EP0355240B1 - Train for renewing a railway track - Google Patents

Abstract

The train comprises transport vehicles (16) for the new (T1) and old (T2) ties, followed by a storage vehicle (12) for the ties, a railroad car (1) as a dismantling car, articulated to the storage vehicle (12), and a laying unit (17) constructed in a manner such as to be mobile between a working state and a state of rest when running light. When working, this mobile unit (17) bears at one end on the car (1), for example via a wheel gear (22), and at the other end on a running support (24) which moves on the new track (R2). In the state of rest, the mobile unit (17) is moved and loaded onto the car (1), the running support (24) being retracted. The running support can also be formed by a railroad vehicle (26) or by a bissel truck (28), coupled to the car when running light.

Description

The subject of the present invention is a train for continuously renewing a railway track according to the preamble of claim 1 or 2.

Such a train is known from document GB-A 2 024 288. This train comprises only one working unit formed by a railway wagon whose front end rests, in the working position, on the rear end of the chassis of a vehicle provided with guide rails for a gantry. This gantry is intended to transport old and new sleepers. The wagon is equipped with the elements to remove the old sleepers and lay the new sleepers as well as to remove the old rails and spread them laterally, as well as to lay the new rails that have been previously placed next to the track to be renewed. With regard to the means for installing the new rails, it is only mentioned in this document that there are guide members at the rear end of the chassis of the wagon, illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 1, to guide the new rails which must be lowered onto the new sleepers already placed behind the train. However, gripping means, such as rail clamps usually necessary for lifting and positioning the rails in a precise manner, as well as the arrangement of these means, are not described or illustrated. In any case, the essential characteristic of this known train is that all the means for handling the old and the new sleepers as well as the old and the new rails, are mounted on a single working wagon which, for this reason, must be enough long and heavy.

Another renewal train is described, for example, in patent CH-585 814. This renewal train as well as many other types of currently known trains generally consist of two wagons, one for the removal and the other for laying the track. The two ends of the wagons facing each other rest on an intermediate bogie, the wheels of which are retractable and give way, in the working position, to a track capable of moving on the ballast; or else, in so-called "bridging" trains, the bogie is lifted and remains suspended.

The train according to the mentioned document is arranged to remove spans, that is to say assembled lengths, and not the sleepers and the rails separately.

These renewal trains make it possible to carry out all the operations simultaneously, that is to say once the fastenings of the rails to the sleepers have been dismantled, to lift and spread the old rails by means of pliers, to deposit the old sleepers and transport them on a transport wagon, to lay the new sleepers, one after the other, via the second wagon, these new sleepers being stored on a transport wagon and, after placing place new sleepers, lay the new rails that have been previously deposited waiting on each side of the old track. To transport the new sleepers to the work place and remove the old sleepers, gantries are generally used which can move on continuous tracks arranged on the two work wagons and on the transport vehicles, as well as transporters chain.

Current trains, with the two removal and installation wagons, require relatively heavy and oversized chassis in terms of workload. In addition, the length of the machine in the running position with the foot up is determined by the length of the section worked, which can be considerable.

On the other hand, there are known trains for laying and / or depositing mounted lengths of railroad tracks (or spans). According to patent CH-A 569 839, such a laying train is composed of several wagons provided with guide rails on which a crane carrying the spans can move. The wagon located at the head of the train is also provided with a large gantry crane whose span corresponds to the length of a span. The front upright of this gantry is fixed, by means of an articulated arm, to the chassis of a towing vehicle which may be loaded on the lead wagon or lowered onto the ballast in front of this lead wagon. During the hitchhike, the towing vehicle is loaded at the front end of the leading wagon, and in this position the gantry occupies not only the entire length of the leading wagon, but also part of the second wagon, which is unfavorable when running the train. At the start of the laying works, the train on the lead wagon of which the towing vehicle is loaded is advanced on the existing track until the lead wagon is at the height of the last existing rail. A span is taken by the gantry and, while the train is immobilized, the towing vehicle is lowered on the ballast by means of the articulated arm, and moves in front of the train while causing in its movement the displacement of the gantry whose rear upright rolls on the guide rails until the entire span is above the location where it is to be laid. Then, the towing vehicle being immobilized on the ballast, the span is lowered onto the ballast and fixed to the rear span. During this time, the next span is brought to the lead wagon by said crane.

Then, while the towing vehicle still remains stationary, the train advances on the new laid span, so as to bring the gantry again over the entire length of the lead wagon above the next span to capture it and the operation is repeated. With this train, the laying operation is not done continuously, but step by step, the train or the tractor moving alternately. On the other hand, this train only comprises cranes or gantry cranes for transporting the spans of the storage wagons forwards, but there is no question of specific installations for handling the sleepers or the rails.

The purpose of the present invention is to produce a new renewal train making it possible to size, from case to case, the work units, to reduce the length of the work units in the running position with the least amount of effort, as well as to significantly reduce the weight of the machine.

This object is achieved by the characterizing clause of claims 1 or 2.

This renewal train has the advantage of reducing the length of the work units to that of a single wagon, and of making it possible to adapt the size of the elements of the mobile unit to the working conditions and efforts, which allows to escape the demands placed on a railway car.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is the mobile unit which comprises means for laying the new rails and is constituted by a mobile beam whose ends bear respectively on the deposit wagon and on a train auxiliary bearing.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are described in the dependent claims.

• La figure 1 est une vue en élévation schématique d'une première forme d'exécution du train de renouvellement, en position de travail, où le wagon 1 est l'unité de dépose et où l'élément 17 est l'unité mobile de pose, dont l'extrémité arrière s'appuie sur les nouveaux rails par l'intermédiaire d'un train de galets comme support roulant.
• La figure 2 représente le wagon et l'unité mobile de pose, selon la figure 1, en position de marche haut le pied.
• La figure 3 est une coupe transversale selon III-III de la figure 1.
• La figure 4 est une coupe transversale selon IV-IV de la figure 1.
• La figure 5 montre schématiquement la suspension des pinces à rails, commandées par des vérins et basculables vers le haut.
• La figure 6 représente une deuxième forme d'exécution du support roulant pour l'extrémité arrière de l'unité mobile de pose, constitué par un véhicule ferroviaire.
• La figure 7 représente une troisième forme d'exécution du support roulant, constitué par un bissel avec un essieu auxiliaire.
• La figure 8 représente une quatrième forme d'exécution du train de renouvellement, avec une autre conception de l'unité mobile de pose, sous forme d'une unité télescopique.
• La figure 9 représente le train selon la figure 8 dans l'état rétracté.

Below, the invention is explained in more detail using the appended drawings in which:

• Figure 1 is a schematic elevational view of a first embodiment of the renewal train, in the working position, where the wagon 1 is the removal unit and where the element 17 is the mobile installation unit , whose rear end rests on the new rails via a roller train as a rolling support.
• FIG. 2 represents the wagon and the mobile laying unit, according to FIG. 1, in the running position with the top of the foot.
• Figure 3 is a cross section along III-III of Figure 1.
• Figure 4 is a cross section along IV-IV of Figure 1.
• FIG. 5 schematically shows the suspension of the rail clamps, controlled by jacks and tiltable upwards.
• FIG. 6 represents a second embodiment of the rolling support for the rear end of the mobile laying unit, constituted by a railway vehicle.
• Figure 7 shows a third embodiment of the rolling support, consisting of a dolly with an auxiliary axle.
• FIG. 8 represents a fourth embodiment of the renewal train, with another design of the mobile laying unit, in the form of a telescopic unit.
• Figure 9 shows the train according to Figure 8 in the retracted state.

According to the first embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, the renewal train comprises a railway wagon 1 constituting the deposition unit and which moves on the track according to arrow F. This wagon consists of a chassis provided at its rear end 11 with a two-axle bogie 3 whose wheels are retractable and between which is mounted a chassis with self-propelled tracks 2 also retractable. The anterior end, devoid of a bogie, rests on the storage vehicle 12 for the sleepers, the vehicle to which it is articulated. This facilitates compliance, in curves, with the free passage template.

In the working position (Figure 1), the tracked chassis 2 is lowered by hydraulic means to roll on the ballast, while the wheels of the bogie 3 are lifted. In the high walking position (Figure 2), the wheels of the bogie 3 are lowered and roll on the rails R while the tracked chassis 2 is lifted.

• d'un chemin de roulement 5 pour
• un portique automoteur 4 ayant une poutre de levage 4a munie de pinces pour saisir, lever et transporter des traverses;
• de pinces à rails 6 pour le levage et l'écartement des anciens rails R1;
• d'une installation de dépose 7 des anciennes traverses T1;
• de plusieurs transporteurs mis à la file, par exemple 8, 8a (figure 1), pour acheminer les anciennes traverses T1 de l'installation 7 sur le transporteur 14 qui se trouve sur le véhicule de stockage 12 où elles sont stockées;
• d'une fraise 9 pour l'égalisation de la banquette;
• de plusieurs transporteurs 10, 10a (figure 2), mis à la file, pour les nouvelles traverses T2.

Drop car 1 is provided with:

• of a raceway 5 for
• a self-propelled gantry 4 having a lifting beam 4a provided with grippers for gripping, lifting and transporting sleepers;
• rail clamps 6 for lifting and spacing old R1 rails;
• a removal installation 7 of the old T1 sleepers;
• several conveyors queued, for example 8, 8a (FIG. 1), for routing the old sleepers T1 of the installation 7 to the conveyor 14 which is located on the storage vehicle 12 where they are stored;
• a cutter 9 for leveling the bench;
• several conveyors 10, 10a (FIG. 2), queued, for the new T2 sleepers.

In the figures, only two transporters 8, 8a and 10, 10a have been shown, but in reality their number may vary according to needs.

At the head of the storage vehicle 12 are transport vehicles of which only one, 16, is indicated in FIG. 1, coupled to the storage vehicle 12. All these vehicles 12, 16 are also provided with the continuous raceway extending that , 5, which is installed on the wagon 1 so that the gantry crane 4 can move along the wagon and these vehicles.

The storage vehicle 12 of the old sleepers T1 articulated at the front of the deposit wagon 1, considered in the direction of travel, rests on two bogies 13 with motor and is equipped with a storage transporter 14 of the old sleepers, of working places 15 for dismantling the rail fasteners, as well as the drive unit of the self-propelled gantry 4 allowing the taking and transport of several sleepers, for example thirty sleepers.

The mobile laying unit 17 disposed at the rear of the train is built in a convertible manner between a working state and a resting state with a view to walking high. In the working state (Figure 1), the front end of the mobile laying unit 17 is supported by a train 22 on the rear end 11 of wagon 1, while its rear end moves on the rails R2 of the renewed track by relying on a rolling support constituted in this case by a train of rollers 24 mounted by means of an upright 25 (FIG. 4) which can be lifted vertically and which is constituted, in the example considered, by telescopic cylinders 25a, 25b, 25c.

According to this embodiment, the mobile unit 17 is formed of a laying beam 18 supported at its front end by a transverse frame 18a (FIG. 3) fixed to the train of rollers 22, resting on the raceway 5 and , at its rear end, by the upright 25 fixed to the roller train 24. From this beam 18 are suspended, by movable arms 19a, roller clamps 19 for the rails, controlled by jacks, and making it possible to lift and center the new rails R2, as well as a known installation 21, for the installation of the new crosspieces T2. The beam 18 is dimensioned only for lifting the new rails.

FIG. 5 schematically shows, in a transverse plane, an exemplary embodiment of the arrangement of the suspension of the rail clamps on the beam 18. According to this figure, the arrangement of the elements is suspended from a shaft 35 housed under the beam , shaft which can pivot about an axis 39 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the beam, this axis 39 is also visible in FIG. 1. At this shaft 35 are articulated two symmetrical jacks 36 provided at their lower end with an arm 19a carrying the roller clamps 19 for the rails, and to adjust these rail clamps in the lateral direction, there are two other cylinders 37 articulated on the one hand on a central rod 38 fixed to the shaft 35 and on the other leaves at the lower end of the jacks 36. The two roller clamps 19 for the rails can be adjusted in height by the jacks 36 and in the lateral direction by the jacks 37. This shaft 35, pivoting about the axis 39, allows, in rest position, tilt the arrangement upwards, as shown in Figure 2.

In the working position, the rear roller train 24 forming the rolling support as well as the rail clamps 19 are pulled by cables 20, to unload the load-bearing construction of the beam 18. By pulling the roller train 24 as well as the clamps with rails 19 carrying the rails, by means of the cables 20, the force of the torque exerted on the beam 18 is reduced or avoided by all the loads that it supports. Consequently, these cables allow the mobile unit to be made in a lighter construction.

To put the installation in the rest state, the installation installation is lifted 21 and the rail clamps 19 and the unit 17 is moved to the left, according to FIG. 1, on the wagon 1 by making roll the rollers 22 on the raceway 5. Then the auxiliary roller train 23, fixed to the beam 18, supports the mobile unit 17 at the rear end, for walking up and down. In the running condition, illustrated in FIG. 2, the mobile unit 17 is fully loaded on the wagon 1, the jacks 25a to 25c making it possible to lift the train of rollers 24 at the rear end.

The operation of the renewal train is as follows: at the start of construction, the mobile unit 17 is moved back and the roller train 24 is lowered using jacks 25a to 25c and centered on the track. Then, the installation 21 for laying the new sleepers is put into the working position.

Then the renewal begins: while the train is advancing continuously, the old rails R1, after dismantling their fasteners to the crosspieces at station 15 located on the storage vehicle 12, are removed using the rail clamps 6 , and the old sleepers T1 are dismantled one by one by the installation 7 comprising, in general, a sort of fork which lifts the sleepers on the conveyor 8, which conveys them on the storage conveyor 14 of the storage vehicle 12 by 1 'intermediary of the other transporter 8a. Behind the removal installation, the platform is leveled and, if necessary, lowered using the cutter 9.

As soon as the wheels of the bogie 3 which are used for walking high have approached the area devoid of rails and crosspieces, these wheels are retracted to make room for the tracked chassis 2 which is lowered and now rolls on the ballast.

By means of the gantry crane 4 and its lifting beam 4a provided with clamps, new crossmembers T2, for example thirty, are brought from one of the transport vehicles 16 situated at the head of the train and they are unloaded onto the transporter 10. We take then, still using the gantry 4, the same number of old sleepers T1 stored on the storage conveyor 14 and they are removed on one of the transport vehicles 16. When the laying installation 21 reaches the height of the area devoid of rails, the new sleepers T2 are placed one by one through the installation 21. The new rails R2, previously deposited on each side of the old track, are lifted, centered and placed, by means of rail clamps 19, on the new crosspieces T2. This work is repeated while the train advances continuously and the roller train 24 rolls on the new rails R2.

At the end of the construction site, when the wheels of the bogie 3 arrive above the rails which are adjacent to the end of the renewed area, this bogie 3 is lowered thereon while the tracked chassis 2 is lifted, as illustrated in FIG. 2, and the last new rail is again placed to fill the gap. Then the installation 21 for laying the new sleepers is lifted, respectively tilted in a horizontal position, the roller clamps 19 for the rails with the jacks 36, 37 are tilted upwards and then the beam 18 is advanced on the wagon 1 As soon as the auxiliary roller train 23 rests on the raceway 5 of the wagon 1, the rear roller train 24 is lifted and the whole installation is put in the running position without much.

The rolling support of the mobile laying unit 17 can be constructed in different ways. For example, according to the embodiment shown in Figure 6, the rear end of the beam 18 is supported, via a hinge 18b, for example a turntable, on a rail vehicle 26, while that its front end rests, as in the previous embodiment, on a roller train 22 which rolls on the raceway 5 of the wagon 1. The rail vehicle 26 is mounted on two axles 27 and is coupled, in walking position upside down, in wagon 1. Roller clamps 19 also hang from the beam 18 for the rails and the installation 21 for laying new sleepers T2. The other elements of wagon 1 are the same as in the previous embodiment. The railway vehicle 26 can be equipped with work places for mounting the fastenings of the new rails and can also be used as a material transport vehicle.

According to another embodiment of the rolling support of the mobile laying unit 17, shown in Figure 7, the rear end of the beam 18 is supported, by means of a hinge 31, on a bissel 28 provided with a fixed axle 29 and a movable auxiliary axle 30 which can be lowered in the working position and raised in the running position up front, in which it is coupled to the chassis of the wagon 1, as indicated in lines mixed in Figure 7.

Finally, according to another embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the unit 17 comprises a mobile laying beam formed by three telescopic elements 32, 32a, 32b, beam whose front element 32 is suspended and slides in a frame 33 mounted at the tail of the chassis 1a of wagon 1, while the rear end of the last element 32b is supported, by means of an upright 25 composed of jacks, as illustrated in FIG. 1, on a train of rollers 24 as a rolling support which can be lifted in the running position upward. This train of rollers 24 could also be replaced by a railway vehicle or by a dolly as described above. As in the first embodiment described, on this telescopic beam are suspended roller clamps 19 for the rails by means of the arms 19a and jacks 36, and an installation for installing the new cross members T2.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 8, the installation installation of new sleepers is formed of two parts, namely a vertical conveyor 21a and a sleeper 21b. The vertical conveyor 21a is suspended in a flexible manner on the first element 32 of the telescopic beam while the cross-member 21b is mounted tiltable or removable at the rear end of the wagon 1. The other elements are the same as in the first embodiment and bear the same references.

Furthermore, in the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 8, it is also possible that the installation for laying the new sleepers is entirely mounted on the beam 18 or is completely mounted at the end of the wagon 1. In the latter In this case, the laying unit only serves to center the new rails and is discharged from the laying installation. The variants which have just been mentioned with regard to the installation of installation can also apply to the embodiment according to FIG. 1, namely that instead of being mounted on the beam, this installation of installation could be mounted completely at the end of wagon 1, or partly on the wagon and partly on the beam.

In all cases, this installation is placed in the transport position, for example, using hydraulic cylinders making it possible to lift and rotate the various parts.

To transfer the mobile laying unit 17, according to FIG. 8, in the resting state, the roller train 24 is lifted and the arrangements of rail clamps 19 and the installation of new ones are rocked. sleepers 21a, 21b; then the front telescopic element 32 is slid forward, through the frame 33, until it is completely above the wagon 1, the front end of this element 32 protrude at the outside the frame, the guidance being provided by rollers 34 provided in the frame 33; then the other elements 32a, 32b are retracted in the first element 32, as shown diagrammatically in FIG. 9.

Of course, as in the example of FIG. 1, the rolling support formed by a train of rollers 24 is lifted by means of the jack 25 and is, in the rest state, entirely on the wagon 1, without that no element protrudes beyond the rear end thereof. The vertical conveyor 21a is placed in an approximately horizontal position below the element 32 while the cross-member 21b is tilted on the chassis 1a of wagon 1 or dismantled and placed on this wagon. It is not absolutely necessary that nothing protrude from the rear side of the frame 33, but nothing must protrude from the rear end of the wagon 1.

It is possible to reverse the laying and removal functions, in the sense that the mobile laying unit becomes the laying unit, while the unit built like a railway wagon becomes the laying unit . In this case, the transport vehicles are at the tail of the laying wagon and the train can be pushed. The storage vehicle 12 is used to store the new sleepers which will have to be transported on the adjacent laying wagon while the dismantled sleepers are transported by the gantry to a transport vehicle 16.

If a railway vehicle 26 or a dolly 28 is used as a rolling support, this rolling support can also be used for dismantling the fixing of the rails to the head of the train.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described but can have many variants.

Claims (12)

1. Train for the renewal of a railroad track in a continuous manner, comprising transport vehicles (16) for old ties (T1) and new ties (T2), a working vehicle in the form of a railroad car (1) equipped, at its end opposite to said transport vehicles (16), with a truck whose wheels are retractable and replaced by caterpillar tracks (2) when the train is working, said car (1) being equipped with dismantling means for old tracks (R1) and old ties (T1), said train comprising moreover laying means for new ties (T2) and new tracks (R2), characterized in that the laying means (19) for the new tracks (R2) are installed on a mobile unit (17), the said mobile unit bearing, during the renewal operations, on the one hand on the said end of the car (1) that is behind said transport vehicles (16), and on the other hand on a running support (24, 26, 28) which moves in a continuous manner along the new track (R2), the said mobile unit (17) being loaded, in the state of rest, on the car (1) when running light.
2. Train for the renewal of a railroad track in a continuous manner, comprising transport vehicles (16) for old ties (T1) and new ties (T2), a working vehicle in the form of a railroad car (1) equipped, at its end opposite to said transport vehicles (16), with a truck whose wheels are retractable and replaced by caterpillar tracks (2) when the train is working, said car (1) being equipped with laying means for new tracks (R2) and new ties (T2), said train comprising moreover dismantling means for old ties (T1) and old tracks (R1), characterized in that the dismantling means (6) for the old tracks (R1) are installed on a mobile unit (17), the said mobile unit bearing, during the renewal operations, on the one hand on the said end of the car (1) and on the other hand on a running support (24, 26, 28) which moves in a continuous manner along the old track (R1), the said transport vehicles (16) being behind said car (1), and in that the said mobile unit (17) is loaded, in the state of rest, on the car (1) when running light.
3. Renewal train as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the other end of said car (1) is articulated to a storage vehicle (12) and has no truck, bearing in a pivoting manner on the chassis of this storage vehicle (12).
4. Renewal train as claimed in one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the mobile unit (17) consists of at least one beam (18) from which laying elements are suspended, and in that the said beam bears and is movable on the said car (1) by a wheel gear (22).
5. Renewal train as claimed in one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the said mobile unit (17) consists of a telescopic beam (32, 32a, 32b) from which the laying elements are suspended, the extended end of the said beam bearing, in the working position, on the running support (24), while the other end is suspended from a frame (33) mounted at the adjacent end of the car (1), the elements of this beam being retracted one into the other and being entirely loaded on the said car (1) when running light.
6. Renewal train as claimed in one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the said running support is a wheel gear (24) mounted via a retractable strut (25), in particular lifting jacks (25a-25c), in order to be retracted when running light.
7. Renewal train as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the mobile unit (17) is equipped with an auxiliary wheel gear (23) on which the said mobile unit (17) bears when running light.
8. Renewal train as claimed in one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the running support is a railroad vehicle (26) which is coupled to the car (1) in the position for running light.
9. Renewal train as claimed in one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the running support is a bissel truck (28, 29) which is coupled to the car (1) in the position for running light and is equipped with a mobile auxiliary axle (30) which is lowered in the working position and retracted when running light.
10. Renewal train as claimed in one of claims 4 or 7, characterized in that the transport vehicles (16), the storage vehicle (12) and the car (1) are equipped with a continuous craneway (5) for at least one gantry (4) for lifting and transporting the ties, and in that the said craneway (5) likewise serves for moving the wheel gear (22) and, if appropriate, the auxiliary wheel gear (23), in the state of rest.
11. Renewal train as claimed in one of claims 1 or 3 to 10, characterized in that the laying installation (21) for the ties can be folded back on the mobile unit.
12. Renewal train as claimed in one of claims 1 or 3 to 11, characterized in that the rail grapplers (19) and the running support for the mobile unit (17) are pulled by cables (20) to relieve the load on the laying beam.

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