US3796160A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Maintenance of railway track
Assignee: HEAT DONALD L 98 TENNISON AVENUE RUGBY
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Filing: 1971-11-29
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Granted: 1974-03-12
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Expires: 1991-11-29
Abstract
Abstract A method of correcting the level of a sleeper of railway track supported on a ballast bed comprises applying a loading, for example, through the sleeper to the ballast beneath the sleeper towards at least one end of the sleeper of an intensity greater than the intensity of normal traffic loading, the loading being applied a number of times sufficient to deform the ballast vertically in order to support the sleeper end at a desired lower level. The loading may be applied directly to a high sleeper end or a low sleeper end may be raised above its desired level and a packing of ballast placed beneath it prior to the application of the loading.
Inventors
- 👤 J Waters
- 👤 M Shenton
- 👤 D Heath
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 04:37
CPC Classifications
E; E01; E01B; E01B27/00; E01B27/12; E01B27/13; E01B27/16
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
112 words
A method of correcting the level of the sleepers of a railway track supported on a ballast bed comprising, repetitively applying to the ballast beneath any one sleeper towards at least one end thereof a vertical load which is greater than the magnitude of normal traffic loading, repeating said high magnitude loading a sufficient number of times to (a) deform the ballast vertically to support the sleeper end at perdetermined level, and (b) to ensure that further loadings caused by normal traffic will result in further vertical deformation of the ballast to an extent not exceeding a predetermined value, and repeating said loading step on each sleeper which is to be lowered.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
112 words
A method of correcting the level of the sleepers of a railway track supported on a ballast bed comprising, repetitively applying to the ballast beneath any one sleeper towards at least one end thereof a vertical load which is greater than the magnitude of normal traffic loading, repeating said high magnitude loading a sufficient number of times to (a) deform the ballast vertically to support the sleeper end at perdetermined level, and (b) to ensure that further loadings caused by normal traffic will result in further vertical deformation of the ballast to an extent not exceeding a predetermined value, and repeating said loading step on each sleeper which is to be lowered.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the loading is applied to the sleeper.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the loading is applied to the rail head at a position above the sleeper.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein loading is applied towards both ends of the sleeper to cause the whole sleeper to be supported at a desired lower level.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the loading is applied simultaneously to the ballast towards both sleeper ends.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the loading applied towards one end of the sleeper is different from the loading applied towards the other end in order to cause different vertical deformations of the ballast towards the two sleeper ends.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein a different number of loadings are applied towards the two sleeper ends to cause different vertical deformations of the ballast towards the two sleeper ends.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein prior to the application of the loading a sleeper end is raised above its desired level and a packing of ballast placed beneath it.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
139 words
A method of raising the level of a sleeper to a desired level comprising lifting at least one sleeper end to a height above the desired level and packing ballast beneath it, and then applying loadings by a method comprising applying a loading to the ballast beneath the sleeper towards at least one end of the sleeper of an intensity greater than the intensity of normal traffic loading, the loading being applied a number of times sufficient to deform the ballast vertically to cause the sleeper end to be lowered to the desired level, the amount by which the sleeper end is lifted above the desired level prior to the application of the loading being such that the rate of vertical deformation of the ballast bed beneath the sleeper towards said end under renewed traffic loading is acceptably low.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
139 words
A method of raising the level of a sleeper to a desired level comprising lifting at least one sleeper end to a height above the desired level and packing ballast beneath it, and then applying loadings by a method comprising applying a loading to the ballast beneath the sleeper towards at least one end of the sleeper of an intensity greater than the intensity of normal traffic loading, the loading being applied a number of times sufficient to deform the ballast vertically to cause the sleeper end to be lowered to the desired level, the amount by which the sleeper end is lifted above the desired level prior to the application of the loading being such that the rate of vertical deformation of the ballast bed beneath the sleeper towards said end under renewed traffic loading is acceptably low.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the loading is applied to the sleeper.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the loading is applied to the rail head at a position above the sleeper.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein loading is applied towards both ends of the sleeper to cause the whole sleeper to be supported at a desired Lower level.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the loading is applied simultaneously to the ballast towards both sleeper ends.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the loading applied towards one end of the sleeper is different from the loading applied towards the other end in order to cause different vertical deformations of the ballast towards the two sleeper ends.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method as claimed in claim 12 wherein a different number of loadings are applied towards the two sleeper ends to cause different vertical deformations of the ballast towards the two sleeper ends.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-03-11 | 1977-09-10 | 1978-03-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-03-11 | 1981-09-10 | 1982-03-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-03-11 | 1985-09-10 | 1986-03-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |