Tension Clamp, Guide Plate and Fastening Point for Securing a Rail to a Ground Surface

Abstract

The invention relates to a tension clamp for holding down a rail for rail vehicles. It includes a middle section with two legs, two torsion sections connected to the legs leading laterally outwards and having a support zone on their underside, by which the tension clamp is supported during use, and two supporting arms connected to the torsion sections. The supporting arms extend to the front side of the tension clamp and have a spring section and a support section, which has a support zone by which they are supported during use. The support sections of the supporting arms point laterally outwards so that the straight lines intersect in a region located on the rear side of the tension clamp. The invention also relates to a guide plate that protects a tension clamp against breakage during excitation in the range of its natural frequency, and a rail fastening point.

Claims

1. A tension clamp for elastically holding down a rail for rail vehicles, said rail comprising a foot, a web standing on the foot and a rail head carried by the web, the tension clamp comprising: a loop-shaped middle section, which has two legs and a base section connecting the legs to each other, wherein a free end face of the base section faces a front side, a free upper side of the loop-shaped middle section faces the free upper side of the tension clamp and the legs of the loop-shaped middle section, with their ends being remote from the base section, face a rear side of the tension clamp; two torsion sections, one of which is connected respectively to an end of one of the legs of the loop-shaped middle section, said end facing away from the base section, wherein the torsion sections lead laterally outwards respectively starting from their respectively associated leg, and have a support zone on an underside, by means of which the tension clamp is supported on a component carrying it during use; and two supporting arms, one of which is connected respectively to an end of one of the torsion sections, said end facing away from the associated leg of the loop-shaped middle section, wherein the supporting arms extend in the direction of a front side of the tension clamp and each have a spring section curved towards the free upper side of the tension clamp and also have an adjoining support section ending at a free end of the supporting arm, said support section comprising a support zone on its underside, by means of which the respective supporting arm is supported during use on the foot of the rail to be fastened, wherein the support sections of the supporting arms each point laterally outwards with respect to the loop-shaped middle section of the tension clamp in such a way that, when seen in plan view from above with respect to the tension clamp, straight lines, which respectively connect a center of the support zones of the supporting arms with a center of the support zone associated with their respective supporting arm, intersect in a region located on the rear side of the tension clamp.

2. The tension clamp according to claim 1, wherein between the straight lines an angle is enclosed, which is at least 60 when seen in plan view with respect to the tension clamp.

3. The tension clamp according to claim 1, wherein the angle enclosed between the straight lines is at most 120, when seen in plan view with respect to the tension clamp.

4. The tension clamp according to claim 1, wherein the supporting arms, when seen in plan view with respect to the tension clamp, run respectively outwardly away from the loop-shaped middle section, starting from their associated torsion section.

5. The tension clamp according to claim 1, wherein in the supporting arms, the spring section merges respectively into the associated support section in a continuous curve.

6. The tension clamp according to claim 1, wherein the support zones of the supporting arms, when seen in plan view with respect to the tension clamp, extend in a direction of the front side V of the tension clamp relative to the free end face of the base section of the loop-shaped middle section.

7. The tension clamp according to claim 1, wherein for the distance AS, measured parallel to an axis of symmetry of the tension clamp, between the center of the support zones of the supporting arms and the intersection of the straight lines, which respectively connect the center of the support zones of the supporting arms with the center of the support zone of the torsion section associated with the respective supporting arm, and for the distance AG, also measured parallel to the axis of symmetry of the tension clamp, between the support zones of the supporting arms and the centers of the support zones of the torsion sections, the following applies:
1.2AGAS1.8AG.

8. The tension clamp according to claim 7, wherein for the distance AG and the distance AS, the following applies:
1.3AGAS1.7AG.

9. A guide plate for laterally guiding a rail for rail vehicles in a rail fastening point, the rail comprising a foot, a web standing on the foot and a rail head carried by the web, wherein a support surface is provided on a free upper side of a tension clamp which is positioned on the guide plate, said tension clamp serving to elastically hold down the rail in the fastening point, wherein the tension clamp applies an elastic hold-down force over two supporting arms, which are supported during use with the two supporting arms' free support sections on the foot of the rail fastened in the fastening point, wherein at least two stops are provided on the support surface, which limit at least the movements of the supporting arms of the tension clamp perpendicular to a contact surface, when the tension clamp is positioned on the guide plate.

10. The guide plate according to claim 9, wherein the stops are designed in the manner of supports, which respectively carry at their free end face a fillet-like seat for the associated supporting arm of the tension clamp.

11. The guide plate according to claim 9, wherein the stops have respectively an elastic material on their free end face assigned to the respective supporting arm of the tension clamp, said material dampening a contact with the associated supporting arm.

12. The guide plate according to claim 9, wherein on the support surface depressions are formed, in which the tension clamp is respectively supported during use with a section, and in that the depressions are covered with a damping or elastic material in the region of their contact surfaces, which come into contact with the tension clamp.

13. The guide plate according to claim 12, wherein the depressions are adapted to the shape of the respectively associated sections, of the tension clamp such that during use the section of the tension clamp seated in the respective depression engages positively on the contact surface of the depression at least over a part of its length.

14. The guide plate according to claim 12, wherein the sections of the tension clamp assigned to the depressions are torsion sections, which are bent in a continuous curve towards an underside of the tension clamp, and in that the depressions are correspondingly arc-shaped in the course of the torsion sections, so that the torsion sections engage positively and tightly over a partial length of their tension curve when the tension clamp is positioned on the guide plate, and are seated in the associated depression.

15. A fastening point in which a rail for a rail vehicle is fastened on a ground surface, the rail comprising a foot, a web standing on the foot and a rail head carried by the web, wherein the fastening point comprises a guide plate acting against a lateral edge of the foot of the rail for laterally guiding the rail and a tension clamp positioned on the guide plate, said tension clamp being supported by means of free support sections and supporting arms on the foot of the rail, in order to apply an elastic hold-down force on the rail, wherein the guide plate is designed according to claim 9.

16. The fastening point according to claim 15, wherein the fastening point comprises a tension element, such as a sleeper screw or a sleeper bolt, by means of which the tension clamp is braced against the ground.

17. The fastening point according to claim 15, wherein an insulating element is arranged between the support sections of the supporting arms of the tension clamp and a rail foot, in that this insulating element insulates the tension clamp electrically with respect to the rail foot and, at least in sections, comprises a damping or an elastically yielding material.

Description

[0051] The invention is explained in more detail in the following with reference to a drawing representing, in diagrammatic form, an exemplary embodiment, The schematic drawings show the following:

[0052] FIG. 1 shows a tension clamp according to the invention in plan view from above.

[0053] FIG. 2 shows the tension clamp according to FIG. 1 in a perspective view from its front side;

[0054] FIG. 3 shows the tension clamp according to FIGS. 1 and 2 in a side view;

[0055] FIG. 4 shows a guide plate with a conventional tension clamp arranged thereon in a perspective view from behind;

[0056] FIG. 5 shows the guide plate from FIG. 4 in a perspective view from the front.

[0057] The tension clamp 1 according to the invention, shown in FIGS. 1-3, bent in one piece from a spring wire with a circular cross section, has a U-shaped middle section 2 with a curved base section 3 associated with the front side V of the tension clamp and legs 4, 5, having a straight form, connected thereon. On the upper side of the legs 4, 5 of the middle section 2 associated with the upper side O of the tension clamp 1, flattened contact surfaces 6, 7 are provided, on which during use a sleeper screw (not shown here) is seated by means of its screw head, serving as a tension element for tensioning the tension clamp 1.

[0058] At their ends facing away from the base section 3, and pointing to the rear side R of the tension clamp 1, the legs 4, 5 of the middle section 2 merge respectively into a torsion section 8, 9 of the tension clamp 1. The torsion sections 8, 9 are respectively bent in the direction of the underside U of the tension clamp 1 and lead laterally outward away from the respectively associated leg 4, 5. On their underside, the torsion sections 8, 9 respectively have a support zone 10, 11, by means of which they are seated during use on a support surface of a guide plate.

[0059] At the end of the torsion sections 8, 9, respectively facing away from the middle section 2, a supporting arm 12, 13 is respectively connected. In the region of their spring sections 14, 15, the supporting arms 12, 13 are designed to be curved in an arc-like manner respectively in the direction of the upper side O of the tension clamp 1, and extend starting from the respective torsion section 8, 9 in the direction of the front side V of the tension clamp 1. Thus, they are aligned such that, seen in plan view from above (FIG. 1), the distance of the supporting arms 12, 13, measured parallel to the connecting lines G between the centres Z10, Z11 of the support zones 10, 11, increases starting respectively from the torsion sections 8, 9.

[0060] At their free ends 16, 17, the supporting arms 12, 13 respectively end in a support section 18, 19, connecting on their respective spring section 14, 15, by means of which the supporting arm 12, 13 in the operative condition is seated on the rail (not shown here) to be fastened in the respective rail fastening point. On the underside of the support sections 18, 19 associated with the underside U of the tension clamp 1, punctiform support zones 20, 21 are respectively formed thereto on the ends 16, 17 of the supporting arms 12, 13.

[0061] The support sections 18, 19 are formed pointing outwards from the middle section 2 in a continuous curve starting from the respective spring section 14, 15, so that they conform tangentially to a straight line aligned parallel to the connecting line G. The length of the supporting arms 12, 13 is dimensioned so that the punctiform support zones 20, 21, when seen in plan view from above (FIG. 1), are located in front of the base section 3 of the middle section 2 in the direction of the front side V of the tension clamp 1.

[0062] Due to the outward-pointing arrangement of the support sections 18, 19 and the punctiform support zones 20, 21 of the supporting arms 12, 13 located correspondingly laterally outwards, the connecting lines G1, G2, which on the one hand (connecting line G1) connect the centre Z10 of the support zone 10 of the torsion section 8 with the punctiform support zone 20 of the supporting arm 12 connected to the torsion section 8, said support zone thus itself representing the centre, and which on the on the other hand (connecting line G2) connect the centre Z11 of the support zone 11 of the torsion section 9 with the punctiform support zone 21 of the supporting arm 13 connected to the torsion section 9, said support zone thus likewise itself representing the centre, are arranged at an acute angle 1 with respect to the axis of symmetry S of the tension clamp 1 and comprise an angle 2 of approx. 70 therebetween. Accordingly, when seen in plan view from above (FIG. 1), they intersect in a point of intersection SG located behind the rear side R of the tension clamp 1.

[0063] The distance AS, measured parallel to the axis of symmetry S, between the punctiform support zones 20, 21 of the supporting arms 12, 13, said support zones themselves forming the centre, on the one hand and the intersection SG on the other hand corresponds to approx. 1.5 times the distance AG, also measured parallel to the axis of symmetry S, of the punctiform support zones 20, 21 from the centres Z10, Z11 of the support zones 10, 11 of the torsion sections 8, 9. In practice, the distance AG can, for example, be approx. 100 mm and the distance AS approx. 150 mm, wherein the distance AS can be varied in the range of, for example, 130 mm to 170 mm, if this is expedient in terms of setting the natural frequencies or due to structural conditions.

[0064] Practical tests have shown that the tension clamp 1 has natural frequencies of at least 50% higher compared with a conventionally shaped tension clamp 101 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. These are so high that even under unfavourable conditions of use, as may be the case for example in tunnels or on bridges, there is no excitation of the tension clamp 1 in the range of its natural frequencies.

[0065] The tension clamp 101 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, arranged on a guide plate 100, has a U-shaped middle section 102 with legs extending parallel to each other, which merge respectively into a torsion section 108, 109 leading laterally outwards from the middle section 102 and bent towards the underside U of the tension clamp 101. The torsion sections 108, 109 also respectively have a support zone on their underside, with which they are seated on the guide plate 100 during use.

[0066] Thus a supporting arm 112, 113 is also respectively connected to its spring section 114, 115, curved upwards in an arc-like manner, on the torsion sections 108, 109. In contrast to the tension clamp 1 according to the invention, however, in the case of the tension clamp 101, the support sections 118, 119 of the tension clamp 101 ending at the free ends 116, 117 of the supporting arms 112, 113 are bent in the direction of the middle section 102, so that the ends 116, 117 of the tension clamp 101 directed towards one another and the connecting lines G1, G2, which respectively interconnect the punctiform support zones of the supporting arms 112, 113 to the centre Z110, Z111 of the support zones on the respective associated torsion section 108, 109, are aligned parallel to the axis of symmetry S of the tension clamp 101.

[0067] In the case of the conventionally shaped tension clamp 101, in order to prevent damage as a result of excessive vibration movements as a result of excitation in the natural frequency range, stops 126, 127 are provided on the support surface 125, which is configured on the upper side of the guide plate 101 formed integrally of a plastic approved for this purpose, said stops being formed in the manner of supports. The stops 126, 127 are arranged in the region of the greatest height of the respective spring section 114, 115 of the tension clamp 101 and carry at their free frontal end respectively a U-shaped receptacle 128, 129, whose dimensions are proportioned so that the respective spring section 114, 115 is seated positively in the respective receptacle 128, 129, in the event that it comes into contact with the associated stop 126, 127. In order to dampen the contact, the receptacle is designed with a shock-absorbing material. The height position of the receptacles 128, 129 is selected to be such that the spring sections 114, 115 can perform the elastic movements required during normal operation, but are supported in the receptacles 128, 129 in the event of an excessive excitation exceeding those movements which are to be expected during normal operation.

[0068] With the support zones Z110, Z111 provided in the region of their torsion sections 108, 109, the tension clamp 101 is seated respectively in a depression 130, 131 formed in the support surface 125 of the guide plate 100. The depressions 130, 131 are designed in elevations 132, 133 formed on the contact surface 125. Their size, thickness and height is designed so that the arc length BL, which comprises a contact between the respective torsion section 108, 109 and the guide plate 100, is substantially greater than the approximately punctiform contact, which would be between the torsion sections 108, 109, if this were to be supported on a level support surface. The purpose of the depressions 130, 131 being configured in the elevations 132, 133 is that the position of the torsion sections 108, 109 is the same with respect to the support surface 125 as in the case of a support on a flat support surface 125, despite their being seated in the depressions 130, 131. The depressions 130, 131 are also designed with a suitable damping material to dampen the vibrations of the tension clamp 101.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0069] 1 Tension clamp [0070] 2 Middle section of the tension clamp 1 [0071] 3 Base section of the middle section 2 [0072] 4, 5 Legs of the middle section 2 [0073] 6, 7 Contact surfaces of the legs 4, 5 [0074] 8, 9 Torsion sections of the tension clamp 1 [0075] 10, 11 Support zones of the torsion sections 8, 9 [0076] 12, 13 Supporting arms of the tension clamp 1 [0077] 14, 15 Spring sections of the supporting arms 12, 13 [0078] 16, 17 Free ends of the supporting arms 12, 13 [0079] 18, 19 Support sections of the supporting arms 12, 13 [0080] 20,21 Punctiform support zones (=centre of the support zones 20, 21) [0081] G, G1, G2 Connecting lines [0082] Z10, Z11 Centres of the support zones 10, 11 [0083] 1, 2 Angles [0084] S Axis of symmetry of the tension clamp 1 [0085] 100 Guide plate [0086] 101 Tension clamp [0087] 102 U-shaped middle section of the tension clamp 101 [0088] 108, 109 Torsion sections the tension clamp 101 [0089] 112, 113 Supporting arm of the tension clamp 101 [0090] 114, 115 Spring sections of the supporting arms 112, 113 [0091] 116, 117 Free ends of the supporting arms 112, 113 [0092] 118, 119 Support sections of the tension clamp 101 [0093] 125 Support surface of the guide plate 100 [0094] 126, 127 Stops [0095] 128, 129 U-shaped receptacles (=seat) [0096] 130, 131 Depressions [0097] 132, 133 Elevations [0098] BL Arc length over which there is contact between the respective torsion section 108, 109 and the guide plate 100 [0099] G1, G2 Connecting lines [0100] Z110, Z111 Centre of the support zones of the torsion sections 108, 109 [0101] S Axis of symmetry of the tension clamp 101 [0102] AG, AS Distances [0103] O Upper side of the tension clamps 1, 101 [0104] U Underside of the tension clamp 1, 101 [0105] R Rear side of the tension clamp 1, 101 [0106] SG point of intersection [0107] V Front side of the tension clamp 1, 101