Railway Crossover Movable Point Vertical Extraction Mechanism

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current crossover designs do not allow for on-site dismantling and replacement of worn or damaged movable points, leading to high maintenance costs and prolonged track neutralization.

Innovation Solution

A crossover design featuring a one-piece support plate with welded or glued heel elements, and removable fixing and wedging means that enable vertical extraction of the movable tip, allowing for on-site maintenance by releasing and removing the tip from its recessed position.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If the crossing core is designed with spacers formed in one piece with the heel elements, then the structural integrity is improved, but the maintenance complexity increases and on-site replacement becomes impossible

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidmaintenance complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The crossing core is divided into separate components: the heel elements are made as separate pieces that can be removed independently from the spacers and mobile point. This segmentation allows the mobile point to be extracted and replaced on-site without removing the entire crossing core, thus improving ease of repair while maintaining structural integrity through precise fitting and positioning mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Stability of the object's composition

If the mobile point is fixed in the crossing core with integrated spacers, then the assembly stability is improved, but the extraction time increases and on-site replacement is prevented

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly stabilityVSAvoidextraction time
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The mobile point is designed to be extractable as a separate component from the crossing core. The spacers and heel elements are configured to allow the mobile point to be removed vertically from its recessed position, enabling on-site replacement without disassembling the entire structure. This extraction capability reduces maintenance time significantly compared to traditional integrated designs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Ease of manufacture

If the embedding part is designed as a one-piece heel piece, then the manufacturing simplicity is improved, but the replacement capability on-site is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidreplacement capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The embedding part is designed with dynamic characteristics, allowing the mobile point to be inserted and extracted vertically from the recessed position. The heel elements and spacers are configured to permit this vertical movement, enabling on-site replacement of the mobile point while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through the use of standard welding and gluing processes for assembling the separate components.

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

Facilitates on-site maintenance, significantly reducing maintenance duration and costs by enabling the replacement of worn or damaged components without the need for workshop-based disassembly and spare part replacement.

Implementation Method 1

Each spacer piece bears, by an outer lateral face, on an inner face of the corresponding heel element, and by an inner lateral face, on an outer flank of the core of the rail matching.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectWedge: Wedge

Implementation Method 2

The fixing and wedging means comprise, for each bore, a bolt. The bolt comprises a screw, whose head bears on an outer face of a heel element, via washers, and whose threaded rod extends coaxially through the bore.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMechanical Fastener: Mechanical Fastener

Implementation Method 3

Two rail sections are welded respectively to the regions of the tip end of the cradle, each of these sections having a rail profile identical to that of the corresponding end region.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectWelding: Welding

Data Source

PatentEP1741830B1Frog with movable point for railway
Publication Date: 2017.06.14 VOSSLOH COGIFER SA
  • EP1741830B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP1741830B1 patent drawingFigure 2~4
  • EP1741830B1 patent drawingFigure 3~5

AI summary

The frog has spacer components (63) interposed between projection components (35, 36) and a movable point mounted on a cradle assembly (3). A threaded transverse shank (75) mounted on a bush assembly (81) extends in cross-section through the projection components, the spacers and the movable point. A security shim (83) removably fixes the movable point in a fitting component (12) such that the spacer components are fixed to the projection components in a removable manner.