ZA201007971B

ZA201007971B - Device and method for cleaning a crib

Info

Publication number: ZA201007971B
Application number: ZA2010/07971A
Authority: ZA
Inventors: Mahlubandile Thanduxolo Nabe; Joe Pretorius
Original assignee: Lennings Rail Services A Div Of Aveng (Africa) Ltd
Priority date: 2009-11-26
Filing date: 2010-11-08
Publication date: 2011-07-27

Description

® J DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CLEANING A CRIB

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to the field of railway tracks when attempting a cleaning of a crib.

Technical field of the invention

This invention relates to a device for cleaning of a crib, more particularly a device for cleaning of a crib between adjacent sleepers of a railway track.

Furthermore, the invention relates to a method of cleaning of a crib.

Background of the Invention

Railway tracks are well known in the art as structures for supporting and guiding rail bound vehicles like trains. Generally, a railway track includes a pair of parallel steel rails which are mounted on laterally arranged sleepers. The sleepers rest on a ballast bed which is usually formed from crushed stones.

The section of the ballast bed between two adjacent sleepers is usually referred to as a crib. Upon installation of a railway track, the crib gets filled with the crushed stones which are then compacted using suitable machinery.

A material used to make a certain type of sleepers is either timber or concrete. Adjacent sections of the steel rails are either welded together so as to form continues tracks or jointed together using suitable plates. The rails are commonly manufactured in a hot roll process and formed as an I-beam. The rails are attached to the sleepers using a rail fastening system which includes clamps, base plates or chairs, for example. These configurations of railway tracks usually vary between different countries or railway operators, although the general

® concept is substantially the same. Usually, the precise configuration of a railway track depends on the desired speed of the vehicle using the tracks and on the payload transported over the tracks.

In the prior art clamps are known which can be used to firmly fix a rail member of a railway track to a sleeper. For example, a so-called fist clamp can be used which is formed as a loop underneath the rail so as to enclose the lower side of the rail and to engage into a pair of pins attached the sleeper. This type of clamp usually features a closed section engaging at one side of the rail member and a jaw engaging with the opposite side of the rail member. The jaw is thereby formed by the end stubs of the clamp. In summary, the fist clamp is spring biased onto the rail member against removal. The pair of pins thereby secures the fist clamp into position.

It is known that this configuration allows a firm fixing of the rails to the sleepers. Removal of the clamp for maintenance purpose can become rather cumbersome. For example, the prising of clamps usually requires removing the crushed stone ballast before being able to access the fist clamps and/or the fist pins. This is in particular pronounced when large sections of a railway track are to be replaced with new rails or to be rerouted.

The inventor has therefore identified a need to overcome the above mentioned disadvantages.

Objects of the Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for cleaning a crib or a method for cleaning a crib, which respectively overcome, at least partly, the above identified disadvantages in order to facilitate the uncovering of the rail fastening system within the ballast bed.

® It is also an object of the present invention to provide a device for cleaning a crib or a method for cleaning a crib which are both novel and involve an inventive step.

Summary of the Invention

Thus, according to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a device for cleaning a crib which includes: a body for holding a set of wheels, the set of wheels being capable of moving along a railway track; a tool member being attached to the body, wherein at least one tool head of the tool member is capable of moving from a first position into a second position so as to at least partially removing a ballast bed in a crib next to a rail fastening system of the railway track.

The tool member may comprise two sets of tool heads being arranged on opposite sides of the body.

The sets of tool heads may comprise two tool heads being capable of removing the ballast bed in adjacent cribs of the railway track

Each of the tool heads may comprise a rotating hub.

The rotating hub may comprise a plurality of finger like elements on the outer circumference.

The rotating hub may comprise at least three rows of a plurality of finger like elements being distributed over the outer circumference.

Each of the tool heads may be located on a pivotal arm.

® The pivotal arm may be driven by hydraulic means. The pivotal arm may be driven by electric means. The pivotal arm may be indirectly driven by a belt drive. The pivotal arm may be indirectly driven by a chain drive.

Each of the pivotal arms may move independently from each other so as to independently position the respective rotating hub.

The pivotal arms may move dependently from each other so as to position the respective rotating hubs in a coordinate fashion.

The device may be self propelled. The device may stop in correct position over the crib to be cleaned using an indexing scheme.

The hydraulic means may include a pressure cylinder being located on the body. The hydraulic means may be capable of moving the tool heads from the first position into the second position.

The set of wheels of the frame member may include two wheels on each side of the railway track.

The tool heads may remove only those parts of the bailast bed being adjacent to the rail fixing system.

The rail fixing system may include fist clamps and fist pins attached to cement sleepers.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a method for cleaning a crib which includes the steps of: - providing a body for holding a set of wheels, the set of wheels being capable of moving along a railway track;

® - providing a tool member being attached to the body, wherein at least one tool head of the tool member is capable of moving from a first position into a second position ; - positioning the tool member adjacent to at least one railway fastening system; and i : - cleaning the ballast bed in a crib close to the railway fastening system of the railway track.

The tool member may be provided with two sets of tool heads being arranged on opposite sides of the body.

The sets of tool heads may be provide with two tool heads being capable of removing the ballast bed in adjacent cribs of the railway track

Each of the tool heads may be provided with a rotating hub.

The rotating hub may be provided with a plurality of finger like elements on the outer circumference.

The rotating hub may be provided with at least three rows of a plurality of finger like elements being distributed over the outer circumference.

Cleaning the ballast bed in a crib may be performed using a pivotal arm for each of the tool heads.

® Moving the pivotal arms may include selecting the angle of entrance into the ballast bed.

Positioning the tool member may include the device to be self propelled.

Positioning the tool member may include the device to stop in correct position over the crib to be cleaned using an indexing scheme.

Cleaning the ballast bed in a crib may be performed using a hydraulic means.

Cleaning the ballast bed in a crib may be performed using a pressure cylinder being located on the body.

Cleaning the ballast bed in a crib may be performed with the tool heads removing only those parts of the ballast bed being adjacent to the rail fixing system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described in greater detail by way of non-limiting examples with reference to the following drawing in which:

Figure 1 shows a side view of a device for cleaning a crib according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a further side view of the device for cleaning a crib according to Figure 1; and

Figure 3 shows a perspective side view of the device for cleaning a crib according to Figure 1 or Figure 2.

® Detailed Description with Reference to the Drawings

With reference to the accompanying drawings, a device for cleaning a crib, in accordance with the invention, is generally indicated by reference numeral 10.

In the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like parts, unless otherwise indicated.

Figure 1 shows a side view of a device 10 for cleaning a crib according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As depicted in Figure 1, the device 10 for cleaning a crib is placed on a railway track 12. The railway track 12 includes a pair of parallel steel rails or rail members 14 which are mounted on laterally arranged sleepers 16. The sleepers 16 rest in a ballast bed 18. A material used to make a certain type of sleepers 16 is concrete, for example. The ballast bed 18 is formed by crushed stones, for example.

The distance between two adjacent sleepers 16 is called a crib 20.

The rail members 14 are attached to the sleepers 16 using a rail fastening system which includes fist pins 22 and fist clamps 24. The fist clamp 24 is spring biased onto the rail member 14 against removal and the pins 22 thereby secure the fist clamp 24 into position.

The device 10 for removal of the fist clamp 24 further includes a body 30 for holding a set of wheels 32. The set of wheels are capable of moving along the railway track 12. The set of wheels 32 of the body 30 includes two wheels on each side of the railway track 12.

® Further, a tool member 40 is being attached to the body 30 and arranged such that on both sides of the railway rack 12, a respective tool head 42 of the tool member 40 is capable of moving from a first position into a second position for cleaning the ballast bed 18 close to the fist pins 22 and fist clamps 24.

Accordingly, the tool member 40 includes two tool heads 42 on each side of the body 30. Each pair of tool heads 42 removes the ballast bed 18 on a corresponding side of the sleeper 16.

As shown in Figure 1, the tool head 42 removes the ballast bed 18 close to the railway fastening system being formed by the fist pins 22 and fist clamps 24.

Figure 2 shows a further side view of the device 10 for cleaning the crib 20 according to Figure 1.

In order to be capable of moving from the first position into the second position, the tool head 42 is located on a pivotal arm 44. The pivotal arm 44 pivots around a pivot point 46, which is a pin or the like.

Further, the pivotal arm 44 can be connected to hydraulic means 48. The hydraulic means 48 is be capable of moving the tool head 42 from the first position into the second position.

The pivotal arm 44 can also be driven by electric means (not shown in the

Figures). The pivotal arm 44 can be indirectly driven by a belt or chain drive (not shown in the Figures).

As depicted in the Figures, each of the tool heads 42 includes a rotating hub 50. The rotating hub 50 includes a plurality of finger like elements 52 on the

® outer circumference. The rotating hub 50 includes at least three rows of a plurality of finger like elements 52 being distributed over the outer circumference.

Each of the pivotal arms 44 can move independently from each other so as to independently position the respective rotating hub.

The pivotal arms 44 move dependently from each other so as to position the respective rotating hubs in a coordinate fashion. Moving the pivotal arms 44 includes selecting the angle of entrance into the ballast bed 18.

Figure 3 shows a perspective side view of the device 10 for cleaning the crib 20 according to Figure 1 or Figure 2.

The device 10 can be self propelled using an engine 60. The device 10 can stop in correct position over the crib 20 to be cleaned using an indexing scheme. The indexing scheme is operated by an operator being seated on seats 62.

A method for cleaning a crib which includes the steps of providing a body 30 for holding a set of wheels 32, the set of wheels 32 being capable of moving along a railway track 12, providing a tool member 40 being attached to the body 30, wherein at least one tool head 42 of the tool member 40 is capable of moving from a first position into a second position, positioning the tool member 40 adjacent to at least one railway fastening system, and cleaning the ballast bed 18 ina crib 20 close to the railway fastening system of the railway track 12.

Conducting these steps is apparent when considering the drawings together with the above description of the device 10.

Although certain embodiments only have been described herein, it will be readily apparent to any person skilled in the art that other modifications and/or

® variations of the invention are possible.

Such modifications and/or variations are therefore to be considered as falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as herein described and/or exemplified.

Claims

o ... [IIE o

1. A device for cleaning a crib which includes: a body for holding a set of wheels, the set of wheels being capable of moving along a railway track; a tool member being attached to the body, wherein at least one tool head of the tool member is capable of moving from a first position into a second position so as to at least partially removing a ballast bed in a crib next to a rail fastening system of the railway track.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tool member includes two sets of tool heads arranged on opposite sides of the body.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the sets of tool heads include two tool heads capable of removing the ballast bed in adjacent cribs of the railway track

4. A device as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein each of the tool heads includes a rotating hub.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the rotating hub includes a plurality of finger like elements on the outer circumference.

o. A device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the rotating hub includes at least three rows of a plurality of finger like elements being distributed over the outer circumference.

7. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding clams, wherein each of the tool heads is located on a pivotal arm.

® 8. A device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the pivotal arm is driven by hydraulic means and/or electric means. a

9. A device as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the pivotal arm is indirectly driven by a belt drive or a chain drive.

10. A device as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein each of the pivotal arms move independently from each other so as to independently position the respective rotating hub.

11. A device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the pivotal arms move independently from each other so as to co-ordinate their positions.

12. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the device is self propelled.

13. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, which device stops in a correct position over the crib to be cleaned using an indexing scheme.

14. A device as claimed in any one claims 8 to 13, wherein he hydraulic means includes a pressure cylinder located on the body, which hydraulic means is capable of moving the tool heads from the first position into the second position.

15. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tool head removes only those parts of the ballast bed being adjacent to the rail fixing system.

16. A device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the rail fixing system includes fist clamps and fist pins attached to cement sleepers.

®

17. A method for cleaning a crib which includes the steps of: - providing a body for holding a set of wheels, the set of wheels being capable of moving along a railway track; - providing a tool member being attached to the body, wherein at least one tool head of the tool member is capable of moving from a first position into a second position ; - positioning the tool member adjacent to at least one railway fastening system; and - cleaning the ballast bed in a crib close to the railway fastening system of the railway track.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the tool member is provided with two sets of tool heads being arranged on opposite sides of the body.

19. A method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the sets of tool heads are provided with two tool heads being capable of removing the ballast bed in adjacent cribs of the railway track

20. A method as claimed in any one of claims 18 or 19, wherein each of the tool heads is provided with a rotating hub.

21. A method as claimed in claim 20, wherein the rotating hub is provided with a plurality of finger like elements on the outer circumference.

22. A method as claimed in claim 20 or claim 21, wherein the rotating hub is provided with at least three rows of a plurality of finger like elements being distributed over the outer circumference.

@ 23. A method as claimed in any one of claims 18 to 22, wherein cleaning the ballast bed in a crib is performed using a pivotal arm for each of the tool heads.

24. A method as claimed in claim 23, wherein each of the pivotal arms move independently from each other so as to independently position the respective rotating hub.

25. A method as claimed in claim 23 or claim 24, wherein the pivotal arms move independently from each other so as to position the respective rotating hubs in a coordinated fashion.

26. A method of as claimed in any one of claims 24 and 25, wherein moving the pivotal arms includes selecting the angle of entrance into the ballast bed.

27. A method as claimed in any one of claims 18 to 26, which includes positioning the tool member by stopping the device in a correct position over the crib to be cleaned using an indexing scheme.

28. A method as claimed in any one of claims 17 to 27, wherein cleaning the ballast bed in a crib is performed using a hydraulic means.

29. A method as claimed in claim 28, wherein cleaning the ballast bed ina crib is performed using a pressure cylinder being located on the body.

30. A method as claimed in any one of claims 18 to 29, wherein cleaning the ballast bed in a crib is performed with the tool heads removing only those parts of the ballast bed being adjacent to the rail fixing system.

i ® 31. A device for cleaning a crib as claimed in claim 1, substantially as herein described and illustrated.

32. A method of cleaning a crib as claimed in claim 17, substantially as herein described and illustrated.

33. Anew device for cleaning a crib or a new method for cleaning a crib substantially as herein described. J : 4 VY DATED THIS 8TH DAY OF NOVEMBER, 2010. V4 HAHN & HAHN INC. i Agent for Applicant