AT527177A1 - Tamping machine, system and method for tamping a track - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a tamping machine (1) for tamping under sleepers (12) of a track (4), with a machine frame (2) that can be moved on railroad tracks (9) of the track (4) and with a tamping unit (6) that comprises an inner and an outer pair of tamping tools (18, 19) in a machine transverse direction (15), each pair of tamping tools (20) that can be positioned relative to one another in a machine longitudinal direction (21) and subjected to vibration. Narrow tamping picks (27) are arranged on the outer pair of tamping tools (19) for moving ballast under a sleeper (12) by means of a respective active section (38), the extent of which is greater in the vertical direction (41) than in the machine transverse direction (15). The respective narrow tamping pick (27) of the tamping unit (6) according to the invention can also be used in very tight spaces.

Description

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Stuffing machine, system and method for stuffing a

track

The invention relates to a tamping machine for tamping sleepers of a track, with a machine frame that can be moved on railway rails of the track and with a tamping unit that comprises an inner and an outer pair of tamping tools in a machine transverse direction, each pair of tamping tools that can be positioned relative to one another in a machine longitudinal direction and subjected to vibration. The invention also relates to a system that comprises the corresponding tamping machine and a track, as well as a method for tamping sleepers of the track by means of

the corresponding tamping machine.

A tamping machine of this type is known, for example, from EP 0 416 193 A1 and is used to create a desired track position. During a tamping process, a track section that has been brought into a target position by means of a lifting and straightening unit is fixed by means of a tamping unit. To determine the target position, the tamping machine has its own measuring system. The lifting and straightening unit and the tamping unit are controlled by means of a control device that receives signals from the measuring system.

are.

The invention is based on the task of improving a tamping machine of the type mentioned at the beginning so that it can be used in a wider range of applications. In particular, the tamping machine should be able to be used for the maintenance of tracks for urban public transport such as underground railways. Further tasks are directed at a

corresponding system, comprising the tamping machine and the

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track, as well as a corresponding

maintenance procedures.

According to the invention, these objects are achieved by the independent claims 1, 9 and 10. Dependent claims

indicate advantageous embodiments of the invention.

Narrow tamping picks are arranged on the outer pair of tamping tools for moving ballast under a sleeper by means of a respective active section, the extent of which is larger in the vertical direction than in the cross-machine direction. The respective narrow tamping pick of the tamping unit according to the invention remains usable even in very tight spaces. This is particularly the case with a track with two railway rails for steel wheels (railway wheels) and with two additional guide rails for rubber wheels. The latter are usually designed as concrete tracks or as I-steel profiles and are used in some underground railways, for example in the Paris Metro. All rails are attached to common sleepers. In addition, a lateral guide rail is arranged in such track systems, which increases the free space

for the darning pick is further restricted.

A significant advantage of the invention is that the tamping unit can be used on both rubber wheel tracks with tracks for rubber wheels and on conventional steel wheel tracks that only have railway tracks for steel wheels. In some urban transport networks, such as in Paris, both types of tracks are used, with the rubber wheel tracks including additional railway tracks. The tamping machine according to the invention can therefore be used on both types of tracks with

Steel wheels and use the tamping unit. On a

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For a rubber wheel section, the outer pair of tamping tools, viewed from the middle of the track, is inserted into the ballast bed on the outside next to the associated running rail for rubber wheels between the running rail and the guide rail. A steel wheel section without running rails for rubber wheels is tamped conventionally. The outer and inner pair of tamping tools are inserted into the ballast bed on both sides of the associated railway track. Sufficient compaction of the ballast bed is also ensured here despite the narrow shape of the outer tamping picks, because the respective effective section in the vertical direction is correspondingly

is long.

In an advantageous further development, the respective narrow tamping pick has a free section protruding from a pick holder, the width of which is at most 80 millimeters, in particular at most 75 millimeters and in particular at most 65 millimeters and at least 50 millimeters, in particular at least 55 millimeters and in particular at least 60 millimeters. On the one hand, this ensures that the effective section for compacting the ballast is sufficiently large. On the other hand, the consistently narrow design of the tamping pick allows it to be used between closely arranged rails of the

track.

In a further improvement, the narrow tamping picks of the outer tamping tool pair have a longer shaft than the tamping picks of the inner tamping tool pair. The inner tamping tool pair can be designed in a conventional manner. The outer tamping tool pair with the narrow tamping picks, on the other hand, is designed for use next to a higher guide rail of the track.

optimized. Due to the longer shaft, the tamping picks protrude

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far enough out of an associated pick holder so that the pick holder can be moved vertically relative to the

guide rail remains at a distance.

In a preferred embodiment, the respective narrow tamping tine has a rotationally symmetrical cross-section along the active section. Such a tamping tine combines high load-bearing capacity with a

good compaction effect on the gravel.

For improved transmission of vibrations and the positioning movement to the ballast, it is advantageous if vertical ribs are arranged on the respective narrow tamping tine along the active section. These vertical ribs have a height protruding from a base body of the tamping tine of no more than 15 millimeters, preferably no more than 10 millimeters and preferably no more than 5 millimeters. The extension of the tamping tine in the cross-machine direction is thus only insignificantly increased. However, ballast grains wedge themselves along the ribs, which results in improved dynamic interaction with the active section of the tamping tine.

results.

For processing tracks with lateral guide rails or along a platform, the tamping unit is advantageously assigned a distance measuring device for measuring a lateral distance from a lateral object, in particular from a guide rail of the track. With this improvement, the narrow tamping picks can be positioned at a constant distance from the lateral object. For example,

an automated guidance of the narrow darning picks

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between a running rail and a guide rail of a track for rubber wheels. Due to the limited space, a purely manual control without distance measurement is very difficult and may only be possible with additional personnel on the track. However, this would eliminate one advantage of the invention, namely a

Tamping the track without personnel on the track.

In a preferred development, the distance measuring device is designed for contactless distance measurement, in particular by means of optical measuring devices. This enables a wide distance range to be covered with consistent accuracy. In addition, such a distance measuring device is wear-free because there is no contact with the lateral track object, for example by means of a

touch sensor is required.

In a further improvement, the distance measuring device is arranged in a working direction in front of the tamping unit, with a path measuring device being arranged and with a control device coupled to the measuring devices controlling the tamping unit depending on a path covered and the measured lateral distance. With this arrangement, an automated lateral positioning of the tamping unit is possible. A further advantage of the upstream distance measuring device is that the dust development is lower at a distance from the tamping unit and

no vibrations distort the measurement result.

The system according to the invention comprises the described tamping machine and a track to be lifted, wherein the track comprises two railway rails for steel wheels and two running rails

for rubber wheels and in particular a current-carrying

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The advantages of the tamping machine according to the invention are particularly evident in this system. Due to the limited space between the different rails, a conventional

Tamping unit cannot be used. The narrow tamping tines, however, can also be positioned in the gaps between the different rails. This means that the advantages of the tamping unit can be used, such as the optimal compaction of the ballast bed using asynchronous equal pressure tamping. The two opposing tamping tines of a tamping tine pair exert the same pressure on the ballast. Depending on the counter pressure acting from the ballast on the respective tamping tine, the result is

the respective delivery route.

In the method according to the invention for tamping sleepers of a track using the described tamping machine, the following method steps are carried out:

- Measuring a lateral distance of the tamping unit relative to a guide rail of the track;

- Positioning the tamping unit over a threshold with a specified lateral distance to the guide rail; - Lowering the tamping tools and positioning them under vibration.

This method is an advantageous way of tamping tracks with narrow clearances in the area of the rails. The method is particularly suitable for tracks with railway rails for steel wheels and running rails for rubber wheels, especially with an additional

current-carrying guide rail.

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The invention is explained below by way of example with reference to the accompanying figures.

in schematic representation:

Fig. 1 Tamping machine in a side view;

Fig. 2 Tamping unit and track in a view from above;

Fig. 3 Tamping unit in a front view and track cross-section;

Fig. 4 Tamping unit, measuring carriage and track in a side view;

Fig. 5 Measuring car with distance measuring device in a front view and track cross-section;

Fig. 6 narrow darning pick in an oblique view.

The tamping machine 1 shown in Fig. 1 comprises a machine frame 2 which is supported on rail carriages 3 and can be moved along a track 4. The rail carriages 3 are equipped with steel wheels. A lifting and straightening unit 7 is arranged on the machine frame 2 in the working direction 5 in front of a tamping unit 6. A machine-specific measuring system 8 measures the current actual track position, while a track grid consisting of rails 9, 10, 11 and sleepers 12 is lifted out of a ballast bed 13 and laterally straightened by means of the lifting and straightening unit 7. The lifting and straightening unit 7 and the tamping unit 6 are controlled by means of a control device 14. After the actual position of the track 4 has been adjusted to a predetermined target position, the track grid is fixed in the ballast bed 13 by means of the

tamping unit 6

The tamping machine 1 according to the invention is preferably for

the maintenance of track 4 for urban

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Passenger traffic, in particular for underground railway tracks. Space is usually limited. This applies in particular to tracks 4, which in addition to railway tracks 9 for steel wheels also include running rails 10 and guide rails 11 for rubber wheels. Such tracks 4 with combined rails 9, 10,

11 are used in urban rail transport.

The rail vehicles used in regular traffic have chassis with steel wheels and rubber wheels. The steel wheels are designed with high flanges and are guided just above the railway tracks 9. The load is taken up by the rubber wheels. The rail vehicle is usually supplied with power via the guide rail 11 by means of a lateral support shoe. The current flow is closed by means of a return shoe on one of the railway tracks 9. The steel wheels are normally used for track guidance in switches and crossings. Only in emergencies with damaged rubber wheels do the steel wheels sink onto the railway tracks 9 so that the

rail vehicle remains functional.

The tamping machine 1 for tamping the track 4 travels with the rail bogies 3 on the railway tracks 9. Figures 2 and 3 show the tamping unit 6 for one half of the track 4. Two tamping units 16 are arranged next to each other in a machine cross direction 15. A mirror-inverted arrangement (not shown) is provided symmetrically to a track center axis 17. The tamping unit 16 arranged on the inside on each machine side, i.e. closer to the track center axis 17, comprises an inner tamping tool pair 18. And the tamping unit 16 arranged on the outside in each case comprises an outer

Tamping tool pair 19. Each tamping tool pair 18, 19 has

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two stuffing tools 20, which can be positioned relative to each other in a machine longitudinal direction 21 and

can be subjected to vibration.

In the example shown, each tamping tool 20 comprises a rocker arm 22, which is mounted on a tool carrier 23. An upper lever arm of the respective rocker arm 22 is coupled to a vibration drive 25 via an auxiliary cylinder 24. The vibration is generated by mounting the respective auxiliary cylinder 24 on a rotating eccentric shaft. In another embodiment, instead of the vibration drive 25, the respective auxiliary cylinder 24 is equipped with a vibration function. By appropriately controlling servo or proportional valves, an order movement of the piston is

a vibration movement is superimposed.

The differences between the inner and outer tamping tool pairs 18, 19 are shown in Fig. 3. An arrangement mirrored with respect to a machine center plane 26 is not shown for the sake of clarity. According to the invention, the respective outer tamping tool pair 19 comprises narrow tamping picks 27. The respective narrow tamping pick 27 is fastened in a rigid pick holder 28 on the lower lever arm of the associated rocker arm 22. This allows an area outside the railway tracks 9 to be processed. Specifically, the narrow tamping pick 27 can be used in a free space between the running rail 10 for rubber wheels and the guide rail 11. Previously,

Hand tamping machines are used.

The inner tamping tool pairs 18 comprise conventional

Tamping pick 29, which is preferably in an upward

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pivoting pick holder 30. This is used to tame the area between the railway tracks 9. If necessary, by pivoting the respective tamping pick 29 upwards, collisions with obstacles or with

Elements of a switch or crossing are avoided.

The respective tool carrier 23 is guided in an associated unit frame 31 so that its height is adjustable. The respective tool carrier 23 together with the tamping tools 20 is lowered and raised by means of a height adjustment drive 32. The tamping picks 27, 29 dip into the ballast bed 13 during a lowering process and are positioned relative to one another by extending the associated positioning cylinders 24. The tamping picks 27, 29 are then reset, with the tool carrier 23 being raised back to its original position. As soon as the tamping picks 27, 29 are pulled out of the ballast bed 13, the tamping unit 6 is moved forward by one sleeper pitch, with the tamping unit 6 preferably being positioned automatically over the next sleeper 12. For this purpose, a sensor system for sleeper detection is arranged on the tamping machine 1. Then another tamping process begins for

Underpinning the next sleeper 12.

The unit frames 31 are mounted on cross guides 33 so that they can be moved laterally. In particular, the unit frames 31 can be moved laterally separately so that the respective tamping unit 16 can follow a branching rail line in a switch. The lateral displacement also ensures that the outer tamping tool pair 19 can also be moved in curves at a constant distance from the

guide rail 11 can be positioned.

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A distance measuring device 34 is arranged for the precise lateral guidance of the outer tamping tool pair 19. The distance measuring device 34 is preferably attached to a measuring carriage 35 of the measuring system 8 directly in front of the tamping unit 6. In particular, the distance measuring device 34 comprises an optical measuring device for contactless measurement, for example a laser

distance sensor.

The measuring carriage 35 attached to the machine frame 2 is lowered onto the track 4 during operation and guided on the railway tracks 9 by means of flanged rollers. The position of the measuring carriage 35 relative to the machine frame 2 and thus also relative to the tamping unit 6 is continuously recorded by means of sensors arranged on the tamping machine 1. In this way, a measured distance a relative to the guide rail 11 can be calculated as a lateral distance of the outer tamping tool pair 19

transferable to the guide rail.

For this purpose, measurement signals from the sensors are fed to a computer unit, which is preferably coupled to the control device 14. In addition, the geometric arrangement of the tamping unit 6 and the measuring carriage 35 is stored in the computer unit. Furthermore, a distance measuring device 36 coupled to the control device 14 is arranged on the tamping machine 1. This records the distance traveled by the tamping machine 1. The tamping unit 6 is then controlled depending on the distance traveled and the previously measured values at the current location.

of the tamping unit 6 measured distance a.

The control device 14 is provided with a setpoint value for the

lateral distance specified so that the narrow

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Tamping tine 27 can be positioned exactly between the guide rail 10 and the guide rail 11 during a lowering process. The specified lateral distance depends on a maximum width b of the narrow tamping tine 27 and a known distance c between the guide rail 10 and the guide rail 11. Preferably, the tamping unit 6 is automatically positioned laterally by means of the control device 14. In addition, position values are displayed to an operator so that the automatic

control can be intervened.

A preferred embodiment of the narrow tamping pick 27 is shown in Fig. 6. The narrow tamping pick 27 essentially consists of a shaft 37 and an active section 38, which mobilizes the ballast during a tamping process. The shaft 37 has a clamping section 39 at the upper end. This secures the narrow tamping pick 27 in the rigid pick holder 28. Below this clamping section 39, a free section 40 of the narrow tamping pick 27 protrudes from the pick holder 28. The active section 38 is located at the lower end of this free section 40. In order to achieve the narrow design, the extension h of the active section 38 in the vertical direction is

41 greater than the dimension b in the cross machine direction 15.

Preferably, the cross-sections of the narrow tamping tine 27 are rotationally symmetrical on all sections 38, 39, 40. Several vertical ribs 42 are arranged along the circumference of the active section 38. Two opposite vertical ribs 42 are larger and, when installed, determine the maximum width b in the cross-machine direction 15. These larger-sized vertical ribs 42 exert the

most effect on the gravel. Overall, the

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Vertical ribs 42 for better tilting of the ballast on the

narrow darning pick 27.

In addition to the width b, which is preferably 80 millimeters, a length 1 of the free section 40 is also important. This length 1 depends on the position of an upper edge 43 of the guide rail 11 and a desired tamping depth. It is important to ensure that a lower edge 44 of the respective pick holder 28 has a sufficient distance from the guide rail 11 when the outer tamping tool pair 19 is lowered to the maximum. Preferably, the rigid pick holders 28 of the outer tamping tool pair 19 are arranged higher than the pick holders 30 of the inner tamping tool pairs 18. The length 1 of the free section 40 of the narrow tamping picks 27 is significantly greater than with the conventional tamping picks 29. In particular, the length of the shaft 37 is greater with the narrow tamping picks 27. With the conventional tamping pick, a

pimple plate arranged.

In addition, the respective narrow tamping pick 27 is aligned vertically so that the lateral distance to the guide rail 11 during a lowering process in the

remains essentially the same.

Claims (10)

15 20 25 30 23007 14 patent claims 1. Tamping machine (1) for tamping under sleepers (12) of a track (4), with a machine frame (2) that can be moved on railroad tracks (9) of the track (4) and with a tamping unit (6) that comprises an inner and an outer pair of tamping tools (18, 19) in a machine transverse direction (15), each pair of tamping tools (20) that can be positioned relative to one another in a machine longitudinal direction (21) and subjected to vibration, characterized in that narrow tamping picks (27) are arranged on the outer pair of tamping tools (19) for displacing ballast under a sleeper (12) by means of a respective active section (38), the extent of which in the vertical direction (41) is greater than in cross machine direction (15). 2. Tamping machine (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the respective narrow tamping pick (27) has a free section (40) protruding from a pick holder (28), the width (b) of which is at most 80 millimeters, in particular at most 75 millimeters and in particular at most 65 millimeters and at least 50 millimeters, in particular at least 55 millimeters and in particular at least 60 millimeters. 3. Tamping machine (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the narrow tamping picks (27) of the outer tamping tool pair (19) have a longer shaft (37) than the tamping picks (29) of the inner tamping tool pair (18) have. 4, tamping machine (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the respective narrow 15 20 25 30 23007 15 Tamping pick (27) along the working section (38) a has a rotationally symmetrical cross-section. 5. Tamping machine (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that on the respective narrow tamping pick (27) along the active section (38) vertical ribs (42) are arranged. 6. Tamping machine (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the tamping unit (6) is provided with a distance measuring device (34) for measuring a lateral distance (a) relative to a lateral object, in particular relative to a guide rail (11) of the track (4) is assigned. 7. Tamping machine (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that the distance measuring device (34) for contactless distance measurement, in particular by means of optical measuring instruments. 8. Tamping machine (1) according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the distance measuring device (34) is arranged in a working direction (5) in front of the tamping unit (6), that a path measuring device (36) is arranged and that a control device (14) coupled to the measuring devices (34, 36) controls the tamping unit (6) depending on a path covered and the measured lateral distance (a). 9. System with a tamping machine (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8 and with a track (4) to be lifted, characterized in that the track (4) has two Railway tracks (9) for steel wheels and two running rails 15 16 23007 (10) for rubber wheels and a particularly current-carrying guide rail (11). 10. Method for stuffing thresholds (12) of a Track (4) by means of a tamping machine (1) according to one of the Claims 1 to 8, characterized by the following Process steps: —- Measuring a lateral distance (a) of the tamping unit (6) opposite a guide rail (11) of the track (4); - Positioning the tamping unit (6) above a threshold (12) with a predetermined lateral distance to the guide rail (11); - lowering the tamping tools (20) vibration exposure. and provide under