Back to results
US 6,125,765 AGranted
Rail incorporating elevation change and method for its production
AssigneeHK Systems, Inc.
InventorWeston R. Loomer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pre-fabricated monorail track section (104, 105) can be bent vertically quickly and easily, without using any special tools, so as to effect any of a number of desired incremental inclination changes in the rail section (104, 105) and without plastically deforming the rail section (104, 105). The rail section (104, 105) incorporates one or more slots 242 about which the rail can be bent to effect the desired inclination change. A filler block (248, 306, 314) is positioned in the slot (242) after bending (and possibly during bending under some circumstances) and mounted in place to maintain rail integrity and to permit conveyance devices to travel over the rail section without interference from the slots (242).
Claims25
A method of forming a rail section with vertical curvature, the method comprising:
- (A) providing a rail section having a major axis, the rail section including an upper portion, a lower portion, and a web extending at least generally vertically between the upper portion and the lower portion, wherein a slot is formed in the rail section and extends into the web from one of the upper and lower portions;
- and then
- (B) bending the rail section about the slot, thereby to effect curvature of the rail section about the major axis;
- and
- (C) positioning a tapered filler block in the slot having a shape which at least generally compliments the shape of at least a portion of the slot.
2 more elements
A rail assembly comprising:
- (A) at least one rail section having a major axis, the rail section having
- (1) an upper portion,
- (2) a lower portion, and
- (3) a web extending at least generally vertically between the upper portion and the lower portion, and wherein a slot is formed in the rail section that extends into the web from one of the upper and lower portions and has a portion which extends generally vertically;
- and
- (B) a filler block at least a portion of which is disposed within the portion of the slot and which, when viewed laterally, has a shape which substantially matches the shape of the portion of the slot.
3 more elements
A rail section having a major axis, the rail section comprising:
- A) an upper portion,
- B) a lower portion,
- C) a web extending at least generally vertically between the upper portion and the lower portion,
- D) a slot formed in the rail section, the slot having:
- 1) a vertical portion extending into the web from one of the upper and lower portions, and
- 2) a horizontal portion formed in the web adjacent the other of the one upper and lower portion.
3 more elements
A rail assembly comprising:
- (A) first, second, and third interconnected rail sections, the second rail section being flanked by the first and third rail sections, each of the rail sections having a longitudinal axis and having
- (1) an upper portion,
- (2) a lower portion, and
- (3) a web extending at least generally vertically between the upper portion and the lower portion, wherein
- a plurality of slots are formed in the first rail section and extend into the web from one of the upper and lower portions, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of slots extends generally vertically into the web and the portion being tapered by bending of the first rail section to effect an incremental vertical curvature of the first rail section;
- and
- (B) a plurality of a filler blocks which are positioned in the slots and each of which, when viewed laterally, has a shape which compliments the shape of the corresponding slot.
4 more elements
A monorail track assembly comprising:
- (A) a plurality of interconnected rail sections each 1) having a longitudinal axis, 2) being generally I-shaped when viewed in transverse cross-section, and 3) having
- (1) an upper flange,
- (2) a lower flange, and
- (3) a web extending at least generally vertically between the upper flange and the lower flange, wherein
- a plurality of longitudinally-spaced slots are formed in at least one of the rail sections, each of the slots being substantially T-shaped when viewed laterally so as to have a substantially horizontal leg extending longitudinally along the web of the corresponding rail section and a substantially vertical leg extending downwardly from a center portion of the substantially horizontal leg and through the lower flange of the corresponding rail section, and wherein, when viewed in transverse cross section, at least the substantially vertical leg of at least one of the slots is tapered by bending of the corresponding rail section to effect an incremental vertical curvature of the corresponding rail section;
- and
- (B) a plurality of filler block assemblies, each of which is associated with a corresponding one of the slots, each of the filler block assemblies including
- (1) a filler block which is positioned in the substantially vertical leg of the corresponding slot, the filler block being substantially in the shape of an inverted T when viewed in transverse crosssection and having a transverse cross-sectional shape which complements the transverse cross-sectional shape of the corresponding slot so as to form a substantially contiguous surface with the lower flange and the web, the filler block having a lateral profile complimenting a lateral profile of the corresponding slot;
- (2) a tie bar which extends longitudinally across and beyond the corresponding slot at a location laterally adjacent a first lateral side of the web of the corresponding rail section and to which the filler block is bolted by first and second vertically-spaced connecting bolts,
- (3) a keeper plate which extends longitudinally across and beyond the slot at a location laterally adjacent a second lateral side of the web of the corresponding rail section and against which the first and second connecting bolts bear,
- (4) first and second cam bolts extending through first and second vertically-elongated apertures formed in the web of the corresponding rail section and through the tie bar at locations on opposite longitudinal sides of the corresponding slot, each of the first and second cam bolts including an eccentric cam which bears against side surfaces of the corresponding vertically-elongated aperture, and
- (5) third and fourth cam bolts extending through first and second longitudinally-elongated apertures formed in the web of the corresponding rail section and through the tie bar at locations on opposite longitudinal sides of the corresponding slot, each of the third and fourth cam bolts including a concentric cam which bears against side surfaces of the corresponding longitudinally-elongated aperture.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.