SWITCH DEVICE

Abstract

A switch device including a switch rail (12), the switch device having at least one stock rail (14), a junction rail (32) and a switch rail support (16), and the switch rail and the connecting rail being interconnected by a weld joint (34). The switch rail support (16) includes a through-opening (36) or a recess beneath the weld joint, the width of the through-opening or the recess being wider than the width of the switch rail (12). Furthermore, the length of the through-opening or the recess allows the junction rail (32) to connect to switch rails of the same or different lengths.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing metal closure caps, comprising: a) the supply of a strip or sheet, made of aluminum alloy known to those skilled in the art as textured strip or sheet, typically coated on at least one of its faces, generally the face intended to be on the inside of the cap, by a coat of stampable lacquer, b) a first operation for cutting discs, called blanks, c) a step for stamping and cutting anisotropic horns, in one or more passes, of said blank metal, typically using a stamping lubricant, so as to form a stamped blank, comprising a head and a skirt, typically axially symmetric in the axial direction, d) a step for degreasing said stamped blank, typically intended to eliminate the remaining lubricant, to form a degreased blank that can possibly be lacquered, e) an optional step of protective lacquering and/or decoration, and characterized in that it comprises, after the stamping step, at least one drawing step consisting in passing the stamped blank through at least one drawing ring in order to stretch and thin the metal.

2. Method according to claim 1 characterized in that the blank has a thickness of 0.15 to 0.25 mm, without lacquer.

3. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the drawing rate (1-final thickness/initial thickness) is greater than or equal to 2.5%.

4. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the drawing rate is less than or equal to 30%.

5. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that only the face intended to be on the inside of the cap is coated with a lacquer prior to stamping and the face intended to be on the outside of the cap is lacquered only after the degreasing step.

6. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the two faces intended to be on the inside and on the outside of the cap are coated with a lacquer prior to stamping.

7. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the lubricant used for stamping is volatile and eliminated by heating.

8. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the lubricant used for drawing is volatile and eliminated by heating.

9. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the same lubricant is used for both the stamping and the drawing steps.

10. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the stamping and drawing steps are linked together in two integral steps, i.e. without another intermediate step.

11. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the stamping and drawing steps are performed in the same press stroke.

12. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the aluminum alloy is of AA3105 type.

13. Method according to claim 1 characterized in that the aluminum alloy is of AA8011 type.

14. A metal closure cap manufactured by the method according to claim 1, characterized in that it has a so-called textured appearance, i.e. having stamped or embossed patterns conferring a roughness Ra, measured according to standard NF EN ISO 4287, typically greater than 0.5 or even 1.0 m over the entire surface of the head or top, and a smooth or shiny appearance, i.e. having a roughness Ra, measured according to standard NF EN ISO 4287, greater than 0.5 m over the entire height of the skirt or wall.

Description

[0025] The Figures Show:

[0026] FIG. 1 shows a top view onto a switch device with tongue blade,

[0027] FIG. 2 shows an enlarged portion of FIG. 1,

[0028] FIG. 3 shows a sectional view along the line A-A in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, and

[0029] FIG. 4 shows a sectional view according to FIG. 3, through an alternative switch device.

[0030] FIGS. 1-3 show a switch device 10 embodied in monobloc construction, without this affecting the scope of the invention's teachings. Rather, the switch device 10, which accepts a tongue blade 12, can also consist of several individual parts. However, a monobloc design is preferred.

[0031] The switch device 10, which is explained using a grooved rail switch device as well, comprises in the known manner a stock rail 14, a side rail 30, as well as a sliding plate 16, which also may be referred to as tongue blade support. The tongue blade 12 is arranged adjustable in the known manner on the sliding plate 16. The stock rail 14 with the sliding plate 16 are sections of the switch device 10, which as was shown before in the drawings is embodied as a monobloc.

[0032] The switch device 10 of the embodiment example is arranged on a base plate 18, which in dependence on the overall height of the standard rails or grooved rail profiles, such as R59/60, possesses suitably adjusted thicknesses, so that no height adjustment of the switch device 10 itself is required.

[0033] The slide plate 16 extends at some distance from the surface of the base plate 18, as is indicated in the sectional view of FIG. 3. The hollow space 20 formed thusly may for example contain a heater. The hollow space 20 also serves as a drain, which via an opening 22 in the base plate merges into a drain plug 24. Furthermore, provided in the groove 26 of the stock rail 14 are drain openings 28, which are connected to the hollow space 20.

[0034] The slide plate 16 extends between the stock rail and the side rail 30, which extends along the longitudinal direction of the switch device 10 and which is part of the monobloc.

[0035] The switch device 32 further comprises a connecting rail 32, which is connected to the tongue blade 12 by welding. The corresponding weld joint is identified by the reference label 34. In the embodiment example of FIG. 3, this weld joint is situated above a through opening 36, which preferably is situated directly above the drain plug 24, which means that the projection of the through opening 36 along the vertical axis of the switch device overlaps the drain plug 24, which is clarified in particular in FIG. 2.

[0036] If the tongue blade 12 is for example worn or has been damaged, it must be replaced. For this, one performs a separating cut directly in the joint plane or at some distance to the latter, as is indicated by the lines 1, 2, 3, 4. These are separating cuts 38, which can be performed easily, in particular because of the provided through opening 36. Both the separating cutting and welding-in a new tongue blade is easily performed. For this, it is in particular intended that a plate-shaped weld pool backing, such as sheet metal, is positioned below the connecting rail 32 and the tongue blade in the joint region, in order to be able to easily weld a root pass and subsequently to form for example I-seams or V-grooves. Compared to the tongue blade to be replaced, the newly to be inserted tongue blade is longer by an amount that corresponds to the distance between the weld joint 34 of the to-be-replaced tongue blade and the separating cut. If this separating cut is performed directly in the weld joint 34, then the new tongue blade has the same length as the replaced one.

[0037] Consequently, the free space created by the through opening 36 facilitates a problem-free e.g. autogenous cutting and welding on account of the clearance available for the cutting jet. Other methods for are also feasible for performing the separating cut.

[0038] To weld in a new tongue blade, the weld backing 40 is introduced into the through opening below the rail foot. The weld backing may consist of sheet metal and possesses a width that should correspond to at least the width of the tongue width.

[0039] The through opening described with the help of FIG. 3 represents a preferred embodiment of the invention's teachings. As an alternative, which is illustrated in FIG. 4, which uses the same reference labels as in FIG. 3 for identical elements, it is possible to create a cut-out 116 in the tongue blade support, i.e. in the sliding plate 16, namely in the area of the to be created weld connection, into which can be introduced a weld backing 40 in accordance with FIG. 3.

[0040] The sectional view of FIG. 4 shows a switch device 100 that has been manufactured in monobloc construction, however not as a single level, but consists of an upper part 102 and a lower part 104. The upper part 102 consists of high-strength steel, whereas the lower part may for example consist of structural steel. In accordance with the embodiment of FIG. 3, a drainage hole 28, which may merge with the connecting sleeve 24, may originate from the lowest point of the groove 26 of the stock rail 14, without this being an obligatory feature. It is also possible for the switch device 100 to be arranged on a base plate 18 of a desired thickness, as has been explained in connection with FIG. 3.

[0041] The invention relates to a switch device with tongue blade 12, whereby the switch device comprises at least one stock rail 14, one connecting rail 32, and one tongue blade support 16, and the tongue blade and the connecting rail are connected to each other via a weld joint 34. Below the weld joint, the tongue blade support 16 comprises a through opening 36 or cut-out 116, whereby the width of the through opening 36 or the cut-out 116 is greater than the width of the tongue blade 12. Further, the through opening 36 or the cut-out 116 possess a length that facilitates connecting the connecting rail 32 to tongue blades of equal or different lengths.