GB2516065A

GB2516065A - Removal of rail debris

Info

Publication number: GB2516065A
Application number: GB201312363A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Richard Moorhouse
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2013-07-10
Filing date: 2013-07-10
Publication date: 2015-01-14
Anticipated expiration: 2033-07-10
Also published as: GB201312363D0; GB2516065B

Abstract

The apparatus 201 comprises a length of wire rope 202 and a supporting device 203. The wire rope comprises a supporting end 205 and a contact end 204, in use the contact end contacts a top surface 208 of a railway line 104. The supporting device supports the rope and is configured to co-operate with the wire rope so as to enable it to be movable along an axis substantially orthogonal to the surface. The rope is movable, preferably using a pulley system 206, vertically from a first constrained position to a second released position in contact with the surface. The supporting device is preferably a guide tube and extends substantially perpendicular to the surface. The rope may exit the guide tube 207 via an open end 211 of the tube. The apparatus may include a locking mechanism, for example a mechanical pin, to lock the rope in the constrained position. The contact end may comprise a brush. Also claimed is a rail vehicle comprising the apparatus and a method of removing debris from a railway line.

Description

Removal of Rail Debris

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application represents the first application for a patent directed towards the invention and the subject mailer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the removal of debris from the surface of a railway line, an apparatus for the removal thereof and a rail vehicle comprising such an apparatus.

2. Description ol the Related Art

The problem of slippery rail' is well known in the art as it is a common cause of delays and inconvenience on railway networks. Slippery rail occurs when leaves or other debris fall onto the surface of the rails of railway tracks resulting in a reduction of friction between the rails and the wheels of rail vehicles, such as commercial or freight trains. In a worst case scenario, this can lead to the tracks being unusable until the leaves or other debris is removed.

Solutions to this problem which have been proposed include the use of highly complex systems requiring motors and/or hydraulic systems. These systems can be very complicated and thus require a high degree of maintenance. Brush type systems also exist but these require the brush elements to be replaced at regular intervals to account for wear and tear.

Furthermore, such systems often require specially manufactured trains which serve this purpose only. Alternatively, the systems are in the farm of stand-alone trolleys or similar which are pushed along a track by an operative.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided apparatus for removing debris from the surface of a railway tine, comprising: a length of wire rope, having a contact end and a supported end; and a supporting device for supporting said length of wire rope; wherein said supported end is supported by said supporting device, and said contact end is configured to be brought into contact with a surface of the railway line.

Throughout this description wire rope is taken to include any heavy duty strands of metal twisted to result in a helix of wire rope. The wire rope may be made from any suitable metal, but, in a preferred embodiment, is steel.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rail vehicle comprising an apparatus for removing debris from a railway line, said apparatus comprising: a length of wire rope, having a contact end and a supported end; and a supporting device connected to said rail vehicle and which supports said length of wire rope; wherein said supported end is supported by said supporting device, and said contact end is configured to be brought into contact with the railway line.

According to a stilt further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of removing debris from a railway line, comprising the steps of: activating an apparatus for removing debris from a railway line, said apparatus comprising a length of wire rope having a supported end which is supported by a supporting device; releasing said length of wire rope from said supporting device of said apparatus; and bringing a contact end of said wire rope into contact with a railway line such that said contact end removes debris from said railway line.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 shows a typical scenario of a rail vehicle on a railway line; Figure 2 shows an apparatus for removing debris from a railway line; Figure 3 shows a cross sectional view of the apparatus in a constrained position above a rail of a railway line; Figure 4 shows an alternative cross sectional view of the apparatus in a released position above a rail of a railway line; Figure 5 shows rail vehicle comprising the apparatus described herein on a railway line; and Figure 6 shows a method of removing debris from a railway line utilising the apparatus described in the preceding Figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

Figure 1 Figure 1 shows a typical scenario of a rail vehicle 101 on a railway line 102. Rail vehicle 101 is a commercial rail vehicle comprising a plurality of carriages 103 and utilised for transporting passengers from one railway station to another railway station. It is appreciated that rail vehicle 101 may be any other type of rail vehicle, such as a freight train, utilised for transporting freight, such as coal or machinery to factories, power stations or similar.

Railway line 102 comprises two rails, 104A and 104B, on which a plurality of wheels 105 of rail vehicle 101 are configured to ride when the rail vehicle 101 is in operation. When in use, it is important that a clean contact is made between the wheels 105 and the rails 104 such that the friction between the wheels 105 and the rails 104 is sufficient to enable smooth running of the vehicle.

In the scenario shown in Figure 1, railway line 102 has been covered by an obstruction, such as leaves 106, which stick to an upper surface of the rails 104. When a rail vehicle, such as rail vehicle 101, attempts to ride over these rails, the friction is reduced such that the rail vehicle is less stable on the rails. This in turn results in a loss of tractive force which makes the wheels of the rail vehicle spin when attempting to move forward, and also leads to wheels locking when braking is attempted. This is not only dangerous but can lead to damage to the wheels of the rail vehicle.

In addition, these problems increase the travelling time for the rail vehicle to travel over a given distance and, in a worst case scenario, may lead to the railway line becoming temporarily unusable until the problem is solved or its effects reduced.

While the example shown in Figure 1 relates to the problem of leaves on the railway line it is appreciated that the invention as described herein is also applicable to other debris or obstructions on the rails of a railway line, such as snow, ice or other contaminants.

Figure 2 In order to address the problems described, an apparatus 201 for removing debris, such as the leaves shown in Figure 1, from a railway line, is shown in Figure 2.

Apparatus 201 comprises a length of wire rope 202 and a supporting device 203. Wire rope 202 has a contact end 204 and a supported end 205.

Supporting device 203 supports the length of wire rope 202 at the supported end 205 and comprises a pulley system 206 and a guide tube 207 which houses at least part of the wire rope.

In this illustrated embodiment, contact end 204 of wire rope 202 has been brought into contact with rail 104. Wire rope 202 is configured to be brought into contact with the upper surface 208 of the railway line and moved from a constrained position to the released position (where the contact end contacts the surface of the railway line) shown in Figure 2. Pulley system 206 includes a whe& 209 and a cable 210 to enable the wire rope 202 to be retracted to the constrained position through an open end 211 of guide tube 207 and above rail 104 and into guide tube 207. This mechanism will be described in further detail in Figures 3 and 4.

As shown in Figure 2, apparatus 201 is attached to the rail vehicle 101, and, in particular, is fitted to a front surface 212 of rail vehicle 101. In this illustrated embodiment, the guide tube 207 is fixed to the front surface 212 by a fastening means. The fastening means may be in the form of screws, nails, rivets, welding, adhesive or any other suitable fastening means that enables the apparatus 201 to be maintained on the front of the vehicle while in use.

Guide tube 207 extends in a substantially perpendicular direction as shown with respect to the upper surface 208 of the railway line after the apparatus has been fitted and when in use. As shown in Figure 2, the open end 211 of guide tube 207 is vertically displaced by a distance indicated by arrow 213 such that the guide tube is directly above the rail 104 of the railway line 102.

In the embodiment shown, wire rope 202 is manufactured from steel rope of the type known in the art. In a particular embodiment, the contact end 204 of the wire rope 202 comprises a brush enabled to remove debris from the railway line. The brushed end comprises a plurality of wire strands or a frayed end to increase the surface area contacting the rails 104. It is appreciated that the contact end 204 of wire rope 202 may suffer wear and tear due to contact with the rail 104. In this case it is appreciated that the supporting device is configured to be adjustable to move the wire rope 202 in a substantially vertical position so as to maintain the contact end 204 in contact with the rail 104 to take account of any such wear and tear.

Figure 3 Figure 3 shows a cross sectional view of the apparatus 201 for removing debris from the surface of a railway line 102. Figure 3 shows the apparatus 201 in a constrained position directly above a rail 104 of a railway line. As previously described, the open end 211 of the guide tube 207 is vertically displaced by the distance indicated by arrow 213 in a position directly above the rail 104 of the railway line.

When in the constrained position as shown, the contact end 204 of wire rope 202 is aligned with the open end 211 of the guide tube 207 such that it is not in contact with the rail 104.

Apparatus further comprises a locking mechanism 301 which maintains the wire rope 202 in the constrained position as shown. The locking mechanism 301 comprises a mechanical pin 302 which is configured to hold the wire rope 202 in the constrained position, such that the contact end 204 of the wire rope 202 does not contact the upper surface 208 of the rail 104.

Mechanical pin 302 is configured to be releasably removed from at least one hole 303 such that when mechanical pin 302 is inserted through hole 303 the wire rope 202 can be held in position, and when the mechanical pin 302 is removed from the hole 303 the wire rope 202 is free to move under gravity and in accordance with the pulley system 206.

In an embodiment, the locking mechanism is activated manually by an operative pulling on the mechanical pin 302 to release it from hole 303. In an alternative embodiment, the mechanical pin 302 is removed from the hole 303 by an automated means, via, for example, a button positioned either in the driver's cab of the rail vehicle or externally mounted on the rail vehicle's exterior. In a still further embodiment, the locking mechanism can be activated by a series of levers situated in the driver's cab of the rail vehicle so that the locking mechanism can be activated and deactivated as required.

Figure 4 Figure 4 shows an alternative cross sectional view of the apparatus 201 for removing debris from the surface of a railway line 102. In Figure 4, the apparatus 201 is shown in the released position whereby the wire rope 202 has been released by activation of the locking mechanism 301.

Thus, as the locking mechanism 301 is activated such that the mechanical pin 302 is at least partially removed from holes 303, the wire rope 202 is free to move under its own weight and is lowered by pulley system 206 through the open end 211 of guide tube 207. Thus, the contact end 204 of wire rope 202 is brought into contact with the upper surface 208 of the railway line, specifically in this case into contact with rail 204.

It is noted that, as shown in Figure 4, the guide tube 207 remains a vertical distance 213 above the rail 104 while the wire rope 202 moves through the open end 211 of the guide tube 207 without the guide tube 207 moving with it.

The wire rope 202 is configured to remain in contact with the rail 104 for as long as is necessary to clear any debris, leaves, ice, snow or other contaminants from the railway tine. When the railway is considered clear enough for the rail vehicle 101 to run smoothly once more, however, the S pulley system 206 can be reactivated to retract the wire rope 202 back through the open end 211 of guide tube 207 such that the contact end 204 does not suffer undue wear when it is not required. The locking mechanism 301 can then be re-deployed to maintain the wire rope 202 in the constrained position, as previously shown in Figure 3.

It is appreciated that the pulley system 206 can be activated manually or automatically by suitable electronics or other mechanical means. Such an activation device may be positioned either on the exterior of the rail vehicle or within a driver's cab of the rail vehicle as desired.

Figure 5 Figure 5 shows a rail vehicle 501 on a railway line 102. Rail vehicle 501 is substantially similar to that of rail vehicle 101 shown in Figure 1 in that it is a commercial rail vehicle comprising a plurality of carriages 502 and is utilised for transporting passengers from one railway station to another railway station. However, rail vehicle 501 differs from rail vehicle 101 in that it comprises at least one apparatus for removing debris from railway line 102.

As shown, rail vehicle 501 includes a first apparatus 503 and a second apparatus 504. Both the first apparatus 503 and the second apparatus 504 are substantially similar to apparatus 201 as described herein and are each used for removing debris from a railway line in accordance with the present invention.

As shown, apparatus 503 is specifically configured to clear rail 104A with apparatus 504 specifically configured to clear rail 104B of debris such as leaves, ice, snow or similar.

Both apparatus 503 and apparatus 504 are fitted to a front surface 506 of rail vehicle 501 such that the guide tube of each apparatus extends in a substantially perpendicular direction with respect to the surface of the railway line. Apparatus 503 and apparatus 504 are also aligned with the front wheels 507A and 50Th of rail vehicle 501 respectively so as to be aligned with rails 104A and 104B when the vehicle is on the railway line. Thus, the wire rope in apparatus 503 and apparatus 504 can be released from the guide tubes in apparatus 503 and apparatus 504 so as to be brought into contact with the surface of rails 104A and 104B respectively when debris is required to be cleared..

It is appreciated that while in this illustrated embodiment rail vehicle 501 is a commercial rail vehicle for transporting passengers, rail vehicle 501 may be any other type of rail vehicle, such as a freight train, utilised for transporting freight, such as coal or machinery to factories, power stations or similar.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 5, the apparatus 503 and 504 have been retro-fitted to the rail vehicle 501. It is appreciated that the apparatus may be supplied to the owner of a rail vehicle such that they can fit a plurality of such apparatus to a rail vehicle as required. In an alternative embodiment, the apparatus is an integral part of the rail vehicle itself and is built into the rail vehicle while the rail vehicle itself is being manufactured.

Figure 6 Figure 6 describes a method of removing debris from a railway line utilising the apparatus as described in the preceding Figures.

At step 601, the apparatus for removing debris from a railway line is activated. In particular, the locking mechanism, which initially constrains the wire rope in the guide tube, is released to allow the wire rope to exit the open end of the guide tube under its own weight.

At step 602 the length of wire rope is released by the supporting device of the apparatus and the wire rope moves from a constrained position to a released position (as previously shown in Figures 3 and 4). Thus, the contact end of the wire rope is brought into contact with the railway line. This enables debris to be removed as the rail vehicle moves along the railway line to brush the debris from the rails, as indicated at step 603.

At step 604, the wire rope is withdrawn and retracted towards and into the guide tube. This step may take place a considerable time period from being activated and is dependent on the requirements and condition of the railway line and its rails.

Once the wire rope has been retracted fully, at step 605, the locking mechanism is deployed to constrain the wire rope in the guide tube once more. It is appreciated that steps 601 to 605 can be repeated as and when they are required and the wire rope can be moved from the released position to the constrained position and vice versa as many times as is necessary.

Claims

Claims What we claim is: 1. Apparatus for removing debris from the surface of a railway line, comprising: a length of wire rope, having a contact end and a supported end; and a supporting device for supporting said length of wire rope; wherein said supported end is supported by said supporting device, and said contact end is configured to be brought into contact with a surface of the railway line.
2. Apparatus for removing debris from the surface of a railway line in accordance with claim, where said supporting device comprises a guide tube which houses said wire rope.
3. Apparatus for removing debris from the surface of a railway line in accordance with claim 2, wherein said guide tube extends in a substantially perpendicular direction with respect to the surface of the railway line when the apparatus is in use.
4. Apparatus for removing debris from the surface of a railway line in accordance with claim 2 or claim 3, wherein said guide tube includes an open end and said wire rope is configured to exit said guide tube via said open end to enable said wire rope to be brought into contact with said surface of the railway line.
5. Apparatus for removing debris from the surface of a railway line in accordance with claim 4, wherein, in use, said open end is vertically displaced in a position directly above a rail of said railway line.
6. Apparatus for removing debris from the surface of a railway line in accordance with any preceding claim, wherein said apparatus further comprises a lacking mechanism to maintain said wire rope in a constrained position.
7. Apparatus far removing debris from the surface of a railway line in accordance with claim 6, wherein said locking mechanism is releasable such that said wire rope is configured to be moved from said constrained position to a released position.
8. Apparatus for removing debris from the surface of a railway line in accordance with claim 6 or claim 7, wherein said locking mechanism comprises a mechanical pin configured to hold said wire rope in said constrained position, such that said contact end of said wire rope does not contact the surface of the railway line.
9. Apparatus for removing debris from the surface of a railway line in accordance with any preceding claim, wherein said contact end comprises a brush enabled to remove debris from the railway line.
10. A rail vehicle comprising an apparatus for removing debris from a railway line, said apparatus comprising: a length of wire rope, having a contact end and a supported end; and a supporting device connected to said rail vehicle and which supports said length of wire rope; wherein said supported end is supported by said supporting device, and said contact end is configured to be brought into contact with the railway line.
11. A rail vehicle comprising an apparatus for removing debris from a railway line in accordance with claim 10, wherein said supporting device comprises a guide tube which houses said wire rope.
12. A rail vehicle comprising an apparatus for removing debris from the surface of a railway tine in accordance with claim 11, wherein said guide tube extends in a substantially perpendicular direction with respect to the surface of the railway line when the apparatus is fitted to the rail vehicle.
13. A rail vehicle comprising an apparatus for removing debris from a railway line in accordance with claim 10, wherein said rail vehicle comprises a plurality of said apparatus such that a plurality of rails can be cleared of debris.
14. A rail vehicle comprising an apparatus for removing debris from a railway line in accordance with claim 11, wherein said guide tube includes an open end and said wire rope is configured to exit said guide tube via said open end to enable said wire rope to be brought into contact with said surface of the railway line.
15. A rail vehicle comprising an apparatus for removing debris from a railway line in accordance with claim 14, wherein said open end is vertically displaced in a position directly above said railway line.
16. A rail vehicle comprising an apparatus for removing debris from a railway line in accordance with any of claims 10 to 15, wherein said apparatus further comprises a locking mechanism to maintain said wire rope in a constrained position.
17. A rail vehicle comprising an apparatus for removing debris from a railway line in accordance with claim 16, wherein said locking mechanism is releasable such that said wire rope can be moved from said constrained position to a released position.
18. A method of removing debris from a railway line, comprising the steps of: activating an apparatus for removing debris from a railway line, said apparatus comprising a length of wire rope having a supported end which is supported by a supporting device; releasing said length of wire rope from said supporting device of said apparatus; and bringing a contact end of said wire rope into contact with a railway line such that said contact end removes debris from said railway line.
19. A method of removing debris from a railway line accordance with claim 18. comprising the step of: moving said wire rope from a constrained position to a released position.
20. A method of removing debris from a railway line in accordance with claim 18 or claim 19, wherein said step of releasing said length of wire rope from said supporting device is achieved by releasing a locking mechanism of said apparatus.
21. A method of removing debris from a railway line in accordance with claim 20, further comprising the step of: S retracting said wire rope and reactivating said locking mechanism to maintain said wire rope in a constrained position.
22. An apparatus for removing debris from the surface of a railway line as described herein with reference to the accompanying Figures.
23. A rail vehicle comprising an apparatus for removing debris from a railway line as described herein with reference to the accompanying Figures
24. A method of removing debris from a railway line as described herein with reference to the accompanying Figures.Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows: Claims What we claim is: 1. Apparatus for removing debris from the surface of a railway line, comprising: a length of wire rope, having a contact end and a supported end; and a supporting device for supporting said length of wire rope in a substantially vertical alignment; wherein said supporting device is configured to co-operate with said wire rope so as to enable it to be movable along an axis that is substantially orthogonal to said surface from a first corstrained position to a second released position; and wherein in the first constrained position said contact end is configured to be vertically displaced from said surface and in the second released position said contact end is configured to contact said surface.2. Apparatus for removing debris from the surface of a railway line in accordance with claim 1, where said supporting device comprises a guide tube which houses said wire rope. OS. *5SS 20 3. Apparatus for removing debris from the surface of a railway line in accordance with claim 2, wherein said guide tube extends in a *SS* substantially perpendicular direction with respect to the surface of the railway line when the apparatus is in use.* 25 4. Apparatus for removing debris from the surface of a railway line in accordance with claim 2 or claim 3, wherein said guide tube includes an open end and said wire rope is configured to exit said guide tube via said open end to enable said wire rope to be brought into contact with said surface of the railway line.5. Apparatus for removing debris from the surface of a railway line in accordance with claim 4, wherein, in use, said open end is vertically displaced in a position directly above a rail of said railway line.6. Apparatus for removing debris from the surface of a railway line in accordance with any preceding claim, wherein said apparatus further comprises a locking mechanism to maintain said wire rope in a constrained position.7. Apparatus for removing debris from the surface of a railway line in accordance with claim 6, wherein said locking mechanism is releasable such that said wire rope is configured to be moved from said constrained position to a released position.8. Apparatus for removing debris from the surface of a railway line in accordance with claim 6 or claim 7, wherein said locking mechanism S...comprises a mechanical pin configured to hold said wire rope in said constrained position, such that said contact end of said wire rope does not S...: contact the surface of the railway line.9. Apparatus for removing debris from the surface of a railway line 25 in accordance with any preceding claim, wherein said contact end comprises a brush enabled to remove debris from the railway line.10. A rail vehicle comprising an apparatus for removing debris from a railway line, said apparatus comprising: a length of wire rope, having a contact end and a supported end; and a supporting device connected to said rail vehicle and which supports said length of wire rope in a substantially vertical alignment; wherein said supporting device is configured to co-operate with said wire rope so as to enable it to be movable along an axis that is substantially orthogonal to said surface from a first constrained position, to a second released position; and wherein in the first constrained position said contact end is configured to be vertically displaced from said surface and in the second released position said contact end is configured to contact said surface.11. A rail vehicle comprising an apparatus for removing debris from a railway line in accordance with claim 10, wherein said supporting device comprises a guide tube which houses said wire rope.12. A rail vehicle comprising an apparatus for removing debris from the surface of a railway line in accordance with claim 11, wherein said guide tube extends in a substantially perpendicular direction with respect to the surface of the railway Pine when the apparatus is filled to the rail vehicle. as.13. A rail vehicle comprising an apparatus for removing debris from a railway line in accordance with claim 10, wherein said rail vehicle ": 25 comprises a plurality of said apparatus such that a plurality of rails can be cleared of debris.14. A rail vehicle comprising an apparatus for removing debris from a railway line in accordance with claim 11, wherein said guide tube includes an open end and said wire rope is configured to exit said guide tube via said open end to enable said wire rope to be brought into contact with said surface of the railway line.15. A rail vehicle comprising an apparatus for removing debris from a railway line in accordance with claim 14, wherein said open end is vertically displaced in a position directly above said railway line.16. A rail vehicle comprising an apparatus for removing debris from a railway line in accordance with any of claims 10 to 15, wherein said apparatus further comprises a locking mechanism to maintain said wire rope in a constrained position.17. A rail vehicle comprising an apparatus for removing debris from a railway line in accordance with claim 16, wherein said locking mechanism is releasable such that said wire rope can be moved from said constrained position to a released position. a. * 20 * .18. A method of removing debris from a railway line, comprising the * *.* : steps of: activating an apparatus for removing debris from a railway line, said apparatus comprising a length of wire rope having a supported end which is ° 25 supported by a supporting device; releasing said length of wire rope from said supporting device of said apparatus; and bringing a contact end of said wire rope into contact with a railway line such that said contact end removes debris from said railway line.19. A method of removing debris from a railway line accordance with claim 18, comprising the step of: moving said wire rope from a constrained position to a released position.20. A method of removing debris from a railway line in accordance with claim 18 or claim 19, wherein said step of releasing said length of wire rope from said supporting device is achieved by releasing a locking mechanism of said apparatus.21. A method of removing debris from a railway line in accordance with claim 20, further comprising the step of: retracting said wire rope and reactivating said locking mechanism to maintain said wire rope in a constrained position.22. An apparatus for removing debris from the surface of a railway line as described herein with reference to the accompanying Figures. *.o * 20 * .23. A rail vehicle comprising an apparatus for removing debris from a railway line as described herein with reference to the accompanying Figures * *. * . * S.. S 25 24. A method of removing debris from a railway line as described herein with reference to the accompanying Figures.