GB2104133A

GB2104133A - Improvements in or relating to a gantry-mounted beam for railway track renewal

Info

Publication number: GB2104133A
Application number: GB08124811A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jacques Hardelay
Original assignee: DONELLI SpA F LLI
Current assignee: DONELLI SpA F LLI
Priority date: 1981-08-13
Filing date: 1981-08-13
Publication date: 1983-03-02
Also published as: GB2104133B

Abstract

The present invention relates to a gantry-mounted beam for railway track renewal. The beam is of the type comprising at least two parts of rail grips (9) beam (1) and mounted on lateral supporting arms (10) secured to the beam and extending perpendicularly to its axis and in alignment with one another, and is characterized in that the spacing between the grips (9) of each pair of grips is variable. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to a sleeperhandling beam for railway track renewal by means of movable gantries and of the type provided with rail grips The present invention relates to a sleeperhandling beam for railway track removal by means of movable gantries supporting the said beam.

The known sleeper-handling beams of this type comprise at least two pairs of tongs-type rail grips spaced from one another along the beam. The grips of each pair are located on either side of the beam on lateral supporting arms extending from the sleeper-handling beam in substantially perpendicular relationship thereto and in alignment with one another. The spacing between the two grips is invariable.

The present invention is based on the discovery that this invariable spacing results in a certain number of drawbacks which complicate the works in connection with the renewal of a railway track and involve risks of working accidents.

Indeed, as yet, the sleepers during their transportation from the station to the site on waggons are generally wedged by means of wood wedges of unequal length. It is difficult to get them without getting on the waggons. Now the members of the crew must be prevented, for safety reasons, from having to get on the waggon platform, and this has become an indispensable safety requirement where a work is to be performed under a catenary or overhead contact line.

The purpose of the present invention is to remedy the above drawbacks and to facilitate the railway track renewal operations while at the same time improving the working conditions.

To this end, the sleeper-handling beam according to the invention is characterized in that the spacing between the grips of a pair of grips is variable.

This possibility of varying the spacing between the grips allows the sleepers to be keyed with rails for their transportation from the station to the site, so that the said rails can be seized by the sleeper-handling beam and laid by means of the gantries between the previously removed rails of a section of line broght on an equipment-carrying train.

According to an advantageous characterizing feature of the invention, each grip is mounted on a carriage displaceable on its supporting arm.

The invention will be better understood and other purposes, characterizing features, details and advantages of the latter will appear more clearly from the following explanatory description made with reference to the appended diagrammatic drawings given solely by way of example, illustrating one form of embodiment of the invention and wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a railway track renewal device comprising a sleeper-handling beam according to the invention; Figure 2 is a side view of the sleeper-handling beam according to the invention; Figure 3 is a partially broken-away, top view of the beam according to the invention in the region of a pair of rail grips; and Figure 4 is a view in the direction of arrow IV of Figure 2.

Figure 1 shows a railway track renewal device which comprises a sleeper-handling beam 1 carried by two movable gantries 2. Each gantry is made up essentially of a lower member 3 running on the rails 4 of an auxiliary line and of an upper member 5 connected to the said lower member by a set of power jacks and chains designated generally by the reference numeral 6. The upper member 5 is vertically movable. Each gantry is actuated by a motor and driven by an operator. At 7 is seen the seat provided for the latter. The sleeper-handling beam 1 is equipped with two pairs 8 of tongs-type rail grips 9. The two pairs of grips are spaced from one another along the beam 1. Each grip 9 is mounted on a supporting arm 10 secured to the beam and extending in perpendicular relationship to the latter.As appears particularly from Figure 3, the supporting arms 10 of the grips 9 of each pair 8 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the axis of the beam. In Figures 1 and 2 are also seen a sleeperholding member 11 designed for example in the form of special hooks or small chains. Figure 2 also shows at 12 the means such as for example devises, straps, yokes or the like for attaching the beam 1 to the gantries 2. Up to this point, the described beam structure is known.

The invention proper will be explained hereafter with reference to Figures 3 and 4.

As appears from those Figures, each rail grip 9 is mounted on a carriage 13 which is movable along its supporting arm 10 under the action of an appropriate operating system, e.g. a system of hydraulic jacks or cylinders generally designated in Figure 3 by the reference numeral 14. This hydraulic system may comprise two doubleacting cylinders, one for the displacement of each carriage 13. In Figure 3 are seen at 1 5 the piston rods each of which is hingedly connected at 1 6 to a carriage.Each double-acting cylinder is suppiied with a fluid under pressure through the medium of a distributor shown diagrammatically at 1 7. The phantom lines which, in Figure 3, connect the distributor to the hydraulic system 14 also represent diagrammatically the feed and return ducts for the fluid under pressure. For the displacement of the carriages to take place symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis of the sleeper-handling beam 1 , the two cylinders are operated synchronously through the medium of the distributor. Thus, the spacing between the two grips 9 of a pair of grips 8 is variable by simultaneously displacing both grips in mutually opposite directions shown by arrows F1, F2.

It is also observed that the sleeper-handling beam 1 is constituted by an assembly of two beam elements 18 which are parallel to one another and each constituted by a section. The hydraulic system 14 with its two double-acting cylinders is mounted between the two beam elements 18.

As appears from Figure 3, each grip supporting arm 10 is constituted essentially by two parallel, generally L-shaped sections 1 9. The sections 1 9 are so assembled that one flange of each section forms a horizontal flat 20 whereas the other flange indicated by the reference numeral 21 extends vertically. Of course, as seen in Figure 3, the two sections are connected to one another at their outer end by a transverse element 22.

The horizontal flats 20 of the two sections 1 9 forming a supporting arm 10 are directed towards one another. They thus form two rolling paths for the displacement of a carriage 1 3. To this end, each carriage is provided on each side with a set of rollers including two rollers 23 by which the carriage 3 bears upon the corresponding horizontal flat 20 and which allow its displacement along the supporting arm and two rollers 24 whose axes are directed vertically and which are intended to come into rolling contact with the vertical inner surfaces of the vertical flanges 21 of a section 1 9.

It is to be noted that the structure of the sleeper-handling beam with its lateral supporting arms for the rail grips with a variable spacing therebetween, is only one example of embodiment of the invention. Of course, many modifications may be made in the said structure while at the same time preserving the essential of the invention which lies in the possibility of variable spacing of the two grips of a pair of grips.

For example, the supporting arms allowing the displacement of a grip may be conformed otherwise. Likewise, the carriages may have another structure than the one just described and illustrated. The carriage operating system may be of any other appropriate form. Also, selective displacement of the grips of each pair may be contemplated.

Claims

1. A sleeper-handling beam for railway track renewal by means of movable beam-supporting gantries, of the type comprising at least two pairs of tongs-type rail grips spaced from one another along the beam and mounted on lateral supporting arms secured to the beam and extending in perpendicular relationship to its axis in alignment with one another, characterized in that the spacing between the grips (9) of each pair of grips (8) is variable.

2. A sleeper-handling beam according to claim 1, characterized in that each grip (9) is mounted on a carriage (13) movable on the associated supported arm (10) along the axis of the latter.

3. A sleeper-handling beam according to claim 2, characterized in that the carriages (13) carrying the grips (9) of a pair of grips (8) are operated by a hydraulic system (14) which advantageously comprises two double-acting hydraulic jacks or cylinders, one for each carriage (13).

4. A sleeper-handling beam according to claim 3, characterized in that the two double-acting jacks or cylinders are operated synchronously so as to displace the carriages simultaneously and symmetrically with respect to the axis of the beam (1).

5. A sleeper-handling beam according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that each carriage (13) carrying a grip (9) is provided on each side with a set of rollers (23, 24) and in that the associated supporting arm is provided with rolling paths (20, 21) for the said rollers.

6. A sleeper-handling beam according to claim 5, characterized in that the supporting arm (10) for a carriage (13) carrying a grip (9) is constituted essentially by two L-shaped sections (1 9) which are parallel and assembled to one another so as to form horizontal rolling paths for two rollers (22) of each set of rollers, each horizontal rolling path (20) being constituted by a flange of the L-shaped section (19).

7. A sleeper-handling beam according to claim 6, characterized in that each set of rollers comprises two rollers (23) whose axes are directed vertically and which are intended to come into rolling contact with the vertical flange (21) of a section (19).

8. A sleeper-handling beam substantially as described herein with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.