Expansion device for a guide rail
An expansion device for a rail suitable for guiding a wheel of a vehicle along a track, and a method for installing the expansion device. Specifically, the rail has a portion of track formed of a series of elements in the form of transverse track plates whose cross section is the same as that of the rail. The track plates are arranged in longitudinal succession along the portion with compressible modules inserted between them.
1. An expansion device for a rail configured for guidance of a vehicle wheel on a track, the expansion device comprising:
a plurality of components in the form of transverse strips to be installed on a portion of track in a spaced-apart relationship;
said transverse strips having a cross-section defined by a foot, a head, and a web extending between said foot and said head, said web being narrower than said foot and said head, and said cross-section being substantially identical with a cross-section of the rail to which said strips are to be mounted;
a plurality of compressible modules having a cross-section defined by a foot, a head, and a web extending between said foot and said head, said web being narrower than said foot and said head, and said compressible modules interspersed between said transverse strips for spacing said transverse strips in the spaced-apart relationship; and
a plurality of shafts each extending through the transverse strips and the compressible modules.
2. The expansion device according to claim 1 , wherein said compressible modules are elastomer elements or spring elements providing variable adjacent widths.
3. The expansion device according to claim 2 , wherein said compressible elements have a width of approximately 10 mm in rest mode.
4. The expansion device according to claim 1 , wherein said transverse strips are formed with at least one opening for an anti-friction component, and wherein a shaft is inserted in said opening and connects said transverse strips slidably in a longitudinal direction.
5. A rail for supporting and guiding a vehicle wheel on a track, comprising an expansion device according to claim 1 .
6. The rail according to claim 5 , which further comprises an anti-friction component at an end of a section of track and one of said shafts inserted in said anti-friction component, and wherein said transverse strips are formed with at least one opening for said anti-friction component and said shaft for connecting said rail to said transverse strips longitudinally by a slide.
7. The rail according to claim 5 , configured as a railway rail adapted to guidance of an iron wheel.
8. The rail according to claim 5 , configured as a flat track adapted to guidance of a pneumatic tire wheel.
9. The rail according to claim 5 , configured as a traction rail adapted to guidance of one or two lateral wheels on said traction rail.
10. The rail according to claim 9 , wherein said shafts comprise three shafts mounted at an end of a section of said traction rail and disposed to protrude through said transverse strips on either side and centrally in a top part of said traction rail and said transverse strips.
11. A rail installation process, which comprises:
removing a section of rail of a defined length from a track;
inserting a series of a plurality of transverse strips with compressible components in between and shafts extending there through in place of said section, wherein an expansion device is formed as defined in claim 1 .
12. The expansion device according to claim 1 , wherein said compressible modules prevent said transverse strips from directly contacting one another.
13. An expansion device for a rail configured for guidance of a vehicle wheel on a track, the expansion device comprising:
a plurality of components in the form of transverse strips to be installed on a portion of track;
said transverse strips having a constant cross-section defined by a foot, a head, and a web extending between said foot and said head, said web being narrower than said foot and said head, and said cross-section being substantially identical with a cross-section of the rail to which said strips are to be mounted; and
a plurality of compressible modules having a cross-section defined by a foot, a head, and a web extending between said foot and said head, said web being narrower than said foot and said head, and said compressible modules interspersed between said transverse strips; and
a plurality of shafts each extending through the transverse strips and the compressible modules.
14. An expansion device for a rail configured for guidance of a vehicle wheel on a track, the expansion device comprising:
a plurality of components in the form of transverse strips to be installed on a portion of track;
said transverse strips having a substantially uniform thickness and a cross-section defined by a foot, a head, and a web extending between said foot and said head, said web being narrower than said foot and said head, and said cross-section being substantially identical with a cross-section of the rail to which said strips are to be mounted; and
a plurality of compressible modules having a cross section defined by a foot, a head, and a web extending between said foot and said head, said web being narrower than said foot and said head, and said compressible modules interspersed between said transverse strips; and
a plurality of shafts each extending through the transverse strips and the compressible modules.