GB628500A - Improvements in or relating to marshalling yards for railway vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

628,500. Loading and unloading ; traversers for vehicles. MITCHELL, F. G. March 17, 1947, No. 7344. [Classes 78 (iv) and 104 (ii)] A marshalling yard comprises a plurality of reception sidings for wagons, feed means for loading various kinds of material into the wagons on the reception sidings, a plurality of marshalling sidings for receiving loaded wagons from the reception sidings in a desired order and weighing means for weighing the loaded wagons prior to their being run on to the marshalling sidings, in combination with a traverser which is movable transversely of the sidings and is adapted to transfer a wagon from any reception siding to any marshalling siding. Empty wagons 73, Fig. 3, which pass along reception sidings 72 are loaded with various grades of coal from hoppers housed in a building 70 and are then passed through extension sidings 74 on to a traverser 82. This traverser transports the trucks laterally across the sidings to any preselected marshalling siding 76. Wagons are moved on and off the traverser by axle engaging members attached to a rack which is reciprocatable in bearings secured to said traverser which buffer is also equipped with two weigh platforms 96 and a control cab 95. In a modification, Fig. 2, in which wagons move from right to left, three traversers 50, 52, 54 are provided so as to give greater selectivity to the order of wagons in the train and to the order of wagons passing under the loading hoppers 34, weighing platforms being provided on the traverser 50 or 54 only. A by-pass track 58, 64 is provided passing over extensions 56, 62 of traversers 54, 52, to enable wagons to be made up into a train on track 60 on the incoming side of the marshalling yard. In a further modification the trucks are propelled on and off the traverser by axle engaging mules 130, 150, Fig. 11, running on narrow tracks between the main wagon tracks, which mules are driven by endless cables passing over pulleys 120, 122 and 140, 142, the arrangement being such that loaded wagons 75 are propelled more quickly than unloaded wagons 73. The endless ropes may each be individually driven through reduction gearing by its own motor (as shown), or alternatively each series of parallel endless ropes may be driven by one motor and reduction gear, some ropes being engaged with or disengaged from the driving shaft by means of clutches controlled, as are all the other operations, from the cab 95' on the traverser. Specification 550,529 is referred to.