Shallow Flangeway Rail Seal for Pedestrian Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rail seals at railroad and streetcar crossings pose hazards to pedestrians and vehicular traffic due to deep recesses that can trap wheels and allow debris to accumulate, while traditional seals with continuous surfaces are unsuitable for high-speed rail traffic as they lack proper engagement for train wheels.
Innovation Solution
An elastomeric rail seal with a shallow flangeway positioned above the rail head but below the upper surface, allowing for train wheel engagement while providing a level surface for pedestrians and vehicles, and incorporating cavity passages for compressibility and flexibility to prevent derailment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a deep recess or flangeway is provided in the rail seal to receive the flanged-end of train wheels, then proper engagement and guidance for rail traffic is achieved, but the gap creates hazards for pedestrians and vehicles as wheels can become trapped and debris can accumulate
Solution Approach 1:
The rail seal incorporates different surface qualities at different locations: a shallow flangeway region with reduced depth (above the bottom of the rail head) for wheel engagement, and a surrounding level region for pedestrian and vehicle safety. This local differentiation allows the seal to simultaneously provide proper rail wheel engagement while eliminating tripping hazards and debris accumulation zones.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a continuous surface is provided to eliminate gaps for pedestrian safety, then hazards to pedestrians and vehicles are reduced, but proper engagement for high-speed rail traffic cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The rail seal incorporates different surface qualities at different locations: a shallow flangeway region with reduced depth (above the bottom of the rail head) for wheel engagement, and a surrounding level region for pedestrian and vehicle safety. This local differentiation allows the seal to simultaneously provide proper rail wheel engagement while eliminating tripping hazards and debris accumulation zones.
3Reliability
If the flangeway is positioned below the upper surface of the rail head to provide engagement, then train wheel guidance is improved, but the recess depth creates uneven surface for vehicular and pedestrian traffic
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the depth parameter of the flangeway from traditional deep recesses to a shallow configuration where the flangeway depth is less than the height of the rail head, positioning it above the bottom of the rail head. This parameter modification creates a gradual transition in surface levelness, providing adequate wheel guidance while maintaining a generally even surface that reduces hazards for pedestrians and vehicles.
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 reduces hazards for pedestrians and vehicular traffic by creating a level surface while ensuring proper train wheel engagement and guidance, minimizing the risk of derailment and debris accumulation.
Implementation Method 1
an elongated elastomeric seal body; wherein the flangeway lies in a plane above the bottom of the rail head but below the upper surface of the rail head
Data Source
AI summary
A rail seal for sealing the gap between a rail and a concrete panel in a railroad crossing so as to provide a generally even or level surface for vehicular or pedestrian traffic while still providing an appropriate rail structure for receiving and guiding the train wheels along the tracks is provided. More particularly, the upper surface of the rail seal is formed with a recessed portion or flangeway for receiving the flanged-end of a train. The flangeway or recessed portion, however, is formed so that the surface of the flangeway lies in a plane above the bottom of the rail head but below the upper surface of the rail head, thereby providing a “shallow” flangeway. The provision of a “shallow” flangeway helps to reduce the risks associated with vehicular and/or other pedestrian traffic that must access or cross the railroad tracks. Specifically, the shallow flangeway helps to prevent the heels of pedestrian shoes or the smaller width bicycle, stroller or wheelchair wheels from becoming trapped in the gaps typically associated with railroad crossing structures.