EP3609762B1 - Device for movement of two switch-blades with a centrally located closure - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a device for adjusting two movable switch tongues arranged between two opposite pole rails.

A large number of different switching devices are known for switching points. Clip point or ratchet closures are often used. The latter latch lock is, for example, from the European patent application EP 0 624 508 A1 famous. the EP 3050773 A1 shows a central arrangement of the locking unit in a hollow sleeper. the DE 3543403 A1 discloses a hollow profile mounted between the stick rails.

The pawl of a pawl lock is pivotably held on a lock bearing. The switch tongue is also fastened to the locking bearing directly or via an intermediate component, for the adjustment and locking of which the pawl lock is used. The pawl lock therefore has the task of holding the point tongue resting on a stick rail and the point tongue lying off in a geometrically precisely defined position and locking it mechanically. The type of mechanical locking is advantageously carried out in a form-fitting manner. Due to the safety relevance of the functionality described, there are increased demands on the manufacture and maintenance of switches, so that it is a particular task of the design to build the switch lock as simply and safely as possible. Likewise, the same scale applies to the production, which has to provide the necessary parts of the pawl lock without errors.

In the field, it is therefore usually the case that each switch has to be individually adjusted by stocking different locking bearings and locking latches within the scope of the respective adjustability. It is often also unavoidable that holes have to be drilled in the web of the stick rails to attach the locking bearing, which not only requires a great deal of effort when assembling the switch and when managing a large number of components, but also repeatedly leads to comparatively expensive small series in design and manufacture.

The well-known design of an external lock (for example the pawl lock) locks the switch blade positively by means of a movable locking pawl. Such locking pawls are attached to both switch blades by means of a suitable bearing and thus lock the switch blade directly to the stock rail. Such an arrangement, in combination with a point machine, ensures safe passage of a rail vehicle. Due to the different track gauges (meter gauge, cape gauge, standard gauge, broad gauge, etc.) and in combination with the high variance of the profiles for switch tongues or stock rails, there is a wide range of geometric requirements for the realization of the external closures mentioned. As a rule, a separate type of closure is required for each design variant, which is suboptimal from the point of view of the design or manufacture of the closures.

1. a) Der Verschluss muss für jedes Schienenprofil und spezifisch für jede Spurweite neu konstruiert werden. Daraus resultiert eine hohe Anzahl unterschiedlicher Ausführungen.
2. b) Aufgrund der Vielfalt der Verschlüsse sind kaum Skaleneffekte im Rahmen der Fertigung realisierbar.
3. c) Klimatische bzw. Umwelteinflüsse können den Einsatz konventioneller Aussenverschlüsse verunmöglichen.

Today, either external or internal closures are used. Which principle is actually used depends on various factors. On the one hand it is about the speed of the trains, on the other hand it is about the design of the switch tongues. Other aspects such as the prevailing environmental conditions also play a role. Conventional (external) closures have the following disadvantages:

1. a) The closure must be redesigned for each rail profile and specifically for each track gauge. This results in a large number of different designs.
2. b) Due to the variety of closures, hardly any economies of scale can be realized in the context of production.
3. c) Climatic or environmental influences can make the use of conventional external closures impossible.

The present invention is therefore based on the object of specifying a simply designed and functionally reliable pawl lock in which the design can be more easily adapted to the different gauges and profiles of the switch tongues without having to give up the advantageous locking effects of known switch adjustment mechanisms.

1. a) für jede Stockschiene eine Basisplatte, die an der Stockschiene befestigbar ist und sich weitgehend horizontal ausgerichtet in den zwischen den beiden Stockschiene befindlichen Raum ausdehnt;
2. b) eine Verschlusseinheit, die an den beiden Basisplatten befestigbar und in dem zwischen den beiden Stockschienen befindlichen Raum anordenbar ist,
3. c) eine in der Verschlusseinheit geführte Nockenstange, mit der die Weichenzungen durch Zungenstellstangen, die die Nockenstange mit den Weichenzungen verbinden, zwischen zwei Endpositionen bewegbar sind,
4. d) eine Verriegelung durch das Zusammenwirken von einer in der Verschlusseinheit geführten Nockenstange und mindestens einer in der Verschlusseinheit schwenkbar gelagerten Verschlussklinke erzielbar ist,
5. e) die Nockenstange von einem Weichenantrieb zwischen den beiden Endpositionen der Weichenzungen bewegbar ist.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by a device for adjusting two movable switch tongues arranged between two opposite pole rails, comprising:

1. a) for each pole rail, a base plate which can be fastened to the pole rail and extends largely horizontally into the space between the two pole rails;
2. b) a locking unit that can be attached to the two base plates and can be arranged in the space between the two stick rails,
3. c) a cam rod guided in the locking unit, with which the switch rails can be moved between two end positions by means of switch rods which connect the cam rod to the switch rails,
4. d) locking can be achieved through the interaction of a cam rod guided in the locking unit and at least one locking pawl pivotally mounted in the locking unit,
5. e) the cam bar can be moved by a switch drive between the two end positions of the switch tongues.

1. a) Die Eintrittskosten für neue Märkte werden reduziert.
2. b) Die time-to-market für neue Märkte wird deutlich verringert.
3. c) Die Produktvielfalt im Bereich der Weichenstellsysteme wird reduziert.
4. d) Aufgrund der Möglichkeit zur Vormontage wird der Aufwand für die Montage vor Ort deutlich vereinfacht.

In this way, a locking unit arranged centrally between the floor rails for the switch mechanism is created, with the tried-and-tested functionality of the locking pawl being retained in principle, but shifted to the locking unit. The concept of the universal locking unit paired with base plates that can be attached to the pole rails, preferably with clamping pieces, reduces the Significant development effort, particularly with regard to new product/market combinations. The adjustment costs for any market entries are significantly reduced while the volume is increased at the same time, because the same concept can be used for different switches. Overall, this results in the following advantages:

1. a) Entry costs for new markets are reduced.
2. b) The time-to-market for new markets is significantly reduced.
3. c) The variety of products in the field of point setting systems is reduced.
4. d) Due to the possibility of pre-assembly, the effort for on-site assembly is significantly simplified.

The inventive value therefore lies in the realization of a universally usable locking unit, which connects the two pole rails in a form-fitting manner via the base plates, which also prevents a track widening in the area of the switch tips. In addition, the base plates can be easily adapted for different track widths and/or profiles of the switch tongues and/or stock rails due to the easily drilled holes (template-like) in them, which means that the device can be adapted to comparatively numerous configurations even with only a few parts to be stored.

In an expedient development of the invention, the two base plates can have an internal opening into which the closure unit can be inserted. This allows the locking unit to be embedded in the base plates, which means that the point setting system can be constructed in a very compact manner. In a way that is particularly easy to assemble, the locking unit can be designed as a locking box that rests on the base plates with flanges. For easy attachment of the lock box to the base plates, it can be provided that the lock unit can be screwed to the base plates.

The area around the switch is often also particularly relevant to safety in relation to its occupancy by a train or its clearing. For example, track circuits are also used for track vacancy detection, the principle of which is based on two electrically isolated stick rails being short-circuited by the axle of a rail vehicle, which can be detected accordingly in the evaluation unit of the track circuit. It is therefore expedient if the closure unit and the base plates can be electrically insulated from one another by means of insulating elements, preferably insulating plates and/or insulating bushings. In this way, the two base plates are each at the tension level of the pole rail to which they are attached.

Since a certain area of the base plates is swept over by the switch tongues when a switch is lifted, it can make sense to design this area of the base plates as a sliding chair for the switch tongues.

Further advantageous configurations are set out in the remaining dependent claims.

Figur 1

in schematischer Darstellung eine seitliche Ansicht eines Weichenverstellmechanismus mit Basisplatten und Verschlusskasten;

Figur 2

in schematischer Darstellung eine Aufsicht auf den Weichenverstellmechanismus gemäss Figur 1; und

Figur 3

in schematischer Darstellung eine perspektivische Ansicht auf den Weichenverstellmechanismus gemäss der Figuren 1 und 2.

Advantageous configurations of the present invention are explained in more detail with reference to a drawing. show:

figure 1

in a schematic representation a side view of a switch adjustment mechanism with base plates and locking box;

figure 2

in a schematic representation, a top view of the point adjustment mechanism according to figure 1 ; and

figure 3

in a schematic representation a perspective view of the point adjustment mechanism according to FIG Figures 1 and 2 .

the figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a lateral view of a point adjustment mechanism, which is arranged in a sleeper compartment 12 (ie the space located between two sleeper bodies and left out by the track ballast) which is not shown in any more detail here. For the switch lock, a pawl lock is used according to the principle of action in the EP 0 624 508 A1 latch lock shown used.

The switch adjustment mechanism is used to adjust two movable switch tongues 6a, 6b arranged between two opposite pole rails 4a, 4b. A base plate 8a, 8b can be fastened to each of the two stick rails 4a, 4b by means of clamping pieces 10a, 10b. The base plates 8a, 8b are aligned largely horizontally and protrude into the threshold compartment 12 located between the two floor rails 4a, 4b figure 2 It can be seen that the two base plates 8a, 8b do not touch in the threshold compartment 12 and are designed in such a way that they offer an opening 14 into which a locking box 16 is inserted. The lock box 16 is bolted to the base plates 8a, 8b using insulating plates and bushings 18. The screwing of the base plates 8a, 8b by means of the clamping pieces 10a, 10b to the pole rails 4a, 4b as well as the screwing of the locking box 16 to the base plates 8a, 8b creates an electrically isolated but form-fitting connection of the two pole rails, which particularly expands the track in the area the point tip is prevented.

In the locking box 16, a cam rod 18 is guided, which is not shown here in the direction of an arrow 20 between the two end positions of a switch drive of the switch tongues 6a, 6b is movable. According to the principle of a latch lock, the cam bar 18 fulfills two functions. First, the tongue-actuating rods 22a, 22b required to move the switch tongues 6a, 6b act on the cam rod 18 via corresponding connecting means. Secondly, a lock of two locking pawls 24a, 24b is achieved in the locking box 18 in that the cam rod 18 guided in the locking box 16 locks the pivoted locking pawls 24a, 24b in the locking position and thus holds the switch tongues 6a, 6b firmly in their end positions. Only if, for example, the cam rod 18 moves to the right in the drawing and the cam 26a is no longer located under the locking pawl 24a, can the locking pawl 24a fall down in the drawing and then no longer has a positive fit on an inside of the locking box 16 arranged counter bearing and can then be moved together with the switch blade 6a to the right. Unlike the EP 0 624 508 A1 , whereby the locking pawl was locked in a locking bearing fastened to the foot of the rail, this abutment for the locking pawl 24a is now in the locking box 16.

In the schematic supervision according to figure 2 It can now be seen very clearly that the closure box 16 rests with its flanges on the base plates 8a, 8b and is screwed to them using insulating plates and bushings 18, which are electrically isolated from one another.

In the perspective view according to figure 3 Bores 28b can be seen particularly well on the base plate 8b, which are used to attach the clamping pieces and with which different running edge distances can be realized with the same base plate. This simplifies both the configuration of the switch adjustment mechanism 2 and the assembly in the field. The present lock box 16 has no direct interface to adjacent sleeper bodies, which is why this concept can be used equally with wooden, concrete and steel sleepers. It should also be noted that the locking box 16 can also be operated independently of the point mechanism, the point of application of which is in figure 1 is indicated schematically with the position 30. In other words, this means that the infrastructure manager can continue to use existing point machines.

It should also be noted that, with different base plates 8a, 8b, such point setting mechanisms 2 can also easily be adapted to almost any gauge. The lock box 16 as such always remains identical. Adjustments then still have to be made to the tongue adjusting rods and, if available, to the tongue control linkage.

Claims (6)

1. Apparatus (2) for adjusting two moveable point blades (6a, 6b) arranged between two opposing stock rails (4a, 4b), comprising:

   a) for each stock rail (4a, 4b), a base plate (8a, 8b) which can be fastened to the stock rail (4a, 4b) and extends, oriented in a largely horizontal manner, into a space (12) located between the two stock rails (4a, 4b);

   b) a closing unit (16) which can be fastened to the two base plates (8a, 8b) and can be arranged in the space (12) located between the two stock rails (4a, 4b),

   c) a cam bar (18) guided in the closing unit (16), with which the point blades (6a, 6b) can be moved between two end positions by way of blade throw rods (22a, 22b) which connect the cam bar (18) to the point blades (6a, 6b),

   d) a locking can be achieved by way of the interaction between the cam bar (18) guided in the closing unit (16) and at least one locking pawl (24a, 24b) which is mounted such that it can pivot in the closing unit (16),

   e) the cam bar (18) can be moved between the two end positions of the point blades (6a, 6b) by a points drive.
2. Apparatus (2) according to claim 1,
   characterised in that
   the two base plates (8a, 8b) comprise an internal opening (14), into which the closing unit (16) can be introduced.
3. Apparatus (2) according to claim 1 or 2,
   characterised in that
   the closing unit (16) is designed as a locking box, which lies against the base plates (8a, 8b) with flanges.
4. Apparatus (2) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that
   the closing unit (16) can be screwed to the base plates (8a, 8b) .
5. Apparatus (2) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that
   the closing unit (16) and the base plates (8a, 8b) can be electrically isolated from one another by means of isolating elements, preferably isolating plate and/or isolating bushes.
6. Apparatus (2) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that
   the base plates (8a, 8b) each comprise a region which is embodied as a sliding seat for the point blades (6a, 6b).

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