EP2762638B1 - Modular sieving device and use of a modular sieving device for cleaning railroad track ballast - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL PART

The present invention is arranged in the field of track ballast cleaning and relates to a modular screening device and the use of the modular screening device for cleaning track ballast that can be removed from a track bed.

General screening devices have long been known as part of stationary classifying machines; this is how it reveals DE 297 02 934 U1 , how in ultrasonic sieving devices a fine metal powder can be better classified and divided into micrometer sizes with the help of impact bodies; A powder of one type can be divided into coarser grains and finer grains. In the same way, it reveals US 5,199,574 A a sieve separator, which determines a direction of travel of a granulated product via a vibrating sieve fabric in a clamping frame; The granulated product slowly moves downwards on the inclined fabric under vibration and is divided into a finer and a coarser product fraction via the mesh size of the fabric. The track bed cleaning machine according to EP 0 059 500 A1 is provided with a vibrating screen arrangement, which has two vibrating screens mounted one behind the other and independently mounted on the frame of the machine.

The present invention relates specifically to the area of track ballast cleaning. In contrast to the sieving process for product classification, dirt has to be removed from coarse, angular gravel stones. The contaminants adhere to the coarse, angular track ballast and have to be removed by massive impacts: When cleaning track ballast, it is removed from the track bed in a small, limited area below the laid track, freed from adhesions and contaminants and returned to the track bed. The contaminants are usually loosened from the ballast by impact or shaking pulses, separated and ejected/disposed of outside the track bed. The cleaned track ballast - if necessary supplemented with additional fresh ballast - is returned to the track bed, while the cleaning is carried out slowly in a continuous process along a track section.

Established devices for cleaning track ballast include: B. in the DE 29 45 767 C2 reveals: Bridge-like structures enclose a cleared track bed area a distance of several meters on both sides. Due to the support points being far away from the cleared area, the track sections floating freely without supporting track ballast will only interact insignificantly with the forces and impulses of the device. Alternatively, devices are also known in which the feet are extended laterally in order to provide a secure, clearly distant support point for the device. The disadvantage of the latter devices is that they can only be operated in sections and not in a continuous process, which means that the cleaning speed is significantly lower.

The disadvantage of the established devices for continuous cleaning is that they naturally have a very high weight of tens of tons. Therefore, such devices are designed as fixed train systems, which have to be driven on the rails directly to the section to be cleaned. The rental fees are correspondingly high due to the necessary arrival and departure and the necessary maintenance of the large machine.

Against this background, there have been attempts to make track bed cleaning devices more compact and lighter so that the device can be delivered via road-compatible trailer systems and used directly on site. However, the problem arises that a shorter, higher device has support points close to the cleared area: weight and vibrations are transferred to the free-floating track sections. The track sections that then resonate cause the entire device to swing up and down elastically. As a result, the track ballast placed on a vibrating screen hardly experiences any impulses; it remains on the sieve without any significant vibration, which drastically reduces cleaning performance and throughput. A gravity-assisted, obliquely aligned vibrating screen on which track ballast moves in a downward direction with each impulse, separating out the impurities, can then no longer be used sensibly.

This is an alternative to established shaking and impulse processes DE 26 55 386 A1 Therefore, the use of a centrifugal sieve is used, in which the gravel is accelerated, shaken and separated from impurities radially outwards by means of high rotational speeds. The problem with this device is that the energy consumption and wear are significantly higher: high rotational speeds and impact impulses quickly abrade the inner surface of the conical sieve and again significantly increase the operating costs, which cannot be offset by possible savings in easier transport. The inventors attribute this to the fact that such centrifugal sieves could not be used for cleaning track ballast despite their more compact design.

The object of the present invention was therefore to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art and to provide an alternative to the established track ballast cleaning, which, despite its compact design and easier transport, is able to provide sufficient cleaning performance with comparable operating costs.

This problem is solved in accordance with the features of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments result from the dependent claims and the following description.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention, an exclusive track ballast weighing up to 5 tons, modular screening device is designed for cleaning track ballast removed from below the screening device. Here, a vibrating screen deck module sieves impurities from the gravel using gravity and is arranged in a frame module. The vibrations are taken into account in the design by dampening the vibrations of the screen deck using particulate vibration dampers and decoupling the frame and screen deck module from a vibration point of view.

The inventors are interested in the use of particulate vibration dampers, such as those in DE 24 52 006 A1 described as an alternative to mechanical vibration dampers is unknown in the area of track bed cleaning. The inventors assume that vibration dampers will not be used because they will naturally initially dampen the vibration itself, i.e. one must assume that the vibrations of the screen deck itself will be hindered, which would prevent good cleaning performance. The inventors attribute this to the fact that, despite the long-standing need, no use or usable device with the claimed features is known or available on the market.

The particulate vibration dampers used in the modular sieving device according to the invention have at least one type of particle selected from the group consisting of natural mineral particles, plastic particles, sand, metal particles, metal balls, ceramic balls, plastic balls, packings, ductile steel balls, superficially set - preferably thixotropically set - particles which are arranged in the transition from the screen deck module to the enclosing frame module, with the screen deck module and frame module being decoupled in terms of vibration technology by the particulate vibration dampers.

By using particulate vibration damping in the transition from the screen deck module to the enclosing frame module, the assemblies are decoupled surprisingly effectively: the vibrations of the screen deck are at best transmitted to the rest of the device in a damped manner with a significantly more diffuse, softer impulse. This trick made it possible for the first time to provide a light, compact screening device for cleaning track ballast, which offers the advantages of a compact design in combination with good cleaning performance.

Furthermore, the present invention discloses the use of the modular screening device for cleaning the track ballast removed from below the screening device, the screening device being designed as a device that can be inserted into a track with a total weight of - excluding track ballast - up to 5 tons. 'Usable' means that the device can be inserted into an existing track system and then driven on site over the sections to be cleaned while continuously cleaning the track ballast. It goes without saying that axle systems can be adapted to the respective track system on site in order to enable movement over the existing track to be processed. Modules that can be inserted into one another make maintenance considerably easier if a module is defective: the modules are interchangeable, i.e. H. You can replace the defective module directly with a functioning one without having to laboriously separate material connections such as welds. The defective module can then be repaired separately in a workshop. Downtimes are minimized and repair measures can be carried out in a central workshop in an optimized manner with significantly reduced transport costs. It goes without saying that modules are also designed to be 'insertable' into one another and - depending on the module combination - can be combined by adapting the mutual support points. Particularly advantageously, both the individual modules and the device as a whole can be used and exchanged, so that performance characteristics and dimensions of the device are advantageously provided in a versatile manner. Coupling adapters advantageously allow the device to be coupled to systems available on site, provided that the device is designed/used without its own drive unit.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION AND ADVANTAGEOUS FEATURES

The use is preferably characterized in that the ratio of mass of gravel in the screening device to mass of vibration-damping particles is in the range 20 to 1 to 20 to 19, preferably 15 to 1 to 15 to 14, particularly preferably around (0.8 +- 0, 3) is held to (0.2 +-0.15).

The use is preferably characterized in that the vibration-damping particles comprise at least one type of particle, the particle type selected from the group consisting of natural mineral particles, plastic particles, sand, metal particles, metal balls, ceramic balls, plastic balls, fillers, ductile steel balls, superficially set - preferably thixotropically set - particles.

The use is preferably characterized in that the vibration-damping particles are coupled or individually in a container with the same ductility and hardness adjustable degree of filling in relation to the container volume of 30% to 99%, preferably 50% to 90%, particularly preferably 80% +- 5%.

The use is preferably characterized in that the vibration-damping, ductile particles, as roughly spherical particles with a technically rough surface, have an average size in the range 0.1 to 20 millimeters, preferably 0.5 to 10 millimeters, particularly preferably 6 + - 5 millimeters .

According to the claimed use, the modular screening device for cleaning the track ballast removed from below the screening device is preferably characterized in that the screening device is a device that can be inserted into a track and has a total weight of 1.5 to 3.5 tons, particularly preferably 2.6 +- 0 .5 tons.

The screening device is preferably characterized in that the device, as essentially horizontally oriented, separate modules arranged in a vertical sequence from top to bottom, has at least one gravel feeder with a screening deck and a vibration-damped receiving frame according to one of the usage claims and a usable one that can be adapted to different rail widths Chassis includes. 'Separate' here means that the individual modules are not materially connected to one another, but rather enclose each other, so that the entire device can be lifted via a bottom frame module and inserted into a track, but each module can also be detached separately - if necessary of comprehensive security systems - can be removed and/or replaced.

Optionally, the screening device is characterized in that the screening device further has at least one additional assembly, the additional assembly selected from the group consisting of spring bearing, drive unit, vibration shaft, ballast pickup, ballast conveyor, ballast delivery, optical monitoring module, evaluating control assembly, Sensor assembly, side discharge chute, front and/or rear discharge chute, mass integrator, vibration sensor, vibration generator, ballast discharge control, conveyor belt, elastomer pads, elastomer feet, elastomer heads, individually and/or coupled Height-adjustable support bearings, inclination and/or pendulum control, tubular frame system, horizontally extended frame tubes with particle filling, conveyor belt drives that can be adjusted to run left or right, ejection conveyor belts that can be extended on the left and/or right side.

Further advantages result from the exemplary embodiments. It is understood that the features and advantages described above and the following exemplary embodiments are not limiting are to be understood. Advantageous, additional features and additional combinations of features, as explained in the description, can be implemented in combination within the scope of the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

• Fig. 1 aufnahmeseitige Ansicht einer Ausführungsform mit von vorne betrachtet nach rechts auskragendem Auswurf-Förderband für Verunreinigungen,
• Fig. 2 Seitenansicht der Ausführungsform gemäß Fig. 1, veranschaulichend die Seite zu welcher die Verunreinigungen ausgeworfen werden,
• Fig. 3 abgabeseitige Ansicht der Ausführungsform gemäß der Figuren 1 und 2, welche ein schräg zur Abgabeseite abfallendes Siebgitter erkennen lässt.

The figures illustrate using basic images:

• Fig. 1 Receiving side view of an embodiment with an ejection conveyor belt for impurities cantilevered to the right when viewed from the front,
• Fig. 2 Side view of the embodiment according to Fig. 1 , illustrating the side to which the impurities are ejected,
• Fig. 3 Delivery side view of the embodiment according to Figures 1 and 2 , which reveals a sieve grid that slopes diagonally towards the delivery side.

DETAILED EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTION USING EXAMPLES

Fig. 1 illustrates the receiving side view of an embodiment with an ejection conveyor belt for contaminants cantilevered to the right when viewed from the front. The forward-protruding loading edge of the screen deck module is visible on the top. The loading edge of the gravel holder directs the abandoned gravel and impurities in the screening deck module with a steep incline onto a screening grid that is inclined at an obtuse angle to the horizontal (not visible). The substructure, comprising a receiving module and a chassis module, is protected against gravel accidentally falling on the front with a riveted rubber apron. Below the rubber apron, two vertically extending tubular struts are visible in the middle, receding downwards, slightly diagonally outwards, which merge into the chassis module on the bottom side.

The cantilevered, rectangular tubular frame with external, height-adjustable feet, LED lighting modules and two control modules along with power connections forms a receiving module, which includes the ejection conveyor belt that projects to the side for discharging the contaminants. The outside feet are extendable and can support the device in the event of a change in track width, so that the distance between the wheels and/or axles can be adjusted on the underside. Bottom closes The chassis module already mentioned is attached to the tubular frame of the receiving module.

The receiving module and the chassis module are connected via two steel straps (not visible) with several screw holes, whereby the steel straps enable a controlled lateral inclination of the recording module relative to the chassis module when the screws are set at different heights. A specifically adjusted inclination allows the cleaning of long curves in the track, where an inclination of the track level against the direction of rotation of the curve would otherwise result in an asymmetrical distribution of the ballast on the sieve grid. The present device allows the screen deck to be aligned essentially horizontally and permanently, even in inclined track curves.

Fig. 2 illustrates the side view of the embodiment according to Fig. 1 , aligned to the side to which the impurities are ejected. Here it is clear that the screen deck module, labeled 'Erwin 2', rests on a total of 10 horizontal elastomer feet - 5 on each side - which are each arranged on an equal-surface elastomer head of the receiving module. On the feed side, the tube struts of the chassis module enclose the receiving module and the screen deck module. On the delivery side, on the one hand, the screen deck module and the receiving module and, on the other hand, the receiving module and the chassis module are interlockingly connected, so that the modules are fixed in their relative positions. The contaminants are guided via guide aprons onto the conveyor belt that projects in the direction of the viewer and can thus be ejected to the side.

Fig. 3 illustrates the delivery side view of the embodiment according to FIG Figures 1 and 2 , which reveals a sieve grille that slopes diagonally towards the rear discharge side. The sieve grid is part of the sieve deck and opens into a delivery edge at the back, to which an overhanging rubber apron is attached, which drains the cleaned ballast away from the sieve device and outwards towards the track bed. Below the rubber apron you can see the laterally projecting, rectangular tube-frame construction of the receiving module, which contains the ejection conveyor belt. The underside of the receiving module is surrounded by the chassis module. Similar to Figure 1 Here too, two steel tabs (not visible) are arranged with several screw holes, with the steel tabs aligned to the front with screws at different heights enabling the controlled, permanent lateral inclination of the receiving module relative to the chassis module.

During operation, the screen deck is subjected to pulsed vibrations, which cause the gravel to dance on the screen grid and advance towards the output. The ones that fall off Impurities are directed onto the ejection conveyor belt and ejected to the side.

The damping takes place in the horizontally extended, underside tubes of the tube frame of the receiving module: around 170 kilograms (+- 50 kilograms) of jet steel balls lie in bulk in these tubes and dampen the vibrations caused by the shocks as described above of the sieve deck / sieve grid when loaded with approx. 500 kg of gravel. Although in this embodiment the entire cleaning system is arranged directly above the cleared area, cleaning can be carried out with a surprisingly high throughput and good effectiveness.

Calculated against the usual rental fees for established large machines, the embodiment illustrated in the figures completely recouped its manufacturing costs within just a few months of operation, including wear and tear and usual maintenance.

Damping using jet steel balls proved to be particularly advantageous in practical use. 'Blast steel balls' refers to a steel granulate that is known in the area of paint removal as a supplement or additive in the compressed air removal of paint using an air-particle mixture. This granulate, consisting of roughly spherical steel particles, proved to be surprisingly superior:
While a sand filling provided poorer damping and, in the long run, the inside of the frame tubes was worn down and even worn through in places, blasted steel balls showed better damping with almost no wear on the inner surfaces of the tubes. The inventors attribute this to the steel elasticity, spherical morphology and comparable hardness of the jet steel balls: On the one hand, the frictional contact of the balls with a steel tube is virtually wear-free and, on the other hand, the balls are elastically deformed in a group at their contact points when the impulse hits them In this way, part of the impulse energy is stored, which is then released again with a time delay when it returns to its original form. Sand, on the other hand, is prone to brittle fracture, which creates hard, sharp edges that in turn abrasive damage to the pipe surface with the next impacting impulse. In addition, crystalline sand is hardly able to provide elastic compensation, which can explain the poorer damping properties.

• ein Leergewicht von 2,6 +- 0,5 Tonnen und
• eine maximale Aufnahmekapazität für zu reinigenden Schotter im Bereich von 0,8 +- 0,3 Tonnen auf, wobei

• im Wesentlichen horizontal ausgerichtete, separate Module in vertikaler Abfolge von oben nach unten zumindest umfassen:
  • ein Siebmodul, umfassend eine Schotteraufgabe, ein rüttelbares Siebdeck, Rüttel-Antrieb, Schotter-Ausgabe, Elastomer-Standfüße und eine angeschlossene Regelbaugruppe,
  • ein Aufnahme-Modul, umfassend Elastomer-Auflagen, ein seitlich links und/oder rechts ausfahrbares Verunreinigungs-Auswurf-Förderband, eine Rohrrahmen-Konstruktion, im Wesentlichen horizontal erstreckte Stahl-Rahmen-Rohre mit einer losen Strahlstahl-Kugelfüllung mit einem Gesamtgewicht der Strahlstahl-Kugeln im Bereich von 0,2 +- 0,15 Tonnen, im Wesentlichen vertikal erstreckte Rahmen-Rohre mit einzeln und/oder gekoppelt verstellbarer Höhe und/oder Neigung,
  • ein Fahrgestell-Modul, umfassend ein Rohrrahmensystem mit austauschbarem, anpassbarem Achs-System, Antriebsaggregat und Kupplungs-Adapter,
• wobei die modulare Siebvorrichtung insgesamt und/oder modulweise austauschbar und/oder einsetzbar ausgebildet ist.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the modular screening device

• an empty weight of 2.6 +- 0.5 tons and
• a maximum holding capacity for gravel to be cleaned in the range of 0.8 +- 0.3 tons, whereby

• Substantially horizontally oriented, separate modules in a vertical sequence from top to bottom at least include:
  • a sieve module, comprising a gravel feeder, a shakeable sieve deck, shaker drive, gravel dispenser, elastomer feet and a connected control assembly,
  • a receiving module comprising elastomer supports, a contaminant ejection conveyor belt that can be extended to the left and/or right, a tubular frame construction, essentially horizontally extended steel frame tubes with a loose blast steel ball filling with a total weight of the blast steel Balls in the range of 0.2 +- 0.15 tons, essentially vertically extended frame tubes with individually and/or coupled adjustable height and/or inclination,
  • a chassis module comprising a tubular frame system with an exchangeable, adaptable axle system, drive unit and coupling adapter,
• wherein the modular screening device is designed to be interchangeable and/or usable as a whole and/or in modules.

Claims (7)

1. A modular sieve device for cleaning track ballast that can be removed from a track bed underneath the sieve device, whereby the sieve device is designed as a device with a total weight of up to 5 tons that can be inserted into a track,

   comprising a vibration-capable sieve deck module with which contaminants can be sieved from the track ballast using gravity, whereby the sieve deck module is arranged in a frame module, whereby the sieve device furthermore

   has particulate vibration dampers, whereby the sieve deck module is inserted into the frame module in such a way that the frame module encloses the sieve deck module and whereby the particulate vibration dampers, comprising at least one type of particle selected from the group consisting of natural mineral particles, plastic particles, sand, metal particles, metal balls, ceramic balls, plastic balls, fillers, ductile steel balls, superficially set, preferentially thixotropically set, particles,

   are arranged in the transition from the sieve deck module to the enclosing frame module, and whereby, in the operating state, the sieve deck module and the frame module are decoupled from vibration by the particulate vibration dampers.
2. Application of a modular sieve device according to Claim 1 for cleaning of track ballast removed from under the sieve device, whereby the vibrations of the sieve deck are dampened by particulate vibration dampers and the frame and sieve deck module are vibration decoupled, whereby the device is inserted into a track.
3. Application according to Claim 2 characterized in that the ratio of mass of ballast in the sieve device to the mass of vibration-damping particles is in the range of 20:1 to 20:19, preferably 15:1 to 15:14, particularly preferably about (0.8 ± 0.3) to (0.2 ± 0.15).
4. Application according to Claim 3 characterized in that the vibration-damping particles are arranged in a container with the same ductility and hardness with a coupled or individually controllable fill level in relation to the container volume of 30-99%, preferably 50-90%, particularly preferably 80% ± 5%.
5. Application according to one of the Claims 2, 3, and 4 characterized in that the vibration-damping ductile particles are roughly spherical particles with a technically rough surface and have an average size in the range of 0.1-20 millimeters, preferably 0.5-10 millimeters, particularly preferably 6 ± 5 millimeters.
6. A modular sieve device according to Claim 1 characterized in that that the modular sieve device comprises at least one ballast feeder with a sieve deck and a vibration-damped receiving frame and an insertable chassis that can be adapted to different rail widths as substantially horizontally aligned, separate, nestable modules arranged in a vertical sequence from top to bottom.
7. A modular sieve device according to one of the Claims 1 or 6 with

   - an empty weight of 2.6 ± 0.5 tons and

   - a maximum receiving capacity for ballast to be cleaned in the range of 0.8 ± 0.3 tons, and

   - essentially horizontally aligned, separate modules, the modules in a vertical sequence from bottom to top at least comprising

   - a sieve module comprising a ballast feeder, a shakeable sieve deck, a shaking drive, a ballast outlet, elastomer feet, and an attached control assembly,

   - a receiving module comprising elastomer supports, a contaminant ejection conveyor belt that can be extended to the left and/or right, a tubular frame construction, essentially horizontally extended steel frame tubes with a loose blasted-steel ball filling with a total weight of the blasted-steel balls in the range of 0.2 ± 0.15 tons, essentially vertically extended frame tubes with individually and/or coupled adjustable height and/or inclination,

   - a chassis module comprising a tubular frame system with replaceable, adjustable axis system, a drive assembly

   whereby the modular sieve device is designed to be used as a whole and/or in modules and/or to be interchangeable.

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