Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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STRUCTURAL BEAM SUITABLE FOR SUPPORTING EQUIPMENT
GENERAL TECHNICAL DOMAIN AND PRIOR ART
This invention relates to the field of installation of equipment, in
particular, railway
equipment (rail, switch frog, etc.) when refurbishing a railroad track.
A railroad track, also called a railway, extends longitudinally and includes
two
longitudinal rails resting on cross ties. Each longitudinal rail is formed of
a plurality of
sections which are welded together at their ends and attached to the ties.
Due to wear induced by the movement of railway vehicles on the track, the worn
longitudinal rails require periodic replacement with new longitudinal rails.
With reference to patent application FR 2847917A1, it is known to use a
railway train
(work train) to store the new longitudinal rails and to park them in a
maintenance area.
When in use, such a railway train has the disadvantage of occupying a track
adjacent
to the track being refurbished. This is disadvantageous when two stations are
only
connected by two adjacent tracks, all traffic between the stations being
prohibited,
which is a significant inconvenience as well as a loss to the rail network
operators.
Because of these disadvantages, refurbishment operations of a railway are only
conducted during the night, which significantly increases the duration of
refurbishment
operations.
Known also, by patent application FR2394641A1, is a railway vehicle comprising
a
beam for laying of sections supported by a lifting arm. Such a railway vehicle
has a
large size as well as heavy weight, which inhibits easy handling and transport
of such a
beam and such an arm.
The invention is therefore intended to remedy these disadvantages by proposing
a
beam for support of equipment, in particular a railway rail, of new design in
order to
facilitate its handling and transport while ensuring reliable support of the
equipment
even if the latter has a heterogeneous weight distribution along its length.
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The invention arose in the field of railways but it can be applied in any
field requiring the
transport of equipment, preferably longitudinal equipment with heavy weight.
GENERAL PRESENTATION OF THE INVENTION
For this purpose, the invention relates to a structural beam suitable for
supporting
equipment, in particular a railway rail, said beam including a longitudinal
body
comprising a first connection end and a second connection end adapted to
connect
it to movement means, and a plurality of linking elements, distributed along
said
longitudinal body, which are adapted to be connected to said equipment to
suspend
said longitudinal body.
The structural beam may be carried by its ends, which optimizes the length of
the
longitudinal body able to distribute and pass on the forces received by the
linking
elements. Thus, to support a single piece of equipment, a support beam
according to
the invention may have a limited length and a reduced size in comparison to a
support
beam used in the prior art on work trains and held in its centre by a hoisting
crane or
the like.
Preferably, the longitudinal body is modular so as to permit its storage with
a small
footprint. Thus, the support beam can be accommodated in a road vehicle of
small
size, which avoids the need for a railway vehicle as in the prior art.
Preferably still, the longitudinal body includes a plurality of independent
modules
connected to each other detachably. Thus, the modules can be advantageously
stacked to minimize their footprint significantly.
Preferably, the longitudinal body has an adjustable length to adapt to the
dimensions
of the equipment to be supported and to the constraints related to the path of
travel of
the support beam. In addition, a body adjustable in length enables it to fit
places with
narrow access.
The longitudinal body advantageously includes a plurality of modules
articulated with
each other, which facilitates adjustment of the beam's length as well as its
storage.
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Preferably, the longitudinal body is configured to unfold in a horizontal
plane, which
advantageously permits unfolding in a tunnel.
According to one aspect of the invention, at least one part of the
longitudinal body is
telescopic to allow quick unfolding in operating position while having a
limited footprint
in storage position.
According to another aspect of the invention at least one part of the
longitudinal body
has a scissor-like structure to allow quick unfolding while in operating
position while
having a limited footprint in storage position.
Preferably, the support beam is lacking, at its central part, connection means
to a
hoisting crane or similar, which limits its weight.
Preferably, the longitudinal body is in steel or composite materials in order
to have a
limited weight and significant mechanical strength, in particular, against
buckling
forces. Advantageously, the longitudinal body is configured to support a heavy
weight,
in this example, on the order of 8 tons.
Preferably, the length of the longitudinal body is on the order of 30 metres
in order to
stably support a piece of equipment of high weight or length.
The support beam advantageously includes independent stabilization means
suitable
for resting on the ground, preferably be a plurality of legs. Thus, the beam
can be
mounted/unfolded above the ground without difficulty by the operators.
Preferably,
the independent stabilization means are integrated with each module of the
support
beam.
The invention also relates to an assembly of a beam as presented above and a
first
mobile conveyor and a second mobile conveyor connected respectively to the
first
connecting end and the second connecting end of the beam in order to move it.
Such
an assembly is advantageous for moving a piece of equipment quickly and
reliably
without using a work train as with the prior art.
PRESENTATION OF FIGURES
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The invention will be better understood from reading the description that will
follow,
given only as an example, and referring to the drawings attached in which:
- figure 1 is a schematic side elevation of a support beam according to the
invention when supporting a longitudinal railway rail, the said support beam
being carried at its ends by conveyors;
- figure 2 is a schematic side elevation of a support beam according to the
invention comprising several detachable modules;
- figure 3 is an exploded view of the support beam of figure 2;
- figure 4 is a schematic side elevation of a telescoping support beam
according
to the invention in extended position of use:
- figure 5 is a schematic side elevation of the support beam of figure 4 in
storage
position;
- figure 6 is a schematic side elevation of an articulated support beam
according
to the invention in extended position of use;
- figure 7 is a schematic top view of the support beam of figure 6;
- figure 8 is a schematic side elevation of the articulated support beam of
figure 6
in intermediate position of use;
- figure 9 is a schematic top view of the support beam of figure 8;
- figure 10 is a schematic side elevation of the articulated support beam of
figure
6 in storage position;
- figure 11 is a schematic top view of the support beam of figure 10;
- figure 12 is a schematic side elevation of a scissors support beam
according to
the invention in extended position of use;
- figure 13 is a schematic side elevation of the support beam of figure 12 in
storage position.
It should be noted that the figures disclose the invention in a detailed
manner in order
to implement the invention, such figures of course serving to better define
the invention
where appropriate.
DESCRIPTION OF ONE OR MORE EMBODIMENTS AND IMPLEMENTATIONS
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The support beam according to the invention will be presented to support a
piece of
longitudinal railway equipment but it goes without saying that the invention
is adapted
to support any type of equipment (a guardrail, ramp, handrail, spar, beam,
etc.) for use
in any type of industry.
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Such a support beam enables in particular handling of any equipment, even with
unbalanced weight, that is, whose weight is not distributed uniformly along
its length.
With such a support beam, mechanical stresses are distributed uniformly,
without risking
deformation of the equipment.
With reference to figure 1, a support beam 1 according to the invention is
represented
schematically, transporting a longitudinal railway rail 2 between a place for
storage of
railway rails and a maintenance place.
Support beam 1 is called structural because it enables significant mechanical
forces to
be transferred and, in particular, to support a piece of equipment with heavy
weight,
on the order of 8 tons.
In this example, support beam 1 has a vertical height greater than its side
thickness in
order to have a significant resistance to buckling while limiting its
footprint.
Referring to figure 1, support beam 1 includes a longitudinal body 10 with a
length
greater than 30 metres in order to support pieces of equipment of great length
such as
longitudinal rails.
Support beam 2 includes a first connecting end 11 and a second connecting end
12
adapted for connecting to movement means, in particular, mobile conveyors 31,
32
such as road or railway controllers. Preferably, each connecting end 11, 12
has a
substantially spherical shape in order to form a ball-joint connection with
mobile
conveyors 31, 32 so as to limit any stress related to deflection of the beam 1
while it is
moving. Thus, advantageously, support beam 1 is automatically balanced
vertically
even if conveyors 31, 32 are inclined due to the level of the ground. It goes
without
saying that other types of connecting ends 11, 12 could also be appropriate.
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Advantageously, a connecting end including a U-shaped yoke mounted on a free
pivot as well as an articulated connection allows a ball joint connection to
be made in
a practical way in order to limit deflection of the structural beam 1 as will
be presented
by the following. A spherical connecting end is particularly advantageous
given that it
has a limited production cost.
Such connecting ends 11, 12 allow the support beam 1 to be supported by its
ends to
optimize the distribution of forces induced by the equipment 2 over the entire
length of
the longitudinal body 10. Thus, support beam 1 can support a piece of
equipment 2
with heavy weight without risk of breakage while have a reduced length.
Preferably, each end part of the longitudinal body has a section decreasing
from the
centre of the longitudinal body 10 to its connecting end 11, 12, as
illustrated in figure 1,
in order to limit deflection.
Longitudinal body 10 of support beam 1 is in steel and/or composite materials
in order
to have significant strength, in particular against buckling, for reduced
weight.
Preferably, longitudinal body 10 of support beam 1 is hollow. Advantageously,
longitudinal body 10 has a protective envelope in order to avoid any risk of
injury to an
operator while handling the support beam 1.
Referring to figure 1, support beam 1 includes a plurality of linking elements
13,
distributed along said longitudinal body 10, which are adapted to be connected
to the
equipment 2 in order to suspend it from longitudinal body 10. In other words,
the
plurality of linking elements 13 forms a tackling means, that is, means for
lifting a load at
several areas spaced apart from one another.
Preferably, at least one plurality of linking elements 13 are movable along
the length of
longitudinal body 10 so as to be able to place linking elements 13 adaptably
depending on the shape and weight distribution of each piece of equipment to
be
carried. Preferably, the movement of linking elements 13 is motorized and,
preferably,
controlled by the operator.
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In this example of embodiment, each linking element 13 is present in the form
of a
flexible loop adapted to be passed under the equipment in order to lift it. It
goes
without saying that linking elements 13 could have a different form.
Such linking elements 13 allow for supporting railway equipment such as half-
switches or
frogs, independently of their weight and/or the position of their centre of
gravity. In
addition, while supported, the shape, dimensions and surface condition of the
equipment are not affected, which is very advantageous.
In use, support beam 10 has significant length to promote balanced and stable
support
of a piece of equipment 2. Conversely, when stored, support beam 10 has a
reduced
length in order to limit its footprint and facilitate its transport, in
particular, in a road
transport truck, preferably, a category 1 semi-trailer truck.
Preferably, with reference to figures 2 and 3, longitudinal body 10 of support
beam 1
includes a plurality of structural modules 100 connected detachably to one
another. In
this example, longitudinal body 10 of support beam 1 comprises 7 modules but
it goes
without saying that the number of modules 100 could be different.
Advantageously, the length of a structural module 100 is less than 20 m in
order to allow
for storage of such a structural module in a category 1 semi-trailer.
Preferably, structural modules 100 have differing lengths so as to permit
assembly of a
support beam 1 of desired length.
As illustrated in figure 3, each module 100 includes on at least one of its
longitudinal
ends means for connecting with another module 100 of support beam 10. The
connecting means advantageously permits two consecutive modules 100 to be
centred. Among the connecting means, there are distinct male connecting means
101
and female connecting means 102 adapted to work together and allow the
structural
forces to be transferred from one module 100 to another.
By way of example, with reference to figure 3, each male connecting means 101
is in
the form of a longitudinal tongue while each female connecting means 102 is in
the
form of a longitudinal recess (not visible in the figures) whose shape is
complementary
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to the tongue. Thus, when connecting two structural modules 100 together, they
are
accurately aligned. Again preferably, each module 100 includes locking means
for
assembly of two consecutive modules 100 assembled together. In this example,
with
reference to figure 3, each module 100 includes transversal openings 103 at
its
connecting means 101, 102 so as to permit locking together of two assembled
modules
100 by pinning. It goes without saying that the locking means could be
different. In
particular, the locking means could be integrated into connecting means 101,
102.
The support beam 1 is, in this example, symmetrical. In addition, the central
portion of
support beam 1 has a substantially constant central section, which is
advantageous for
supporting a piece of equipment 2 in a balanced manner. In addition, the
number of
structural modules 100 of support beam 1 can be adapted depending on the
length of
the equipment 2 to be lifted.
Preferably, longitudinal body 10 of support beam 1 is assembled at a height
relative to
the ground. Longitudinal body 10 is held at a height relative to the ground by
independent stabilization means (not shown) adapted to be supported on the
ground.
The independent stabilization means are preferably in the form of legs in
order to
facilitate positioning and parking of a module 100 during its assembly.
Preferably, each
module 100 includes a retractable leg. Again preferably, each leg is equipped
with a
motorized actuator to facilitate folding/unfolding it. Still preferably, each
leg includes a
support shoe which is articulated to adapt to the relief of the ground on
which the leg is
supported.
According to another embodiment, with reference to figures 4 and 5,
longitudinal body
10 of support beam 1 includes a plurality of structural modules 200 adapted to
fit inside
one another in order to form a telescoping beam. In this example, longitudinal
body 10
of support beam 1 includes 3 modules 200 but it goes without saying that the
number of
modules 200 could be different. Advantageously, the length of a structural
module 200
is less than 15 m, preferably 10 m, in order to permit storage of a module 200
in a
category 1 semi-trailer truck.
In this example, the modules 200 have differing sections so as to enable them
to fit into
one another.
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Advantageously, the length of such a telescopic beam can be quickly adjusted
between its position of use (Figure 4) and its storage position (Figure 5). In
addition, the
length of the support beam I can be adapted depending on the length of the
equipment 2 to be lifted.
According to another embodiment, with reference to figures 6 and 11,
longitudinal
body 10 of support beam 1 includes a plurality of structural modules 300
adapted to
fold over one another as illustrated more particularly in figure 10. In this
example,
longitudinal body 10 of support beam 1 includes 3 modules 300 but it goes
without
saying that the number of modules 300 could be different. Advantageously, the
length
of a structural module 300 is less than 15 m in order to allow for storage in
a category 1
semi-trailer.
As illustrated in figure 9, two consecutive modules 300 are connected at their
longitudinal ends by articulation means 301 with another module 300 of support
beam
10. In this example, the articulation means 301 are configured to permit
rotation in a
direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction in which support beam 1
extends in
the position of use. Preferably, articulation means 301 are configured to
permit rotation
in a vertical direction so as to permit folding of the support beam 1 in a
horizontal
plane. This is particularly advantageous for folding the beam 1 when the
vertical space
is limited, for example, for folding in a tunnel.
In this example, articulation means 301 is in the form of a hinge but it goes
without
saying that other means of articulation could suit, for example, a rod, a
flexible blade,
etc. Preferably, support beam 1 includes motorized folding means, in
particular,
cylinders.
Advantageously, the headroom, that is, the vertical distance separating the
load
attachment point(s) and the connecting ends, is limited, which allows
significant
amplitudes along the 3 axes while respecting, for example, the gauge of a
railway
track.
Advantageously, the length of such foldable support beam 1 may be quickly
adjusted
between a use position at maximum length (Figures 6 and 7), and use position
of
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intermediate length (Figures 8 and 9) and a storage position (Figures 10 and
11). Thus,
the length of the support beam 1 may be adapted depending on the length of the
equipment 2 to be lifted.
5 According to another embodiment, with reference to figures 12 and 13,
longitudinal
body 10 of support beam 1 includes a scissors structure 400 so as to
fold/unfold it quickly
and easily . Such a scissors structure 400 is known to the person skilled in
the art and will
not be presented in more detail.
10 Longitudinal body 10 includes end sections 401 configured to take the
loads in an
evenly distributed and homogeneous manner. Preferably, each end section 401
has a
triangular shape of which one edge is connected to the scissors structure 400
and the
apex opposite such edge includes a connection end 11, 12 as illustrated in
figures 12
and 13.
Advantageously, the length of such a telescopic support beam 1 can be quickly
adjusted between its position of use (Figure 12) and its storage position
(Figure 13). In
addition, the length of the support beam 1 can be adapted depending on the
length
of the equipment 2 to be lifted.
In practice, to transport a railway rail from a storage area to a maintenance
area, the
operators first perform a step of unloading from a road truck in which support
beam 1 is
stored.
Then, the latter is assembled or unfolded in order to have significant length
capable of
supporting a railway rail of high weight. Preferably, support beam 1 is held
at height
above the ground with its legs.
Mobile conveyors 31, 32 then connect to end connections 11, 12 of support beam
1 in
order to lift it above the ground by its ends in order to maximize the length
of support
beam 1 which is able to transfer forces.
Linking elements 13 of support beam 1 are placed around the railway rail 2
resting on
the ground. In this example, linking elements 13 are distributed at equal
distance from
one another along the length of support beam 1 given that it has a homogeneous
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weight distribution along its length. Preferably, linking elements 13 are
moved so as to
suspend equipment 2 from support beam 1. In practice, railway rail 2 extends
at least
200 cm in the vertical direction from support beam 1 while moving in order to
restrict
any tipping.
The mobile conveyors 31, 32 are then moved on the ground then on the railway
track
to reach the maintenance area. End connections 11, 12 are advantageous for
absorbing the oscillations of support beam 1 during its movement by mobile
conveyors
31, 32. To release the railway rail 2, linking elements 13 are lowered to set
railway rail 2
on the ground which can then be mounted on the railway track.
Thanks to support beam 1 according to the invention, it is no longer necessary
to resort
to using a railway train nor a massive support beam with a significant
footprint.
