GB2159558A

GB2159558A - Rail handling train

Info

Publication number: GB2159558A
Application number: GB08512261A
Authority: GB
Inventors: William Robinson; Michael Keddy
Original assignee: Northern Engineering Industries PLC
Current assignee: Rolls Royce Power Engineering PLC
Priority date: 1984-05-29
Filing date: 1985-05-15
Publication date: 1985-12-04
Also published as: GB8512261D0; GB2159558B; GB8413659D0

Abstract

A rail handling train has a plurality of waggons for carrying rails on roller assemblies and two end waggons from one of which the rails can be on-or off-loaded. A waggon 18 positioned between that end waggon (14) and the other waggons (20, 22, 24) carries roller assemblies (34, 36) having sets of rollers 42 by which rails 52, 54 can be moved over the waggon 18 and carries roller assemblies 38, 40 by which the rails 52, 54 can be transposed relatively to the centre line of the track. Ends of the rails 52, 54 are located in the assemblies 38, 40, respectively, and then the rails are off-loaded. The rollers of the assemblies 38, 40 support and laterally restrain the rails 52, 54 and relative movement between the rails 52, 54 and the assemblies 38, 40 transposes the rails. The rails can be similarly transposed during on-loading thereof. Single rails can be handled also. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Rail handling train The invention relates to a rail handling train.

In railway maintenance work, it is often necessary to lay down or lift rails from the inside or the outside of a railway track. The rails are typically in lengths of approximately 1 80 metres.

Rails have been handled in that manner using a rail handling train. Such a train (hereinafter referred to as a "train of the type referred to") has a plurality of flat-topped waggons, a track mounted on the waggons; a rail-handling machine which runs along the track on the waggons and which is used to manipulate a rail relative to the train; sets of roller assemblies mounted on at least some of the waggons for supporting rails; a clamping means associated with at least one waggon whereby rails on the train can be clamped against longitudinal movement relative to the train; and auxiliary rail-handling equipment associated with or forming part of at least one of the end waggons, which equipment assists in the guidance of rails onto and off the train.

Wear on railway rails primarily arises from contact with the flanges of the wheels of railway vehicles. Consequently. such wear occurs on the inner side of the rails only.

Accordingly, such rails still have a useful life if they are relaid such that the worn inner side of the rail becomes the outer side of the rail and the unworn outer side of the rail becomes the inner side of the rails. New rails are used to replace rails exhibiting wear on their inner sides only which, in turn, are used to replace rails worn on both sides generally on lines having a relatively light traffic flow.

In order to relay the partially worn rails, it is necessary at some stage-to transpose the rails relative to the centre line of the train.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a rail handling train of the type referred to which can transpose a rail relative to a track during rail handling operations.

According to the present invention, a rail handling train of the type referred to comprises at least one rail-transposing roller assembly mounted on a first waggon intermediate second waggons carrying the rail-supporting roller assemblies and a third waggon having the auxiliary rail-handling equipment, the rail-transposing roller assembly having rollers for supporting and laterally restraining a rail and being located on the first waggon relatively to the longitudinal centre line of the train such that relative movement of the assembly and a rail engaged therewith causes the rail to be transposed from one side to the other side of the centre line.

Preferably, the rail-transposing roller assembly comprises a substantially horizontally mounted roller and a substantially verticallymounted roller for effecting said support and said lateral restrain, respectively.

Preferably, two rail-transposing roller assemblies are provided on the first waggon, the lateral restrains imposed by the assemblies on respective rails being in opposite senses.

Preferably, the assemblies are vertically offset from one another.

Preferably, rail-guide roller assemblies are mounted on the first waggon.

A rail-handling train of the type referred to and incorporating rail-transposing roller assemblies will now be described to illustrate the invention by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic drawing of a rail handling train of the type referred to; Figures 2 and 3 are schematic plan view and a schematic side elevation of part of the train shown in Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a section on line A-A in Figure 3.

The train 10, which is on a railway track 12, has a first end waggon 1 4, on which is mounted an operator's cab 16; a waggon 18; two sets of four intermediate waggons 20, 22 between which is located a rail-anchoring waggon 24; a second end waggon 26 on which is mounted a look-out cab 28; a track 30 which runs almost the full length of the train 10; and a rail handling machine 32 mounted on the track 30.

The first end waggon 14 has auxiliary rail handling equipment (not shown) in the form of chutes and roller assemblies which assist in the movement of a rail onto or off the train 10.

The waggon 1 8 has two rail-guide roller assemblies 34, 36 for use during rail handling operations and two rail-transposing roller assemblies 38, 40 (see Figures 2 to 4). The railguide roller assemblies 34, 36 each have two sets of rollers 42 located one on each side of the longitudinal centre line 44 of the train 10.

Each set of rollers 42 consists of two vertically-mounted rollers and a horizontallymounted roller arranged to form a U-shape so that a rail is supported whilst being guided laterally.

The rail-transposing roller assemblies 38, 40 are located between the roller sets of the rail-guide assembly 36 and each consists of a vertically-mounted roller and a horizontallymounted roller. The assemblies 38, 40 are vertically offset from one another and the vertically-mounted roller of each assembly 38, 40 is mounted on a common axis 46 which intersects and is normal to the longitudinal centre line 44 of the train 1 0.

The waggon 1 8 can be of a conventional waggon or it can be a power waggon, i.e. a waggon for providing the electrical and other power requirements of the train 10 as well as acting as the locomotive for the train 1 0.

The intermediate waggons 20, 22 have roller assemblies 48 on which rails are stored and which assist in the movement of rails longitudinally of and relatively to the train 1 0.

The rail anchoring waggon 24 has roller assemblies 50 which can also clamp the rails against longitudinal movement relatively to the train 10.

The rail handling machine 32 has two slewable booms 33 each having a rail gripping device at their respective ends.

During normal running, the rail handling machine 32 is stabled on the second end waggon 26 and the train 10 is moved by a conventional locomotive engine (not shown).

During rail handling operations, the conventional locomotive engine is used to effect the necessary movements of the train; or, alternatively, if the waggon 1 8 is a power waggon as mentioned above, the conventional locomotive engine is de-coupled from the train 10 which is then moved solely by the power waggon 18.

To lift a pair of rails from the track 12, the train 10 is positioned such that the first end waggon 1 4 is adjacent to first ends of the rails, second ends of the rails being remote from the train 1 0. The rail handling machine 32 is moved along the train 10 onto the first end waggon 14. The machine 32 is then operated to grip the first ends of the rails and to raise and position those ends of the rails relatively to the chutes and rollers on the waggon 14.

Then the machine 32 and the train 10 are moved in reverse and forwardly respectively at the same speed so that the machine remains stationary relative to the ground. Thus, the rails are pulled up through the chutes of the waggon 14, over the guide roller assemblies 34, 36 on the waggon 1 8 and onto the roller assemblies 48, 50 of the other waggons 20.

22, 24.

When the second ends of the rails are reached the train 10 is stopped but the machine 32 continues to move on the train 10 to correctly position the rails on the assemblies 48, 50, i.e. clear of the waggons 14, 1 8. The machine 32 then releases the first ends of the rails.

The machine 32 is then free to travel to the front of the train 10 for the cycle to be repeated if required.

To lay rails down onto the track 12, the machine 32 is used to pull the rails into position relative to the chutes and rollers of the waggon 1 4 with the ends of the rails on the track 1 2. The machine 32 is then moved to between one third and one half of the length of the train 10 from the waggon 14 and the rails are gripped again. Then the machine 32 and the train 10 are moved forward and reversed, respectively, to push the rails off the train 1 0. Once the machine 32 has reached the waggon 14, the rails are released. Continued reverse movement of the train 10 causes the rails to be pulled off the remainder of the train 1 0.

The machine 32 can be used to handle single rails instead of pairs of rails if required.

When it is necessary to transpose the rails relative to the centre line of the train 10, the sequence of steps used for layering rails down onto the track is modified to achieve transposition of the rails.

The rail handling machine 32 is moved adjacent the ends of rails 52, 54 on the train 10. The machine 32 is used to grip the end of rail 52, to pull the rail towards the waggon 1 8 and, at the same time, the boom 33 is slewed to transpose the end of the rail across the centre line 44 and through the rail-transposing roller assembly 38. The rail 52 is lowered to engage the assembly 38 and released. The procedure is repeated with respect to rail 54 which then engages the assembly 40.

The booms 33 of the machine 32 are then positioned approximately parallel to each other and in line with the track 30. The ends of the rails 52, 54 protruding through the railtransposing roller assemblies 38, 40 are gripped and the machine 32 is moved to pull the rails into position relative to the chutes and rollers of the waggon 14 with the ends of the rails 52, 54 on the track 1 2. The rail laying down procedure then continues as described above.

The relative movement of the rails 52, 54 and the respective assemblies 38, 40 results in the rails 52, 54 being transposed relatively to the centre line 44 of the train 1 0.

As the ends of the rails 52, 54 clear the roller assemblies 48 on the waggon 20, they are restrained against lateral movement outwardly by the inner vertically-mounted rollers of the two sets of rollers 42 of the assembly 34.

If required, the rails can be transposed during lifting of the rails from the track 1 2. In that instance, the train 10 and the machine 32 are stopped when the ends of the rails have passed through the guide roller assembly 36 but before they have reached the first roller assembly 48. The machine 32 is then operated to lift and transpose the ends of the rails so that they engage the transposing assemblies 38, 40. The lifting procedure is then completed in the manner described above.

Single rails can be transposed by the methods described above.

Modifications are possible within the scope of the invention. For example, only one railtransposing assembly need be provided, the rails being handled singly. In that instance, the assembly could have two verticallymounted rollers similarly to the guide assemblies 34, 36. When two rail-transposing assemblies are provided, they need not be mounted with the vertical rollers of the assemblies on a common axis; the axes of the vertical rollers could be on opposite sides of the centre line 44, or staggered along the centre of line 44. The vertically-mounted and horizontally-mounted rollers of the assemblies 38, 40 could be replaced by rollers mounted on axes disposed at an angle to one another whereby the rollers provide both support and lateral restraint for the rails. The assemblies would still have rollers in a common vertical plane containing the centre line of the train.

Other modifications of the train 10 are also possible. For example the end waggon 26 can be replaced by an end waggon 14 to make the train "double-ended", a further waggon 1 8 with associated rail-transposing assemblies 38, 40 being provided; and the auxiliary equipment on the waggon 14 can be of any suitable type.

Claims

1. A rail handling train of the type referred to comprising at least one rail-transposing roller assembly mounted on a first waggon intermediate second waggons carrying the rail-supporting roller assemblies and a third waggon having the auxiliary rail-handling equipment, the rail-transposing roller assembly having rollers for supporting and laterally restraining a rail and being located on the first waggon relatively to the longitudinal centre line of the train such that relative movement of the assembly and a rail engaged therewith causes the rail to be transposed from one side to the other side of the centre line.

2. A rail handling train of the type referred to comprising two rail-transposing roller assemblies mounted on a first waggon intermediate second waggons carrying the railsupporting roller assemblies and a third waggon having the auxiliary rail-handling equipment and two rail-guide roller assemblies mounted one adjacent each end of the first waggon, each rail-transposing roller assembly having rollers for supporting and laterally restraining a rail, respectively, the lateral restrains imposed by the assemblies on respective rails being in opposite senses to one another, the rail-transposing roller assemblies being vertically offset from one another, being located on the first waggon at a position remote from the end of the first waggon connected to the third waggon and being located relative to the longitudinal centre line of the train such that relative movement of an assembly and a rail engaged therewith causes the rail to be transposed from one side to the other side of the centre line, the rail being guided by the railguide roller assembly adjacent the end of the first waggon connected to the second waggon during said transposing operation.

3. A train according to claim 1, in which rail-guide roller assemblies are mounted on the first waggon.

4. A train according to claim 1 and claim 3, in which two rail-transposing roller assemblies are provided on the first waggon, the lateral restraints imposed by theassemblies on respective rails being in opposite sense.

5. A train according to claim 4, in which the railtransposing roller assemblies are vertically offset from one another.

6. A train according to any one of the preceding claims in which the rail-transposing roller assembly comprises a substantially horizontally mounted roller and a substantially vertically-mounted roller for effecting said support and said lateral restraint, respectively.

7. A train according to any one of claims 2, 4 and 5 and 6 as dependent on claim 4, in which the rail-transposing assemblies have rollers mounted in a common vertical plane containing the centre line of the train.

8. A train according to claim 6 as dependent on claim 2 or claim 5, in which the substantially vertically-mounted roller of each assembly is mounted on a common axis which intersects and is normal to the longitudinal centre line of the train.

9. A train according to claim 1 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. A train according to claim 2 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.