| (19) |
 |
|
(11) |
EP 0 604 202 A3 |
| (12) |
EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
| (88) |
Date of publication A3: |
|
31.08.1994 Bulletin 1994/35 |
| (43) |
Date of publication A2: |
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29.06.1994 Bulletin 1994/26 |
| (22) |
Date of filing: 21.12.1993 |
|
| (51) |
International Patent Classification (IPC)5: E01B 3/20 |
|
| (84) |
Designated Contracting States: |
|
AT DE FR GB IT PT SE |
| (30) |
Priority: |
22.12.1992 GB 9226651
|
| (71) |
Applicant: BICC Public Limited Company |
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London W1X 5FH (GB) |
|
| (72) |
Inventor: |
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- Shepheard, Thomas William
Darlington,
County Durham DL1 1EG (GB)
|
| (74) |
Representative: Dlugosz, Anthony Charles et al |
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BICC Group Patents & Licensing Department
Quantum House
Maylands Avenue
Hemel Hempstead
Hertfordshire HP2 4SJ
Hemel Hempstead
Hertfordshire HP2 4SJ (GB) |
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| |
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(57) A railway sleeper (1) has an under surface that is curved in order to enable the
sleeper to be positioned in a tunnel so that a major part of the under surface and
preferably substantially the entire under surface is in contact with the tunnel wall.
The sleeper is preferably formed from sheet metal and has a central part formed from
a single strip of sheet metal that is curved to lie flat on the tunnel wall. The sleeper
may include a pair of baseplates (4,5) for supporting rails of the railway track,
which are also formed from sheet metal, and a rib (10) formed in the sheet metal of
the sleeper and located under each baseplate for supporting part of the load from
the rail.