AU2004201330B2

AU2004201330B2 - Equipment to lay rails to form a track

Info

Publication number: AU2004201330B2
Application number: AU2004201330A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Robert Baier; Andreas Pryszlak
Original assignee: Voestalpine Schienen GmbH
Current assignee: Voestalpine Rail Technology GmbH
Priority date: 2003-04-11
Filing date: 2004-03-30
Publication date: 2008-09-25
Anticipated expiration: 2024-03-30
Also published as: AU2004201330A1; EP1467024A3; AT413113B; ATA5652003A; NO332934B1; HRP20040257A2; DE502004004480D1; EP1467024B1; ZA200402493B; RS50153B; NO20041201L; ATE368769T1; EP1467024A2; YU23704A; HRP20040257B1

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for unloading rails from transport wagons, and selectively setting down said rails on the track, comprising a transport wagon with rail stack, an unloading wagon (R) having rail guiding units, and a positioning unit (A) arranged downstream of the latter at a distance, being referred to as a trailer, having roller guides for setting out a desired setting-down lane of the rails on the ballast bed. In order to permit a high level of operational reliability and simple adjustability of the desired setting-down lane, and the ability to adapt to the rail profile which is provided, the invention provides that the positioning unit (A) is formed as a four-wheeled bogie (1) comprised of a steel structure, has two parallel displacement beds (3,3'), arranged offset and transversely with respect to the direction of the rail, for one rail-guiding means (4,4') each, which displacement beds (3,3') are vertically adjustable with respect to the rail head faces (S).

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 VOESTALPINE SCHIENEN GMBH COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: Equipment to lay rails to form a track The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to us:- 00 FIELD OF THE INVENTION

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SThe invention is broadly directed to equipment for unloading rails from transport tcarriages and targeted laying of same to form a track to form a rail bed.

00 5 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION On rail tracks, particularly in curved sections, high loads experienced during the flow of railway traffic subject the rails to wear such that even after being used within given limits, they no longer satisfy the requirements of the testing Oauthorities for the highest safety. This makes it necessary to replace the worn S 10 rails at intervals.

So that the rail traffic will be interrupted only for a short period during the replacement of the rails, new rails are unloaded on the spot from transport carriages and formed into a track, typically during pauses in the rail traffic. For this purpose an unloading carriage, like that known from EP 1 028 194 A1, is usually provided in the rail unloading train behind the transport carriages that has rail guiding units, with which the rails can be placed at targeted positions on a bed of road metal.

To enable the laying of the new rails on the bed of road metal on the track so as to achieve as close an alignment as possible with the existing rails joined to sleepers, it is known to provide, after the unloading carriage from which the rails are unloaded from an elevated level, a railbound positioning unit via a distance bar. The positioning unit, a so called trailer, is provided between an elevated rail in a guide of the unloading carriage and its first contact on the rail bed.

By means of such a positioning unit the new rails can be laid also in curved tracks in accordance with the curvature on the bed of road metal.

00 However, when rails are unloaded from the unloading carriage using a positioning 0 unit in a tight curve, it is possible that the positioning unit may be derailed as a bresult of a flange of a wheel running off the head of the rail due to great horizontal

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torques initiated by lateral bending forces of the rail and by small counter torques 00 5 and small effective vertical forces.

OAny discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like which has been included in the present specification is solely for the purpose of 0 providing a context for the present invention. It is not to be taken as an

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,1 10 admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were Ocommon general knowledge in the field relevant to the present invention as it existed before the priority date of each claim of this application.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention provides equipment for unloading rails from transport carriages and targeted laying of said rails to form a track, comprising an unloading carriage with a rail guiding unit followed by a positioning unit, the positioning unit having rail guides to adjust a desired gauge of the rails on a bed of road metal, wherein the positioning unit is constructed from steel as a four-wheeled undercarriage and has two parallel, offset arranged, sliding beds to guide one rail each, said sliding beds being arranged at right angles to the rail direction, and are height adjustable relative to a surface of a head of the rail.

Embodiments of the invention provide a positioning unit constructed as a fourwheeled undercarriage of a steel construction, having two parallel offset arranged sliding beds to guide one rail each arranged at right angles to the direction of the rails, wherein the sliding 00 beds may be adjusted in their height relative to the surface of the head of the rail.

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In embodiments of the invention, the vertical and the horizontal positions of the ;discharge positions of the rails may be adjusted from the trailer at right angles to 00 5 the direction of the track. This is important not only for the accurate laying of new rails on a rail bed, but also when considering the section modulus of the shape of the rail to be laid for the determination of the removal and support parameters and also for the distribution of forces and stability of the positioning unit.

7- 10 By virtue of the rail guide being able to be positioned in two parallel, offset Oarranged sliding beds, extending transversely to the direction of the rails, it is possible to adjust the removal horizontally within wide limits. The feature of the height adjustable sliding beds may further allow the beds to suit various types of rail cross-sections so that the rail guide may be subjected to acceptable gravitational vertical loads.

Constructing the positioning unit as a four-wheel undercarriage with a steel construction increases its stability in a favourable manner.

With preferred embodiments of the equipment according to the invention a high degree of stability may be achieved with the simultaneous accurate laying of the rails with great reliability of the laying.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the wheels of the positioning unit may be connected with the undercarriage via pivoting arms, while their included angle may be adjusted by adjusting means for the purpose of adjusting the height. Such an execution of a level adjustment shows a very reliable operation in the field with simplicity in its function.

00 In a further embodiment, it is possible to manually actuate the adjusting means to

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0 change the angle of the pivoting arms. Preferably, this is mechanically achieved,

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b particularly with a self-locking screw drive. As a result, a stable, highly ;operationally reliable adjustment of the height position may be achieved without 00 5 use of hydraulic mechanisms.

For a reliable lateral guiding of the positioning unit on the track and in order to prevent the running of the flange of a wheel off the rail resulting in a derailment, Othe wheel may have a sharp-edged transition from the running surface to the S 10 lateral guiding surface.

In another embodiment, at least one sliding bed of the positioning device may be extended by a protruding part that is detachably connected with the latter. Thus, depending on the requirements, a laying gauge can be shifted widely outward, while after the dismantling of the protruding part a given travel parameter of a track will not be overhung. In yet another embodiment, a shifting means for the horizontal adjustment of the rail guide on the sliding bed may be manually actuated, preferably as a mechanical means, particularly as a self-locking screw drive. As a result, robust independent adjusting may be achieved on free ranges of the track.

In various embodiments, the distance of the positioning unit from the unloading carriage may be adjusted so that during the unloading operation, unfavourable vibrations are prevented or at least minimised. This adjustment may be achieved by providing a connecting means between the unloading carriage and the positioning unit. The connecting means has an adjustable functional length that is supported, preferably centrally, on the surface of the rail, guided by the wheel.

The unloading unit may be attached to the transport carriages, loaded with stacks of rails, in a simple and economical manner by means provided to unload and load the positioning equipment on the rail downloading carriage.

Throughout this specification the word "comprise", or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated 00 00 element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.

5 By way of example, an embodiment of the invention is explained in detail in the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a view of an embodiment of the positioning equipment Fig. 2 is a top view on the positioning equipment according to Fig. 1.

In the drawings the one- and two-digit numerals listed below correspond to the references used in the text of the description to refer to the specific parts indicated and the multi-digit numbers shown in smaller font in the drawings are dimensions of the experimental equipment by way of example.

List of reference symbols:

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1 11,11' 12 2, 2", 3, 3' 31, 31' 32, 32' 4,4' 41,41' 5' 6, 6' Positioning unit (trailer) View Fig.2, illustrated in Fig.1 Undercarriage Bearing Connecting element Wheels Sliding beds for rail guides 4') Protruding parts of the sliding beds Shifting means Rail guide End discharge chutes Pivoting arm Adjusting means (continues on page 6) Fig.1 shows the lateral view of a positioning unit A, also described as a trailer. On the travelling or railway rails wheels 2, 2' are arranged at a distance from one another, said wheels 2, 2' rotatably mounted at one side of the pivoting arms The pivoting arms include a V-shaped angle of a and are pivotably connected with an undercarriage 1 via bearings 11, 11' positioned at a distance from one another. From the bearings 11, 11', positioned at a distance from one another, the pivoting arms 5, 5' continue and meet, whereby the ends are functionally connected with one another and an adjusting means 6.

When the adjusting means 6, mounted on the undercarriage 1, is actuated, the position of the connection and consequently the angle a included by the pivoting arms 5, 5' changes, resulting in a change of the distance of the bearings 11, 11' to the surface of the rail. The change of the distance of the bearings from the surface of the rail is associated with the same change of the undercarriage 1 together with its rail guides 4, Accordingly, a desired height H of the rail guides 4, 4' can be adjusted parallel to the rails by the adjusting means 6, while with regard to the use of a positioning unit A on the track, the adjusting means 6 should be executed as robust and as simple as possible, for example by a selflocking screw drive 6.

Fig.2 shows a top view of a positioning unit A. An undercarriage 1, that is connected with the wheels 2, via the pivoting arms 5, has horizontal sliding beds 3, 3' at right angles to the rails, on which rail guides 4, 4' are displaceably mounted for the new rails. The sliding beds 3, 3' are provided offset, parallel and at a distance from one another, with their proximal ends overlapping. By virtue of this the respective rail guides 4, 4' can be placed close to one another by means of shifting means 32, 32'.

To the external ends of the sliding beds 3, 3' protruding parts 31, 31' are detachably fastened, by virtue of which the rail guides 4, having the end discharge chutes 41, 41', can be arranged outside of the existing rails, fastened on sleepers, lying on them.

7 On the undercarriage 1 of the positioning unit A a connecting element 12 is provided to secure a connecting means, the other end of which is connected to the unloading carriage.

Claims

2. Equipment according to claim 1, wherein the wheels of the positioning unit are connected with the undercarriage via pivoting arms, while their included angle is adjustable by adjusting means for the purpose of adjusting the height.
3. Equipment according to claim 2, wherein the adjusting means to change the angle of the pivoting arms, is mechanically actuated and, constructed with a self- locking screw drive.
4. Equipment according to claim 2, wherein the wheels have a sharp-edged transition from a running surface to a lateral guiding surface. Equipment according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one sliding bed of the positioning unit is extendable by a detachably connected protruding part.
6. Equipment according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein shifting means are provided on the positioning unit for the adjustment of the rail guides on the sliding bed, and wherein the shifting means are manually actuated.
7. Equipment according to claim 6, wherein the rail guides are mechanically actuated and are constructed as a self-locking screw drive. 00 8. Equipment according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein between the 0 unloading carriage and the positioning unit, a connecting means is provided that Sis adjustable within its functional length that is supported on a surface of the rail. 00 5 9. Equipment according to claim 8, wherein the connecting means is supported centrally on a surface of the rail. Equipment according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein means are provided to unload and load positioning equipment on a rail downloading carriage.
11. Equipment substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 or Figure 2.