GB2212124A

GB2212124A - Vehicle-mounted lifting and manoeuvering turntable

Info

Publication number: GB2212124A
Application number: GB8726559A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Bryce Ernest Randall
Original assignee: Permanent Way Equipment Co Ltd
Current assignee: Permanent Way Equipment Co Ltd
Priority date: 1987-11-12
Filing date: 1987-11-12
Publication date: 1989-07-19
Also published as: GB8726559D0

Abstract

A vehicle mounted underslung lifting turntable is equipped with a track/ground engaging frame 2 slidably mounted to a slew ring frame having an actuator 6 for relative adjustment between the frames. Jaws 11 are included for transporting a load e.g. a spare section of track. In the embodiment described the vehicle is a railway track maintenance vehicle drivable along a road way and rail way and the turntable is used for mounting the vehicle onto the track, the frames' mutual adjustment being so that vehicle overhang into areas of adjacent rail tracks is minimized. The adjustment also permits easier handling of items carried by clamp jaws 11. <IMAGE>

Description

ATUACHMFNTS TO VEHICLE MOUNTED UNDERSLUNG LIFTING TURNTABLES.

This invention relates to attachments to the lower or track engaging portion of underslung vehicle lifting turntables of the type used on some railway maintenance equipment.

Turntable assemblies which may be lowered from their carrying vehicle to engage a track or roadway and from there lift such vehicles and permit them to be rotated prior to change direction of motion are well known. However, such assemblies have several drawbacks including e.g.: 1. Their centres of rotation are fixed with respect to the carrying vehicle and the track or ground engaging frame.

2. Because of 14 long vehicles athwart a track must overhang each side of such a track until rotated in line with and above the track.

3. They can be used for no other purpose.

4. Once the lower frame is engaged with the track or ground the position of the carrying vehicle cannot be changed with respect to the track, except in a rotational sense.

This invention sets out to overcome such drawbacks by equipping the lower or track engaging frame of the turntable with a degree of controlled lateral/longitudinal movement and a grab or clamp device enables equipment or material to be lifted and transported.

A specific embodiment of this invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings where: Figure 1 shows end: view of a road/rail vehicle athwart a railway track inthe'normal manner.

Figure2 shows a plan view of turntable detail.

Figure 3 shows a plan view of a similar vehicle in position to * "on track" itself,parallel to ro Figure 4 shows an end view of the vehicle being positioned upon the track.

Figure 5 shows a side view of the clamp mechanism carrying a spare rail.

In operation and referring to Fig.í23a vehicle such as z road/rail lorry is driven across the track such that the vertical centre line of the turntable is approximately in line and parallel with the vertical centre line of the running gauge of the railway track.

The turntable is lowered close to the rail head 19 rotated and by means of the lateral adjustment provided by this invention the track locatingS es lA of the frame are lined up with the track such that continued lowering of the turntable will fully engage the track and lift the vehicle whereupon it may be rotated to be in line with the track,adjusted for position sideways over the track and lowered on to it.

Referring to Fig. 2 the slewing ring assembly) #oCjO ground or track engaging frame 2 slideably mounted within its structure and one or more anchors 3 for the fixed end 5 of a linear displacement actuator 6 whose extending end 7 is securely attached to the sliding portion 8 of the track engaging frame 2. Limited movement 9 is provided in opposite planer directions within the structural strength of the turntable support structure 10 and in the same plane as the rotation of the slewing of the turntable.

Onr or more pairs of clamping jaws or similar material holding devices 11 are attached in a demountable manner one at appropriate position 12 along both arms 13 of the ground engaging frame 2.

Such clamping jaws 11 may be actuated remotely by means of hydraulic, electric, pneumatic, or manual controls, similarly the linear displacement actuator 6 may be powered hydraulically, electrically, pneumatically or possibly manually.

In order to overcome the drawback of overhang into the "six foot" space between sets of running tracks and defined as B.R. W5 gauge this invention permits an alternative method of on tracking.

Referring to Figs.2 3 & 4 the road/rail lorry is driven over the rails and turned into them such that the wheels are as close as possible to the rails 14 and the length of the lorry 15 is parallel to them 16, the turntable 17 is lowered, rotated and laterally displaced such that the track locating faces 18 are immediately above the rail heads 19. Lowering of the turntable is continued causing the track locating faces 18 to contact the rail heads 19 and lift the lorry until its wheels are just above the rail heads 19.

At this stage the lorry's rail running gear 20 is lowered and the turntable assembly is laterally displaced (21 until rail running gear 20 is immediately above the rail heads 19) and raised lowering the lorry on to the rails without having to encroach upon the kinematic envelope of the adjacent track.

Additionally, and referring to Fig. 4, in operation the turntable may be lowered with clamping jaws 11 opened and displaced sideways in order to grip material (such as a length of rail 22) clamp it, lift it, and transport it as required, much in the manner of an overhead gantry crane.

Claims

What we claim is: 1. A method of modifying vehicle mounted lifting turntable to permit a degree of lateral/longitudinal movement of its ground or track engaging frame wherein such a frame is slideably mounted into the slewing ring frame of the turntable, is equipped with anchor points for the fixed end of one or more linear displacement actuators whose extending ends are securely anchored to the sliding portion of the ground engaging frame and is constrained to move in a plane parallel to the axis of rotation of the turntable and in a single and opposite direction.
2. A turntable modification as in Claim 1 wherein the sliding frame may have one or more pairs of clamping jaws mounted upon it capable of being opened to accept material such as a spare length of rail closed again to grip ready for transporting such material. The clamping jaws may be a permanent part of the sliding frame or in a preferred form detachable, be caused to open and close remotely and be powered by any one of a number of means, i.e.

hydraulic, electric, pneumatic or a combination thereof.
3. A turntable modification 1 and 2 wherein the linear displacement actuators have a limited extent of travel in opposing directions typically 300m.m., are powered by any one of a number of means, i.e. hydraulic, electric, pneumatic or combination thereof and are preferably remotely controlled.
4. A turntable modification as in Claims 1-3 wherein the displacement of the ground or track engaging frame may be used to move either the carrying vehicle from side to side or front to rear or to move only the lower or track engaging frame in order that it may be used to move into position to enable the clamping jaws as in Claim 2 to pick up and transport material.
5. A turntable as in Claims 1-4 and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

5. A turntable modification as in Claims 1-4 and largely as shown on the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows CLAIMS 1. A vehicle mounted lifting turntable equipped with a slewing ring capable of being lowered from the carrying vehicle and having constructed integrally with said slewing ring a ground or track engaging frame capable of being slideably displaced (by means of actuate in a plane parallel to that of rotation of said slewing ring in order to permit limited movement of the carrying vehicle and its turntable with respect to the ground or rail engaging frame in a single and opposite linear sense.

2. A turntable as in Claim 1 wherein the sliding ground or rail engaging frame may be equipped with one or more pairs of clamping jaws either permanently or detachably secured such that said Jaws may be manually or remotely mechanically operated in association with the raising, lowering and rotational movement of the said turntable to move material much in the manner 0 a crane or lift truck.

3. h turntable as in Claims ~ and 2 wherein the sliding displace ment of the ground or rail engaging frame may be used to move the carrying vehicle in a fore and aft or side to side manner or to move only the lower ground, or rail engaging frame in similar manner.

4. A turntable as in Claims 1-3 wherein the linear sliding actuators and the clamping jaws may be power operated by any one of or a combination of means i.e. hydraulic, electric or pneumatic.