Swing turnout for railroad tracks and method for providing a turnout
AssigneePandrol Limited
InventorFrank Howard Coats
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A swing railroad turnout that includes a railroad track with a mobile portion and actuators that are used to selectively bend the mobile portion between a first and a second position. In the first position, connection is made to a first track. In the second position, connection is made to a second track. The tracks are formed of rails that are supported on ties or other fixed foundations. The rails are either bent with respect to the ties, or the ties themselves are moved generally transversely to bend the rails. Connecting mechanisms are provided for selective connection of the rail ends.
Claims23
A railroad turnout for selectively connecting a first track to one of a second track and a third track, the first track including first track rails having first rail ends, the second track including second track rails having second rail ends, and the third track including third track rails having third rail ends, the railroad turnout comprising:
- a mobile track portion having mobile rails forming a continuation of the first track rails and terminating at the first rail ends;
- actuators configured to bend the mobile track portion between a first position and a second position, in the first position, the first rail ends abut the second rail ends and in the second position, the first rail ends abut the third rail ends;
- and
- a lifting device configured to selectively lift at least one of the mobile rails,
- wherein the lifting device is disposed on a truck and configured to selectively bend the at least one of the mobile rails laterally.
A railroad turnout for selectively connecting a first rail and a second rail of a first track, respectively, to one of a first rail and a second rail of a second track and a first rail and a second rail of a third track, the first rail and the second rail of the second track having a first track rail end and a second track rail end, respectively, and the first rail and the second rail of the third track each having a first track rail end and a second track rail end, respectively, the turnout comprising:
- a mobile track section including a first mobile rail and a second mobile rail, the first mobile rail and the second mobile rail forming continuous extensions of the first rail and the second rail of the first track and terminating in a first mobile rail end and a second mobile rail end, the mobile track section having a first position and a second position, wherein in the first position, the first mobile rail end and the second mobile rail end abut the first track rail end and the second track rail end of the second track, and wherein in the second position, said first mobile rail end and the second mobile rail end abut the first track rail end and the second track rail end of the third track;
- and
- a connection mechanism is configured to selectively connect the first mobile rail end with the first track rail end of the second track when the first mobile rail end is in the first position,
- wherein the connection mechanism includes a boss attached to one of the first mobile rail end and the first track rail end of the second track, and an extendible cylinder-and-piston assembly attached to the other of the first mobile rail end and the first track rail end of the second track, and
- wherein the cylinder-and-piston assembly is configured to selectively engage the boss and pull the first mobile rail end and the first track rail end of the second track toward each other.
In a railroad system including a turnout for selectively connecting a first track to one of a second track and a third track, the first track including first track rails with first rail ends, the second track including second track rails with second rail ends, and the third track including third track rails with third rail ends, the turnout comprising:
- a mobile track portion having mobile rails forming a continuation of the first track rails and terminating at the first rail ends;
- and
- actuators configured to bend the mobile track portion between a first position and a second position, in the first position, the first rail ends abut the second rail ends and in the second position, the first rail ends abut the third rail ends,
- wherein the mobile track portion includes:
- a first stationary tie;
- a platform disposed on the first stationary tie and configured to be movable longitudinally along the first stationary tie;
- a plate disposed on the platform and rotatably engaged with the platform, wherein a first one of the mobile rails of the mobile track portion is disposed on the plate, the first one of the mobile rails having a web;
- and
- a first pad affixed to the plate and arranged on a first side of the web, and a second pad affixed to the plate and arranged on a second side of the web, opposite to the first side of the web,
- a method of switching the first track, the second track and the third track comprising the steps of:
- utilizing the actuators to bend the mobile rails of the mobile track portion of the first track to the second position in which the first track is connected to the third track, wherein the bending causes the platform to move longitudinally along the first tie.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.