Railroad Switch Actuating Device with Sliding Tongue Attachment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current actuating and locking systems for railway turnouts, particularly in high-speed turnouts, face challenges in absorbing thermal expansions and shrinkages without blocking the switch setting system, leading to maintenance issues and potential derailments due to the lack of effective longitudinal movement compensation and compact design constraints.
Innovation Solution
The system features connecting rods that pivot in a vertical plane and are attached to tongues via sliding lugs, allowing longitudinal movement, and integrated detecting rods articulated on the same hinge pins, enabling smooth operation and maintenance without blocking, with compact lock boxes and wear-resistant materials for reduced maintenance needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If connecting rods are attached to tongues with fixed attachment points, then the locking mechanism provides stable positioning, but thermal expansions and shrinkages of long tongues cause wedging and blocking of the switch setting system
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment point for the connecting rod on the tongue is made movable rather than fixed. The connecting rod is attached to a point on the tongue that can move longitudinally along the tongue, allowing the attachment position to dynamically adjust in response to thermal expansions and shrinkages of the tongue, preventing wedging and blocking while maintaining stable locking when needed
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the position parameter of the connecting rod attachment point on the tongue. By allowing the attachment point to move along the longitudinal axis of the tongue, the system adapts to thermal dimension changes of the tongue, resolving the contradiction between stable positioning and thermal movement compensation
2Reliability
If lock boxes are designed with larger width to accommodate stretcher bar movement, then thermal expansions are absorbed, but the horizontal space required for assembly and maintenance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The solution moves the thermal movement compensation mechanism from the horizontal dimension (width of lock box) to the longitudinal dimension (movement along the tongue). The connecting rod attaches to a point that moves longitudinally on the tongue, allowing thermal expansion absorption without increasing the horizontal width of the lock box or sleeper
Solution Approach 2:
The function of absorbing thermal movement is extracted from the lock box structure itself and transferred to the connecting rod-tongue attachment mechanism. This separates the thermal compensation function from the locking function, allowing compact lock box design while maintaining thermal movement absorption capability
3Measurement precision
If detecting rods are separately attached to tongues, then tongue position detection is achieved, but longitudinal movements of tongues cause blocking of the detecting mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The detecting rod attachment is merged with the connecting rod attachment point on the tongue. Both rods attach to the same movable point, combining their attachment mechanisms. This allows both the connecting rod and detecting rod to simultaneously benefit from the longitudinal movement capability, enabling position detection without blocking while maintaining synchronization between the two functions
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
This configuration prevents wedging and blocking, reduces maintenance requirements, and allows for efficient operation in high-speed turnouts with long tongues, enhancing safety and availability by integrating longitudinal movement compensation and simplifying maintenance without interrupting rail traffic.
Implementation Method 1
absorb the expansions and shrinkages thereof without blocking the switch setting system
Implementation Method 2
absorb the expansions and shrinkages thereof without blocking the switch setting system
Data Source
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AI summary
An actuating and locking device for a railroad switch device, including: two lock boxes (2); a stretcher bar (1); two connecting rods (5), driven by the stretcher bar (1) and attached to respective tongues (9) of the switch device, said connecting rods (5) being arranged such that they can pivot in a vertical plane, wherein each of said connecting rods (5) is configured to be attached to the corresponding tongue (9) through a sliding attachment (7,8) configured to allow the tongue (9) to slide in a longitudinal direction of the tongue, and wherein the device additionally comprises two articulated detecting rods (12,13), each of said detecting rods being coupled to a lug (7) of the sliding attachment (7,8).