EP1943387A1

EP1943387A1 - Method and adjusting installation for producing a stretch of railway

Info

Publication number: EP1943387A1
Application number: EP06812731A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Theo Winter
Original assignee: Pfleiderer Infrastrukturtechnick GmbH and Co KG; Koninklijke BAM Groep NV
Current assignee: Pfleiderer Infrastrukturtechnick GmbH and Co KG; Koninklijke BAM Groep NV
Priority date: 2005-10-31
Filing date: 2006-10-31
Publication date: 2008-07-16
Also published as: KR20080075852A; CN101321917A; WO2007053020A1; NL1030308C2

Abstract

A method of laying a section of railway track comprising a railway track as well as foundations on which the railway track is supported, comprises the following stages: the creation of the foundations - the creation of a system of a series of sleepers as well as rails by means of which the sleepers are held in parallel and at a distance from each other, - the creation of a adjusting installation, the laying of the system by way of the adjusting installation, - the supporting with regard to the foundations, by way of secondary support means, such as spindles, of the system in the position set out by the adjusting installation, - the removal of the adjusting installation, the pouring of a hardenable concrete between the series of sleepers of the system and the foundations, - the hardening of the hardenable concrete in order to create a connection between the sleepers of the system and the foundations, - implementing the pouring and hardening of the hardenable concrete while the sleepers interact with the rails and after the adjusting installation has been removed. An accurate end result can be achieved by the stages of: - removing the rails from the series of sleepers of the system after the concrete has hardened, - thereafter applying continuous rails to the series of sleepers of the system.

Description

METHOD AND ADJUSTING INSTALLATION FOR PRODUCING A STRETCH

OF RAILWAY

The invention in the first instance relates to a method of laying a section of railway track comprising a railway track as well as foundations on which the railway track is supported. This method consists of the following known stages:

the creation of the foundations the creation of a system of a series of sleepers as well as rails by means of which the sleepers are held in parallel and at a distance from each other, the creation of an adjusting installation, the laying of the system by way of the adjusting installation, the supporting with regard to the foundations, by way of secondary support means, such as spindles, of the system in the position set out by the adjusting installation, the removal of the adjusting installation, the pouring of a hardenable concrete between the series of sleepers of the system and the foundations, the hardening of the hardenable concrete in order to create a connection between the sleepers of the system and the foundations, implementing the pouring and hardening of the hardenable concrete while the sleepers interact with the rails and after the adjusting installation has been removed.

Such a method is known from European patent application EP A- 1.039.033. In this known method the foundations are first of all produced, which are canted depending on the curvature radii of the section of railway track in question. On the thus produced foundations sleepers are then placed one after the other, onto which sleepers the rails are attached. These are rails of great length which can be obtained by means of welding together rails of standard length to be transported by way of a number of wagons coupled one behind the other.

The foundations usually consist of concrete, but other materials are also possible. More particularly these could be so-called hydraulically bonded materials, of which concrete is only one example. Such foundations are particularly suitable for sections of railway track intended for very high speeds. In such circumstances traditional sections of railway track where the sleepers are positioned in a bed of ballast, in particular stone chippings, gravel being suchlike, are not suitable. Due to the high speeds at which the sections of railway are traversed the rails have to be very accurately positioned and held in the accurately positioned state. Traditional foundations with ballast are not suitable for this. In connection with this, by way of concrete foundations the position of the rails can be guaranteed. This accuracy relates to the positioning of the rails both horizontally and vertically.

In the above known method the sleepers with the attached rails are more or less roughly positioned on the concrete foundations. The sleepers with the rails are then finely positioned and adjusted, and by way of support means, more particularly spindles supported on the foundations, are held horizontally and vertically in the required position. The laying of the rails with the attached sleepers is carried out by a separate adjusting installation that travels over the foundations. In the thus obtained nominal position the rails and sleepers are then supported by way of spindles vis-a-vis the foundations, in which condition the adjusting installation can be removed while the nominal position of the rails and sleepers is retained. Finally concrete is poured between the sleepers held raised in the nominal position and the foundations. Once the thus poured concrete has hardened the rails must be in a precisely determined position. Finally the used spindles can be removed in order to be reused.

In this known method the spindles are used for stabilising the fine setting of the rails. This means that the spindles must be able to provide a certain amount of travel. However, in the known method this amount of travel of the spindles is limited. This is due to the fact that the sleepers with the rails are more or less parallel on the surface of the foundations, including the cant. In this way the distance between the sleepers and the foundations obtained after fine adjustment remains relatively small and even.

However, in certain circumstances it is desirable to use foundations with a surface that is more or less horizontal even on curved sections of the railway track. Such foundations therefore have no or little cant. However the rails and sleepers must be canted in curved sections of railway track in connection with the stability of the train which in curves must also be able to achieve a certain required high speed. This means that in certain sections of the railway track the distance between the sleepers and foundations is relatively large, particularly on the outside of curves. In such a method the procedure described in European patent application 1.039.033 is less desirable. In practice it appears that with such a manner of laying a railway line, that is to say with flat foundations the surface of which is more or less horizontal laterally, the method in accordance with European patent application 1.039.033 will not produce the required results. One of the problems that occurs is that the spindles in such an outside curve have to be adjusted with a great amount of travel, which is time-consuming. This problem is seen particularly in the case of outside curves of the section of track where the distance between canted sleepers and flat surface is relatively large. It also appears that the long rails to which large numbers of sleepers are attached make accurate positioning more difficult. The aim of the invention is therefore to create a method of accurately laying a section of railway track that is especially suited to high speeds, whereby the aforementioned disadvantages of the prior art can be avoided. This aim is achieved by way of the following steps:

the initial use of rails other than the definitive rails removing the series of sleepers of the system from the rails after the concrete has hardened - then attaching rails to the series of sleepers of the system.

In the method in accordance with the invention the sleepers are laid while they are connected to a pair of rails acting as substitutes for the actual rails, which are attached at a later stage. This pair of rails is very accurate, so that the sleepers can be positioned precisely with regard to each other and to the foundations. Furthermore, this pair of rails is preferably of a limited length, for example the size of 20 to 30 consecutively laid sleepers. The result of this is that in each case a limited number of sleepers are positioned without these being affected by the already positioned sleepers laid in a previous phase, and also not by the following series of sleepers that have not yet been positioned.

In accordance with the invention therefore, by way of the substitute rails a limited series of sleepers is laid each time and stabilised in the set position by, for example, known spindles. After such a series of sleepers is ready to be connected to the foundations by means of concrete, for example, the following series of sleepers is laid. A connection is of course sought to the already laid series of sleepers so that a smooth course of the final track section can be assured. The rails of the following series must not, however, come into contact with the rails of the already laid sleepers.

The method in accordance with the invention can be implemented in different ways. First of all each series of sleepers, directly after being accurately positioned, can be attached to the foundations by means of concrete. In accordance with a second possibility, however, several series of sleepers can be placed one after the other in the manner described above, after which all the series are attached to the foundations by means of concrete. The method in accordance with the invention can also include the steps:

- laying several sleeper and rail systems one after the other removing the rails from the series of sleepers attaching continuous rails to the systems.

The continuous rails can be attached at any time after the sleepers have been attached to the foundations. This can therefore be carried out some time after the sleepers have been attached, but, for example, also immediately afterwards.

These continuous rails can, for example, be obtained by welding sections of rail together. In connection with assuring the required accuracy of the definitive track section, the method in accordance with the invention can also include the following steps:

measuring the position of the system deriving position correction values from the measured position of the system and the previously determined position, - adjusting the system by way of the adjusting installation on the basis of position correction values.

A further improvement with regard to the method in accordance with the prior art can be achieved by using the stage of gripping by separate secondary support means which grip one and only one of the rails. In this way more accurate positioning of each rail separately is possible than with the method in accordance with the prior art. In accordance with the latter, in each case both rails are supported simultaneously by spindles which are connected to each other by sleepers, whereby independent adjustment of the rail is not as easily possible. By way of the secondary support means which each grip a corresponding rail, both horizontal and vertical adjustment can be assured.

A further increase in positioning accuracy can be achieved by also carrying out the steps of:

secondary measurement of the position of the system after the system has been adjusted by the adjusting installation, deriving secondary position correction values from the secondary measured position of the system and the previously determined position adjusting the system by way of the secondary support means on the basis of the measured secondary position correction values.

Work at the construction site can be advantageously carried out by supporting the adjusting installation on the rails. These rails are themselves supported by secondary support means. Afterwards the adjusting installation can be removed by travelling over the rails. In this case the adjusting installation travels off the rails in question onto the foundations. On the foundations the following series of sleepers is already in place, connected in turn by a pair of rails that is ready in connection with the adjusting work. The adjusting installation thus travels in this manner to the still to be laid series of sleepers with rails, after which the cycle of adjusting these series can begin.

In the method according to the invention various adjusting installations can be used, but preference is given to an adjusting installation comprising at least two adjusting carriages, each of these adjusting carriages being equipped with adjusting means that each grip the system. As an example, an adjusting installation is cited with, for example, four adjusting carriages by way of which a system with, for example, 20 to 30 sleepers can be handled at one time. The accuracy of the final position of the system is beneficially influenced if the adjusting carriages are operated simultaneously during the adjusting procedures.

The invention also relates to an adjusting installation for use in the case of the method described above for laying, vis-a-vis foundations, a system comprising a series of sleepers and rails by way of which the sleepers are kept parallel and at a distance from each other. This adjusting installation comprises a gripping device for gripping the rails of the system, a lifting device for moving the gripped system up and down, a travelling chassis, as well as adjusting means for adjusting the system with regard to the foundations of the railway.

Such an adjusting installation is also known from European patent application 1.039.033. According to the invention it is envisaged that the chassis of the adjusting installation can travel both over the system and also the foundations. More particularly, both a separate chassis for travelling over the rails well as a separate chassis for travelling over the foundations can be provided. The adjusting means are designed for aligning the section of railway vertically and horizontally as well as in a rotary direction around the longitudinal centre line. The adjusting installation preferably comprises at least two adjusting carriages coupled to each other which each have corresponding adjusting means. In connection with this a central control device is also provided for controlling the adjusting means, said adjusting means being able to be radiographically connected, for example.

The adjusting installation can also comprise at least one measuring device which comprises a carrier supported on the track section. This carrier preferably has rolling elements provided with flanges that can roll along the rails. The carrier must be positioned accurately with regard to the rails in order to ensure that the position of the rails can in turn be accurately determined. In connection with this, accurate positioning of the carrier, and thereby the measuring device, with regard to the rails can be achieved if, in accordance with a preferred form of embodiment, pretensioning means are provided for keeping the flanges of the rolling elements pressed against one and the same rail.

Such a measuring device is connected to each adjusting carriage. As the carrier is always kept pressed to the same rail, the position of the measuring device with regard to the one rail, and thereby also with regard to the other rail, is always guaranteed. The measurements cannot therefore be distorted by the carrier not being in a well defined horizontal position with regard to the rails. The carrier is preferably connected to at least one of the adjusting carriages.

The invention will be described below in more detail with the aid of an example of embodiment shown in the drawings.

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a section for railway track with an adjusting installation in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 shows a view from above of a system of sleepers and rails, as well as the adjusting installation.

Figure 3 shows a first perspective view of an adjusting carriage belonging to the adjusting installation in accordance with figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 shows a second perspective view of the adjusting carriage in figure 3. Figures 5 a-e show various stages of implementation of the method in accordance with the invention.

Figure 1 shows a section of railway track 1 on which an adjusting installation, designated 2 in its entirety, for carrying out the method in accordance with the invention is shown. The section of railway track 1 comprises sleepers 4 that are connected to each other by means of rails 27. The adjusting installation 2 comprises, in the shown example of embodiment, four adjusting carriages 5 as well as a motorised truck 6 for moving the adjusting installation 2. By way of the coupling rods 7 the truck 6 and the adjusting carriages are connected to each other.

Figure 1 shows the adjusting installation 2 on a prepared, already concreted section of railway track 1. This means that the permanent rails can already be applied to the sleepers 4, but these could possibly also be temporary rails.

In the view from above in figure 2 on the other hand, the system, designated 8, is shown in its entirety, comprising thirty sleepers 4 with the rails 3 connected. These rails 3 are not permanent rails as in figure 1 , but accurately formed elements which have the purpose of bringing about accurate positioning of the thirty sleepers 4. These rails 3 therefore constitute as it were calibration means or templates which only play a part in placing the thirty sleepers 4 in the required position.

The system 8 is in its entirety supported by four adjusting carriages 5 of the adjusting installation 2 as shown in figure 1. Although in the shown example of embodiment thirty sleepers 4 are shown in the system 8, other quantities of sleepers can of course be used insofar as they are covered by span of the adjusting installation 2.

The adjusting carriages 5 are shown in various perspective views in figures 3 and 4. The rails 3 are also shown. Each adjusting carriage 5 comprises a frame 10 provided with a first chassis 11 with running wheels 12 that can roll along the rails 3. Each adjusting carriage 5 also has a second chassis 13 with running wheels 14 that can roll on the foundations on which the sleepers 4 are to be fastened as will be explained with reference to figure 5. The chassis 13 is, with regard to the frame 10, moveable up and down by way of the actuators 15. In the state shown in figures 3 and 4 the chassis 13 is in the non-operating, raised position.

Each adjusting carriage 5 also has its own measuring device 16, which comprises a carrier 17 with four rollers 18 which can be rolled over the rails 3. A strut 19 is mounted on the carrier 17 carrying a measuring point 20 that can be detected by a stably set up measuring instrument, such as a theodolite. A measuring instrument of this type that is known in itself is outside the scope of this application and will not be described further.

The rollers 18 each have a flange 21; by way of a pretensioning device the flanges 21 are kept pressed against one of the rails 7 so that the position of the carrier 17 and therefore the measuring points 20 can be precisely determined. In this way it is always ensured that the position of both rails 3 can be accurately determined.

The manner in which a section of railway track is laid in accordance with the invention is shown in figures 5 a-d. In these figures the various stages are shown on the construction site. First of all foundations 22 are laid, usually of concrete with a surface 23 that is essentially horizontal in the transverse direction, but this is not necessary. This means that the surface 23 does not always have to be sloped or canted as is usual elsewhere in curved sections of track. With regard to figure 5 a, in a preceding working step the system 8' is placed on the foundations 22 and attached to the foundations by means of concrete 24. Incidentally, this system 8' can also be supported on the foundations 22 by other means, for example by means of jacks.

Following on from system 8' a system 8 is laid on the surface 23 of the foundations 22 and roughly positioned. The adjusting installation 2 is then placed over this system 8. In doing so the chassis 13 of the adjusting carriages 5 is moved to the operating position so that the rolling elements 14 of the chassis 13 can be rolled on the surface 23 of the foundations 22. By operating the actuators 15 the frame 10 of the adjusting carriages 5 can then be lowered so that the chassis 11, and in particular the rolling elements 12 thereof, come into contact with the rails 3. By means of the claws 25 the rails 3 are then gripped.

In the following working stage the actuators 15 are again powered so that the system 8 is moved up from the position in which the sleepers 4 rest on the surface 23 of the foundations 22 to the position shown in figure 5b. Using the measuring installation 16 the rails 3 are horizontally and vertically positioned in exactly the required position. In this state the position of the system 8 is determined by means of the spindles 26 shown in figure 5b. After the position of the system 8 has thus been determined, the adjusting installation is removed whereby the roller elements 12 of the chassis 11 roll over the rails 3. Gradually the support of the adjusting carriage 5 is taken over by the chassis 13 that is supported on the foundations 22. In the following working stage, as shown in figure 5c, a concrete mass 24 is poured between the sleepers 4, 4' and the surface 23 of the foundations 22. After the concrete mass 24 has hardened the position of the rails 3 of the system 8 is accurately determined. After a number of systems 8', 8 have been consecutively attached to the foundations 22, the rails 3' 3 are removed as shown in figure 5d. In this state there is a series of sleepers 4', 4 accurately positioned one after the other on the foundations 22. In the last working stage, as shown in fig. 5e, the definitive rails 27 are attached to these sleepers 4', 4 by means of known fastening elements 28.

Although the invention is described above by way of one form of embodiment in which the foundations have an essentially horizontal surface in the transverse direction, the invention can also be used with foundations with a sloped surface.

Claims

1. Method of laying a section of railway (1) comprising a railway track (4, 27) as well as foundations (22) on which the railway track is supported, comprising the stages:

the creation of the foundations (22) the creation of a system (8) of a series of sleepers (4) as well as rails (3) by means of which the sleepers (4) are held in parallel and at a distance from each other, the creation of an adjusting installation (2) the adjusting of the system (8) by way of the adjusting installation (2), the supporting with regard to the foundations (22), by way of secondary support means (26), of the system (8) in the position set out by the adjusting installation (2), the removal of the adjusting installation (2) the pouring of a hardenable concrete between the series of sleepers of the system and the foundations, - the hardening of the hardenable concrete (24) in order to create a connection between the series of sleepers (4) of the system (8) and the foundations (24), implementing the pouring and hardening of the hardenable concrete (24) while the sleepers (4) interact with the rails (3) and after the adjusting installation (2) has been removed, characterised by the removal of the rails (3) from the series of sleepers (4) of the system

(8) after the concrete (24) has hardened, the application of rails (27) to the series of sleepers (4) of the system.

2. Method in accordance with claim 1, comprising the stages of consecutive laying of several systems (8, 8') of series of sleepers (4, 4') and rails (3, 3') removal of the rails (3, 3') from the series of sleepers (4, 4') the application of continuous rails (27) to the systems (8, 8').

3. Method in accordance with claim 2, comprising the stage of producing continuous rails (27) by welding sections of rail to each other.

4. Method in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, comprising the stage of providing foundations (22) with a surface (23) that is essentially horizontal in lateral direction over essentially the entire length of the railway track (1).

5. Method in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, comprising the stage of measuring the position of the system (8), determining position correction values from the measured position of the system (8) and the previously determined position, adjusting the system (8) by means of the adjusting installation (2) on the basis of the position correction values.

6. Method in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, comprising the stage of gripping by separate secondary support means (26) which each grip one and only one of the rails (7).

7. Method in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, comprising the stage of: providing secondary support means (26) that can be adjusted vertically.

8. Method in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, comprising the stage of: - providing secondary support means (6) that can be adjusted horizontally

9. Method in accordance with claim 7 and 8, comprising the stages: secondary measurement of the position of the system (8) after the system (8) has been adjusted by the adjusting installation (2), - deriving secondary position correction values from the secondary measured position of the system (8) and the previously determined position, adjusting the system (8) by way of the secondary support means (26) on the basis of the measured secondary position correction values.

10. Method according to any one of the preceding claims comprising the removal of the secondary support means (26) after hardening of the hardenable concrete (24).

11. Method in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, comprising the stages supporting of the adjusting installation (2) on the rails (3) by way of secondary support means (26) removal of the adjusting installation (26) by it travelling over the rails

12. Method in accordance with claim 11, comprising the removal of the adjusting installation (2) by moving it off the supporting rails (3) by means of the secondary support means (26) onto the foundations (22).

13. Method in accordance with claims 11 and 12, comprising the stages of: the application of a system (8) onto the foundations (22) directly following a previous system (8') supported by the secondary support means, and moving the adjusting installation (2) from the previous system (8') up to the foundations (22) above the following system (8).

14. Method in accordance with claim 13, comprising - moving the adjusting installation (2) over the previous system (8') at the location of the previous system (8') and moving the adjusting installation (2) over the foundations (22) at the location of the following system (8).

15. Method in accordance any one of the preceding claims, comprising the use of an adjusting installation (2) having at least two adjusting carriages (5), said adjusting carriages (5) each being provided with gripping means (25) which each grip the system (8).

16. Method in accordance with claim 15 comprising the simultaneous operation of the gripping means (25) and/or supporting means (28-31) of the adjusting carriages (2).

17. Adjusting installation (2) for use with the method in accordance with any one of the preceding claims for laying, vis-a-vis foundations of a railway track, a system (8) of a series of sleepers (4) and rails (3) by means of which the sleepers (4) are held in parallel and a distance from each other, comprising a gripping device (25) for gripping the rails (3) of the system (8), a lifting device for moving the gripped system up and down, a travelling chassis (11, 13) as well as adjusting means (28-31) for adjusting the system (8) with regard to the foundations (22) of the railway track, characterised in that the chassis (11, 13) can travel both over the system (8) and over the foundations (22).

18. Adjusting installation (2) in accordance with claim 17, in which both a chassis (11) for travelling over the system (8) is provided as well as a separate chassis (13) for travelling over the foundations (22).

19. Adjusting installation (2) in accordance with claim 17 or 18, in which the adjusting means (28-31) are designed for aligning the section of railway track horizontally and vertically as well as in a rotating direction around the longitudinal centre line.

20. Adjusting installation (2) in accordance with any one of claims 17-19, in which at least two adjusting carriages (5) coupled to each other are provided which each have corresponding adjusting means (28-31).

21. Adjusting installation (2) in accordance with claim 20, in which a central control unit is provided for controlling the adjusting means (28-31).

22. Adjusting installation in accordance with claim 21, in which the control unit and adjusting means (28-31) are radiographically connected.

23. Adjusting installation (2) in accordance with any one of claims 17-22 in which a measuring device (16) is provided has a carrier (17) that can be supported on the section of railway track.

24. Adjusting installation (2) in accordance with claim 23, in which the carrier (17) has roller elements (18) provided with flanges (21) that can roll along the rails

(3).

25. Adjusting installation (2) in accordance with claim 24, whereby pretensioning means are provided for keeping the flanges (21) of the roller elements (18) pressed under tension to one and same rail (3) in each case.

26. Adjusting installation (2) in accordance with claim 24 or 25 when dependent of any one of claims 20-22, whereby the carrier (17) is connected to at least one of the adjusting carriages (5).

27. Adjusting installation (2) in accordance with claims 23, 24, 25 or 26 whereby each adjusting carriage (5) is connected to its own separate measuring device (16).