EP0954642B1 - Method and device for cleaning railtrack grooves - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for cleaning railtrack grooves during travel, comprising a carrier vehicle with a railtrack groove cleaning unit mounted thereon. A high-pressure jet (2) of a liquid, gaseous, vaporous, cold or heated cleaning liquid or a mixture is directed towards the dirt layer (12) of the railtrack groove (3). The liquid jets (11) which are reflected from the point of impact (4) remove the dirt and the dirt-liquid is transmitted by a collector device and a guide device to a conveyor device where it is sent towards a dirt collector device where the waste liquid is at least partially separated from the dirt or directly extracted.

Description

The invention relates to a method for cleaning Grooves of rail and tram tracks and the device for this, according to the preamble of Process claim 1 and device claim 6.

In the known methods for cleaning the rail grooves cleaning with mechanical means, such as Scratch chisel, wire brush or the like. carried out what an insufficient Cleaning effect or the removal on the rail grooves and a difficult, mostly poor removal the dirt layer results because the chisel size different dimensions of the rail grooves must be adapted, cleaning because of the drainage openings in the Rail grooves cannot be made to the bottom of the groove, whereby the process has a low cleaning effect.

In the subsequent separation and removal of the discharged Dirt when pumping with a suction Airflow is expensive because it is effective Differential pressure can not exceed 1 bar and because of large amounts of air required also very energy consuming is still only a relatively low cleaning and thus travel speed of a carrier vehicle reachable.

The removed dirt is very abrasive and has a strong effect corrosive, whereby the suction device together with the complex filter system with heavy loads exposed and the use of expensive materials requires and high maintenance costs due to the whole Always keep the vacuum system vacuum-tight.

FR 378 167 is a cleaning device for Rail grooves are known in which a cover screen over a Line of the rail, covering the rail groove that covers the top of the rail laterally and above and seals with brushes on the rail surface.

Compressed air nozzles are attached to the rail groove diagonally from top to bottom from the two end faces, with which the dirt is blown dry against each other and discharged by a suction line attached at the top of the cover screen.
Apart from the fact that air, at least by itself, is not suitable for removing the dirt from the groove at the required speed, there are the drawbacks of suction described above.

FR 2 628 457 describes a cleaning device for rail grooves, in which a chisel loosens the dirt in the rail groove under a cover, which is sucked out of the cover at the top, and behind the chisel is a nozzle for pressurized water which is inclined transversely to the direction of the rail groove injected into this, which is also removed from the suction.
The disadvantages described when using a chisel and suction also exist here.

Water jets are also used for street cleaning, which requires large amounts of water to wash in Dirt that is often split or occasionally flat pieces of waste such as foils, fabrics or the like. Contains in the drainage channels of the rail grooves cause that then there Can cause constipation.

To clean traffic areas, for example at airfields, cleaning has already been carried out with a high-pressure jet of water or cleaning solution, in which the jet is applied to a traffic area to be cleaned and the washed-off dirt-water mixture is then sucked off and removed by a suction device from the cleaning surface.
The directional accuracy of the high-pressure jet does not need to be particularly high and it therefore does not have to be adjusted precisely, and any uncontrolled outflow of the dirty water mixture is of little importance for the cleaning quality. The disadvantages of the suction are similar to those already described, with the wet dust filtration replacing the dry dust filtration.

US Pat. No. 4,398,551 describes a non-generic cleaning device for sand from dirty bathing beaches, in which a low-pressure flushing water jet whirls up the sand to be cleaned, which is then flushed by a high-pressure water jet over a sloping surface into a separation container, the direction of the high-pressure water jet is inclined downwards against the direction of travel and several of which are placed side by side, giving the necessary width effect for cleaning.
This device is designed for a material which is easy to remove compared to the dirt in the rail grooves and which is to be returned to the surface of the beach after cleaning.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved method and specify a device with which (r) specifically cleaning the grooves of rail and tram tracks targeted while avoiding the disadvantages described and to the bottom with at least sufficient Travel speed of the cleaning unit and collecting of the removed, especially rinsed, dirt can happen reliably.

This task becomes in the method and the device its implementation with the characteristics of Process claim 1 and the device claim 6 solved.

The method allows a rail groove to be cleaned from the dirt layer to the bottom and also to remove it from the side surfaces of a rail groove, whereby the dirt layer under hydrodynamic loading is infiltrated by the cleaning liquid due to the high pressure of the cleaning fluid and quickly explodes into hairline cracks Pieces torn and carried away.
Water is used as the cleaning liquid, in particular with additives.

A collecting device or the like can also be made of rubber plates. serve formed movable wall, which leads to a suction as a guide device.
The supportive removal of the used liquid together with the dirt by suction is subject to the loads described at the beginning, but is nevertheless possible, for example for retrofitting existing carrier vehicles.

The removed dirt is transported by the in the liquid jets reflected from the ablation site contained kinetic energy, which after a Route leading from the rail surface up to a drip pan is thrown from which the dirt-liquid mixture with a known type conveyor in a dirt container is transported.

The use of a guide surface for the and removal point of the distracted dirt-liquid mixture, aligned at a favorable angle to this, results in a simple, failure-prone transfer device in a drip pan.

The application is more suitable to improve the wettability Substances in the cleaning liquid are beneficial with which can increase the cleaning speed.

In addition to the distance between the high-pressure nozzle and the point of impact, the selection of the high pressure to be used depends on the jet shape and on which area of a rail groove is to be simultaneously covered by the jet, i.e. also how far the jet may spread, as well as the nature and cohesion and the existing layer depth of the dirt.
The same applies to the alignment of the high-pressure liquid jet, with its inclination in the direction of travel or also transverse to it, which influence the removal of the dirt and therefore, if required with strongly fluctuating dirt properties, a setting by adjusting the high-pressure nozzle used in your orientation, directly or must be accessible via control means.

Through the targeted use of a liquid high pressure liquid jet the cleaning effect achieved and achieves delivery with small amounts of pressurized fluid, which also allows dirt to be flushed into the drainage boxes the rail grooves are avoided and not large Amounts of dirty cleaning fluid, usually Water, which must be drained off. These amounts can e.g. applied to or next to grass tracks as well as one composed of biomass and soil mass Dirt, so that only the in the disposal Dirt accumulating on the street remains, which is caused by Save, e.g. in an interchangeable container, which as Dirt container serves, is possible.

Another important advantage of the process and the applied Device is the wet treatment of dirt, with which the dust development by precipitation in The high pressure liquid jet droplets are suppressed is, without a complex separate separation proves necessary.

The high-pressure liquid jet must be used when cleaning the rail grooves pretty much during the cleaning process be directed exactly into the area to be cleaned, one advantageous jet shape are produced and a suitable one Range of impact angle of the high pressure fluid jet be adhered to for a quick and good cleaning effect to achieve.

The dirt-water mixture that may still run off the rail can largely escape without further cleaning or taken up by a suction device to pollution of the environment and soil so to be kept as low as possible, due to the low accumulation A lot of a small, inexpensive facility enough.

To improve the performance of cleaning Several groove cleaning units for each rail on a carrier vehicle be arranged one behind the other, whereby the cleaning and thus the driving speed to the usual train speeds can be approximated.

A flat design of the lower one is particularly advantageous Screen wall of the groove cleaning unit and the start at the Rail surface at a distance from the point of impact of the high pressure liquid jet, which is at least the same or slightly larger than the flushing distance in the rail groove so that no large amounts of cleaning liquid are under emerge through the groove seal of the screen wall can.

For good side coverage it is important that the Side walls except for the surfaces of the rail and leading edge reach down and end with sealing bars, which advantageously at least on one surface. are arranged and the flushing opening for the rail groove limit laterally and along the length of the opening range around the outlet, especially hard parts and To prevent fluid.

The use of is due to the considerable abrasion solid steel sheet of greater thickness necessary with a flat lower sealing surface the seal to the surface improved by rail or guide surface or with a convex lower sealing surface increases the sealing pressure and so that the seal is designed cheaply.

For the height widely varying surfaces is one height-adjustable mounting of the sealing beams is useful, however, this will make the arrangement under the heavy load susceptible to interference.

A further improvement of the seal with sliding Sealing bars, especially on the surface of the Rail, is through the application of a fluid under pressure, Air is particularly cheap to create a cushion emerges from openings on the lower surface.

On the leading edge side is a very effective durable and easy sealing achieved by a brush sufficient length and with wear-resistant construction on the Side wall of the cover arranged in a brush holder is sufficient over the length of the sealing beam sweeps along the outer edge of the leading edge. This will at the same time a limitation of weed growth at the Leading edge reached.

The composition of the bristles is mostly made up of low-wear plastic and also the mixed application together with metal bristles, alternating in rows or even from metal bristles alone, depending on the application advantageous.

For sealing against that under the edge of the lower one Screen wall, between this and the dirt in the Rail groove, dirt-liquid mixture passing through is achieved or for the extensive minimization of the same the installation of a groove seal between the Side walls of the rail groove up to the dirt layer or the bottom of the groove is sufficient, which is particularly advantageous for frequent applications cleaned grooves, while otherwise the dirt layer itself, towards the front as a seal becomes effective.

The attachment of a groove cover, which extends from the edge of the screen wall on the rail surface to the front in the direction of travel, serves the same purpose, the length of which depends on the amount of dirt deposited in the rail groove.

If the side walls of a rail groove are very dirty, with a bank of the high pressure liquid jet be achieved and by focusing on one Side wall of the rail groove may a particularly good one Cleaning effect in this area, e.g. the driving edge be achieved.

Furthermore, with the high pressure liquid jet one effective cleaning of drainage openings except for the Reason allows.

The used cleaning fluid, from which the Dirt has settled down to the finest proportions already from the collecting pan of the conveyor to the Track space between and next to the tracks, especially at Lawn tracks are derived, as well as protruding ones Cleaning liquid from the dirt container while those Amount of liquid when crossing the street tracks accumulates stored in a container and for disposal can be delivered.

An arrangement of the groove cleaning unit in less Distance to before and after running wheelsets or in the Groove before and after running guide wheels results in one particularly good guidance in the groove, especially when winding Route.

The arrangement is for draining the dirt-water mixture a bucket elevator in the protected manner an advantage, which has a high efficiency and can be brought up close to the outside of the vehicle wall and a simple handover to an elevated one Collection container allowed.

It is of advantage if for collecting and removing Remnants of steel, especially chips, the rails and wheels, etc. Swell, one in front of each groove cleaning unit, per se known, magnetic collecting device is attached.

Fig. 1

diese Vorrichtung im Längsschnitt, schematisch;

Fig. 2

die Vorrichtung nach Fig. 1, im Querschnitt;

Fig. 3

einen Ausschnitt mit dem Dichtungsbalken in Fig.2 mit Fluidspülung.

The invention is described with reference to the schematic drawing of an embodiment of the device.
It shows

Fig. 1

this device in longitudinal section, schematic;

Fig. 2

the device of Figure 1, in cross section.

Fig. 3

a section with the sealing bar in Figure 2 with fluid flushing.

On a rail 17 with an incorporated rail groove 3 is, the rail groove on both sides at a short distance spanning a cover screen 5 of the groove cleaning unit arranged in this working position by a bracket a carrier vehicle, not shown, e.g. with ahead and / or trailing guide wheels.

The cover screen 5 consists of the side walls 13, one end wall 8 on the jet side, one also on the end side lower screen wall 7 and an upper screen wall 6.

In the area on the beam-side end wall 8 is at a distance a high-pressure nozzle 1 is attached above the rail 17, those consisting of water as a cleaning liquid High-pressure liquid jet 2 at an angle in the direction of travel 19 sloping forward downward, at about 60 degrees to Rail surface is aligned and in the rail groove 3 hits the floor at the point of impact 4.

The high-pressure liquid jet 2 from the dirt layer 12 removed in the rail groove 3 dirt from the at a flatter angle to the rail surface outflowing reflected liquid jets 11 taken.

The dirt-liquid mixture is separated from that in the liquid jets contained kinetic energy primarily hurled against the lower, just formed screen wall 7, which is arranged at a steeper angle than some of the reflected liquid jets hit it and on this led upwards through this one Exit opening 18 exits.

This outlet opening 18 is from that of the lower one Screen 7, the two side walls 13 and the top Screen wall 6 formed, at most about the width of the Discharge channel 20 having rail 17 left free, through the liquid jets or the dirt-liquid mixture gets into a drip pan 15, in which there is neither saved and later disposed of or another Treatment is subjected.

During further treatment, it separates in the collecting trough 15 part of the used cleaning liquid from time to time flows out through an overflow and becomes either direct between and / or next to the tracks or in one, not shown, storage tank directed.

The remaining part of the dirt-liquid mixture will from a, only hinted, conveyor known Type, e.g. an Archimedean spiral or a conveyor belt or a bucket elevator or the like, in a collecting container for further separation and release of liquid and dirt directed.

The lower screen wall 7 ends at the bottom in a flat edge 21 on which a groove seal 9 can be attached, the either hinged or elastic, made of rubber or the like. existing, in the rail groove 3 to the dirt layer 12 enough and against the passage of the washing Liquid jet seals.

From the edge 21 of the lower screen wall 7, in the direction of travel 19 to the front, there is a groove cover 10 on the rail groove 3 over a multiple of their depth and surface the rail 17 overlapping and seals against that Passing the flushing jet under the groove seal through additionally.

In Figure 2 is the cover screen 5 in cross section, in right angle to the direction of travel 19 shown.

The two side walls extend downwards to over the rail 17 and the leading edge 23 and end with sealing bars 25, 26, which extend in the direction of travel over the length of the groove-side opening of the cover screen 5 and extend have a considerable thickness to prevent violent abrasion to survive long enough due to the washed out material and have a flat lower sealing surface 33 for better sealing.

One sealing bar 25 lies on the surface 22 of the rail on or is in a very low Distance while the sealing bar 26 for the leading edge 23rd rests on the surface 24 when this is a large one Height distance to the surface 22 of the rail 17 itself having.

For rail profiles in which the surface 24 of the leading edge 23 still a smaller height distance from the surface 22 of the rail 17 has a distance of up to 25 Millimeters on by the side on the outside of the side wall 13 of the cover screen 5 downward bristles 29 a sealing brush 27 is closed, which in a Brush holder 28 is inserted and also over the Length of the associated sealing bar 26 is sufficient and this towered on both sides at the front and back.

The bristles 29 of the sealing brush 27 have at least that five times the length of the maximum tolerable height distance between surfaces 22 and 24 of rail 17 and leading edge 23 and consist, for example, of low-wear Plastic that alternates in rows with metal wire bristles can be arranged.

The bristles 29 stroke over the outer edge 32 of the leading edge and lie on the outside of the sealing bar 26 below.

FIG. 3 shows an air purge for the sealing bar 25, which is always at a very short distance from the undercarriage with the lower flat sealing surface 33 or lies on the surface 22 of the rail 17.
From one longitudinal bore 30 in the sealing bar 25, one or more longitudinal slots 31 or bores arranged one behind the other extends openly to the lower sealing surface 33, at which the air exits at a pressure of 1 to 10 bar and the ingress of dirt between Sealing surface 33 and the surface 22 of the rail 17 prevented and thus the surface 22 of the rail 17 is kept clean.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

high-pressure nozzle

2

High-pressure liquid jet

3

rail groove

4

Impact point of the high pressure liquid jet 2

5

cover screen

6

upper screen wall

7

lower screen wall

8th

end wall on the jet side

9

groove seal

10

groove coverage

11

reflected liquid jets

12

Dirt in the rail groove 3

13

Side wall of the cover screen 5

14

Conveyor

15

Collecting pan of the conveyor 14

16

overflow

17

rail

18

Exit opening of the cover screen 5

19

Direction of travel or working direction

20

discharge channel

21

Edge at the lower end of the lower screen wall 7

22

Surface of the rail 17

23

leading edge

24

Surface of the leading edge 23

25

Sealing bar of the rail 17

26

Sealing bar of the leading edge 23

27

brush

28

brush holder

29

Brush bristles 27

30

Longitudinal bore in the sealing bar 25

31

Longitudinal slot or bore

32

Outer edge of the leading edge 23

33

lower sealing surface of the sealing bar 25

Claims (22)

1. Process for cleaning of rail-track grooves (3) of railway and tramway lines during drive of a carrier-craft especially beeing rail-bound to which a cleaning device for rail-track grooves is mounted in a substantially constant position to the rail-track groove to be cleaned and from said cleaning device a high pressure liquid stream (2) of a cool or heated cleansing-liquid, especially water or aqueous cleansing solution, is directed into the rail-track groove beeing processed characterized in that the high pressure liquid stream (2) is inclined in the direction of travel (19) to the front and downward under a process-pressure of 10 to 2500 bar, peferably of 50 to 800 bar, dependent of the quality of the cleansing-liquid, of the condition of the mud cushion (12) and of the expansion of the liquid-stream during the cleaning procedure, beeing directed to the mud cushion (12) in the rail-track groove (3) and reflected of the spot of impact at the moment (4) carrying along the mud and delivers the mixture of cleansing-liquid and mud only by means of the inherent kinetic energy to a sampling device and to a guiding device of a conveyor device (14) and from said conveyor device the mixture of mud and cleansing-liquid beeing conducted into mud-sampling device and beeing storaged or the spent cleansing-liquid is at least partially separated from the mud in a discriminate separations-device or is expelled directly as a mud-liquid mixture.
2. Process for cleaning of rail-track grooves (3), according to claim 1, characterized in that the highpressure liquid stream (2) is directed onto the mud cushion (12) in the rail-track groove (3) to be processed adjusted in an angel of impact to the surface of the rail-track (17) of between 30 and 80 degrees and particularly of between 50 to 70 degrees, dependent on the condition of the highpressure liquid stream (2) of the mud in the mud cushion (12) of the rail-track (3) and of the riding speed of the supporting vehicle and of the angle of the highpressure liquid stream (2) arranged to be guided to the mud cushion (12) of the rail-track groove (3) whereby those parts of the highpressure liquid stream (2) reflected to the top with a steeper angle in relation to the surface of the rail-track (17) impinging to the guiding surface (7) of the guiding device and are deflected to the front and top direction into the conveyor device.
3. Process for cleaning of rail-track grooves, according to one of the preceding claims , characterized in that the highpressure liquid stream (2) directed to the mud cushion (12) in the rail-track groove (3) to be processed is arranged additionally in an angle of impact in respect of the surface of the rail-track groove (3) transverse to the driving direction (19) of the supporting vehicle and therefore essentially to the longitudinal direction of th rail-track groove (3) of between 90 and 30 degrees, especially of between 90 and 75 degrees in respect to the surface of the rail (17) and directed to a side wall of the rail-track groove (3), dependent on the conditionm of the highpressure liquid stream (2) and the mud in the mud cushion (12) of the rail-track groove (3).
4. Process for cleaning of rail-track grooves (3), according to one of the preceding claims , characterized in that the highpressure liquid stream (2) beeing directed onto the mud cushion (12) in the rail-track groove (3) to be processed is sweep-ing during reflexion mud from the spot of impact at the moment (4) transporting the mud on a guiding surface to the top and is sampled together with said highpressure liquid stream (2) in a sampling device from which at least the bulk of the solid parts is expelled directly or is transferred by meams of a conveying device (14) into a mud sampling device.
5. Process for cleaning of rail-track grooves, according to one of the preceding claims , characterized in that a substance is added to the cleansing liquid of the high-pressure liquid stream (2) to lower the surface-tension.
6. Cleaning unit for rail-track grooves for the accomplishment of the process including a covering screen (5) covering in working position a part of the rail (17) together with the rail-track groove (3) and in the front wall (8) a high-pressure nozzle (1) is mounted at the side of the high-pressure liquid stream (2) from which a cleansing liquid in a highpressure liquid stream (2) is directed in driving direction of the supporting vehicle to the front and inclined to the bottom impinging to the spot of impact (4) of a cleaning surface of a rail-track groove (3) and on the covering screen (5) a lower covering screen (7) oblique ascending to the front is disposed opposite to the said front wall (8) ascending with an inclination to the rail surface to a expelling outlet (18) for the mud cleansing-liquid mixture above of said covering screen (7), ascending with an inclination which is lower than the angle of the reflecting liquid streams (11) of the high-pressure liquid stream (2) by which the reflected liquid streams (11) are thrown back with an angle beeing equal or lower in respect to the rail surface through which the refected liquid streams (11) are thrown partially, substantially direct through the expelling outlet (18) and the other part of the reflected liquid streams (11) is thrown back with an angle beeing equal or lower in respect to the rail-track surface as beeing the inclination of the lower covering screen (7) and therefore at least the liquid streams (11) are guided on the surface of the lower covering screen (7) to the top and are discharged through the expelling outlet (18).
7. Cleaning unit according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the lower covering screen (7) forms together with a upper covering screen (6) and with side walls (13) on both sides a discharging channel (20) ending with the expelling outlet (18) which has the width of the rail-track groove (3) at the level of the rail surface and has an unchanged width or particularly an increasing width in upward direction.
8. Cleaning unit according to the preceding claims, characterized in that the side walls (13) reach down to the surface (24) of the rail-track groove (3) and down to the surface of the guiding edge (23) and are ending with sealing beams (25,26) of which the sealing beam (25) is arranged substantially resting onto the surface (22) of the rail (17) and the sealing beam (26) is arranged substantially resting onto the surface (24) of the guiding edge (23) if the distance between the surface (22) of the rail (17) and the surface of the surface (24) of the guiding edge (23) has the biggest tolerance, whereby the both sealing beams (25,26) terminate laterally the opening of the covering screen (5) to the rail-track groove and extend in the direction of travel (19) preferably on both sides.
9. Cleaning unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sealing beam (25) is made of steel sheet or alike some mm thick and especially 10 to 50, preferably of about 30 mm thickness, fitted with a profil with flat or especially comberlike lower sealing surface (33) and especially with a rectangular or squarelike section.
10. Cleaning unit according to the preceding claims 8 to 9, characterized in that at least the sealing beam (26) but preferably both sealing beams (25,26) are seated shiftable topward at the adjoined side wall (13) of the covering screen (5).
11. Cleaning.unit according to the preceding claims 8 to 10, characterized in that the sealing beam (25) adjusted to the surface (22) of the rail (17) is provided with a longitudinal borehole (30) which is connected to a line for a liquid under pressure especially air of several bar, preferably 1 to 10 bar and is ending open to the bottomside sealing surface (33) with one or a plurality of longitudinal slots (31) or with a plurality of boreholes.
12. Cleaning unit according to the preceding claims 8 to 11, characterized in that in the directon of travel (19) or working direction laterally exterior to the sealing beam (26) beneath the side wall (13) a sealing brush (27) is mounted in a brush support (28) beeing preferably to be inserted in horizontal direction, of which the bristles (29) are aligned from the top downward and is ending passing over the outer edge of the guiding edge (23) and having a manifold length especially at least the fivefold of the maximum tolerable distance between the sealing beam (26) and the surface (24) of the guiding edge (23), whereby the sealing brush (27) covers the length of the sealing beam (26) in the direction of travel (19) and preferably extends this.
13. Cleaning unit according to claim 12, characterized in that the bristles (29) of the brush (27) are made of plastic of high abrasion resistance and/or strengthed by means of metal bristles beeing preferably arranged in a mixed manner.
14. Cleaning unit according to one of the preceding, characterized in that the lower screen wall (7) which especially has a flat course extends downward to the surface of the rail (17) processed by an edge (21) especially approximately touching and ending at least in a distance of the spot of impact (4) of the highpressure-liquid stream, which at least euqals the length of the processed lenghth of the rail-track groove (3).
15. Cleaning unit according to the preceding claim, characterized in that from the edge (21) downward into the rail-track groove (3) acting a groove sealing (9) is arranged which for example projecting into the rail-track groove (3) made of stiff material especially hinging or of elstic or pliable material resistant to abrasion beeing fixed or is produced by a pneumatic sealing stream.
16. Cleaning unit according to one of the both preceding claims, characterized in that a groove covering (10) extending in front direction of travel (19) is arranged resting substantially sealing on the surface of the rail to be processed with a length of multiple of the depth of the rail-track groove (3) especially adjusted for the retention of the cleansing-liquid by the mud cushion (12) in the ral-track groove (3).
17. Cleaning unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the highpresure nozzle (1) is adjustable at least in direction of travel (19) steeper or flater inclined to the bottom and in distance to the spot of impingement, in respect to the quality and Quatity of the mud cushion (12) in the rail-track groove, of the respective speed of travel und of the pressure of the highpressure liquid stream (2) and that this stream from the highpressure nozzle especially as a flat stream with the width arranged transverse to the direction of travel (19) and delivered substantially impinging in the width of the rail-track groove (3) with an angle adjusted to the surface of the rail (17) between 30 to 80 degrees, especially at least between 50 and 70 degrees.
18. Cleaning unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the highpressure nozzle (19) is adjustable lateral, vertical or steeper or flater in depency of the shape of the groove, of the quality and the quantity of the mud cushion (12) in the rail-track groove (3) to guide the highpressure liquid stream (2) especially lateral to a side wall of the rail-track groove (3).
19. Cleaning unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the expelling outlet (18) of the covering screen (5) leads to a collecting tub (15) which is also a storage bin or is part of a conveying device (14) from whichthe mud is transported together with the cleansing liquid into a mud bin from which the cleansing liquid with a mud content is discharged outside or collected in a starage container.
20. Cleaning unit according to claim 19, characterized in that the collecting tub (15) for the mud-cleansing-liquid mixture is equipped with a spillway (16) for the outweighing part of the spent part of cleansing-liquid.
21. Cleaning unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cleaning unit is mounted directly between sets of wheels as near as possible to said cleaning unit or to guiding wheels running directly in the groove and especially provided with a adjoined cleaning unit for each rail-track groove (3).
22. Cleaning unit according to claim 19, characterized in that the conveying device (14) consist of a bucket-conveyor the buckets mounted at the conveyor which is arranged transverse to the direction of travel (19) and the buckets are moving on the lower part of the conveyor beneath the expelling outlet (18) of each rail-track cleaning unit.

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