Abstract:
A concrete railroad grade crossing comprised of a precast concrete gauge panel extending between the rails and precast concrete field panels which extend between each rail and the roadway. Elastomeric gauge seals are provided on the opposite sides of the gauge panels for sealing the space between the sides of the gauge panels and the rails. Elastomeric field seals are provided on the inner ends of the field panels for engagement with the outer sides of the rails. The seals are secured to the panels by bolt and channel member assemblies.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to an improved concrete railroad grade crossing, and more particularly to an improved railroad grade crossing comprising concrete gauge panels which extend between the rails and further comprising concrete field panels which extend between each rail and the roadway. Even more particularly, the invention relates to improved elastomeric gauge seals which are attached to the sides of the gauge panels and relates to improved elastomeric field seals which are attached to the inner ends of the field panels. More particularly, the invention relates to the means for securing the seals to the panels through the use of bolts which extend through the metal edge protector of the panel and into the side of the seal for connection to an elongated member channel positioned in an elongated channel-shaped cavity in the seal. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Frequently, a railroad track crosses a roadway which necessitates that the space between the rails be filled with a material which brings that space up to grade. It is also necessary to bring the approaches on either side of the rails up to grade. In the past, precast concrete panels, or gauge panels, have been positioned between the rails and precast concrete panels, or field panels, have been positioned on the approach sides of the track. The prior art railroad grade crossings have also used elastomeric seals on the sides of the concrete gauge panels to fill the space between the gauge panels and the rails to prevent foreign materials from entering and filling the space between the gauge panels and the rail. The prior art railroad grade crossings have also used elastomeric seals on the inner ends of the concrete field panels to prevent foreign materials from entering and filling the space between the field panel and the associated rail. In some cases, the upper inner ends of the field panels and the upper outer ends of the gauge panels were chamfered or beveled to prevent portions of the concrete field panels and gauge panels from chipping off and filling the spaces between the panels and the rails. In other cases, angle irons or edge protectors have been used as edge protectors to prevent the chipping problem. 
     In later years, the gauge seals and field seals have been partially embedded in the concrete panels to aid in attaching the seals to the panels. However, even where the seals are partially embedded in the prior art concrete panels, it is believed that the prior art devices experience some attachment problems of the seals. Assignee&#39;s co-pending application, Ser. No. 10/268,398 filed Oct. 10, 2002, is believed to solve at least some of the attachment problems. The instant invention is believed to represent a further advance in the art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A railroad grade crossing for extending a roadway across a pair of parallel spaced-apart rails is disclosed. The railroad grade crossing includes one or more concrete gauge panels which extend substantially between the rails. Each of the gauge panels has a top surface which is substantially coplanar with the roadway with the bottom surface of the gauge panel being supported upon the ties. Each of the gauge panels has an elongated elastomeric gauge seal on each side thereof which is positioned adjacent the rails. The upper ends of the gauge seals are positioned downwardly from the top surface of the gauge panel with the upper ends of the gauge seals having arcuate recessed portions formed therein adjacent the outer ends thereof. The inner ends of the gauge seals are attached to the gauge panels by a bolt and channel member assembly. Concrete field panels are positioned between each rail and the roadway associated therewith. Each of the concrete field panels has a top surface which is substantially coplanar with the roadway and a bottom surface which is supported upon the ties. The field panels have elastomeric field seals at their inner ends thereof with the upper ends of the field seals being preferably positioned downwardly from the top surface of the field panels. The inner ends of the field seals are attached to the inner ends of the field panels by a bolt and channel member assembly. 
     Elongated, metal angle members (edge protectors) are cast in the upper outer edges of the gauge panels and the upper inner edges of the field panels and are maintained therein by horizontally disposed DBAs (deformed bar anchors) and by vertically disposed headed studs. The bolt and channel member assembly which connects the seals to the panels comprises a plurality of horizontally spaced-apart bolts extending outwardly through slots formed in the vertical legs of the edge protectors with the heads of the bolts being positioned at the inner surface of the vertical legs. The bolts extend through openings formed in the inner sides of the seals with the openings communicating with an elongated channel-shaped cavity formed in the seal. One or more channel members are positioned in the channel-shaped cavity and have nuts welded thereto which are positioned thereon in register with openings formed in the web of the channel member. The threaded inner ends of the bolts extend through the openings formed in the web of the channel member and are threadably attached to the nuts on the channel member to secure the seal to the panel. 
     It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide an improved concrete railroad grade crossing. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide an improved concrete railroad grade crossing comprising concrete gauge panels and concrete field panels wherein elastomeric seals are bolted to the panels and extend therefrom so as to be positioned adjacent the rails. 
     Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved method of attaching elastomeric gauge and field seals to gauge panels and approach panels, respectively. 
     Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved railroad crossing which has greater durability than the railroad grade crossings of the prior art. 
     These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a partial top plan view of the concrete railroad grade crossing of this invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a partial vertical sectional view of the concrete railroad grade crossing of this invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a partial exploded perspective view of one of the field panel seals of this invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a partial exploded perspective view of one of the gauge panel seals of this invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a partial vertical sectional view of the concrete railroad grade crossing of this invention; and 
         FIG. 6  is a partial exploded perspective view of one of the field seals of this invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     In the drawings, the numeral  10  refers to a railroad track including rails  12  and  14  which are supported upon a plurality of spaced-apart ties  16  by means of tie plates  18  which are secured to the ties  16  in conventional fashion such as by spikes, clips or bolts. In many cases, the railroad track  10  must cross a roadway which is generally referred to by the reference numeral  20 . 
     Normally, a plurality of precast concrete approach or field panels  22  will be positioned between the roadway  20  and the rails  12  and  14  with the field panels  22  being supported upon the outer ends of the ties  16 . Normally, the field panels  22  will be positioned between the roadway  20  and one of the rails in an end-to-end fashion, the number of which will depend upon the width of the roadway and the length of the field panels. The numeral  24  refers to precast concrete gauge panels which are positioned between the rails  12  and  14  and which are supported upon the ties  16 . The gauge panels  24  are supported upon the ties  16  in an end-to-end fashion, the number of which will depend upon the width of the roadway and the length of the gauge panels. 
     Each of the approach or field panels  22  is comprised of a precast concrete material and includes top surface  26 , bottom surface  28 , and opposite sides  30  and  32 . Field panel  22  is provided with a recessed portion  34  formed therein at each of the opposite sides thereof to provide a clearance space for the spikes, bolts, clips, etc., which secure the tie plates  18  to the ties  16  and which secure the rail to the tie plate  18  in conventional fashion. 
     An elongated, metal angle member  38  (edge protector) is cast in the field panel  22  at the upper inner side thereof, as illustrated in the drawings, and which is held in place in the concrete by horizontally disposed and horizontally spaced retainers, rods or bars  40  secured thereto which are commonly referred to as DBAs (deformed bar anchors). The angle member  38  is also held in place by a plurality of vertically disposed and horizontally spaced retainers or studs  41  secured thereto having enlarged head portions at their lower ends. As will be explained in more detail hereinafter, a field seal  42  is secured to the inner end of each of the field panels  22 . 
     Each of the gauge panels  24  is comprised of a precast concrete material and includes top surface  44 , bottom surface  46 , and opposite sides  48  and  50 . Gauge panel  24  is provided with a recessed portion  52  at side  48  and is provided with a recessed portion  54  at its side  50 , as seen in  FIG. 2 , to provide a clearance space for the spikes, bolts, clips, etc., which secure the tie plates  18  to the ties  16  and which secure the rails to the tie plates  18  in conventional fashion. 
     Elongated, metal angle members (edge protectors)  56  and  58  are cast in the gauge panel  24  at the upper outer sides thereof, as illustrated in the drawings, and which are held in place by horizontally disposed and horizontally spaced retainers, rods or bars  60  (DBAs) secured thereto. The angle members  56  and  58  are also held in place by a plurality of vertically disposed and horizontally spaced retainers or studs  61  secured thereto having enlarged head portions at their lower ends. As will be explained in more detail hereinafter, gauge seals  62  and  64  are secured to the outer sides of each of the gauge panels  24 . Inasmuch as gauge seals  62  and  64  are identical, only gauge seal  62  will be described in detail. 
     As seen in  FIGS. 3 and 6 , field seal  42  is preferably comprised of an elastomeric material generally having an outer end  66  and an inner end  68 . The upper end  70  of seal  42  is preferably ribbed, as illustrated in  FIG. 6 , with upper end  70  being preferably positioned below the top surface of the panel  22  and below the upper end of the associated rail (FIG.  2 ). 
     Elongated voids  72  and  74  are formed in the seal  42  to reduce the amount of material required to fabricate the seal. Additional voids may be utilized if so desired. Seal  42  is provided with an elongated channel-shaped cavity  76  formed therein which extends between the ends of the seal. Although other configurations of the cavity  76  may be used, it is preferred that the cavity  76  be channel-shaped in cross-section. For purposes of description, cavity  76  will be described as including an upper cavity portion  78 , intermediate cavity portion  80 , and lower cavity portion  81 . A plurality of horizontally spaced-apart openings  82  extend inwardly from the inner end  68  of seal  42  into the cavity  76 . One or more channel members  84  are positioned in cavity  76  as seen in the drawings. For purposes of description, each of the metal channel members  84  will be described as having an upper flange  86 , web  88  and lower flange  90 . The web  88  is provided with a plurality of horizontally spaced-apart openings  92  formed therein. Flange nuts  94  are welded to web  88  as seen in the drawings at each of the openings  92 . Edge protector  38  has a plurality of horizontally spaced-apart slots  96  formed therein. Bolts  98  extend outwardly through slots  96  in edge protector  38 , through openings  82 , and through openings  92  in channel member  84  for threadable connection to the nuts  94  to secure the seal  42  to the panel  22 . 
     The gauge seals  62  and  64  have elongated channel-shaped cavities  76 ′ formed therein which are identical to the cavities  76  of seal  42  and which receive channel members identical to channel members  84 . The edge protectors  56  and  58  have slotted openings  96 ′ formed therein which are identical to slots  96 . 
     The gauge seals  64  are secured to the opposite sides of the gauge panel  24  in a manner identical to that just described. Bolts  98 ′ extend through slots  96 ′ in the vertical leg portion of edge protectors  56  and  58  through openings  82 ′ in seals  62  and  64 , through openings  92 ′ in channel members  84 ′ for threadable connection to the nuts  94 ′ which are welded to the channel members  84 ′. 
     The bolts  98  and  98 ′ are positioned in the edge protectors during the assembly of the panels prior to concrete being placed into the form. The seals are also attached to the bolts  98  and  98 ′ before concrete is placed into the form. The slots  96  and  96 ′ permit the bolts  98  and  98 ′ to be brought into alignment with the openings  92  and  92 ′. The bolts are threadably received by the nuts  94  and  94 ′ to securely fasten the seals to the panels. The channel-shaped cavities in the seals help to maintain the channel members  84  and  84 ′ in the seals in the proper position while the seals are being attached to the panels so that the openings  92  will be in alignment with the openings  82 . 
     The invention herein ensures that the seals will be securely attached to the panels and will not become detached therefrom during or after installation. The invention herein also provides a method of attaching the seals to the panels which facilitates rapid assembly of the structure. 
     Thus it can be seen that the invention accomplishes at least all of its stated objectives.