Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Rail-mounted Rail Vehicle Support
The Invention relates to a rail-guided rail vehicle carrier and to a docking
station for
the rail vehicle carrier.
Such rail guided rail vehicle carriers are known and are employed as pulled
vehicles
having a wagon limiting length holding for mainline railways, for the
transport of
narrow gauge rail vehicles on standard gauge lines or vice versa, for example
for the
transfer of goods wagons to a destination or onto another line with the same
track
gauge.
These rail vehicle carriers have a low lying wagon floor frame and a front
gate
swivelable away for the entering and exiting of the carried rail vehicle,
wherein the
front gate carries a buffer plate and the mainline railway connections toward
the
outside and wherein the front gate can be swiveled toward the right or to the
left as
desired.
There exists a plurality of tramway grids with the narrow gauge lines, wherein
the
grids of the narrow gauge lines cannot be adapted to the expanding suburban
areas of
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cities without extension of the tramway line grid by building new construction
or by
re-gauging of other existing lines with a different track gauge.
A complicated constructed traffic combine with an excessive number of transfer
processes is the consequence, with constructive steps corresponding to these
transfer
processes, wherein the constructive steps do not lead to a real simplification
for the
user and/or the operator of the grid.
The same holds for narrow gauge local line grids and regional line grids.
Correspondingly a larger number of vehicles and the therefore required special
buildings at the line grids are required for this purpose.
The attempt of re-gauging to standard track gauge is associated with the
consequences of long times of traffic interference and disadvantages in the
operation
in addition to the high costs, as well as problems of narrow arcuate radii,
which
narrow arcuate radii are overcome much better by the narrow track gauge and
with
less force expenditure, with less wear and less noise development.
It is an aspect of the present invention to furnish a rail-guided rail vehicle
carrier,
which allows to drive on the line of the rail guided rail vehicle carrier,
self-propelled,
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with a carried, in particular automotive, rail vehicle, under adaptation to
line
standards and without substantial time delay during the entering or exiting of
the
carried rail vehicle on or from a rail guided rail vehicle carrier.
It is possible to resolve the above aspect and to guide automotive rail
vehicles
from the proper line in the city region to line tracks of lines of different
track
gauge in particular also on the incorporation of mainline grids or subway
grids
without thereby a particular large expenditures of a technical nature for the
construction of the line and therewith of financial nature would have to be
performed. This is possible by equipping a rail guided rail vehicle carrier
with a
drive unit or with a feed device from a voltage and/or current transformer
with
feeding from an external grid such as an electrical overhead line or from a
current
storage device, and the control of these plants and/or installations and with
the
control devices furnished for the automotive operation of a rail-guided rail
vehicle
carrier on th carried rail vehicle directly or through control devices of the
rail
vehicle carrier. Here no substantial delays occur for the user in the train
transport caused by the change of line.
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directly or through control devices of the rail vehicle carrier. Here no
substantial
delays occur for the user in the train transport caused by the change of line.
Because of the employment of known devices certainly
reliable mechanical attachment and electrical connection of the carried rail
vehicle on
the self propelled rail guided rail vehicle carrier with the carried rail
vehicle is
accomplished by the application of known mechanical and electrical coupling
elements, wherein with the incorporation of a front gate for these couplings
and
connection elements and the release of the track for arrival entering and
departure of
the carried rail vehicle that much simplifies the operation without thereby
the
safety of the attachment during transport is interfered with. A quick
connecting and
disengaging is accomplished with the controllable mechanical coupling device
and
the control and data exchange between the two vehicles is improved with the
electrical plug coupling device in particular in the expanded form, which
alleviates
the mode of application during driving operation.
The transfer from one line to another line requires a docking device with a
docking
ramp for arrival and departure of the carried and in particular automotively
moving
rail vehicle on and from the self propelled rail guided rail vehicle carrier,
wherein a
straight entry of the two vehicles very much alleviates the transfer. The rail
vehicle
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carrier requires a ramp buffer and a controllable coupling device on two sides
for the
safe and quick docking. It is advantageous that the front gates carry on the
outside
the buffer plate and the required connections as well as illumination devices
for
the travel on the mainline usually having a standard track gauge.
In case of employment of foreign feeding of the rail vehicle carrier through
the
overhead line, there is additionally an electrical coupling connector
essential suitable
for heavy power current, wherein the electrical coupling connector has to be
associated with the mechanical and the electrical coupling device in order to
avoid
that the production of or the release of this connection renders the line
transfer
difficult by additional expensive handling.
The application of front gates at the two front faces is important because of
universal
usability of the rail vehicle carrier, wherein the coupling sensibly occurs in
the
direction of travel, whereas the other end of the carried rail vehicle remains
free;
however it is also possible to select the longitudinal dimension such that the
coupling
occurs at the two ends of the carried rail vehicle, however this is associated
with
increased expenditure.
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It is also possible to construct the front gate out of two wings in. older to
decrease
somewhat the sideways projecting.
It is advantageous to let the front gates end downwardly over the rail heads
of the
rails of the carried rail vehicle for the desired opening and closing of the
front gates.
The front gates are suitable to place drive units or feed units having
correspondingly
sized large dimensions because of the short distance to the coordinated
coupling
device and because of the possibility to form these front gates also with
essentially
larger thickness and larger height as known front gates at the rail guided
carrier
vehicles. These drive units or feed units can be equally well combustion
engines
with electrical generator coupling or hydraulic, coupling, such as gasoline
engines,
gas turbines, Sterling machines or in particular diesel engines or trap
;formers and/or
rectifiers or electrical or motor conversion units or high-power energy
storages, such
as accumulators, electrochemical current generators or mechanical inertia
storage
devices.
These drive units or feed units can also be placed in frame side sill tcps,
wherein the
frame side sill tops are placed on top of the wagon frame side sills, in cases
were no
door regions of the carried rail vehicle have to be kept open.
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Since the construction of the rail vehicle carrier as a low floor wagon with
very
deeply disposed wagon floor frame leaves very little space for pieces to be
built in, it
is very space saving to employ the frame side sill tops for this purposes and
devices of
the drive operating devices, the feed devices, the current storage devices
including
automatic control and charging devices, illumination and control devices, as
well as
the devices for drive control and braking to incorporate here in the frame
side sill
tops and/or to incorporate the containers of the operating agents and/or
operating
materials.
Frequently the platform edges will not coincide in with the height of the
wagon floor
and will not have the permissible distance to the carried rail vehicle, vhich
would be
most favorable for the traffic performance, during the travel of a carried
rail vehicle
with the self propelled rail vehicle carrier on the line of the rail vehicl,
carrier.
If only the bridging of the distance in the horizontal direction is requ: red,
then this is
achieved with the raised footstep treads on the wagon frame side sills of the
self
propelled rail vehicle carrier or with controllable arrangements, where the
raised
footstep is automatically moved upon opening of a door into a position
suitable for
entering and leaving; the same holds for the adaptation. to height level
differences
between. wagon floor and platform edge.
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However, it is also possible to have the wagon frame side sills of the self
propelled
rail vehicle carver end at a suitable height level and to apply spatially
fixed footstep
treads.
In connection with the feeding of electrical drive motors, as drives of the
self
propelled rail vehicle carrier from the overhead line of its line, it is a
particularly
advantageous solution to lead the feed line over the carried rail vehicle,
wherein then
a heavy current coupling is to be furnished and favorably also controlled
couplingable and wherein the feeding is performed through a voltage converter
if this
is required by the voltage situation, wherein the voltage converter has to the
attached
at the carried rail vehicle and preferably under the roof.
The equipment of the drive of the rail vehicle carrier can be in a variety of
ways, with
one or several units, and this with internal combustion engines, in particular
with
combustion engines such as gasoline engines or diesel engines, gas turbines,
Sterling
machines, combustion engines -- electrical or combustion engines -- hydraulic
or in
connection with the feeding of the carried rail vehicle (2) is formed
electrohydraulicly or comprises an electric conversion unit or voltage/current
rectifier
depending on the equipment of the line of the rail vehicle carrier.
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Construction lengths are possible with modern rail vehicles of the tramway
based on
hinge construction, wherein the construction lengths go beyond tie
construction
lengths permissible on mainlines, but also on local rail lines of a non-hinged
rail
vehicle, wherein the subdivision of the self propelled rail vehicle cairi.er
into two or
more hinge-connected part vehicles may become necessary, wherein. the free
front
sides are. furnished and with the front gates and to the carried rail
vel.icle, because of
the simpler maneuvering and the larger stability during travel is prefe7ably
coupled to
the coupling connector at the front gate disposed in forward drive direction;
wherein
also a coupling is possible at the couplings of the two front gates in case of
tuned
construction lengths.
The particular preferred embodiment comprises a rail vehicle carrier with
hinged
connection composed of two rail vehicle carrier parts, wherein it is
particularly
advantageous if the perpendicular hinge axis coincides with the hinge axis of
a
wagon hinge of the carried rail vehicle, since in that case the rails on the
rail vehicle
carrier can he furnished with a compensation for the arcuate and curved travel
in the
hinge, without that the carried rail vehicle performs a substantial
longitudinal motion,
wherein. the longitudinal motion otherwise is transferred to the wheels.
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An effective possibility for the longitudinal compensation at the rail; of the
carried
rail vehicle in case of an arcuate or curved travel of the rail vehicle
carrier is to
support shiftable the rails of the carried rail vehicle as a whole, however
then the
wheels of the moving gear device have to be non-braked during the travel on
the self
propelled rail vehicle carrier in order to avoid grinding or the wheels are
disengageably attached to the axles relative to turning and are then freely
rotatable.
Another possibility comprises the application of spatially fixed rails,
wherein the rail
intermediate piece is employed in the hinged region upon straight po:,ition of
the part
wagons and an open front gate, wherein the rail intermediate piece upon
closing of
the same is shifted outwardly or swiveled such that the distance changes can.
be
freely compensated during an arcuate or curved travel.
Another possibility comprises that the rail heads are subdivided and in each
case a
right part and a left part compliments to a rail and are disposed slidin;;ly
at each other
in order to enable the lengths compensation during arcuate or curve travel of
the rail
vehicle carrier.
Usually the carried rail vehicle is automotively equipped, with an electrical
drive
through the overhead line, in most cases tramway trains in modern low floor
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constructions and comprising one or several part wagons connected with hinges.
However it is also possible to furnish a drive with combustion engines with
electrical coupling as also proposed for the rail vehicle carrier, wherei a
the feeding of
the drive engine of the rail vehicle carrier can be performed from the carried
rail
vehicle.
An important step is the use of the excess traction current and/or of the
braking
current of the rail vehicle carrier for the heating of the carried rail
vehicle with an
additional switching device in order to thereby relieve the respective drive
unit and in
order to save energy.
The application of an auxiliary driver cabin is indispensable for the
operation of the
rail vehicle carrier without carried rail vehicle.
The rail vehicle carrier is also suitable to transfer vehicles for track
maintenance such
as track construction machines or the like from one line to another l:.ne,
thereby also
in this region substantial savings can result.
The Invention is described by way of two embodiment examples.
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There is shown in:
Figure 1 a rail guided diesel driven rail vehicle carrier at the docking ramp,
with
automotive rail vehicle on the docking ramp, in a side elevational view,
schematically;
Figure 2 the rail guided rail vehicle carrier according to figure 1 in a lop
planar view,
schematically;
Figure 3 the rail guided diesel driven rail vehicle carrier at the docking
ramp
according to figure 1, with entered automotive rail vehicle docked in travel
direction,
in a side elevational view, schematically;
Figure 4 the rail guided rail vehicle carrier at the docking ramp aceo:=ding
to figure 3
with entered automotive rail vehicle docked in travel direction, in a top
planar view,
schematically;
Figure 5 the rail guided diesel driven rail vehicle carrier with carr.ed and
in drive
direction docked automotive rail vehicle in curve passage, in a tip planar
view,
schematically;
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Figure 6 The in rail guided diesel driven rail vehicle carrier with opened
front gate on
the ramp side as seen in vehicle direction, docked at the docking ramp, the
docking
ramp in cross-section, schematically;
Figure 7 the rail guided diesel driven rail vehicle carrier with the supported
automotively moving rail vehicle in a cross-sectional view, with raised
footstep at a
platform edge, schematically;
Figure 8 the rail guided electro-driven rail vehicle carrier with carried
automotively
moving rail vehicle in a cross-sectional view planar with a platform edge,
schematically;
Figure 9 the rail guided diesel driven rail vehicle carrier with opened front
gate in a
cross-sectional view, with carried automotively moving rail vehicle, with
raised
footstep at a platform edge, schematically;
A rail guided diesel driven, in addition self propelled rail vehicle carrier 1
is
illustrated in figures 1 and 2, wherein the rail vehicle carrier 1 is driven
to a docking
ramp 20 and is docked on a track 29 of its line, wherein the rails
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of track 29 are laid out for example in standard track gauge, wherein rails 30
of a
track 27. for example in narrow gauge, are running on the docking ramp 20 up
to the
end of the docking ramp 20, wherein the rails 30, running through with the
rails 17 of
track 16 on the rail vehicle carrier 1, are attached to the wagon floor fame
5.
The rail guided diesel driven rail vehicle carrier 1 is formed as a law floor
wagon
and, wherein the wagon floor frame 5 of the rail vehicle carrier 1 is d.sposed
between
the wheelsets 4 in the region of the upper circumference of the wheel:; 3.
Th.e rail vehicle carrier 1 comprises two vehicle carrier parts 1', V, wherein
the two
vehicle carrier parts are connected to each other through a hinge connection
26 in
order to be able to receive and transport carried rail vehicles 2 of larger
length, such
as multi-hinge rail vehicles, for example tramway low floor drive wagons,
wherein
the total. length of the tramway low floor drive wagons exceeds the
.)ermissible total
length for an unhinged individual wagon on the railway line of the rail
vehicle carrier
1.
The self propelled rail vehicle carrier 1 exhibits on two sides of the wagon
floor
frame 5 wagon frame side sills 6,6', wherein the wagon frame side sills 6,6'
are
pulled up toward the outside over the height level of the rail 17 o:.' the
carried rail
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vehicle to and wherein the wagon frame side sills 6,6' are furnished with
frame side
sill tops 15 at positions at which no doors of the carried rail vehicle come
to be
positioned in a docked on transport position. The frame side sill tops 15 are
furnished for the receiving of devices for the drive and braking operation,
for the
securing, for the illumination, for the sensor technology and data transfer
and storage
container for operating agents, such as power fuel, lubricant, braking
auxiliary
agents, but if required also drive units, voltage converters, electrical
conversion units,
current storage, electrochemical current generators or the like.
Front gates 7 or in each case a pair of front gate wings (not shown here) at
the wagon
frame side sills 6,6' are toward the outside swivelably supported around a
vertical
swivel axis at the two front sides 14,14' of the rail vehicle carrier 1.
It is illustrated in figure 1 how an electrically operated automotively moving
rail
vehicle 2 fed by an electrical overhead line 8, in the shape of a multiple
hinge low
floor tramway train for passenger transport, enters from a docking ramp 20
onto a
rail guided diesel driven rail vehicle carrier 1, wherein the front gate 7 of
the docking
ramp 20 is opened at the front side 14' disposed toward the docking ramp 20.
The
rail vehicle carrier 1 is seen from the top in figure 2 driven to the docking
ramp 20
and illustrated without entered automotively moving carried rail vehicle 2.
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The automotively moving carried rail vehicle 2 is driven onto the rail vehicle
carrier
1 in figures 3 and 4, separated from the electrical overhead line and
illustrated
coupled at the front side disposed in drive direction 25 of the rail vehicle
carrier 1 at
the mechanical coupling connector 10 of the front gate 7 with he controllable
mechanical coupling 9, wherein the other front gate 7, which other front gate
7 is
disposed toward the docking ramp 20, is still opened; the carried rail vehicle
to here
is disposed in a position at the platform edge 23 of a train stop station.
The illustration in figure 5 shows the rail vehicle carrier I with the carried
rail
vehicle 2 on a curve of the track 29 of its railway line and it can be
recognized that
the hinge parts of the carried rail vehicle 2 are disposed symmetric<<lly to
the hinge
connections 26 between the two rail vehicle carrier parts 1', V.
Figure 6 shows the rail vehicle carrier, 1 at the docking ramp 20 with ramp
buffer 18
and mechanical bolting connection 19, with opened front gate 7, ~ wivelled on
the
side toward the outside, toward the side disposed away from the platform edge
23 of
the railway line.
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The mechanical coupling connector 10 and the coordinated plug coupling
connector
13 is illustrated at the inner side 11 of the two front gates 7.
The incorporated Diesel electric drive units 28 and the waste gas line is
indicated at
the front gate 7 to be disposed after, the docking ramp 20.
The lower-level disposed wagon floor frame 5 of the rail vehicle -,arrier I
carries
recessed rails 26 of the track 27 of the carried rail vehicle 2. On the side
the wagon
frame sole bars 6,6' are pulled out somewhat above the level of the rlatform
edge 23
and are furnshed with frame side sill tops 15.
The rail vehicle carrier 1 is illustrated at the stop station on the railway
line in figure
7, wherein the wheels 3 run on the track 29. Furthermore the autoraotively
moving
carried rail vehicle 2 is formed as a low floor tramway drive wagon -nd is
illustrated,
wherein the wagon floor 24 of the rail vehicle 2 is disposed higher tian the
platform
edge 23, wherein the wagon frame side sills 6,6' are disposed in between with
respect
to height level and on the side further project toward the outside and form an
intermediate step and are formed as raised footsteps 22 at the doors 21 and
wherein
the frame side sill tops 15 are placed on to the rail vehicle carrier 1 next
to the doors
21.
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The height level of the platform edge 23, the height level of the rail's 13 of
the
railway line of the rail vehicle carrier 1, the height level of the rails of
the track 16 of
the automotively moving carried rail vehicle 2 and the wagon floor 24 of the
rail
vehicle 2 are tuned to each other in figure 8, wherein the floor of the
carried rail
vehicle 2, the platform edge 23 and the raised footsteps at the doors 21 are
disposed
on the same level and wherein the horizontal distance between these is
furnished
meeting at least the regulatory requirements. The carried rail vehicl. 2 is
connected
to the electric overhead line on the railway line of the rail vehicle carrier
1 through
the overhead pickup current collector, wherein the feeding of the -irive of
the rail
vehicle carrier I can be performed through the electrical overhead lin
Figure 9 shows a rail vehicle carrier 1 at the platform edge 23 of a atop
station with
an open and sideways toward the outside swiveled front gate 7 and. figure 9
shows
here the mechanically controllable coupling 9 and the coorclinated and in
particular
controllable plug coupling 12 of the carried automotively moving rail vehicle
2 for
the mechanical coupling connector 10 and the plug coupling connector 13 of the
self
propelled rail vehicle carrier 1.
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In the context of the connection of a rail grid with a different track gauge,
be it
mainline, local train, subway grid to the city tramway grid or of a different
tramway
grid of the same track gauge directly or through the use of the recited other
grids,
there are installed docking ramps 20 at the transition positions of tb e
grids, wherein
the docking ramps 20 are led to a connection railway line in a straight line
as far as
possible such that an equal level transition onto the self propelled rail
vehicle carrier
1 can be performed.
A docked diesel. driven rail vehicle carrier 1 with opened front gate 7 at the
docking
ramp 20 is shown in figures 1 and 2, wherein the rail vehicle carrier 1 was
driven on
the track 29 of its railway line. An automotively moving carried rail vehicle
2 in the
shape of a tramway hinged wagon train is shown running from the docking ramp
20
onto the track 16 on the rail vehicle carrier 1.
The carried rail vehicle 2 driven on the rail vehicle carrier 1 is illustrated
in figures 3
and 4, wherein the rail vehicle 2 is coupled with its controllable mechanical
coupling
9 and with its coordinated controllable plug coupling 12 (not visible) at the
mechanical coupling connector 10 and the electrical plug coupling connector 13
at
the inner side 11 of the oppositely disposed closed front gate 7. The
transport is
performed for the carried rail vehicle 2 with the brake or non-brake wheels 3
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depending on the construction kind of the rail 17 -- longitudinally shiftable
or
hingedly supported.
The same constructive arrangement is employed at a transition of tie railway
line
and the decoupling and the docking process run in opposite direction,
whereupon the
carried rail vehicle 2 moves in another grid and so on; the decisive
simplification for
nearly arbitrary expansion of an existing grid under incorporation of further
grids of
different construction is recognizable therefrom. Only a small expenditure for
changed construction and additional vehicles becomes necessary relative to new
construction or changing track gauge and which simultaneously does not entail
a
substantial delay of the train transport.
List of reference characters:
I self propelled rail guided rail vehicle carrier
1',l" part of rail vehicle carrier
2 automotively moving rail vehicle
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3 wheel of the wheelset 4
4 wheelset of the self propelled rail guided rail vehicle carrier 1
wagon. Floor frame of the rail vehicle carrier 1
6,6' wagon frame side sill of the rail vehicle carrier 1
7 front floor of the rail vehicle carrier 1
8 electrical current collector overhead line of the carried autonmotively
moving
rail vehicle 2
9 controllable mechanical railway coupling of the automotivi,ly moving rail
vehicle 2
mechanical coupling connector at the inner side 1. 1. of the front gate 7
11 inner side of the front gate 7
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12 controllable plug coupling coordinated to the mechanical coupli-.lg 9
13 plug coupling connector coordinated to the chemical coupling connector 10
of
the front gate 7
l 4,14' f ont side of the rail vehicle carrier I
15 frame side sill top of the wagon floor frame 5 of the rail vehicle carrier
1
16 track of the automotively moving rail vehicle 2 on the wagon floor frame 5
17 rail of the track line 16
18 ramp buffer of the rail vehicle carrier 1
19 mechanical locking connector of the rail vehicle carrier 1
20 docking ramp for the rail vehicle carrier 1
21 door of the automotively moving rail vehicle 2
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22 raised footstep tread of a wagon frame side sill 6,6' at the door 21 of the
automotively moving carried rail vehicle 2
23 edge of platform of the railway line of the rail vehicle carrier 1
24 wagon floor of the automotively moving carried rail vehicle 2
25 drive direction of the rail vehicle carrier 1 at departure from the docking
ramp
26 hinged connection between the rail vehicle carrier parts 1' and '."
27 track on the docking ramp 20
28 drive unit
29 track of the railway line of the rail vehicle carrier I
rail ofthe track 27
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