Abstract: Load bearing capacity of a pile which is driven into the ground to support any of various structures is markedly increased following an initial period of pile driving. The pile includes a hollow pipe having a lower end region with longitudinal grooves which extend upward from an earth piercing shoe at the base of the pipe. An expansive force is exerted on the lower end region after the initial pile driving to rupture the pipe at the grooves and to bend strips of the pipe material outward for a first distance. Further pile driving bends the strips further outward as downward motion of the strips is resisted by the rim of the shoe and by ground which underlies the strips. This enables use of shorter piles and reduces driving time.

Abstract: A bolted rail railroad frog designed to support a railroad wheel to roll through the frog on its flange rather than requiring its tread to jump across a flangeway gap. The frog is comprised of paired rail sections with a flangeway filler bar disposed therebetween to define a flangeway for the railroad wheel. Each flangeway filler bar has a ramped upper surface disposed to engage the wheel flange. Transition from the wheel riding on its tread to riding on its flange is accomplished by ramping both ends of the flangeway filler bars. When the wheel flange encounters the ramp it gradually lifts the wheel till the tread is clear of the top of rail and continues to carry the wheel over the flangeway gap and then rolls down the other ramp on the flange until the tread again is rolling on the top of the rail.

Abstract: An improved geometry for a split switch rail turnout a compound point rail leading to a curved closure rail that is linear and tangent through the switch frog. The switch point rail includes a proximal portion curved in the same radius as the closure rail, and a distal end portion that is linear and tangent to the proximal portion. The linear distal end portion of the point rail provides an entry angle of the switch point that is the same as the angle of attack of a wheel truck encountering the turnout, and also provides the shortest possible switch point length and the greatest possible radius of curvature of the closure rail. The angle of attack and the curvature of the closure rail can be optimized to produce a split switch turnout that permits high speed through the turnout while minimizing wear and maintenance costs.