METHOD OF TAMPING A TRACK

PROCEDE POUR BOURRER UNE VOIE FERREE

English Abstract

Prior to immersion into the ballast, a hand tamper (1) for tamping a track is
detachably connected to an anchor element (10), fixed to the track (9) and
lying
opposite with regard to a tamping motion (18), by means of a fixing member
(15)
fastened to a tamper section (6) situated between a drive motor (3) and a
tamping
blade (5). Thus, an improved compaction effect can be achieved.

French Abstract

Procédé pour bourrer une voie ferrée par plongé d'une bourroir manuel (1) dans le ballast. Avant la plongée dans le ballast, le bourroir manuel (1) est raccordé de manière libérable à un élément d'ancrage (10) fixé sur la voie ferrée (9), face à la zone où s'effectue le mouvement de bourrage (18), par l'intermédiaire d'un organe de fixation (15), fixé à une partie (6) du bourroir située entre un moteur d'entraînement (3) et une pelle de bourrage (5)

Claims

5
Claims
1. A method of tamping a track by immersing a hand tamper into ballast,
characterized in that, prior to the immersion into the ballast, the hand
tamper (1) is
detachably connected to an anchor element (10), fixed to the track (9) and
lying
opposite with regard to a tamping motion, by means of a fixing member (15)
fastened to a tamper section (6) situated between a drive motor (3) and a
tamping
blade (5).
2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that two hand tampers
(1),
each serving as an anchor element (10), are used for tamping, the tampers
being
connected to one another by means of the fixing member (15) and plunging into
the ballast at the same time at an opposite longitudinal side of a sleeper,
respectively, with regard to a tamping movement (18).
3. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that a rail anchor
detachably connected to the rail is used as an anchor element (10).
4. A method according to claim 3, characterized in that the anchor element
(10) is fastened at an intersection of the sleeper (8) and the rail (12).

6
5. A method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the
fixing
member (15) is fastened to a connecting tube (17), arranged between the drive
motor (3) and a tamping blade (5), in the half of the tube situated closer to
the
tamping blade (5)

Description

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Method of tamping a track
[001] The invention relates to a method of tamping a track by means of a hand
tamper.
[002] Well-known hand tampers are gripped in an upper section comprising the
drive and have a vibrating tamping blade which is immersed into the
ballast. During the immersing operation, one tries to achieve a compacting
motion with the tamping blade in the direction towards the sleeper by
lowering the upper drive section in the direction towards the operator. The
compaction effect resulting from this, however, is unsatisfactory since the
ballast ¨ used as a kind of abutment behind the tamping blade ¨ does not
offer much resistance due to the vibrations.
[003] It is the object of the present invention to provide a method of the
type
mentioned at the beginning with which it is possible to achieve an
improved ballast compaction.
[004] According to the invention, this object is achieved with a method of the
specified kind in that, prior to the immersion into the ballast, the hand
tamper is detachably connected to an anchor element, fixed to the track
and lying opposite with regard to a tamping motion, by means of a fixing
member fastened to a tamper section situated between a drive motor and
a tamping blade.
[005] As a result of this temporary connection to the track, a non-
displaceable
abutment is created so that the downward motion of the upper section of

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the hand tamper causes a forced countermotion of the tamping blade in
the direction towards the sleeper. With this, the ballast is positively
displaced underneath the sleeper and compacted.
[006] Additional advantages of the invention become apparent from the
dependent claims and the drawing description.
[007] The invention will be described in more detail below with reference to
embodiments represented in the drawing in which Fig. 1 shows a view ¨ in
the longitudinal direction of the sleeper ¨ of two hand tampers, Fig. 2
shows a top view and Fig. 3 a simplified representation of a further variant
of the invention.
[008] Hand tampers 1, shown in Figs. 1 to 3, each have a drive motor 3,
arranged in an upper section 2, and handles 4. A central tamper portion 6
provided between the drive motor 3 and a tamping blade 5 is configured as
a connecting tube 17, having a longitudinal direction 7, in which an
eccentric shaft (not shown) is set in rotation.
[009] Located above a sleeper 8, to be tamped, of a track 9 is an anchor
element
in the shape of a rail anchor which is detachably connected to a rail 12
by means of a quick fastener 11 and has hooks 13. A fixing member 15 in
the shape of a chain or rope, for example, is fastened to the connecting
tube 17 on a hook 14 in the half of the tube lying closer to the tamping
blade 5.

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[010] To execute the tamping method, the hook 14 is connected by means of the
fixing member 15 to a hook 13 of the anchor element 10 fixed to the track.
In order to achieve an optimal compaction effect, the handle 4 together
with the drive motor 3 is moved in a working direction 16 towards the
operator. Due to the connection of the central tamper section 6 to the
anchor element 10, this produces a forced tamping motion 18 of the
tamping blade 5 in the direction towards the adjacent sleeper 8.
[011] Further optimisation of the procedure of tamping the track 9 can be
achieved by synchronously employing two hand tampers 1 positioned
opposite one another ¨ with regard to the sleeper 8 to be tamped ¨ and
each connected to the anchor element 10. As indicated in dash-and-dot
lines in Fig. 2, it is also possible, by using four hand tampers 1 each
attached to the anchor element 10, to carry out synchronous tamping
motions for tamping the sleeper 8.
[012] After the ballast has been sufficiently compacted, the fixing member 15
is
detached from the anchor element 10. After attaching the anchor element
above the succeeding sleeper, the above-described tamping method is
repeated. It is also possible, of course, to fasten the anchor element 10
directly to the sleeper. Moreover, one could also use, for example, a rail
clip or the like, connecting the rail 12 to the sleeper 8, as an anchor
element for fastening the fixing member 15 to the track 9.

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[013] For carrying out the method according to the application, it would
alternatively also be possible to directly connect to one another by means
of the fixing member 15 only the hooks 14, serving as anchor element 10,
of two hand tampers 1 lying opposite one another, (see Fig. 3). For
achieving the best possible ballast compaction, the movement of the two
hand tampers 1 in the working direction 16 should be carried out largely
synchronously.

Representative Drawing