GB2277150A

GB2277150A - A portable measuring device for determining the versines of a railway track

Info

Publication number: GB2277150A
Application number: GB9407522A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Josef Theurer; Bernhard Lichtberger
Original assignee: Franz Plasser Bahnbaumaschinen Industrie GmbH
Current assignee: Franz Plasser Bahnbaumaschinen Industrie GmbH
Priority date: 1993-04-17
Filing date: 1994-04-15
Publication date: 1994-10-19
Anticipated expiration: 2014-04-15
Also published as: FR2704057B3; DE4411945A1; ITMI940491A0; GB9407522D0; CH688902A5; DE9305787U1; IT1271754B; FR2704057A1; ITMI940491A1; GB2277150B

Abstract

A portable measuring device (1) for determining the versines of a railway track is provided with an optical sighting device (2) and a mechanical rod linkage which is composed of a base beam (5) intended for positioning on top of the two rails of the track and a vertical beam (6) connected in an articulated manner to the base beam and carrying the sighting device. The angle between the base- and vertical beam is adjustable by way of an adjustment means. Associated with the rotatably mounted sighting device (2) are an optical distance measuring device (3) and an angle measuring device (14) for determining an angle of rotation about a horizontal axis (15) and another angle measuring device (16) for determining an angle of rotation about a vertical axis (17). The base beam (5) is connected to an inclinometer (9), and a computer (8) connected to the distance measuring device (3), the angle measuring device (14, 16) and the inclinometer (9) is provided. <IMAGE>

Description

A portable measuring device for determining the versines of a railway track The invention relates to a portable measuring device for determining the versines of a railway track, comprising an optical sighting device and a mechanical rod linkage connected thereto and composed of a base beam intended for positioning on top of the two rails of the track to be surveyed and a vertical beam connected in an articulated manner to the base beam and carrying the sighting device, the. angle between the base- and the vertical beam being adjustable by way of an adjustment means.

A portable measuring device of this kind, referred to as a versine plotting device, for determining the versines of a railway track is already known from an article entitled "Track Marking on the German Federal Railway Network" in the journal "Railway Engineer" of May 1982, pages 221-227. Older versions of versine plotting devices are provided with an alignment laser (Fig. 10). Since then, however, versine plotting devices comprising an optical sighting device (Fig.

11) have been made available by various manufacturers.

Versine plotting devices of this kind have the disadvantage that it is impossible to carry out fixed point surveying or even measuring of the span measurement. These particular measurements are very time-consuming, however, and they are always dependent to a great extent for their accuracy on the reliability of the surveying personnel. However, additionally carrying out the span measurement, while performing the local measurement, with the aid of an electronic computer tachymeter is also already known according to the aforementioned article.

The object of the present invention is now to create a portable measuring device of the type described in the introduction which can also be used for span measurement- and fixed point surveying while unrestrictedly retaining its portability.

This object is achieved according to the invention with a portable measuring device of the type specified in the introduction in that there are associated with the rotatably mounted optical sighting device an optical distance measuring device and an angle measuring device for determining an angle of rotation about a horizontal axis and another angle measuring device for determining an angle of rotation about a vertical axis, and the base beam is connected to an inclinometer, and in that a computer connected to the distance measuring device, the angle measuring device and the inclinometer is provided.

A distance measuring device of this type of design, in combination with the mechanical rod linkage, enables the measuring device to be positioned precisely on the rails with a reference edge on the top of the rail, and enables fixed points and span measurement to be determined accurately to the millimetre. It is an advantage here that these measurements can be carried out without any preparatory work which affects the accuracy. Also, all the measurements for the versines, the span measurement and the fixed points can be taken without changing the position of the measuring device. As a further advantage, it is also possible with the aid of the determined data to calculate additional track parameters, such as actual superelevation, gauge and curve length between the individual points of the plotted long chords.

The solution according to the invention thus provides for a universal measuring device for track marking which is still designed so as to be portable to enable it to be put into operation quickly and also be removed quickly from the track, and which, in combination with the determination of distance and angle, simplifies the procedures particularly required for measuring versines.

Other advantageous and partially inventive developments of the invention emerge from the sub-claims.

The invention is described in more detail in the following with the aid of an example.

Fig. 1 shows a view of the portable measuring device in the longitudinal direction of the track, Fig. 2 shows a plan view of the measuring device, Fig. 3 shows a view of the measuring device in the longitudinal direction of the sleepers, Fig. 4 shows a diagram of the values for calculating the span measurement, and Fig. 5 shows a schematic diagram for determining the versines.

The portable measuring device 1 shown in Figures 1 to 3, also called a versine plotting device, is essentially composed of an optical sighting device 2, an optical distance measuring device 3 and a mechanical rod linkage 4 connected thereto.

This rod linkage in turn consists of a base beam 5 extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the track and a vertical beam 6 connected in an articulated manner to the base beam and carrying the sighting device 2 and the distance measuring device 3. The vertical beam is also connected in an articulated manner to the base beam 5 by way of an adjustment means 7 designed as a threaded spindle. Also associated with the base beam 5 are a computer 8, an inclinometer 9 for the lateral inclination and clamping devices 10 for fixing on rails 11 of a track 12.

As is particularly clear in Fig. 3, there are associated with a measuring unit 13 composed of the optical sighting device 2 and the distance measuring device 3 an angle measuring device 14 for determining an angle of rotation about a horizontal axis 15 and another angle measuring device 16 for determining the angle of rotation about a vertical axis 17.

By means of adjusting screws 18, the measuring unit 13 can be adjusted independently of the position of the vertical beam 6 exactly into a vertical position which can be checked with the aid of a spirit level 19. Masts 20 are provided laterally adjacent to the track 12, each with a fixed point 21 and provided with reflectors 23 in the known manner prior to surveying.

The distance or angle data shown in Fig. 1 to 5 essentially refer to the fixed point surveying. For this procedure, the measuring device 1 is positioned on the track 12 and with the aid of the clamping devices 10 is clamped to the rails 11. The measuring unit 13 is then brought to the vertical relative to the vertical axis 17 with the aid of the adjusting screws 18 and after presetting, automatic zero compensation is implemented. The fixed point 21 is sighted by means of the optical sighting device 2. During night-time measuring, the said reflector 23 is sighted by means of a sighting laser beam which is introduced into the beam path of the lens. The measurement of the distance and angle is then performed by depressing keys. The distance and the level of the track 12 relative to the fixed point 21 is calculated as the result and is indicated on a plasma display. (Fixed point distance 1 = lo - ; hg = 1o sin13; fixed point height h = ho + hH + hu) The result can also be issued on a logging printer. It is also possible to save the data on a magnetic data carrier (floppy disc, etc.) The calculations are executed in the computer 8. The analogue signal of the inclinometer 9 is entered via an AD-converter into the computer 8 and also processed. Current is supplied by means of a portable and rechargable external small accumulator 22.

This fixed point surveying can be performed with this measuring device 1 with millimetre accuracy with regard to distance and level of the fixed point 21 relative to the track 12 with the superelevation and the longitudinal inclination taken into account.

In order to check whether the two fixed points 21 are dimensionally accurate, the distance between two opposite fixed points 21 is specified by the railway authorities as a so-called span measurement S (Fig. 4). This span measurement

is measured following the described fixed point surveying procedure without changing the position of the measuring device 1 is relation to the track 12. In order to perform the measurement, one fixed point 21 is first sighted and is measured with the aid of the angle measuring devices 14, 16 and the distance measuring device 3, and then the second measuring point 21 is sighted and similarly determined. From the two vectors V1, V2 which are now known and the angles a1, R1' a2 and ss the span measurement S can be calculated.

Expediently the measuring of this span measurement will be carried out at the same time as the fixed point surveying.

The position of the measuring device 1 for the span measurement- and fixed point surveying may be selected as desired.

A further possible use of the measuring device 1 consists in long chord plotting and levelling. For this function, in practice only the optical sighting device 2 of the measuring unit 13 is used as the sighting device.

In the measurement of the versines as shown in Fig. 5 [versine fi = I lui I sin (60 ~ 6.) ] a reflector 23 is mounted consecutively at the 5 m points such that it stands vertically and is aligned with the rail running edge of an outside rail 24 (the superelevated rail in the track bend).

The reflector 23 correctly positioned in this way is then targeted with the optical sighting device 2 and the target vector lu is measured. This target vector is produced from the distance measurement with the aid of the distance measuring device 3 and the vertical and horizontal angles which can be determined with the aid of the angle measuring devices 14 and 16. From the values measured in this way it is very simple to derive the additional measurement values, such as gauge, length of curve and actual superelevation between the individual 5 m points.

Claims

1. A portable measuring device for determining the versines of a railway track, comprising an optical sighting device and a mechanical rod linkage connected thereto and comprising a transverse base member intended for positioning on top of the two rails of the track to be surveyed and an upright member connected in an articulated manner to the base member and carrying the sighting device, the angle between the base- and vertical members being adjustable by way of an adjustment means, characterised in that the optical sighting device is mounted to pivot about vertical and horizontal axis, angle measuring devices are provided for determining the angles of rotation of the sighting device about these axis, an optical distance measuring device is associated with the sighting device to a target, an inclinometer is associated with the base member, and data-processing means are connected to the distance measuring device, the angle measuring devices, and the inclinometer for determining the versines on the basis of data provided by these.

2. A portable measuring device for determining the versines of a railway track, comprising an optical sighting device and a mechanical rod linkage connected thereto and comprising a transverse base member intended for positioning on top of the two rails ofthe track to be surveyed and an upright member connected in an articulated manner to the base member and carrying the sighting device, the angle between the base- and vertical members being adjustable by way of an adjustment means, characterised in that there are associated with the rotatably mounted optical sighting device an optical distance measuring device and an angle measuring device for determining an angle of rotation about a horizontal axis and another angle measuring device for determining an angle of rotation about a vertical axis, and the base beam is connected to an inclinometer, and in that a computer connected to the distance measuring device, the angle measuring device and the inclinometer is provided.

3. A measuring device according to Claim 1 or 2, characterised in that a measuring unit composed of the optical sighting device and the distance measuring device has a spirit level and is variable relative to the upright member by means of adjusting screws or the like.

4. A measuring device according to Claim 1, 2 or 3 characterised In that the adjustment means is designed as a threaded spindle.

5. A portable measuring device for determining the versines of railway track, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.