EP0674050A1 - Rolling support for the moving blade cooperating with the fixed rail of a switch - Google Patents

Abstract

The device has a roller element (90,92,94,96) supported on at least two spring elements (120,122) of differing characteristics. One spring element (122) has a constant rigidity, whilst the other (120) has a variable rigidity. The spring elements are so coupled to one another that when the tongue (114) loads the roller element (90,92,94) each spring element assumes a springing characteristic. The roller element is formed with variable distance to the stock rail both vertically and horizontally and emerges from a reception location (98) in which the tongue can be fixed in a lying position, the reception location being directly or indirectly supported by a sleeper (110).

Description

The invention relates to a roller device for a tongue of a switch associated with a cheek rail that originates directly or indirectly from a support such as a threshold, comprising a roller element intended at least for supporting the tongue with a tongue foot, which roller element is preferably supported on an element having spring properties.

To reduce the friction when adjusting switch tongues, these can be stored on rollers. It is known that two roller elements start from a holder, on which a tongue to be opened is supported in sections. Bracket and roller elements are at a fixed distance from the stock rail to be arranged on the bracket. Since the distance between the stock rail and the open tongue decreases from the tip of the tongue to the root of the tongue, a large number of different roller devices are required in order to enable support.

From DE-B 1 056 641 a resilient, height-adjustable roller bearing for switch tongues is known. The roller bearing used has a purely supporting function. The roller itself is mounted in a roller block, which is arranged in a cage of a bearing block. Since the spring does not dampen, there may be knocks between the roller block and the bearing block. This in turn leads to shock loads on the tongue.

The present invention is based on the problem of developing a roller device of the type mentioned at the outset in such a way that on the one hand it is ensured that the switch tongue in particular in its remote position also does not hit a support such as a sliding chair when vibration is excited and, on the other hand, almost universal use is possible, with the same roller devices being used over large areas of the switch tongue.

The object is essentially achieved in that the roller element starts from a holder in which the tongue can be fixed in the remote position.

According to the invention the tongue is in the remote position e.g. can be positively fixed. The bracket itself can be connected to the stock rail in the usual way, but preferably with the support such as a threshold. The latter measure causes a further decoupling from the stock rail.

By fixing the tongue in the remote position, it is ensured that vibrations introduced cannot lead to undesired hitting of the switch tongue and thus to undesired wear.

Another solution to the problem on which the invention is based is characterized in that the roller element is designed to be variable both horizontally and vertically to the stock rails. The roller element is preferably received by a receptacle which can be connected to a holder in two positions rotated by 180 ° in order to change the distance between the roller element and the tongue.

By means of the roller device according to the invention, depending on the tongue section to be supported, the roller element can both be changed in distance from the stock rail and can be aligned to the respective tongue height. As a result, the same roller devices can be assembled at different points on the switch tongue. This not only simplifies production and storage, but also makes it easy to replace.

The change in distance is made possible not only by horizontally extending elongated holes, but also by the teaching according to the invention of "repositioning" the roller elements, i. H. to connect these receiving receptacles rotated through 180 ° to the holder, the connection between the holder and the connection point between the holder and the roller element, of course, having to run at an angle inclined to the vertical.

The holder itself comprises at least one support element which can be fastened or fixed to the stock rail, such as a support arm, which has a horizontally extending elongated hole for horizontally displacing the receptacle.

Preferably, however, two support arms are provided which are spaced apart and connected to one another via a spacer element and which have horizontally extending elongated holes which are aligned with one another.

The support arm or arms are arranged such that they can be pulled against the rail foot of the stock rail by means of a clamping element which rests on the rail foot on the opposite side.

So that the holder cannot slip in an uncontrolled manner relative to the stock rail, the support arm has a beak-shaped recess for at least partially receiving the rail foot. The clamping element has the same beak-shaped recess, which in turn preferably consists of two legs connected by a spacer, which extend in the area between the support arms.

In a further embodiment of the invention it is provided that a bolt element, such as a screw element, extends from the spacer element connecting the support arms, which passes through a section of the clamping element and can be tightened relative to it, so as to non-positively connect the clamping element and the holder to the rail foot of the stock rail. The section is preferably the spacer, with a spring element such as between the spacer and the nut of the screw element Disc spring can be arranged.

The head of the screw or bolt element is welded to the spacer element connecting the supporting elements, such as a cuboid piece, on the lower surface of which leg portions of the clamping piece can be supported and the upper surface of which rests on the underside of the stock rail foot.

In order to enable the roller element to be adjusted in height, the receptacle has at least one vertically extending elongated hole which is penetrated by a bolt element, such as a screw element, through which the non-positive connection between the receptacle and the holder takes place. The bolt element is preferably a high-strength screw.

The receptacle itself preferably consists of two legs or cheeks spaced apart from one another, between which the roller element is rotatably arranged on the one hand and which are connected on the other hand via a tube section which in turn surrounds the bolt or screw element at a spacing.

In a further embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the carrying elements are partially surrounded on the outside by guide or throwing elements which are U-shaped in section and penetrated by the bolts or screw elements. These guide or coupling elements ensure that the bolt or screw element can be aligned in the horizontally extending elongated holes of the support arms without being supported on one of the edges of the elongated holes.

As mentioned, the bolt element is preferably a screw element, the head of which is welded to one of the coupling elements. Furthermore, a spring element such as at least one plate spring, preferably a set of plate springs, is arranged between the nut which can be screwed onto the screw element and the other coupling element.

All of these measures ensure a non-positive connection between the holder and the receptacle for the roller element to the extent that an uncontrolled displacement or tilting is excluded.

After an independent proposal for a solution, two reel elements are assumed. For this purpose, the legs holding these have a preferably isosceles triangular shape, the base surface of which runs parallel or essentially parallel to the displacement path of the tongue and in the corner regions of which one of the roller elements is rotatably supported. In the area of the remaining tip of the triangle, the spacer element then runs in the form of the tube section, which is penetrated by the bolt element like the screw element.

If the support is attached like a threshold, the holder, which can form a unit with the receptacle or even is, can be implemented in order to bring about the desired change in distance from the stock rail.

The roller element is preferably supported on at least two spring elements of different characteristics, one spring element having an essentially constant stiffness and the other spring element having a variable stiffness, and the spring elements being mechanically coupled to one another in such a way that each spring element has an effective spring travel when the roller element is loaded by the tongue having. In particular, the invention is characterized in that the spring elements extend on opposite sides of a carrier element and can be adjusted in relation to one another by means of a connecting element such as a screw, such that the spring element causing damping runs with the variable rigidity on the side of the carrier element facing away from the tongue, in that the spring element with the variable rigidity when the roller element is not loaded is attracted by the connecting element against the supporting element in such a way that a spring effect is excluded or essentially excluded, and that when the roller element is loaded, each of the spring elements has the usual additional loading and unloading of the roller element receiving spring travel lengths.

The spring elements are, on the one hand, a suspension spring and, on the other hand, a damping spring, at least the latter, but preferably both, being elastomer springs. The damping spring has a stiffness that is preferably ten times smaller than that of the suspension spring.

When prestressing the spring elements, i.e. when the roller element is not loaded, the damping spring is set to block or almost to block, in order then to get into a working position (working point) with the roller element loaded by the tongue (working point), which makes it possible for conventional Loading and unloading of the roller element by the tongue acting on this the pre-stress point, that is, the block position is not reached.

At the operating point, the damping spring provides suspension and thus damping in both directions, so that an effective opening of the tongue on a surface such as a sliding chair is excluded. At the same time, due to the damping properties of the damping spring, a rapid vibration reduction in the tongue itself is caused.

The rigidity of the suspension spring determines the working position of the roller elements, that is, the level at which the tongue comes to rest.

Further details, advantages and features of the invention result not only from the claims, the features to be extracted from them - individually and / or in combination - but also from the preferred exemplary embodiments which can be found in the drawing.

Fig. 1

einen Schnitt durch eine Weiche mit einer ersten Ausführungsform eines Rollenelementes,

Fig. 2

eine Schnittdarstellung entlang der Linie ABCD in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3

eine Ansicht in Richtung des Pfeils X in Fig. 1,

Fig. 4

einen weiteren Schnitt durch eine Weiche mit einer zweiten Ausführungsform eines Rollenelementes,

Fig. 5

einen dritten Schnitt durch eine Weiche mit dem Rollenelement nach Fig. 4, jedoch in einer um 180° gedrehten Position,

Fig. 6a-d

ein Diagramm von Federkennlinien von ein Rollenelement abstützenden Federelementen mit deren entsprechenden Stellungen und

Fig. 7

eine Prinzipdarstellung von von einer Schwelle ausgehenden und auf Federelementen abstützbaren Rollenelementen.

Show it:

Fig. 1

2 shows a section through a switch with a first embodiment of a roller element,

Fig. 2

2 shows a sectional illustration along the line ABCD in FIG. 1,

Fig. 3

2 shows a view in the direction of arrow X in FIG. 1,

Fig. 4

4 shows a further section through a switch with a second embodiment of a roller element,

Fig. 5

3 shows a third section through a switch with the roller element according to FIG. 4, but in a position rotated by 180 °,

6a-d

a diagram of spring characteristics of a roller element supporting spring elements with their corresponding positions and

Fig. 7

a schematic diagram of roller elements starting from a threshold and supported on spring elements.

FIGS. 1-5, in which the same reference numerals are used for the same elements, show sectional views of a stock rail (10) and a switch tongue (12) associated therewith, the sectional view according to FIG. 1 in the area of the switch tongue tip, the section according to FIG 4 at a greater distance from the switch tongue tip and the cut according to FIG. 5 at an even greater distance from the switch tongue tip. This can be seen on the one hand from the geometry of the switch tongue (12) and on the other hand from the distance of the switch tongue (12) to the stock rail (10) in the locked or opened state (dash-dotted representation), that is to say in the on or off position.

In order to be able to support the switch tongue (12) on one or more roller elements (14) or (16) at the moment when the switch is opened, on the one hand to reduce the displacement resistance and on the other hand to save lubricant, the following constructions according to the invention are provided.

1, the roller elements (14) and (16), which are designed as spherical cylinder elements, are each rotatably received by a shaft (18) and (20), which in turn cannot rotate in cheeks or legs (22) and (24) of a receptacle (26 ) are held for the roller elements (14) and (16).

The cheeks (22) and (24) are connected via a spacer element in the form of a tube section (28). The pipe section (28) is welded to the mutually facing surfaces of the cheeks or legs (22) and (24). Within the regions of the legs (22) and (24) delimited by the spacer element (28) there is in each case a vertically extending elongated hole (30) and (32) in order in this way to accommodate the receptacle (26) and thus the roller elements (14 ) and (16) height-adjustable in relation to the stock rail. Other structural designs are also possible.

The receptacle (26) is in turn arranged between support arms (34) and (36) of a holder (40), of which the former is non-positively received in the manner described below.

Each support arm (34) or (36) has a horizontally extending slot hole (38) in order in this way to change the distance of the roller elements (14) and (16) from the stock rail depending on the position of the switch tongue (locked, open position) ) to enable without having to use roller devices that differ from one another in terms of design.

In the overlap area of the horizontally and vertically extending elongated holes (38) or (30) and (32) and within the spacer element (28), which is preferably designed as a tubular section, a screw element (42) extends via which the non-positive connection between the support arms (34 ) and (36) and the receptacle (26) for the roller elements (14) and (16).

The screw element (42), which is a high-strength screw, is welded with its head (44) to a guide or coupling element (46), which extends in sections along the support arm (36) on the outside and has a U- Has shape. The side legs extend in sections along the longitudinal edges of the support arm (36), so that a controlled movement can only take place in the horizontal direction of the support arms (34) and (36), thereby ensuring that the shaft of the screw element (42) is spaced apart the longitudinal edges of the elongated holes (38).

The support arm (36) is also assigned a guide or coupling element (50) of U-shaped geometry penetrated by the screw element (42). A set of disc springs (52) is arranged between a nut (48) tightening the screw element (42) and the outer surface of the guide or union element (50). By tightening the screw element (42), namely after aligning the receptacle (48) in both the horizontal and vertical directions, there is a non-positive connection between the holder (40) and the receptacle (26), which prevents uncontrolled slipping or tipping .

In the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 1, legs or cheeks (24), (26) are triangular, an isosceles shape preferably being selected. The base surface (54) runs parallel or almost parallel to the displacement path of the switch tongue (12). The shafts (18) and (20) and thus the roller elements (14) and (16) are arranged in the corners. The triangle on the tip is penetrated at its tip by the screw element (42).

In order to ensure a secure fastening of the holder (40), a clamping element (56) is provided which comprises two L-shaped legs (60) and (62) connected via a spacer (58). The legs (60) and (62) extend within the support elements or arms (34) and (36) connected via a spacer element (64) having a cuboid shape.

Both the support arms (34) and (36) and the legs (60) and (62) have beak-shaped recesses (66) and (68) in order to receive edge regions of the rail foot (70) of the stock rail (10).

In order to non-positively connect the holder (40), that is to say its support arms (34) and (36), which have a step in the region of the support rollers (14) and (16), the spacer element (64 ) a screw element (72), which is welded with its head (74) to the spacer element (64).

The nut (76) of the screw element (72) is optionally over z. B. a plate spring (78) on the outside of the spacer (58) of the clamping piece (56). By tightening the screw element (72), the beak-shaped recesses (66) and (68) are drawn towards the rail base edges, so that a non-positive connection takes place in this way. The upper surface (80) of the spacer element (64) lies against the underside of the stock rail base. The edges of the L-shaped legs (60) and (62) of the clamping element (56) facing the rail foot are also supported on the spacer element (64), namely on its lower side.

In the case of large displacement paths of the switch tongue (12), that is to say in the area of the switch tongue tip, two roller elements (14) and (16) are arranged according to the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 1. The further the distance from the point of the switch tongue, the shorter the displacement path, so that consequently only one roller element is required, as will be illustrated with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

4 and 5, the clamping elements and the basic structure of the receptacles provided with the reference numerals (82) for the respective roller element (84) correspond to those of FIGS. 1 to 3, so that consequently also the same Find reference numerals. This also eliminates the need for a more detailed description.

1, the legs or cheeks (86) or (88) receiving the roller element (84) have a kidney-like geometry, the connecting lines between the screw element (42) and the shaft (88) receiving the roller element (84) ) runs obliquely to the vertical. This results in the possibility that when the receptacle (82) is rotated through 180 °, the roller element (84) runs once closer to the stock rail (FIG. 4) and once further to the stock rail (10) (FIG. 5). This results in a targeted change in distance, so that the same roller devices can be used for different sections of the switch for rolling support of the switch tongue (12).

Since the structure of the receptacles (82) otherwise corresponds to that of the receptacle (26), the receptacle (82) is also displaced in the above-described manner in the elongated holes (38) or (30) and (32) or non-positively with the holder (40) connected.

6 and 7 are particularly noteworthy and inventive features of the teaching according to the invention, which makes it possible that the switch tongue to be stored or moved on the roller elements is damped to such an extent that striking on documents such as sliding chairs is excluded is. At the same time, this ensures that the roller elements themselves do not have any impact-like impacts leading to destruction, a disadvantage which is inherent in the roller elements which can be found in the prior art.

The roller elements (90), (92) and (94) shown in FIG. 7 and a further roller element (96) are based on a holder (98) which, in side view, has a shape of a lying U with different leg lengths. The longer leg (100) faces a further holder (106). The holder (98) is supported on spring devices (102) and (104), which in turn are attached to the further holder (106), which in the exemplary embodiment is based on a threshold (108). The further holder (106) can be moved in the direction of or from a stock rail (108). For this purpose, side legs of the further holder (106) have elongated holes (110) and (112) which can be penetrated by fastening elements such as screws connecting the further holder (106) to the threshold (108).

The holder (98) itself preferably consists of two U-shaped cheeks, in which the roller elements (90), (92), (94) and (96) are mounted and which are connected e.g. a flat section are connected, which is fastened on the spring devices (102) and (194).

7 shows a switch tongue (114) to be assigned to the stock rail (10) on the one hand in the adjacent (strong solid line) and on the other hand in the remote position (weak solid line). A section of the Switch tongue foot (116) between the rollers (94) and (96), that is between the short leg (118) and the long leg (100) of the U-shaped bracket (98) for the roller elements (90), (92) , (94) and (96). This measure has the effect that the switch tongue (114) is also virtually locked in the remote position in order to prevent it from striking.

The spring devices (102) and (104), which each consist of two spring elements (120) and (122) of different stiffness, dampen vibrations introduced into the switch tongue (114), with a quasi-static support at the same time when the switch tongue (114) is at rest is made available.

6 shows one of the preferably identical spring devices (102) and (104) and the properties of the individual spring elements themselves. Each spring device (102) or (104) consists of an upper and a lower plate element (124) and (126), preferably made of metal, and a support plate (128) running between them, which starts from the further holder (106). The spring elements (122) and (120) of different stiffnesses extend between the carrier plate (128) and the upper plate (124) on the one hand and between the carrier plate (128) and the lower plate (126) facing away from the stock rail (108) on the other hand .

The stiffnesses of the spring elements (120) and (122), which are elastomer springs, which are connected to the plates (124), (126), (128) or to portions, but not specified, starting from them, but vulcanized are shown in Fig. 6a.

The spring elements (120) and (122) are mechanically coupled by a connecting element. This passes through the spring devices (120) and (104) centrally. In the exemplary embodiment, it is a screw (130) which rests with its plate-shaped head (132) on the outside of the plate (124) and its nut (134) lies on the outside of the plate (126) in order to tighten it Screw (130) to set the effective length of the screw (130) between the plates (124) and (126).

The spring element (120) is a damping spring with variable stiffness. The spring element (120) preferably has a progressive characteristic, as the left part of FIG. 6a is intended to illustrate.

The upper spring element (122), which is close to the stock rail (108), has a spring characteristic with constant rigidity and is intended to perform the actual carrying function.

In the unloaded state, the spring device (102), (104) has a position that corresponds to FIG. 6b. The plates (124) and (126), from which the suspension spring (122) and the damping spring (120) extend, are spaced apart from the support plate (128). In Fig. 6a this state coincides with the coordinate origin of the diagram, in which the force (tension / load) is plotted against the spring travel.

In order to bring the spring devices (102) and (104) into the working position, which enables the receptacle (98) to be raised to a position above the basic position in which the receptacle (98) is under load, that is to say on the roller elements (90), (92) and (94) supported spring tongue (114) is set, can be seen from Fig. 6c. For this purpose, the screw (130) is tightened until the spring element (120) lies on a block or almost on a block, that is to say is pushed together in such a way that spring properties no longer appear. This state corresponds to the bias point 2 in Fig. 6a.

In Fig. 6d the position is shown purely schematically in which the switch tongue (114) is supported on the roller elements (90), (92), (94). The damping spring (120) is relieved by a spring travel - 5 units in FIG. 6a purely by way of example. At the same time, the suspension spring (122) is tensioned by the same spring travel, i.e. by 5 travel units in the drawing. This position corresponds to point 3 in Fig. 6, which is the working point.

If vibrations are now introduced into the switch tongue (114), these can be completely absorbed by the spring devices (102) and (104) and in particular damped via the spring element (120) without striking; because the working point 3 with respect to the spring characteristics is set so that the damping spring (120) Block position can not reach. This ensures the resilient state of the spring devices (102) and (104) both when the spring tongue (114) is loaded and relieved.

Claims (10)

Roller device for a tongue (12, 114) of a switch associated with a stock rail (10, 108) directly or indirectly from a support such as a threshold (110), comprising a roller element (14, 16, 84, intended for supporting the tongue with a tongue base) 90, 92, 94, 96), which is preferably supported on an element (120, 122) having spring properties,
characterized by
that the roller element (90, 92, 94, 96) starts from a holder (98) in which the tongue (114) can be fixed in the remote position. Roller device according to claim 1,
characterized by
that the holder (98) has a geometry of a horizontal U's with different leg lengths in side view and that the tongue base (116) can be clamped between the legs (100, 116) preferably between roller elements (94, 98) extending from these. Roller device according to at least one of the preceding claims,
characterized by
that the roller element (14, 16, 84) supporting the tongue (12, 114) is / are designed to be variable both horizontally and vertically to the stock rail (10). Roller device according to preferably at least one of the preceding claims,
characterized by
that the roller element (14, 16, 84) starts from a receptacle (26, 82) which can be connected to a holder (40) for changing the distance between the roller element and the stock rail (10) by two positions rotated by 180 °. Roller device according to at least one of the preceding claims,
characterized by
that the holder (40) has at least one support element (34, 36) which can be fastened or fixed to the stock rail (10) or the support, such as a support arm which has a horizontally extending for its adjustment or for the horizontal displacement of the receptacle (26, 82) Has elongated hole (38). Roller device according to at least one of the preceding claims,
characterized by
that there are two spaced apart and by a spacer (64) interconnected support arms (34, 36), which have mutually aligned horizontally extending elongated holes (38), that the support arm (34), (36) against the rail foot ( 70) of the stock rail (10) can be pulled by means of a clamping element (56) which bears against the rail foot on the opposite side, and that both the support arm (34, 36) and the clamping element (56) each have a beak-shaped recess (66) for at least partially receiving a rail foot section. Roller device according to at least one of the preceding claims
characterized by
that the clamping element (56) has two legs (60, 62) connected via a spacer (58), which extend in sections in the area between the support arms (34, 36), and that of the spacer element connecting the support arms (34, 36) (64) a bolt element extends which has a section (58) of the clamping element (56) penetrates and can be pulled against it. Roller device according to at least one of the preceding claims,
characterized by
that the receptacle (26, 82) has at least one vertically extending elongated hole (30, 32) which is penetrated by a connection and bolt element (42) which clamps the receptacle between the support elements (34, 36). Roller device according to at least one of the preceding claims,
characterized by
that the axis of rotation or axes of rotation (18, 20, 88) of the roller element (s) (14, 16, 84) with respect to the connection connecting the receptacle to the holder, such as a bolt element (42) between the latter and the stock rail (10) and / or runs on the side facing away from the stock rail. Roller device according to at least one of the preceding claims,
characterized by
that the roller element (90, 92, 94, 96) is supported on at least two spring elements (120, 122) of different characteristics, that one spring element (122) has a substantially constant stiffness and the other spring element (120) has a variable stiffness and that the spring elements are mechanically coupled to one another such that when the roller element (90, 92, 94) is loaded by the tongue (114), each spring element has a resilient state.

Images