Rail Switch Roller Holder Anti-Pivoting Stop Bar

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing devices for lifting point rails during maintenance require complex assembly and adjustment processes, often necessitating disassembly and reassembly, and fail to maintain the space between adjacent sleepers for effective maintenance work.

Innovation Solution

A roller holder connected to a flange with a stop bar is attached to a ribbed plate using a single screw, preventing lateral pivoting and providing an anti-rotation lock, allowing for easy installation and adjustment without protruding parts between sleepers, and featuring a design that ensures stability and prevents contamination.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If rollers are arranged in a roller carrier fixed between adjacent sleepers, then installation is simple, but maintenance work is hampered and requires disassembly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinstallation simplicityVSAvoidmaintenance accessibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The roller holder is segmented into a separate component that can be independently installed on the sleeper, distinct from the roller carrier design. This allows the roller holder to be attached without interfering with the space between sleepers, enabling both simple installation and maintenance accessibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If rollers are fixed with multiple screws on a sleeper, then positioning is secure, but adjustment is complex requiring intermediate plates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefixing securityVSAvoidadjustment complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The roller holder incorporates an adjustable mechanism that allows dynamic repositioning relative to the sleeper. This enables height adjustment without requiring intermediate plates or complex assembly, while maintaining secure fixing through the single screw connection combined with the stop bar.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Ease of manufacture

If a single screw connection is used to attach the roller holder, then installation is simple, but lateral pivoting occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinstallation simplicityVSAvoidanti-pivoting stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

A stop bar is introduced as an intermediary element between the roller holder and sleeper. This stop bar acts as a mediator that prevents lateral pivoting of the roller holder while allowing the simple single screw connection to remain in place, thus maintaining both installation simplicity and stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Manufacturing precision

If the roller holder is designed to prevent pivoting, then positioning is accurate, but assembly effort increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepositioning accuracyVSAvoidassembly effort
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The anti-pivoting function is merged into the overall design of the roller holder and stop bar combination rather than being a separate complex mechanism. The stop bar integrates with the screw connection system to provide both positioning accuracy and pivot prevention through a unified, simple assembly process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP1984566B1Device for raising a switch rail
Publication Date: 2010.09.29 VOESTALPINE WEICHENSYSTEME GMBH
  • EP1984566B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP1984566B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

In a device for raising a switch rail (3) of a set of points when the switch rail (3) is switched over, having a roller mount (8) for rollers or drums (14) which is arranged laterally outside a sliding chair within the surface of a sleeper (18) facing the rails (3, 5), the roller block (8) is connected to a flange (9) which supports a stop bar (11), for securement to the rib plate (1), and the stop bar (11) bears laterally against an edge of the rib plate (1) in the position in which said stop bar (11) is connected to the rib plate (1).