FR2818930A1 - Self-propelled tractor, for rail maintenance, uses tractor mounted on rail truck with axles carrying wheels with pneumatic tires and has mechanism to raise or lower axles so tractor can run on tires or on rail wheels - Google Patents

Abstract

The tractor has a cabin (5), which can rotate through 180 deg , mounted on a motor unit (7) that has two driven axles carrying pneumatic-tired wheels (1). The motor unit is supported on a railway truck chassis (8). The axles with the pneumatic wheels can be displaced vertically relative to a railway truck chassis, allowing the tractor to run on the pneumatic wheels or the rail wheels (2).

Description

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 Device relating to self-propelled railway rolling stock on rails, equipped with a 180-degree driving cab, which can be towed at high speed in a rail convoy and travel on the road by its own means.

 Traditional locomotives cannot be towed at high speed, except at the cost of significant preparation, which must follow a long and complex procedure. On the one hand, once on site, they must be made self-propelled again by reversing this important preparation.

 On the other hand, when the traditional locotractors have to clear the traffic lanes on which they are, they are forced to go on garage tracks, sometimes very far from the work site, causing significant loss of time.

 Railroad locomotives, by their design, cannot, under any circumstances, be inserted as traditional wagons and therefore cannot be towed at high speed. Their pneumatic wheels, the only effective means of traction, must not be in contact with the rail on the so-called "main" railway tracks according to international railway regulations, making their use impossible on these tracks, thus obliging the use of locomotives or locomotives, heavy and expensive equipment, for work on these main tracks.

 The design of driving cabs for traditional locomotives and railways or locomotives requires the driver, when there is a change of direction, either to change driving cabs or to change driving positions while losing visibility.

 Prior art searches in this field of application make it possible to affirm that to date no request for national, European or international patents is consistent with the device of the invention described here.

 The patent application No. 95 00181 relates only to a particular system of guide wheels for a road vehicle unrelated to the invention.

 Application No. 94 09912-WO 96/05078 presents a work machine with an adjustable platform which does not offer the possibility of towing trains of wagons and cannot be moved on rail at high speed in a convoy.

 Application EP 0 249 816 A2 relates to a rail running system for connecting road trailers to one another, therefore unrelated.

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 Application 79 22869 relates to a particular system of rail guide wheels for a crane truck. This system does not allow high speed movement on rails.

 Application WO 85/01481 concerning a bogie, used in an intermodal transport system, is in no way comparable to the invention described.

 Application WO 97/21558 relates to a solely rail transport vehicle with load transfer to the tractor module, not related to the proposed device.

 Application WO 98/43838 proposes an excavation machine, commonly called backhoe loader, capable of running on rails, also without relation.

 Application WO 99/61266 allows a road vehicle (truck) to evolve on railways by the addition of modules at these ends. This intermodal solution does not allow the traction of railway trains.

 Application EP 0 483 651 AI proposes a false chassis equipped with railway wheels adaptable to a chassis of a truck cabin. This set becomes a transport vehicle evolving alone. It cannot therefore tow wagons and cannot be towed or integrated into a rail convoy.

 The request 89 05612 relates to a railroad vehicle. Railway traction is obtained by friction of the tires on the railway wheels. It cannot benefit from the very high coefficient of adhesion of the rubber of tires on the steel of the rails, be moved at high speed inside a railway convoy and have a driving cabin oriented in the direction of market.

 Application 92 00277 proposes an excavator capable of working on railways. It is not suitable for towing heavy wagons and cannot be moved in a trailer at high speed.

 Application 80 11219 relates to a railroad vehicle intended to tow wagons, but it does not have a reversible cabin and cannot be towed in a high-speed rail convoy.

 Application 87 05633 presents a system allowing a road vehicle (truck) to travel on railways. This assembly is not intended to tow railway vehicles, does not have a reversible cabin and cannot be towed at high speed on rail.

 Application WO 95/09738 proposes an arrangement for guiding a vehicle

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 on rails. This unit does not have the possibility of towing loads, does not have a reversible cabin and cannot be towed at high speed.

 Application 86 16424 concerns the adaptation of a truck or a coach to run on rails. The traction on rails is done by a single driving axle. It is therefore not possible to tow heavy loads, the cabin is reversible and it cannot be moved at high speed on rails.

 Applications 96 15526-EP 0 847 882 AI relates to a railroad vehicle for railway works to be put on rails perpendicular to the railway track. It is not a tractor, nor towable in a railway convoy, nor equipped with a reversible cabin.

 Application EP 0 887 243 A2 relates to a fire intervention vehicle for intervention on railways, unrelated to the invention.

 Application 94 06404 proposes a railroad locomotive on which traction is obtained by the tires on the rail. This formula offers a good coefficient of adhesion but it is not authorized to use main tracks. He does not have the faculty to choose according to the railways used the type of traction "pneumatic" on rails or "railway wheels" on rails, he does not have a reversible cabin and cannot be towed at high speed in a train on railways.

 Application 94 04069 also concerns a bucket truck fitted with a railroad system and not with a load tractor.

 The applications WO 95/29822 and WO 95/13930 relate to a particular system of setting on rails for a road work vehicle unrelated to the locomotive units for wagon sets.

 Application EP 0 621 166 A1 proposes a railroad locomotive with load transfer to increase the driving mass on the railway wheels. Pneumatic wheels play no role on railways, therefore unrelated to the invention.

 Application EP 0 583 001 A1 describes a principle of orientation of the pneumatic driving wheels to reduce the wear of these so-called tires. This machine cannot be towed at high speed or use main tracks and does not have a reversible cabin.

 Application EP 0 556 161 A1 relates to a device to be mounted on a site machine for carrying out earthworks on railways, not related to the invention.

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 Application 88 08415 relates to a railroad locomotive with articulated chassis which can neither use main railway tracks, nor be towed at high speed and neither have a reversible cabin.

 EP 0 023 476 AI relates to a device for temporarily moving a road vehicle on rails. In no case can it be towed at high speed or even tow heavy loads.

 Application 88 00008-EP 0 323 933 A1 relates to a double roller guide system for vehicles traveling on main railways. They cannot tow heavy loads, nor be towed at high speed in a railway convoy and have a reversible cabin.

 Application EP 0 641 681 A1 relates to a particular bogie adaptable to a road vehicle, which is not related to the invention.

 Application EP 0 648 660 AI presents a particular system for maneuvering rail or road vehicles controlled by an operator on foot, without relation.

 The request 84 03345 corresponds to a railroad locomotive system on the basis of a loader lift which can neither use main railways, nor be towed at high speed nor have a reversible cabin.

Applications 88 07000-95 15846-WO 99 / 01304-97 13603-EP 0 625 439
AI-WO 93 / 24339-91 06064-WO 82/00800 and EP 0 005 578 A1 relate to particular systems for adapting road trailers to intermodal transport.

 The device according to the invention eliminates these drawbacks. It is intended to be inserted, easily, as a traditional wagon in a train composed of wagons to be transferred from one point to another at high speed and be quickly operational arrived on site.

 Once at the workplace, this device can move by its own means on rails, alone or by towing rolling stock (wagons, locomotive, locomotives, full train, ...) on private sidings, on tracks service, on main tracks, on tracks being installed, etc .....

 This device can, also, move by its own means on the road or any motorable areas in order to facilitate impossible journeys on railways or free these same railways.

 This device allows the driver and accompanying persons, when there is

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 a change of direction, which is often the case in certain types of work, to remain facing the direction of travel without losing visibility and without leaving your driving position.

 In the appended drawings, the embodiments of the subject of the invention are given, by way of non-limiting example: FIG. 1 shows the device in the locomotor position "railroad type".

 The traction is done by the force applied by the pneumatic wheels (1) on the rails (3), the guiding on the rails of the whole device is done by the controlled support of the railway wheels (2) on the rails ( 3).

FIG. 2 represents the device in the locomotive position "traditional type".

 When the type of railways does not allow the pneumatic wheels (1) to come into contact with the rails (main tracks), the traction assembly composed of the pneumatic wheels (1) is raised enough to clear the rails (3). In this case, traction is obtained by the railway wheels (2) by means of hydrostatic motors.

FIG. 3 represents the device in the "wagon type" position.

 The driving part, consisting of pneumatic wheels (1), is raised to the maximum, clearing the track, the railway wheels (2) alone, being supported on the rails (3).

 The hydrostatic motors are disconnected from the railway axles.

FIG. 4 shows the device in the "road type" position.

 The drive part, consisting of pneumatic wheels (1) is lowered to the maximum.

 The four pneumatic wheels are driven and directional.

 The railway assembly, consisting of the railway wheels (2) is raised so that they do not come into contact with the ground (4).

Figure 5 shows the device in both directions of driving
The driving cabin (5) is mounted on a turret (6), controlled from the driving position, its dimensions allow rotation without engaging the railway gauge and therefore to be used on dual carriageways in operation.

 The driving part of the device (7) is made up of a chassis fitted with 2 (or more in some cases) driving and steering axles (for the road position), a transmission coupled to a heat engine enclosed in a cowling . The cabin

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 pipe (5) with several places for the operators is orientable in the direction of travel.

The rail part (8) is made up of a frame placed on 2 axles or 2 bogies fitted with railway wheels. This railway complex meets international railway standards (gauge, traction / towed braking, coupling, ...). The vertical displacement of the driving part (7) inside the railway part (8) is done by an adequate system such as by jacks, rack or any other system. In the locomotor position "railroute type", the system exerts a pressure determined and continuously controlled to ensure a good compromise between guiding the rail part (8) and good adhesion of the driving part (7). In the "traditional type" locotractor position, the system raises the drive part (7) to the intermediate position. In the "road type" position, the system completely raises the rail part (8). In the "wagon type" position, the system rises completely the driving part (7). In the "road type" position, the "wagon type" position and the "traditional type" locotractor position, the system elements are secured in their position by blocking.

The goal is to solve with a machine defined as a "locotracteur" all the problems linked to the accessibility to the railways from a carriageway and its use on the different types of railways.

For this, the locomotive must be of the railroute type. The machine being in "road type" position (fig 4), the driver must present it on the railway. The setting on rails is facilitated by the good visibility of the track and the wheels thanks to the video cameras installed on the machine and the video monitor installed in the driver's cabin. Then, the driver selecting the direction of travel, the cabin is oriented according to it.

To move a train of heavily loaded wagons, the operator chooses the locomotive "rail-road" position (fig 1), in this case the grip coefficient of the tires on the rail is optimal, ie 0.70 . For a locomotive with a total weight of 50 tonnes, the support of the railway wheels called "guiding mass" corresponding to 20% of the total weight, the "driving mass" is 40 tonnes to which the coefficient of adhesion must be applied 0.70 or a tensile force of 27,468 daN. On certain railways, contact of tires on the rail is prohibited. In this case, the operator must opt for the "traditional type" locomotive position (fig 2), the coefficient of adhesion of the railway wheels on the rail drops to 0.20 and then applies to the total weight of the locomotive

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 or a tensile force of 9,810 daN.

On the one hand, the degradation of the railways (ice, dead leaves, grease, etc.) has the effect of causing the given coefficients of adhesion to drop, the traction forces considerably decrease.

On the other hand, knowing that to overcome the tensile strength of wagons, it is necessary to develop 5 kg of tractive effort to tow 1 tonne of wagon on a straight and level track, the traction capacities are 5 600 tonnes in position "railroad type" and 2,000 tonnes in position "traditional type". When the topography of the railways (curves, counter-curves, ramps, etc.) is degraded, the resistance to be overcome increases considerably, thus reducing the traction capacities.

The traction maneuvers completed, the machine can move on railways by its own means in one of the two positions mentioned above or else be towed as a traditional wagon at high speed by putting it in the "wagon type" position. in compliance with the regulations of the International Union of Railways.

Claims (3)

CLAIMS 1) Device relating to self-propelled railway rolling stock on rails (3) equipped with a driving cab (5), capable of moving and towing both in a locomotive version of "rail-road type" and in a locomotive version of "traditional type" and be towed in a railway convoy and move on the road (4) by its own means characterized in that the driving part (7) consisting of pneumatic wheels (1), positioning in different ways relative to the railway part (8) made up of railway wheels (2) thanks to the appropriate vertical displacement system serves either as traction axles on rails (3) in a locomotor version of "rail-road type", or as traction axles on route (4) in road version.  2) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the railway part (8) consisting of railway wheels (2), positioned in different ways thanks to the adequate vertical displacement system, serves either as guide axles on rails (3 ) in a locomotive version of "rail-road type", either of traction axles on rails (3) in a locomotive version of "traditional type", or of rolling axles in a wagon version.  3) Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the driving cabin (5) is rotatable at 1800 thanks to the mounting on a turret (6) and allows visibility whatever the direction of travel and whatever the type of use of the device.