Abstract: A railroad communication tie for use in a railway track system is positionable in ballast. The tie includes an elongated unitary steel channel body having a web and a pair of sidewalls formed integral with opposite edges of the web. The channel body has a pair of opposed ends. A flared spade is formed integral with each end of the body. The flared spade has a communications conduit aperture. An elongated communications conduit is movably mounted in the communications conduit apertures and said conduit is free to move relative to the spades.

Abstract: A crosspoint switch is provided that has N inputs, M outputs, and an array of (N+X)×(M+X) switching elements, where N, M, and X are all positive integers. By providing more than the standard N×M switching elements, it becomes possible to utilise the additional switching elements to provide one or more additional protection pathways to compensate for a failure in a switching element: in the event of failure of a switching element, an affected path between one of the M inputs and M outputs can be replaced by an alternate path utilising one or more of the additional switching elements.

Abstract: An improved unitary steel tie which is positionable in ballast of a railway track system includes an elongated channel body. The channel body includes an elongated web and a pair of sidewalls formed integral with opposite edges of the web. The channel body has a pair of opposed ends. An integral rail seat is adjacent to each of the opposed ends. Each rail seat is formed on the web and is adapted for connecting a rail to the web. An indentation is formed in each sidewall adjacent to each end of the body. The indentations at each end are opposed to each other forming a reduced section between the sidewalls at each end of the body to restrict movement of ballast toward the respective end and along the length of the body between the sidewalls. An apex is formed in the web above each reduced section and each apex is substantially the same height as the other apex. The apexes are the high points of the web. A flared spade is formed integral with each end of the body.

Abstract: The invention relates to thermally insulating, fire resistant material and its production.A problem associated with fire resistant material comprising refractory material and a binder is the tendency, in use, of the material to disintegrate due to bond failure. In the invention, hollow particles of a glass or of a ceramic are combined with a binder to give a material where the proportions of binder are such that the material is capable of deformation at high temperatures (e.g. up to 1100.degree. C.) without fracture or loss of cohesion. A specific example consists of 93% by weight of hollow spherical particles of pulverized fuel ash and 7% by weight of sodium silicate binder. The material is particularly useful in the protection of steel structures.