Abstract:
A system for embedding a pair of rails of a railway track comprises a pair of field panels adapted for positioning opposite each other at outer sides of the rails and a gauge panel adapted for positioning between the rails. Each field panel has a side surface adapted to face its corresponding rail outer side and the gauge panel has opposite side surfaces adapted to face the inner sides of the rails. A first filler strip is associated with each of the field panels and a pair of second filler strips are associated with the gauge panel. Each of the first and second filler strips include a sealing portion that is adapted to contact one of the inner and outer rail sides and a mounting portion for connecting the filler strip to its respective panel. A U-shaped reinforcing member extends along a length of each filler strip mounting portion such that each filler strip is sandwiched between its respective reinforcing member and panel side surface. A plurality of fasteners extend from the side surface of each panel, through its respective filler strip and reinforcing member to thereby connect the filler strip to the panel. The reinforcing member provides structural rigidity to the filler strip.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to railway crossing construction, and more particularly to prefabricated railway panel assemblies for installation at railway crossings. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Railway tracks typically include a pair of steel rails supported on a plurality of traversely extending ties which in turn are supported on ballast material. At intersections with roadways, sidewalks and the like, the railway tracks are typically embedded so that the top surface of the rails are substantially the same height as the finish grade of the surrounding surface so that vehicles, pedestrians and the like may cross over the rails with minimal difficulty. 
     One typical way of embedding the rails includes installing gauge panels between the rails and field panels at opposite or outer sides of the rails such that a gap is formed between the rails and panels. Gaps must exist in order permit the flanged wheels of a train, car or other rail-guided vehicle to pass along the rails through the intersection without obstruction. These gaps also prevent the surrounding surface from contacting the rails, due to construction tolerances or surface shifting. However, the gaps between a rail and panels cause several problems. By way of example, foreign objects may become wedged in the gaps and present an obstacle for vehicles traveling along the rails, as well as for vehicles crossing the rails. Foreign objects and fluids may also fall through the gaps and accumulate between the rail and the surrounding surface. These fluids or foreign objects can damage the railway crossing system, such as the ballast, ties, attaching hardware, and so on. In order to address these problems, filler strips have been separately inserted into the gaps between the rails and panels, a time-consuming and labor-intensive task. 
     It has been proposed to bolt a filler strip directly to the panel at spaced locations, as shown for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,415,120 issued to Thim. However, the filler strip may become wavy between mounting bolts and break the seal between the panel and rail, thus permitting liquid, dirt, and other debris to pass between the rail and panel. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the invention, a panel assembly is provided for installation at a railroad crossing. The panel assembly comprises a panel having a side surface adapted to face at least one of the rails. A filler strip has a sealing portion adapted to contact at least one rail and a mounting portion for connecting the filler strip to the panel. A reinforcing member extends along a length of the filler strip mounting portion such that the filler strip mounting portion is sandwiched between the reinforcing member and the panel side surface. A plurality of fasteners extend from the panel side surface through the filler strip and reinforcing member to thereby connect the filler strip to the panel. The reinforcing member provides structural rigidity to the filler strip. 
     Further according to the invention, a system for embedding a railway track having a pair of rails comprises a pair of field panels adapted for positioning opposite each other at outer sides of the rails and a gauge panel adapted for positioning between the rails. Each field panel has a side surface adapted to face its corresponding rail outer side and the gauge panel has opposite side surfaces adapted to face the inner sides of the rails. A first filler strip is associated with each of the field panels and a pair of second filler strips are associated with the gauge panel. Each of the first and second filler strips include a sealing portion that is adapted to contact one of the inner and outer rail sides and a mounting portion for connecting the filler strip to its respective panel. A reinforcing member extends along a length of each filler strip mounting portion such that each filler strip is sandwiched between its respective reinforcing member and panel side surface. A plurality of fasteners extend from the side surface of each panel, through its respective filler strip and reinforcing member to thereby connect the filler strip to the panel. The reinforcing member provides structural rigidity to the filler strip. 
    
    
     Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and appended claims, and upon reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The preferred embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements, and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a cross sectional elevational view of a railroad crossing incorporating the panel system of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the railroad crossing and panel system of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a cross sectional elevational view of a portion of the panel system taken along line  3 — 3  of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the panel system of FIG. 3; and 
     FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 illustrating installation of a gauge panel system. 
    
    
     It is noted that the drawings are intended to depict only typical embodiments of the invention and therefore should not be considered as limiting the scope thereof. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the drawings, and to FIGS. 1 and 2 in particular, a railroad crossing  10  includes a pair of spaced rails  12  and  14  and a panel system  16  adapted to sealingly engage either side of the rails. The panel system  16  has a pair of field panels  18  and  20  that are positioned adjacent an outer side of the rails  12  and  14 , respectively, and a gauge panel  22  that is positioned between the rails. Filler strips  21  are connected to a rail side of the field panels  18  and  20 , while filler strips  23  are connected to opposite rail sides of the gauge panel  22  to sealingly engage the rails, as will be described in greater detail below. The panels  18 ,  20  and  22  may be constructed of concrete or other durable material with high compressive strength. Although not shown, rebar may be embedded in the panel material for increased strength. The filler strips  21  and  23  are preferably extrusion formed of rubber or other suitable elastomer or plastic material. 
     The rails  12 ,  14  are typically supported on ties  24  constructed of wood, concrete, or the like. Tie plates  26  (FIG. 3) may be provided between the ties  24  and the rails  12 ,  14 . Spikes  28  may be driven into the ties to secure the rails and tie plates to the ties in a well-known manner. The ties  24  may be supported on a ballast layer  30 , which is in turn supported on a compacted suballast layer  32  of hot or cold mix asphalt, which is in turn supported on a compacted subgrade layer  34 . A non-woven geotextile fabric may be located between the ballast and suballast layers. Pipes or conduits  38  may be located in the ballast layer  30  and extend generally parallel to the rails  12 ,  14  for accommodating signal wires or the like. Perforated drainage pipes  40  may also be located in the ballast layer  30 . A road surface  36  is located on either side of the panel system  16  and may be sloped or otherwise arranged to provide a relatively smooth transition between the railroad crossing  10  and the road surface  36 . 
     As illustrated in FIG. 2, depending on the width of the railroad crossing and length of each panel  18 ,  20  and  22 , a plurality of panels such as left end panels  18 A,  20 A and  22 A, middle panels  18 B,  20 B and  22 B, and right end panels  18 C,  20 C and  22 C may be arranged to extend along the entire width of the railroad crossing. The panels  18 ,  20  and  22  are also positioned on the ties  24 . A plurality of bores  50  are formed in each panel  18 ,  20 , and  22 . The bores  50  extend through the thickness of each panel and are each sized to receive a fastener (not shown) to secure the panels to the ties  24 . Where the panels are not directly connected to the ties, the bores may be eliminated. An elastomeric layer  25  may be positioned between the panels and the ties. A pair of spaced slots or openings  52  are also formed in each panel for temporary connection to a lifting device (not shown) during installation of the panels at the railroad crossing  10 . As shown, a chamfer  54  may be formed at the left terminal edge of the left end panels  18 A,  20 A and  22 A, and a chamfer  56  may be formed at the right terminal edge of the right end panels  18 C,  20 C and  22 C. The chamfers  54 ,  56  extend generally transverse to the rails  12 ,  14 . A frame  60  surrounds an upper perimeter of each panel and is embedded into the panel material. 
     With reference now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the frame  60  is L-shaped in cross section and includes a substantially horizontal leg  62  that extends from a substantially vertical leg  64 . The frame  60  is preferably embedded in the panel during panel formation and serves in part to protect the edges of the panel from wear and chipping. 
     The rails  12  and  14  are of well-known construction and include a base flange  68  connected to a rail head  70  through a web  72 . The elongate side of the panels adjacent he rails are recessed, as shown by numeral  66 , in order to provide clearance for the base flange  68 , tie plates  26  and spikes  28 . A row of fasteners  74 , preferably in the form of threaded studs, extend away from the vertical leg  64  of each panel toward the web  72  for mounting the filler strips  21  and  23  to their respective panels. The studs are preferably fixedly connected to the vertical leg  64  through welding, but may alternatively be embedded in the panel material during formation of the panel. 
     The filler strip  21  includes a sealing portion  80  connected to a mounting portion  82 . Preferably, the sealing portion  80  and mounting portion  82  are integrally formed during an extrusion process. The sealing portion  80  extends between and abuts against the leg  64  of the frame  60  and the head  70  of the rail  12  when the filler strip  21  is mounted on the field panel  18 . A groove  84  is formed in the filler strip  21  and extends along the length thereof between the sealing portion  80  and mounting portion  82 . Bores  86  and  88  are formed in the sealing portion  80  and a bore  90  is formed in the mounting portion  82  to reduce the amount of material and thus reduce the cost of the filler strip  21 , as well as to provide some flexibility during compression of the filler strip to assure a tight seal. Rebar or the like (not shown) may be located in one or more of the bores to provide additional reinforcement to the filler strip  21  and connect adjacent panels together. 
     An elongate reinforcing member  92  is mounted to the field panels  18 ,  20 . The reinforcing member  92  supports the filler strip  21  during installation of the field panels  18 ,  20  and resists outside forces during use during use that may be caused by vehicles and foreign objects. The reinforcing member  92  may be constructed of metal such as steel or aluminum, fiberglass or other composites, plastic, or any other suitable material. The reinforcing member  92  preferably extends along the entire length of the filler strip  21 . The reinforcing member  92  is preferably U-shaped in cross-section with an upper leg  94 , a lower leg  96  and a plate  98  extending between the legs. The lower leg  96  is positioned against the lower surface  100  of the filler strip  21 , while the upper leg  94  is located in the groove  84 . The plate  98  includes a plurality of openings (not shown) coincident with the studs  74  so that a threaded portion of each stud extends outwardly of the plate. A nut  102  is threaded onto each stud  74  to compress the mounting portion  82  between the reinforcing member  92  and the vertical leg  64  and secure both the reinforcing member  92  and the filler strip  21  to the field panel  18 ,  20 . In an alternative embodiment, the reinforcing member  92  may be L-shaped with the plate  98  serving as a mounting plate and one of the legs  94 ,  96  serving as a ledge for supporting the filler strip  21 . A channel  104  may be formed along the length of the filler strip  21  to allow additional compression of the filler strip and assure a tight seal between the rail head  70  and field panel  18 ,  20 . With this arrangement, the reinforcing member keeps the filler strip  21  straight and level with the top of the field panel and prevents the filler strip from being forced down when under pressure from vehicle traffic and foreign objects. The reinforcing member  92  also prevents the filler strip  21  from deforming upwards during installation of the field panel and throughout the service life of the filler strip  21 . This is a great advantage over prior art systems where the filler strips have been known to migrate upward when in service. The interlocking nature between the reinforcing member  92  and the filler strip  21  prevents upward movement of the filler strip  21 . 
     Each filler strip  23  includes a sealing portion  110  connected to a mounting portion  112 . Preferably, the sealing portion  110  and mounting portion  112  are integrally formed during an extrusion process. A sealing finger  114  is pivotally connected to the main body of the sealing portion  110  at an integrally formed hinge joint  118 . An outer free end  116  of the finger  114  abuts against the head  70  and/or the web  72  of the rail  12  when the filler strip  23  is mounted on the gauge panel  22 . The position of the finger  114  under the rail head  70  forms a channel  75  that receives the wheel flange of a rail-guided vehicle. A groove  120  is formed in the filler strip  23  and extends along the length thereof between the sealing portion  110  and mounting portion  112 . A bore  122  is formed in the mounting portion  112  to reduce the amount of material and thus reduce the cost of the filler strip  23 , as well as to provide some flexibility during compression of the filler strip to assure a tight seal. Rebar or the like (not shown) may be located in the bore  122  to provide additional reinforcement to the filler strip  23  and to connect adjacent panels together. 
     An elongate reinforcing member  130  is mounted to the gauge panel  22 . The reinforcing member  130  provides support for the filler strip  23  during installation of the gauge panel  22  and resists outside forces during use that may be caused by vehicles and foreign objects. The reinforcing member  130  is similar in construction to the reinforcing member  92  and preferably extends along the entire length of the filler strip  23 , with an upper leg  132 , a lower leg  134  and a plate  136  extending between the legs. The lower leg  134  is positioned against the lower surface  138  of the filler strip  23 , while the upper leg  132  is located in the groove  120 . The plate  136  includes a plurality of openings (not shown) coincident with the studs  74  so that a threaded portion of each stud extends outwardly of the plate. A nut  102  is threaded onto each stud  74  to compress the mounting portion  112  between the reinforcing member  130  and the vertical leg  64  and secure both the reinforcing member  130  and the filler strip  23  to the gauge panel  23 . In an alternative embodiment, the reinforcing member  130  may be L-shaped with the plate  136  serving as a mounting plate and one of the legs  132 ,  134  serving as a ledge for supporting the filler strip  23 . A rear surface  140  of the filler strip  23  preferably extends at an obtuse angle with respect to the lower surface  138  before the filler strip  23  is mounted on the panel  22  so that a tight seal is formed between the filler strip  23  and the vertical leg  64  after mounting. With this arrangement, the reinforcing member  130  keeps the filler strip  23  straight and prevents the filler strip from being forced down when under pressure from vehicle traffic and foreign objects. The reinforcing member  130  also prevents the mounting portion  112  of the filler strip  23  from deforming upwards during installation of the gauge panel and throughout the service life of the filler strip  21 . This is a great advantage over prior art systems where the filler strips have been known to migrate upward when in service. The interlocking nature of the reinforcing member  130  and the filler strip  23  prevents upward movement of the filler strip  23 . 
     When the gauge panel  22  is first set in place between the rails  12  and  14 , and as shown in FIG. 5, the finger  114  of each filler strip  23  will initially rest on the upper surface of the rail head  70 . This feature is especially advantageous since the gauge panel can be lowered in a linear direction between the rails positioned more easily than the prior art method of canting the gauge panel during positioning. The fingers  114  are then pressed downwardly in a direction represented by arrow  142  by a tool (not shown) to slip the fingers  114  to a position under the rail head as shown in FIG.  3 . Once in position, the fingers  114  sealingly engage the rails and the reinforcing members  130  prevent the fingers from being forced further down during use. 
     It is to be understood that the terms left, right, middle, horizontal, vertical and their respective derivatives, as may be used throughout the specification, refer to relative, rather than absolute, positions and/or orientations. 
     While the invention has been taught with specific reference to the above-described embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that changes can be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention. Thus, the described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.