ADJUSTING PILE

Abstract: The invention relates to an adjusting pile (4) having a measuring/reference point (12) for use in connection with manual/mechanical repositioning/packing of tracks (1 - 3), comprising a foundation member (5) and a member (6, 6', 7, 7') adjustably arranged thereon for height and carrying a reference point carrying member (11), the reference point (12) thereof being adjustable within the horizontal plane in relation to the foundation member (5). According to the invention, one has aimed at providing a very simple adjusting pile, both constructively and functionally (with regard to operation). To this end, the member (6, 6', 7, 7') adjustable for height is displaceably arranged on the foundation member (5) respectively fastenable to the same in the position adjusted for height, the member (6, 6', 7, 7') adjustable for height having a horizontally extending guidance (10') for linearly displacement to and fro in the horizontal plane for the reference point carrying member (11) which, in adjusted position of displacement, is fastenable in relation to the member adjustable for height.

Description: ADJUSTING PILE This invention relates to arrangements in socalled adjusting piles serving as measuring respectively reference points in connection with working of rails with crowbars, followed by packing of chippings in beneath and against the sills. Previously, rails which had come out of position/course and/or correct height location, were worked into correct position by means of crowbars, whereafter the packing of the chippings in beneath and against the sills were effected by special hoes or hacks. Today, this heavy manual work is replaced by special machines working and packing rails which have come out of the original, correct position thereof. Thus, the Norwegian State's Railways (NSB) has such a special machine weighing about 50 tons, working and packing rails while running at a speed of 1-10 km an hour. Manual as well as mechanical working/packing of rails depend on the adjusting piles defined introductorily as reference points while performing the work and, therefore, said special machine is adapted to read optically signals being indicative of height level and position the pair of rails is to have while the machine is moving and performs the working/packing. To this end, for each 50 metres at straight rails and much closer together along curves, the above-mentioned adjusting piles have been erected, each having the form of a founded concrete cleat having a steel rail piece casted thereto, the corner of a cut reight-angled notch constituting said reference point with regard to both height level location and positioning within a horizontal plane. Thus, said corner is spaced by a certain distance from the closest correctly positioned rail of a pair, the height level location thereof exactly corresponding to correct rail top level. The distance between said corner constituting exact measuring or reference point to the closest positioned rail is to be 1,65 metres, and in case real distance differs too much from the determined exact distance of 1,65 metres - which may be due to a phenomenon called "sun circuit" or "sun turn" - a risk of derailing exists. In railway curves, the measuring or reference point of the adjusting piles is formed in order to define dosage as well. It is very time-consuming to arrange such adjusting piles, the work starting with digging beneath unfrozen depth at a place beforehand coarse-positioned such in relation to fixed points that it is likely that the location of the exact measuring or reference point in the horizontal plane later can be marked within the limits of the foundation in the horizontal plane. Thus, the digging and the subsequent casting of the foundation are based on a coarse adjustment, which later may not be true. Likewise, the subsequent casting of said steel rail piece is based on a coarse adjustment/judgement and may prove unsuccessful. However, the marking of the exact measuring or reference point is made by means of a telescope for levelling and possibly theodolite (measuring tape may be used in case the distance to the closest fixed point is not too large), but the exact point to be marked must, of course, be situated within the boundaries of the steel rail piece/the pile, such that it can be secured permanently, e.g. by cutting from two crossing sides such that, finally, the exact measuring/ reference point will be positioned in the corner of a cut right-angled notch. Thus, from the very first, this work requires the utmost accuracy in order to give a usable result. However, even the most accurately constructed adjusting piles for repositioning rails are susceptible and subjected to external forces due to frozen ground, vibrations and earthquake, causing concrete foundation and pile with measuring or reference point to come out of position and, thus, become totally useless in the new, incorrect position thereof. In order to straighten up such an adjusting pile, it might be necessary to remove the portion of the steel rail piece not casted into the foundation and to arrange a new one. This is very time-consuming ' and, consequently, expensive. From the not published Norwegian patent application No. 914154, a device of the kind concerned is known, substantially consisting in the fact that the exact measuring/reference point of the adjusting pile is positioned on a vertically adjustable and eccentrically rotatable means, so that the location of the point within the vertical and horizontal plane, respectively, can be adjusted correspondingly, both in the first place and later, i.e. when adjusting the point subsequently to an event where the foundation of the adjusting pile has come out of the correct position thereof. Indeed, the device as set forth in Norwegian patent application No. 914154 functions according to its purpose but, nevertheless, the construction thereof is rather complex and its operation somewhat cumbersome. Therefore, the object of the present invention has been to provide both a constructive and a functional simplification of the device as disclosed in Norwegian patent application No. 914154. The object is realized through the features as defined in the following claims . In accordance with the present invention, the reference point carrying member (which, as known per se, may have a right-angled notch forming the reference point) is linearly displaceably suspended and fastenable in various displacement positions on " the vertically adjustable member. This represents an optimally simple solution, avoiding threaded connections as well as the eccentric suspension of the device according to Norwegian patent application No. 914154. Suitably, the vertically adjustable member may be constituted by two interconnected pipe members having approximately semi-circular respectively partial circle- shaped cross section, said pipe members being arranged radially movable towards and away from each other between a fixing position, wherein they and, thus, the reference point carrying member are locked for height in relation to a vertical foundation pipe surrounded by the pipe members , and a released, vertically displaceable condition, wherein the interconnected pipe members together with the reference • point carrying member may be displaced freely along said foundation pipe. The two positions of the interconnected pipe members may, in the simplest way possible, be established by means of screw connections which are tightened (in order to fix the pipe members locked for height on the foundation pipe) and untightened (in order to enable the displacement of the pipe members along the foundation pipe to a new level for the reference point carrying member) . The reference point carrying member which suitably may have the form of an elongated ledge, is thereby linearly displaceably suspended in the horizontal plane between pipe members as well as fixable in the desired displacement position, wherein its notch or similar reference point is spaced by a correct distance horizontally from the track (rails) to which the device is assigned. In case further adjustability of the reference point is desired, the arrangement of the pipe members on the foundation pipe enables a rotation of the pipe members and, consequently, a rotation of the reference point carrying member around the vertical axis of the foundation pipe. In a practical design of the pipe members, each of their free longitudinal edges is provided with a connection flange having holes for said screws. In order to increase the retaining force between the pipe members respectively their connection flanges and the ledge- shaped reference point carrying member, mutually opposing surfaces of pipe member/connection flange and/or of reference point carrying member may be provided with small friction favouring projections. An example of a preferred embodiment is further explained in the following, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is an end view seen in the direction of a railway track, partially in verical section through the rails and through the ground in the area of a foundation pipe for an adjusting pile' according to the invention; Figure 2 shows the adjusting pile attached to the foundation pipe, seen in the same direction as in figure 1; Figure 3 shows the same as figure 2, but seen in the direction from the left hand side of figure 2, i.e. 90 degrees angularly displaced therefrom; Figure 4 shows a top plan view of the device according to figures 2 and 3; and Figure 5 shows an enlarged detail view corresponding to the area of figure 4 encircled by a dotted line V. In figure 1, reference numerals 1 and 2 denote two rails included in a pair and bolted to sills 3, chippings being positioned between and against the sills 3. An adjusting pile according to the invention is generally denoted, at reference numeral 4. It comprises an in per se known foundation pipe (see Norwegian patent application No. 914154) having an outside diameter of e.g. 76 mm and which has been driven into a predrilled hole in the ground at a suitable distance, e.g. 1,65 metres, from the top external side face 2' of the adjacent rail 2, thereby assuming that said rail 2 occupies a correct position in the horizontal plane. In practice, the prepositioning of the holes for the foundation pipes 5 will be determined on the basis of exact fixed points in known manner. Now, reference is made to figures 2 - 4, wherein the construction of the adjusting pile is shown in detail. The foundation pipe 5 is arranged in the same manner and serves the same function as in Norwegian patent application No. 914154, a further discussion thereof being superfluous. The vertically adjustable means of the adjusting pipe 4 comprises two interconnected, approximately pipe half-shaped members 6 and 6 ' which, at each longitudinal edge is provided with a connection flange 7 and 7' , respectively. Each connection flange 7, 7' is formed with two (referred to the position of functioning) lower holes 8, 8' and one upper hole 9, 9' . In figure 4, these holes have been omitted for the sake of clarity. Each of the lower holes 8, 8' serves to accommodate a screw/bolt to be tightened or untightened depending on whether the vertically adjustable means 6, 6 ' ,7,7' is to be clamped to the foundation pipe 5 or to be capable of being displaced upwards or downwards along the same. Each pipe member 6 and 6' has an internal face 6" and 6' ' ' , respectively, the cross-sectional shape thereof following such a partial circle that, between the opposing flange faces of the pipe members 6, 6', a vertical slot 10 will be formed, figure 3, when said partial circle-shaped internal faces 6" and 6 11 ' rest against the outer mantle face 5' of the foundation pipe 5. Uppermost, said slot 10 forms a horizontally directed guiding groove 10' for the reference point carrying member 11 of the device. Thus, said member 11 may be displaced linearly to and fro in directions extending perpendicularly to the axis of displacement of the vertically adjustable means 6, 6 ',7,7' of the device. Screws/bolts , not shown, in the upper holes of the connection flanges 7 , 7 ' enable the displacement of the reference point carrying member 11 respectively the secure attachment thereof in adjusted position. The reference point carrying member 11 may, as reference point, as known per se, be equipped with a e.g. right-angled notch 12, wherein the reference point for the rails 1, 2 (strictly the rail 2) is constituted by the short line at the vertex of the right angle. When an adjusting pile and consequently the reference point 12 thereof have come out of position, one starts with loosening the screws in the lower holes 8, 8' of the connection flanges 7, 7 ' , such that the interconnected pipe members 6, 6 ' may be displaced up or down along the foundation pipe 5, until the position for correct height of the reference point 12 has been reached, whereafter the lower screws are tightened until the pipe members 6, 6 ' are securely clamped on the foundation pipe 5 in their new, correct position for height. Thereafter, the screws in the upper holes 9 , 9 ' of the connection flanges 7 , 7 ' are untightened in order to enable the displacement of the reference point carrying member 11 to and fro in the guiding groove 10' between the connection flanges 7, 7', until the reference point 12 is positioned in a correct position in the horizontal plane in relation to correct location for the upper external side face 2' of the rail 2, this adjustment of the reference point 12 of the reference point carrying member 11 taking place in relation to exact fixed points. Thereafter, said screws are tightened in order to secure the reference point carrying member 11 in the new, finely adjusted position within the horizontal plane. In order to guarantee a secure grip between the opposing side faces of the connection flanges 7, 7 ' and the reference point carrying member 11 in the adjusted position of the latter, small friction-favouring projections 13 may be formed on side faces of the connection flanges 7 , 7 ' and/or of the member 11, said side faces resting against each αther. According to figure 5, such projections 13 are formed on the connection flange 7 ' , but they might as well be formed on the side faces 11' of the member 11. Alternatively, such projections 13 could have been formed on opposing side faces of both connection flange and member 11.

Claims: C l a i m s 1. An arrangement in an adjusting pile (4) having a measuring/reference point (12) for use in connection with manual/mechanical repositioning/packing of tracks (1 - 3), comprising a foundation member (5) and a member (6,6 ',7,7' ) adjustably arranged for height thereon and carrying a reference point carrying member (11), the reference point (12) thereof being adjustable within the horizontal plane in relation to the foundation member (5), c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the member (6, 6 ' ,1,1' ) adjustable for height is displaceably arranged on the foundation member (5) respectively fastenable to the latter in adjusted position for height, and that the member (6,6', 1,1' ) adjustable for height has a horizontally extending guidance ( 10 ' ) for linearly displacement to and fro in the horizontal plane for the reference point carrying member (11) which, in adjusted displacement position, is fastenable in relation to the member adjustable for height. 2. An arrangement as set forth in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the member adjustable for height comprises two approximately pipe half-shaped members (6, 6' ) which, at the free longitudinal edges thereof, are connected to connection flanges (7, 7' ) formed with holes (8, 8', 9, 9' ) for fixing means of the type screw/bolt capable of being tightened and untightened. 3. An arrangement as set forth in claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the internal faces (6", 6 11 ') of the two approximately pipe half-shaped members (6, 6' ) in cross section follow a partial circle extending across an arc of a circle having such an extent that said internal faces (6", 6 1 ' 1 ), when resting against a tubular foundation member (5), do not surround the latter entirely, thereby forming between faces of opposing connection flanges (7, 7') vertical slots (10), the upper portion thereof forming the guidance for the reference point carrying member (11). 4. An arrangement as set forth in one or more of the preceding claims , c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the reference point carrying member has the form of an elongated ledge (11) having a substantially larger extent of length than the diameter of the approximately pipe half-shaped members (6, 6') which, together with said flanges (7, 7'), constitute the vertically adjustable member of the device. 5. An arrangement as set forth in any one of the claims 2 - 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that opposing side faces of the connection flanges (7, 7') and/or the external side faces of the reference point carrying member ( 11 ) are formed with small, friction-favouring projections (13). 6. An arrangement as set forth in claim 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the elongated ledge- shaped reference point carrying member (11), as known per se, at one end thereof is formed with a notch (12 ) forming the reference point.

Inventors: ROEYNESTAD TOM TORALV, ROEYNESTAD, TOM, TORALV
Applicants: ROEYNESTAD TOM TORALV, ROEYNESTAD, TOM, TORALV
Application year: 1993
Main classification: E01B35
IPC codes: E01B35