GB2036142A - A track ballast levelling machine comprising a sweeping roller arrangement - Google Patents

Abstract

A ballast sweeping machine has for each rail a group of laterally offset sweeping rollers 24, 25, 26 independently mounted and independently adjustable so that one or more rollers can be moved clear of an obstruction on the track, for example at a switch. The sweeping rollers are preferably mounted on independently pivotable levers 27. The machine has a ballast hopper 9 with outlets 17, for topping up the sleeper cribs. The movement of the rollers and/or discharge of ballast may be controlled by sensors 34 responsive to obstacles on the track. Fig. 1. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A track ballast levelling machine comprising a sweeping roller arrangement This invention relates to a travelling railway track maintenance machine for treating bedding ballast, comprising a unit for levelling and sweeping the ballast and, optionally, a unit for discharging ballast and more particularly for introducing ballast into the sleeper cribs, the ballast sweeping unit comprising at least one vertically adjustable and rotatable sweeping roller arrangement with resilient radially projecting sweeping elements, of which the axis runs substantially parallel to the plane of the track and transversely of the longitudinal axis of the machine.

Machines of this type are generally used for removing the new or cleaned ballast, delivered during track maintenance work, from the upper surfaces of the sleepers immediately on completion of this work and introducing the removed ballast into the space defined by the bedding profile.

U.K. Patent No. 1,169,721 describes a machine for treating the ballast bed of railway tracks which essentially comprises a frame or chassis supported by two undercarriages travelling on the track and carrying an operating cabin and a ballast hopper. At the rear end of the frame, there is a unit for levelling and sweeping the ballast which essentially comprises a sweeping roller arrangement consisting of two sweeping rollers lying one behind the other in the longitudinal direction of the track. These sweeping rollers have a length substantially corresponding to the entire width of the track. In addition to the sweeping roller arrangement, the machine also comprises a shovel designed to be swung into a position situated over the hopper opening for taking up the surplus ballast which can no longer be introduced into the sleeper cribs.

A hydraulically operated feed unit enables the ballast accommodated in the hopper to be delivered to points where too little ballast is present, for example where the sleeper cribs are not completely filled, this hydraulic feed unit being arranged on the underneath of the hopper.

Similar machines with sweeping roller arrangements which distribute the ballast, delivered to the bed from ballast storage containers with adjustable outlets, from the sleeper surfaces into the sleeper cribs are known from other publications, particularly U.K. Patents Nos. 1 260400 and 1 350382.

However, it is not possible with these known machines of the type described above to use the sweeping rollers, which extend over the entire width of the track, in the region of switches and crossings because the rollers are damaged by the track components, such as check rails, frogs, wing rails, switch tongues and cross rails. Accordingly, switches and crossings have hitherto been levelled and swept solely by hand which is time-consuming and labour-intensive. This is particularly disadvantageous because modern ballast cleaning machines and taping machines can be successfully used for the mechanised and, in some cases, even fully automatic treatment of switches and crossings. Hitherto, it has only been the operation of sweeping and, in some cases, levelling which has proved impossible to mechanise for the treatment of switches and crossings.

The object of the present invention is to provide a machine of the type referred to at the beginning which, for the first time, can be satisfactorily used for working on tracks as a whole, including switches and crossings.

According to the invention, the sweeping roller arrangement consists of at least two component rollers which are laterally offset relative to one another over the width of the machine and which, for adaptation to the local track profile, particular in the regions of switches and crossings, are designed and mounted for adjustment, particularly vertical adjustment, and/or for pivoting independently of one another. A machine constructed in accordance with the invention makes it possible for the first time for switches and crossings to be cleared and swept completely and without interruption in a very simple, continuous manner.By virtue of the sweeping roller arrangement according to the invention, it is possible in particular for certain component rollers to be removed from the path of fixed and rigid obstacles, for example check rails, frogs, wing rails, switch tongues and cross rails, without the clearing of the sleepers and rails adjacent to the obstacle being neglected.

In one particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, a multi-component sweeping roller arrangement is associated with each rail of a track, and consists of three component rollers laterally offset relative to one another, of which the central component roller is guided for operation adjacent to the inside of the rail and preferably has a width which corresponds to the width of obstacles to be avoided, for example a check rail or a wing rail. With this very simple arrangement, it is possible largely to avoid all major obstacles, particularly in the immediate vicinity to the left and right of each rail.

Preferably the component rollers are pivotally mounted through levers on a common holder of the machine frame and, in particular, are designed for pivoting and/or displacement, preferably for pivoting in a plane extending perpendicularly of the plane of the track and longitudinally of the track, independently of one another by means of hydraulic cylinder-and-piston drives. This provides for a very compact, simple construction of the machine and the sweeping roller arrangement.

Although numerous embodiments of the rotary drive of the component rollers are possible, in one particularly economical embodi ment a common rotary drive is provided at least for groups of component rollers, preferably being connected to the central drive of a self-propelled machine. In order to spare the rotary drives and the component rollers, however, it may also be of advantage to connect the component rollers to preferably hydraulic individual rotary drives so that they can be driven independently of one another and, in particular, stopped in the raised position and when the machine is at a standstill.

Sensors in the form of signal generators may be arranged on the machine, and are preferably connected to a control unit for indicating the presence of an obstacle in the track profile to be avoided and/or for optionally automatically controlling the component rollers. With an arrangement such as this, the machine operator, in addition to inspecting the track for obstacles and observing the operation of the component roller drives, is able to direct his attention to other work to be done on the track. In addition, this arrangement also affords economic advantages.

The sensors may be coupled with a measuring wheel in the form of a pulse generator whilst the control unit is coupled with a delay device in the form of a pulse counter, particularly when the sensors cannot be arranged immediately in front of the component rollers either for structural reasons or because the control unit is to control any ballast hopper outlets present, so that the distances between the parts of the machine are compensated for. For example, one pulse for every revolution of the measuring wheel is transmitted through the lines to the pulse counter of the control unit.If, now, the distance from the sensor to the component roller corresponds to a certain number of revolutions of the measuring wheel or to-an equal number of pulses, the signal indicating the presence of the obstacle and for adjusting the corresponding component roller is only delivered by the delay device after the same number of pulses has been received. This embodiment is particularly suitable for automatic control.

After a component roller has passed an obstacle without touching it, it has to be returned to its working position. For relaying this information to the control unit, at least one sensor may be provided on the machine behind the sweeping roller arrangement. However, this function may also be performed by sensors preceding the component rollers and measuring wheel and delay units connected thereto.

Finally, in a particularly advantageous embodiment of the machine, the sweeping roller arrangement is preceded by a ballast discharge unit, for example in the form of a ballast hopper equipped with a metering unit, at least one closeable outlet opening of the ballast discharge unit, which is preferably connected to the same control unit for controlling the component roller drives, being associated with each component roller or with at least each group of component rollers in the vicinity of each rail. In this way, all the major work involved in the treatment of bedding ballast over the entire track, but particularly at switches and crossings, i.e. filling and sweeping, can be carried out almost fully automatically for the first time in conjunction with the described sensors or even with a measuring wheel and delay unit.

Embodiments of the invention are described in detail in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a first selfpropelled track maintenance machine according to the invention equipped with its own drive motor, a ballast hopper and a ballast sweeping arrangement, Figure 2 is a side elevation of another track maintenance machine according to the invention, Figure 3 is a plan view of the ballast sweeping arrangement and the hopper outlets on the line Ill-Ill in Fig. 2, Figure 4 diagrammatically illustrates two sweeping roller arrangements with the component rollers in different positions at different points of a switch, and Figure 5 shows one possible position of a sweeping roller arrangement for avoiding a check rail, looking along the rail.

Fig. 1 shows one track maintenance machine according to the invention, which comprises a chassis 1 and which is designed to travel on the track, consisting of rails 3, 4 and sleepers 5 resting on the ballast bed 6, by means of undercarriages 2 in the direction of the arrow 7. Arranged on the frame 1 are an operator's cab 8, a ballast hopper 9, a loading surface 10 and a drive unit 11. Mounted on a holder 1 2 below the frame there is a unit 1 3 for levelling and sweeping the ballast which, at its rear, is covered by a protective plate 14.

For observing the sweeping unit 13, the cab 8 has a downwardly inclined window 1 5.

For checking on the amount of ballast in the ballast hopper 9, another window 1 6 is provided in the front wall of the cab 8 above the edge of the ballast hopper 9. The ballast hopper 9 itself comprises outlet openings 1 7 on the left and right of each rail 3, 4. Above these outlet openings 17, metering chambers 1 8 are installed in the funnel-like hopper outlet 19, being closeable by means of hydraulically operated cylinder-and-piston drives 20, 21.

The sweeping unit 1 3 essentially comprises two sweeping roller arrangements 22, 23 respectively associated with the rails 3, 4 and each consisting of three component rollers 24, 25, 26 arranged laterally adjacent to one another and capable of being offset relative to one another. These component rollers 24, 25, 26 are each pivotally mounted on the holder 1 2 through a respective lever 27 and are vertically pivotable inependently of one another in a plane extending perpendicularly of the plane of the track and longitudinally of the track, by means of hydraulic cylinder-andpiston drives 28. The component rollers 24, 25 and 26 consist of discs 29 which are mounted for rotation at the ends of the levers 27, and which are fitted on their peripheral surfaces with resilient, radially projecting hose sections 30.These component rollers receive their rotary drive from the central drive unit 11 through mechanical transmission means where the unit 11 is a motor, or through lines leading to hydraulic motors 31 operable by oil under pressure in the case of a hydraulic unit.

The direction of rotation of the component rollers 24, 25, 26 as arrowed is generally such that the ballast is transported in the region preceding the roller arrangement and is equalised in the sleeper cribs. During brief stoppages of the machine, for example during the tamping operation carried out by a preceding switch tamping machine, the rotation of the component rollers may be stopped to prevent the sleeper cribs from being swept out.

For the control of the component rollers 24, 25, 26, which may be carried out manually, semi-automatically or fully automatically, a control unit 32 is provided in the cab 8, being connected through lines 33 to sensors 34 in the form of signal generators and through lines 35 to the cylinder-and-piston drives 28.

The sensors 34 are mechanically, optical, inductive or electrically conductive sensors which, on passing an obstacle to be avoided, provide a signal for controlling the component roller drives. The signals from the sensors may be optical or acoustic signals or direct electrical pulses for controlling the component roller drives or cylinder-and-piston drives 28.

The sensors 34 are preferably coupled with a measuring wheel 36 in the form of a pulse generator, secured to a vertically adjustable frame 37 on the chassis 1 of the machine. To compensate for the distance between the sensor 34 and the roller arrangement 22, 23, the control unit 32 may be coupled with a delay unit 38 in the form of a pulse counter which, in accordance with a certain distance-related number of pulses, relays the signals from the sensors 34 to the control unit 32 with a delay. By means of differently set delay units such as these, it is also possible to generate or obtain both a signal for raising and also a signal for returning the particular component roller, using only one sensor for each component roller.

The machine illustrated in Fig. 1 operates as follows: In the case of a working run over the track in the direction of the arrow 7, in particular after the work of a switch levelling, tamping and lining machine, the component rollers 24, 25, 26 or rather the cylinder-and piston drives 28 are manually controlled in the simplest case. In this case, the machine operator observes the track over which the machine is travelling from the cab 8 through the window 1 5 and, on sighting an obstacle to be avoided, for example a switch tongue, a check rail, a wing rail, a frog or a branching rail, causes the component roller affected to be lifted by operating the control unit 32. After the obstacle has been passed, the component roller affected is lowered in the same way.

The ballast hopper outlets are also manually controlled independently of the sweeping ararrangement, ballast being preferably continuously discharged in strips along the rails, particularly for filling the depressions left by the individual tamping tines in the vicinity of the rail/sleeper intersections, and only the particular ballast outlet opening being briefly closed by means of the cylinder-and-piston drives 20 in the region along a check rail or a wing rail or in the region of a switch tongue and similar obstacles where the raised component roller is unable to do any levelling or sweeping.

In the case of automatic control, the measuring wheel 36 coupled with the sensors 34 is pressed against the rail 3 or 4 so that the measuring wheel 36 runs along the rail. If, now, an obstacle to be avoided is indicated by a sensor 34, the delay unit in the form of a pulse counter begins to count the pulses from the measuring wheel. The exact distance between a sensor 34 and hence the obstacle to be avoided and the particular unit to be controlled corresponds to a certain number of pulses.Thus, after a number of pulses corresponding to the distance between the sensor 34 and the ballast hopper outlet opening 17, the outflow of ballast from the ballast hopper outlet opening 17, the outflow of ballast from the ballast hopper outlet opening 1 7 corresponding to the sensor 34 is stopped and, after a number of pulses corresponding to the distance between the sensor 34 and the sweeping roller arrangement 22, 23, the lifting of the component roller 24, 25, 26 corresponding to the sensor 34 begins. The resumption of the delivery of ballast and the return of the component roller by means of the cylinder-and-piston drive 20, 21 or 28 takes place on the same principle after the obstacle has been passed by the sensor 34, the delay unit providing a delay by a number of pulses increased substantially in accordance with the diameter of the component rollers.

When the machine is in transit, the sweeping roller arrangements 22, 23, the sensors 34 and the measuring wheel 36 with the frame 37 are raised so that they cannot be damaged by striking parts of the track.

Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate another machine according to the invention, the main differences from the embodiment illustrated in Fig.

1 lying in the rotary drive and control of the component rollers. Since this machine does not have its own drive motor, but instead is coupled with or hauled by another track maintenance machine, particularly a switch tamping machine, the component rollers are preferably driven mechanically by a gear unit 40 mounted on the wheel axle 39 through a drive link 41, a shaft 42 and drive elements 43 guided in or on the levers 27, for example chains or drive belts.

Sensors 34 are mounted on the levers 27 of the component rollers 24, 25, 26 for indicating an obstacle to be avoided, and are fixed to the holder of the protective plate 14 immediately behind the sweeping roller arrangement 22, 23 to provide a signal after passing the obstacle. These sensors 34 immediately preceding and following the roller arrangement 22, 23 provide the signals for immediately lifting or lowering the component roller associated with the particular sensor directly, i.e. without a delay device. The component roller drives may be controlled manually, a semi-automatically or fully automatically. The manual control is the same as in the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1.In the case of semi-automatic control, only one sensor 34 transmits an acoustic or optical signal to the operating stand 8 on coming into contract with an obstacle, whereupon the machine operator activates the control unit 32 for operating the cylinder-and-piston drives 28 for lifting or lowering the component rollers.

In the case of fully automatic control, the signals transmitted from the sensors to the control unit are electrical pulses for directly controlling the cylinder-and-piston drives of the component rollers. In this case, the drives of the ballast hopper outlet openings 1 7 have to be manually controlled from the operating stand 8 independently of the component rollers because the sensors 34 are arranged behind the outlet openings 1 7.

Fig. 4 diagrammatically illustrates the operation of the sweeping arrangement 1 3 during a working run of the machines illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 over a switch. The sweeping unit 1 3 consists of two sweeping roller arrangements 22, 23 each comprising three component rollers 24, 25, 26 of which the central component roller 25 is guided adjacent to the inside of the rail 3, or 4 and has a width substantially equal to the width of a check rail 44 or wing rail 45. When an obstacle is encountered, the corresponding component roller is raised. The "raised" component roller positions are emphasized by hatching.In the solid-line position of the sweeping unit 13, the component rollers 25 of the roller arrangement 22 are raised above a check rail 44 and the component rollers 24, 25 of the roller arrangement 23 are raised above a frog 46 and a wing rail 45. In the central broken-line position, only the component roller 26 of the roller arrangement 23 is raised, whilst in a third possible position of the unit 1 3 the component roller 25 of the roller arrangement 22 and the component roller 24 of the roller arrangement 23 are raised.

Fig. 5 is a simplified illustration of one possible position of the roller arrangement 22 for avoiding a check rail 44, corresponding to the clearing roller arrangement 22 in the solid-line position shown in Fig. 4. In this position, the component roller 25 is raised above the check rail 44. The other two component rollers 24, 26 can be guided over the sleepers along the rail 3 without any danger of damage, sweeping the ballast from the sleepers into the sleeper cribs. The hose sections 30 of the component rollers 24, 25 adjoining the rail 3 may be made somewhat shorter in the region of the rail fastenings.The sensors 34, which preferably precede each of the component rollers 24, 25, 26, and whose length substantially corresponds to the width of one component roller, essentially comprise a shaft core 47 and a roller 48 mounted for rotation on it so that the sensor "rolls over" an obstacle without catching on it. In the example illustrated, the sensors 34 associated with the component rollers 24 and 26 remain free at substantially the level of the rail head whilst the sensor 34 associated with the component roller 25 runs on the check rail 44.

It is also possible, instead of a vertical obstacle-avoiding movement of the component rollers, to displace and pivot the component rollers laterally. In addition, the component rollers may be advantageously staggered one behind the other to prevent them from interfering with one another during the in-feed and obstacle-avoiding movements. By positioning the shafts of the component rollers obliquely, it is possible for example, in addition to sweeping and levelling ballast, also to transport ballast, in particular from the middle of the track towards the rails.

Claims (20)

1. A travelling machine for treating railway track ballast comprising a unit for levelling and sweeping the ballast comprising at least one vertically adjustable and rotatable sweeping roller arrangement with resilient radially projecting sweeping elements, of which the axis runs substantially parallel to the plane of the track and transversely of the longitudinal axis of the machine, characterised in that the sweeping roller arrangement consists of at least two component rollers which are laterally offset relative to one another over the width of the machine and which, for adaptation to the local track profile, are designed or mounted for adjustment independently of one another.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, in which a respective multi-component sweeping roller arrangement is associated with each rail of the track, and consists of three component rollers laterally offset relative to one another of which the central component roller is guided for operation adjacent to the inside of the rail.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 2 in which the central component roller has a width corresponding to the width of obstacles to be avoided.

4. A machine as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 in which the component rollers are mounted for adjustment by vertical movement and/or pivoting.

5. A machine as claimed in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 characterised in that the component rollers are pivotally mopunted through levers on a common holder of the machine frame.

6. A machine as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5 in which the component rollers are arranged for displacement independently of one another by means of hydraulic cylinderand-piston drives.

7. A machine as claimed in any preceding claim in which the component rollers are pivotable in a plane extending perpendicularly of the plane of the track and longitudinally of the track.

8. A machine as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7 in which a common rotary drive is provided at least for groups of component rollers.

9. A machine as claimed in claim 8 having a propulsion drive, the rotary drive for the component rollers being connected to the propulsion drive.

1 0. A machine as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7 in which the component rollers are connected to individual rotary drives and are adapted to be drive independently of one another and in particular to be stopped in the raised position and when the machine is at a standstill.

11. A machine as claimed in any of claims 1 to 10 provided with sensors in the form of signal generators are arranged on the machine for indicating an obstacle to be avoided in the track profile and/or for automatically controlling the component rollers.

1 2. A machine as claimed in claim 1 1 in which at least one sensor is provided on the machine behind the sweeping roller arrangement.

1 3. A machine as claimed in claim 11 or 1 2 having a control unit to which the sensors are connected.

14. A machine as claimed in claim 13, characterised in that the sensors are coupled with a measuring wheel in the form of a pulse generator whilst the control units are coupled with a delay unit in the form of a pulse counter.

1 5. A machine as claimed in any of claims 1 to 14 having a ballast discharge unit.

16. A machine as claimed in claim 15 in which the ballast discharge unit is arranged to discharge ballast into the sleeper cribs.

1 7. A machine as claimed in claim 1 5 or 1 6 in which the sweeping roller arrangement is preceded by the ballast discharge unit, at least one closeable outlet opening of the ballast discharge unit being associated with each component roller or with at least each group of component rollers in the vicinity of each rail.

18. A machine as claimed in claim 1 7 when dependent on claim 1 3 or 14 in which the closeable outlet opening is or openings are controllable by the control unit for controlling the component roller drives.

1 9. A machine as claimed in claim 1 7 or 1 8 in which the ballast discharge unit is a ballast hopper with a metering unit.

20. A railway track maintenance machine substantially as herein described with reference to Fig. 1 or Figs. 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.