US3370792A - Railway crossing - Google Patents

Description

P.SPEER Feb. 27, 1968 RAILWAY CROSSING Filed Oct. 22, 1965 z 6 H w 3 M 0/) & Wk 4f 2 n m 2 Z 2, 5; m n M g PA UL SPEER BY c ATTORN United States Patent 3,370,792 RAILWAY CROSSING Paul Speer, Dallas, Tex., assignor to Speer Filler Strip Company, a corporation of Illinois Filed Oct. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 502,042 Claims. (Cl. 2389) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A railway crossing structure in which the space beside the rail through which the wheel flange passes is filled with a resilient material, so that vehicles passing transversely over the rails are relieved of shock. The resilient material is a series of blocks each of which are preferably provided with channels extending transversely of the rails, and structure is provided for holding these blocks in place.

This invention relates to a new and improved rail crossing. The invention relates particularly to a rail crossing adapted to allow vehicles with small diameter wheels to cross railway tracks at right angles without shock or damage to the small wheeled vehicle. The invention involves an elastic structure placed between the railway bed and the rail so as to support, to some extent, the weight borne by the wheels of the vehicle crossing the railway track while still permitting the passage of the flanged wheel of a relatively heavy railway car.

In some respects this invention is an improvement on the railway crossing set forth in my Patent No. 2,950,057 dated Aug. 25, 1960.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved crossing which will permit vehicles having wheels of small diameter, particularly such wheels which are solid, to

pass transversely over railway crossings without any substantial shock.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved crossing which will permit the elastic structure to flex and be depressed when a flanged wheel passes longitudinally of the rail and which at the same time will avoid any permanent deformation of the structure, so that when the flanged wheel has passed the elastic structure will without fail resume its former shape and position. Yet another object is to provide such a crossing which will drain easily and avoid being clogged with dirt and foreign materials.

Further and additional objects of this invention will become apparent as this specification proceeds.

In the drawings,

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a section of my improved crossing structure showing certain parts in expanded relationship for purposes of illustration;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view showing the improved crossing installed in connection with a paved roadbed; and

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view showing a means for securing the resilient blocks within the channel carrier.

As illustrated, a rail 10 of the type in common use, is supported on the ties 11, one of which is shown in FIG- URES l and 2 of the drawing. Beside and spaced from the rail is the roadbed formed of paving material 12. I prefer that a furring strip 13 be placed on the tie prior to the laying of the paving. The thickness of this furring strip will determine the height at which the tiller is to be mounted.

The metal strip or plate 14 which abutts the paving material. This plate has its top edge approximately even with the top of the rail and its bottom edge rests on the furring strip 13. Anchors 28 may be secured to plate 14 and extend into the paving material 12, to secure this plate in place.

A bottom plate 15 suitably made of steel, has its one edge secured to the bottom edge of plate 14 as by welding, and the other edge of this bottom plate extends laterally to the mid section of the rail, and may have its other edge welded to the rail. Bottom plate 15 serves to properly space the side plate 14 from the rail and serves also as support on which the frame of the resilient material may rest.

The side plate 14 and the bottom plate 15 provide respectively side and bottom walls which form with the side of the rail an elongated narrow passage into which the flange of the railway car wheel passes.

To prepare the resilient material to be used in the improved crossing I may first prepare an elongated strip as by extruding the elastic material through a die. The die may be such as to provide a channel which extends longitudinally of the strip, which is parallel with the sides of the strip and which opens at substantially the center of one side of the strip. This channel may extend in depth to about the center of the strip or even somewhat beyond the center of the strip.

The resilient strip may be formed of any suitable resilient material such as rubber or rubber-like material. I prefer to employ a synthetic rubber which is oil-resistant and corrosion-resistant. I may use polychloroprene rubber, fluorocarbon or silicone rubbers or polyethylene, polybutdadiene, polyisoprene or GR-S rubbers.

Resiliency is usually determined in terms of durometer value. The resiliency of the strip according to the present invention preferably has a durometer value between 45 and 60, for example, from 55 to 60.

The strip is prepared, for example, by extrusion, is cut transversely to form blocks 16. As shown particularly in FIGURE 1 of the drawings, these blocks may be substantially cubical and each has the channel 17. These blocks may be placed side by side in aligned fashion as illustrated in FIGURE 1, with their channels parallel and sub stantially perpendicular with the rail. The blocks may be cut into any desired lengths and should be of a length such that when mounted between the rail and the side plate 14 will almost but not quite fill the space.

For mounting the blocks in place I may use a frame or channel piece 18, which has a bottom 19, a relatively short front flange 20 and a longer back flange 21.

These blocks are placed in channel 18 according to the arrangement previously described and as illustrated in FIGURE 1. Then a pin 22 is extended through a hole 23 in the rear flange, through the bottom of the channel 17 in one of the blocks, and through a hole 24 in the front flange 20. This pin is then tack Welded to the flanges to secure the blocks in place. Other pins are placed in other of the blocks and in this way all of the blocks are secured in place. This manner of securing the blocks within the channel is illustrated particularly in FIGURE 3.

When the blocks have been secured in the frame of channel 18, then this frame with the blocks therein may be placed within the elongated space between the rail and the side plate 14, and when so placed the top of the rear flange 21 of the frame should come to be even with the top of the side plate 14. The top of the rear flange may be welded to the top of the side wall. When so mounted the top surfaces of the blocks should be even with each other and at least as high as the top of the rail, preferably at least 4 inch above the top of the rail, or still better about /8 inch above the top of the rail. Also the side of the blocks which are adjacent the rail should be spaced from the rail, suitably about inch. The bottom of the channels 17 in the blocks should be down below the head 25 of the rail, so that the bottom portion of the channel opens laterally into the space just below the head of the rail.

In the operation of the device, the flanged Wheels of a locomotive or railway car, upon passing along the rail, will strike the blocks'lfi and will depress and deform these blocks, causing the resilient material of the blocks to be pushed into the channels 17. The locomotive or railway car is, of course, relatively heavy, and though the upstanding legs 26 of the blocks are somewhat stiff, this deformation to permit the entrance of the flange of the wheel is accomplished with ease. Further, it may be seen that as the blocks are so deformed there may be movement between the side surfaces of the blocks, yet when the flange of the railway car has passed the blocks may. slide with respect to each other to the original position with the sides of one block serving to support the sides of the next adjacent block.

When a vehicle is passed transversely across the rails, the wheels of the vehicle pass, for example, across the top of the rail head, then strike and depress slightly the legs 26 of the resilient blocks 16. The wheel is supported to a very substantial extent by the blocks, and then passes smoothly over to the top of the paving, without shock.

Although the blocks are open at the top by reason of the channels 17 and may receive water into these channels, the water or other liquid may easily drain along the bottom of the channel and be discharged into the space under the head of the rail from whence it may pass along the rail on the bottom wall 15 and pass away from the crossing.

While this invention has been described in terms of a preferred embodiment, those skilled in the art will appreciate that many changes can be made without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. An improved rail crossing comprising, in combination, a rail providing a guide for a flanged wheel, a side wall disposed parallel to and spaced from said rail, said side wall and said rail forming the two sides of an elongated narrow space through which the wheel flange passes, a series of resilient blocks disposed in side by side relationship and substantially filling said space, each of said blocks having a channel therein which opens at the top of the block and extends transversely of the rail to the side of the block adjacent the rail, and means for supporting said blocks at a height such that'their top surfaces extend at least as high as the top surface of said rail.

2. An improved rail crossing as set forth in claim 1 wherein the bottom of said channel of said blocks at the sides of the blocks adjacent the rail is below the head of said rail.

3. An improved rail crossing as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means is effective for supporting said blocks at a height such that their top surfaces extend at least 1 inch above the top surface of said rail.

4. An improved rail crossing as set forth in claim 1 in which said means includes a channel piece which engages the sides and bottom of said blocks, and a cross member extending along the bottom of said channels and secured at its ends to the sides of said channel piece.

5. An improved rail crossing as set forth in'claim 1 including a tie which supports said rail, and wherein said supporting means includes a supporting strip resting on said tie, a bottom wall secured to said side wall and resting on said supporting strip, and a channel piece which engages the sides of said blocks and rests on said bottom wall. a i

6. An improved rail crossing comprising, in combination, a rail providing a guide for a flanged wheel, a side wall disposed parallel to and spaced from said rail, said side wall and said rail forming the sides of an elongated narrow space through which the wheel flange passes, a series of resilient blocks disposed in side by side relationship and substantially filling said space, said blocks having the same width as length, and means for supporting said blocks at a height such that their top surfaces extend at least as high as the top surface of said rail.

7. An improved rail crossing as set forth in claim 6 wherein said means is effective for supporting said blocks at a height such that their top surfaces extend above the top surface of said rail. V

8. An improved rail crossing as set forth in claim 6 in which said means includes a bottom wall secured to said side wall and a channel piece which engages the sides and bottom of said blocks, said piece being secured to one of said walls. 7

9. An improved rail crossing as set forth in claim 8 wherein the top of a wall of said channel piece is welded to the top of said side wall.

10. A method of preparing a railway crossing comprising extruding a strip of elastic material of Ushaped cross section with a longitudinal channel in one face thereof, cutting said strip transversely to form blocks of resilient material, assembling said blocks in side by side relationship in a frame so that the channel in each of the blocks extends transversely of the frame, and mounting said frame with said blocks thereon beside the rail of a railway crossing in a position such that the tops of said blocks extend at least as high as the top of said rail and have their channels extending transversely of the rail.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 619,069 2/1899 Buckland 2389 1,054,852 3/1913 Leeo 238-9 2,950,057 10/1960 Speer 2388 ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

R. A. BERTSCH, Assistant Examiner.

Images