Railway Stock (e.g., Rails, Wheels, Axles, Etc.) Patents (Class 148/581)
  • Patent number: 11111555
    Abstract: A rail achieves a high 0.2% proof stress after straightening treatment, the high 0.2% proof stress being effective at improving rolling contact fatigue resistance of the rail, by hot rolling a steel raw material to obtain a rail, the steel raw material having a chemical composition containing C: 0.70% to 0.85%, Si: 0.1% to 1.5%, Mn: 0.4% to 1.5%, P: 0.035% or less, S: 0.010% or less, and Cr: 0.05% to 1.50% with the balance being Fe and inevitable impurities; straightening the rail with a load of 50 tf or more; and subsequently subjecting the rail to heat treatment in which the rail is held in a temperature range of 150° C. or more and 400° C. or less for 0.5 hours or more and 10 hours or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Minoru Honjo, Tatsumi Kimura, Katsuyuki Ichimiya, Kazukuni Hase
  • Patent number: 10871196
    Abstract: A torque tube for a brake assembly may include a tube portion having a first centerline axis, a conical back-leg portion extending from the tube portion in a radially outward angled orientation relative to the first centerline axis, and a lip portion disposed at a radially outward end of the conical back-leg portion. The lip portion may have added structural material to improve the structural properties of the torque tube to prevent or mitigate damage that would otherwise be caused by friction-induced vibrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: GOODRICH CORPORATION
    Inventor: Phillip E. Cooley
  • Patent number: 10030281
    Abstract: Disclosed are a steel pipe having a three-layer structure and a manufacturing method thereof. The steel pipe includes a three-layer structure of bainite and martensite, which are formed by high-frequency induction heating thereby improving toughness to enhance crash performance of a vehicle. The steel pipe includes a bainite structure layer, a bainite and martensite dual-phase structure layer, and a martensite structure layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Sang-Cheon Park
  • Patent number: 9765414
    Abstract: The present invention provides a heat treatment method of turnout track comprising performing an accelerated cooling on the turnout track to be treated having a railhead tread with a temperature of 650-900° C. so as to obtain the turnout track with full pearlite metallographic structure, wherein the accelerated cooling velocity performed on the working side of railhead of the turnout track is higher than that performed on the non-working side of the railhead of the turnout track. The present invention provides a turnout track obtained with a heat treatment process as depicted therein. The turnout track in present invention has good straightness; both the hardness and tensile strength of the working side of railhead are higher than that of the non-working side of railhead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignees: PANGANG GROUP PANZHIHUA IRON & STEEL RESEARCH INSTITUTE CO., LTD., PANGANG GROUP PANZHIHUA STEEL & VANADIUM CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ming Zou, Zhenyu Han, Dongsheng Mei, Yong Deng, Hua Guo, Quan Xu, Chunjian Wang
  • Patent number: 9127409
    Abstract: In the rail, 95% or more of a structure in a head surface section, which is a range from surfaces of head corner sections and a head top section of the rail as a starting point to a depth of 20 mm, is a pearlite or bainite structure and the structure contains 20 to 200 MnS-based sulfides formed around an Al-based oxide as a nucleus and having a grain size in a range of 1 ?m to 10 ?m per square millimeter of an area to be inspected on a horizontal cross section of the rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaharu Ueda, Teruhisa Miyazaki, Takeshi Yamamoto, Takashi Morohoshi
  • Publication number: 20150107727
    Abstract: A method thermally treats hot rails to obtain a desired microstructure having enhanced mechanical properties. The method includes an active cooling phase where the rail is fast cooled from an austenite temperature and subsequently soft cooled, to maintain a target transformation temperature between defined values. The cooling treatment is performed by a plurality of cooling modules. Each of the cooling modules has a plurality of devices spraying a cooling medium onto the rail. The method is characterized in that during the active cooling phase, each cooling device is driven to control the cooling rate of the rail such that the amount of transformed austenite within the rail is not lower than 50% on the rail surface and not lower than 20% at a rail head core.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2013
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Inventors: Alberto Gioachino Lainati, Luigi Langellotto, Andrea Mazzarano, Federico Pegorin, Alessio Saccocci, Augusto Sciuccati
  • Patent number: 8980019
    Abstract: A steel rail includes: by mass %, higher than 0.85% to 1.20% of C; 0.05% to 2.00% of Si; 0.05% to 0.50% of Mn; 0.05% to 0.60% of Cr; P?0.0150%; and the balance consisting of Fe and inevitable impurities, wherein 97% or more of a head surface portion which is in a range from a surface of a head corner portion and a head top portion as a starting point to a depth of 10 mm has a pearlite structure, a Vickers hardness of the pearlite structure is Hv320 to 500, and a CMn/FMn value which is a value obtained by dividing CMn [at. %] that is a Mn concentration of a cementite phase in the pearlite structure by FMn [at. %] that is a Mn concentration of a ferrite phase is equal to or higher than 1.0 and equal to or less than 5.0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation
    Inventors: Masaharu Ueda, Jun Takahashi, Akira Kobayashi, Takuya Tanahashi
  • Publication number: 20150027599
    Abstract: A rail cooling method for forcibly cooling a rail by jetting a coolant includes jetting the coolant to a foot back part of the rail from a porous plate nozzle in which a nozzle hole at an end in a width direction is smaller than a nozzle hole at a central part in the width direction and causes a cooling capacity for the end in the width direction of the underside of the base of the rail to be lower than a cooling capacity for the central part in the width direction of the underside of the base of the rail.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Inventors: Ryo Matsuoka, Makoto Nakaseko, Rinya Kojo, Tomoo Horita, Hideki Takahashi, Yoshikazu Yoshida, Tatsumi Kimura, Mineyasu Takemasa, Yuzuru Kataoka
  • Publication number: 20140246130
    Abstract: A method of making a hypereutectoid, head-hardened steel rail is provided that includes a step of head hardening a steel rail having a composition containing 0.86-1.00 wt % carbon, 0.40-0.75 wt % manganese, 0.40-1.00 wt % silicon, 0.05-0.15 wt % vanadium, 0.015-0.030 wt % titanium, and sufficient nitrogen to react with the titanium to form titanium nitride. Head hardening is conducted at a cooling rate that, if plotted on a graph with xy-coordinates with the x-axis representing cooling time in seconds, and the y-axis representing temperature in Celsius of the surface of the head of the steel rail, is maintained in a region between an upper cooling rate boundary plot defined by an upper line connecting xy-coordinates (0 s, 775° C.), (20 s, 670° C.), and (110 s, 550° C.) and a lower cooling rate boundary plot defined by a lower line connecting xy-coordinates (0 s, 750° C.), (20 s, 610° C.), and (110 s, 500° C.).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2014
    Publication date: September 4, 2014
    Applicant: ArcelorMittal Investigacion y Desarrollo, S.L.
    Inventors: Bruce L. BRAMFITT, Fred B. FLETCHER, John A. Davis, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20140182751
    Abstract: The present invention provides a heat treatment method of turnout track comprising performing an accelerated cooling on the turnout track to be treated having a railhead tread with a temperature of 650-900° C. so as to obtain the turnout track with full pearlite metallographic structure, wherein the accelerated cooling velocity performed on the working side of railhead of the turnout track is higher than that performed on the non-working side of the railhead of the turnout track. The present invention provides a turnout track obtained with a heat treatment process as depicted therein. The turnout track in present invention has good straightness; both the hardness and tensile strength of the working side of railhead are higher than that of the non-working side of railhead.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicants: Pangang Group Panzhihua Steel & Vanadium Co., Ltd., Pangang Group Panzhihua Iron & Steel Research Institute Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ming Zou, Zhenyu Han, Dongsheng Mei, Yong Deng, Hua Guo, Quan Xu, Chunjian Wang
  • Publication number: 20140130943
    Abstract: A method of making a high strength head-hardened crane rail and the crane rail produced by the method. The method comprises the steps of providing a steel rail having a composition comprising, in weight percent: C, 0.79-1.00%; Mn, 0.40-1.00; Si, 0.30-1.00; Cr, 0.20-1.00; V, 0.05-0.35; Ti, 0.01-0.035; N, 0.002 to 0.0150; and the remainder being predominantly iron. The steel rail is cooled from a temperature between about 700 and 800° C. at a cooling rate having an upper cooling rate boundary plot defined by an upper line connecting xy-coordinates (0 s, 800° C.), (40 s, 700° C.), and (140 s, 600° C.) and a lower cooling rate boundary plot defined by a lower line connecting xy-coordinates (0 s, 700° C.), (40 s, 600° C.), and (140 s, 500° C.).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2013
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Inventors: Bruce L. Bramfitt, Frederick B. Fletcher, Jason T McCullough, Michael A. Muscarella, John S. Nelson
  • Publication number: 20140102603
    Abstract: A method for heat-treating a bainite steel rail is disclosed. The method includes: cooling a rolled steel rail naturally to lower a surface temperature of a rail head of the steel rail to 460° C. ?490° C.; cooling the steel rail forcely at a cooling rate of 2.0° C./s-4.0° C./s to lower the surface temperature of the rail head to 250° C.-290° C.; placing the steel rail in an ambient temperature until the surface temperature of the rail head is more than 300° C.; performing a tempering on the steel rail in a heating furnace at 300° C.-350° C. for 2 h-6 h; and air cooling the steel rail to the ambient temperature. Steel rails heat-treated by present method may have a stable retained austenite structure and a good mechanical performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2013
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Inventors: Zhenyu HAN, Ming ZOU, Jihai JIA, Hua GUO, Jianhua LIU, Yong DENG, Chunjian WANG, Jun YUAN, Hui YAO
  • Publication number: 20140060710
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a heat treatment method for a bainitic turnout rail, which includes: naturally cooling the turnout rail at a temperature in an austenite region after being finishing rolled to 450-480° C. at a tread center of a rail head of the turnout rail; accelerated cooling the naturally cooled turnout rail to 230-270° C. at the tread center of the rail head, a cooling rate at the tread center and a non-working side of the rail head being 1.5-5.0° C./s, a cooling rate at the working side of the rail head increasing by 0.1-1.0° C./s based on 1.5-5.0° C./s; continuously accelerated cooling the working side, the tread center and the non-working side of the rail head at a cooling rate of 0.05-0.25° C./s to decrease a temperature of the tread center of the rail head to 265-270° C.; and finally, naturally cooling the turnout rail to an ambient temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2013
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Applicant: Pangang Group Panzhihua Iron & Steel Research Institute Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Zhenyu HAN, Ming ZOU, Jihai JIA, Hua GUO, Yanzhong WANG, Jianhua LIU, Yong DENG, Chunjian WANG
  • Patent number: 8557064
    Abstract: The invention provides a method of cooling a rail weld zone. The method includes a first rail web portion cooling process of cooling a rail web portion cooling region of the rail weld zone in a part of a temperature range until the completion of transformation from austenite to pearlite, a second rail web portion cooling process of cooling the rail web portion cooling region after the entire rail web portion of the rail weld zone is transformed to pearlite, a foot portion cooling process of cooling a foot portion of the rail weld zone, and a head portion cooling process of cooling a head portion of the rail weld zone. When cooling time of the first and second rail web portion cooling processes is t minute, a k value satisfies an expression represented as ?0.1t+0.63?k??0.1t+2.33.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichi Karimine, Masaharu Ueda, Katsuya Iwano, Seiji Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 8430976
    Abstract: A high-strength pearlitic steel rail with an excellent combination of wear properties and rolling contact fatigue resistance wherein the steel has 0.88% to 0.95% carbon, 0.75% to 0.92% silicon, 0.80% to 0.95% manganese, 0.05% to 0.14% vanadium, up to 0.008% nitrogen, up to 0.030% phosphorus, 0.008 to 0.030% sulphur, at most 2.5 ppm hydrogen, at most 0.10% chromium, at most 0.010% aluminium, at most 20 ppm oxygen, the remainder being iron and unavoidable impurities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Tata Steel UK Limited
    Inventors: Robert Carroll, Howard Martin Smith, Shreekant Jaiswal
  • Patent number: 8388775
    Abstract: Process for the in-line thermal treatment of rolled rails which ensures to obtain a fine pearlitic structure which is uniform through a whole predetermined superficial thickness of the rail head. There is also disclosed a new device for the thermal treatment of rails in-line with a rolling system which, as compared to the known devices, is structurally much simpler, has a high sturdiness and requires less maintenance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Danieli & C. Officine Meccaniche S.p.A.
    Inventors: Alfredo Poloni, Nuredin Kapaj, Andrea De Luca, Gianluca Bazzaro
  • Patent number: 8367960
    Abstract: A method for restoring a worn rail section includes cleaning a worn surface of a rail section to expose a clean metal surface, heating the rail section to a first temperature before welding, welding new metal on the clean metal surface of the rail section after heating the rail section to the first temperature, heating the rail section to a second temperature after the welding to heat-treat a heat-affected area caused by the welding, and shaping the rail section, wherein the welding is performed by a gas metal arc welding (GMAW) process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: CSX Transportation
    Inventor: Rod Keefe
  • Patent number: 8361246
    Abstract: A pearlite rail contains, by mass %, 0.65 to 1.20% of C; 0.05 to 2.00% of Si; 0.05 to 2.00% of Mn; and the balance composed of Fe and inevitable impurities, wherein at least part of the head portion and at least part of the bottom portion has a pearlite structure, and the surface hardness of a portion of the pearlite structure is in a range of Hv320 to Hv500 and a maximum surface roughness of a portion of the pearlite structure is less than or equal to 180 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Nippon Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Masaharu Ueda, Kyohei Sonoyama, Takuya Tanahashi, Teruhisa Miyazaki, Katsuya Iwano
  • Patent number: 8122580
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing an axle is provided. The method includes heating a billet at a heating station to a predetermined temperature, forging the heated billet at a forging station to form an axle, and machining the axle at a machining station to form a machined axle. A product is automatically transported to and from each station using a product transport system, wherein the product includes the billet, the axle and the machined axle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: American Railcar Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Gerard Potje, Timothy Dunagan, Jon Edmond Meyer, James A. Cowan
  • Patent number: 7972451
    Abstract: The present invention is: a pearlitic steel rail excellent in wear resistance and ductility, characterized in that, in a steel rail having pearlite structure containing, in mass, 0.65 to 1.40% C, the number of the pearlite blocks having grain sizes in the range from 1 to 15 ?m is 200 or more per 0.2 mm2 of an observation field at least in a part of the region down to a depth of 10 mm from the surface of the corners and top of the head portion; and a method for producing a pearlitic steel rail excellent in wear resistance and ductility, characterized by, in the hot rolling of said steel rail, applying finish rolling so that the temperature of the rail surface may be in the range from 850° C. to 1,000° C. and the sectional area reduction ratio at the final pass may be 6% or more, and then applying accelerated cooling to the head portion of said rail at a cooling rate in the range from 1 to 30° C./sec. from the austenite temperature range to at least 550° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Nippon Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Masaharu Ueda, Koichiro Matsushita, Kazuo Fujita, Katsuya Iwano, Koichi Uchino, Takashi Morohoshi, Akira Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20110139320
    Abstract: A method of making a hypereutectoid, head-hardened steel rail is provided that includes a step of head hardening a steel rail having a composition containing 0.86-1.00 wt % carbon, 0.40-0.75 wt % manganese, 0.40-1.00 wt % silicon, 0.05-0.15 wt % vanadium, 0.015-0.030 wt % titanium, and sufficient nitrogen to react with the titanium to form titanium nitride. Head hardening is conducted at a cooling rate that, if plotted on a graph with xy-coordinates with the x-axis representing cooling time in seconds, and the y-axis representing temperature in Celsius of the surface of the head of the steel rail, is maintained in a region between an upper cooling rate boundary plot defined by an upper line connecting xy-coordinates (0 s, 775° C.), (20 s, 670° C.), and (110 s, 550° C.) and a lower cooling rate boundary plot defined by a lower line connecting xy-coordinates (0 s, 750° C.), (20 s, 610° C.), and (110 s, 500° C.).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2010
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Inventors: Bruce L. BRAMFITT, Fred B. Fletcher, John A. Davis, JR.
  • Patent number: 7955445
    Abstract: An internal high hardness type pearlitic rail that has a composition containing 0.73% to 0.85% by mass C, 0.5% to 0.75% by mass Si, 0.3% to 1.0% by mass Mn, 0.035% by mass or less P, 0.0005% to 0.012% by mass S, 0.2% to 1.3% by mass Cr, and the balance being Fe and incidental impurities, in which the value of [% Mn]/[% Cr] is greater than or equal to 0.3 and less than 1.0, where [% Mn] represents the Mn content, and [% Cr] represents the Cr content, and in which the internal hardness of a rail head that is defined by the Vickers hardness of a portion located from a surface layer of the rail head to a depth of at least 25 mm is greater than or equal to 380 Hv and less than 480 Hv.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Minoru Honjo, Tatsumi Kimura, Shinichi Suzuki, Kimihiro Nishimura, Shinji Mitao, Nobuo Shikanai
  • Publication number: 20100300586
    Abstract: Process for the in-line thermal treatment of rolled rails which ensures to obtain a fine pearlitic structure which is uniform through a whole predetermined superficial thickness of the rail head. There is also disclosed a new device for the thermal treatment of rails in-line with a rolling system which, as compared to the known devices, is structurally much simpler, has a high sturdiness and requires less maintenance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2008
    Publication date: December 2, 2010
    Inventors: Alfredo Poloni, Nuredin Kapaj, Andrea De Luca, Gianluca Bazzaro
  • Patent number: 7455242
    Abstract: A railway system has a pre-determined profile of contact surfaces between the rail and the wheel rolling along the rail. The length of the contact surface is determined based on the value of the convex-to convex or flat-to-convex contacting running surface of the rail and rolling surface of the wheel. Improved profile allows to significantly decrease contact stress loads and extend useful life of the railway system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2008
    Assignee: A&A Technologies
    Inventor: Isaak Aleynik
  • Patent number: 7416622
    Abstract: In order to obtain a fine-lamellar perlite structure in the edge region of the heads of rails (1), especially hot-rolled rails for carriageways or railways, by specific thermal treatment during cooling from the rolling heat without the formation of bainite, precooling (12) occurs in order to achieve a core temperature of approximately 750-850° C., and the temperature of the more intensively cooled edge region is raised by intermediate heating (13) to at least said core temperature and finally cooled (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: SMS Meer GmbH
    Inventors: Klaus Küppers, Meinert Meyer, Thomas Nerzak
  • Patent number: 7374622
    Abstract: The invention comprises a structural member formed from iron alloyed with 0.15% to 0.20% carbon, 1.00% to 1.80% manganese, 1.00% to 1.60% silicon, 1.50% to 2.50% chromium, 2.50% to 3.50% nickel, 0.40% to 0.70% molybdenum and 0.0025% to 0.0005% boron, all by weight. Preferably, alloy is subjected to a two-level thermal processing to confer a bainitic structure to the steel. Also preferably, the structural member is a frog for a railway track switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Inventors: Josef Zboril, Eva Schmidova
  • Patent number: 7288159
    Abstract: An improved steel railroad rail, and methods for producing same, having a high-carbon content in a range from more than 0.9 to 1.1 wt % is provided that has increased wear resistance and increased fracture toughness over conventional steel rail. The high-carbon rail is characterized as having a pearlitic phase of an eutectoid nature. The average ultimate tensile strength is in a range from 204,860 to 222,120 psi, with a minimum of 174,000 psi. The average yield strength is in a range from 132,320 to 148,450 psi, with the minimum of 120,000 psi. The average percent elongation is in a range from 10.50 to 11.14, with a minimum of 10.00. The Brinell hardness on the surface at any position of the head top and upper gage corners of the rail is in a range from 390 to 440 BHN. The hardness 19 mm below the top surface is in a range from 360 to 435 BHN and 19 mm below the surface at the upper gage corners is in a range from 360 to 410 BHN.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: CF&I Steel, L.P.
    Inventor: J. Vincent Cordova
  • Publication number: 20040231763
    Abstract: In order to obtain a fine-lamellar perlite structure in the edge region of the heads of rails (1), especially hot-rolled rails for carriageways or railways, by specific thermal treatment during cooling from the rolling heat without the formation of bainite, precooling (12) occurs in order to achieve a core temperature of approximately 750 - 850° C., and the temperature of the more intensively cooled edge region is raised by intermediate heating (13) to at least said core temperature and finally cooled (14).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2004
    Publication date: November 25, 2004
    Inventors: Klause Kuppers, Meinert Meyer, Thomas Nerzak
  • Patent number: 6770155
    Abstract: A process for the manufacture of a railroad rail of a steel alloy having a pearlitic microstructure. The rail is is shaped at a reduction rate of 1.8 to 8% and aligned straight in its longitudinal direction at a temperature between 770° C. and 1050° C., whereafter it is mounted with the head down and is allowed to cool slowly in still air to a temperature of 5 to 120° C. above the Ar3 temperature, and upon reaching this temperature at least the rail head is dipped into a cooling liquid and is cooled to the temperature of conversion of an austenitic grain microstructure into a fine pearlitic grain microstructure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Assignee: voestalpine Schienen GmbH
    Inventors: Georg Prskawetz, Peter Pointner, Alfred Moser
  • Patent number: 6689230
    Abstract: A method of cooling on a cooling bed hot-rolled steel sections from rolling heat, wherein the sections, particularly rails, have section parts of different masses arranged at a distance from each other over the cross-section of the section, and an apparatus for carrying out the method. Initially, the heat quantities to be proportionally removed from the different section parts in dependence on their mass and temperature and the quantity of cooling medium required for this removal are determined and computed by using measuring equipment together with a computing unit by means of a computer program. Subsequently, cooling of the different section parts or their masses is carried out in a controlled manner in such a way that the section parts reach with as little time delay as possible the transformation line Ar3/Ar1 during the decomposition of the gamma-mixed crystal into ferrite and/or pearlite while releasing the transformation heat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2004
    Assignee: SMS Schloemann-Siemag Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Meinert Meyer, Klaus Küppers, Manfred Albedyhl, Bruno Böhmer
  • Patent number: 6547897
    Abstract: A method for the thermal treatment of rails, in particular of the rail head, in which cooling is carried out in a cooling agent that contains a synthetic cooling agent additive starting at temperatures above 720° C. The treatment is carried out by immersion in the cooling agent until withdrawal of the immersed areas occurs, at a surface temperature between 450 and 550° C. results without temperature equalization across the whole of the cross-section, thereby avoiding hardening of the rail web whilst maintaining an optimal cooling rate for the rail head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: Voest-Alpine Schienen GmbH
    Inventors: Alfred Moser, Georg Prskawetz, Peter Pointner
  • Patent number: 6432230
    Abstract: Process and device for hardening a rail. The process for hardening a rail or part thereof by transforming it from an austenitic structure into a different microstructure that is stable at room temperature comprises aligning, horizontally positioning, and fixing in axial alignment to secure against bending, the rail in its austenitic state; and while keeping the rail fixed in axial alignment and secured against bending, force-cooling the rail or part thereof to allow the austenitic structure to be transformed into said different microstructure. The device for hardening a rail or part thereof by force-cooling comprises a support for supporting the rail; a cooling device for force-cooling the rail or part thereof; and at least two fixing devices for axially aligning and securing the rail against bending during the force-cooling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Voest-Alpine Schienen GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Norbert Köck, Peter Pointner
  • Patent number: 6419762
    Abstract: A railroad rail of a steel alloy having a pearlitic microstructure, which rail has a good long-term serviceability, high ductility and high abrasion resistance of the working surface at the rail head, the rail being formed of a steel alloy having a chemical composition in weight % of 0.4 to 1.0 carbon, 0.1 to 1.2 silicon, 0.5 to 3.5 manganese, up to 1.5 chromium, optionally other alloy elements below 1 weight %, the rest being iron and impurities, and at least the rail head having a portion of fine pearlitic microstructure and a hardness between 340 HB and 425 HB down to a sufficient depth from the top surface, the arrangement and the extension of the portion of fine pearlitic microstructure in the rail cross section being even along the entire length of the rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2002
    Assignee: Voest-Alpine Schienen GmbH
    Inventors: Georg Prskawetz, Peter Pointner, Alfred Moser
  • Patent number: 6361625
    Abstract: A high-strength, high damage-resistant rail made of 0.6 to 0.85 wt % C, 0.1 to 1.0 wt % Si, 0.5 to 1.5 wt % Mn, 0.035 wt % or less P, 0.040 wt % or less S, and 0.05 wt % or less Al, with the balance being Fe and inevitable impurities, and having corner and head side portions having a Brinell hardness of 341 to 405, and a head top portion in which a Brinell hardness of a site 20-mm distant from the central portion of the head top portion in a width direction is 341 to 405, and a hardness of the central portion of the head top portion is at least 10 lower in Brinell hardness than that of the site 20-mm distant from the central portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2002
    Assignee: NKK Corporation
    Inventors: Masahisa Fujikake, Jun Furukawa, Kiyotaka Morioka, Kozo Fukuda, Hideyuki Yamanaka, Kazutaka Kobayashi, Shinichi Nagahashi
  • Patent number: 6315844
    Abstract: The invention relates to a high-strength steel track element, and process of making the steel track element by rolling and heat treating. The steel comprises: 0.3-0.6% C, 0.8-1.5% Si, 0.7-1.0% Mn, 0.9-1.4% Cr, 0.6-1.0% Mo, balance iron and smelting-related impurities. The steel has a bainitic basic structure, a tensile strength of at least 1600 N/mm2 and a technical yield strength of at least 1250 N/mm2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: BWG Butzbacher Weichenbau Gesellschaft mbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Gerhard Ratz, Walter Kunitz
  • Publication number: 20010025674
    Abstract: A railroad rail of a steel alloy having a pearlitic microstructure, which rail has a good long-term serviceability, high ductility and high abrasion resistance of the working surface at the rail head, the rail being formed of a steel alloy having a chemical composition in weight % of 0.4 to 1.0 carbon, 0.1 to 1.2 silicon, 0.5 to 3.5 manganese, up to 1.5 chromium, optionally other alloy elements below 1 weight %, the rest being iron and impurities, and at least the rail head having a portion of fine pearlitic microstructure and a hardness between 340 HB and 425 HB down to a sufficient depth from the top surface, the arrangement and the extension of the portion of fine pearlitic microstructure in the rail cross section being even along the entire length of the rail.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2001
    Publication date: October 4, 2001
    Applicant: VOEST ALPINE SCHIENEN GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Georg Prskawetz, Peter Pointner, Alfred Moser
  • Patent number: 6224694
    Abstract: Method for heat-treating profiled rolling stock, including track and railroad rails, having a profiled surface and increased heat removal from portions of the profiled surface during cooling in the gamma range of an iron based alloy material. The method includes aligning the profiled rolling stock, at an average temperature of between 750° C. and 1100° C., straight in its longitudinal direction by plastic shaping, and moving the aligned profiled rolling stock, in its aligned state, in a transverse direction and holding same there. The method also includes evenly cooling of the aligned profiled rolling stock, in a first cooling, to a temperature below 860° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2001
    Assignee: Voest Alpine Schienen GmbH & Co., KG
    Inventors: Georg Prskawetz, Peter Pointner, Alfred Moser
  • Patent number: 6086685
    Abstract: A profiled rolling stock, in particular a running rail or railroad track made of an iron-based alloy, is provided. The alloy contains silicon plus aluminum below 0.99 wt. % of the rolling stock. A structure in the cross section is formed, at least partially, by isothermic structural transformation due to accelerated cooling from the austenite region of the alloy to a lower intermediary phase temperature and holding. Transformation preferably occurs between the martensite transformation point of the alloy a temperature 250.degree. C. over the martensite transformation point Ms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2000
    Assignee: Voest-Alpine Schienen GmbH
    Inventors: Albin Joller, Peter Pointner, Herbert-Adolf Schifferl
  • Patent number: 5916387
    Abstract: This invention concerns a method of reducing the gaping values of railway tracks made of steel to less than 3.6 mm. It is characteristic of this invention that the rolled and leveled rails are heated briefly, i.e., for approx. 10 to 25 sec, until reaching a maximum temperature of 100.degree. C. in the rail head and a maximum of 260.degree. C. in the web, and then they are allowed to cool again immediately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: Thyssen Stahl AG
    Inventors: Robert Dannenberg, Herbert Schmedders, Jurgen Scharlack
  • Patent number: 5916380
    Abstract: An Fe--Ni alloy for use as a part 10 of an electron-gun 4 is press-blanked by a punch to form minute apertures 10a, 10b, 10c for passing an electron beam 3. The burrs 10 formed around the minute apertures 10a, 10b, 10c are detrimental to such part 4. The Fe--Ni alloy according to the present invention essentially consists of from 30 to 55 wt % of Ni, not more than 0.5 wt % of Si, not more than 1.5 wt % of Mn, and the balance being Fe and unavoidable impurities. The alloy includes from 10 to 1,000 of A type or B type non-metallic inclusions of 10 .mu.m or more in length per 1 mm.sup.2 of longitudinal cross section, and from 100 to 50,000 of C type non-metallic inclusions having a diameter of 5 .mu.m or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: Nippon Mining & Metals Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Norio Yuki, Masazumi Mori, Yoshihiro Ozeki
  • Patent number: 5879474
    Abstract: A method of producing a wear and rolling contact fatigue resistant bainitic steel product whose microstructure is essentially carbide-free. The method comprises the steps of hot rolling a steel whose composition by weight includes from 0.05 to 0.50% carbon, from 1.00 to 3.00% silicon and/or aluminum, from 0.50 to 2.50% manganese, and from 0.25 to 2.50% chromium, balance iron and incidental impurities, and continuously cooling the steel from its rolling temperature naturally in air or by accelerated cooling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1999
    Assignee: British Steel plc
    Inventors: Harshad Kumar Dharamshi Hansraj Bhadeshia, Vijay Jerath
  • Patent number: 5830286
    Abstract: This invention provides a steel rail having wear resistance and internal breakage resistance required for a heavy load railway, containing, in terms of percent by weight, more than 0.85 to 1.20% of C, 0.10 to 1.00% of Si, 0.40 to 1.50% of Mn, 0.0005 to 0.0040% of B, at least one of 0.05 to 1.00% of Cr, 0.01 to 0.50% of Mo, 0.02 to 0.30% of V, 0.002 to 0.05% of Nb and 0.10 to 2.00% of Co, whenever necessary, being acceleratedly cooled at a cooling rate of 5.degree. to 15.degree. C./sec from an austenite zone temperature to 650.degree. to 500.degree. C., exhibiting a pearlite structure having a hardness of at least Hv 370 within the range from the surface of the rail head portion to a position having a depth of 20 mm from the head surface with this head surface being the start point, and the difference of the hardness within this range being not more than Hv 30.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1998
    Assignee: Nippon Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Masaharu Ueda, Kouichi Uchino
  • Patent number: 5820702
    Abstract: A nose type rail member for crossing member applied to a turnout or wayside switch system on the ground for a train and the like, is made of high carbon steel material containing 0.70 to 0.82 wt. % of carbon. The rail member is constructed by a pair of rail parts, which has a concave at a side of the middle support part. A backing plate is made of the same as the rail member or a steel material having a less carbon content than that of the rail member and is holden by a pair of the opposite concaves. A pair of the head portions and the base portions at a side thereof are joined by means of electron beam welding and the joined rail member is subjected to S.Q. heat processing, thereby at least a wheel tread of the rail member becomes a homogeneous and fine pearlite structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1998
    Assignee: Yamato Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takaaki Irie, Hisashi Takahata
  • Patent number: 5762723
    Abstract: This invention is directed to improve a wear resistance and a damage resistance required for a rail of a sharply curved zone of a heavy load railway, comprising more than 0.85 to 1.20% of C, 0.10 to 1.00% of Si, 0.40 to 1.50% of Mn and if necessary, at least one member selected from the group consisting of Cr, Mo, V, Nb, Co and B, and retaining high temperature of hot rolling or a steel rail heated to a high temperature for the purpose of heat-treatment, the present invention provides a pearlitic steel rail having a good wear resistance and a good damage resistance, and a method of producing the same, wherein a head portion of the steel rail is acceleratedly cooled at a rate of 1.degree. to 10.degree. C./sec from an austenite zone temperature to a cooling stop temperature of 700.degree. to 500.degree. C. so that the hardness of the head portion is at least Hv 320 within the range of a 20 mm depth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1998
    Assignee: Nippon Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Masaharu Ueda, Hideaki Kageyama, Kouichi Uchino, Koji Babazono, Ken Kutaragi
  • Patent number: 5714020
    Abstract: A process for the heat treatment of a steel rail having a head, a web and a flange. The rail is preheated, overheated and cooled. The process applies to steel in general, as well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 3, 1998
    Assignee: Sogerail
    Inventor: Jean Luc Perrin
  • Patent number: 5667603
    Abstract: A process for hardening a plurality of holed flat parts. The holed flat parts are heated by inserting a cantilever hanger into the holes of the holed flat parts to support them in vertical positions within a furnace. The holed flat parts are then removed from the hanger by inserting a moving fork into the holes of the holed flat parts and moved to a cooling section while being supported in the vertical positions on the moving fork. Then, the holed flat parts in the vertical positions are quenched in the cooling section by blowing a gas downward to them. Also disclosed is an apparatus for practicing the holed flat part hardening process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 16, 1997
    Assignee: NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Masanori Ichikawa, Tadayoshi Yoshioka, Katsumasa Toyoda, Shinichi Takizawa
  • Patent number: RE40263
    Abstract: This invention is directed to improve a wear resistance and a damage resistance required for a rail of a sharply curved zone of a heavy load railway, comprising more than 0.85 to 1.20% of C, 0.10 to 1.00% of Si, 0.40 to 1.50% of Mn and if necessary, at least one member selected from the group consisting of Cr, Mo, V, Nb, Co and B, and retaining high temperature of hot rolling or a steel rail heated to a high temperature for the purpose of heat-treatment, the present invention provides a pearlitic steel rail having a good wear resistance and a good damage resistance, and a method of producing the same, wherein a head portion of the steel rail is acceleratedly cooled at a rate of 1° to 10° C./sec from an austenite zone temperature to a cooling stop temperature of 700° to 500° C. so that the hardness of the head portion is at least Hv 320 within the range of a 20 mm depth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Nippon Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Masaharu Ueda, Hideaki Kageyama, Kouichi Uchino, Koji Babazono, Ken Kutaragi
  • Patent number: RE41033
    Abstract: This invention is directed to improve a wear resistance and a damage resistance required for a rail of a sharply curved zone of a heavy load railway, comprising more than 0.85 to 1.20% of C, 0.10 to 1.00% of Si, 0.40 to 1.50% of Mn and if necessary, at least one member selected from the group consisting of Cr, Mo, V, Nb, Co and B, and retaining high temperature of hot rolling or a steel rail heated to a high temperature for the purpose of heat-treatment, the present invention provides a pearlitic steel rail having a good wear resistance and a good damage resistance, and a method of producing the same, wherein a head portion of the steel rail is acceleratedly cooled at a rate of 1° to 10° C./sec from an austenite zone temperature to a cooling stop temperature of 700° to 500° C. so that the hardness of the head portion is at least Hv 320 within the range of a 20 mm depth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Nippn Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Masaharu Ueda, Hideaki Kageyama, Kouichi Uchino, Koji Babazono, Ken Kutaragi
  • Patent number: RE42360
    Abstract: This invention is directed to improve a wear resistance and a damage resistance required for a rail of a sharply curved zone of a heavy load railway, comprising more than 0.85 to 1.20% of C, 0.10 to 1.00% of Si, 0.40 to 1.50% of Mn and if necessary, at least one member selected from the group consisting of Cr, Mo, V, Nb, Co and B, and retaining high temperature of hot rolling or a steel rail heated to a high temperature for the purpose of heat-treatment, the present invention provides a pearlitic steel rail having a good wear resistance and a good damage resistance, and a method of producing the same, wherein a head portion of the steel rail is acceleratedly cooled at a rate of 1° to 10° C./sec from an austenite zone temperature to a cooling stop temperature of 700° to 500° C. so that the hardness of the head portion is at least Hv 320 within the range of a 20 mm depth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Nippon Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Masaharu Ueda, Hideaki Kageyama, Kouichi Uchino, Koji Babazono, Ken Kutaragi
  • Patent number: RE42668
    Abstract: This invention is directed to improve a wear resistance and a damage resistance required for a rail of a sharply curved zone of a heavy load railway, comprising more than 0.85 to 1.20% of C, 0.10 to 1.00% of Si, 0.40 to 1.50% of Mn and if necessary, at least one member selected from the group consisting of Cr, Mo, V, Nb, Co and B, and retaining high temperature of hot rolling or a steel rail heated to a high temperature for the purpose of heat-treatment, the present invention provides a pearlitic steel rail having a good wear resistance and a good damage resistance, and a method of producing the same, wherein a head portion of the steel rail is acceleratedly cooled at a rate of 1° to 10° C./sec from an austenite zone temperature to a cooling stop temperature of 700° to 500° C. so that the hardness of the head portion is at least Hv 320 within the range of a 20 mm depth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Nippon Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Masaharu Ueda, Hideaki Kageyama, Kouichi Uchino, Koji Babazono, Ken Kutaragi