Method and apparatus for keeping railway switches free from snow
First Claim
1. Apparatus for preventing snow from bedding into a railway switch having a pair of stock rails and a pair of movable rails mounted on sleepers in a switch area, each movable rail having a free end displaceable between an open position and closed position relative to the adjacent stock rail, the free end of one of said pair of movable rails being open and separated from its adjacent stock rail when the free end of the other movable rail is closed against the adjacent stock rail, comprising between the stock rails a blower assembly including a plurality of blower units arranged in the switch area under the movable rails, each blower unit being arranged between two adjacent sleepers, each said unit being provided on its upper side with discharge nozzles arranged in two rows generally parallel to the stock rail directing air substantially horizontally towards the space between the free end of the movable rail and the adjacent stock rail created when in their separated positions, each of said nozzles producing a substantially horizontal air stream directed obliquely outwards towards said free end, and a fan unit to supply said assembly with cold atmospheric air.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a method of preventing snow from bedding into railway switches, air is blown into the area between the stock rail and the movable rail in a switch, and substantially horizontally in a direction obliquely outwards towards the open end between the stock rail and the movable rail. An apparatus for carrying out this includes a blower assembly (8) between the rails in a railway switch, the assembly being supplied by a fan unit (20) and adapted to provide a substantially horizontal air discharge directed obliquely outwards towards the open end between the stock rail and the movable rail in their separated positions.
18 Citations
9 Claims
- 1. Apparatus for preventing snow from bedding into a railway switch having a pair of stock rails and a pair of movable rails mounted on sleepers in a switch area, each movable rail having a free end displaceable between an open position and closed position relative to the adjacent stock rail, the free end of one of said pair of movable rails being open and separated from its adjacent stock rail when the free end of the other movable rail is closed against the adjacent stock rail, comprising between the stock rails a blower assembly including a plurality of blower units arranged in the switch area under the movable rails, each blower unit being arranged between two adjacent sleepers, each said unit being provided on its upper side with discharge nozzles arranged in two rows generally parallel to the stock rail directing air substantially horizontally towards the space between the free end of the movable rail and the adjacent stock rail created when in their separated positions, each of said nozzles producing a substantially horizontal air stream directed obliquely outwards towards said free end, and a fan unit to supply said assembly with cold atmospheric air.
Specification