AU607917B2

AU607917B2 - Rail conversion means

Info

Publication number: AU607917B2
Application number: AU74490/87A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Kim Tibor Bolvary
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-06-17
Filing date: 1987-06-17
Publication date: 1991-03-21
Anticipated expiration: 2007-06-17
Also published as: AU7449087A

Description

b079 17 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE rfom Application Number: 2H06 446 Lodged: 17th June, Class Int. Class 1986 I his dpcument contains the oainents made tinder Section 49 and is correct for priting. 'ENT OFFICE LA!NT.OFFICE EIN Complete Specification-Lodged: Accepted:- Published: Priority: Related Art: 0 It TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT Name of Applicant: KIM TIBOR BOLVARY Address of Applicant: 6 Cowan Placr Safety Bay, in the St ate of Western Australia, Commonwealth of Australia.

KIM TIBOR BOLVABY Actual Inventor: Address for Service: Wray Associates, Primary Industry House, 239 Adelaide Terrace, Perth, W.A. 6000 Complete Specification for the Invention entitled: "Rail Conversion Means' The following statement is a full description of this invention, includinC, twhe best method of performing it known to me This form must be accompanied by either a provisionlal specification 9 and true copy) b complete specification (Formi 10 ard true copy).

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-2 THIS INVENTION relates to a rail conversion means for a road vehicle which permits the road vehicle to travel along railways as well as roadways.

Rail conversion means for road vehicles are well known.

However, known rail conversion means are constructed for railways of a particular gauge and cannot be used on railways of other gauges.

oe4 eo 0 a 0 0000 0 000 The present invention seeks to provide a rail conversion means in which the spacing between the rail wheels is selectively variable to accommodate railways of various gauges.

00 o o 000 0 00 000 a o 0o a 0 a In one form the invention resides in a rail conversion ~o means for a road vehicle, comprising a pair of spaced pivot arms each adapted for pivotal mounting at one end thereof onto the road vehicle, a transverse supporting 0°o member mounted on and extending between said pivot arms at o0 oo the other end thereof whereby when said pivot arms are S mounted on the road vehicle said transverse support member Q extends transversely of the direction of travel of the 2Q road vehicle, said transverse supporting member extending S beyond each of said pivot arms so as to have a respective outer section defined between each pivot arm and the 000 o adjacent outer end of the transverse supporting member, a pair of support arms, a rail wheel rotatably supported at one end of each support arm, each support arm being mounted at the other end thereof onto a respective one of said outer sections of the transverse supporting member for selective movement therealong to vary the spacing between said rail wheels, and control means for effecting said movement of said support arms along said, outer sections of said transverse supporting member.

i-- 2a The control means may comprise a respective power device operable between each support arm and the transverse supporting member. The power device may be electrically operated or hydraulically operated.

001 0000 0t 0 0 0 I 0 0000 00 0000 o 00 0000 0 00 0 000 00 0 0 00 0 0 ooo0000o 0o 0 00 0 0 0 00 0 0 0 i 3 The invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of two specific embodiments thereof as shown in the accompanying drawings in which:- Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a rail conversion means according to the first embodiment; Fig. 2 is a detailed view of part of the rail conversion means of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a schematic view of a rail conversion means according to the second embodiment; and Fig. 5 is a section along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

o0ooo Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, the rail 00oooo conversion means of the first embodiment comprises a pair o 00 ooo of spaced pivot arms 11 one end 12 of each of which is 000G ooo adapted to be pivotally mounted onto the frame structure 000 of a road vehicle (not shown).

S0 0 o S 00ooo A transverse elongated support member 13 extends between 00o and is supported by the two pivot arms 11. A pair of sup- 0 00E o port arms 15 are each mounted at one end on the transverse support member 13 for movement therealong while being S' restrained against rotation relative to the support member 13. The other end of each support arm 15 carries a rail wheel axle 17 which rotatably supports a rail wheel 19.

o 0 With this arrangement, movement of the support arms amoS along the transverse supporting member 13 varies the 0 0 spacing between the rail wheels 19 so that the rail conversion means may accommodate railways of various gauges.

In the drawings, the rail wheels 19 are shown by full lines at a minimum gauge setting and by phantom lines in a maximum gauge setting.

4 A control means 21 is provided for controlling movement of the support arms 15 along the elongated support member 13.

In this embodiment, the control means 21 includes a rack and pinion assembly 23 operating between the support member 13 and each support arm 15. Each rack and pinion assembly includes a rack 25 formed on the support member and a pinion 27 mounted on a pinion shaft 29 which is operatively connected to a rotary drive means (not shown) such as an electric motor. Rotation of the pinion shaft 29 causes the pinion 27 to move along the rack 25 and thereby move the respective support arm 15 along the elongated support member 13. The direction of movement of the support arm along the elongated support member is dependent o (0 on the direction of rotation of the pinion.

p000 oas The embodiment shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings is similar to that of the first embodiment, with the excepeoo9 tion that the control means 21 is in the form of a pair of 00 00 hydraulic rams 31 one end of each of which is fixed to a bracket 33 on a respective one of the pivot arms 11 and/or 20 the support member 13 and the other end being fixed to a S 000o 00 respective one of the support arms 15. With this arrangeo0 00 ment, extension and contraction of the hydraulic rams effects movement of the support arms 15 along the elongated support member 13 thereby to vary the spacing between the rail wheels 19.

0o @00 o 00, In operation, the rail conversion means according to the 0 0 0 invention is attached to a road vehicle in a manner such that the pivot arms 11 can pivot between an inoperative position in which the rail wheels 19 are clear of a railway track and an operative position in which the rail wheels 19 can engage a railway track. Prior to movement of the rail conversion means into the operative position, i the spacing between the rail wheels 19 is adjusted so as to correspond to the gauge of the railway track.

It should be appreciated that the scope of the invention i§ not limited to the scope of the embodiments described.

0 0 o 0 00 0 0000 0000 0000 0 000 0 0 0 0 000 0100i :L i II~-

Claims

1. A rail conversion means for a road vehicle, comprising a pair of spaced pivot arms each adapted for pivotal mounting at one end thereof onto the road vehicle, a transverse supporting member mounted on and extending between said pivot arms at the other end thereof whereby when said pivot arms are mounted on the road vehicle said transverse support member extends transversely of the direction of travel of the road vehicle, said transverse supporting member extending beyond each of said pivot arms so as to have a respective outer section defined between each pivot arm and the adjacent outer end of the transverse supporting member, a pair of support arms, a rail wheel rotatably supported at one end of each support arm, each support arm being mounted at the other end thereof onto a respective one of said outer sections of the transverse supporting member for selective movement therealong to vary the spacing between said rail wheels, and control means for effecting said movement of said support arms along said outer sections of said transverse supporting member.

2. A rail conversion means according to Claim 1 wherein said control means includes a respective rack and pinion assembly operable between each support arm and the supporting member.

3. A rail conversion means according to Claim 1 wherein said control means comprises a respective power device operable between each support arm and the transverse supporting member. DATI 0; 0 0 0 0 00 )00 0

4. desc accc 0ono 000 0 000 0 a o 0 0 o oooo 0 0 oo0 0 0 0 00 0 0 0C0 0 0 0 o 0 0 0 0 00 0 o o WRA1 Peri Pat( 7 4. A rail conversation means substantially as herein described with reference to Figs. 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings. DATED this SEVENTEENTH day of DECEMBER, 1990. KIM TIBOR IOLVARY coo q,0000 00 00e Applicant 0 0 0 00 0 WRAY ASSOCIATES, Perth, Western Australia, Patent Attorneys for Applicant. 00 00 '9 000 0000000 G0 0