EP0539347B1 - Tamping unit - Google Patents

Abstract

An ballast tamping assembly comprises four independently displaceable ballast tamping units arrayed in a line extending transversely to the machine frame elongation. Each ballast tamping unit comprises a carrier frame, a tamping tool carrier vertically adjustably mounted on the carrier frame, and a pair of vibratory tamping tools mounted on the tamping tool carrier for reciprocation in the track direction. Each vibratory tamping tool has a tamping pick remote from the carrier frame and pivotal about an axis extending in the direction of the machine frame elongation and connected to a pivoting drive, and another tamping pick immediately adjacent the carrier frame and fixedly connected to the tamping tool, the remote tamping pick being pivotal between two end positions delimited by respective stops, a first one of the end positions being immediately adjacent the other tamping pick for immersion of the tamping picks at one rail side and the second end position being remote from the other tamping pick for immersion of the tamping picks at respective rail sides. Independently operable drives are connected to the ballast tamping units for displacing the ballast tamping units in a direction extending transversely to the machine frame elongation.

Description

The invention relates to a tamping unit for track tamping machines, with a total of four tamping units arranged next to one another in the transverse direction of the track and which can be displaced independently of one another by drives, each having an assembly frame with a height-adjustable tool holder and two tamping tools which are mounted opposite one another in the machine longitudinal direction and can be vibrated and provided. wherein each tamping tool is connected to a tamping pick which can be pivoted by a pivoting drive about a pivot axis running in the longitudinal direction of the machine.

Such a tamping unit is known from US Pat. No. 5,007,349, four tamping units which can be displaced independently of one another being arranged on a guide frame which is rotatably mounted on the machine frame of a track tamping machine. Each tamping unit has its own unit frame, which is connected to a height-adjustable tool holder. Two tamping tools that are opposite each other in the machine longitudinal direction and can be vibrated and provided by drives are mounted on this. These are each equipped with two tamping picks located side by side in the cross-machine direction for immersion in the ballast area on one side of the rail. By using a total of four independent tamping units, an improved adaptation of the tamping pick positions to the irregular rail course in switch areas is possible. According to a further variant of this known solution, shown in FIG. 7, the tamping picks of a tamping tool are each pivoted laterally about axes running in the machine longitudinal direction and each connected to its own hydraulic side pivoting drive. However, such a solution has the disadvantage that the correct positioning of the individually pivotable, total of 16 tamping axes requires a considerably increased expenditure of time and concentration for each individual tamping cycle.

Another tamping unit known from AT-PS 382 179 is composed of two independent tamping units, each of which has an assembly frame with two independently adjustable tool carriers. Each of these two tool carriers is connected to a pair of tamping tools provided for immersion on the left or right rail side. These are in turn around a machine running in the longitudinal direction of the machine Swiveling tamping ax attached. This means, for example, that an outside tamping pick can be swung up sideways so far that only the non-swung inside tamping pick plunges into the ballast when the tamping tool is lowered. If the tamping picks of a tamping unit located on a longitudinal side of the rail can no longer be immersed in the ballast at all because of a tamping obstacle, then only the second tool carrier together with the tamping picks mounted thereon and assigned to the opposite rail side are lowered. A known solution of this type - similar to the tamping unit known from US Pat. Nos. 4,537,135 and 3,534,687 - is disadvantageous in that the distance between the four tamping tools mounted on the common unit frame cannot be varied to adapt to differently spaced tamping obstacles.

GB 2 201 178 A also discloses a tamping unit formed from four tamping units which can be displaced independently of one another, but the two tamping picks each associated with a tamping unit are rigidly connected to the respective tamping tool. As a result, as can be seen very clearly from the illustration in FIG. 4, large areas of a switch can still not be blocked.

Finally, from AT-PS 378 386 a further tamping unit with two tamping units is known, the aggregate frame of which - for successive immersion in the tamping area located on the left or right of a rail - is designed to be pivotable about an axis running in the machine longitudinal direction and with a pair of Darning tools are connected. These are each assigned two tamping axes, one of which is rotatably mounted about a pivot axis running in the machine longitudinal direction. This rotatable tamping pick can thus be pivoted from a normal tamping position slightly distanced to the other tamping pick into a position overlapping the other tamping pick. In this position of the tamping pick, which reduces the plunge width, the tamping unit is also in narrower, e.g. Stuffing areas limited by trunk and branch track can be immersed. However, in the track situation shown in FIG. 2, the stuffing unit must then be centered, lowered and raised again three times in a row to stuff the stuffing area located on each longitudinal side of the rail.

The present invention is based on the object of a tamping unit to create the type mentioned, which is suitable for a relatively low design effort for simplified positioning of the tamping pick and largely tamping of switch sections.

This object is achieved with a tamping unit of the type described in the introduction in that the inner tamping pick adjacent to the unit frame of each tamping unit is rigidly connected to the tamping tool, while the outer tamping pick adjacent in the cross-machine direction between two end positions limited by stops from one to the Inner tamping pimple immediately following the first tamping position into a second tamping position, which is suitable for immersing the two tamping picks on both sides of a rail, can be pivoted about the pivot axis. With the two stops, which limit two different tamping positions of the external tamping pick, the applicant has for the first time freed itself from the prevailing opinion in the professional world that a tamping pick which can be pivoted transversely to the machine longitudinal direction can be swiveled up into an "out-of-operation position" PS 378 386 must be pivoted into an "out-of-operation position") in order to be able to lower at least the remaining tamping picks for tamping even in the event of a tamping obstacle located under this tipped pick-up. However, the feature according to the invention of two tamping positions is particularly effective only in connection with a second, rigidly attached tamping pick and the arrangement of a total of four tamping units which can be displaced independently of one another. This is the only way to optimally center the four pairs of tamping tools independently of each other in a first centering step above the respective tamping supports, and finally in a second subsequent centering step - depending on the situation of each tamping tool in the area of tamping obstacles - between the first or second tamping position to choose the darning.

The combination according to the invention allows the tamping tools to be centered for the first time over all possible tamping supports of a switch section for its complete tamping. It is of particular advantage that the control effort for the correct positioning of the pivotable tamping pick is reduced to a minimum by the limitation to only two possible tamping positions of the external tamping pick. This considerably simplifies the tamping work, with considerable restriction of the concentration effort required for this by the operator, since it is no longer - as with known ones Solutions - between an infinite number of positions of the numerous swiveling darning picks, but only a decision must be made between two end positions; and this decision is only necessary at those points on the track where, due to a very small angle between the main and branch track, only a single tamping pimple can be immersed. This significantly reduced concentration effort for the operator can be seen primarily from the point of view that the position of up to 16 tamping picks must be set and monitored for each individual tamping cycle in known solutions.

Another significant advantage of the solution according to the invention is that, in the case of the second tamping position of the external tamping pick, both tamping supports of the rail located between the external and internal tamping pick are particularly efficient at the same time with only a single centering operation of the tamping unit and with only one single lowering process of the tamping tools can be compacted. This simplification of the workflow leads to a much faster and more efficient tamping of switch sections, especially in these track areas due to numerous "stuffing obstacles", such as heart pieces, auxiliary rails, anti-skid devices, switch tongues and the like, practically a different positioning of the stuffing units for each stuffing cycle and / or or the darning pimple is required.

Due to the design according to claims 2, 3 or 4 - seen in the machine longitudinal direction - with a lateral arrangement of the tamping tools on the unit frame, a problem-free compression of the tamping supports located on both sides of a rail by two immediately adjacent tamping units is possible. In addition, an excessive bending of the outer tamping pick in its second tamping position is avoided, so that the height of the pimple plates of the two spaced tamping pick axes in relation to the lower edge of the sleeper is also the same in this position.

The design according to claims 5 and 6 enables a particularly stable and structurally simple design of the stops in conjunction with a very short design of the swivel drive.

The invention is described in more detail below with reference to an exemplary embodiment shown in the drawing.

• Fig. 1 einen Teilquerschnitt durch einen Maschinenrahmen mit einer Ansicht von zwei jeweils einer Schienenlängsseite zugeordneten Stopfeinheiten eines Stopfaggregates, wobei die beiden anderen, der zweiten Schiene zugeordneten Stopfeinheiten der besseren Übersicht wegen nicht dargestellt sind,
• Fig. 2 eine Seitenansicht einer Stopfeinheit,
• Fig. 3 eine schematische Draufsicht auf einen Weichenabschnitt, wobei die durch die Stopfeinheiten unterstopften Bereiche mit vollen bzw. strichlierten Linien dargestellt sind, und
• Fig. 4 bis 6 jeweils einen schematisch dargestellten Querschnitt durch die Stopfmaschine mit einer Ansicht des verschiedene Stopfstellungen der Stopfpickel aufweisenden Stopfaggregates.

Show it:

• 1 shows a partial cross section through a machine frame with a view of two tamping units of a tamping unit each assigned to a longitudinal side of the rail, the two other tamping units associated with the second rail not being shown for the sake of clarity,
• 2 is a side view of a tamping unit,
• Fig. 3 is a schematic plan view of a switch section, the areas stuffed by the tamping units are shown with full or dashed lines, and
• 4 to 6 each show a schematically illustrated cross section through the tamping machine with a view of the tamping unit having different tamping positions of the tamping pick.

The tamping unit 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is composed of a total of four tamping units 3 arranged next to one another in the cross-machine direction and which can be displaced independently of one another by drives 2, of which — as already mentioned — for the sake of clarity, only two are assigned to a rail 4 on each longitudinal side of the rail Units are shown. Each of the four tamping units 3 has a vertical unit frame 5 with vertical guides 6. A tool carrier 7 is mounted on these in a height-adjustable manner by means of a drive 8. A pair of tamping tools 9 which are spaced apart from one another in the machine longitudinal direction are fastened on the tool carrier 7, the tamping tools 9 being able to be provided and vibrated with the aid of an auxiliary and vibration drive 10, 11 about a horizontal axis 12 running perpendicular to the machine longitudinal direction.

Each stuffing tool 9 is connected in its lower end region to two stuffing picks 13, 14 arranged side by side in the cross-machine direction. Of these, the inner tamping pick 14, which is closer in relation to the assembly frame 5, is rigidly connected to the tamping tool 9, while the opposite outer tamping pick 13 is pivotally mounted on the tamping tool 9 about a pivot axis 15 running in the machine longitudinal direction. Here is the Pivotal movement of the outer tamping pick 13 is limited by stops 16, 17, 24, 25 arranged on the one hand on the inner and on the other hand on the outer tamping pick 14 or 13. In a region opposite these stops 16, 17, 24, 25 in the cross-machine direction, the outer tamping pick 13 is connected in an articulated manner to a pivoting drive 18 which is attached to the tamping tool 9 with its upper end. Longitudinal axes 20, 21 of the two tamping axes 13, 14 each enclose an angle α or β of approximately 7 ° with a vertical plane 22. However, this angle can also preferably be selected from approximately 5 to approximately 10 °. With 19 a pivot bearing 15 having pivot bearing is designated. The longitudinal axis 20 of the inner tamping pick 14 of each tamping unit is arranged inclined from top to bottom in the direction of the assembly frame 5, while the longitudinal axis 21 of the adjacent outer tamping pick 13 is designed to run parallel to the inner tamping pick 14 in a first tamping position (see right tamping unit) 3 in Fig. 1).

With the aid of the pivoting drive 18, each outer tamping pick 13 can be pivoted from an end position or first tamping position 23 delimited by the stops 16 and 17 into a further end position or second tamping position 26 delimited by the stops 24 and 25. In the first tamping position 23, the outer tamping pick 13 forms, together with the inner tamping pick 14, a pair of tamping tacks for jointly compressing a tamping support 27 located on the left or right of the rail. In the second tamping position 26, the two tamping pick 13, 14 are so wide spaced apart from one another that when the tamping tool 9 is lowered, two tamping supports 27, each located in the region of a longitudinal side of the rail, can be compressed at the same time.

Each unit frame 5 is connected in its upper end region to guide bushes 28, which in turn are mounted on transverse guides 30 which are connected to a machine frame 29 of a track tamping machine and can be moved in a transverse manner. The guide bushes 28 of the two centrally arranged tamping units 3 each have an extension 31 in the region of the unit frame 5. Through this, the part of the guide bushing 28 projecting from the unit frame 5 of each outer tamping unit 3 in the direction towards the center of the machine can be accommodated, so that the two tamping units 3 assigned to one machine half can be easily moved into an immediately adjacent position in which the two tamping supports assigned to each longitudinal side of the rail 27 are compressible with two tamping pick 13,14.

3, the areas that can be stuffed in the first stuffing position 23 are shown with a solid, bold line, while the stuffing pads 27 that can be compacted in the second stuffing position 26 are shown with a dashed, bold line. With 32 the rails of a main track and with 33 the rails of a branch track are designated. As can be clearly seen from the bold lines, the tamping unit 1 can be used to tamp practically the entire switch, particularly in the difficult sections which have numerous tamping obstacles. The outer part of the branch track, which cannot be tamped, can be easily processed by tamping the entire branch track.

The position of the four tamping units 3 and the tamping pick 13, 14 required for the cross section IV-IV in FIG. 3 is shown in FIG. 4. It can be clearly seen that in the first and third tamping unit 3 - seen from left to right - the tamping pick 13,14 in the first tamping position 23 are aligned parallel to one another, while in the second and fourth tamping unit 3 the external tamping pick 13 is in the second stopper position 26. For this purpose (see also FIG. 1), the four drives 2 are initially acted on until the respective tamping unit 3 is centered in a first centering stage over the tamping support 27 to be compressed or over a rail 33 of a branch track. In a second centering stage, which can also be carried out parallel to the first stage, the pivoting drive 18 is then acted on in the second and fourth tamping unit 3, so that the respective external tamping pick 13 is pivoted into the second tamping position 26. With this position of the four tamping units 3 relative to one another or the position of the individual tamping pick 13,14, it is possible to compress a total of six tamping supports 27 lying next to one another and below the threshold 34 in the course of a single lowering operation while the drives 8 are acted on. The tamping supports 27 of the rail 33 of the branch track located on each longitudinal side of the rail are each compressed by a single tamping unit 3.

5, in a first tamping cycle, all tamping units 3 are centered over the two rails 32 of the main track, the tamping tines 13 each being in the first tamping position 23 . After the end of the first tamping cycle, only the second and fourth tamping unit 3 (seen from the left) are moved laterally until the drives 2 are acted on until they are located above the rails 33 of the branch track. Subsequently or in parallel, the outer tamping picks 13 are subjected to the pivoting drives 18 pivoted into the second tamping position 26, so that after the tamping tools 9 of the second and fourth tamping unit 3 have been lowered, the two tamping supports 27 located on either side of the rails 33 of the branch track can be compressed.

6, the first and second tamping unit 3 is centered over the rail 32 of the main track, the two outer tamping pick 13 each being in the first tamping position 23. This position corresponds to the normal tamping position for those areas of the track in which there are no obstacles. The tamping tines 13 of the third tamping unit 3 are in the second tamping position 26 for simultaneous tamping of the tamping supports 27 located on each longitudinal side of the rail 33 of the branch track. The tamping tines 13 of the fourth tamping unit 3 are in the first tamping position 23 for compressing the outer tamping support 27 the rail 32 of the main track. After the tamping process, there is still the possibility of also compressing the inner tamping support 27 of the second rail 33 of the branch track with the aid of the fourth tamping unit 3 with a corresponding further transverse displacement (see dash-dotted lines). The outermost tamping bearing 27, which cannot be compacted in the course of this operation, can be processed without problems when working through the branch track.

Claims (6)

1. A tamping assembly (1) for track tamping machines, comprising a total of four tamping units (3) arranged side by side in the transverse direction of the track and transversely displaceable independently of one another by means of drives (2), each having an auxiliary frame (5) with a tool carrier (7) which is mounted for vertical adjustment and two vibratable and squeezable tamping tools (9) mounted thereon and lying opposite one another in the longitudinal direction of the machine, wherein each tamping tool (9) is connected to a tamping tine (13) which may be pivoted by means of a pivot drive (18) about a swivel axis (15) extending in the longitudinal direction of the machine, characterised in that the inner tamping tine (14) of each tamping unit (3) which is adjacent to the auxiliary frame (5) is rigidly connected to the tamping tool (9), while the outer tamping tine (13) adjacent to it in the transverse direction of the machine is pivotable about the swivel axis (15) between two end positions defined by stops (16, 17, 24, 25) from a first tamping position (23) immediately adjacent to the inner tamping tine (14) into a second tamping position (26) - suitable for the immersion of the two tamping tines (13, 14) on either side of a rail (4; 32, 33).
2. A tamping assembly according to claim 1, characterised in that a longitudinal axis (20) of the inner tamping tine (14) of each tamping unit (3) is arranged so as to be inclined from the top to the bottom towards the auxiliary frame (5) and a longitudinal axis (21) of the adjacent outer tamping tine (13), in the first tamping position (23) thereof, is designed to extend parallel with the inner tamping tine (14).
3. A tamping assembly according to claim 2, characterised in that the angle α defined by the longitudinal axis (20) and a vertical plane (22) is about 5 to 10°, preferably 7°.
4. A tamping assembly according to claim 2, characterised in that the angle β formed by the longitudinal axis (21) of the outer tamping tine (13), in the second tamping position (26) thereof, and a vertical plane (22) is about 5 to 10°, preferably 7°.
5. A tamping assembly according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the stops (16, 17, 24, 25) are arranged in the region of a swivel bearing (19) formed by the swivel axis (15) to define the two tamping positions (23, 26).
6. A tamping assembly according to claim 5, characterised in that the stops (16, 17, 24, 25) are arranged on the outer and inner tamping tine (13, 14), the pivot drive (18) being connected in an articulated manner to the outer tamping tine (13) in the region lying opposite the stops (16, 17, 24, 25) in the transverse direction of the machine.

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