FR3025227A1 - STRUCTURAL BEAM ADAPTED TO SUPPORT EQUIPMENT - Google Patents

Abstract

A structural beam (1) adapted to support equipment (2), in particular a railway rail, said beam (1) having a longitudinal body (10) comprising a first connection end (11) and a second connection end (12) ) adapted to connect to displacement means (31, 32), and a plurality of connecting elements (13), distributed along said longitudinal body (10), which are adapted to be connected to said equipment (2) in order to suspending it from said longitudinal body (10).

Description

The present invention relates to the field of the installation of an equipment, in particular, a railway equipment (rail, routing core, etc.) at the time of renewal of the equipment. a railway line. A railroad track, also known as a railway line, extends longitudinally and comprises two longitudinal rails resting on transverse crosspieces. Each longitudinal rail is formed of a plurality of sections which are welded together at their ends and fixed to the sleepers. Because of the wear induced by the circulation of railway vehicles on the railway, it is necessary to periodically replace the longitudinal rails used by new longitudinal rails. With reference to the patent application FR 2847917A1, it is known to use a rail train (train-work) to store the new longitudinal rails and install them in a maintenance area. In use, such a railway train has the disadvantage of occupying a railway adjacent to the railway to be renewed. This is penalizing when two stations are connected only by two adjacent railroads, any traffic between the stations is then prohibited, which presents a significant inconvenience and a shortfall for the operators of the rail network. Because of these disadvantages, the renewal operations of a railway are only carried out during the night, which significantly increases the duration of the renewal operations. Also known from the patent application FR2394641A 1, a rail vehicle comprising a section laying beam supported by a lifting arm. Such a rail vehicle has a large footprint and a high mass, which prevents easy handling and transport of such a beam and such an arm.

The object of the invention is therefore to remedy these drawbacks by proposing a support beam of a piece of equipment, in particular a railway rail, of novel design in order to facilitate its handling and its transport while guaranteeing a reliable support of the equipment. equipment even if the latter has a heterogeneous mass distribution 5 according to its length. The invention was born in the railway field but it can be applied to any field requiring the transport of equipment, preferably a longitudinal equipment whose mass is high.

GENERAL PRESENTATION OF THE INVENTION To this end, the invention relates to a structural beam adapted to support equipment, in particular a railway rail, said beam comprising a longitudinal body comprising a first connection end and a second connection end adapted for connecting to moving means, and a plurality of connecting elements, distributed along said longitudinal body, which are adapted to be connected to said equipment in order to suspend it to said longitudinal body.

The structural beam can be carried by its ends, which optimizes the length of the longitudinal body capable of distributing and passing the forces received by the connecting elements. Thus, in order to support the same equipment, a support beam according to the invention can have a limited length and a reduced bulk compared to a support beam used in the prior art on work trains and held in its center by a hoisting crane or the like. Preferably, the longitudinal body is modular so as to allow storage with a small footprint. Thus, the support beam can be accommodated in a road vehicle of small dimensions, which avoids resorting to a railway vehicle as in the prior art. More preferably, the longitudinal body comprises a plurality of independent modules removably connected to each other. Thus, the modules can be advantageously stacked to significantly reduce their size. Preferably, the longitudinal body is adjustable in length in order to adapt to the dimensions of the equipment to be supported and the constraints related to the path of movement of the support beam. In addition, a body adjustable in length allows to adapt to narrow access. The longitudinal body advantageously comprises a plurality of articulated modules 10 to each other, which facilitates the adjustment of the length of the beam and its storage. Preferably, the longitudinal body is configured to unfold in a horizontal plane, which advantageously allows unfolding in a tunnel. According to one aspect of the invention, at least a portion of the longitudinal body is telescopic in order to allow rapid unfolding in the use position while having a limited bulk in the storage position. According to another aspect of the invention at least a portion of the longitudinal body has a scissor structure to allow rapid unfolding in the use position 20 while having a limited space in the storage position. Preferably the support beam is devoid, at its central portion, connecting means to a hoisting crane or the like, which limits its mass.

Preferably, the longitudinal body is made of steel or composite materials in order to have a limited mass and a high mechanical strength, in particular, buckling forces. Advantageously, the longitudinal body is configured to support a high mass, in this example, of the order of 8 tons.

Preferably, the length of the longitudinal body is of the order of 30 meters in order to stably support a mass or long length equipment.

The support beam advantageously comprises autonomous stabilization means adapted to bear on a floor, preferably a plurality of jambs. Thus, the beam can be mounted / unfolded above the ground without difficulty by the operators. Preferably, the autonomous stabilizing means are integrated in each module of the support beam. The invention also relates to an assembly of a beam as presented above and a first mobile conveyor and a second movable conveyor respectively connected to the first connection end and the second connection end of the beam in order to move it. Such an assembly is advantageous for moving a piece of equipment quickly and reliably without resorting to a work train according to the prior art. PRESENTATION OF THE FIGURES The invention will be better understood on reading the following description, given solely by way of example, and referring to the appended drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side view of a support beam according to the invention when supporting a longitudinal rail rail, said support beam being carried at its ends by conveyors; - Figure 2 is a schematic side view of a support beam according to the invention comprising a plurality of removable modules; FIG. 3 is an exploded representation of the support beam of FIG. 2; FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic side view of a telescopic support beam according to the invention in an extended position of use; - Figure 5 is a schematic side view of the support beam of Figure 4 in the storage position; FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic side view of a hinged support beam 30 according to the invention in an extended position of use; FIG. 7 is a schematic top view of the support beam of FIG. 6; - Figure 8 is a schematic side view of the articulated support beam of Figure 6 in the intermediate position of use; Figure 9 is a schematic top view of the support beam of Figure 8; FIG. 10 is a schematic side view of the articulated support beam of FIG. 6 in the storage position; Figure 11 is a schematic top view of the support beam of Figure 10; Figure 12 is a schematic side view of a scissor support beam according to the invention in the extended position of use; and Fig. 13 is a schematic side view of the support beam 10 of Fig. 12 in the storage position. It should be noted that the figures disclose the invention in detail to implement the invention, said figures can of course be used to better define the invention where appropriate.

DESCRIPTION OF ONE OR MORE MODES OF REALIZATION AND IMPLEMENTATION The support beam according to the invention will be presented for the support of longitudinal rail equipment but it goes without saying that the invention is adapted to withstand all type of equipment (railing, railing, railing, spar, beam, etc.) for use in any type of industry. Such a support beam in particular allows the handling of any equipment, even unbalanced mass, that is to say, whose mass is distributed in a non-homogeneous manner along its length. Thanks to such a support beam, the mechanical stresses are distributed in a uniform manner, without risk of deformation of the equipment. Referring to Figure 1, there is shown schematically a support beam 1 according to the invention carrying a longitudinal rail rail 2 between a railway rail storage location and a place of maintenance.

The support beam 1 is said to be structural because it makes it possible to convey significant mechanical forces and, in particular, to support a high mass equipment, of the order of 8 tons. In this example, the support beam 1 possesses a vertical height greater than its lateral thickness in order to have a high resistance to buckling while limiting its size. With reference to FIG. 1, the support beam 1 comprises a longitudinal body 10 having a length greater than 30 meters in order to support equipment of great length such as longitudinal rails. The support beam 1 comprises a first connection end 11 and a second connection end 12 adapted to connect to moving means, in particular mobile conveyors 31, 32 such as road or rail automata. Preferably, each connection end 11, 12 has a substantially spherical shape to form a ball joint with the movable conveyors 31, 32 so as to limit any constraint related to the displacement of the beam 1 during its movement. Thus, advantageously, the support beam 1 is vertically balanced automatically even if the conveyors 31, 32 are inclined due to leveling of the floor. It goes without saying that other types of connection ends 11, 12 could also be suitable. Advantageously, a connection end comprising a U-shaped yoke mounted on a free pivot and an articulated connection makes it possible to form a ball joint in a practical manner in order to limit the deflection of the structural beam 1 as will be presented. thereafter. A spherical connection end is particularly advantageous since it has a limited cost.

Such connection ends 11, 12 make it possible to support the support beam 1 at its ends in order to optimize the distribution of the forces induced by the equipment 2 over the entire length of the longitudinal body 10. Thus, the support beam 1 can support a high mass equipment 2 without risk of rupture while having a reduced length. Preferably, each end portion of the longitudinal body has a decreasing section of the center of the longitudinal body 10 towards its connecting end 11, 12, as shown in FIG. 1, in order to limit the deflections. The longitudinal body 10 of the support beam 1 is made of steel and / or composite materials in order to have a high resistance, in particular buckling, for a reduced mass. Preferably, the longitudinal body 10 of the support beam 1 is hollow. Advantageously, the longitudinal body 10 comprises a protective envelope in order to avoid any risk of injury to an operator during the handling of the support beam 1.

With reference to FIG. 1, the support beam 1 comprises a plurality of connecting elements 13, distributed along said longitudinal body 10, which are adapted to be connected to the equipment 2 in order to suspend it to said longitudinal body 10 In other words, the plurality of connecting elements 13 form hauling means, that is to say, means for lifting a load in several zones spaced apart from each other.

Preferably, at least a plurality of connecting elements 13 are movable along the length of the longitudinal body 10 so as to be able to place the connecting elements 13 adaptably according to the shape and the mass distribution of each piece of equipment. carry. Preferably, the displacement of the connecting elements 13 is motorized and, preferably, controlled by an operator. In this embodiment, each connecting element 13 is in the form of a flexible loop adapted to be passed under the equipment to lift it. It goes without saying that the connecting elements 13 could be in a different form. Such connecting elements 13 make it possible to support railway equipment such as half-switches, switching cores and, independently of their mass and / or the position of their center of gravity. In addition, during the support, the shape, dimensions and surface condition of the equipment are not affected, which is very advantageous. In use, the support beam 10 has a large length to promote a balanced and stable support of an equipment 2. On the other hand, during storage, the support beam 10 has a reduced length in order to limit its bulk and facilitate its transport, in particular, in a road transport truck, preferably a category 1 semi-trailer truck.

Preferably, with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the longitudinal body 10 of the support beam 1 comprises a plurality of structural modules 100 removably connected to one another. In this example, the longitudinal body 10 of the support beam 1 has 7 modules but it goes without saying that the number of modules 100 could be different.

Advantageously, the length of a structural module 100 is less than 20 m in order to allow the storage of such a structural module in a category 1 semi-trailer truck.

Preferably, the structural modules 100 have different lengths so as to allow the assembly of a support beam 1 of desired length. As illustrated in FIG. 3, each module 100 comprises, at at least one of its longitudinal ends, connection means with another module 100 of the support beam 10. The connection means advantageously make it possible to center two consecutive modules 100. Among the connection means, there are male connection means 101 and female connection means 102 adapted to cooperate together and allow the transfer of structural forces from one module 100 to another.

By way of example, with reference to FIG. 3, each male connection means 101 is in the form of a longitudinal tongue while each female connection means 102 is in the form of a longitudinal housing (not shown in FIG. visible in the figures) whose shape is complementary to the tongue. Thus, when connecting two structural modules 100 together, the latter are precisely aligned. More preferably, each module 100 comprises means for locking the assembly of two consecutive modules 100 assembled together. In this example, with reference to FIG. 3, each module 100 5 comprises through apertures 103 at its connection means 101, 102 so as to allow two assembled modules 100 to be locked by broaching or pinning. It goes without saying that the locking means could be different. In particular, the locking means could be integrated with the connection means 101, 102.

The support beam 1 is, in this example, symmetrical. In addition, the central portion of the support beam 1 has a substantially constant central section, which is advantageous for supporting equipment 2 in a balanced manner. In addition, the number of structural modules 100 of the support beam 1 can be adapted depending on the length of the equipment 2 to be lifted. Preferably, the longitudinal body 10 of the support beam 1 is assembled in height relative to the ground. The longitudinal body 10 is maintained in height relative to the ground by autonomous stabilizing means (not shown) adapted to bear on the ground. The autonomous stabilization means are preferably in the form of a jamb to facilitate the positioning and parking of a module 100 during its assembly. Preferably, each module 100 comprises a retractable jamb 25. More preferably, each leg is equipped with a motorized actuator to facilitate its folding / unfolding. Preferably still, each leg comprises a support shoe which is articulated to adapt to the relief of the ground on which the jamb is supported.

According to another embodiment, with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, the longitudinal body 10 of the support beam 1 comprises a plurality of structural modules 200 adapted to fit into each other to form a telescopic beam. In this example, the longitudinal body 10 of the support beam 1 has 3 modules 200 but it goes without saying that the number of modules 200 could be different. Advantageously, the length of a structural module 200 is less than 15 m, preferably 10 m, in order to allow the storage of a module 200 in a category 1 semi-trailer truck.

In this example, the modules 200 have different sections so as to allow nesting into each other. Advantageously, the length of such a telescopic beam can be quickly adjusted between its use position (Figure 4) and its storage position 10 (Figure 5). In addition, the length of the support beam 1 can be adapted according to the length of the equipment 2 to be lifted. According to another embodiment, with reference to FIGS. 6 to 11, the longitudinal body 10 of the support beam 1 comprises a plurality of structural modules 300 adapted to bend on each other as illustrated more particularly in FIG. 10 In this example, the longitudinal body 10 of the support beam 1 comprises 3 modules 300, but it goes without saying that the number of modules 300 could be different. Advantageously, the length of a structural module 300 is less than 15 m in order to be stored in a category 1 semitrailer truck. As illustrated in FIG. 9, two consecutive modules 300 are connected at their longitudinal ends. by articulation means 301 with another module 300 of the support beam 10. In this example, the hinge means 301 are configured to allow rotation in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction in which the support beam 1 in use position. Preferably, the hinge means 301 are configured to allow rotation in a vertical direction so as to allow folding of the support beam 1 in a horizontal plane. This is particularly advantageous for folding the beam 1 when the vertical space is limited, for example, for folding in a tunnel. In this example, the hinge means 301 is in the form of a hinge, but it goes without saying that other hinge means could be suitable, for example, a rod, a flexible blade, etc. Preferably, the support beam 1 comprises motorized unfolding means, in particular, cylinders. Advantageously, the lost height, that is to say, the vertical distance separating the point (s) of attachment (s) from the load and the connection ends, is low, which allows large amplitudes along the 3 axes while respecting, for example, the gauge of a railway track. Advantageously, the length of such a collapsible support beam 1 can be quickly adjusted between a maximum length use position (Figures 6 and 7), an intermediate length utilization position (Figures 8 and 9). and a storage position (Figures 10 and 11). Thus, the length of the support beam 1 can be adapted according to the length of the equipment 2 to be lifted.

According to another embodiment, with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13, the longitudinal body 10 of the support beam 1 comprises a scissor structure 400 so as to fold / unfold quickly and easily. Such a scissors structure 400 is known per se to those skilled in the art and will not be presented in more detail.

The longitudinal body 10 has end sections 401 configured to take up the forces in a distributed and homogeneous manner. Preferably, each end section 401 has a triangular shape whose edge is connected to the scissors structure 400 and whose apex opposite said edge has a connection end 11, 12 as illustrated in FIGS. 12 and 13.

Advantageously, the length of such a telescopic support beam 1 can be quickly adjusted between its use position (FIG. 12) and its storage position (FIG. 13). In addition, the length of the support beam 1 can be adapted according to the length of the equipment 2 to be lifted.

In practice, to transport a railway rail from a storage area to a maintenance area, the operators first perform a step of unloading a road truck in which the support beam 1 is stored.

3025227 12 Then, the latter is assembled or unfolded to have a significant length able to support a high mass rail rail. Preferably, the support beam 1 is maintained in height above the ground thanks to its jambs.

Mobile conveyors 31, 32 then connect to the connection ends 11, 12 of the support beam 1 in order to raise it above the ground by its ends in order to maximize the length of the support beam 1 capable of passing efforts. The connecting elements 13 of the support beam 1 are placed around the rail rail 2 resting on the ground. In this example, the connecting elements 13 are distributed equidistant from each other along the length of the support beam 1 since the latter has a uniform mass distribution along its length. Preferably, the connecting elements 13 are moved so as to suspend the equipment 2 to the support beam 1. In practice, the rail rail 2 extends to less than 200 cm in the vertical direction of the beam of support 1 when moving to limit any tilting. The mobile conveyors 31, 32 are then moved on the ground and then on the rail to reach the maintenance area. The connection ends 11, 12 are advantageous for absorbing the oscillations of the support beam 1 during its displacement by the mobile conveyors 31, 32. To release the rail rail 2, the connecting elements 13 are lowered to rest the railway rail 2 on the ground which can then be mounted on the railway track.

Thanks to the support beam 1 according to the invention, it is no longer necessary to use a railway train or a massive support beam and whose size is important.

Claims (10)

REVENDICATIONS1. Structural beam (1) adapted to support an equipment (2), in particular a railway rail, said beam (1) having a longitudinal body (10) comprising a first connection end (11) and a second connection end (12) adapted to connect to moving means (31, 32), and a plurality of connecting elements (13), distributed along said longitudinal body (10), which are adapted to be connected to said equipment (2) in order to suspending it from said longitudinal body (10). 2. Beam according to claim 1, wherein the longitudinal body (10) is modular so as to allow storage with a small footprint. 3. Beam according to one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the longitudinal body (10) comprises a plurality of independent modules (100) removably connected to each other. 4. Beam according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the longitudinal body (10) is adjustable in length. 5. Beam according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the longitudinal body (10) comprises a plurality of modules (300) articulated to each other. 6. Beam according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein at least a portion of the longitudinal body (10) is telescopic. 7. Beam according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein at least a portion of the longitudinal body (10) has a scissor structure. 8. Beam according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the length of the longitudinal body (10) is greater than at least 30 meters. 3025227 14 9. Beam according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the beam (1) comprises autonomous stabilizing means adapted to be supported on a floor, preferably a plurality of legs. 5 10. Assembly of a beam according to one of claims 1 to 9 and a first movable conveyor (31) and a second movable conveyor (32) respectively connected to the first connection end (11) and to the second connection end (12) of the beam (1) to move it.