Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02381686 2006-O1-12
A METHOD OF RENEWING DAMAGED SLEEPERS OF A TRACK
The invention relates to a method of renewing damaged sleepers of a
track, wherein base plates, positioned between a rail base of a rail and
a sleeper and having mounting holes for the passage of fasteners, are
fixed to the rail base for establishing a connection from the time of
removal of the damaged sleeper until the insertion of a new sleeper.
According to US 5 617 795, there is known a pincer-like device for
gripping base plates which are pressed against the rail base of a rail
during the sleeper exchanging operation. A similar device is also
described by US 5 048 424, in which the base plates are temporarily
fixed by magnets arranged on a cart mobile on the track by means of
flanged rollers.
It is further known from US 6 158 353 to connect the base plates to the
rail base by provisionally welding rail spikes thereto.
The object of the present invention is to create a method of the
specified kind with which it is possible to perform a sleeper renewal
operation in a simplified manner.
According to the invention, this object is achieved with a method
described at the beginning in that, before the removal of the damaged
sleeper, a fastener having a contact nose provided for application onto
the rail base is inserted into a mounting hole in both sections of the
base plate respectively adjoining the rail base and is connected to the
base plate.
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With this, it is possible in a very simple way to establish a connection of
the base plate with the rail base, a connection which, in a particularly
advantageous manner, does not have to be rerrfoved after the new
sleeper is inserted. This is possible because, out of a total of four
mounting holes provided on each longitudinal rail side, one is not used
for connecting the base plate to the sleeper.
The object according to the invention can also be achieved with the
additional features, wherein a quick connection can be established by
using a magnet for connecting the base plate to the rail base, without
having to insert the magnetic fastener into a mounting hole of the base
plate in a precise centering operation.
Additional advantages and features of the invention become apparent
from the drawing.
The invention will be described in more detail below with reference to
embodiments represented in the drawing in which
Figs. 1 and 2 show a side view and top view, respectively, of a
machine for renewing sleepers of a track,
Fig. 3 shows a cross section of a rail connected to a base plate,
Fig. 4 shows a top view of the base plate, and
Figs. 5 to 7 show partial views of further variants of fasteners.
A machine 1, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, for removing individual damaged
sleepers 2 and for inserting new sleepers 3 comprises a machine frame
supported at the ends on two on-track undercarriages 4. For the
purpose of advancing the machine, a motive drive 6 is provided which,
like the remaining drives of the machine 1, may be actuated by means
of a central energy unit 7. A central control device 9 is located in an
operator's cabin 8 arranged immediately above the working units for
better visibility thereof.
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Located between the two on-track undercarriages 4 is a sleeper
exchanging device 10, vertically and transversely displaceable by
drives, which is designed for displacement in the longitudinal direction
of the machine on a longitudinal guide 12, connected to the machine
frame 5, with the aid of a drive 11. Two grippers 13 squeezable
towards one another in the longitudinal direction of the machine are
connected to the sleeper exchanging device 10 far gripping the old
sleepers 2 in the sleeper end region. Provided as a further working
unit is a ballast clearing device 15 equipped with transversely and
vertically adjustable clearing members 14. The ballast clearing device
15 is mounted on a tool frame 16 which is mobile by means of an on-
track undercarriage 17 on the track 18 in the region of the sleeper
exchanging device 10.
The end region of the tool frame 16 opposite the on-track
undercarriage 17 is articulatedly supported on the machine frame 5 in
the area of a hinging point 19 and connected to a longitudinal
displacement drive 20. The on-track undercarriage 17 mounted on the
tool frame 16 and the immediately adjacent ballast clearing device 15
are arranged between the sleeper exchanging device 10 and the
hinging point 19 which is mounted for displacement in the longitudinal
direction of the machine on longitudinal guides 2'I connected to the
machine frame 5. In the region of the clearing member 14, a track
lifting device 25 is articulatedly connected to the tool frame 16 and
comprises a lifting element 24 laterally applicable to a rail 23 of the
track 18. Additionally, a lifting drive 26 is hinged to each longitudinal
side of the tool frame 16, with an upper end of said lifting drive 26
being connected to a carriage 27 which is mounted on a guide 28 of the
machine frame 5 for displacement in the longitudinal direction thereof.
A vertically adjustable tamping unit 29 is located underneath the
operator's cabin 8 in the region of each rail 23.
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Provided for the common depositing of the old sleepers 2 together with
the new sleepers 3 is a sleeper depositing device 30 arranged centrally
with regard to the transverse direction of the machine. In the region of
the sleeper depositing device 30, the machine frame 5 has an opening
for the passage of a sleeper gripper 31.
Located at the front end - with regard to an operating direction
indicated by an arrow 40 - of the machine 1, underneath an operator°s
cabin 32, is a welding robot 33 vertically, longitudinally and
transversely adjustable by drives and suitable for spot welding. A
vertically adjustable magnetic gripper 22 is associated with the welding
robot 33. A container 34 holds fasteners 35.
In the course of a sleeper renewal operation, two fasteners 35 are
grasped by an operator situated in the operator's cabin 32 and inserted
on each longitudinal rail side respectively into an empty mounting hole
49 of the base plate 39 (see Fig. 3), whereby the contact nose 51
comes to lie on an adjoining edge of the rail base 52 of the rail 23. As a
next step, the welding robot 33 carries out a spot weld 38 for welding
the fastener 35 to the base plate 39. Subsequently, the rail spikes are
pulled by means of a spike pulling apparatus, not shown in detail, from
the sleeper to be renewed.
Thereafter, the old sleeper 2 is pulled laterally from the track 18 with
the aid of the sleeper exchanging device 10 while the rails 23 ace
raised slightly by the track lifting device 25. During this, the associated
base plates 39 remain attached to the rails 23 in their original position
- as visible in Fig. 3 - due to the fasteners 35. Following this, a new
sleeper 3 is inserted under the exposed base plates 39, again with the
aid of the sleeper exchanging device 10. After tamping of the new
sleeper 3 inserted into the track 18, rail spikes are driven through the
free mounting holes 49 of the base plate 39 into the new sleeper 3 to
establish a final connection between rail and sleeper.
CA 02381686 2002-04-10
From Figs. 3 and 4 it is evident that a spike-shaped fastener 35 with a
contact nose 51 resting on the rail base 52 is inserted in only one
mounting hole 49 of the base plate 39 per longitudinal rail side.
Expediently, the fastener 35 can be produced by cutting off the section
adjoining the head part of an old, unusable rail spike. The length of the
fastener 35 is such that the lower end 54 thereof does not project
beyond a lower plane 50 of the base plate 39.
A variant of the fastener 35 according to Fig. 5 comprises a dowel 55
which is inserted together with the fastener 35 into the mounting hole
49 of the base plate 39. The dowel 55 as well as a lower section 56 of
the fastener 35 are shaped tapering towards the bottom. Since the
diameter of the lower section 55 is dimensioned slightly larger than the
dowel 55, a non-positive connection with the base plate 39 results
automatically upon pushing the fastener 35 in.
A fastener 35 visible in Fig. 6 consists of two magnets 57, spaced from
one another in the transverse direction of the track, which are
connected to one another by means of a handle 58. For establishing a
temporary connection between the base plate 39 and the rail 23, the
fastener 35 is placed by the operator in such a way that one of the
magnets 57 rests on the base plate 39 between the mounting holes 49
or the rail spikes arranged therein, while the second magnet 57 comes
to lie on the rail base 52. After the final connection of the base plate 39
to the new steeper has been carried out, the fasteners 35 are removed
again.
Fig. 7 shows a further variant of a fastener 35 having a magnet 57,
positioned on the base plate 39, which is connected to a contact nose
51 provided for application onto the rail base 52. A handle 58 facilitates
both the correct positioning of the fastener 35 and the removal thereof.
