GB2433955A

GB2433955A - Method of laying a plurality of railway sleepers

Info

Publication number: GB2433955A
Application number: GB0522712A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Ratledge; Anthony Paul Fazekas; Knut Roesch
Original assignee: CARILLION CONSTRUCTION Ltd
Current assignee: CARILLION CONSTRUCTION Ltd
Priority date: 2005-11-08
Filing date: 2005-11-08
Publication date: 2007-07-11
Also published as: GB0522712D0

Abstract

The method includes the steps of providing on a support member a selected plurality of railway sleepers 10 substantially in side-by-side relationship, with longitudinal axes of the railway sleepers 10 substantially parallel to each other; lifting the plurality of railway sleepers 10 simultaneously off of the support member; effecting movement of the railway sleepers 10 relative to each other so as to space the railway sleepers 10 from each other substantially at regular intervals; and lowering the plurality of railway sleepers 10 simultaneously onto a ground surface at an installation site. The sleepers 10 are lifted, moved and lowered whilst supported by a frame 14 with a contertina-type linkage 15, to provide the required spacing, operated by e.g. an electric motor. The frame 14 is carried by a boom of a lifting apparatus on an adjacent track, preceding track or adjacent ground surface.

Description

Title: Method of Laying a Plurality of Railway Sleepers

Description of Invention

The present invention relates to a method of laying a plurality of railway sleepers, particularly, but not exclusively relating to sleepers of metal, such as, for example, steel. The invention utilises a lifting apparatus A known method of laying railway sleepers includes the steps of providing layers of railway sleepers on, for example, a platform of a transportation vehicle. The vehicle then transports the railway sleepers to an installation site where the railway sleepers are then individually lifted from the platform and loaded, in stack configuration, into a laying machine. The laying machine is then moved over a ground surface at the installation site and lays the railway sleepers at regular intervals, one at a time. This method is a slow and inefficient way of laying railway sleepers.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a more efficient method of laying railway sleepers.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method of laying a plurality of railway sleepers, comprising the steps of:-providing on a support member the plurality of railway sleepers substantially in side-by-side relationship, with longitudinal axes of the railway sleepers substantially parallel to each other; lifting the plurality of railway sleepers simultaneously off of the support member; effecting movement of the railway sleepers relative to each other so as to space the railway sleepers from each other substantially at regular intervals; and lowering the plurality of railway sleepers simultaneously onto a ground surface at an installation site.

Two or more layers of a plurality of railway sleepers may be provided on the support member. In this case the method may comprise the step of lifting an uppermost layer of a plurality of railway sleepers off of an adjacent layer of railway sleepers. For example, if there are three layers of a plurality of railway sleepers, the method may comprise the step of lifting the third (uppermost) layer of railway sleepers off of the second layer of railway sleepers. The support member may be, for example, a platform, e.g. on a transportation vehicle. In this case, the transportation vehicle may transport the plurality of railway sleepers close to the installation site.

The method may include the step of lifting two or more layers of railway sleepers off of the support member. The method may include the step of lifting at least four layers of railway sleepers from the support member.

Furthermore, each layer of railway sleepers may conveniently include twenty railway sleepers, although any number of railway sleepers could be provided in each layer. Therefore, conveniently, 80 railway sleepers are lifted from the support member at one time. Still more conveniently, twelve layers of railway sleepers may be provided on the support member, and four layers may be lifted off each time.

The railway sleepers may be engaged by a plurality of picking up apparatus which are connected to a frame member. Each picking up apparatus may be configured to engage one or more railway sleepers. For example, if in accordance with the present invention, the method includes the step of lifting two or more layers of railway sleepers off of the support member, each picking up apparatus may engage two or more railway sleepers, e.g. each picking up apparatus engaging a stack of railway sleepers.

The picking up apparatus may be moveable relative to each other so as to space the railway sleepers from each other substantially at regular intervals, e.g. at a standard spacing from each other so that they do not need to be spaced further once laid on a ground surface.

The frame member may be connectable to a lifting apparatus, which lifting apparatus effects movement of the frame member relative to the support member.

The spacing between adjacent railway sleepers may be a standard spacing particular to the type of railway sleeper being laid. For example, a greater or lesser distance between adjacent railway sleepers may be required depending on whether the railway sleepers being laid are, for example, wooden, concrete or metal.

The lifting apparatus may be supported on an adjacent section of railway track. Alternatively, where an adjacent railway track is not present or not available, the lifting apparatus may be supported on a section of railway track preceding the ground surface on which the plurality of railway sleepers is to be laid. Alternatively still, the lifting apparatus may be supported on a ground surface adjacent a ground surface where the plurality of railway sleepers is to be laid.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:-Figure 1 is a plan view of a plurality of railway sleepers engaged by a plurality of picking up apparatus; Figure 2 is a side view corresponding to Figure 1; Figure 3 is an end view corresponding to Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a plan view showing a plurality of railway sleepers spaced from each other substantially at regular intervals by the plurality of picking up apparatus; Figure 5 is a side view corresponding to Figure 4; and Figure 6 is a plan view of a plurality of railway sleepers being laid at an installation site using a lifting apparatus.

Referring to figures 1, 2 and 3, these show twenty railway sleepers 10, each of which is engaged by a respective picking up apparatus 12, which are connected to a frame member 14. The frame member 14 is comprised of a concertina-type linkage mechanism 15, driven by appropriate means such as an electric motor, which connects the picking up apparatus 12 to each other.

Thus the picking up apparatus 12 are moveable relative to each other by the concertina-type mechanism, so that they can be spaced from each other substantially at regular intervals. The railway sleepers 10 in this example are metal (e.g. steel), which tend to be utilised for local, i.e. lower speed, railways, although it must be appreciated that the method in accordance with the present invention can be utilised with different types of railway sleepers, such as, for examples, concrete or wooden railway sleepers.

The frame member 14 is connected to a boom 22 of a lifting apparatus 20 (see figure 6). The connection between the frame member 14 and the boom 22 of the lifting apparatus 20 is configured so as to allow an operator to control the orientation, i.e. tilting, of the frame member 14 relative to a ground surtace, so that the railway sleepers 10 can be laid on the ground surface substantially at the same time, thus avoiding alignment problems. Such connection devices are known and thus will not be discussed in greater detail herein.

Although not shown in the figures, a plurality of railway sleepers 10 is provided on a support member, which in this example is a platform of a transportation vehicle, although other appropriate support members could be used. The railway sleepers are provided in a plurality of layers, and within each layer the railway sleepers 10 are positioned substantially in side-by-side relationship, with longitudinal axes of the railway sleepers 10 substantially parallel to each other.

A small gap is provided between adjacent railway sleepers 10, in a layer, although this gap is much less than the spacing required between adjacent railway sleepers 10 when they have been laid on the ground surface at an installation site. In this example, the platform supports twelve layers of railway sleepers, each layer including twenty railway sleepers 10, i.e. 240 railway sleepers in total. There are therefore 20 stacks of railway sleepers 10, each stack including twelve railway sleepers 10, and the platform may be provided with formations to align and separate adjacent stacks of railway sleepers 10.

In order to lift the railway sleepers 10 from the platform of the vehicle, the frame member 14 is positioned, using the boom 22 of the lifting apparatus 20, by an operator over the railway sleepers 10, and is then lowered until the picking up apparatus 12 are aligned directly above the railway sleepers 10.

The frame member 14 is then lowered further until each picking up apparatus 12 engages four railway sleepers 10, i.e. the uppermost four of the twelve provided in each stack. Of course, each picking up apparatus 12 could be configured to engage more or fewer than four railway sleepers 10. For example each picking up apparatus 12 could be configured to engage one railway sleeper only.

The picking up apparatus 12 then grip the railway sleepers 10 and the frame member 14 is lifted by the lifting apparatus 20 such that four layers of railway sleepers 10, i.e. 80 in total, are suspended above the platform of the vehicle.

The picking up apparatus 12 are then moved relative to each other by the concertina-type mechanism, which in turn causes the stacks of railway sleepers 10 to be moved relative to each other so as to space the stacks of railway sleepers 10 from each other substantially at regular intervals (see figures 4 and 5). The spacing between adjacent railway sleepers 10 is then equal to the spacing required for the particular type of railway sleeper 10 being laid at that location.

The lifting apparatus 20 then moves the frame member 14 to the installation site where the railway sleepers 10 are to be laid. This is usually achieved by the lifting apparatus 20 travelling along an adjacent railway track (see figure 6), although it could be supported on a section of track preceding that which is to be laid, or on a ground surface adjacent the installation site. Alternatively, the boom 22 only of the lifting apparatus 20 could be moved, Of course, the relative spacing of the railway sleepers 10 can be carried out prior to, during or after the lifting apparatus 20 has moved to the installation site where the railway sleepers 10 are to be laid.

The lifting apparatus 20 then lowers the frame member 14 until a lowermost layer of railway sleepers 10 engages the ground surface. Then the picking up apparatus 12 each release one railway sleeper 10, i.e. twenty are released simultaneously. The lifting apparatus 20 then raises the frame member 14 and moves it to a position where the next layer of twenty railway sleepers 10 is to be laid. In practice, the next layer of railway sleepers 10 will be laid on a ground surface adjacent to the ground surface on which the previous layer of railway sleepers 10 was laid. In other words, each set of twenty railway sleepers 10 will be laid in end-to-end relationship. Once all 80 railway sleepers have been laid, the lifting apparatus 20 moves the frame member 14 back to the platform and picks up a further 80 railway sleepers, and the process is repeated.

When used in this specification and claims, the terms "comprises" and 11comprising and variations thereof mean that the specified features, steps or integers are included. The terms are not to be interpreted to exclude the presence of other features, steps or components.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

CLAIMS

1. A method of laying a plurality of railway sleepers, comprising the steps of:-providing on a support member the plurality of railway sleepers substantially in side-by-side relationship, with longitudinal axes of the railway sleepers substantially parallel to each other; lifting the plurality of railway sleepers simultaneously off of the support member; effecting movement of the railway sleepers relative to each other so as to space the railway sleepers from each other substantially at regular intervals; and lowering the plurality of railway sleepers simultaneously onto a ground surface at an installation site.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein two or more layers of a plurality of railway sleepers are provided on the support member.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein the method comprises the step of lifting an uppermost layer of a plurality of railway sleepers off of an adjacent layer of railway sleepers.

4. A method according to claim 2 include the step of lifting two or more layers of a plurality of railway sleepers off of the support member.

5. A method according to any preceding claim wherein the railway sleepers are engaged by a plurality of picking up apparatus connected to a frame member.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein each picking up apparatus is configured to engage one or more railway sleepers.

7. A method according to claim 5 as appendant to claim 2 wherein each picking up apparatus is configured to engage two or more railway sleepers.

8. A method according to claim 5, 6 or 7 wherein the picking up apparatus are moveable relative to each other so as to space the railway sleepers from each other substantially at regular intervals.

9. A method according to any one of claims 5 to 8 wherein the frame member is connectable to a lifting apparatus, which lifting apparatus effects movement of the frame member relative to the support member.

10. A method according to claim 9 wherein the lifting apparatus is supported on an adjacent section of railway track.

11. A method according to claim 9 wherein the lifting apparatus is supported on a section of railway track preceding the ground surface on which the plurality of railway sleepers is to be laid.

12. A method according to claim 9 wherein the lifting apparatus is supported on a ground surface adjacent the ground surface on which the plurality of railway sleepers is to be laid.

13. A method substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and/or as shown in the accompanying drawings.

14 Any novel feature or novel combination of features described herein with reference to and/or in the accompanying drawings.