Reinforced molded lignocellulosic crosstie and railway assembly

• US 4,150,790 A
• Filed: 06/20/1975
• Issued: 04/24/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cedrite Technologies, Inc. (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: DANT & Russell Incorporated, Edward Potter
• Inventors: Potter, Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Makay, Albert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Reese, Randolph A.
• Application Number:
  US05/588,786
• Time in Patent Office: 1,404 Days
• Field of Search: 238/29, 238/36, 238/37, 238/91, 238/30, 238/83, 238/84, 238/85, 264/122, 428/115, 428/222, 428/379, 428/188, 52/723, 52/722
• US Class Current: 238/83
• CPC Class Codes: E01B 3/44 made from other materials only if the material is essential
• CPC Class Codes: E01B 3/46 made from different materials E01B3/26, E01B3/42 take precedence

Abstract

A reinforced railroad crosstie formed by molding and bonding comminuted lignocellulosic material into a monolithic beam around a plurality of reinforcing rods, each of which has a plurality of spaced protrusions fixedly attached along its length at specific positions relative to the midpoint of the tie and the rails mounted thereon. The reinforcing rods are positioned within the crosstie proximate lines of maximum tensile stresses expected to be induced into the tie by different bending influences caused by passing trains and varying conditions of the underlying ballast. The protrusions are configured and spaced in pairs on either side of respective points of maximum expected stress to ensure maximum transfer of each stress from the lignocellulosic material to the rods. The rods are also positioned within the crosstie so as to avoid contact with the spikes employed to fasten the rail to the tie.

Claims

1. A reinforced railroad crosstie comprising:

(a) an elongate monolithic beam of compressed, bonded comminuted lignocellulosic material, said beam having horizontally extending length and width dimensions and a vertically extending thickness dimension;

(b) means defining two groups of downwardly extending holes formed in the upper surface of said beam for receiving rail fasteners, said groups being spaced longitudinally from one another on each side of the midpoint of said length dimension of said beam;

(c) a plurality of elongate reinforcing means longitudinally positioned within said beam for increasing the resistance thereof to bending, an upper one of said reinforcing means being located above the neutral bending axis of said beam and extending longitudinally through the midpoint of said length dimension of said beam, and a lower one of said reinforcing means being located below said neutral bending axis and extending longitudinally through the locations of said groups of holes to locations on both sides of each of said groups of holes;

(d) a plurality of laterally extending protrusions within said beam fixedly attached to said upper and lower reinforcing means, two of said protrusions being positioned along said upper reinforcing means as a first spaced pair, said first pair of protrusions being spaced longitudinally from one another and located on either side of the midpoint of said length dimension of said beam at positions adjacent a respective one of said groups of holes, said upper reinforcing means being free of any said protrusion between said first pair of protrusions; and

(e) at least two further pairs of said protrusions being positioned along said lower reinforcing means as second and third spaced pairs, the protrusions of each of said second and third pairs respectively being spaced longitudinally with respect to one another and located on either side of a respective one of said groups of holes, said lower reinforcing means being free of any said protrusion between the protrusions of said second pair and between the protrusions of said third pair respectively.

2. A railway assembly comprising:

(a) a crosstie lying horizontally on a supportive surface, said crosstie comprising an elongate monolithic beam of compressed, bonded comminuted lignocellulosic material having the general shape of a conventional railroad crosstie;

(b) a pair of tie plates spaced longitudinally along the upper surface of said beam on either side of the longitudinal midpoint thereof;

(c) a pair of spaced, parallel, train-supporting rails each lying on the upper surface of a different one of said tie plates and extending transversely to said beam so as to be operatively supported thereby;

(d) fastening means for attaching said rails and tie plates to said beam;

(e) a plurality of elongate reinforcing means longitudinally positioned within said beam for increasing the resistance thereof to bending, an upper one of said reinforcing means being located above the neutral bending axis of said beam and extending longitudinally through said beam midpoint, and a lower one of said reinforcing means being located below said neutral bending axis and extending longitudinally with respect to said beam beneath said rails to locations on both sides of each of said rails;

(f) a plurality of laterally extending protrusions within said beam fixedly attached to said upper and lower reinforcing means, two of said protrusions being positioned along said upper reinforcing means as a first spaced pair, said first pair of protrusions being spaced longitudinally from one another and located on either side of said midpoint of said beam at positions adjacent a respective one of said rails, said upper reinforcing means being free of any said protrusion between said first pair of protrusions; and

(g) at least two further pairs of said protrusions being positioned along said lower reinforcing means as second and third spaced pairs, the protrusions of each of said second and third pairs respectively being spaced longitudinally with respect to one another and located on either side of a respective one of said rails, said lower reinforcing means being free of any said protrusion between the protrusions of said second pair and between the protrusions of said third pair respectively.