DEVELOPMENT OF BOLTLESS SWITCH ROD AND STRETCHER BAR

Abstract

 Switch rods at point of turnouts are designed to connect clips installed on switch rails by inserting connecting bolts from the underside of switch rod and fastening them with bolt and nut assemblies. Consequently, during maintenance and inspection work, disassembly and assembly are often required in confined spaces, necessitating careful torque management, which increases maintenance labors. Additionally, switch rods consist of seven types (fifteen units) of components, making the assembly process even more complicated. To reduce maintenance labor at point of turnouts, we developed a boltless switch rod in which clips are connected using pins instead of bolts. The developed component was installed in two high-speed turnouts on commercial lines, and follow-up investigations and various performance tests were conducted to verify their effectiveness.