EP0611847B1

EP0611847B1 - Fixed installation for changing the railways gage

Info

Publication number: EP0611847B1
Application number: EP94500014A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Faustino Archilla Aldeanueva; Francisco Rodriguez Uris
Original assignee: Patentes Talgo SL
Current assignee: Patentes Talgo SL
Priority date: 1993-02-19
Filing date: 1994-02-03
Publication date: 1999-08-04
Anticipated expiration: 2014-02-03
Also published as: JPH06240608A; GR3031619T3; ES2072809R; DK0611847T3; EP0611847A1; ES2072809A2; DE69419790T2; ES2072809B1; ATE182937T1; JP2928052B2; DE69419790D1

Abstract

A fixed installation (1) for changing the railway gage, being designed to allow the gage to be changed with the trains running, and being formed as an installation (1) located on a pit constituted by a reinforced concrete work on which different tracks (2,3), rail bearers, rails and guard rails, with different resilient elements (9,9'), are located, all of them being interconnected with a length of track (2) having a given gage (A) located on a side of the installation, while at the other end of the installation (1) there is a second length of track (3) of a different gage, the automatic change of the axle widenning being carried out on the center zone of the installation (1), notwithstanding the sense of the run. <IMAGE>

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns a fixed installation for changing the railway gauge as defined in claims 1 and 2, which is intended for allowing to automatically change the gap existing between the wheels of the wheelsets, adapting them to each of the two conventionally used gauges.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention applies to the technical field of railway installations.

RELATED ART

At present, nothing is know about a fixed installation allowing the railway vehicles to automatically change the gap between the wheels of the wheelsets used by the train known as TALGO.
Nevertheless, there are, at present, different installations designed for this purpose, having special features and configurations, to be used on the wheels of conventional wheelsets which, in general, are utilized by all railway vehicles in an undiscriminatory manner, save, of course, the exceptions existing in some type of railway vehicle having specific wheels and for a specific use.
An example of such prior installations can be found in EP-A-0 594 040 where a ground facility is described for changing the gauge of a railway car having bogies composed of two frames movable relative to each other, i.e. they are moved towards or away from each other, while the wheelsets remain locked. During the gauge changing operations, the bogies are supported on auxiliary wheels running on an appropriate rail. Document EP-A-0 594 040 falls within the terms of Article 54(3) EPC.
Nevertheless, with regard to the trains known as Talgo, nothing is known about the existence of an installation allowing the gauge to be changed, and being constituted and positioned in a fixed way.
A solution to this problem would be to rely on a fixed installation allowing to automatically modify the gap between the wheels of the wheelsets of the trains Talgo, adapting them conveniently to each of the two gauges.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A fixed installation for changing the railway gauge, as proposed by the invention, has the features set forth in claims 1 and 2. Further embodiments of the invention are described in the dependent claims 3 to 9.
In a more definite way, the fixed installation for changing the gauge, which is the object of this invention, is constituted by positioning on the upper part of a reinforced concrete hollow assembly a series of elements necessary to obtain the translation of the wheels and their subsequent locking, the same being supported on this assembly.
At the same time, this assembly transmits the vertical load corresponding to the vehicle weight to the ground, when the vehicle is passing over the installation, and, in turn, the forces generated in the gauge change operation.
The fixed installation for changing the gauge has, at the end corresponding to the international gauge, rolling rails descending slightly until being later interrupted.
Before this interruption and transversely overlapping these rolling rails, there are arranged two sliding and centering guide-rails, which are symmetrically located with regard to the longitudinal axis of the fixed installation.
To carry out the translation operation of the wheels from a gauge to other gauge, it is necessary that these wheels do not support the load, this requirement being obtained by supporting the wheelsets on the guide-rails by means of horizontal sliding runners located on the sides of said wheelsets.
Upon descending these rolling rails, the horizontal runners come into contact with the upper flat face of the guide-rails, the wheels being unloaded for the whole process of changing the gauge.
On the descent zone of these rolling rails, there are centering guard rails, with which the appropriate pre-centering of the wheelsets is effected.
Apart from these horizontal runners, there are other vertical runners in contact with sliding guides on the vertical inner sides of the guide-rails, these ensuring the centering of the wheelsets during the gauge change operation.
Both the horizontal and vertical runners and the sliding guides are made of a plastic material.
In order to reduce the friction coefficient thereof with the guide-rail steel, they are water lubricated.
This lubrication is obtained by wetting the guide-rails by means of an installation located outside these ones, said installation being fitted with multiple diffusors.
The ends of the guide-rails are fitted with additional parts, the function of which is to obtain an additional centering of the wheelsets.
The immobility of the wheelsets, i.e., wheel, axle and a pair of bearings, when the wheelset is in any of the two gauges, is ensured by a double locking of the latch spindles.
In view of the above-mentioned description, the fixed installation has four unlocking-locking guides, which are symmetrically arranged with regard to the longitudinal axis of the fixed installation.
Once the wheelset has been supported on the guide-rails and it continues to advance through the fixed installation, the lower bridges of the locking latches enter the unlocking-locking guides and the latches descend, these latches being unlocked at the center part of the guides, where their vertical profile is horizontal.
Owing to the fact that the friction parts of the latch bridges are also made of a plastic material, they are also water lubricated through appropriate installations which are located on each of the upper parts of the webs of these unlocking-locking guides.
In the hypothetic case that a locking latch would arrive at the fixed installation under its nominal height, the ends of all guides incorporate a safety fixture.
Apart from this safety fixture, out of the fixed installation at both access ways thereto, and about 38 m from each of its ends, a device for detecting the latch height has been incorporated.
In the possible case, although of course very unlikely, that any of the latches would descend below its nominal height, and in order that the wheelset does not enter the fixed installation, this device, by additionally producing the corresponding acoustic or semaphoric signal, would give a corresponding order to the operator to immediately stop the train.
During the latch unlocking process, the resilient portion of the wheel translation guides, when entering the fixed installation through the international gauge side, comes into contact with the outer face of the wheel rims, and the pressure exerted on the wheels helps the latch unlocking operation.
Subsequently, and as the wheelset advances through the fixed installation, the wheels lose their contact with the resilient portion of the wheel translation guides on the international gauge side, and immediately they come into contact with the rigid portion of the wheel translation guides on the gauge side as used by RENFE (Spanish Railways).
During the contact of the wheels with this rigid portion of the wheel translation guides of the RENFE's gauge side, the latches are unlocked and the wheels are transferred to the gauge of the type used by RENFE.
Then, the wheels are still in contact with the resilient portion of the wheel translation guides on the side of the type of gauge as used by RENFE, and the unlocking-locking guides press the latches upwardly, locking them.
The pressure exerted on the resilient portion of the wheel translation guides facilitates the latch locking.
In the hypothetic case that a wheel does not carry out its total translation until being placed in the correct position, and in order to avoid that this wheel can surmount the resilient portion of the wheel translation guides and damage it, there is provided an inclined plane at the upper part of these guides.
Once the translation process of the wheelsets has ended, these are locked in a position corresponding to the gauge used by RENFE.
At the ends of the latch unlocking-locking guides, height sensors are mounted, which ckeck if any latch is not correctly locked, owing, for example, to the fact that a wheelset has not been fully transferred to its correct position.
These sensors, in the same way as those controlling the correct position of latches before passing over the fixed installation, would produce the acoustic or semaphoric signal for stopping the train.
Lastly, as the wheelset continues to advance through the fixed installation, there is a point in which the wheels come into contact with the upward rails of the gauge type as used by RENFE, and the sliding and centering runners lose their contact with the guide-rails, and the wheelset is ready to roll over the track of this type of gauge.
The reverse process of passing from a gauge of the type used by RENFE to the gauge as internationally used, is carried out in a fully similar way.
It must be pointed out that the gap between the inner faces of the wheels of the TALGO wheelsets, capable of being displaceable in both gauges, i.e. between the gauge used by RENFE and the international gauge, should be included within limits of 1593 +/- 3 mm and 1360 +/- 3 mm.
The positioning of the wheelsets between both gauges, in order to maintain a gap between wheels within these limits, is ensured by their mounting technique and the blocking system by means of the locking latches; now then, when carrying out, in the fixed installation, the displacements of these wheelsets to position the wheels in the corresponding gauge, the following points are to be followed:

Do not carry out violently the unloading operation of the wheels and the subsequent loading of same, bearing in mind that the wheel diameters decrease along their lives.
During the passing of the wheelset through the fixed installation, this is to be always centered and not subject to vertical or oscillating motions.
The entering of the locking latch bridges into their respective unlocking-locking guides must be smooth, and the vertical displacements imparted by these guides to the latches must ensure their correct unlocking and subsequent locking.
The wheel translation guides must ensure a correct motion of the wheels, by placing them in the precise position corresponding to the gauge in question.

In order to meet these requirements, it is necessary that the elements of the fixed installation meet the following positioning conditions:

The RENFE gauge rails and the international gauge rails, interrupted at the two ends of the fixed installation, must descend 45 +/- 4 mm, with regard to the elevation of both tracks, along a length of 1500 mm.
The upper part of the sliding and centering guide-rails in all its length must show a relative height in relation to the rolling rails of 319 +/- 1 mm, and the separation between their inner faces all along the length must be 2570 +/- 2 mm.

It must be taken an exhaustive care with regard to the relative position and its corresponding tolerances, both in vertical and transverse direction, in relation to the latch unlocking-locking guides as regards the sliding and centering guide-rails.
The dimensions and tolerances of the wheel translation guides, as well as their position with regard to the longitudinal geometric axis of the railway installation, must be also exhaustively taken care of.

In order to get the correct translation of the wheels, ensuring that the wheels have attained their accurate positions, it is necessary that the reaction spring of each of the resilient portions of the wheel translation guides has a precompression of 210 kg, and that its reaction force is included within a prefixed scale of values.
To obtain low friction coefficients between runners and sliding guides of plastic material and the steel surfaces of the sliding and centering guide-rails, as well as of the heads of the unlocking-locking guides, the rugosity of these steel surfaces must be less than 0,8 as per UNE 1-037 Standard.

Finally, in order to obtain the positioning requirements and their previously mentioned tolerances, it is necessary not only to get remarkable qualities in the machining of parts, but also to carry out a subsequent high precision assembly, bearing in mind the dimensioning of the parts and that the anchoring of same must be made in a concrete civil work.
This assembly is remarkably tough, since it requires to use a large amount of supplements and a very detailed checking simultaneous with said assembly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to complement this description and to aid to a better understanding of the features of this invention, the accompanying drawings, which are a part of same, show, in a illustrative and non limitative manner, the following:
Figure 1 shows a diagrammatic plan view of the fixed installation for changing the railway gauge, which is the object of the invention.
Figure 2 shows a detailed plan view of the installation which is the object of the invention.
Figure 3 shows an elevational side view, properly sectioned, along the line A-B of the object represented in Figure 2.
Figure 4 shows a detailed plan view of the installation illustrated in the previous Figures.
Figure 5 shows an end elevational view, seen by C/D, of the object illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, seen from the zone in which the pit is incorporated.
Figure 6 shows an end elevational view, properly sectioned, of the installation zone shown in Figures 2 and 3, without pit.
Figure 7 shows an end elevational view, properly sectioned, seen by G/H.
Figure 8 shows a new detail of the installation seen by I.
Figure 9 shows again other detail of the installation which is the objet of the invention, seen by J-K.
Figure 10 shows an end elevational view, properly sectioned, seen by L-M.
Figure 11 shows a diagrammatic plan view of the resilient guide incorporated into the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In view of these Figures, it can be seen that the installation 1 is constituted by rails 2 having the international gauge, located on one of the sides, there being on the other side, or opposed end, rails 3 having the gauge as used by RENFE.
The installation has, also, guide-rails 4 for the centering and sliding operation, wheel translation guides 9, 9' with a resilient portion 5 and a rigid portion 6 for guiding the wheels transversely, and inner and outer unlocking-locking guides 11, 14 for driving the latches of the wheel bearing boxes.
The installation illustrated in Figure 2 has additionally centering guard rails 7, 7' and sliding guides 8, 8', as well as a reinforced concrete hollow assembly 10.
Also, the installation shown in Figures 2 and 3 has an installation 12 for the bogies to slide on the guide-rails 4 as well as centering guides 13, all of them located in a general pit.
The installation comprises an outer support 17, and an assembly composed of a support 22, a nut 21, a screwed cylinder 20 and a nut 19.
In Figure 7, it can be seen how the installation comprises inner 11 and outer 14 unlocking-locking guides and an upper pit framework 15, while Figure 8 shows a safety fixture 16.
Figure 10 shows an inclined plane 18 in the movable resilient portion 5 of the guide 9.
Figure 11 represents the resilient portion of the guide 9.
In synthesis, this installation is designed to be applied to railway vehicles comprising bogies of two wheels of independent turn, in which each wheel is mounted on an independent axle, which is fitted, in turn, with bearings at both ends, so forming the appropiate wheelset, whereby said bogies allow the wheelsets to be transversely and symmetrically translated, the bearing boxes being held in the correct position by the action of fixed stops and by using a simple latch.
The essential purpose of this installation is to allow to change the position of the wheelsets, enabling the train to follow its route over a railway network having a different gauge.
The gauge changing operation is automatically performed when the train passes over the fixed installation, this operation being perfectly reversible and the wheelsets returning to their initial position if the train passes again over said installation in opposed direction.
The fixed installation has four centering guard rails 7, 7', which, at one of their ends, are adapted to the appropriate gauge used as international gauge, while, at the other end, they are adapted to the gauge as used by RENFE, so that they can guide the wheel from one to other position.
Likewise, the installation has two sliding and centering guide-rails 4 which are parallel to the track axis, being designed to help the bogie frame to rest on them when the train runs through the fixed installation, and to facilitate the performance of the whole installation, although, in this point, their function is essentially and specifically to make possible that the wheels can be incorporated into the appropiate dimensions, so constituting, consequently, a step or stage of function.
Also, the installation comprises four unlocking-locking guides 11, 14 which are parallel to the track axis, and are inserted into a bridge located on the latches, their function being to lock and unlock the latches.
The unlocking-locking guides 11, 14 are arranged so that their ends are located at a fixed height, so allowing to be inserted by the lower supports of the locking device bridges, progressively descending towards their center part, which is maintained at a steady height during the path necessary to allow the wheelsets to be laterally displaced, as during this path the mentioned latches are to be held in their lower unlocking position.
In synthesis, to change the gap between wheels, each bogie carries out the following process:
The train enters the transition station coming from a track 3 having a large gauge, and any bogie belonging to the train, located at the entry of the fixed installation, is driven from the guide-rails 4 having an upper upward face.
The horizontal runners of the bogie frame are located at the same vertical as the guide-rails 4.
The bogie continues to run on the rails until arriving at a fixed point, in which the runners come into contact with the guide-rails 4, and the bogie starts to ascend, its runners sliding on the guide-rails 4.
The wheels detach from the rails, so being unloaded, and the wheelsets remain supported, through lugs of their bearing boxes, on guides provided in the bogie cases housing said bearing boxes.
The guide-rail slope is so fixed that it is smooth enough for the bogie frame to tilt and rest on the guide-rails 4 all along the runner length.
The height differential of a guide-rail 4 between two planes A and B is defined by the sum of the variation to be presumably undergone by the wheel radius because of the wear, and the descent produced at the bearing boxes from a running position to a sliding position, and the minimal gap which it is desired to have with the wheel having a maximum diameter between the periphery thereof and the rail.
On arriving at plane B, the bogie attains its maximum height and it maintains this height until arriving at the other plane, since the guide-rail surface will be horizontal between the planes in question.
At the mentioned plane B, the rails are discontinued from the gauge A, since they are not necessary because the wheels are not already supported by the rails, and there the unlocking-locking guides 11, 14 start, which enter through the latch bridges.
Said unlocking-locking guides 11, 14 descend gradually, so forcing the latches consequently to be unlocked until arriving at a point in which they are fully unlocked.
By means of the wheel translation guides 9, 9' guiding transversely the wheel, this is held in position even after the unlocking operation.
Later, the outer wheel translation guides 9, 9' will act, displacing laterally the wheelsets until arriving at a stop position corresponding to the other gauge.
During the transition process, only the outer wheel translation guides 9, 9' will act in the case of passing from a larger gauge to a smaller gauge, or only the inner ones in the case of passing from a smaller gauge to a larger gauge, so that there is no possibility that the wheel becomes jammed between them, since they are adequately spaced apart.
These wheel translation guides 9, 9' are located at a greater height than the rails 2, 3, in order to compensate for the elevation undergone by the wheels and the difference of rim diameter and the opposed part of the wheel.
During the transition process, the unlocking-locking guides 11, 14 are horizontal, having the function of holding the latches unlocked, and from a definite point the wheel translation guides 9, 9' do not already exist, and the guides 11, 14 start to ascend, pushing the latches upward until a fixed point, in which these guides end, and the latches and the bearing boxes are again laterally locked in a position corresponding to the smaller gauge.
The centering guard rails 7, 7' having a smaller gauge extend until a fixed point parallel to the rails 2, 3, in order to laterally guide the wheels by the part opposed to the rim, so impeding their possible sideways displacement before producing the locking.
During the transition process with the bearing boxes unlocked, it is totally necessary to laterally guide the bogie frame in order to hold it centered with the longitudinal axis of the track.
This operation is attained by means of sliding guides 8 which are a part of the guide-rails 4, said sliding guides 8 starting at a fixed point and, gradually, they reduce the play between guide-rails 4 and bogie frame, until this play is adjusted, and these conditions are maintained until a point in which the play starts to gradually increase, until other fixed point in which the sliding guides 8 disappear.
Later, the descent of the guide-rails 4 start, and the bogie frame descends gradually until the wheels rest on the rails 2 and the bogie frame rests on the upper faces of the bearing boxes.
The guide-rails 4 end and leave the bogie ready to continue to run over the network 2 having the new narrower gauge.
Of course, and successively, all the train axles undergo this same process on passing over the fixed installation.
Also, it is contemplated the possibility of maintaining a fixed installation wherein the wheel translation guides 9, 9' do not exist, displacing laterally the wheels, the guide being a groove formed on the guide-rail 4 itself.
In this variant, at the front of the outer bearing boxes there are mounted supports fitted with bushings having vertical appendices the lower end of which is inserted into the guide groove during the change operation.
This guide grooves are parallel to the track axis, and later they approach one another a distance equivalent to the difference of gauges, and starting from this point they are again parallel to the track axis.
When the train arrives at the fixed installation coming from a network 3 having a greater gauge, the bushing appendices are inserted into the guide grooves, so making easy the entry into them by the surfaces, and the operations of lifting the bogie and unlocking follow one another on the same planes as in the previous case, in which the existence of wheel translation guides 9, 9' is contemplated.
When each axle arrives at the fixed point, the unlocking has been already produced, and the appendix slides inside the groove, and it is forced to displace towards the track axis, pushing consequently the whole wheelset until placing the wheels at the distance corresponding to the smaller gauge.
Said appendices are still inserted through the parallel zone of the guide grooves, so impeding the bearing boxes to separate from the stop position before the locking operation.
An important advantage of this arrangement is that the necessary force to laterally displace the wheelset is applied directly to the appendix on the same horizontal plane as the friction force opposing to said displacement.
An additional improvement in this variant is obtained through a resilient mounting of the bushing, placing it on the bearing box.
A rubber ring-shaped part interposed between the bushing and the fixed part of the support, which is integrally joined to the bearing box, makes it possible said appendix to rotate about a longitudinal horizontal axis, taking a tilted position.
Nevertheless, if it is preferred to harden the bushing resilience, when the appendix arrives at certain angle, it is possible to resort to resilient stops, through which the installation tolerances can be extended in relation to the relative position of appendices and guide grooves.
The invention has an additional advantage defined by laterally displacing the unlocking-locking guides 11, 14 some centimeters on the appropiate path, so generating a force maintaining the bearing boxes squeezed against the bogie frame stop, so making easy the locking and unlocking operations since the bearing boxes do not exert any force in the opposed direction, i.e., against the latches themselves.
When passing from the smaller gauge to the larger gauge, the steps follow one another according to the same above-mentioned process, excepting that the train will pass over the same installation following a reverse sense, notwithstanding the sense followed by the train, since the system operates indifferently, no matter whether the head axle or the tail axle is the first one passing through the fixed installation.
The ends of the unlocking-locking guides 11, 14 are slightly below the maximum height attained by these guides so that the position of the latch bridge when leaving the installation corresponds to an intermediate height.
So, when entering again the installation, the bridges do not rub on said guides 11, 14 until a part of same is inserted inside.
If the vertical force retaining the latches exerted by springs has been completed with additional magnetic retainers, the maximum height of the unlocking-locking guides 11, 14 has been foreseen in order to ensure that both the fixed and moving parts of the magnetic retainers contact intimately.
One of these parts has been flexibly disassembled in order to obviate that the bogie becomes suspended from the unlocking-locking guides 11, 14 instead of from the guide-rails 4.
Both in one variant and in the other variant, to unload the wheels it is necessary to lift the guide-rails 4 on the rails 2, 3, but this height variation is always relative, so that there is a possibility that the guide-rails 4 be horizontal along their length, and that the rails 2, 3 descend at their ends adjacent to the installation.
In both cases, the vertical layout of the unlocking-locking guides 11, 14 or of the guides 9, 9' transversely displacing the wheels is made according to the height of the horizontal section of the guide-rails 4.
The installation, which is the object of the present invention, has other additional advantages, such as the existence of more ample tolerances, since the possible dimensional differences are absorbed by the resilience of the resilient portion 5 of the wheel translation guides 9, 9', securing also the non-existence of any type of transverse force on the latch in the moment of unlocking, due to the fact that the resilient portion 5 is pushing the wheelset against the fixed stop.
The double wheel translation guides 9, 9' are comprised of two differentiated portions 5, 6, of which one 6 is fixed and the other 5 is transversely resilient.
The latter resilient portion 5 is articulated at its end close to the fixed portion 6 by means of a pivot with vertical axis.
A spring opposes the rotation of the articulated resilient portion 5 in a direction and a fixed stop limits said rotation in an opposite direction.
This rest position of the resilient portions 5 does not correspond to the nominal distance between the wheels entering the installation, but it is slightly changed so as to force the wheelsets apart from the latches, namely at the area where the unlocking prior to the gauge change and the locking following that change take place.
A fixed stop, to be used in the event the spring breaks accidentaly, impedes the wheel translation guides 9, 9' from yielding even more to what is pre-established, and thus it is sure a correct operation, even in the case that the spring breaks, although it is evident, in this case, that the resilient portion 5 of the guides 9, 9' does not carry the wheel until its limit position, but it can bring it near enough for the latch, the ends of which will be formed by inclined faces, shaped like a pyramid trunk, to place, in its upward motion, the wheelset in its correct position.
The fixed portions 6 of the wheel translation guides 9, 9' are not rigidly mounted on the fixed installation, but they are mounted with a relative elasticity, in order to reduce the impact when the wheels rest on them.
Nevertheless, the springs are generally precompressed, this precompression being dimensioned to have the required force on the resilient portions 5 without the need to use springs having greater characteristics.
An additional improvement consists of transversely centering the bogie, with which, before the latch bridge houses in the unlocking-locking guide 11, 14, the bogie becomes perfectly centered.
Assuming that the train arrives at the transition station coming from a larger gauge, and considering any bogie belonging to the train located at the entrance of the fixed installation, the guide-rails 4 begin upto the second plane, these guide-rails having a lateral transversely inclined face, so obtaining to laterally center the bogie.
Of course, between planes there is a gradual spacing out between the upper faces of the rails 3 and the guide-rails 4, preferably by rail descent, so achieving that the bogie, at its displacement, rests, through the runners, on the guide-rails 4, whilst the wheels stop contacting the rails 3.
The wheelsets will rest on the bogie frame by means of lugs located on the respective bearing boxes.
On the second plane, the rails 3 are suppressed, as they are not necessary since the wheels are not already resting on same, and, instead, the unlocking-locking guides 11, 14 begin to gradually descend until the second plane, forcing the locking latches to unlock progressively the wheelsets, which is fully obtained on the third plane.
Also on the second plane, the resilient portions 5 of the wheel translation guides 9, 9' begin to be driven by the action of the springs, pivoting on the vertical axis compressing the bearing boxes against the fixed stops of the bogie frame.
Between transverse planes, there are located the fixed portions 6 of the wheel translation guides 9, 9', the unlocking-locking guides 11, 14 being horizontal along this length and holding the latches unlocked when the bogie slides, which allows the wheelsets to be transversely and gradually displaced by the action on the wheels of the fixed portions 6.
Later, the unlocking-locking guides 11, 14 begin to gradually ascend, pushing upward the latches until ending these guides 11, 14, and the bearing boxes are fully locked laterally in the position corresponding to the smaller gauge.
During these operations and path, the resilient portions 5 of the wheel translation guides 9, 9' compress the bearing boxes through the wheels against fixed stops of the bogie frame corresponding to the new gauge.
Afterwards, a progressive approach of the upper faces of guide-rails 4 and rails 2 is effected, and the wheels gradually approach the rails 2 until resting on them, and the bogie frame will rest on the upper curved surfaces of the bearing boxes.
On finishing the guide-rail action, the bogie will be ready to continue to run over the network 2 of the new narrower gauge, and all bogies will undergo successively this same process when passing over the fixed installation which is the object of the invention.
When changing from a smaller gauge to the larger gauge, such as mentioned in the above description, the operations follow one another according to the same mentioned process, excepting only that the train will pass over the same installation in a reverse direction, the sense followed by the train being totally indifferent, since, as previously said, the system works uniformly, whether the head axle or the tail axle enters the first the fixed installation.
It is not considered necessary to extend more this description for an expert in the art to understand the scope of the invention as defined by the attached claims and the advantages derived from it.

Claims

A fixed installation for changing the railway gauge, designed to be applied to railway vehicles having bogies provided with two independently turning wheels, in which each wheel is mounted on an independent axle provided in each end with a bearing box, the wheel, axle and both bearing boxes forming a wheelset, both wheelsets of each bogie being able to be transversely and symmetrically translated and the bearing boxes being able to be held in their correct position by latches, said installation comprising a narrower gauge railway track section (2), a wider gauge railway track section (3) and a transition section interconnecting said track sections (2, 3) and symmetrically arranged in relation to a vertical axial plane parallel to a common longitudinal axis of both track sections (2, 3), having a reinforced concrete hollow assembly (10) which carries the various components of the installation and in which the narrower and wider gauge railway track sections (2, 3) have an end; four centering guard rails (7, 7'), two mounted inside each track section (2, 3); two sliding and centering guide-rails (4) located symmetrically to the longitudinal axis of the installation and adapted to be contacted by sliding and centering horizontal and vertical runners integral to the bogies for supporting the latter during the gauge changing operations, each guide-rail (4) being formed with a sliding guide (8) suitable for guiding the bogie transversely; four longitudinal parallel unlocking-locking guides (11, 14) located symmetrically to the longitudinal axes of the fixed installation between the ends of the track sections (2, 3) and adapted to operate the latches for the bearing boxes of the bogie wheelsets so as to fix the transverse position of each wheel; and guides (9, 9') for transversely translating the wheelsets, which are arranged in pairs between each pair of said unlocking-locking guides (11, 14) on either side of the longitudinal axis of the installation.
A fixed installation for changing the railway gauge, designed to be applied to railway vehicles having bogies provided with two independently turning wheels, in which each wheel is mounted on an independent axle provided in each end with a bearing box, the wheel, axle and both bearing boxes forming a wheelset, both wheelsets of each bogie being able to be transversely and symmetrically translated and the bearing boxes being able to be held in their correct position by latches, said installation comprising a narrower gauge railway track section (2), a wider gauge railway track section (3) and a transition section interconnecting said track sections (2, 3) and symmetrically arranged in relation to a vertical axial plane parallel to a common longitudinal axis of both track sections (2, 3), having a reinforced concrete hollow assembly (10) which carries the various components of the installation and in which the narrower and wider gauge railway track sections (2, 3) have an end; four centering guard rails (7, 7'), two mounted inside each track section (2, 3); two sliding and centering guide-rails (4) located symmetrically to the longitudinal axis of the installation and adapted to be contacted by sliding and centering horizontal and vertical runners integral to the bogies for supporting the latter during the gauge changing operations, each guide-rail (4) being formed with a sliding guide (8) suitable for guiding the bogie transversely; four longitudinal parallel unlocking-locking guides (11, 14) located symmetrically to the longitudinal axes of the fixed installation between the ends of the track sections (2, 3) and adapted to operate the latches for the bearing boxes of the bogie wheelsets so as to fix the transverse position of each wheel; and guides (9, 9') formed as grooves in the guide-rails (4) for transversely translating the wheel sets.
A fixed installation according to claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the guide-rails (4) are fixed elements arranged parallely and symmetrically in relation to the vertical longitudinal middle plane of the track sections (2, 3) and have an upper plane (12) which is horizontal along its entire length when both track sections (2, 3) have downwardly inclined planes at their ends.
A fixed installation according to claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the guide-rails (4) are fixed elements arranged parallely and symmetrically in relation to the vertical longitudinal middle plane of the track sections (2, 3) and have an upper surface (12) comprising a horizontal middle portion and two downwardly inclined portions towards the respective ends when the facing ends of both track sections (2, 3) are horizontal.
A fixed installation according to the preceding claims, characterized in that the sliding guide (8) of the guide-rails (4) protrudes from their inner faces on the upper part of same and comprises a middle portion parallel to the vertical longitudinal plane of the track sections (2, 3) and two end portions inclined divergently towards the ends in relation to said plane.
A fixed installation according to claims 1, 3, 4 and 5, characterized in that each pair of guides (9, 9') for transversely translating the bogie wheelsets comprises parallel middle portions (6) having a proper inclination to allow the wheelset to pass from one to another track gauge, and portions (5) inclined at their free ends and arranged in such a way that the inner one of each pair of guides (9, 9') starts at the end and on the inner side of the corresponding rail of the wider gauge track section (3), while the outer guide of each pair of guides (9, 9') starts at the end and on the outer side of the corresponding rail of the narrower gauge track section (2).
A fixed installation according to claim 6, characterized in that the portion (6) of the guides (9, 9') is attached to the installation, and the portion (5) of said guides is constructed as an extension of the portion (6) and is articulated at its end nearer to the transverse middle plane of the installation, said portion (5) being laterally resilient.
A fixed installation according to claims 6 and 7, characterized in that the guides (9, 9') are provided with an inclined plane (18) on their upper side.
A fixed installation according to the preceding claims, characterized in that the unlocking-locking guides (11, 14) consist of a T-shaped profile comprising a horizontal flat middle portion and end portions inclined upwardly towards the corresponding ends, said guides (11, 14) including, at their ends, a safety fixture (16).