Arrangement for the continuous elastic mounting of rails

Abstract

The invention relates to an arrangement for the continuous elastic mounting of rails for rail vehicles. The invention provides an arrangement (1) for the continuous elastic mounting of rails (2) for rail vehicles, comprising a) a rail (2) with a rail head (21) which has a rail head underside (24), with a rail foot (23) and with a rail web (22) which connects the rail head (21) and the rail foot (23), wherein a rail chamber (3) is formed on both sides of the rail web (22) between the rail head underside (24) and the upper side (25) of the rail foot (23), b) two lateral profiles (4) made of elastomer material which are arranged on both sides of the rail web (22) in the rail chambers (3), extend in the longitudinal direction of the rail (2) and bear against the rail head underside (24), the rail web (22) and a part of the rail foot (23), c) two support elements (5) which are arranged on both sides of the rail web (22), extend in the longitudinal direction of the rail (2) and support the lateral profiles (4) in the direction of the rail (2), and d) two bracing elements (6) which are arranged on both sides of the rail web (22), extend in the longitudinal direction of the rail (5) and brace the support elements (5) against one another in the direction of the rail (2).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an arrangement for the continuous elastic mounting of rails for rail vehicles.

[0002] Continuous rail bearings are bearings for rails in which the rails rest with their rail feet not merely at specific points or in sections, but on an essentially continuous base. Continuous elastic rail bearings are also known in which the rail is supported below the head and laterally, and the rail foot is free from forces. Continuous elastic rail foot bearings are intended to compensate for installation-related height differences. Furthermore, they also serve to dampen vibrations, for example, to reduce noise. Arrangements for the continuous elastic bearing of rails for rail vehicles are generally known, for example from WO 1995 / 020069 A1 and DE 4427237 A1, which discloses an arrangement for the continuous elastic bearing of rails with side profiles, support elements, and a bracing element.

[0003] Conventional arrangements for continuous elastic support are often complex to manufacture and adapt to different conditions. Maintenance is also difficult with these arrangements, especially in track systems where regular repairs to rails or replacement of entire sections of rail are required.

[0004] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a continuous elastic support for rails that can be flexibly adapted to existing conditions and is also comparatively easy to maintain, particularly allowing easier access to the supported rails for repair purposes. Furthermore, the present invention aims to effectively insulate rails against stray currents.

[0005] To achieve the object, the invention provides an arrangement for the continuous elastic mounting of rails for rail vehicles according to claim 1.

[0006] A "rail" here means a railway rail, for example a grooved rail, a Vignole rail or a crane rail.

[0007] The terms "outer" and "inner" in relation to the arrangement according to the invention refer here, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, to the position of the essentially centrally arranged rail, with "outer" meaning an orientation facing away from the rail and "inner" meaning an orientation facing toward the rail. For example, an "outer" surface of a bracing element is further away from the rail in the transverse direction to the rail than an "inner" surface of the bracing element. "Inner" surfaces of two bracing elements extending on either side of the rail and parallel to the rail are directed toward each other, while the "outer" surfaces face away from each other.

[0008] A "side profile" is understood here to mean a damping profile arranged laterally from the rail in the rail chamber, i.e., the area between the underside of the rail head and the top of the rail foot. A side profile is preferably made of an elastomeric material or a mixture of elastomeric materials. A "side profile filling the rail chamber" is understood to mean a side profile with sufficient volume to completely occupy at least the spatial area between the underside of the rail head and the top of the rail foot, and not a comparatively thin, strip-like profile adjacent to the underside of the rail head, the rail web, and the rail foot. A side profile can be solid or have pores or channels, e.g., longitudinal channels.A side profile can consist of one or more different elastomeric materials and can be manufactured, for example, by coextrusion of these different materials.

[0009] A "foot profile" is understood here to be an insulating and / or damping profile that essentially encloses the rail foot. A foot profile is arranged on the underside of the rail foot, preferably encompassing the rail foot laterally, and preferably also covering at least part of the upper side of the rail foot. A foot profile is preferably made of an elastomeric material or a mixture of elastomeric materials. A foot profile serves, for example, to dampen vibrations, but also to electrically insulate the rail from stray currents.

[0010] An "elastomer profile" is a profile made of elastomeric material.

[0011] An "elastomeric material" is understood here to be a material that exhibits rubber-elastic properties, i.e., a dimensionally stable yet elastically deformable plastic or plastic mixture whose glass transition point is below room temperature. Examples of elastomeric materials are natural rubber (NR), styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), butyl rubber (IIR), ethylene-propylene rubber (EPDM), butadiene-acrylonitrile rubber (NBR), hydrogenated acrylonitrile rubber (HNBR), chloroprene rubber (CR), chlorosulfonated polyethylene (CSM), polyacrylate rubber (ACM), polyurethane rubber (PU), silicone rubber (Q), fluorosilicone rubber (MFQ), and fluororubber (FPM). EPDM, SBR, CR, or NBR are preferred, with EPDM being particularly preferred. A "cross-linked elastomer" refers to elastomers whose molecular chains are covalently cross-linked with each other, in contrast to thermoplastic elastomers.Examples of cross-linked elastomers are styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR) and ethylene-propylene rubber (EPM, EPDM).

[0012] A "curable material" is understood here to be a material that is initially flowable, but later hardens under normal conditions, either spontaneously or under external influences, e.g., heat, UV light, etc. This can be, for example, concrete, synthetic resin, adhesive, and the like. It can also be, for example, a fiber-containing synthetic resin that hardens to form a fiber-reinforced plastic, e.g., GRP. In the arrangement according to the invention, a substantially centrally arranged rail is flanked on both sides in the transverse direction, i.e., viewed in the horizontal direction away from the rail, by a side profile, a support element supporting the side profile, and a bracing element bracing the support element towards the rail. By having one bracing element on each side of the rail, the arrangement can be flexibly adapted to different conditions. For example, the rail width, i.e.,the distance between two parallel rails of a track can be changed by different dimensioning of the support and / or bracing elements. In the arrangement according to the invention, the rail is preferably held elastically such that the rail foot does not contact the ground, at least when the rail is not under load, i.e. when it is not being used. For this purpose, the rail is preferably elastically mounted with the underside of its rail head on the side profiles, and not with the rail foot on the ground. The arrangement according to the invention can be designed to be essentially axially symmetrical, i.e. symmetrical about a vertical axis running through the rail. However, this is not required and can be adapted depending on the installation situation.

[0013] According to the invention, the support elements and the bracing elements are designed discontinuously in the longitudinal direction of the rail, so that a plurality of support elements and bracing elements are arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction of the rail, parallel to the rail. "Discontinuous" means that the support elements and the bracing elements are divided longitudinally into individual elements arranged one behind the other, so that the elements rest against each other with their end faces. The length of the individual elements is preferably selected so that they can be manually removed from the recess, i.e., carried, by one or a maximum of two people without additional technical aids. The length can be, for example, 125 cm.Furthermore, the length of the support and bracing elements is preferably selected so that the minimum rail length of a given rail system is an integer multiple of the length of an individual support and bracing element. A "minimum rail length" here refers to the minimum length of a rail that is or may be used in a given rail system. The minimum length is often specified and should not be exceeded, for example, in repairs where entire rail sections are replaced. For example, if the minimum rail length is 625 cm, a length of the individual support and bracing elements of 125 cm would result in five such individual support and bracing elements.

[0014] The lengths of the support and bracing elements can vary, but are preferably the same. The length of the support elements preferably corresponds to the length of the bracing elements. In the arrangement according to the invention, the support and bracing elements are arranged parallel to one another and to the rail, and preferably aligned transversely to the rail, so that the end faces of the support and bracing elements are at the same height in the transverse direction, relative to the rail. The support and bracing elements can also be offset from one another in the longitudinal direction. The lengths of the support elements and the bracing elements can be, for example, 50-180 cm, preferably 60-150 cm, 80-140 cm, 90-135 cm, 100-130 cm or 110-130 cm. This facilitates manual handling.

[0015] The discontinuous arrangement of the support and bracing elements facilitates the maintenance of rail systems that are elastically mounted by means of an arrangement according to the invention. This applies in particular to rail systems where only short downtimes can be tolerated, for example in underground railway systems in large cities, where downtimes due to repair and maintenance work must be avoided as far as possible or at least kept to a minimum. The arrangement according to the invention makes this possible. The individual support and bracing elements can preferably be removed from the arrangement in a simple manner, i.e. without destroying a connecting means, for example an adhesive or embedding means. The support and bracing elements are therefore preferably not embedded or glued into a hardenable material, for example a bituminous material or concrete.In the arrangement according to the invention, it is further preferred that the arrangement be releasably secured via the bracing elements, for example by means of screw connections. Preferably, the support elements are removable after the bracing elements have been released.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment of the arrangement according to the invention, the support elements have a longitudinally projecting projection on their end face and a recess on the opposite end face, with two support elements each being engaged at their end faces by means of the projection and the recess. In this embodiment, the individual support elements can be engaged with one another by means of a tongue and groove system. The projection and the corresponding recess are preferably formed on the side of the support element facing the side profile. The tongue and groove system stabilizes the support element and, in particular, counteracts any displacement of individual support elements in the transverse direction relative to one another.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment of the arrangement according to the invention, the bracing elements are generally wedge-shaped in cross-section. The cross-section of the bracing elements preferably tapers in the direction of gravity. The bracing elements can be axially symmetrical. This enables simple and efficient bracing of the support elements arranged between the bracing elements, which in turn support the side profiles holding the rail, against each other.

[0018] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the arrangement according to the invention, the underside of the rail head of the rail is elastically supported on the side profiles in such a way that the rail foot is held suspended above the ground, at least in the unloaded, i.e., non-traffic-free, state. In this embodiment, the rail is elastically supported via the underside of the rail head and not with the rail foot. The rail foot does not contact the ground beneath the rail foot, at least in the unloaded state, and preferably also in the loaded state. The rail profiles and support elements are preferably designed in such a way that undesirable lateral deflection of the rail head is prevented. For this purpose, for example, the outer lateral flanks of the side profiles, i.e., those facing away from the rail, and the support surfaces of the support elements that contact the side profiles can taper conically towards the rail foot.

[0019] The arrangement according to the invention is preferably arranged in a guide channel. The arrangement is preferably arranged in the guide channel such that the rail head protrudes sufficiently from the guide channel.

[0020] Further preferably, the arrangement according to the invention is releasably fastened in the guide trough by means of the bracing elements. For example, the guide trough can contain fastening means by means of which the bracing elements can be releasably fastened. The guide trough can, for example, be generally U-shaped, with a bottom and side walls. The fastening means for releasably fastening the bracing elements can, for example, be arranged on or in the bottom of the guide trough. The guide trough can be made of a hardenable material, for example concrete. The fastening means for the bracing elements can, for example, be anchor rails embedded in the concrete, e.g., the bottom of the guide trough, or otherwise connected to the concrete.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment of the arrangement according to the invention, the bracing elements each rest with their outer surface, ie with their surface facing away from the rail, on one of the side walls of the guide channel.

[0022] The support elements and the bracing elements are preferably made of a suitable plastic, preferably recycled plastic. The plastic preferably has a suitable hardness and is flame-resistant. For example, it can be a suitable blend of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP).

[0023] In a preferred embodiment, the rail has a foot profile made of elastomeric material that covers the underside of the rail foot and preferably surrounds the rail foot and rests against at least part of the upper surface of the rail foot. The foot profile serves to electrically insulate the rail against stray currents and, if necessary, to dampen the contact with the ground.

[0024] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the attached drawings purely for illustrative purposes. Figure 1: Schematic cross-sectional view of an arrangement according to the invention. Figure 2: Three-dimensional view of an arrangement according to the invention in the installed position. Figure 3: Simplified top view of an arrangement according to the invention.

[0025] In Figure 11 shows a schematic and simplified cross-section of an arrangement 1 according to the invention. A rail 2, here a Vignole rail, with a rail head 21, a rail web 22 and a rail foot 23, is elastically held between two elastomer side profiles 4 which fill the rail chambers 3, i.e. the space between the underside 24 of the rail head and the upper side 25 of the rail foot. The rail foot 23 is encased in a foot profile 8. The elastomer side profiles 4 are supported laterally by two support elements 5 made of recycled plastic, in that an inner support surface 56 of each support element is pressed against a complementarily designed side surface 41 of the associated elastomer side profile 4. Both the inner support surfaces 56 of the support elements 5 and the side surfaces 41 of the side profiles 4 which contact them taper conically towards the rail foot 23 in cross-section.The support elements 5 are braced against one another in the direction of the rail 2 by means of bracing elements 6, which are also made of recycled plastic. The bracing elements 6 have a conical cross-section, with the cross-section of each of the bracing elements 6 tapering in the direction of gravity or in the direction parallel to the rail foot 23. With an inner surface 62 facing the rail 2, each of the bracing elements 6 rests against an outer support surface 55 of one of the support elements 5. The outer support surfaces 55 of the support element 5 each run at the same angle to a vertical as the inner surfaces 62 of the bracing elements 6 flanking them. The bracing elements 6 are fastened in a guide channel 7 by means of fastening means 20, here anchor rails 11, screws 15, spring washers 14, nuts 16 and lock elements 18.For this purpose, at least one bore 12 is provided in each of the bracing elements, which can be closed with the aid of a cover 13. The guide trough 7 is generally U-shaped with a base 71 and side walls 72. The bracing elements 6 rest against the side walls 72 of the guide trough 7 with an outer surface 61 facing away from the rail 2. The anchor rails 11 are firmly anchored in the concrete of the guide trough 7 by means of anchoring elements 19. The bracing elements 6 can be countersunk vertically against the counter elements 18 in the anchor rails 11 using the screws 15 and releasably fastened. By countersinking the bracing elements 6, which have a conical cross-section, the support elements 5 are braced against one another in the direction of the rail 2, whereby the elastomer side profiles 4 are pressed against the rail 2. In this way, the rail 2 is reliably held elastically.The rail 2 is held elastically in such a way that the rail 2 with its rail foot 23 floats above the base 100, i.e. is spaced from the base 100 by a gap 101, so that the rail foot 23 does not touch the base 100, here the floor 71 of the guide trough, at least in the unloaded state. The rail head 21 projects above the plane in which the side profiles 4, the support elements 5 and the bracing elements 6 lie with their upper surfaces. In this way, a rail vehicle can freely travel over the rail head 21. As indicated by the horizontal line 10 shown in the figure, the arrangement 1 can be arranged slightly tilted with respect to the horizontal line 10. In a track system with two rails 2, each of the rails 2 is elastically mounted in an arrangement 1 according to the invention and the parallel rails 2 are directed with their rail heads 21 towards each other, ie in the direction of the track interior.The ones in the . Figure 1 The illustrated arrangement 1 would thus be tilted clockwise around the longitudinal axis of the rail 2 in the installed position by a corresponding angle. A second arrangement 1 (not shown here) with a parallel second rail 2 would be correspondingly rotated counterclockwise. The arrangement 1 is releasably fastened in the guide channel 7 only via the bracing elements 6. By loosening and removing the bracing elements 6, the support elements 5 and the side profiles 4 become accessible and can be removed, for example, for repair work on the rail 2 and then repositioned.

[0026] Figure 2shows a spatial representation of an arrangement 1 according to the invention. Shown is a part of a rail 2, which is flanked on both sides by a side profile 4, a support element 5, and a bracing element 6. The arrangement 1 is shown partially in an exploded view. The support elements 5 and bracing elements 6 are only partially shown here, specifically in the area where two such elements abut one another: support elements 5 with their end faces 51, 52, and bracing elements 6 with their end faces 63. The support elements 5 and bracing elements 6 are shown here in a shortened form and each extend in the longitudinal direction. In this embodiment, for example, each bracing element 6 has two bores 12 that are spaced from the end faces 63 and in which the fastening means can be received. However, only one bore 12 per bracing element 6 is shown here.The support elements 5 have, on their side facing the side profiles 4 in the installed situation, a projection 53 on one end face 52 and a recess 54 on their second end face 51, so that two support elements 5 placed against one another with their end faces 51, 52 can be engaged with one another. Also shown here is a replacement rail 17, which is kept in reserve for repair work and is arranged in a recess 91 of the surrounding material 9, in which the arrangement 1 is also arranged. Here it is clearly visible that the bracing elements 6 can be easily removed by loosening the screw connection. The bracing elements 6 and the support elements 5 are discontinuous, i.e. in the form of individual, comparatively short and preferably manually handleable pieces that can be placed against one another in the longitudinal direction.

[0027] In Figure 3a section of a track system of an underground railway is shown. Shown is a plan view of a rail 2 of an underground railway track consisting of two rails 2. The rail 2 is continuously elastically mounted in an arrangement 1 according to the invention. The support elements 5 and bracing elements 6 are discontinuous and are arranged individually one behind the other with their end faces 51, 52, 63 abutting one another and parallel to the rail 6. Here, five complete support elements 5 and bracing elements 6 of the same length B, e.g. 125 cm, are shown, which are arranged parallel to the rail 2 and with their end faces 51, 52, 63 each at the same height in relation to the rail 2. On the left and right side of the figure, parts of a subsequent support element 5 and bracing element 6 are shown.The support elements 5 are connected to one another here by means of projections 53 and complementary recesses 54 in their end faces 51, 52 in the manner of a tongue and groove system. Five times the length B of the support elements 5 and bracing elements 6 corresponds here to a length A, e.g. 625 cm, which corresponds to the minimum rail length for replacement rails 17 of this track system. A replacement rail 17 of corresponding length, which can be inserted into the recess 91 in the event of repair, is not shown here. In the event of repair, the support elements 5 and bracing elements 6 flanking the damaged rail section can be easily removed. The side profiles 4, which can be continuous, can be removed from the damaged rail 2 and the replacement rail 17 inserted. The replacement rail 17 can be connected to the rail system by welding the butt sides of the adjacent rail sections.The side profiles 4 can be reattached, and the flanking support elements 5 and bracing elements 6 can be reinstalled to restore the original condition. This allows for quick and easy repairs, which is particularly advantageous for metro systems in large cities where repairs must be carried out within a short period of time, for example, at night or during service breaks.

Claims

1. An arrangement (1) for the continuous elastic mounting of rails (2) for rail vehicles, comprising a) a rail (2) with a rail head (21) having a rail head underside (24), a rail foot (23) and a rail web (22) that connects the rail head (21) and the rail foot (23), wherein a rail chamber (3) is respectively formed to both sides of the rail web (22) between the rail head underside (24) and the upper side (25) of the rail foot (23), b) two lateral profiles (4) of elastomeric material that are arranged to both sides of the rail web (22) in the rail chambers (3), extend in the longitudinal direction of the rail (2) and rest against the rail head underside (24), the rail web (22) and part of the rail foot (23), c) two support elements (5) that are arranged to both sides of the rail web (22), extend in the longitudinal direction of the rail (2) and support the lateral profiles (4) in the direction of the rail (2), and d) two bracing elements (6) that are arranged to both sides of the rail web (22), extend in the longitudinal direction of the rail (2) and brace the support elements (5) against one another in the direction of the rail (2), wherein the support elements (5) and the bracing elements (6) are realized discontinuously in the longitudinal direction of the rail (2) such that a plurality of support elements (5) and bracing elements (6) is respectively arranged behind one another in the longitudinal direction of the rail (2) and parallel to the rail (2) with their face sides (51, 52, 63) abutting on one another.

2. The arrangement (1) according to claim 1, wherein the support elements (5) have a projection (53) that protrudes in the longitudinal direction on one face side (52) and a recess (54) on the opposite face side (51), and wherein two support elements (5) are respectively engaged on their face sides (52, 51) by means of the projection (53) and the recess (54).

3. The arrangement (1) according to one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the support elements (5) can be removed after loosening the bracing elements (6).

4. The arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the bracing elements (6) are realized generally wedge-shaped in cross section.

5. The arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the rail (2) is elastically mounted on the lateral profiles (4) with its rail head underside (24) in such a way that the rail foot (23) is held in a floating manner above the base (100) at least in the no-load state.

6. The arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the arrangement (1) is arranged in a guide channel (7) and separably fastened in the guide channel (7) by means of the bracing elements (6).

7. The arrangement (1) according to claim 6, wherein the guide channel (7) has a generally u-shaped cross section with a bottom (71) and sidewalls (72) and comprises fastening means (20) for separably fastening the bracing elements (6).

8. The arrangement (1) according to one of claims 6 or 7, wherein the guide channel (7) is made of a curable material, preferably concrete.

9. The arrangement (1) according to one of claims 7 or 8, wherein each of the bracing elements (6) rests against a sidewall (72) of the guide channel (7) with its surface (61) that points away from the rail (2).

10. The arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the support elements (5) and the bracing elements (6) are made of plastic, preferably recycled plastic.

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