Abstract
A tension spring for holding down a track body element, such as a rail foot of a rail, including a U-shaped main section which has a U-bend, a first leg arranged on one side of the U-bend and a second leg arranged on the other side of the U-bend, wherein a hook-shaped inwardly bent holding section which can be braced against a hold-down device is formed on the first leg and an end section bent towards or away from the holding section is formed on the second leg, wherein the U-bend forms a torsion section so that a hold-down force can be applied to the track body element via the bent end section.
Claims
1-42. (canceled)
43. A tension spring for holding down a track body element, comprising: a U-shaped main section which has a U-bend, a first leg being arranged on one side of the U-bend and a second leg being arranged on the other side of the U-bend; wherein a hook-shaped inwardly bent holding section configured to be braced against a hold-down device is formed on the first leg and an end section bent towards or away from the holding section is formed on the second leg; wherein the U-bend forms a torsion section so that a hold-down force is configured to be applied to the track body element via a bent end section; wherein the holding section has a free end portion connected to the first leg via a hook bend and arranged between the first leg and the second leg; and wherein the free end portion of the holding section, as viewed in the direction of a longitudinal extension of the free end portion, covers the U-bend at least partially.
44. The tension spring according to claim 43, wherein the bent end section extends at an angle of 80-100 to the second leg.
45. The tension spring according to claim 43, wherein the first leg and the free end portion of the holding section in the unloaded state provide a planar bearing surface or lie with their respective center axes in a center plane.
46. The tension spring according to claim 45, wherein the center plane runs parallel to the planar bearing surface.
47. The tension spring according to claim 43, wherein the hook bend of the holding section has a substantially 180 bend so that the free end portion of the holding section runs substantially parallel to the first leg at least in sections.
48. The tension spring according to claim 43, wherein an imaginary extension of the bent end section overlaps the hook bend in a plan view.
49. The tension spring according to claim 45, wherein the bent end section in the unloaded state has a normal distance to the center plane or to the planar bearing surface.
50. The tension spring according to claim 49, wherein the bent end section defines, in the unloaded state, the maximum overall height of the tension spring measured normal to the center plane or to the planar bearing surface.
51. The tension spring according to claim 45, wherein the second leg in the unloaded state has a normal distance from the center plane or from the planar bearing surface which increases continuously in the direction towards the bent end section.
52. The tension spring according to claim 51, wherein the second leg in the unloaded state runs at an acute angle inclined relative to the center plane or to the planar bearing surface.
53. The tension spring according to claim 45, wherein the bent end section has a bearing surface for bearing on the track body element which, in the unloaded state, extends upwardly at an acute angle relative to the center plane or to the planar bearing surface.
54. The tension spring according to claim 43, wherein, on the side of the free end portion facing the second leg, a gap is arranged between the bent end section and the free end portion of the holding section, as seen in a longitudinal extension of the free end portion and in a plan view.
55. The tension spring according to claim 43, wherein the holding section of the tension spring is configured to be pushed transversely to the longitudinal direction of the rail into a tunnel-shaped recess of the hold-down device towards the rail.
56. The tension spring according to claim 55, wherein the hook bend engages over the rail foot in a final assembly position of the tension spring.
57. The tension spring according to claim 43, wherein: between the first leg and the free end portion of the holding section a free space is provided which is configured to be penetrated by a screw shank of a fastening screw forming the hold-down device and in which the fastening screw is configured to be displaced in the longitudinal direction of the first leg; and the screw shank of the fastening screw has a diameter which is larger than the diameter of a wire forming the tension spring in the holding section.
58. A rail fastening device comprising: a tension spring for holding down a track body element, the tension spring comprising: a U-shaped main section which has a U-bend, a first leg being arranged on one side of the U-bend and a second leg being arranged on the other side of the U-bend; wherein a hook-shaped inwardly bent holding section configured to be braced against a hold-down device is formed on the first leg and an end section bent towards or away from the holding section is formed on the second leg; wherein the U-bend forms a torsion section so that a hold-down force is configured to be applied to the track body element via a bent end section; wherein the holding section has a free end portion connected to the first leg via a hook bend and arranged between the first leg and the second leg; and wherein the free end portion of the holding section, as viewed in the direction of a longitudinal extension of the free end portion, covers the U-bend at least partially; and a hold-down device configured to be fastened adjacent to a rail on a base, a ribbed plate, or an angle guide plate, and against which the holding section is braced in a mounted state of the tension spring so that the bent end section is configured to be arranged resiliently holding down a track body element.
59. The rail fastening device according to claim 58, wherein, in the mounted state of the tension spring, the hold-down device at least partially engages over both a free end portion of the holding section and the first leg.
60. The rail fastening device according to claim 58, wherein the hold-down device has or forms a tunnel-shaped recess into which the holding section of the tension spring can be at least partially inserted, and the hook bend in a final assembly position of the tension spring projects out of the tunnel-shaped recess and engages over the track body element.
61. The rail fastening device according to claim 58, wherein the hold-down device is formed by a fastening screw which can be screwed into the base, or by a hook bolt with nut which is suspended in the base, the at least one of the screw shank and a thread of which passes through a free space between the first leg and the free end portion of the holding section of the tension spring in order to hold down the tension spring in the region of the holding section.
62. The rail fastening device according to claim 61, wherein the tension spring is displaceable, with the bent end section in a tightened state of the hold-down device between a pre-assembly position and a final assembly position.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0068] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to schematic examples of embodiments shown in the drawing. Therein,
[0069] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a tension spring according to the invention,
[0070] FIG. 2 a top view of the tension spring according to FIG. 1,
[0071] FIG. 3 a view according to arrow III of FIG. 2,
[0072] FIG. 4 a view according to arrow IV of FIG. 2,
[0073] FIG. 5 a first design of a rail fastening device using the tension spring according to FIG. 1,
[0074] FIG. 6 a detailed view of FIG. 5,
[0075] FIG. 7 a second design of a rail fastening device using the tension spring according to FIG. 1,
[0076] FIG. 8 a detailed view of FIG. 7,
[0077] FIG. 9 a hold-down device according to FIGS. 7 and 8 in a perspective view,
[0078] FIG. 10 a side view of the hold-down device according to FIG. 9,
[0079] FIG. 11 a third design of a rail fastening device using the tension spring according to FIG. 1,
[0080] FIG. 12 a modified design of the rail fastening device of FIG. 11,
[0081] FIG. 13 a fourth design of a rail fastening device using the tension spring according to FIG. 1,
[0082] FIG. 14 a design according to FIG. 12 with a modified angle guide plate,
[0083] FIG. 15 a view of the angle guide plate according to FIG. 14,
[0084] FIG. 16 a front view of the angle guide plate according to FIG. 14,
[0085] FIG. 17 a bottom view of the angle guide plate according to FIG. 14 in an exploded view,
[0086] FIG. 18 the rail fastening device according to FIG. 12 in a pre-assembly position,
[0087] FIG. 19 the rail fastener according to FIG. 12 in a final assembly position,
[0088] FIG. 20 a cross-sectional view of the rail fastening device according to FIG. 18,
[0089] FIG. 21 a cross-sectional view of the rail fastening device according to FIG. 19,
[0090] FIG. 22 an alternative design of the rail fastening in a pre-assembly position,
[0091] FIG. 23 the rail fastening device according to FIG. 22 in a final assembly position,
[0092] FIG. 24 a cross-sectional view of the rail fastening device according to FIG. 22,
[0093] FIG. 25 a cross-sectional view of the rail fastening device according to FIG. 23,
[0094] FIG. 26 a perspective view of the angle guide plate used in the rail fastening device according to FIGS. 22-25, and
[0095] FIG. 27 another cross-sectional view of the rail fastening device according to FIG. 19.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0096] FIG. 1 shows the tension spring 1 according to the invention, comprising a U-shaped main section which has a U-bend 2, a first leg 3 arranged on one side of the U-bend 2 and a second leg 4 arranged on the other side of the U-bend 2, a holding section 5 which is bent inwards in the form of a hook and can be braced against a hold-down device being formed on the first leg 3, and an end section 6 which is bent towards or away from the holding section 5 being formed on the second leg 4. The holding section 5 includes a free end portion 7.
[0097] In FIG. 2, it can be seen that a gap x is arranged between the bent end section 6 and the free end portion 7 of the holding section 5, as seen in a plan view, on the side of the free end portion 7 facing the second leg 4. The gap allows the holding section of the tension spring 1 to be inserted, hook bend first, into a tunnel-shaped recess in the hold-down device (see FIG. 5-8).
[0098] In FIGS. 3 and 4, it can be seen that the first leg 3 and the holding section 5, including the free end portion 7, lie in the same plane so that they form a planar bearing surface a. Since the tension spring 1 is bent from a wire with a circular cross-section, this also means that the center axis of said sections lie in a common center plane b. In the unloaded state, it is further provided that the free end portion 7 of the holding section 5 completely covers the U-bend 2 as viewed in the direction of a longitudinal extension of the free end portion 7 (FIG. 3). In other words, starting from the first leg 3, the U-bend also lies in the same plane as the first leg 3 and the holding section 5, including the free end portion 7, at least until said overlap with the free end portion 7.
[0099] However, in the further course of the U-bend 2, i.e. in the direction towards the second leg 4, the U-bend 2 is bent downwards out of the plane a or b, so that the normal distance of the second leg 4 from the plane a or b increases up to the bent end section 6. In FIG. 4 it can be seen that the second leg 4 with its center axis c encloses an acute angle with the plane a or b of the holding section 5 and the first leg 3.
[0100] In FIG. 3 it is further shown that the bent end section 6 has a bearing surface d for bearing on the track body element, which in the unloaded state is inclined slightly upwards as seen in the direction of the arrow III, so that there is an acute angle & between the bent end section 6 or the bearing surface d and the plane a or b of the holding section 5 and the first leg 3.
[0101] FIG. 5 shows a rail 8 fixed to a sleeper 11 with the interposition of a plate 10 arranged on a base plate 9. The fastening is made on each side of the rail 8 by means of a tension spring 1 as shown in FIG. 1, which is inserted into a tunnel-shaped recess 13 of a hold-down device 12. In the final assembly position of the tension spring 1 shown in FIG. 5, the spring presses with its bent end section 6 on the rail foot 16 of the rail 8, with the optional interposition of an insulator. The hold-down device 12 is suitably attached to the plate 10. For example, the plate 10 and the hold-down device 12 are made in one piece and are bolted to the sleeper 11. Alternatively, an anchor may be formed on the underside of the plate 10, which is concreted into the sleeper 11 when it is cast from concrete.
[0102] FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the tension spring 1 inserted in the tunnel-shaped recess 13. It can be seen that the tension spring has been inserted into the tunnel-shaped recess 13 with its holding section 5 in the direction of the arrow 14, i.e. in the longitudinal direction of the rail, so that the bent end section 6 rests on the rail foot 16. When inserted in the direction of arrow 14, the bent end section 6 slides on a ramp 17 rising in the direction of insertion 14 until it falls over a step formed at the end of ramp 17 onto the rail foot 16. On the side of the hold-down device 12 facing the rail foot 16, a stop 18 is also formed which overlaps the bent end section 6 at a distance and acts together with the end section 6 as an overload protection device.
[0103] FIGS. 7 and 8 show an alternative design of the rail fastening device in which the tension spring 1 is inserted into the tunnel-shaped recess 13 (see FIG. 9) of the hold-down device 12 transversely to the longitudinal direction of the rail, i.e. in the direction of arrow 14. As it is pushed in the direction of arrow 14, the bent end section 6 again slides along the ramp 17 formed on the outside of the hold-down device 12 until the bent end section 6 drops down onto the rail foot 16 over a step 19 formed at the end of ramp 17. An insulator 15 can be arranged between the tension spring 1 and the rail foot. In the final assembly position shown in FIG. 8, the holding section 5 emerges from the tunnel-shaped recess 13 on the side facing the rail 8 and forms a stop overlapping the rail foot 16 with optional insulator 15 at a distance, which forms an overload protection.
[0104] The hold-down device 12 used in FIGS. 7 and 8 is shown in more detail in FIGS. 9 and 10, where it can be seen in particular that the ramp 17 consists of three sections following one another in the insertion direction 14. The ramp 17 comprises a first rising ramp portion 20 and a second rising ramp portion 22 and an intermediate portion 21 without slope lying there between, on which the bent end section 6 of the tension spring 1 rests in a pre-assembly position. Furthermore, FIGS. 9 and 10 show an anchor 31 with which the hold-down device can be concreted or cast into a concrete sleeper 11 or, for example, plastic sleeper 11.
[0105] FIG. 11 shows a modified design in which the tension spring 1 is tensioned by a hold-down device in the form of a fastening screw 25. The fastening screw 25 is hooked to the rib 24 as a hook bolt or screwed into the sleeper 11 in such a way that its screw shank or thread passes through a free space between the first leg 3 and the free end portion 7 of the holding section 5 of the tension spring 1. The free space between the first leg 3 and the free end portion 7 of the holding section 5 is slot-shaped in this case, so that the tension spring 1 can be moved between a pre-assembly position and the final assembly position shown in FIG. 12. In the illustrated embodiment, the rail base 10 is in the form of a ribbed plate, the ribs 24 of which define the position of the rail foot 16 of the rail 8 on the sleeper 11.
[0106] In the modified design shown in FIG. 12, the fastening system comprises an angle guide plate 26 on each side of the rail 8, which engages in a groove 27 of the sleeper 11 with a rib formed on the underside.
[0107] FIG. 13 shows the use of a rail fastening device according to the invention in the area of a switch, which has a stock rail 8 and a tongue rail 28 that can be displaced between a remote and a contact position. In this case, the tongue rail 28 slides with its rail foot on a slide chair 29, the hold-down device 12 having on its upper side a further slide surface flush with the slide surface of the slide chair 29. The hold-down devices 12 arranged on both sides of the stock rail 8 can be formed in one piece with a base plate 30.
[0108] The design according to FIG. 14 corresponds essentially to the design according to FIG. 12, but the angle guide plate 26 has a two-part design. As shown in FIGS. 15 and 17, the angle guide plate 26 comprises a first part 32 facing away from the rail and a second part 33 facing toward the rail. The first part 32 carries a rib 34 which engages the groove 27 when installed, the rib 34 preferably having a trapezoidal cross-section and having at least one guide surface 38. The first and second parts 32,33 are movable relative to each other along guide surfaces 38, 39 (FIG. 17) which are inclined relative to the longitudinal direction of the rail, thereby enabling adaptation to the respective track gauge. The second part 33 further comprises a plate-shaped support element 41 on which the tension spring 1 rests and which overlaps the upper surface of the first part 32. As can be seen in FIG. 17, the plate-shaped support element 41 has at least one oblique guide groove 40 on its underside, in which guide pins or the like (not shown) formed on the upper side of the first part 32 engage in order to hold the two parts 32, 33 together, particularly in the unloaded state. Furthermore, it can be seen that the second part 33, in particular the plate-shaped support element 41, has a through hole 35 through which the screw 25 passes in the assembled state of the tension spring 1. The through hole 35 is formed as an oblong hole perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rail. For lateral guidance of the tension spring 1, the second part 33, in particular the plate-shaped support element 41, has two walls 37 which run in the insertion direction 14 of the tension spring 1. The tension spring 1 is also guided by the elevation 36, which is arranged between the first leg 3 and the free end 7 of the holding section 5 of the tension spring 1.
[0109] The tension spring 1 can be moved between the final assembly position shown in FIG. 14 and a pre-assembly position not shown, in which the tension spring 1 does not overlap the rail foot. The design is such that the screw 25 does not have to be loosened in order to move the tension spring 1 from the pre-assembly position to the final assembly position. The displacement can be performed, for example, by means of a lever-type tool.
[0110] FIGS. 18 and 19 show the displaceability of the tension spring 1 between the pre-assembly position (FIG. 18) and the final assembly position (FIG. 19) on the basis of the design according to FIG. 12, whereby reference signs from FIGS. 14-17 have also been retained insofar as corresponding components are concerned. FIGS. 20 and 21 each show a cross-section of FIGS. 18 and 19, respectively, along lines XX and XXI, respectively.
[0111] In the cross-sectional view shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, it can be seen that the fastening screw 25 has a screw head 42 and a screw shank 43, with the screw head 42 clamping down the tension spring with the interposition of a washer 44. Here, the elevation 36 of the angle guide plate 26 forms a stop 45 with which the screw head 42 or the washer 44 interacts and which thus limits the screw-in depth of the fastening screw 25. The stop 45 is used here to define the screwed-down state of the tension spring 1 or the tightened state of the fastening screw 25 in such a way that the tension spring 1 remains displaceable between the pre-assembly and final assembly positions. The stop 45 here defines a minimum vertical distance h between the washer 44 and the bearing surface of the angle guide plate 26, which is equal to or greater than the unloaded diameter of the wire forming the tension spring in this area.
[0112] FIG. 20 shows that the angle guide plate 26 has a lateral contact surface 46 for the rail foot 16 and the fastening screw 25 is arranged in such a way that the tension spring 1 does not project beyond the contact surface 46 in the pre-assembly position.
[0113] Furthermore, FIGS. 18 and 19 show a ramp 47 formed on the angle guide plate 26, which is arranged in such a way that the bent end section 6 of the tension spring 1 slides on it when it is moved from the pre-assembly position to the final assembly position. The ramp is level or ascending in the direction towards the rail foot 16, the end of the ramp forming a step descending towards the rail foot over which the bent end section 6 descends onto the rail foot 16 when the tension spring 1 is displaced from the pre-assembly position to the final assembly position.
[0114] FIGS. 22 and 23 show an alternative design in which the tension spring 1 can be moved from the pre-assembly position (FIG. 22) to the final assembly position (FIG. 23) by rotating it about the screw axis. FIGS. 24 and 25 are sectional views of FIGS. 22 and 23. For the rotation of the tension spring 1, a rotatable intermediate piece 48 is provided as a stop 45, which is penetrated by the screw shank 43 and engages between the first leg 3 and the free end portion 7 of the tension spring 1 and is pressed there against the angle guide plate 26 by the fastening screw 25, so that the intermediate piece 48 thereby forms a rotatable stop 45, which both limits and transmits the screw-in depth of the fastening screw 25 and its tensioning force to the tension spring 1, which is why the intermediate piece 48 could also be understood as a component of a hold-down device.
[0115] The rotatable stop 45 serves in a comparable manner to the previously described displaceable design to define the screwed-down state of the tension spring 1 or the tightened state of the fastening screw 25 in such a way that the tension spring 1 remains rotatable between the pre-assembly position and the final assembly position. The intermediate piece 48 includes a portion overlapping the first leg 3 and the free end portion 7, whereby the tension spring is tightened when tightening the fastening screw 25. Here, the area of the intermediate piece 48 overlapping the first leg 3 and the free end portion 7 defines as a stop 45 a minimum vertical distance h between the contact surface of the tension spring on the angle guide plate 26 and its opposite contact surface of the intermediate piece 48, which is equal to or greater than the unloaded diameter of the wire forming the tension spring in this area. Furthermore, the intermediate piece 48 comprises an extension 49 which engages behind the end face of the free end portion 7 of the tension spring 1 or engages in the free space between the free end portion 7 and the U-bend 2. The extension 49 acts as a safeguard against horizontal displacement of the tension spring 1 and as a driver to transmit the rotational movement applied by a tool to the intermediate piece 48 or stop 45 to the tension spring 1.
[0116] The angle guide plate 26 of FIGS. 22 to 25 is shown in more detail in FIG. 26, and it can be seen that an elevation 50 is formed on the side 46 facing the rail foot 16, which elevation has a contoured edge to provide both a first holding surface 53 for the position of the pre-assembly position, and a second holding surface 54 for the position of the final assembly position of a rotationally displaceable tension spring 1. Further, the contact surface 46 forms a step 52 extending from the upper edge of the contact surface 46 and descending to a rail foot. In order for the hold-down force to be fully transmitted to the rail foot in the final assembly position, there must be the required vertical movement clearance between the second leg and the angle guide plate 26 for a tension spring 1. A recess 51 ensures that the upper edge of the contact surface 46 or step 52 is lowered at the appropriate point.
[0117] FIG. 27 shows the section S-S through step 52 of FIG. 19. The step drops down to the rail foot by distance Y.
