EP3282054A1

EP3282054A1 - Railway wagon

Info

Publication number: EP3282054A1
Application number: EP17001362.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Erio Casarini; Giuseppe Salciccia
Original assignee: Costruzioni Linee Ferroviarie SpA; Costr Linee Ferroviarie SpA
Current assignee: Costruzioni Linee Ferroviarie SpA; Costr Linee Ferroviarie SpA
Priority date: 2016-08-09
Filing date: 2017-08-09
Publication date: 2018-02-14
Anticipated expiration: 2037-08-09
Also published as: EP3282054B1; IT201600084010A1

Abstract

A railway wagon (1) for the storage, transportation and unloading of inert ballast material comprises a frame (2) provided with wheels (3) for advancing on the rails (4) of a railway line (5), at least one container (6) for the storage of inert material, supported by the frame (2), such container (6) having a lower portion (6a) in which at least one door for emptying is provided; the wagon also comprises conveyor elements (T) for moving the inert material from and/or towards the container (6), the conveyor elements (T) comprise at least one lower conveyor (7) positioned below the container (6), and at least one upper conveyor (8) positioned above the container (6); the conveyor elements (T) comprise at least one front conveyor (10), communicating with the lower conveyor (7), tiltable between at least two angular positions around a first articulation axis (A).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention refers to a railway wagon for the storage, transportation and unloading of railway gravel and inert materials in granular form, or the like, in particular the materials used for the railway superstructure, i.e. the assembly of elements set against the surface bordering the road body, e.g. sand, ballast, gravel in general, and also discard gravel coming from ballast screening.

STATE OF THE PRIOR ART

It is known that railway ballast, constituted by gravel, on which rails are laid requires constant and careful maintenance work.
Such works maintain the optimal conditions of such ballast, mainly for efficiency and safety reasons.
With each passage of a train, the gravel of the ballast is subjected to high compression actions which, over time, tend to progressively crush it: this could cause local yielding of the ballast and alterations of the elastic characteristics.
In addition, the gravel of the ballast is also subjected to be dirtied by external agents or it can be polluted by the subsoil material that rises up into the ballast. In these cases, the capacity of distribution of the ballast load is limited and the ground surface - against which the ballast abuts - can be destroyed. Moreover, the dirty or polluted ballast is unable to protect the railway superstructure from moisture and from washing away since it is no longer able to disperse the water into the underlying ground.
In order to prevent these phenomena, the gravel of the ballast is periodically removed from the seat thereof, carefully selected based on piece size and then placed back on site, possibly remixed with new gravel in order to compensate for the absence of that which did not pass the selection examination.
The selection of the stones of size suitable for being placed back on site, into the ballast, is carried out by a suitable screening wagon which excavates the ballast, picks up the gravel and selects it, discarding the stones of size smaller than or greater than pre-established reference values.
The aforesaid screening wagon is connected to further wagons, in technical jargon defined hopper wagons, into which the gravel discarded by the screening wagon is collected, before then being transported and unloaded in opportune suitably-provided zones.
The joining of the screening wagon and the hopper wagons for gravel transport constitutes an actual operating train which is moved along the rails that are subjected to maintenance.
A wagon in which the discard gravel is collected normally comprises a container, on the lower part provided with doors, for emptying the container, controlled by suitable motor members.
In addition, the wagon comprises an upper conveyor, placed above the container, which if necessary allows the gravel to traverse the wagon itself without being deposited in the relative container, in other words in order to be moved between different points of the same train.
The same upper conveyor is in any case associated with diverter members which if desired allow the gravel to fall inside the container rather than move completely beyond it.
Each wagon is also provided with a lower conveyor which if necessary can collect the gravel discarded from the overlying container; such lower conveyor is associated, at the end of the wagon, with further conveyor elements which, inclined upward by a certain angle with respect to the horizontal, allow transferring the gravel unloaded from the container towards the upper conveyor of the immediately-adjacent wagon, such that from here, possibly, the gravel can be further transferred for example towards another wagon.
The aforesaid further conveyor elements, provided at one end of the wagon, also comprise a swivelable conveyor, i.e. rotatable around a vertical axis such that, when rotated by a certain angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the wagon, it allows unloading the discard gravel at a zone suitably provided for this.
The aforesaid wagons, currently used for this application type, have some limitations in specific use situations; more in detail, the paths that the discard gravel can complete inside the train are rigidly constrained to the configuration of the conveyors, in particular of the upper conveyor, of the lower conveyor and of the further conveyor elements which, as stated, allow transferring the gravel unloaded from a specific wagon to the conveyor of the immediately-adjacent wagon.
Such rigid configuration of the conveyors can constitute a significant problem if, for example, one of the single components of an intermediate wagon is damaged: as can be understood, this can compromise the operation of the entire train, and block it until the damage has been repaired.
There is therefore the need to implement alternative, more advanced structural solutions, which allow overcoming the above-lamented drawbacks.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

The technical task of the present invention is to improve the state of the art.
In the scope of such technical task, object of the present invention is to implement a railway wagon for the storage, transportation and unloading of inert material which allows obtaining improved characteristics of versatility in the movement of the inert material itself along the operating train.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a railway wagon which allows obtaining greater possibilities of transferring the inert material inside the operating train, e.g. in order to meet specific application needs, or if one of the components of the inert material transport system is damaged, so as to not compromise the operation of the train itself.
A further object of the present invention is to make a railway wagon with effective and reliable operation, in any case marked by a simple, inexpensive structure. Such task and such objects are all attained by a railway wagon for the storage, transportation and unloading of inert material according to the enclosed claim 1.
The railway wagon according to the invention for the storage, transportation and unloading of inert material comprises a frame provided with wheels for advancing on the rails of a railway line, at least one container for the storage of inert material, supported by the frame.
Such container has a lower portion in which at least one door for emptying is provided; the wagon also comprises the conveying means provided for moving the inert material from and/or towards the container.
The aforesaid conveying means comprise at least one lower conveyor positioned below the container, and at least one upper conveyor positioned above the container.
The conveying means also comprise at least one front conveyor, communicating with the lower conveyor, tiltable between at least two angular positions around a first articulation axis.
This solution allows selectively connecting the lower conveyor of a wagon to the upper conveyor, or even to the lower conveyor of the following wagon.
In this manner, it is possible to obtain multiple alternative paths of the inert material in the train, for example moving beyond a specific wagon or reaching the top thereof in order to unload the inert material at its interior.
According to another aspect of the invention, in particular the object of claim 4, the frame comprises a fifth wheel, rotatably supported by the upper surface of the frame at the front end, to which a rotatable support of the second end of the front conveyor is fixed for the rotation thereof around the first articulation axis, the fifth wheel being adapted to obtain the rotation of the front conveyor around a vertical rotation axis.
According to still another aspect of the invention, the conveying means also comprise at least one rear conveyor, communicating with the upper conveyor, tiltable between at least two angular positions around a second articulation axis. The presence of this further rear conveyor, also tiltable, allows obtaining further paths of the inert material, and hence even greater operating flexibility of the wagon: for example, this allows ensuring that the inert material only travels between the upper conveyors of adjacent wagons, in order to move beyond them or reach a specific wagon and unload the inert material at its interior.
The other dependent claims refer to further preferred and advantageous embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.

These and further advantages will be better understood by every man skilled in the art from the following description and from the enclosed drawings, given as a non-limiting example, in which:

figure 1: is a perspective view of a railway wagon according to the present invention;
figure 1A: illustrates a detail of the upper part of the railway wagon of figure 1;
figure: 1B illustrates a detail of the lower part of the railway wagon of figure 1;
figure 2: is a side view of the railway wagon;
figure 3: is a detailed side view of two railway wagons according to the invention, connected together and in a specific operative configuration;
figure 4: is a detailed side view of two railway wagons according to the invention, connected together and in another operative configuration;
figure 5: is a detailed side view of two railway wagons according to the invention, connected together and in yet another operative configuration;
figure 6: is a detailed side view of two railway wagons according to another embodiment of the invention, connected together and in a specific operative configuration;
figure 7: is a detailed side view of two railway wagons according to the embodiment of figure 6, connected together and in another operative configuration;
figure 8: is a detailed side view of two railway wagons according to the embodiment of figure 6, connected together and in yet another operative configuration;
figure 9: is a detailed side view of two railway wagons according to the embodiment of figure 6, connected together and in a further operative configuration;
figure 10: is a side view of two railway wagons according to the embodiment of figure 6, connected to each other;
figure 11: is a partial-cross-section schematic view of a railway wagon according to the present invention;
figure 12: is another partial-cross-section schematic view of a railway wagon according to the present invention;
figure 13: is a longitudinal-section schematic view of a part of the railway wagon according to the present invention;
figure 14: illustrates diagrams for loading/unloading inert materials in several railway wagons according to the present invention;
figure 15: illustrates diagrams for unloading the inert materials in several railway wagons according to the present invention;
figure 16: illustrates a configuration of a train formed by a screening car and several railway wagons according to the present invention;
figure 17: illustrates a configuration of a train formed by a screening car, a car for inserting the new inert material and several railway wagons according to the present invention; and
figure 18: illustrates a configuration of a train formed by a locomotive and several railway wagons according to the present invention.

EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION.

With particular reference to figure 1, reference number 1 overall indicates a railway wagon for the storage, transportation and unloading of railway gravel and inert material according to the invention.
It must be observed that the railway wagon 1 according to the present invention can be used for transporting the gravel of the discarded ballast from a screening wagon that precedes the wagon 1 itself, but more generally it can be used for transporting inert material which can be both discard and inert material of various types, also not discard material, to be employed for the railway superstructure, or for zones adjacent thereto, e.g. for creating footpaths next to the railway line, or for distributing the railway gravel along the line.
The wagon 1 comprises a frame 2, in the aforesaid frame 2, a front end 2a and a rear end 2b can be identified: such distinction is made with reference to the advancing direction of the wagon 1.
On the lower part, the frame 2 comprises groups of wheels 3, for advancing on the rails 4 of the railway line 5.
The wagon 1 also comprises at least one container 6. Inside the container 6, the storage is operated of the inert material removed from the ballast of the railway line 5.
The container 6 is supported above the frame 2. More particularly, the container 6 is supported above the frame 2 in a manner such that, between the two, a space of a certain size remains.
The container 6 comprises a lower portion 6a and an upper portion 6b, as well as a front portion 6c and a rear portion 6d. At its lower portion 6a, the container 6 comprises at least one door for the emptying thereof.
There can also be a plurality of doors, controlled by motor members; each motor member can control one or more doors. The doors and the respective motor members are not shown in the enclosed figures for the sake of simplicity.
The doors and the respective motor members can be attained according to different embodiment solutions.
In particular, the motor members can be of various type, e.g. electrical actuation, hydraulic actuation or pneumatic actuation, or still other types, without specific limitations. Each type of motor member is power supplied by the relative energy sources: electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, etcetera.
The lower portion 6a of the container 6 is sloped with respect to the horizontal plane defined by the frame 2 of the wagon 1; more in detail, the lower portion 6a is sloped upward, proceeding from the rear portion 6d towards the front portion 6c.
The upper portion 6b of the container 6 is sloped with respect to the horizontal plane defined by the frame 2 of the wagon 1; more particularly, the upper portion 6b is sloped upward, proceeding from the rear portion 6d towards the front portion 6c.
The front portion 6c of the container 6 is sloped downward; the rear portion 6d is instead sloped upward. The reasons for such particular shape of the container 6 is due to the need to obtain the maximum volumetric capacity of the container 6 within the length of the frame 2.
Nevertheless, if there are no particular limitation requirements for the length of the frame 2, the container 6 can have simple form, without slope.
In this case, there will be suitable spaces at the front and rear of the container 6 in order to allow the tilt of the conveying means T; these will be clearer hereinbelow.
The container 6 has smaller length than that of the frame 2 and is positioned, with respect to the frame 2, in a manner that is not exactly symmetrical with reference to its longitudinal extension, i.e. in a manner such that above the rear end 2b of the frame 2 itself there is sufficient free space, also in proximity to the front end 2a of the frame 2 the container 6 has a certain free space.
The railway wagon 1 comprises the conveying means T, provided for moving the inert material from and/or towards the container 6.
According to one aspect of the invention, the conveying means T comprise at least one lower conveyor 7.
The lower conveyor 7 is inserted in the space comprised between the frame 2 and the lower portion 6a of the container 6.
The lower conveyor 7 extends below the lower portion 6a of the container 6 essentially for the entire length thereof; in addition, the lower conveyor 7 extends beyond the rear portion 6d of the container 6, and hence above the rear end 2b of the frame 2.
The lower conveyor 7 is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane defined by the frame 2; more in detail, the lower conveyor 7 is inclined upward, proceeding from the rear end 2b towards the front end 2a.
The inclination of the lower conveyor 7, with respect to the horizontal plane defined by the frame 2, can essentially be the same as the lower portion 6a of the container 6, or it could be different, for example parallel to the frame 2 of the wagon 1, i.e. substantially horizontal.
The lower conveyor 7 can for example be of belt type, or of any other equivalent type.
Instead of a single lower conveyor 7, multiple lower conveyors 7 can clearly be provided, aligned and communicating with each other in sequence.
According to another aspect of the invention, the conveying means T comprise at least one upper conveyor 8.
The upper conveyor 8 is positioned above the upper portion 6b of the container 6; the upper conveyor 8 is essentially extended for the entire length of the container 6. The upper conveyor 8 is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane defined by the frame 2; more in detail, the upper conveyor 8 is inclined upward, proceeding from the rear end 2b towards the front end 2a of the frame 2.
The inclination of the upper conveyor 8, with respect to the horizontal plane defined by the frame 2, can essentially be the same as the upper portion 6b of the container 6, or it could be different.
Instead of a single upper conveyor 8, multiple upper conveyors 8 can clearly be provided, aligned and communicating with each other in sequence.
According to that illustrated in figure 11, the upper conveyor 8, or the conveyor belts 8 if there are more than one, are provided with rotation means 15 in order to make the conveyor 8 tiltable with respect to a longitudinal axis of the wagon 1 so as to always allow the transverse horizontality thereof. This serves to prevent the material of the upper conveyor 8 from being accumulated in the lower part, in horizontal direction with respect to the conveyor, i.e. in proximity to an edge of the conveyor itself.
This characteristic therefore allows the optimal use of the present invention in all conditions of the railway route, with particular reference to the line sections with high transverse slope, i.e. for example in the curves with a superelevation D (figure 11).
In addition, it must be observed that the entire work part which comprises the container 6, the upper 8 and lower 7 conveyors, as well as the other conveyors and the other connected structural elements that will be subsequently described, is supported by a structure 16 completely separatable from the lower vehicular part of the wagon, i.e. the part constituted by the groups of wheels 3 and by the frame 2.
This characteristic allows the substitution of the aforesaid work part in case of maintenance or more generally in case of damage.
The conveying means T comprise a diverter device 9, according to a version of the present invention the diverting device 9 is provided along the upper conveyor 8 and is movable along the same conveyor 8 (figure 1A).
The diverting device 9 has the function of diverting - selectively, i.e. when desired - the inert material that travels on the upper conveyor 8 in a manner so as to make it fall inside the container 6 in the desired zone of the container 6, so as to distribute the material inside the container according to what is requested.
In other words, the diverting device 9 intervenes when the particular operating step of the train requires that the inert material conveyed from the upper conveyor 8 is - completely or even only partially - unloaded inside the underlying container 6 in specific zones of the container 6 itself.
The diverting device 9 could be of various type; for example, this can be of ploughshare type, or of another type.
In figures 12 and 13, further aspects are illustrated of the unloading of the inert material inside the container 6.
Figure 12 illustrates a cross section of the container 6 and of the upper conveyor 8 from which it is possible to see the inert material 17 which is diverted by means of the diverting device 9, falling via gravity, from the upper conveyor 8 inside the container 6.
The diverting device 9 comprises deflecting means 18 which serve to direct the flow of the falling inert material 17 to the center and to the sides of the container 6 so as to uniformly distribute it within the same.
For such purpose, the deflecting means 18 are driven by oscillating means (not illustrated) which determine the transverse oscillation of the same deflecting means 18 according to the arrows S; such oscillation occurs with a certain frequency that can be varied and adapted to the type of unloaded of inert material 17.
According to still another aspect of the invention, the conveying means T comprise at least one front conveyor 10.
According to one aspect of the invention, the front conveyor 10 is tiltable between at least two angular positions around a first articulation axis A (figure 1B).
The front conveyor 10 is in fact articulated to the frame 2; more in detail, the front conveyor 10 is articulated to the front end 2a of the frame 2.
Still more particularly, the front conveyor 10 comprises a first free end 10a, and a second end 10b articulated to the front end 2a of the frame 2, at the aforesaid first articulation axis A.
The first articulation axis A is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the frame 2, i.e. in other words it is parallel to the axles of the wheels 3.
The first articulation axis A is defined by a rotatable support 10c, associated with the upper surface of the frame 2.
The first articulation axis A is provided substantially below the front portion 6c of the container 6.
The front conveyor 10 can then be rotated, around the first articulation axis A, within a certain angular range, in order to be brought into different operative positions, as better clarified hereinbelow.
As appears evident, the front conveyor 10 can be rotated around the first articulation axis A due to the particular shape of the container 6 at its front portion 6c, which provides for a slope directed downward that allows the free movement of the front conveyor 10 itself.
As described above, if there are no particular limitation requirements for the length of the frame 2, and no need to attain the maximum volumetric capacity of the container 6 in relation to the length of the frame 2, the container 6 can have simple form, without slopes.
In this case, the possibility to rotate the front conveyor 10 around the first articulation axis A is obtained by means of a longitudinal space arranged in proximity to the front end 2a of the frame 2 before the container 6, so that the front portion 6c is simply vertical without downward slope, and also in the rear end 2b of the frame 2, the rear portion 6d of the container 6 can be vertical without being sloped upward.
At the first articulation axis A, driving means are provided that allow rotating the front conveyor 10; such driving means can for example be of electric, hydraulic, pneumatic or still another type, each drive type being power supplied by the relative energy sources: electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, etcetera.
According to still another aspect of the invention, the front conveyor 10 can be lengthened; alternatively, the front conveyor 10 can also have fixed length.
In other words, the front conveyor 10 has fixed length or it can be extended/retracted between a minimum length and a maximum length.
The lower conveyor 7 and the front conveyor 10 are mutually positioned, and assembled, such that there is continuity in the passage from one to the other, in the abovementioned order; in other words, the inert material that travels along the lower conveyor 7 is directly transferred onto the front conveyor 10 since the respective transport surfaces are directly communicating.
More in detail, the front portion of the lower conveyor 7 can be arranged so as to be superimposed, even only for a very short section, on the second end 10b of the front conveyor 10.
In the specific embodiment in which the front conveyor 10 is of belt type, the lengthening/shortening of such belt can be obtained with different technical solutions; for example, this can be obtained with solutions that provide for the mutual approaching/moving apart of the opposite rollers on which the belt is wound, by drive means of electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic type or other drive means, each drive type being power supplied by the relative energy sources: electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, etcetera.
If the front conveyor 10 has fixed length, then the lower conveyor 7 can be of the type that can be lengthened, in a manner similar to that described above for the front conveyor 10.
According to another aspect of the invention, the front conveyor 10 is swivelable. In other words, the front conveyor 10 is rotatable around a vertical rotation axis C (figures 2 and 15).
Therefore, the front conveyor 10 can be rotated, around the aforesaid vertical axis C, by a certain angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the wagon 1, in a manner so as to be at least partially brought outside the planar bulk of the wagon 1 itself.
More in detail, the frame 2 comprises a fifth wheel 10d; the fifth wheel 10d is rotatably supported by the upper surface of the frame 2 at its front end 2a.
The fifth wheel 10d can be controlled in rotation, with respect to the frame, due to provided rotatable driving means, not represented in the figures.
Such rotatable driving means can for example comprise an electrical gear motor group, or the like.
On the fifth wheel 10d, the rotatable support 10c of the front conveyor 10 is fixed. In figure 15, several operating possibilities are illustrated for the rotation of the swivelable front conveyor 10.
Figure 15/1 illustrates a first mode of unloading inert material from the wagons. The material passes from one wagon to the other and the unloading occurs in the final wagon, frontally or laterally.
Figure 15/2 illustrates another unloading mode in which all the wagons can simultaneously unload on the sides, which is made possible by the structure of the front conveyor 10 which is rotating without interferences with parts of the adjacent wagon.
The length of the front conveyor 10, both in the case of fixed length, and in the case of variable length in retracted configuration, is such that the swiveling does not interfere with parts of the adjacent wagon. In turn the adjacent wagon has a rear shape which allows the swiveling of the front conveyor 10.
According to another aspect of the invention, the conveying means T comprise a rear conveyor 11.
The rear conveyor 11 is tiltable, between at least two angular positions, around a second articulation axis B.
The rear conveyor 11 is articulated to the upper conveyor 8; more in detail, the rear conveyor 11 is articulated to the rear portion of the upper conveyor 8.
The rear conveyor 11 comprises a first free end portion 11 a, and a second end portion 11b articulated to the rear portion of the upper conveyor 8, around the aforesaid second articulation axis B.
The second articulation axis B is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the frame 2, i.e. in other words is parallel to the axles of the wheels 3.
Consequently, the second articulation axis B is also parallel to the first articulation axis A.
The rear conveyor 11 can then be rotated, around the second articulation axis B, within a certain angular range, in order to be brought into different operative positions, as is better clarified hereinbelow.
As appears evident, the rear conveyor 11 can be rotated around the second articulation axis B due to the particular shape of the container 6 at its rear portion 6d which, as stated, provides for a slope directed upward which allows the free movement of the rear conveyor 11 itself.
At the second articulation axis B, driving means are provided which allow rotating the rear conveyor 11; such driving means can for example be of electric, hydraulic, pneumatic or still another type, each drive type being power supplied by the relative energy sources: electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, etcetera.
According to still another aspect of the invention, the rear conveyor 11 can be lengthened.
In other words, the rear conveyor 11 can be extended/retracted between a minimum length and a maximum length.
For the purpose of the specific structural solution employable for obtain this result, reference is made to the considerations outlined for the front conveyor 10.
It must also be observed that in order to obtain the continuity of the inert material transport from one wagon to another, at least one of the conveyors which are adjacent must be of the type that can be lengthened: thus, for example, the lower conveyor 7 and the front conveyor 10 can each be two structures that can be lengthened, such as the rear conveyor 11.
As figure 1 in particular shows, the rear conveyor 11 and the upper conveyor 8 are mutually positioned, and assembled, such that there is continuity in passing from one to the other, in the abovementioned order; in other words, the inert material which travels along the rear conveyor 11 is directly transferred onto the upper conveyor 8 since the respective transport surfaces are directly communicating.
At the front end 2a and at the rear end 2b of the frame 2 of the railway wagon 1, connection members 12 are provided, for the temporary coupling to other wagons 1 of the same type.
Such connection members 12 are of type known in the railway field and will not be further described.
Figure 3 shows two railway wagons 1 according to the invention in detail, which are connected to each other; in particular, a detail is shown of the zone of connection between the two wagons 1, for an improved comprehension of several important operating modes thereof.
Conventionally - only for the purpose of an improved comprehension of the invention - we define as first wagon 1a that positioned on the right, while the second wagon 1b is defined as that positioned on the left in figure 3.
The first wagon 1a and the second wagon 1b are identical to each other, at least regarding the characteristics that are the object of the present description.
The operative configuration illustrated in figure 3 provides that the inert material is transferred from the first wagon 1a to the second wagon 1b.
More particularly the inert material, coming from the lower conveyor 7 of the first wagon 1a (since it is unloaded from the container 6 of the same first wagon 1a, or coming from still another wagon), must be transferred to the upper conveyor 8 of the second wagon 1b.
In order to execute this transfer, the front conveyor 10 of the first wagon 1a is tilted upward by a certain angle with respect to the horizontal plane defined by the frame 2, and even lengthened by a certain section.
Correspondingly, the rear conveyor 11 of the second wagon 1b is tilted downward by a certain angle with respect to the horizontal plane defined by the frame 2, and also this is lengthened by a certain section.
The front conveyor 10 of the first wagon 1a and the rear conveyor 11 of the second wagon 1b are respectively inclined in a manner such that, respectively, the first end 10a and the first end portion 11a are situated in proximity to each other.
More in detail, in order to ensure that there is the correct passage of the inert material without risks of accidental falling, the front conveyor 10 and the rear conveyor 11 are respectively tilted in a manner such that the first end 10a of the front conveyor 10 is superimposed, even only for a short section, on the first end portion 11 a of the rear conveyor 11: in this manner, there is no risk that the inert material accidentally falls, being inserted between the two conveyors 10, 11.
This operative configuration can be activated in different situations.
One possible situation is, as stated, the simple transfer of the inert material unloaded from the container 6 of the first wagon 1a to the second wagon 1b; the inert material is then transferred from the lower conveyor 7 of the first wagon 1a to the upper conveyor 8 of the second wagon 1b, and from this it is unloaded inside the container 6 of the same second wagon 1b (by using the diverting device 9). According to another possible situation, the inert material that travels on the lower conveyor 7 of the first wagon 1a (possibly, but not necessarily, unloaded from the container 6 of the same first wagon 1a, or even from the container 6 of another wagon that precedes it in the train) is transferred, in the described manner, to the upper conveyor 8 of the second wagon 1b, before then continuing towards another wagon (which is not necessarily the same second wagon 1b, but it could be another wagon that follows it in the train).
According to the operative configuration illustrated in figure 4, the inert material that travels on the upper conveyor 8 of the first wagon 1a is transferred to the upper conveyor 8 of the second wagon 1b.
This operative configuration can be activated if the inert material must move beyond the first wagon 1a for some reason.
The inert material then reaches the second wagon 1b, and it can move beyond it or be unloaded inside the container 6 thereof.
Such operative configuration is obtained by tilting the rear conveyor 11 of the second wagon 1b until it is parallel, or substantially parallel, to the horizontal plane defined by the frame 2.
At the same time, the rear conveyor 11 of the second wagon 1b is lengthened by a certain section, such that its first end portion 11 a is situated in proximity to the front end of the upper conveyor 8 of the first wagon 1a: more in detail, the front end of the upper conveyor 8 is situated at a height slightly greater than that reached by the first end portion 11a of the rear conveyor, such that the transfer of the inert material can occur simply by falling.
According to the operative configuration illustrated in figure 5, the inert material that travels on the lower conveyor 7 of the first wagon 1a is transferred to the lower conveyor 7 of the second wagon 1b.
This configuration can be used for simple transfer of inert material from one part of the train to the other, or for transferring, into another part of the train, the inert material unloaded from the container 6 of the first wagon 1a, or as an alternative to the operative configuration illustrated in figure 3, if the upper conveyor 8 of the second wagon 1b is not usable.
This operative configuration is obtained by tilting the front conveyor 10 of the first wagon 1a downward, and also extending it by a certain section such that its first end 10a is partially superimposed on the rear end of the lower conveyor 7 of the second wagon 1b: in this manner, the transfer of the inert material can occur simply by falling.
Another embodiment of the railway wagon according to the present invention is illustrated in figures 6-10.
In this embodiment, the wagon differs from the preceding embodiment due to the fact that the front conveyor 10 comprises a horizontal section 14 and a tiltable section 13.
The horizontal section 14 and the tiltable section 13 are connected to each other and communicating.
The horizontal section 14 and the tiltable section 13 are connected to each other at the first articulation axis A.
For only the tiltable section 13, the same considerations hold true that were set forth for the front conveyor 10 of the preceding embodiment.
In particular, the horizontal section 14 extends below the front portion of the lower conveyor 7 for a certain length.
The presence of the horizontal section 14 facilitates, and makes safer, the transfer of the inert material from the lower conveyor 7 to the front conveyor 10, completely eliminating the risks of accidental falling of the inert material itself.
In addition, the lower conveyor 7 can also shift in horizontal direction and even rotate, so as to be superimposed on the horizontal section 14 and below the tiltable section 13.
In figure 6, the first wagon 1a and the second wagon 1b are illustrated in a generic operative configuration.
In figure 7, the first wagon 1a and the second wagon 1b are shown in an operative configuration corresponding to that of the preceding figure 3, i.e. in which the inert material is transferred from the lower conveyor 7 of the first wagon 1a to the upper conveyor 8 of the second wagon 1b.
In figure 8, the first wagon 1a and the second wagon 1b are shown in a further operative configuration that corresponds both to that of the preceding figure 4 and to that of the preceding figure 5.
Indeed, in this operative configuration the transfer of the inert material can occur (possibly also simultaneously) both between the upper conveyors 8 and between the lower conveyors 7 of the first wagon 1a and of the second wagon 1b, for example in order to increase the transfer speed of a certain quantity of inert material, and hence to increase the overall mass of inert material transferred from one wagon to another.
In figure 9, another operative configuration is shown in which the first wagon 1a is configured for unloading the inert material into a provided zone, after having unloaded the container 6 onto the lower conveyor 7.
More particularly, in this configuration the front conveyor 10 is tilted by a certain angle upward, and also lengthened as much as possible, in order to reach the maximum height.
After this - after having possibly separated the first wagon 1a from the rest of the train, in order to not interrupt the operations thereof - the front conveyor 10 is rotated around the vertical rotation axis C (by an angle that can reach 60° with respect to the longitudinal axis of the wagon) in a manner so as to be brought outside the planar bulk of the first wagon 1a itself: in this configuration, the inert material coming from the lower conveyor 7 can be unloaded outside the wagon, making an accumulation that can reach a certain height due to the possibility of the front conveyor 10 to be tilted upward and possibly also be lengthened.
In figure 10, finally, the first wagon 1a and the second wagon 1b are shown - schematically and in their entirety for improved comprehension - in the operative configuration corresponding to that of figure 7, in which the inert material is transferred from the lower conveyor 7 of the first wagon 1a to the upper conveyor 8 of the second wagon 1b.
It is indicated that, where not otherwise specified, the driving of each of the conveyors 7, 8, 10, 11 of the railway wagon according to the present invention can for example be of the type comprising an electrical gear motor group, or gear motor group of another type that is suitable for the application.
In figure 13, an operative sequence is schematized for the longitudinal filling of the container 6, considering that the upper conveyor 8 is moved into the plane of figure 13 from left to right, i.e. according to the direction of the arrow F.
The aforesaid operative sequence must only be considered as a non-limiting example since, based on the requirements of distribution of the load inside the container 6, also other different loading modes are possible for the purpose for example of maintaining an equal distribution of the load on the axles of the wagon 1.
The diverting device 9 is initially situated in the first position 19 more to the left in figure 13, causing the falling of the inert material 17 and forming the first accumulation 20, then the diverting device 9 is moved by a pitch P into the second position 21, forming the second accumulation 22, and so on: the diverting device 9 is moved by a pitch P into the successive positions, forming the successive accumulations until the container 6 is completely filled.
In order to detect the formation of the accumulations, the container 6 comprises one or more sensors 23 which can be of various type: mechanical or electronic. For example, in the case of electronic sensor the following can be used: infrared signals, lasers, ultrasounds etcetera.
According to a mode that is not the object of the present invention, when the signal exiting from the sensor 23 intercepts the top of the accumulation being formed, a control is emitted for advancing the diverting device 9.
Upon reaching the maximum capacity of one container, the subsequent container is then filled. The sequence is repeated until the entire train is loaded with inert material 17.
For the operative management of these functions, a computerized system is provided that - by making use of signals coming from the different devices of each wagon 1 - allows automatically driving the desired work step.
For such purpose, according to that illustrated for example in figure 17, each wagon 1 comprises a control unit 28, for example a programmable logic controller or PLC, and a further central unit 29 is also provided which is in communication with the control units 28 of the wagons and supervises and coordinates the work operations of the wagons 1. Also the central unit 29 can be a programmable logic controller or PLC or another equivalent device, and it can be placed in the screening car 24 or in any other wagon that forms part of the train adapted to contain the aforesaid unit 29.
Said automatic system is in any case surveyed by an operator in one or more centralized positions, who can interact with the same automatic system.
The parameters taken under consideration by means of any type of sensor or device

mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic, electrical, electronic, optical - allow:
- control of the orientation of the belts and the synchronization thereof for the selected work step;
- positioning and operating state of the conveyors and their rotation and/or advancing speed;
- control of the diverting apparatus of the upper conveyor;
- load - unload state of each wagon;
- activation of the wagons;
- management of the by-pass from one wagon to another wagon beyond the next.

In figure 14, several possibilities are shown for working the flow of inert material, which illustrate the versatility of the present invention.
In figure 14/1, the inert material flow coming from the lower conveyor 7 of a preceding wagon is transferred by means of front and rear conveyors 10 and 11 into the container 6 of a subsequent wagon which, by means of the door, unloads the material onto the lower conveyor 7, and thus for the other wagons a flow of inert material is determined that can be defined bottom-up.
In figure 14/2, the flow of inert material coming from the upper conveyor 8 of a preceding wagon is transferred to the upper conveyor 8 of the subsequent wagon, and thus for the other wagons a flow of inert material is determined that can be defined up-up.
In figure 14/3, the flow of inert material coming from the lower conveyor 7 of a preceding wagon is transferred to the lower conveyor 7 of the subsequent wagon, and thus for the other wagons a flow of inert material is determined that can be defined bottom-bottom.
In figure 14/4, the flow of inert material is a combination of the preceding situations, a flow of inert material is determined which can be defined mixed.
In figure 16, a combination of a screening car 24 with a series of wagons 1 according to the present invention is illustrated; the advancing of the train occurs according to the direction X and the wagons 1 precede the screening car 24.
The inert material exiting from the screening car 24 can come from an upper conveyor 25 and is sent to the wagons 1 according to any one of the operative modes illustrated in figure 14.
The wagon 1 furthest from the screening car 24 can be filled first; nevertheless also the intermediate wagons 1 can be filled on the basis of particular requirements or operating problems.
Figure 17 illustrates a combination of a screening car 24 with a series of wagons 1 placed at the front for the collection of the discarded inert material as in the case of the preceding figure 16; in addition, a car 26 is present for the insertion of new inert material arranged at the rear of the screening car 24, considering the advancing direction X of the train.
In this case, the new inert material is contained in a series of wagons 1 according to the present invention, arranged to the rear of the car 26 for the insertion of inert material.
It must be observed that with the wagons according to the present invention, it is possible to renew the existing inert material and add new inert material with a single train.
In figure 18, a combination of a locomotive 27 with a series of wagons 1 according to the present invention is illustrated, such wagons arranged to the rear of the locomotive 27 for the insertion of new inert material already contained in the wagons 1.
The insertion of the new inert material occurs to the rear of the last wagon 1.
The invention thus conceived allows obtaining important technical advantages. The presence of a front conveyor 10, which can be tilted and lengthened, allows obtaining different operative configurations of the wagon, which allow the inert material to be transported according to different modes, each specifically implemented in order to meet a specific requirement.
These advantages are further enhanced by the presence of the further rear conveyor 11, and also this can be tilted and lengthened, which allows attaining still other useful operative configurations.
These advantages appear particularly significant in the case of damage of the lower conveyor 7 or of the upper conveyor 8 of a specific wagon 1; the remaining conveyors 10, 11 in fact allow easily moving beyond the damaged wagon without having to interrupt the operation of the train.
The greater versatility obtained in the wagon also allows obtaining improved performances of the train if one or more wagons are separated from the train itself in order to unload the inert material into the provided areas.
The aforesaid advantages are obtained with a structural solution that is particularly simple, inexpensive and versatile.
It is thus seen that the invention attains the set objects.
The present invention has been described according to preferred embodiments, but equivalent variants can be conceived without departing from the protective scope offered by the following claims.

Claims

Railway wagon (1) for the storage, transportation and unloading of railway gravel and inert material, comprising
a frame (2) provided with wheels (3) for advancing on the rails (4) of a railway line (5),
at least one container (6) for the storage of inert material, supported by said frame (2), said container (6) having a lower portion (6a) in which at least one door for emptying is provided,
and conveying means (T) for moving the inert material from and/or towards said container (6), said conveying means (T) comprising at least one lower conveyor (7) positioned below said container (6), and at least one upper conveyor (8) positioned above said container (6),
wherein said conveying means (T) comprise at least one front conveyor (10) communicating with said lower conveyor (7) tiltable between at least two angular positions around a first articulation axis (A) and/or at least one rear conveyor (11), communicating with said upper conveyor (8), tiltable between at least two angular positions around a second articulation axis (B), characterized in that said front conveyor (10) can be lengthened and/or said rear conveyor (11) can be lengthened in a manner such to allow different possibilities for working the flow of inert material:
a passage of inert material from the lower conveyor (7) of a first wagon (1) to the lower conveyor (7) of a second wagon (1) adjacent to the first wagon (1);
or

a passage of inert material from the lower conveyor (7) of a first wagon (1) to the upper conveyor (8) of a second wagon (1) adjacent to the first wagon (1);
or

a passage of inert material from the upper conveyor (8) of a first wagon (1) to the upper conveyor (8) of a second wagon (1) adjacent to the first wagon (1);
or

a passage of inert material from the upper conveyor (8) of a first wagon (1) to the lower conveyor (7) of a second wagon (1) adjacent to the first wagon (1).
Wagon according to claim 1, wherein said front conveyor (10) comprises a first free end (10a), and a second end (10b) articulated to the front end (2a) of said frame (2) at said first articulation axis (A), the latter being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said frame (2).
Wagon according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said front conveyor (10) of a first wagon (1) has a length, both in the case of fixed length, and in the case of variable length in retracted configuration, such that it is swivelable without interfering with parts of a second wagon (1) adjacent to the first wagon.
Wagon according to the preceding claim, wherein said frame (2) comprises a fifth wheel (10d), rotatably supported by the upper surface of said frame (2) at said front end (2a), to which a rotatable support (10c) of said second end (10b) of said front conveyor (10) is fixed for the rotation thereof around said first articulation axis (A), said fifth wheel (10d) being adapted to obtain the rotation of said front conveyor (10) around a vertical rotation axis (C).
Wagon according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said front conveyor (10) is tiltable and extensible until it reaches the rear portion of the lower conveyor (7) of an adjacent wagon, so as to allow the passage of the inert material from said front conveyor (10) of a wagon to the lower conveyor (7) of another adjacent wagon.
Wagon according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said lower conveyor (7) is shiftable in horizontal direction and/or tiltable until it reaches the front portion below the front conveyor (10) of another adjacent wagon.
Wagon according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said rear conveyor (11) comprises a first free end portion (11a), and a second end portion (11b) articulated to the rear portion of said upper conveyor (8), around said second articulation axis (B), the latter being parallel to said first articulation axis (A).
Wagon according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said rear conveyor (11) is tiltable and extensible until it reaches the first end (10a) of the front conveyor (10) of an adjacent wagon, so as to allow the passage of the inert material from said front conveyor (10) of a wagon to the rear conveyor (11) of another adjacent wagon.
Wagon according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said rear conveyor (11) is tiltable and extensible until it reaches the front portion of the upper conveyor (8) of an adjacent wagon, so as to allow the passage of the inert material from said upper conveyor (8) of a wagon to the rear conveyor (11) of another adjacent wagon.
Wagon according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said upper conveyor (8) is provided with rotation means (15) for making said conveyor (8) tiltable with respect to a longitudinal axis of the wagon (1) so as to always allow the transverse horizontality thereof and to prevent the material of the upper conveyor (8) from being accumulated in the lower part, in horizontal direction with respect to the conveyor, i.e. in proximity to an edge of the conveyor itself.
Wagon according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said front conveyor (10) comprises a horizontal section (14) and a tiltable section (13), connected at said first articulation axis (A).
Wagon according to the preceding claim, wherein said horizontal section (14) extends below the front portion of said lower conveyor (7), for a certain length.
Wagon according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said container (6) comprises a front portion (6c) sloped downward, in order to allow the free movement of said front conveyor (10) and/or a rear portion (6d) sloped upward, in order to allow the free movement of said rear conveyor (11).
Wagon according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the entire work part which comprises the container (6), the conveyors (7-11) and other connected structural elements is supported by a structure (16) completely separatable from the lower vehicular part of the wagon, i.e. the part constituted by the groups of wheels (3) and by the frame (2).
Train comprising at least one wagon (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, each wagon (1) comprising a control unit (28), for example a programmable logic controller or PLC, for the operative management of the control of the orientation of the conveyors (7-11) and the synchronization thereof for the selected work step; of the positioning and operating state of the conveyors and the rotation and/or advancing speed thereof; control of the diverting apparatus of the upper conveyor; of the load - unload state of each wagon (1); of the activation of the wagons (1); of the management of the by-pass from one wagon to another wagon beyond the next, and a central unit (29) which is in communication with the control units (28) of the wagons (1) and supervises and coordinates the work operations of the wagons (1) of said train.