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.
Claims22
A railroad turnout for selectively connecting a first track to one of a second track and a third track, the first track including first rails having first rail ends, the second track including second rails having second rail ends, the third track including third rails having third rail ends, the turnout comprising:
- a mobile track portion having mobile rails forming a continuation of the first track rails at all times and terminating at the first rail ends;
- and
- actuators configured to bend the mobile track portion between a first portion 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.
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 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 mobile rail ends, the mobile track section having a first position and a second position, wherein in the first position, the mobile rail ends abut the first track rail end and the second track rail end of the second track and wherein in the second position, said mobile rail ends abut the first track rail end and the second track rail end of the third track.
In a railroad system having a first track, a second track and a third track, each of the first track, the second track and the third track having a first rail and a second rail terminating at respective rail ends, wherein the first track is connected to the second track in a first position, a method of switching the first track, the second track and the third track comprising the steps of:
- bending a mobile portion of the first rack to a second position in which the first track is connected to the third track.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.