WO2008152578A1

WO2008152578A1 - Device for maintaining the spacing of railroad rails

Info

Publication number: WO2008152578A1
Application number: PCT/IB2008/052283
Authority: WO
Inventors: Edmond Mahikian
Original assignee: Vape Rail International en Abrege VRI SAS
Current assignee: Vape Rail International en Abrege VRI SAS
Priority date: 2007-06-13
Filing date: 2008-06-10
Publication date: 2008-12-18
Anticipated expiration: 2009-12-13
Also published as: FR2917431A1; FR2917431B1

Abstract

This device (1) comprises a rod (2) having a length greater than the spacing of the rails (100), two pairs of jaws (3) mounted on this rod (2), each of which is able to grip the base of a rail (100), and organs for immobilizing the jaws (3) relative to the rod (2), the means for immobilizing the jaws (3) relative to the rod (2) comprising a threading arranged onVthe rod (2), or threaded portions (5) arranged on the rod (2) at suitable locations, and nuts (6, 7) engaged on this threading or these threaded portions (5). Furthermore, the device (1) comprises tubular sleeves (8) able to be engaged and maintained on the rod (2) so as to protect said threading or said threaded portions (5) of the rod (2).

Description

DEVICE FOR MAINTAINING THE SPACING

OF RAILROAD RAILS

The present invention concerns a device for maintaining the spacing of railroad rails. A device of this type, called a "gauge rod", is used to temporarily maintain the spacing of two rails of a railroad track when a defect has been noted in the anchoring of a rail. It comprises a rod having a length greater than the spacing of the rails, two pairs of jaws mounted on this rod, each of which is able to grip the base of a rail, and organs for immobilizing the jaws relative to the rod. The existing gauge rods have the drawback of not being very practical to use and requiring a long time to place or remove, which is a significant drawback given the relatively brief time allowed to repair the anchoring of a rail.

The existing gauge rods also have the drawback of being relatively fragile and risk being damaged during the various manipulations to which they are subjected during their use.

Document US 4 297 787 describes a gauge rod comprising threaded parts. These threaded parts are exposed on the outside when the gauge bar is in the assembled position.

The present invention aims to resolve the drawbacks of the existing gauge rods.

In some cases, a gauge bar can be left in place for a certain duration, the time for the repair to be scheduled and performed. The invention also aims to provide a gauge bar resolving these same drawbacks while having a structure allowing it to be left in place for the time needed to repair the rail anchoring. The concerned device comprises, in a known manner, a rod having a length greater than the spacing of the rails, two pairs of jaws mounted on this rod, each of which is able to grip the base of a rail, and organs for immobilizing the jaws relative to the rod, the means for immobilizing the jaws relative to the rod comprising a threading arranged on the rod, or threaded portions arranged on the rod at suitable locations, and nuts engaged on this threading or these threaded portions. According to the invention, the device comprises tubular sleeves able to be engaged and maintained on the rod so as to protect said threading or said threaded portions of the rod.

The gauge rods currently used do not comprise means for immobilizing the jaws relative to the rod in the form of a threading or threaded portions on the rod, and nuts engaged on this threading or these threaded portions, due to the risks of possible deterioration of the threading(s) during manipulations for placement, removal and storage of the rods, and also due to deteriorations taking place during passages of trains or other vehicles driving on the railroad track, these passages being able to create projections of stones or gravel, or even ballast stones, on the rod.

The invention consists of providing, on one hand, one or several threadings on the rod and nuts engaged on this or these threading(s), and, on the other hand, tubular sleeves which make it possible to protect this or these threading(s) with regard to possible deteriorations thereof.

The threading(s)/nuts system allows a relatively simple and quick placement of the device, and has, with regard to maintenance of the rails, a sufficient resistance for the device to be able to be left in place for a certain duration, without risk of reducing the maintenance of the rails. Thanks to the protection of the threading(s), the risk of deterioration of the threading(s) is eliminated, both during manipulations of the device and during the passage of trains.

Said tubular sleeves could be separated from the nuts comprised by the device; according to one preferred embodiment of the invention, however, the device comprises at least one nut axially connected to a protective sleeve, in particular integral with this sleeve.

The placement of the protective sleeves is thus done simultaneously with the placement of the nut, and there is then no risk of forgetting to place the sleeves.

The device advantageously comprises nuts designed to be used as nuts and nuts designed to be used as locknuts; in this case, at least one nut designed to be used as a locknut is integral with a protective sleeve.

Nuts are tightened to tighten the jaw around the rail, then the locknut - sleeve assemblies are placed to block these nuts. The invention will be well understood, and other characteristics and advantages thereof will appear, in reference to the appended diagrammatic drawing, illustrating, non-exhaustively, one preferred embodiment of the invention it concerns. Figure 1 is a general view after placement around two rails of a railroad track, and figure 2 is an enlarged view of part of this device, with partial cross-section.

Figure 1 shows a device 1 for maintaining the spacing between rails 100 of a railroad track, used to temporarily maintain the spacing of two rails 100 when a defect has been observed in the anchoring of a rail.

The device 1 comprises a rod 2 having a length greater than the spacing of the rails 100, two pairs of jaws 3 mounted on this rod 2, each of which is able to grip the base of a rail 100, and nuts and locknuts for keeping jaw supports 4 of each jaw 3 in the gripping position around the bases of the rails 100. As shown more particularly in figure 2, the rod 2 comprises threaded portions

5 extending on both sides of the zones of this rod able to be occupied by the jaw supports 4, between the illustrated position of these jaw supports 4, in which they grip the bases of the rails 100, and the disassembled position of the device 1 , in which they are sufficiently spaced apart from each other to be removed from around the bases of the rails 100.

The nuts 6 and locknuts 7 are screwed on these threaded portions 5, in order to maintain the jaw supports 4 in the gripping position.

As shown, each locknut 7 is integral with a protective sleeve 8 which, engaged on the rod 2, covers all of the corresponding threaded portion 5. The system of threaded portions 5, nuts 6 and locknuts 7 allows relatively easy and quick placement of the device 1 , and has, with regard to maintaining the rails 100, a sufficient resistance for the device 1 to be able to be left in place for a certain time, without risk of decreasing the maintenance of the rails. Thanks to the protection of the threaded portions 5 by the sleeves 8, the risk of deterioration of the threading(s) is eliminated, both during manipulations as well as placement and removal of the device, and during the passage of trains. The placement of the sleeves is done simultaneously with the placement of the locknuts 7, such that there is no risk of forgetting to place these sleeves 8.

As appears from the preceding, the invention provides a device 1 for maintaining the spacing of railroad rails which resolves the drawbacks of similar devices of the prior art.

The invention was described above in reference to one embodiment provided solely as an example. It goes without saying that it is not limited to this embodiment, but that it extends to all embodiments covered by the appended claims.

Claims

1 - Device (1) for maintaining the spacing of railroad rails (100), comprising a rod (2) having a length greater than the spacing of the rails (100), two pairs of jaws (3) mounted on this rod (2), each of which is able to grip the base of a rail (100), and organs for immobilizing the jaws (3) relative to the rod (2), the means for immobilizing the jaws (3) relative to the rod (2) comprising a threading arranged on the rod (2), or threaded portions (5) arranged on the rod (2) at suitable locations, and nuts (6, 7) engaged on this threading or these threaded portions (5), caracterized in that it comprises tubular sleeves (8) able to be engaged and maintained on the rod (2) so as to protect said threading or said threaded portions (5) of the rod (2).

2 - Device according to claim 1 , caracterized in that it comprises at least one nut (7) axially connected to a protective sleeve (8), in particular integral with this sleeve (8). 3 - Device according to claim 2, caracterized in that it comprises nuts (6) designed to be used as nuts and nuts (7) designed to be used as locknuts, at least one nut (7) designed to be used as a locknut being integral with a protective sleeve (8).