TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a railway section, comprising a support arrangements and a rail supported by the support arrangement. The invention also relates to a railway comprising at least two such railway sections arranged in parallel with and beside each other.

The rail is a rail configured to be contacted by wheels of a train travelling on the railway.

BACKGROUND

Railway sections aimed in particular for the building of bridges and comprising a rail supported by a support arrangement are well known. The support arrangement may thereby be configured to be attached to and bear on pillar arrangements. A railway built on pillars may comprise a plurality of interconnected sections of support arrangements, wherein each individual section extends from one pillar to a neighbouring pillar.

The support arrangement may comprise a box-like steel structure, as for example disclosed in CN107447599, or a concrete structure, or combinations of a concrete structure and steel structures. The rail aimed for contacting the wheels of a train is attached to an upper surface of the box-like steel structure or to an upper surface of a concrete structure.

Building railway bridges instead of building the railway directly on ground may often be advantageous. In connection to the building of railway bridges, huge pre-built railway sections, extending from one pillar to the next, may be lifted into position by means of correspondingly huge machines, constructed particularly for the purpose. One railway section extending approximately 30 meters between two neighbouring pillars may weigh up to as much as approximately 900 tons. Needless to say, it is a technical challenge to install such sections.

THE OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to suggest a railway section and a railway that enables cost-efficient building and maintenance of railways, in particular railway bridges.

SUMMARY The object of the invention is achieved by a railway section, comprising

-a support arrangement, and

-a rail supported by the support arrangement, said railway section being characterised in that the support arrangement comprises -at least one box girder, and

-a U-girder, having a U-shaped cross section and being attached to an upper surface of said at least one box girder and having its opening directed upwards, and that the rail is inserted into and supported by the U-girder.

The U-girder will enable rapid and precise positioning of the rail on the support structure. Individual support arrangements, including the U-girder, are pre-built and connected to each other. The rail is continuous and therefore much longer than the individual support arrangements. The rail is therefore put in position in the U-girder after the connection of the individual support arrangements.

The use of a box-girder as a support for the U-girder provides for a stable support having a relatively low weight compared to most prior art. Support arrangements extending approximately 30 meters between neighbouring pillars and having the design according to the invention (thereby comprising four sections according to the invention arranged in parallel, and forming two parallel tracks) may weigh approximately 75 tons, which is far less than the 900 ton sections of prior art mentioned above. The U- girder may be attached to the box-girder by means of weld-joints of bolt-joints.

According to one embodiment, the U-girder has an inner width corresponding to the width of the rail. Thereby, the stability of the rail is improved. The height of the rail is larger than the depth of the U-girder.

According to one embodiment, the rail has a through hole extending in a lateral direction through the rail, and that there is provided a bolt or pin that extends through the opposite lateral walls of the U-girder and through the through hole of the rail. Thereby, the rail is effectively prevented from being displaced in relation to the U-girder. Bolts or pins may be arranged in the suggested way with suitable distances to each other in the longitudinal direction of the rail and the U-girder.

According to one embodiment, the through hole of the rail is elongated in a longitudinal direction of the rail. Thereby, changes of the length of the rail due to temperature changes may be adopted by a relative motion of the rail in relation to the bolt or pin in the longitudinal direction of the rail.

According to one embodiment, the rail has an upper end and a lower end said upper end and lower end having the same geometry. When an end of the rail is worn down, the rail may be turned upside-down and the opposite end may be used for direct contact with train wheels. The rail may also be moved to a neighbouring, opposite railway section of a railway comprising two parallel railway sections according to the invention. According to one embodiment, the rail has a generally rectangular cross section, with rounded corners. Thereby, the lateral sides of the rail will find good support against the U-girder. According to one embodiment, the U-girder is filled with a filler of a solid material which fills voids between rail and the U-girder. The filler should be of a material which is softer than the material of the U-girder and the material of the rail, such that it will have a sound-dampening effect.

According to one embodiment, said solid filler comprises a mouldable material which forms a homogenous body that has been generated by being moulded in a fluid state into the U-girder after insertion of the rail into the U-girder and has been permitted to solidify therein. The filler preferably comprises a polymer as its main constituent.

According to one embodiment, said filler comprises a thermoplastic. Thereby, the filler may easily be heated, recycled and possibly reused for the same purpose.

According to one embodiment, the at least one box girder defines a lateral wall surface against which the U-girder bears. According to one embodiment, the lateral wall surface is arranged on a side of the U-girder and the rail which is distant from a centre line of a railway comprising the railway section. A train having wheels with a flange on the inside of the wheel, in accordance practice, will apply substantial lateral forces on the rail and the U-girder in curved sections. The lateral wall surface of the box-girder will adopt at least a part of such forces and may thus reduce the strain on the U-girder and the rail.

According to one embodiment, the box girder comprises walls of steel and it is filled with a filler configured to reduce corrosive effect of ambient atmosphere on said walls. The filler may also have a sound-dampening effect. According to one embodiment, the filler fills the whole interior of the box-girder.

According to one embodiment, said filler comprises a polymer, preferably polyurethane.

According to one embodiment, the railway section comprises a permanent magnet arranged on an upper surface of and supported by said at least one box girder, said permanent magnet extending in parallel with the rail in a longitudinal direction of the railway section. The permanent magnet is configured to interact with a magnet provided on train, thereby inducing a lifting force on the train. According to one embodiment, the railway section also comprises a second permanent magnet arranged opposite to and with a distance to the permanent magnet arranged on the upper surface of the box-girder. The second permanent magnet is carried by an arm attached to the box-girder and extend in the longitudinal direction of the rail. The first and second magnets have the same polarity. The magnet carried by a train should have a repelling polarity in relation to first and second magnets. The first and second magnets should be arranged such that the magnet of the train traveling on the railway will be positioned between the first and second magnet of a railway section according to the present invention.

The object of the invention is also obtained by means of a railway, characterised in that it comprises two railway sections as disclosed hereinabove or hereinafter extending in parallel to and beside each other. The railway preferably comprises a plurality of such pairs of railway sections, interconnected with each other.

According to one embodiment, the railway comprises a first pillar arrangement and a second neighbouring pillar arrangement, wherein each railway section extends from the first pillar arrangement to the second pillar arrangement and is attached to and supported by the respective pillar arrangement, wherein said at least one box girder of each support arrangement rests on an upper surface of each of the first pillar arrangement and the second pillar arrangement.

According to one embodiment, the railway comprises at least one cross bar extending between and connected to each of said two railway sections. Preferably, there is provided a plurality of cross bars between two adjacent railway sections according to the present invention, distributed with distance to each other in the longitudinal direction of the railway.

The assembly of the railway comprises the steps of providing a plurality of railway sections according to the invention, except for the rail, arranging the railway sections in pairs, each railway extending from a first pillar arrangement to a second pillar arrangement, and interconnecting the two rail arrangements by means of cross bars.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Exemplifying embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the annexed drawing, on which:

Fig. 1 is a partly cut end view of a part of a railway according to the invention,

Fig. 2 is a view from above of a part of a railway according to the invention,

Fig. 3 is a side view of the part of railway shown in fig. 2

Fig. 4 is a partly cut end view of a railway section according to the invention, and Fig. 5 is a cross section through a part of the railway section shown in fig. 4,

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Fig. 1 shows a part of a railway according to the invention. The shown railway comprises two track 1 , 2, thereby defining a double track. The tracks 1 , 2 are arranged on and supported by pillar arrangements 3, 4, 5 as can also be seen in fig. 3.

Each track 1 , 2 comprises a two railway sections 6, 7 extending in parallel and beside each other. In the following, only one of the sections 6, 7 will be described more in detail, but it should be understood that the other section, extending in parallel with and beside the described section has a corresponding design. The railway section 6 comprises a support arrangement 8, and a rail 9 supported by the support arrangement 8. The support arrangement 8 comprises a first box girder 10, a second box girder 11 and a U-girder 12 having a U-shaped cross section and being attached to an upper surface of first box girder 10. The U- girder 12 has its opening directed upwards, and the rail 9 is inserted into and supported by the U-girder 12.

The U-girder 12 has an inner width corresponding to the width of the rail 9. The rail 9 has through holes 13 extending in a lateral direction through the rail 9, and there are provided bolts 14 that extend through the opposite lateral walls of the U-girder 12 and through the through holes 13 of the rail 9. A plurality of through holes 12 and the bolts 13 are be arranged in the suggested way with suitable distances to each other in the longitudinal direction of the rail 9 and the U-girder 12. Each through hole 13 is elongated in a longitudinal direction of the rail 9, so that changes of the length of the rail 9 due to temperature changes may be adopted by a relative motion of the rail 9 in relation to the bolt 14 in the longitudinal direction of the rail 9.

The rail 9 has an upper end 9a and a lower end 9b. The upper end 9a and the lower end 9b have the same geometry. When an end of the rail 9 is worn down, the rail may be turned upside-down and the opposite end may be used for direct contact with train wheels. The rail 9 may also be moved to a neighbouring, opposite railway section 7 of the track 1 of a railway comprising two parallel railway sections 6, 7 according to the invention. The rail 9 has a generally rectangular cross section, with rounded corners. The lateral sides of the rail 9 are supported by the corresponding lateral sides of the U-girder 12.

The U-girder 12 is filled with a filler 15 of a solid material which fills voids between rail and the U-girder, see fig. 5. The filler 15 is softer than the material of the U-girder 12 and the material of the rail 9, such that it will have a sound-dampening effect. The solid filler 15 comprises a mouldable material which forms a homogenous body that has been generated by being moulded in a fluid state into the U-girder 12 after insertion of the rail 9 into the U-girder 12 and has been permitted to solidify therein. The filler 15 preferably comprises a polymer as its main constituent. According to one embodiment, the filler 15 comprises a thermoplastic.

The second box girder 11 defines a lateral wall surface 16 against which the U-girder 12 bears. The lateral wall surface 16 is arranged on a side of the U-girder 12 and the rail 9 which is distant from a centre line of a railway track 1 comprising the railway section 6, 7. A train having wheels with a flange on the inside of the wheel, in accordance with common practice, will apply substantial lateral forces on the rail 9 and the U-girder 12 in curved sections. The lateral wall surface 16 of the box-girder 12 will adopt at least a part of such forces and may thus reduce the strain on the U-girder 12 and the rail 9.

Each box girder 10, 11 comprises walls of steel and is filled with a filler 17, 18 configured to reduce corrosive effect of ambient atmosphere on said walls. The filler 17, 18 may also have a sound-dampening effect. The filler 17, 18 fills the whole interior of the respective box-girder 10, 11. The filler 17, 18 comprises a polymer, preferably polyurethane.

The railway section 6 comprises a permanent magnet 19 arranged on an upper surface of and supported by the second box girder 11. The permanent magnet 19 extends in parallel with the rail in a longitudinal direction of the railway section. The permanent magnet 19 is configured to interact with a magnet provided on train, thereby inducing a lifting force on the train. The railway section 6 also comprises a second permanent magnet

20 arranged opposite to and with a distance to the permanent magnet 19 arranged on the upper surface of the second box- girder 11. The second permanent magnet 20 is carried by an arm

21 attached to the second box-girder 11 and extend along the railway in the longitudinal direction of the rail 9 and the railway.

The first and second magnets 19, 20 have the same polarity. The magnet carried by a train should have a repelling polarity in relation to the fist and second magnets 19, 20. The first and second magnets should be arranged such that the magnet of the train traveling on the railway will be positioned between the first and second magnet of a railway section according to the present invention. The repelling force of the first magnet will induce a lifting force on the train, while the repelling force from the second magnet, which is smaller, will counteract excessive lifting forces on the train, for example caused by wind during travel at high speed. Reference is made to figs. 1-3. The railway comprises a plurality of first and a second neighbouring pillar arrangements 3, 4. Each railway section 6, 7 extends from a first pillar arrangement 3 to a second pillar arrangement 4 and is attached to and supported by the respective pillar arrangement 3, 4. The first and second box girders 10, 11 of each support arrangement 8 rests on an upper surface a first pillar arrangement 3 and a second pillar arrangement 4. The support arrangements 8 are prefabricated units, each having a length corresponding to the distance between the centre points of the neighbouring pillar arrangements 3, 4 to which they are attached and be supported by. The railway is thus built by interconnecting railway sections to each other in the longitudinal direction of the railway.

Each track 1 , 2 comprises a plurality of cross bars 22 extending between and connected to each of two parallel railway sections 6, 7, in order to provide for stability.