Compressible sealing element and use thereof for filling the gap between a stock rail and a switch rail in a railway switch
US10669391B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 30, 2015 |
| Grant date | Jun 2, 2020 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 20, 2036 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02A30/30
- WIPO fieldSurface technology, coating
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
The compressible sealing element (1) comprises at least one piece made of a resilient foam (17). This foam has an open-cell content of at least 50% and has such a hardness that it requires a force of less than 2000 N to compress the sealing element (1) per meter length thereof to such an extent that the volume of a rectangular cuboid circumscribing the sealing element is reduced by 40%. The sealing element comprises a water-impermeable cover layer (18) which extends at least over its top surface. The sealing element is intended for filling at least partially the gaps between the stock rails (13) and the switch rails (12) in a railway switch to prevent the switch from being blocked in particular by snow. Advantages of the new sealing element is that it can easier be inserted in these gaps and that it has a smaller effect on the force required to close the switch so that it can also be applied closer to the free extremity of the switch rail (12).
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.