Method of manufacturing concrete sleeper blocks and a matrix array for carrying out the method

Abstract

In a method of manufacturing for a railway switch-point concrete sleeper blocks (15') of varying lengths and having different number of attachment means (15'b) located in mutually different positions for the attachment of rails to said blocks there is used a plurality of steel matrices (2) whose respective lengths correspond to the desired lengths of the various sleeper blocks and which exhibit detachably mounted dowels (3). The matrices are placed end to end in an elongate mould bed with the dowels facing upwardly, whereafter reinforcing lines (5) are tensioned and concrete is cast into the mould bed and permitted to harden. The thus formed coherent concrete body (15), whose length may exceed 30 meters, is then removed from the mould and the matrices (2) removed and the dowels (3) remaining cast in the concrete block. The concrete body (15) is then cut into sleeper blocks (15') of desired length. The same matrices (2) can be used for the manufacture of sleeper blocks for both left-hand and right-hand switch-points, said matrices being turned and the dowels (3) being mounted on different sides of the matrices in the two cases. The invention also relates to a matrix array for use in the described method. Each matrix is provided on both sides thereof with mirror-image markings which provide a clear print in the finished sleeper block, said imprint indicating the type of switch-point intended and the sequence number of a respective block among the sleeper blocks associated with said switch-point. The sleeper blocks and rails associated with a particular railway switch-point can be assembled together, transported to and placed on the site in question along a railway track while using conventional track-laying machines.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.