Rail Welding Set With Height-Adjustable Bead Shearing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing welding units for rail tracks face challenges in maintaining weld quality due to rail stresses during the welding process, particularly when the shearing device encounters sleepers, and require significant lifting of rail ends for effective bead removal.

Innovation Solution

A welding unit design with height-adjustable rail foot sections and a shearing device that allows minimal lifting of rail ends from sleepers, enabling the shearing device to be positioned below the unit's lower edge, thus avoiding adverse stresses and ensuring smooth bead removal.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the shearing device is positioned at the lower edge of the welding unit, then the rail ends must be lifted significantly from sleepers for effective bead removal, but this causes adverse stresses on the rails and compromises weld quality

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebead removal effectivenessVSAvoidrail stresses
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The shearing device is repositioned from a horizontal arrangement at the lower edge to a vertical arrangement above the lower edge, utilizing the vertical dimension to resolve the contradiction. This allows the cutting action to occur above the sleeper level while maintaining effective bead removal capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The shearing device is designed with height adjustability, allowing it to be dynamically positioned at different heights above the lower edge. This enables adaptation to different working conditions - positioned higher during welding to avoid sleeper interference, and lowered during shearing for effective bead removal without excessive rail lifting.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the shearing device is positioned above the lower edge of the unit, then sleeper interference is avoided during welding, but the rail ends must still be lifted for effective bead removal

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesleeper interferenceVSAvoidbead removal effectiveness
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The shearing device incorporates height adjustment capability, allowing it to be positioned at different vertical levels. During welding, it remains elevated above the lower edge to avoid sleeper interference. During bead removal, it can be lowered closer to the rail ends while still maintaining sufficient clearance from sleepers, optimizing both welding and shearing operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Device complexity

If the welding unit is designed with clamping jaws close to the lower edge, then the unit structure is compact, but the shearing device cannot be positioned without interfering with sleepers

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveunit structure compactnessVSAvoidsleeper interference
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The shearing device is positioned in the vertical dimension above the lower edge rather than horizontally at the lower edge. This vertical placement allows the compact horizontal structure to be maintained while eliminating sleeper interference during welding operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The height-adjustable mechanism allows the shearing device to be dynamically positioned above the lower edge during welding to avoid sleepers, and lowered during bead removal when sleeper interference is no longer an issue, maintaining compact unit structure throughout.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution ensures high-quality welding by minimizing rail stresses and facilitating easy shearing of the welding bead without interference from sleepers, improving the overall welding process efficiency.

Implementation Method 1

welding unit for welding rails of a track with a unit lower edge forming a lower boundary of the welding unit with respect to a vertical direction, two unit parts which are movable relative to one another in a longitudinal direction of the rail

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFlash butt welding: Welding

Implementation Method 2

a shearing device which is provided for removing a welding bead and which is composed of a head part which can be placed on a rail head, two side parts which can be moved relative to one another

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectShearing: Fracture Mechanics

Data Source

PatentEP3423633B1Welding set and method for welding rails of a rail track
Publication Date: 2025.09.10 PLASSER & THEURER EXPORT VON BAHNBAUMASCHINEN GMBH
  • EP3423633B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3423633B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A welding set for welding rails (3) of a rail track has a lower set edge (6) which forms a lower (with respect to a vertical) delimitation of the welding set, in addition to a shearing device (7) for removing welding flash. A rail base section (11) of the shearing device (7) can be lowered relative to the welding set (1) by a drive (15), from an idle position lying above the lower set edge (6) into a shearing position lying below the lower set edge (6). The welding process therefore can be carried out without raising the rails from the sleepers.