Device for adjusting anchoring position of sleeper

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for adjusting the anchoring of a sleeper (1) on a support (2), comprising at least:-an anchoring pin (3) connected to the support (2),-a through-hole (11) in the sleeper through which the anchoring pin (3) passes,-a cover (4) positioned so as to close the opening of the through-hole (11) and against the upper surface of the sleeper (1),-a fastening mechanism (5) cooperating on one hand with the anchoring pin (3) and on the other hand with the anchoring pin (3). On the other hand, it is supported by the surface of the cover (4); -a mechanism (6) for adjusting the position of the aperture (41) in the cover (4) relative to the sleeper (1), the mechanism (6) comprising an arrangement of grooves (42) on the lower surface of the cover (4) and cooperating with a complementary arrangement (72) carried by the upper surface of the sleeper (1).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of mechanisms for fastening sleepers that support railway tracks, and more particularly to the field of adjustable mechanisms for fastening sleepers. Background Technology

[0002] When installing railway lines, running rails are mounted on sleepers, which help maintain the track gauge and inclination. These sleepers also ensure that loads are transferred from vehicles traveling on the tracks to the structures supporting them. Generally, sleepers are stacked on a ballast layer formed by a dense mixture of gravel and sand.

[0003] However, this design is not always suitable when a railway passes through a civil engineering structure (such as a bridge or viaduct), where the presence of a ballast layer is permissible. Under these conditions, sleepers are installed directly onto the civil engineering structure itself, particularly through a pair of fastening points located at the ends of the sleepers. Each of these fastening points is typically in the form of a chair screw, installed through the sleeper thickness; the lower end of the chair screw is directly attached to or secured to the civil engineering structure. However, the installation of the sleepers, particularly the positioning of the fastening points of each of these sleepers on the civil engineering structure itself, is constrained by the structural arrangement and / or architecture of the civil engineering structure. Therefore, the positioning of each fastening point on the sleeper, particularly the relative spacing of these fastening points, depends on the constraints imposed by the supporting structure formed by the civil engineering structure. Under these conditions, each sleeper, particularly the position of the fastening points along the length of the sleeper, must be prepared according to the specific arrangement specified for the sleepers on the civil engineering structure before installation. Therefore, this solution requires a laborious analysis of the location of each sleeper on the railway section that spans the civil engineering structure. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The object of the present invention is to overcome these disadvantages by providing a mechanism for fastening sleepers to a support structure, which enables the limitation or even elimination of preparation work for each sleeper to be installed on the support structure by means of a fastening position restriction imposed according to the corresponding arrangement of each sleeper on the support structure.

[0005] Therefore, the subject of this invention is a device for adjusting the anchorage position of a generally axial sleeper on a support structure, characterized in that the device comprises at least:

[0006] - Generally straight anchor bolts, which include fastening to the first end of the supporting structure in terms of translational movement.

[0007] - A through-hole, oriented vertically along the thickness of the sleeper, through which anchor bolts pass. The through-hole has a width oriented along the axis of the sleeper in its horizontal cross-section, the width of which is greater than the size of the anchor bolt.

[0008] A cover, positioned above the upper surface of the sleeper, having sufficient dimensions to close the upper opening of a through-hole, and directly or indirectly abutting against the upper surface of the sleeper, wherein an anchor bolt passes through the cover at at least one opening having substantially the same dimensions as the cross-section of the anchor bolt.

[0009] - The clamping mechanism, on the one hand, cooperates with the second end of the anchor bolt, and on the other hand, directly or indirectly abuts against the upper surface of the cover.

[0010] - An adjustment mechanism for adjusting the position of an opening in the cover relative to the sleeper, the adjustment mechanism comprising at least one groove arrangement carried by the lower surface of the cover, and the at least one groove arrangement cooperating with a complementary groove arrangement carried directly or indirectly by the upper surface of the sleeper. Attached Figure Description

[0011] The invention will be better understood from the following description, which relates to several preferred embodiments, is provided by way of non-limiting example, and is described with reference to the accompanying schematic diagrams, wherein:

[0012] [ Figure 1 [A schematic diagram relating to an example of a device for adjusting the anchoring position of a railway sleeper according to the present invention.]

[0013] [ Figure 2 A schematic diagram illustrating an example of the positioning of different components of a device for adjusting the anchoring position of a sleeper according to the present invention, and

[0014] [ Figure 3 [A schematic diagram relating to an example of a sleeper equipped with a pair of devices for adjusting the anchoring position according to the invention.] Detailed Implementation

[0015] This invention relates to a device for adjusting the anchoring position of a generally axial sleeper 1 on a support structure 2, characterized in that the device comprises at least:

[0016] - A generally straight anchor bolt 3, which includes a first end 31 of the support structure 2 for translational movement.

[0017] - A through hole 11, which is vertically oriented along the thickness of the sleeper 1, allows the anchor bolt 3 to pass through the through hole. The through hole 11 has a width oriented along the axis of the sleeper 1 in its horizontal cross-section, and this width is larger than the size of the anchor bolt 3.

[0018] - A cover 4, positioned above the upper surface of the sleeper 1, having sufficient dimensions to close the upper opening of the through hole 11, and directly or indirectly abutting the upper surface of the sleeper 1. Anchor bolts 3 pass through the cover 4 at at least one opening 41, the at least one opening 41 having substantially the same dimensions as the cross-section of the anchor bolt 3.

[0019] - The clamping mechanism 5 cooperates with the second end 32 of the anchor bolt 3 on one hand, and directly or indirectly abuts against the upper surface of the cover 4 on the other hand.

[0020] - Adjustment mechanism 6, which is used to adjust the position of the opening 41 in the cover 4 relative to the sleeper 1, the adjustment mechanism 6 includes at least one groove arrangement 42 carried by the lower surface of the cover 4, and the at least one groove arrangement 41 cooperates with a complementary groove arrangement 72 carried directly or indirectly by the upper surface of the sleeper 1.

[0021] The anchor bolt 3 is a straight axial member and may have threads along its entire or part of its length. For example, the anchor bolt may be a chair screw type. The lower end of the anchor bolt 3 (which interacts with the support structure 2 via its end 31) may be fastened to the support structure 2 by welding, or alternatively, it may be mounted through an opening in the support structure 2 to be held in the support structure 2 in terms of axial translational movement by forming a stop at the end against the lower surface of the support structure 2. Thus, the device of the present invention is arranged to allow adjustment of the fastening position of the sleeper 1 along an adjustment axis aligned with the axis of the sleeper 1. The width of the through hole 11 in the sleeper 1 (through which the anchor bolt 3 is positioned) is greater than the width of the anchor bolt 3, thereby forming an arrangement that allows the anchor bolt 3 to be positioned in various directions within the through hole 11, substantially perpendicular to the axis of the sleeper 1. Therefore, these various possible positioning options allow for adjustment of the position of the anchor bolts 3 relative to the sleeper 1, such that the spacing between the two fastening points of the sleeper 1, applied by the support structure 2, has a limited effect on the spacing between the two through holes 11 in the sleeper 1 used for these fastening points. The anchor bolts 3, at each end 31, 32, cooperate with the clamping mechanism 5 on one hand and with the support structure 2 on the other, clamping the sleeper 1 between the support structure 2 and the cover 4. The cover 4 (whose surface area is larger than the surface area of ​​the orifice of the through hole 11) abuts against the periphery of the orifice of the through hole 11, such that the sleeper 1 is clamped by the peripheral portion of the cover 4 located outside the edge of the orifice of the through hole 11. The device according to the invention further includes an adjustment mechanism 6 for adjusting the position of the orifice 41 in the cover 4 relative to the sleeper 1. Adjusting the position of the orifice 41 allows the anchor bolts 3 passing through the sleeper 1 to be oriented between the support structure 2 and the upper surface of the sleeper 1 along the optimal axis for fastening and clamping the sleeper 1, i.e., along an axis substantially perpendicular to the axis of the sleeper 1. The position of the orifice 41 in the cover 4 is adjusted by translating the cover 4 within the plane of the upper surface of the sleeper 1. The adjusting mechanism 6 for adjusting the position of the orifice 41 in the cover 4 locks the cover 4 in the proper position relative to the sleeper 1, and thus locks its orifice 41 in the proper position, when the sleeper 1 is clamped to the support structure 2 by the anchor bolts 3. The adjusting mechanism 6 utilizes the shape cooperation between the lower surface of the cover 4 and the surface directly or indirectly supported by the upper surface of the sleeper 1. This shape cooperation thus utilizes complementary reliefs supported by each surface positioned facing each other. Therefore, when the clamping mechanism 5, together with the anchor bolts 3, presses the cover 4 against the sleeper 1 while the sleeper 1 is fastened to the support structure 2, these complementary reliefs are configured to prevent any movement of the cover 4 relative to the sleeper 1 along the axis of the sleeper 1. Furthermore, to prevent the cover 4 from sliding relative to the sleeper 1 in this manner, these complementary reliefs of the shape cooperation are arranged using complementary grooves. These groove structures can have a straight shape or various curvatures.Therefore, in addition to being designed to clamp the sleeper 1, the device of the present invention is also designed to prevent the sleeper 1 from moving along its axis, particularly by translation. Such movement is possible under the influence of vibrations from vehicles repeatedly traveling on the track supported by the sleeper 1, even if the sleeper 1 is clamped to the support structure 2.

[0022] It should be noted that, in the case of this invention, the device of the invention can be implemented only at one end of the sleeper 1, with the other end comprising a chair screw fastener of a known type. Therefore, the device of the invention is sufficient to secure the sleeper 1 by adjusting a single anchor point. Adjusting a single anchor point of the sleeper 1 allows for adjustment of the spacing between the anchor points located at each end of the sleeper 1. However, alternatively and preferably, each end of the sleeper 1 is associated with a device for adjusting the anchorage of the sleeper 1 on the support structure 2.

[0023] According to an example related to a design variation of the invention, the orientation of the grooves in the groove arrangements 42, 72 is approximately perpendicular to the axis of the sleeper 1. Therefore, this arrangement of the grooves allows for the cooperation of the protrusions, such that any translational movement that the cover 4 might experience is blocked by the cooperation of the protrusions in the groove arrangements 42, 72. Thus, these protrusions withstand the shear force of the cover 4 relative to the sleeper 1.

[0024] According to an example related to another design variant of the invention, and which can be combined with the design variant described above, a complementary groove arrangement 72 is supported by the upper surface of the sleeper 1. This prevents translational movement of the cover 4 relative to the upper surface of the sleeper 1 and prevents any movement along the axis of the sleeper 1. Therefore, the cover 4 directly abuts against the upper surface of the sleeper 1. Furthermore, in order to allow the opening 41 in the cover 4 to be positioned at any point on the surface of the through hole 11 so that the positioning of the anchor bolt 3 in the through hole 11 of the sleeper 1 is never restricted when adjusting and tightening, the dimensions of the cover 4 are adapted to the dimensions of the upper surface of the sleeper 1 so as not to impede the overlap of any point on the surface of the opening 41 in the cover 4 with the through hole 11. In addition, the upper surface of the sleeper 1 does not include any obstruction to the positioning of the cover.

[0025] According to an example related to an alternative design variant of the invention with respect to the above-described design variation, the complementary groove arrangement 72 is supported by the upper surface of an intermediate member 7 abutting against the upper surface of the sleeper 1. The intermediate member 7 includes an opening 71, the size of which is substantially similar to the size of the upper opening of the through-hole 11 of the sleeper 1, through which the anchor bolt 3 passes. The sliding of the blocking cover 4 relative to the upper surface of the sleeper 1 utilizes the clamping of the cover 4 and the sleeper 1, such that the intermediate member 7 is positioned overlappingly between the cover 4 and the sleeper 1. The size of the opening 71 in the intermediate member 7, similar to the size of the upper opening of the through-hole 11 in the sleeper 1, allows the opening 71 in the intermediate member 7 to be designed so as not to restrict the positioning of the anchor bolt 3 anywhere within the through-hole 11 in the sleeper 1. Furthermore, to ensure that the opening 41 in the cover 4 can be positioned at any point on the surface of the through hole 11, so that the positioning of the anchor bolt 3 within the through hole 11 of the sleeper 1 is never restricted during adjustment and tightening, the dimensions of the cover 4 are adapted to the dimensions of the intermediate piece 7 and the upper surface of the sleeper 1, so as not to prevent the opening 41 in the cover 4 from overlapping with any point on the surface of the through hole 11. In addition, the corresponding upper surfaces of the intermediate piece 7 and the sleeper 1 do not contain any obstructions to the positioning of the cover.

[0026] According to an example related to a specific feature of the above design variant, the intermediate component 7 is integrated into the sleeper 1, more specifically, for example, by overmolding onto the upper surface of the sleeper 1.

[0027] According to an example related to another specific feature of the aforementioned design variant, and which can be combined with the various design variants described above, the upper surface of the sleeper 1 includes at least one blocking device 8 for preventing the intermediate member 7 from sliding relative to the sleeper 1. This blocking device 8 prevents any sliding or undesirable translational movement of the intermediate member 7 relative to the sleeper 1, particularly any sliding or translational movement along an axis perpendicular to the axis of the sleeper 1. Under these conditions, the locking of the intermediate member 7 to the sleeper 1 prevents any improper movement of the cover 4 relative to the sleeper 1 when the cover 4 interacts with the intermediate member 7 through the cooperation of the groove arrangements 42, 72.

[0028] According to an example related to a specific feature of the aforementioned design variant, and which can be combined with various design variants described above, a blocking device 8 for preventing slippage of the intermediate piece 7 includes at least one component fastened to the upper surface of the sleeper 1, the at least one component having at least one edge 81 abutting against an edge of the intermediate piece 7. Thus, the abutting component 8 forms a protrusion supported by the upper surface of the sleeper 1, which forms an obstacle to the movement and / or translational movement of the intermediate piece 7 relative to the sleeper 1, particularly movement and / or translational movement along the axis of the sleeper 1. Therefore, the component 8 is capable of withstanding various shear forces that may be exerted on the upper surface of the sleeper 1 by the intermediate piece 7. For example, the blocking device 8 is positioned against the edge of the intermediate piece 7. According to a specific feature, the blocking device 8 is in the form of a pair of stops located on both sides of the intermediate piece 7, such that each opposite edge of the intermediate piece 7 contacts a stop of the blocking device 8. According to this example, the pair of stops and the intermediate piece 7 are aligned along the axis of the sleeper 1. It should be noted that the blocking device 8 may take the form of one or more components mounted on the upper surface of the sleeper 1, and / or take the form of a protrusion or component integrated into the sleeper 1, particularly integrated into the upper surface of the sleeper 1.

[0029] According to an example related to a specific alternative feature of the aforementioned design variant, and which can be combined with the various design variants described above, the blocking device 8 for preventing the intermediate piece 7 from sliding utilizes a receptacle forming a cavity in the upper surface of the sleeper 1. This receptacle has dimensions similar to the intermediate piece 7 in a cross-section taken approximately parallel to the surface of the sleeper 1, so as to accommodate the lower surface of the intermediate piece 7. According to this design example, the periphery edges of the receptacle, supported by the upper surface of the sleeper 1, form various stop surfaces against which the intermediate piece 7 abuts to hold it in proper position on the sleeper 1. In addition to blocking the intermediate piece 7, the various edges of the receptacle's periphery and their shape matching with the lower part of the intermediate piece 7 also allow the intermediate piece 7 to be easily installed on the sleeper 1.

[0030] In addition to the solution provided by the blocking device 8 to prevent the intermediate piece 7 from sliding, or even as an alternative, the shape of the opening of the through hole 11 in the sleeper 1 and the similar size and shape of the opening 71 of the intermediate piece 7 have a grooved or elliptical arrangement oriented along the axis of the sleeper 1. Therefore, this grooved or elliptical arrangement has a width slightly larger than that of the anchor bolt 3. Under these conditions, the positioning of the anchor bolt 3 through the intermediate piece 7 and the sleeper 1 prevents any movement of the intermediate piece 7 relative to the sleeper 1 along an axis perpendicular to the axis of the sleeper 1.

[0031] It should be noted that when the intermediate member 7 is installed on the sleeper 1, the groove arrangement 72 on the upper surface of the intermediate member 7 can be positioned flush with the upper surface of the sleeper 1, or alternatively, according to the design with horizontal offset, the groove arrangement 72 on the upper surface of the intermediate member 7 is horizontally offset relative to the upper surface of the sleeper 1.

[0032] According to an example related to a design variation of the present invention, and which can be combined with the various design variations described above, the groove arrangements 42, 72 have a serrated design in a longitudinal section taken perpendicular to the axis of the groove. This serrated design has the advantage of allowing the first groove arrangement 42 to be easily positioned against the second groove arrangement 72. Therefore, the cover 4 is installed in an adjustable manner against the upper surface of the intermediate member 7 or the sleeper 1 without difficulty, such that the opening 41 in the cover 4 is in the optimal position for the anchor bolts 3.

[0033] According to an example related to a design variant of the present invention, which forms an alternative to the aforementioned design variant, the groove arrangements 42, 72 have a creneled design in a longitudinal section taken perpendicular to the axis of the groove. To mitigate the difficulty of positioning the first groove arrangement 42 relative to the second groove arrangement 72, the spacing between the two protrusions of these groove arrangements is at least slightly greater than the width of the respective protrusion. Under these conditions, this facilitates cooperation by inserting protrusions between the protrusions carried by each groove arrangement 42, 72.

[0034] According to an example related to a design variation of the present invention, and which can be combined with the various design variations described above, the anchor bolt 3 interacts with the orifice 41 in the cover 4 and / or the support structure 2 via a grommet 9. The grommet 9 is mounted coaxially with the orifice 41 in the cover 9, allowing the anchor bolt 3 to pass through it. At the support structure 2, the grommet 9 is positioned coaxially with the orifice in the support structure 2, through which the lower end of the anchor bolt 3 passes. Thus, the presence of one or more grommet 9 provides additional electrical isolation between the track and the support structure 2. Preferably, the track also rests against the sleeper 1 via an insulating pad. It should be noted that, alternatively or additionally, in addition to using the grommet 9, electrical insulation can also be provided by using the cover 4 and / or the intermediate piece 7, which is made of a material electrically selected according to its electrical insulation properties.

[0035] For example, as shown in the figure, the cover 4 and / or the intermediate part 7 have a generally planar arrangement so as to have a stable support surface with the sleeper 1 and / or the clamping mechanism 5.

[0036] According to an example related to a design variation of the present invention, and which can be combined with the various design variations described above, the clamping mechanism 5 cooperates with the threaded portion of the anchor bolt 3 using at least one nut 51. Therefore, the threaded portion can be positioned along the entire length of the anchor bolt 3, or only at the second end 32 of the anchor bolt 3. When the sleeper 1 is clamped onto the support structure 2, the nut 51 of the clamping mechanism 5 can therefore directly or indirectly abut against the upper surface of the cover 4.

[0037] According to an example related to a design variation of the present invention, and which can be combined with the various design variations described above, the clamping mechanism 5 utilizes at least one spring element 52 through which the anchor bolt 3 passes, the spring element directly or indirectly abutting against the upper surface of the cover 4. This allows the clamping force applied by the clamping mechanism 5 to be maintained even under any vibrations that may occur due to vehicles repeatedly traveling on the track supported by the sleeper 1. For example, these spring characteristics can be achieved using springs or elements with elastic properties, such as a Belleville washer superimposed along the upper part of the anchor bolt 3.

[0038] According to an example related to a design variation of the present invention, and which can be combined with the various design variations described above, the adjusting mechanism 6 further includes a second groove arrangement carried by the lower surface of the cover 4, which cooperates with a complementary groove arrangement carried directly or indirectly by the upper surface of the sleeper 1. This second pair of groove arrangements is arranged substantially parallel to the axis of the sleeper 1. Therefore, this particular orientation of the second pair of groove arrangements allows for adjustment and blocking of the position of the opening 41 in the cover 4 along an axis substantially perpendicular to the axis of the sleeper 1. The design features that can be implemented in and are applicable to this second pair of groove arrangements are the same as those of the first pair of groove arrangements described above.

[0039] Of course, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described and shown in the accompanying drawings. Modifications are still possible, particularly in terms of the composition of various elements or by substitution with equivalent techniques, without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A device for adjusting the anchoring position of a substantially axial sleeper (1) on a supporting structure (2), characterized in that The device at least comprises: - a substantially straight anchor bolt (3) comprising a first end (31) fastened to the supporting structure (2) in terms of translational movement, a through hole (11) oriented vertically along the thickness of the sleeper (1) so that the anchor bolt (3) passes through the through hole, the through hole (11) having a width oriented along the axis of the sleeper (1) in a horizontal cross section of the sleeper (1) which is greater than the size of the anchor bolt (3), - a cover (4) positioned above the upper surface of the sleeper (1) and having sufficient dimensions to close the upper opening of the through hole (11) and directly or indirectly abutting against the upper surface of the sleeper (1), the anchor bolt (3) passing through the cover (4) at at least one opening (41), the at least one opening (41) having substantially the same dimensions as the cross section of the anchor bolt (3), - a clamping means (5) which cooperates on the one hand with the second end (32) of the anchor bolt (3) and, on the other hand, directly or indirectly bears against the upper surface of the cover (4), - an adjustment mechanism (6) for adjusting the position of the orifice (41) in the cover (4) relative to the sleeper (1), the adjustment mechanism (6) comprising at least one groove arrangement (42) carried by the lower surface of the cover (4), and the at least one groove arrangement (42) cooperating with a complementary groove arrangement (72) carried directly or indirectly by the upper surface of the sleeper (1).

2. The device for adjusting the anchoring position of a sleeper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The grooves of the pair of groove arrangements (42, 72) are oriented substantially perpendicular to the axis of the sleeper (1).

3. The device for adjusting the anchoring position of a sleeper according to claim 2, characterized in that: The complementary groove arrangement (72) is carried by the upper surface of an intermediate piece (7), the intermediate piece (7) abutting against the upper surface of the sleeper (1), the intermediate piece (7) comprising an aperture (71), the size of the aperture (71) of the intermediate piece being substantially similar to the size of the upper aperture of the through hole (11) of the sleeper (1), the anchor bolt (3) passing through the upper aperture of the through hole (11).

4. The device for adjusting the anchoring position of a sleeper according to claim 3, characterized in that: The upper surface of the sleeper (1) comprises at least one blocking device (8) for blocking the intermediate member (7) from sliding relative to the sleeper (1).

5. The device for adjusting the anchoring position of a sleeper according to claim 4, characterized in that: The blocking device (8) for blocking the sliding of the intermediate member (7) comprises at least one component fastened to the upper surface of the sleeper (1), and the at least one component has at least one edge (81) abutting against the edge of the intermediate member (7).

6. The device for adjusting the anchoring position of a sleeper according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that: The blocking device (8) for blocking the sliding of the intermediate member (7) utilizes a receiving body forming a cavity in the upper surface of the sleeper (1), and the receiving body has a size similar to that of the intermediate member (7) in a cross-section taken roughly parallel to the surface of the sleeper (1) so as to accommodate the lower surface of the intermediate member (7).

7. A device for adjusting the anchoring position of a sleeper according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that In a longitudinal section taken perpendicularly to the axis of the grooves, the groove arrangement (42, 72) has a sawtooth design.

8. A device for adjusting the anchoring position of a sleeper according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The anchor bolt (3) interacts with the aperture (41) in the cover (4) and / or the support structure (2) via a grommet (9).

9. A device for adjusting the anchoring position of a sleeper according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The clamping mechanism (5) cooperates with the threaded portion of the anchor bolt (3) by means of at least one nut (51).

10. A device for adjusting the anchoring position of a sleeper according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The clamping mechanism (5) utilizes at least one spring element (52), the anchor bolt (3) passes through the at least one spring element, and the at least one spring element directly or indirectly abuts against the upper surface of the cover (4).

11. A device for adjusting the anchoring position of a sleeper according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The adjustment mechanism (6) further comprises a second groove arrangement carried by the lower surface of the cover (4), the second groove arrangement cooperating with the complementary groove arrangement carried directly or indirectly by the upper surface of the sleeper (1), the second pair of groove arrangements being arranged substantially parallel to the axis of the sleeper (1).

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