PT851063E - DEVICE WITH ROLLS FOR VIA-FERREA NEEDLE SWITCHES - Google Patents

Abstract

The present device is suitable for use in the railway sector, and especially that of armament deviators. This allows the needles to run without there being the need to lubricate the bearings. This device is composed mainly of a U-shaped, metal support (1) and a series of accessories, such as a metal supporting plate (7) and metal shims (9). The support (1) has a horizontal, square base with sides (4), which are normal at its base (3). These sides (4) feature a series of holes in which the end parts of one or more pivots (5) are placed. On said pivot/s (5) rotate stainless steel rollers (2) inside which there are ferrules (6) made from self-lubricating plastic material. The support (1) is placed on the aforementioned accessories. The base (3) of the support (1), the shims (9) and the supporting plate (7) feature holes for the screws (10) used to secure the support (1) to the accessories and to the beam (11). <IMAGE>

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT WITH ROLLS FOR TRAVEL NEEDLE SWITCHES &quot;

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a rail sector device. It is used in the field of armature needle switches, activated by control boxes provided in both wooden and reinforced concrete sleepers. BACKGROUND ART It is well known that a railroad needle switch is composed of two parts: a track joint and a commutator. The latter comprises needles which are carried out by specially treated rails which are tapered at one end so that the end of the needle can be hidden under the heads of contiguous rails which are known as counter-needles.

These needles are movable; so as to facilitate their movement, they are carried out to slide over a series of movable steel supports which are mounted on the crossbeams of the needle switch.

These supports, however, need lubrication in order to reduce friction between the needle and the bearing surface.

This operation is carried out by railway personnel applying weekly or fortnightly thick oil or mass on the surface of the support3. 1 t r The financial and subsequent effort to be borne by the train company resulting from the execution of this simple but essential operation is therefore understandable. Patents relating to this subject are known. They provide some solutions to the problems described above. The patent no. AT 375 697 B discloses a roll device for rail needle switches. This device essentially comprises a U-shaped metal support in which at least one stainless steel roller is placed. Some sliding plates are used as movable supports. The upper face of these plates is placed under the upper end of the roller, the needle foot being placed on the roller itself. The U-shaped support is placed on two contiguous sleepers above an elastic stainless steel plate. The patent no. DE 10 56 641 B discloses a similar device in which, under the support of the rollers, some elastic supports are placed which can be adjusted in height. The patent no. DD 66 638 discloses a third type of roller device. The roll device described in patent no. AT 375 697 B is placed between two contiguous sleepers, while the roll device described in patent no. DD 66 638 is secured by elastic straps.

But some switches feature control control pulleys or control box support bars in the space between the platters. Therefore, it is not possible to use this type of device that tilts out of the sleepers. 2 f == Ss -

Disclosure of the Invention The object of the present invention is to provide a device similar to the devices described above capable of allowing the needles to slide over the bearings without the need for regular lubrication thereof. This and other objects are achieved by the present device defined in claim 1. The device is composed of a U-shaped metal support in which one or more stainless steel rolls are placed. Stainless steel rollers rest on shafts. The ends of the shafts are inserted into symmetrically open holes on either side of the U-shaped metal bracket. The rollers rotate about a horizontal axis and are provided internally with self-lubricating plastic bushes or roller bearings or spheres. These bushes or bearings are mounted so as to be concentric with the rollers. The carrier has, in use, a horizontal, rectangular base and the aforementioned vertical sides. The axes are fixed to these sides by means of a series of welded points or using any other rigid but easily removable system. The carrier is placed over a series of accessories, comprising a rectangular carrier plate and spacers comprising small rectangular metal plates. Bores were made in the base, spacers and support plate so as to allow screws to be placed. These screws secure the holder to the accessories as well as to the sleepers. The use of stainless steel on the rollers and self-lubricating plastic material (such as for example ertalyte) on the bushings eliminates the use of any lubrication. Since the bearings are not lubricated, an immediate recovery of human resources and the elimination of lubricant costs are obtained. As a result of this, there is no pollution of wood, gravel and soil.

This device is located and secured in the clearance between the side edge of the needle switch bearing and the side edge of the rail support beam. Therefore, this device is also usable if in the space between the crossbeams there are the control control pulleys or support bars of the control boxes. There is no need to take special precautions when this device is installed, nor does it interfere with the installation of any emergency stop. In addition it can be used optimally for internal needles of double English-type bends. Railroad traffic does not have to be stopped to install this device, nor is it necessary to make any changes to its components when the unit is being installed. Shaft locking performed by means of the aforementioned welded points or any other easily removable rigid system allows worn shafts and rollers to be easily removed and replaced with new ones; the carrier is therefore recyclable.

Brief description of ~~ drawings

The above-mentioned objects, technology, feature and effectiveness of the present invention will become apparent from the study of the following preferred embodiment and drawings. The figures represent: 4

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Figure 1 is a side view of the present device, front view of the same device, viewed from above the device, unit as part of a railway needle, viewed from cross-section of the frusto-conical part of a rail switch, side view of a three-roller device, front view of the same device viewed from above the device.

Preferred embodiment of the invention

With reference to the attached figures, the device described herein basically comprises a U-shaped metal support 1 in which one, two or three rollers 2 of stainless steel with a horizontal pivot axis are provided. The carrier 1 has, in use, a horizontal rectangular base 3 and two sides 4 perpendicular to the base 3. On the said sides 4, symmetrical holes are opened in which the ends of one, two or three axes 5 are arranged.

In said shafts 5 the rollers 2 provided internally with bushings 6 are erected. These bushings 6 are concentrically mounted with respect to the rollers 2 described above. The carrier 1 is placed on a rectangular carrier plate 7 / height of the rollers 2 of the rolling surface of the fifth and second supports 8 is adjusted by placing between the support plate 7 and the base 3 of the holder 1 a series of spacers 9 comprising metal plates rectangular with one or two mm of thickness. Steel plate supports 8 are mounted on the upper face of each commutator platen 11, to support the movable rail of the needle switch, allowing it to slide.

Finally, the holder 1 is attached to the spacers 9 and to the plate 7 by means of screws 10.1. All of these components are then secured to the upper face of a rail support beam 11 secured by means of screws 10.2, so that the generating of the roller 2 is approximately two millimeters above the bearing plane of the bearing 8. The purpose of adjusting the height of the rollers 2 when using the spacers 9 is to allow the carrier 1 and rollers 2 to be used, both in accordance with the various pre-existing types of linings and the varying degrees of wear of the crosspiece 11, before the device issue is installed. Moreover, in the long run, this adjustment allows unavoidable wear of the system comprising the 2-axle 5-cam 6, is compensated.

The axes 5 are fixed to the sides 4 by means of a series of welded points.

The aforementioned screws 10.1, 10.2 are located in holes in the base 3, the spacers 9 and the support plate 7. The holes used to secure the single roll device to the rail support rail 11 are used to secure the double roll to rail support plate 11, share the same axis; as a result, in both cases, the support plate 7 and the spacers 9 have the same width. The carrier 1 and its accessories are placed proximate the carrier 8 so that the sides of these components are in direct contact with one another. Once this is done, the screw 10.2 - which allows the holder 1 to be attached to the crosspiece 11 - will be placed in the vicinity of the shorter side of the base 3 and will prevent the holder 1 from rotating.

Given the stroke of the needle 12 and the width of the flange of the needle itself 12, the two- or three-cylinder device will be placed proximate the front bearings 8 of the railroad needle switch. On the other hand, near the rear end of the needle switch, the one or two-cylinder device will be used.

In practical terms, if the stroke of the needle 12 in the exact place in which the device is mounted is smaller or the same as the flange of the needle 12 in the same position, a single roll device will be used. If the stroke of the needle 12 in the exact place in which the device is mounted is greater than the flange of the needle 12 in the same position, a two or three roll device will be used.

After the first device - with two or three rollers - has been mounted proximate the first or second holder 8 located near the top of the switch, the following devices with one or two rollers will be placed close to each four or five supports 8, by other words, every three / four meters.

When the needle 12.1 is in contact with the counter-needle 13.1, it is supported by the supports 8. When the needle 12.1 moves away from the counter-needle 13.1 during the deflection operations, it moves to the rollers 2 of the device in question and remains there throughout the stroke, even if the needle 12.1 has reached its maximum opening angle.

Conversely, the needle 12.2 - spaced from the counter-needle 13.2 - begins its course in the rollers 2 and is placed in the bearings 7,

VI 8 when there is a few mm away from the counter-needle 13.2. The weight of the train carriages is therefore supported by the bearings 8 and not by the rollers 2. The use of stainless steel in the rollers 2 and in the bearings 6 makes any lubrication unnecessary.

When the shaft 5 is locked by two welding points, the carrier 1 can be recycled. When the axes 5 and rollers 2 are worn out, when the welding points are removed, the shafts 5 and rollers 2 can be removed and replaced with new ones.

Due to the way in which the device in question has been designed, several modifications can be made. In addition, all components can be replaced by similar ones having the same technical characteristics.

The alternatives described above comprise the positioning of the means used to fix the device in question to the crosspiece 11.

Figures 7, 8 and 9 show a three roll device which is secured to the crosspiece 11 by means of the headless screws 10.3 with a hexagonal stuffer and bushings 14. The bushes 14 are previously mounted on the crosspiece 11. The holes, in which the screws 10.3 are inserted, are pierced in the base 3, plate 7 and spacers 9. As previously described, the holder 1 is also mounted on the plate 7; the height adjustments are made in the rollers 2 taking into account the bearing plane of the supports 8 by placing several spacers 9 of rectangular metal plate between the support plate 7 and the base 3 of the support 1.

Finally, the support 1, spacers 9 and plate 7 are secured to the crosspiece 11 by means of the headless screws 10.3 with a hexagonal stuffer entering the bushings 14.

In this case, there is no need for the carrier 1 and its accessories to be brought into contact with the carrier 8 because, due to the two screws 10.3, any rotation will be prevented.

Lisbon, April 30, 2001

0 OFFICIAL AGENT OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY

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Claims (2)

A rolling device for a railroad switch, comprising a u-shaped metal support (1) in which one or more stainless steel rollers (2) are mounted - with a horizontal axis of rotation - and accessories comprising a rectangular support plate (7) and a plurality of spacers (9) formed of rectangular metal plates, in which the support (1) in use has a horizontal rectangular base (3) with vertical sides (4) and therefore perpendicular to the base (3); a series of symmetrically open holes on each side of the support (1); in these holes the ends of one or more shafts 5 are disposed by means of a series of welding points or any other rigid but easily removable system; the rollers (2) rotating in these axes (5); said support (1) being fixed to the rail support beams (11) by means of screws (10.2, 10.3) inserted into open holes in the base (3) and entering directly into the beams, (11) or bushings ( 14) mounted on the cross members (11); also showing the rectangular support plate 7 and the spacers 9, holes for the screws 10.1 used to secure the support to the plate and to the spacers 9, and / or screws 10.2, 10.3 which, by their (1) to the beam (11); (8) of steel plate being mounted on the upper face of each crosspiece (11) of the needle switch to support, allowing sliding, the movable rail of the needle switch; each support (1) being fixed to an end portion (11) on the upper face thereof, there being within the rollers (2) bushes (6) made of self-lubricating plastic material or roller or ball bearings; said bushings (6) or bearings being mounted so as to be concentric with the aforementioned rollers (2) 1; the support (1) and its accessories being close to the support (8) so that the side plates of the support (1) and those of the bearing (8) are in direct or close contact with one another, depending of the position of the screws (10.1, 10.2, 10.3) used; the support plate (7) described above and the spacers (9) having the same width. A rotor device for a rail commutator according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the carrier (1) comprising two or more rollers (2) is mounted close to the front bearings (8) of the commutator while the carrier ( 1) comprising one or two rollers (2) is used in the bearings to the rear end of the switch. Lisbon, April 30, 2001 The AGCNTF. INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY OFFICER 2