected with the connecting rod (707), the other end of the connecting rod (707) is hingedly connected with the outer side wall of the first support (3), the swing planes of the crank (706) and the connecting rod (707) are parallel to the longitudinal center plane of the first rail (1), the two ends of the oil inlet channel (302) and the oil return channel (303) are communicated with the oil storage cavity (301) and the first piston cavity (304), the first one-way valve (703) and the second one-way valve (704) are arranged in the oil inlet channel (302), the oil inlet channel (302) penetrates through the second piston cavity (305), the first one-way valve (703) and the second one-way valve (704) are respectively arranged on the two sides of the second piston cavity (305), the oil return bolt (705) for opening and closing the oil return channel (303) is arranged on the first support (3).

2. A steel rail thermit welding kit according to claim 1 wherein: The locking assembly (6) comprises a jacking rod (601), a reset spring (602), a pull rod (603) and a locking block (604), the jacking rod (601) is slidably installed in the first support (3) and cooperates with the rail bottom of the first rail (1), the reset spring (602) is sleeved on the jacking rod (601), the two ends of the reset spring (602) are fixedly connected with the lower end of the jacking rod (601) and the first support (3), the lower end of the jacking rod (601) is hingedly connected with two pull rods (603), the two pull rods (603) are symmetrically arranged along the longitudinal center plane of the first rail (1), and the top ends of the two pull rods (603) are fixedly installed with the locking block (604) which cooperates with the rail bottom corner of the first rail (1), the first support (3) is provided with a slide channel (306) which cooperates with the pull rod (603), the two pull rods (603) are slidably connected with the slide channel (306), the width ratio of the pull rod (603) to the first support (3) is 1:3-1:4, and the width ratio of the locking block (604) to the first support (3) is 2:

3.

3. A steel rail thermit welding kit according to claim 2, characterised in that: The longitudinal locking assembly (8) comprises a positioning block (801), a locking block (805), a locking bolt (803) and a locking nut (802), the upper end of the second support (4) is fixedly provided with the positioning block (801) and the locking nut (802), the positioning block (801) and the locking nut (802) are respectively located on the left and right sides of the second rail (2), one end of the positioning block (801) close to the second rail (2) is provided with a positioning surface (8011), the locking nut (802) is rotatably connected with the locking bolt (803), one end of the locking bolt (803) close to the second rail (2) is rotatably connected with the locking block (805) matched with the rail bottom angle of the second rail (2), the limiting rod (804) is provided with two rods and is respectively fixedly connected with the front and rear ends of the first support (3), one end of the two limiting rods (804) away from the first support (3) is fixedly connected with the second support (4), and the length range of the limiting rod (804) is 900-1550 mm.

4. A steel rail thermit welding kit according to claim 2, characterised in that: The upper end surface of the second support (4) is rotatably provided with a roller (401), the roller (401) is rotatably connected with the lower surface of the rail bottom of the second rail (2), the axis of the roller (401) is parallel to the working surface of the second rail (2), and after the locking block (604) is fixedly connected with the first rail (1) and the first support (3), the upper end surface of the top rod (601) is flush with the upper end surface of the roller (401).

5. A steel rail thermit welding kit as claimed in claim 3 wherein: The locking block (604) and the locking block (805) are respectively provided with locking surfaces (6041) and locking surfaces (8051), the locking surfaces (6041) and the locking surfaces (8051) are in contact with the upper surfaces of the rail bottoms of the first rail (1) and the second rail (2), the taper of the positioning surface (8011), the locking surface (6041) and the locking surface (8051) is 1:9, and the three are subjected to shot blasting treatment to reach the surface strength of 0.3-0.4mmA and the surface roughness of Ra6.3-Ra12.

5.

6. A steel rail thermit welding kit according to claim 3 wherein: The taper of the positioning surface (8011), the locking surface (6041) and the locking surface (8051) is 1:4-1:6, and the surfaces of the three are provided with serrated protrusions, and the serrated protrusions are subjected to quenching and tempering treatment to have the hardness of 50-60HRC.

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