Railway or tramway track

Abstract

A railway or tramway track includes track rails arranged on a foundation surface. Noise and vibration reduction elements are arranged between the track rails and outward of the track rails. The noise and vibration reduction elements include at least one non-humic layer that absorbs water, reduces rate of flow and outflow of the water, and allows evaporation of the water.

Claims

1. A railway or tramway track, comprising: track rails arranged on a foundation surface; noise and vibration reduction elements arranged between the track rails and outward of the track rails; the noise and vibration reduction elements comprising at least one non-humic layer that absorbs water, reduces rate of flow and outflow of the water, and allows evaporation of the water, the non-humic layer comprising clumps of synthetic material or an agglomerate of inert porous material formed into one or more plate structures that both absorb and pass water therethrough; wherein the non-humic layer is a part of inner components inserted between the track rails and outer components arranged along both outer sides of the track rails, or retention plates inserted between the track rails and along at least one outer side of the track rails; and further comprising prefabricated dividing components abutting against the noise and vibration reduction elements along the outer sides of the track rails to separate the noise and vibration reduction elements from surrounding areas.

2. The railway or tramway track according to claim 1, wherein the inner and outer components comprise vertical, thin-walled supporting stiffeners.

3. The railway or tramway track according to claim 1, wherein the retention plates are loosely laid on top of an overlapping each other.

4. The railway or tramway track according to claim 1, wherein the inner components, the outer components, and the retention plates are secured in the track by resilient stabilizers that dampen noise and vibration from the track rails.

5. The railway or tramway track according to claim 4, wherein the resilient stabilizers are pressed against the track rails by shape protrusions or locks, or are bonded to the track rails.

6. The railway or tramway track according to claim 4, wherein the resilient stabilizers adjacent an inner side of the track rails comprise a longitudinal recess at a level of a head of the track rails to accommodate a wheel flange of a railway vehicle.

7. The railway or tramway track according to claim 1, further comprising a covering of an artificial grass carpet over the noise and vibration reduction elements.

8. The railway or tramway track according to claim 1, further comprising a covering of humic layer with a vegetation cover over the noise and vibration reduction elements.

9. The railway or tramway track according to claim 1, wherein the prefabricated dividing components comprise a curvature at an upper portion with an apex that is vertically higher than the adjacent rail track or vertically higher than an artificial grass carpet covering the noise and vibration reduction elements.

10. The railway or tramway track according to claim 1, wherein the prefabricated dividing components comprise adjustment screws in a lower portion thereof for precise positioning outward of the track rails.

11. The railway or tramway track according to claim 1, wherein the noise and vibration reduction elements comprise recesses in a bottom thereof configured to hold water or allow water to flow out.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is explained with reference to figures of exemplary embodiments, which are schematically represented in the following drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic axonometric view from the front in partial section of an embodiment of a railway track with modular elements for reducing noise and vibration with the function of water retention according to the invention, containing a solid railway and systems of inner and outer components with their surface composed of an artificial grass carpet.

(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic axonometric view from the front in partial section of an embodiment of a railway track with noise and vibration reduction modular elements with the function of water retention according to the invention, containing gravel ballast and transverse sleepers and systems of inner and outer components with their surface composed of an artificial grass carpet.

(4) FIG. 3 is a schematic axonometric view from the front in partial section of an embodiment of a railway track with noise and vibration reduction modular elements with the function of water retention according to the invention, containing a solid railway and systems of inner and outer components containing a top humic layer with a vegetation cover.

(5) FIG. 4 is a schematic axonometric view from the front in partial section of an embodiment of a railway track with noise and vibration reduction modular elements with the function of water retention according to the invention, containing gravel ballast, transverse sleepers and individual separation and/or retention plates and a top humic layer for a vegetation cover.

(6) FIG. 5 is a schematic axonometric view from the front of an embodiment of a dividing prefabricated component.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(7) Reference will now be made to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are shown in the drawings. Each embodiment is provided by way of explanation of the invention, and not as a limitation of the invention. For example features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be combined with another embodiment to yield still another embodiment. It is intended that the present invention include these and other modifications and variations to the embodiments described herein.

(8) Several embodiments will be used to explain the invention, illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5, whereby the principle of the invention is based on the fact that at least one non-humic layer is inserted in the track, whereby this layer absorbs water, reduces its rate of flow and outflow, and at the same time allows its evaporation. By the non-humic humic layer, we understand a layer which does not contain soil, or, more specifically, soil for growing plants.

(9) FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment, where the railway or tramway track comprises a solid railway 3, usually composed of a reinforced concrete slab with rails 1, which are mounted in fastening systems 2, whereby the concrete slab with rails 1 is mounted on the underlying construction 13 of the track. The distance of the axes of the fastening systems 2 is determined by a respective regulation, most often being in the range from 600 to 800 mm.

(10) Inside the track, i.e. between the rails, are mounted inner components 5 in the direction of the length of the track and outside the track, i.e. along the outer sides of the rails 1, are mounted outer components 6 in the direction of the length of the track. Between the individual inner components 5 there are unmarked joint gaps, which have a constant width in the case of a straight track and a varying width in the case of a curved track or track transition curve. Between the individual outer components 6 there are unmarked joint gaps, which have a constant width in the case of a straight track and a varying width in the case of a curved track or track transition curve.

(11) The inner components 5 and outer components 6 contain a supporting part 9 in the form of the letter “U”, whose shape is modified according to the embodiment of the track and is mounted on the body of the track, whereby in the inner part, i.e. between the lateral walls of the supporting part 9 are permanently inserted sandwich layered retention and damping pads 8 from a highly absorbent, water-permeable material. The inner components 5 and outer components 6 are always situated between the individual fastening systems 2 of the rails 1.

(12) The inner components 5 and outer components 6 are on the entire ground area covered with an artificial grass carpet 10, which is either mechanically attached to them and/or is bonded to them.

(13) According to a preferred embodiment, the retention and damping pads 8 consist of a recycled wadding synthetic material, e.g., the material available under the trade name STERED, which is manufactured according to SK UV 6673, where the density of the individual parts of the sandwich layering of the retention and damping pads 8 determines not only specific retention and damping capabilities of a specific embodiment of the inner components 5 and outer components 6, but also their mechanical bearing capacity, e.g. for creating mechanically more resistant surfaces.

(14) In an unillustrated embodiment, the retention and damping pads 8 are reinforced by supporting ribs, made most typically from high-quality concrete, which are occasionally drivable by wheeled vehicles of track maintenance, etc., or are also drivable by road vehicles on the surface of the railway track. In another unillustrated embodiment, the retention and damping pads 8 are composed of special sound-absorbing porous concrete made from gravel or similar agglomerates based on recycled concrete or bricks.

(15) In the coupling chamber 23 of the rails 1 are continuously mounted damping stabilizers from a water-permeable elastomer, whereby inner stabilizers 21 are situated inside the track and outer stabilizers 22 are situated outside the track. The stabilizers 21 and 22 are either bonded to the rail 1, or they are constantly pressed against the rail 1 by means of unillustrated shape protrusions or locks on the lateral side of the inner components 5 and the lateral side of the outer components 6. In another preferred embodiment, the inner damping stabilizer 21 contains a longitudinal shape recess for creating a groove for a wheel flange of a railway vehicle.

(16) In an illustrated embodiment, outside the rail track are mounted on the underlying foundation layer 14 dividing prefabricated components 11 shaped in the form of the letter “L”, see FIG. 5, whereby the height of these dividing prefabricated components 11 depends on the type and embodiment of the adjacent areas, namely the adjacent natural lawn 17 or on the adjacent construction of the carriageway 19 etc. In one embodiment, the height of the dividing prefabricated components 11 is such that the rounded upper portion 32 of the prefabricated component extends above the level of the rail track and the adjacent area, thus forming a visual dividing strip between the railway track and the adjacent area, e.g., between the rail track and the construction of the carriageway 19.

(17) FIG. 2 shows the railway or tramway track from FIG. 1, which is modified by the fact that it contains rails 1, which are mounted in the fastening systems 2 and on transverse sleepers 25 forming a track grid, which is mounted on the gravel ballast 26, mounted on the not-represented construction of the subgrade construction of the track containing a system for draining the earth plain. Inside the track, i.e. between the rails 1, are mounted the inner components 5 in the direction of the length of the track, and outer components 6 are mounted outside the track, i.e. along the outer sides of the rails 1 in the direction of the length of the track. The length of the components 5 and 6 is a multiple of the axial distance of the fastening systems 2.

(18) FIG. 3 shows the railway or tramway track from FIGS. 1 and 2, which is modified by the fact that the individual outer and inner components 6, 5 contain on their upper surface a humic layer 24 for a vegetation cover consisting most often of a lawn or sedum. The supporting part 9 of the inner and outer components 5, 6 on the side adjacent to the rail 1 ends above the level of the retention and damping pads 8 and is positioned at the level of the surface of the rail 1, thus separating the humic layer 24 from the rail 1. In an unillustrated example of embodiment, the humic layer 24 is reinforced by honeycomb plastic components, e.g. to increase the bearing capacity of the surface for the purpose of the rail track being drivable by light road vehicles, e.g. by maintenance vehicles, etc.

(19) FIG. 4 shows the railway or tramway track from FIGS. 1 and 2 comprising either a solid railway 3 or a rail track formed by rails 1 fastened on transverse sleepers 25 on gravel ballast 26, whereby both inside and outside the track layers of separation plates 28 and retention plates 29 are sandwich structured, ensuring noise and vibration mitigation and water retention. The individual plates 28, 29 of the sandwich arrangement are mounted in layers, most preferably being overlapped by a part of its size, e.g. by ⅓ of its size, that is in such a manner that the plates 28, 29 of the individual layers cover one another so that there are no vertical joint gaps along the entire height of the system of plates 28, 29 and consequently the overall stiffness of the structure is increased. Alternatively, the retention plates 29 of the individual layers are mounted under and/or are covered with at least one layer of separation plates 28. On the plates 28 and 29 is either arranged an upper humic layer 24 with a vegetation cover, most typically a lawn or sedum, or the retention plates 29 extend up to the upper level of the head of the rails 1 and their entire surface both inside and outside the track is covered with an artificial grass carpet 10, which is mechanically attached and/or bonded to the retention plates 29.

(20) The separation and retention plates 28, 29 consist of a recycled wadding synthetic material, e.g. under the trade name STERED, which is manufactured according to SK UV 6673, where the density of the individual separation and retention plates 28, 29 determines not only specific retention and damping capabilities of the system of separation and retention plates 28, 29, but also their mechanical resistance, e.g. for creating mechanically more resistant surfaces.

(21) Similarly to the embodiment in FIG. 3, the humic layer 24 with a vegetation cover is in a preferred embodiment reinforced by honeycomb plastic components to increase the resistance of the surface for the purpose of the rail track being driven by light road vehicles, etc.

(22) Preferably, the above-mentioned dividing prefabricated component 11 contains in its lower part adjustment screws 30 for precise positioning and optionally it also contains at least one spatial recess 31 for monolithization with the underlying foundation layer 14.

(23) Basically, it is obvious that the retention and damping pads 8 and the retention plates 29 form the so-called non-humic layer, i.e. a layer without a natural content of soil or soil components, i.e. the noise and vibration reduction elements contain at least one non-humic layer, which absorbs water, reduces the rate of its flow and outflow and allows its evaporation.

(24) In an unillustrated embodiment, the non-humic layer is used only in one element of the whole system or only in several respective elements of the system or it is a part of all the respective elements of the system, i.e. is a part of the inner components 5 inserted between the rails 1 and/or the outer components 6 arranged along both outer sides of the rails 1 and/or it is composed of at least retention plates 29, which are inserted between the rails 1 and/or are arranged along at least one outer side of the rails 1.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

(25) The invention can be preferably used for building railway and tramway tracks in town residential areas, in areas of nature reserves and on bridge constructions. A combination of this solution with known low directional barriers and modular components further increases the overall efficiency of the attenuation of the noise and vibration from wheel/track contact and considerably improves water retention in the track without compromising rail operation.

(26) Modifications and variations can be made to the embodiments illustrated or described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

LIST OF REFERENCES

(27) 1 Rail 2 Rail fastening system 3 Solid railway 4 Gravel hopper 5 Inner component 6 Outer component 7 Intermediate component 8 Damping and retention pad 9 Supporting part of the component 10 Artificial grass carpet 11 Dividing prefabricated component 12 Cable guideway 13 Underlying construction of the solid railway 14 Underlying foundation layer 15 Anti-vibration mat 16 Back drain 17 Natural lawn 18 Curb 19 Construction of the carriageway 20 Underlying layers of the carriageway 21 Inner resilient stabilizers 22 Outer resilient stabilizers 23 Coupling chamber of the rail 24 Humic layer with vegetation cover 25 Transverse sleeper 26 Gravel ballast 27 Separation foil 28 Separation plate 29 Retention plate 30 Adjustment screws 31 Spatial recess for monolithization 32 Curvature