A DEVICE FOR THE HEATING OF RAILWAY SWITCHES

Abstract: The device according to the present invention has the purpose of warming up the railway switches by means of a plurality of modular plates (1) each connected with a sleeper (2) in correspondence with a sliding guide (16) of the relative bearing (17) of the mobile switch blade (5 or 6) and consisting of a base plate (8) and of a shaped blade (9) showing a relief (10), materializing with the relative base plate (8) a housing seat (12) for a heating element (14) that will heat by radiation through shaped plate (9) or base plate (8) the surrounding area.

Description: "A DEVICE FOR THE HEATING OF RAILWAY SWITCHES" The present invention concerns a device for the heating of railway switches. The problems connected with frost on rail- way switches are well known, and in particular of those in ve¬ ry cold areas where it oftenly snows and freezes. For eliminating these inconveniences in a practical and func¬ tional way, a heating of the mobile switch blades-.or of the support and sliding bearings thereof has been provided. At present, two different kinds of heating are known: the first one by means of electric resistances and the second one by means of Bunsen-burners. The first-heating system provides electric resistances to be placed in the appositely formed bearings for support and slid¬ ing of the mobile switch blades of the switches. This kind of heating has a plurality of inconveniences, first of all the over-heating of the bearings with the risk of defor¬ mation nf the same with the passing of time. A further inconvenience of this system consists in that only the bearing, the guide thereof and a small part of mobile switch blade relating to the support of the bearings are heated,, whi¬ le that part of the switch blade comprised between two sleepers and the area between the mobile switch balde and the fix track are not heated with the consequent formation of ice or snow accumulation on the same. This means that the mobile switch blade is warm and free of ice or snow, but between such blade and the relative fix track and the other mobile switch blade there is ice or snow that prevents the blade from moving. The second system provides a series of Bunsen-burners placed laterally to the area where ice and snow shall be removed from the tracks and from the mobile switch blades for the moving of the same. On the external side of the tracks a duct is placed to which the Bunsen-burners are connected, one for each sleeper, turned towards the corresponding track area. The lighting may be of any kind, piezoelectric or other, but in a- ny case such to be distance-operated. This system has produc- ed good effects for what concerns the heat distribution, but many problems have risen: a difficulty in lighting all burners at the same time, breaking and closing up-of- the same. -The weather conditions are those-which create-most of the problems, as the burners are often immersed in the snow and may not be lighted at the desired moment, thus leaving the relative track portion or the mobile switch blade in the same critical condi¬ tions. Much worse is the dependence of the burners 1 working from the air currents, and more precisely from the speed of the wind and of the trains: a strong wind as well as a train at a high speed may blow out the flames of the burners. The presence of an even faint wind brings along a heat dispersion increasing with the increased strength of the wind. Finally, this system has produced optimal results in presence of op¬ tima weather conditions and with trains passing by at a low speed. It is therefore the aim of the present invention to eliminate above mentioned inconveniences. The object of the present in- . vention, -as it is characterized in the enclosed claims, solvess the problem with a plurality of modular plates each connected to one sleeper in correspondence with the sliding guide of the bearing and crossed by a heating element that may transmit its own heat to the respective mobile switch blade by radia¬ tion. One of the advantages of the object of the present invention mainly consists of the lack of sensibi-lity thereof- to the wea¬ ther conditions, obtained providing a heating-by radiation wi h- a heating element protected inside the heat radiating element. A further advantage of the object of the present invention is the possibility of heating up an area being sufficiently wide so as to prevent the ice formation or the snow accumulation on the mobile switch blades or between these and the fix tracks. Further a still advantage of the present invention consists of the versatility in the feeding thereof, as the modular plates may be crossed by electric resistances or by ducts for the feed¬ ing of a heating fluid being liquid or gaseous. The present invention will be described more in detail herein- below relating to the attached drawings snowing some embodiments thereof. Figure 1, shows a plant view of a railway switch provided with the device according to the present invention. Figure 2, shows a plant view in a reduced scale of a modular plate of the device according to the present inven- tion, said plate being connected to the correspond¬ ing sleeper. Figure 3, is a section III - III of figure 2. Figure 4, shows a transparent scheme of a further application of the device according to the present invention to. the corresponding sleeper. Figure 5, shows a lateral view in direction V of figure 4. Relating to figure 1, the outer fix tracks 3 and 4 of a rail¬ way switch are shown, againts which the mobile switch blades 5 and 6 of the same switch get into contact, all shown with 7, whereby the device according to the present invention com- prises a plurality of modular plates 1. Each modular plate 1 is provided on the inner side and in cor¬ respondence to sliding guide 16 of the relative support bear- ing 17 of the mobile switch blade 5 or 6 and consists of (see figures 2 and 3) a base plate 8 and of a shaped plate 9. The shaped plate 9 is externally shaped like the base plate, but shows a relief 10 that defines, in combination with the re¬ lative base plate 8, a housing seat 12 for a heating element 14. The reliefs 10 are nearly stright in correspondence with the connection area of two adjacent modular plates 1 and are curv- ed in the central area so as to embrace the relative sliding guide 16 (see figures 1 and 2). The opposite ends of reliefs 10 are consequently dimensioned, so that shaped plates 9 may be overlaid and that seats 12 result to be continuous. The perimetral edge of shaped plate ' 9 is eventually folded to¬ wards the base plate to that said plate results to be somewhat -lifted from the latter one in correspondence to that area that is not interested by the relief 10 for a better diffusion of the heat emitted by the heating element 14 in the area between each base plate 8 and the corresponding shaped plate 9. The base plate 8 and the shaped plate 9 carry two series of corresponding passing through holes 18 and 19 for the crossing of fixing elements (not shown) to the respective sleeper and with respect to adjacent plates £ and 9. In the base plate 8 further holes are provided, not shown, for the discharge of the rain water, of the water of the melting of the ice and of the eventual condense formed inside seat 12 at the end of the heating performed by the radiating element 14. The material forming base plates 8 and shaped plates 9 must be thermoconductive and the shape of reliefs 10 must be such as to allow a heat transmission by radiation with the best possible efficiency. For improving said efficiency, the reliefs 10 may have outer tabs that allow a better radiation towards the respective mo¬ bile switch blade 5 or 6. The material of the base plates 8 and of the shaped plates 9 must be thermoconductive also for allowing a good heat transmission also by conduction through the same and through the sliding guide 16 of the relative bearing 17. The heating element 14 ends up, through an insulated and not shown duct, to a respective, also not shown, source provided immediately near switch.7.-The heating element- 14 may be of different kinds,-e-.g.-an electric " dry-resistance or r -as shown in figure a couple of ducts 14 or 15 of thermoconductor materials in which a fluid - liquid or gaseous - flows, heat- ed up at a determined temperature. Ducts 14 and 15 end up in a fluid generator provided immedia¬ tely near switch 7. In that case in which the heating element consists of a couple of ducts 14 and 15, one there and one back from the respective heating fluid source, shaped plate 9 has two reliefs 10 and 11, one for each duct. It is interesting to note, in figures 2 and 3, the particular shape of reliefs 10 and 11: they are discon- nected and separated by holes 19 near the juncture areas of said plates 9, but they are united as to form a single re¬ lief (see detail in figure 3) in the central area embracing the sliding guide 16 of the relative bearing 17 . . This dispo- .sition allows the maximum balance and therefore the maximum uniformity of the temperature. The shape of the seats 12 and 13 in the intercommunication area thereof may obviously be different form the one shown in figure 3. According to the present invention, modular plate 1 may be placed turned upside-down - in the particular case is is con¬ nected to sleepers 2 of cement or conglomerate material -, inserted and fixed to a corresponding seat 20 obtained in the body of the sleeper 2 in correspondence to the surface interested by the sliding guide 16 of the bearing 17, as shown in figures 4 and 5. In such disposition the radiation takes-places. ainly through -the base- plate-8 that results to be ' underlying, or said-plate forma and replaces the slid¬ ing guide of the bearing 17. According to such solution, lon- gitudinal plates for the connection of two adjacent modular plates 1 - not shown in the figures - are shown. The device according to the present invention may be distan¬ ce operated activating the heat source to which ducts 14 and 15 end: the heating fluid starst flowing through ducts 14 and 15 at an always increasing temperature up to a determined maximum relating to the outer temperature. When the temperatu- re of the ducts 14 and 15 increases the whole shaped plate 9, and most of all the reliefs 10 and 11 thereof, or the base plate 8, according to the disposition, start radiating heat towards the sliding guide 16, towards the respective mobile switch blade 5 or 6 and also towards the other mobile switch blade 5 or 6. Through the direct contact of the shaped blade 9 or the base plate 8 with the sliding guide 16, the heat of the ducts will be re-transmitted by radiation also to the cor¬ responding fix trach or 4. Therefore, the hear emitted by ducts 14 and 15 will be radiated to the mobile switch blades as well as to their sliding guides 16, but also to the area comprised between the mobile switches 5 and 6, and furthermo¬ re the same geat will be transmitted to the area between each • mobile switbh blade and the relative fix track 3 or 4. In other words, the device according to the present invention is able to heat in a uniform way nearly the whole area comprised bet¬ ween the fix track 3 and 4-of the railway switch 7 so as to allow a perfect working of the same. It is evident at this point that the device according to the presen invention is independent from the weather conditions, in particular from the wind, because the heating element 14 is protected inside the seat 12 thereof. The object of the present invention may be subject to manu va¬ riations, without therefore going out of the limits of the pre¬ sent invention. According to figure 3, each modular plate 1 may replace the sliding guide 16 of the relative bearing 17. Furthermore, all details may be replaced by other equivalent technical elements.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A device for the heating up of ra lway switches, characteriz¬ ed in that it comprises a plurality of modular plates (1) link- ed each to a corresponding sleeper (2) for the support of the fix tracks (3 and 4) and of the mobile switch blades (5 and 6) of the switch (7) to bea heated; each modular plate (1) con¬ sisting of a base plate (8) and a shaped plate (9) showing at least one relief (10) defining, in combination with the rela- tive base plate (8), a seat (12) for the housing of a heating element (14) fed by its own source placed near the switch (7) to be heated; each modular plate (1) being inwardly placed with -respect to the relative mobile switch blade (5 or 6) in corre¬ spondence of the sliding guide (16) of the bearing (17) for the support of the latter; said relief (10) of said shaped plate (9) being nearly stright in correspondence of the con¬ nection area of the latter to the adjacent ones and centrally forming a loop embracing the sliding guide (16) of said sup¬ port bearing (17); said base plates (8) and said shaped plates (9) of each modular plate (1) being out of thermoconductor ma¬ terial so that the heat emitted by said heating element (14) be radiated to said fix tracks (3 and 4) through said modular plates (1) and said sliding guides (16) of said support beat¬ ings (17). 2. A device for heating according to claim 1, characterized in that said heating element (14) consists of a coople of ducts (14 and 15) for there and back of a heating fluid coming from a source of heated fluid; said ducts (14, 15) are out of thermoconductive material. 3. A device for heating according to claim 2, characterized in that said shaped plate (9) shows two reliefs (10, 11) discon¬ nected nearby the connecting area of said modular plates (1) and united so as to form a single seat around the sliding gui¬ de (16) of said support bearing (17). 4. A device for the heating according to claim .1, characterized in that said relief {10) of said shaped plate (9) externally shows a plurality of tabs for increasing the radiant surface of said relief. ' 5. A device for the beating according to claim 1, characterized in that the perimetral edge of said shaped plate (9) is slightly folded towards.the relative baseplate {8)-for materializing with the same a chamber,heated by said heating element. (14 and placed below said sliding guide (16). 6: A device for heating according to claim 1, characterized in that each modular plate (1) replaces 1 sliding guide (16) of the relative support bearing (17). 7. Aedevice for heating according to claim 1, characterized in that said modular plate (1) is applied, turned upside-down with respect to the relative sleeper (2), inserted and fixed in a corresponding seat (20) obtained in said sleeper, thus having the base plate (8) for the heat radiation on the same plane than the surface of the sleeper touched by the sliding guide (16) of the bearing (17); longitudinal plates for the connec¬ tion of the modular plates (1) being provided connected to adjacent sleepers (2). 8. A device for heating according to claim 7, characterized in that said base plate (8) is subject and supports the sliding guide (16) of bearing (17). 9. A device for heating according to claim 7, characterized in that said base plate (8) forms the sliding guide (16) of the bearing (17).

Inventors: PESCE LUCIANO, PESCE, LUCIANO
Applicants: PESCE LUCIANO, PESCE, LUCIANO
Application year: 1987
Main classification: E01B7
IPC codes: E01B7, E01B19