GB2268529A

GB2268529A - A machine for treating a railway ballast bed.

Info

Publication number: GB2268529A
Application number: GB9312502A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Josef Theurer; Bernhard Lichtberger
Original assignee: Franz Plasser Bahnbaumaschinen Industrie GmbH
Current assignee: Franz Plasser Bahnbaumaschinen Industrie GmbH
Priority date: 1992-06-19
Filing date: 1993-06-17
Publication date: 1994-01-12
Anticipated expiration: 2013-06-17
Also published as: AT403387B; ATA124892A; GB2268529B; FR2692606A1; FR2692606B1; DE9308433U1; GB9312502D0; ITMI930492U1; IT232136Y1; ITMI930492V0

Abstract

A machine 1 for treating the ballast bed has a vertically adjustable excavating chain 14 and track lifting devices 18, 19. A reference system for controlling the height of the excavating chain 14 consists of a first set of track longitudinal and lateral inclination measuring devices 36, 39 and, arranged behind them, a second set of track longitudinal and lateral inclination measuring devices 40, 41. The second set of measuring devices 40, 41 in association with a machine displacement measuring device 29, serve to control the height of the excavating chain in dependence of the inclination of the track measured in front of the excavating chain 14 by the first set of measuring devices 36, 39. The displacement of the excavating chain 14 relative to the second set of measuring devices 40, 41 is detected by displacement pick-ups 33. <IMAGE>

Description

A MACHINE FOR TREATING A RAILWAY BALLAST BED The invention relates to a machine for treating the ballast bed of a railway track, comprising a machine frame positioned on on-track undercarriages, an excavating chain which is vertically adjustable by means of first drives, a track lifting means which is adjustable by means of second drives, and a reference system for controlling the height of the excavating chain which reference system has a control means and which includes a first measuring means with a first longitudinal inclination measuring device for determining the longitudinal inclination of the track and a second measuring means, arranged behind it in the operating direction, with a further second longitudinal inclination measuring device for determining the longitudinal inclination of the track.

A track ballast cleaning machine is already known, according to DE 14 59 622 B1, in which the excavating chain is arranged on a machine frame for pivoting by means of hydraulically operable drives. This means that the part of the excavating chain which forms the actual operating element and which passes through beneath the track panel is adjustable in a very simple manner, so as to reach the desired excavating depth. With respect to the mechanical cleaning of the ballast bed of a track with a known.

cleaning machine of this kind, the overall condition of the treated track section depends on a number of influencing variables, such as the originally existing track geometry, the excavating depth and also the transverse inclination of the elements which pick up the ballast. Since the majority of these influencing variables are outside the objective judgement of the operator of the machine, the track geometry present after the treatment or the deviations thereof from the desired course largely depend on the skill and experience of the operating personnel controlling the operating elements. Due to the possibility of consequential poor track geometry after a cleaning machine has been employed, travel along the track can only take place at greatly reduced speed.

A track ballast cleaning machine is also known, according to DE 17 59 235 Al. In this machine the machine frame, is supported on the undercarriages with the interposition of lifting devices. The excavating chain and the track lifting means are arranged on the machine frame so as to be relatively adjustable for controlling their position. The lifting devices enable the longitudinal and transverse inclination of the undercarriage frame to be varied. A predetermined transverse and longitudinal inclination is imparted to the undercarriage frame by way of control elements connected to a plurality of inclination measuring devices which are arranged on the undercarriage frame, the two undercarriages thereof and on the frame of the pulling vehicle. The undercarriage frame itself thereby forms a reference surface for the adjustment of the operating elements of the machine.However, a mechanical system of this kind has numerous constructional as well as functional disadvantages.

Further, a measuring means for a ballast cleaning machine based on the principle of communicating tubes is also known though US 4,432,284 B. Vertically movable aluminium vessels are attached to the sides of the machine or to the excavating chain in pairs and serve as measuring sensors. The vessels are interconnected by hose lines so that water levels in them lie on a horizontal plane. Each measuring sensor includes a transducer float, the level of which is measured by a potentiometer. The values obtained are converted into an electrical signal and supplied to the electronic processing means.

It is an object of the present invention to create a machine of the type described in the introduction, the reference system of which enables the excavating chain to be precisely guided in accordance with the actual track position, and entails only a small amount of constructional expense.

To this end according to the invention the second measuring means is connected to the excavating chain by means of first displacement pick-ups and a distance measuring means for determining the machine's advance is associated with the control means. These constructionally very simple devices advantageously enable the inclination values determined by means of the first measuring means to be provided, in a suitably time delayed manner to the excavating chain. The displacement pick-ups may be provided so as to detect displacement of the excavating chain with respect to the machine frame where the machine frame constitutes part of the second measuring means.

Alternatively they may detect displacement of the excavating chain with respect to some other part of the machine which forms part of the second measuring means.

Appropriate control of the drives can be provided so that the actual position of the track encountered before the operation can be copied exactly. Since the position of the excavating chain relative to the machine frame or to the measuring means is known precisely by way of the displacement pick-ups, the excavating chain can be moved exactly into the desired vertical and transverse position.

There is no need in this case for any adjustment or rotation of the machine frame, known from the constructionally very complicated prior art machines.

The features of claims 2 and 3 enable the actual position of the track to be copied, utilizing the screening wagon as the sensing means and advantageously avoiding short-wave or localised track geometry errors.

The further features according to claims 4, 5 and 6 enable the actual position of the machine frame to be determined exactly so that it can be compared with the value obtained by the first measuring means. This is achieved with the minimum of constructional expense. Each desired position relative to the machine frame can be adjusted and determined with the displacement pick-ups.

In the modification according to claim 7 displacement pick-ups are provided between the machine frame and the track lifting means which are associated with the respective drives and enable the track lifting means to be precisely positioned in relation to the machine frame.

As a result, in connection with the creation of the new ballast bed, the track can be precisely located in the desired position and travel may thus take place along it at high speed immediately after the ballast operation operation.

A further development according to the features of claims 8 to 11, in combination with the design of the two measuring frames so as to be of the same length, enables the actual position measurement values obtained to be transferred in a simplified manner from the first to the second measuring means.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood reference will now be made by way of example to the embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 and 2 show a side view of the front and rear part respectively of a machine for cleaning the ballast bed, Fig. 3 shows a schematic side view of the machine, on a reduced scale, Fig. 4 shows a longitudinal vertical profile of the actual position of the track, Fig. 5 shows a schematic cross-section through the machine in the area of the excavating chain, and Fig. 6 shows a partial side view of a further embodiment of ballast bed cleaning machine with a reference system formed by individual measuring frames.

The machine 1, shown in Fig. 1 and 2, for cleaning the ballast bed consists of an elongated machine frame 3 supported on on-track undercarriages 2 and a wagon frame 5 constituting a screening wagon 4 separably connected thereto by a articulated coupling. The screening wagon 4, supported on on-track undercarriages 7, is arranged at the front with respect to the operating direction of the machine 1 represented by an arrow 6 and is provided with a central power plant 8 and a driver's cab 9. A further driver's cab 10 and a central power plant 11 are situated at the rear end of the machine 1. An operator's cab 12 with a control means 13 is provided which is connected to an upwardly offset section of the machine frame 3.

Linked to the machine frame 3 behind the operator's cab 12 is an excavating chain 14 of endless design and vertically adjustable by means of drives 30. A track lifting means 18 which is vertically and laterally adjustable by means of drives 20 is situated immediately behind a cutter bar 17 of the excavating chain 14, positioned beneath a track 15 with sleepers 16 and extending transversely to the longitudinal direction of the machine. Between the said track lifting means and the ontrack undercarriage 2 which follows it in the operating direction a further track lifting means 19 is connected to the machine frame 3 for vertical and lateral adjustment by means of drives 20.

Positioned immediately in front of the track lifting means 19 in the operating direction are discharge ends of two depositing conveyor belts 21, pivotable in the horizontal plane, for discharging cleaned ballast. The cleaned ballast may be conveyed to the depositing conveyor belts 21 by means of a conveyor unit 22. A conveyor belt arrangement 23, provided for transporting fouled ballast, from the excavating chain 14 towards the screening wagon 4, is composed of three conveyor belts. Two screening units arranged on the screening wagon 4 may be set vibrating independently of one another by means of respective individual drives. A conveyor unit 24 serves to transport the spoil away.

Stretched between the front on-track undercarriage, of the machine frame 3 and the front on-track undercarriage 7 of the wagon frame 5 is a reference chord member 25. The chord member extends in the longitudinal direction of the machine is arranged centrally with respect to the transverse direction of the machine, and is for determining the lateral position of the track. A mounting bridge 26, mounted for vertical adjustment at the front and rear end region respectively of the wagon frame 5 and connected to flanged rollers which are able to roll along the track, is provided to fix this reference chord 25. A versine or track centre-line transverse displacement sensor is provided on a further central mounting bridge 27. The control means 13 which has an electronic memory 28 is connected to a distance measuring means 29.Motive drives 31 are provided to produce a continuous operational advancing movement.

Drives 30 provided for vertical and lateral adjustment of the excavating chain 14 relative to the machine frame 3. Each drive 30 is connected to its own displacement pick-up 32 comprising a potentiometer.

Drives 20 provided for the vertical and transverse adjustment of the track lifting means 18, 19 are also each connected to their own displacement pick-up 33. The respective adjustments may be precisely determined with these displacement pick-ups 32, 33.

A reference system 34 for controlling the position of the excavating chain 14 and the track lifiting means 18, 19 is composed'of a first measuring means 35 and a second measuring means 37 arranged behind it in the operating direction. The first measuring means 35 includes the wagon frame 5, a longitudinal measuring device 36 for determining the longitudinal inclination of the track 15, and a transverse inclination measuring device 39 both of which devices are secured to the wagon frame of the screening wagon 4. Both the longitudinal and transverse inclination measuring devices 36 and 39 are secured centrally with respect to the transverse direction of the machine.

The second measuring means 37 includes the machine frame 3, a longitudinal inclination measuring device 40 and a transverse inclination measuring device 41 both of which devices are secured to the machine frame 3. Both of the logitudinal and transverse inclination measuring devices are arrange centrally on the machine frame 3 with respect to the transverse direction of the machine. This second measuring means 37 is secured to the machine frame in the area that the excavating chain is connected to the machine frame.

The way in which the reference system 34 operates is described in more detail below.

By way of the first measuring means 35 constituted by the wagon frame 5 and the inclination measuring devices 36, 39, both the longitudinal and the transverse inclination of the track 15 are measured at regular intervals, for example, every 1 m. The distance along the track is determined by the measuring means 29. Inclination information is stored together with measurement point information. As is evident from Figs 3 and 4, the individual measurement points on the track 15 are denoted A, B, C etc. The longitudinal inclination of the wagon frame 5 measured at measurement point A is the angle a see Fig 4. From the equation dyn = dxn.tana the height dyn at a particular measurement point may be calculated.A longitudinal vertical profile, denoted by 42, of the actual position of the track may be finally produced by adding the individual measurement values. As a possible design variation, it is possible to produce by means of an algorithm the mathematical calculation of a desired vertical profile. This is represented in Fig 4 by a dot and dash line and constitutes a vertical profile improved by a smoothing effect, for controlling the position of the excavating chain 14 and/or of the track lifting means 18, 19. The corresponding vertical values for dyn vary through this desired vertical profile with the elimination of short wave or localised vertical position errors.

The desired vertical values, modified slightly by the algorithm, are given by the second measuring means 37 as soon as the excavating chain 14 and the track lifting means 18, 19 have reached the respective local measurement points. By comparison of the actual inclination of the machine frame 3 obtained by means of the inclination measuring devices 40, 41 with the stored desired values, a difference value is obtained. The inclination of the machine frame 3 is not identical to the inclination of the wagon frame 5 because of the position of the rear on-track undercarriage 2 on top of the re-made ballast bed. In dependence on this difference value the respective zero position of the displacement pick-ups 32 and 33 respectively may be adjusted electronically such that the machine frame 3 is in the desired position purely by way of mathematical calculation (see dot and dash lines in Fig.

5). Proceeding from this, the desired position of the cutter bar 17 may now be determined as a consequence of the values shown in Fig. 5 exactly in relation to the machine frame 3 or to the aforementioned mathematically corrected position.

The values hR, sSV and aR are calculated from the lengths 11, 12, 15 obtained by the displacement pick-ups 32 (in conjunction with the drives 30) and from the geometric dimensions.

The abbreviations shown in Fig. 5 have the following meanings: au = Transverse angle of inclination of the machine.

frame 3 lR(i) = Excavation width 11,12 = Extension length of the drives 30 for the vertical adjustment of the excavating chain 14 s = Extension length of a further drive 30 for the transverse adjustment of the excavating chain 14 hR = Height of the cutter bar 17 with respect to the centre of the machine frame 3 BSV = Lateral displacement of the cutter bar 17 - = Angle of inclination of the cutter bar 17 with respect to the machine frame 3.

In the same way as the position of the excavating chain is controlled as described above, the desired vertical and lateral position of the two track lifting means 18, 19 are also controllable, wherein the respective positions in relation to the machine frame 3 may be determined by means of the aforementioned displacement pick-ups 33. In a further variant, the measurement values of the track position, already known through an ALC automatic guiding computer for example, - see the magazine 'Progressive Railroading' 9/90, pages 83-85 - may of course be supplied directly to the control means 13, for instance in the form of a storage medium.

A design variant is shown in Fig. 6, of a further reference system 43 for use in a machine according to the invention. The reference system 43 may be used for controlling the excavating chain 14 and/or the track lifting means 18. The reference system 43 includes a first measuring means 44 and associated measuring frame 50, and second measuring means 45 and associated measuring frame 51. Both measuring frames 50 and 51 extend in the longitudinal direction of the machine. Longitudinal and tranverse inclination measuring devices 48 and 49 are connected to the measuring frame 51. Longitudinal and transverse inclination measuring devices 46 and 47 are connected to the measuring frame 50. The respective front ends of these measuring frames 50, 51, are mounted on the axle box body of the front on-track undercarriages 7 and 2 of the screening wagon 4 and the machine frame 3 respectively.The rear end of the measuring frames 50 and 51 are supported in each case on the track 15 by means of a flanged roller 52. The two measuring frames 50 and 51 are designed so as to be the same length. The flanged roller 52 of the second measuring means 45 is situated above the cutter bar 17. In this area, the measuring frame 51 is connected to the cutter bar 17 which extends horizontally transversely to the longitudinal direction of the machine by at least one vertical displacement pick-up 53.

In operation, as already described above in connection with the first embodiment, the actual position of the track 15, particularly with respect to the longitudinal and transverse inclination, is determined at uniform measurement intervals with the first measuring means 44 and is stored together with measurement point information. As soon as the measurement points associated with the individual measurement values have been reached by the cutter bar 17, the position of the excavating chain 14 is controlled with reference to the stored actual values.

This is effected firstly by comparison, by means of the two inclination measuring devices 46, 47, of the current actual values with the stored actual values. These stored actual values serve as desired values for controlling the excavating chain 14. This comparison is primarily necessary because the position of the flanged roller 52 of the second measuring means 45 deviates from the actual position because of the raised track 15. After calculation of the difference, as mentioned above, the respective zero position of the displacement pick-ups 53 may be adjusted electronically such that the longitudinal and transverse inclination of the measuring frame 51 is located, quasimathematically, to the same position as the measuring frame 50 of the first measuring means 44. Proceeding from this, the position of the excavating chain 14 in relation to the measuring frame 51 may be precisely adjusted by means of the aforementioned displacement pick-ups 53 in order to produce the desired excavating depth and/or transverse inclination.

Claims

1. A machine for treating the ballast bed of a railway track, comprising a machine frame positioned on on-track undercarriages, an excavating chain which is vertically adjustable by means of first drives, a track lifting means which is adjustable by means of second drives, and a reference system for controlling the height of the excavating chain which preference system has a control means and which includes a first measuring means with a first longitudinal inclination measuring device for determining the longitudinal inclination of the track and a second measuring means, arranged behind it in the operating direction, with a further second longitudinal inclination measuring device for determining the longitudinal inclination of the track, wherein the second measuring means is connected to the excavating chain by means of first displacement pick-ups and a distance measuring means for determining the machine's advance is associated with the control means.

2. A machine according to claim 1, wherein the first measuring means is formed by a wagon frame with a screening unit supported on on-track undercarriages and the first longitudinal inclination measuring device, the said wagon frame being arranged in front of the machine frame in the operating direction and being connected thereto in an articulated manner.

3. A machine according to claim 2, wherein the first longitudinal inclination measuring device is secured to the wagon frame centrally with respect to the transverse direction of the machine.

4. A machine according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the second measuring means is formed by the machine frame, connected to the excavating chain, in combination with the second longitudinal inclination measuring device secured to the machine frame in the area of the excavating chain.

5. A machine according to claim 4, wherein the first displacement pick-ups are secured to the first drives provided between the machine frame ad the excavating chain.

6. A machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein in addition to the longitudinal inclination measuring device, a transverse inclination measuring device, secured to the machine and wagon frame respectively, is associated with each measuring means.

7. A machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein respective second displacement pick-ups are associated with the second drives provided between the machine frame and the track lifting means.

8. A machine according to claim 1, wherein the two measuring means, respectively connected to a longitudinal inclination measuring device comprise measuring frames, extending in the longitudinal direction of the machine and respectively connected to the longitudinal inclination measuring device, one end pf the said measuring frames being supported in an articulated manner on an axle box body of the on-track undercarriage,of the machine and wagon frame respectively and the opposite end being supported on the track by way of flanged rollers.

9. A machine according to claim 8, wherein the two measuring frames are of equal length and are each connected to a transverse inclination measuring device.

10. A machine according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the flanged roller of the second, rear measuring frame in the operating direction is arranged in operational use above a cutter bar of the excavating chain.

11. A machine according to one of claims 8, 9 or 10, further comprising displacement pick-ups connecting the measuring frame to the excavating chain.