Information
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Patent Grant
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6591755
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Patent Number
6,591,755
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Date Filed
Tuesday, January 29, 200222 years ago
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Date Issued
Tuesday, July 15, 200320 years ago
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Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
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CPC
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US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 104 2
- 104 6
- 104 73
- 104 9
- 241 10174
- 241 101741
- 241 101742
- 241 10175
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International Classifications
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Abstract
In a method of renewing ties of a railroad track extending in a longitudinal direction and including a succession of ties supported on a ballast bed, damaged old ties are comminuted either before removal from the track or after removal of the track and subsequently ejected into a storage wagon by a first conveyor device extending longitudinally in the direction of the track. The comminuted ties are then transported via a second conveyor device, extending in the longitudinal direction, to a number of further like storage wagons arranged behind one another, for selectively filling the further storage wagons, whereas new tie replace the removed damaged ties.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the priority of Austrian utility model GM 154/2001, filed Mar. 2, 2001, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates, in general, to a method of renewing ties of a railroad track extending in a longitudinal direction and including a succession of ties supported on a ballast bed, and more particularly but not exclusively to a method which involves a removal of a damaged tie from the track and replacement of the damaged tie by a new tie. The present invention also relates to an installation for lifting damaged ties from a railroad track and storing the ties.
A work train for renewing ties of a track is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,162, and has several vehicles including storage wagons. Old ties are lifted by a crane vehicle, which travels along the train, and stored in a storage wagon. When old ties break into pieces during their removal and thus are difficult to handle in transport, these pieces are discharged into a separate storage container.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,161,213 describes an installation for cutting old ties in the ballast bed of the track, by using a saw to thereby facilitate a removal and transport of old ties.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,701,483 describes a track-bound installation having a conveyor belt for picking up old ties laying on the track and transporting them to a device having rotating blades for comminuting or shredding the ties. A further conveyor belt, which extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the track, discharges the comminuted wood parts laterally onto a region adjacent to the track.
It would be desirable and advantageous to provide an improved method and installation for more efficient removal of old or damaged ties from a railroad track.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the present invention, a method of removing a damaged tie includes the steps of comminuting a damaged tie into pieces either before removal of the damaged tie or after removal of the damaged tie, ejecting the pieces into a storage wagon by a first conveyor device, transporting the pieces from the storage wagon by a second conveyor device to a number of further like storage wagons arranged behind one another, for selectively filling the further storage wagons, and replacing the damaged tie in the track by a new tie.
When carrying out the comminution of a damaged tie after removal of the damaged tie from the track, the comminution is implemented in a comminution device by which the damaged tie is comminuted into shredded pieces. On the other hand, when comminuting a damaged tie, while still laying in the track, the comminution is implemented by a saw for cutting the damaged tie into cut pieces. In the following description, the term “shredded pieces” will refer to a comminution by which the damaged tie is comminuted into many very small fragments of undefined contour in the comminution device, whereas the term “cut pieces” will refer to a comminution by which the damaged tie is comminuted into few parts of distinct contour by the saw.
The present invention resolves prior art problems as a consequence of disturbances caused by brittle or broken old ties and thus impaired transport efficiency, by basing the entire tie replacement method and tie transport system upon a general comminution of the damaged old ties into shredded pieces or cut pieces which are then transported away in the comminuted state. Since the complete transport and storage system is now based exclusively on comminuted ties, the efficiency of the tie renewal process is significantly enhanced, as a time-consuming gripping, lining-up and transporting of the old ties to the storage sites in their bulky whole form is no longer necessary. Rather, by using the novel and inventive method according to the invention, the comminuted ties, whether shredded or cut, can simply be transported onwards very easily and automatically in great bulk via conveyor belts for filling large-capacity storage wagons.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an on-track installation for lifting damaged ties from a railroad track and storing the damaged ties, includes a lifting device for gripping and lifting a damaged tie from the ballast bed, a depositing station for intermediate storage of the damaged tie, a comminuting device configured for receiving the intermediately stored damaged tie and for comminuting the damaged tie into pieces, a conveyor device receiving the pieces from the comminuting device, said conveyor device extending longitudinally in a direction of the track and including a discharging end for ejecting the pieces, and at least one storage wagon having one end distal to the conveyor device and including a bottom conveyor belt, which extends in the longitudinal direction, and a transfer conveyor belt, which extends the bottom conveyor belt beyond the distal end of the storage wagon and has a discharging end positioned higher than the bottom conveyor belt.
With an installation according to the present invention, efficient removal of the damaged old ties can be realized in a time-saving and automatic manner while ensuring a reliable operation, as there are no bulky, unwieldy or broken tie parts that could interfere with the transport thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent upon reading the following description of currently preferred exemplified embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:
FIG. 1
is a simplified side elevational view of an installation according to the present invention for lifting damaged ties;
FIG. 2
is a simplified side elevational view of another embodiment of an installation according to the present invention for lifting damaged ties; and
FIG. 3
is a simplified side elevational view of still another embodiment of an installation according to the present invention for lifting damaged ties.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Throughout all the Figures, same or corresponding elements are generally indicated by same reference numerals.
Turning now to the drawing, and in particular to
FIG. 1
, there is shown a side elevational view of an installation according to the present invention, generally designated by reference numeral
1
and mounted for mobility on a railroad track
3
extending in a longitudinal direction. The track
3
includes rails
5
which are connected to a succession of ties
2
supported on a ballast bed
14
. The installation
1
is designed for lifting damaged ties
2
from the track
3
and for storing them and includes a working vehicle
6
, supported by track-bound undercarriages
4
, and a number of like storage wagons
7
coupled thereto. Of course, the number of storage wagons is arbitrary and depends on the expected storage demand. The working vehicle
6
together with the storage wagons travel together on the track
3
in an operating direction indicated by arrow
8
. A power source
9
is provided on the working vehicle
6
to supply energy to a motive drive
10
and to further drives, yet to be described, of the installation
1
.
The working vehicle
6
includes a machine frame
11
which, because of its great length, is composed of two hingedly coupled frame parts. A driver's cab
12
is arranged at one end of the vehicle
6
and followed in the operating direction by an operator's cab
15
. Located within the range of sight of the operator's cab
15
, in a portion of the machine frame
11
designed offset in a vertical direction, is a lifting device
13
for gripping and raising ties
2
from the ballast bed
14
of the track
3
which are damaged and need to be replaced. The lifting device
13
is mounted on the machine frame
11
for vertical and transverse adjustment as well as for displacement in the longitudinal direction. A specific construction and manner in which such a lifting device is operatively and functionally incorporated into an installation of the present invention is fully described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,461, the entire specification and drawings of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference.
Further provided on the machine frame
11
is a comminuting device
16
, which includes, for example, rotatable knives, and a container
17
with a charging opening
18
for receiving the damaged ties
2
. A transporting vehicle
19
is mounted via flanged rollers
22
on guide rails
23
, connected to the top of the machine frame
11
, and is equipped with a vertically and transversely adjustable cantilever arm
20
with a tie grab
21
fastened to the end thereof. The transporting vehicle
19
is mobile along the installation
1
in the longitudinal direction with the aid of a motor
24
and shuttles between the lifting device
13
and the comminuting device
16
to transport and deliver damaged ties
2
. Located underneath the comminuting device
16
is a receiving end
25
of a first conveyor device
26
, which extends in the longitudinal direction. The conveyor device
26
has a discharging end
27
positioned at a rear end
28
—with regard to the operating direction—of the working vehicle
6
and projecting over said end
28
. The discharging end
27
is associated with the storage wagon
7
coupled immediately to the working vehicle
6
.
Each storage wagon
7
includes a bottom conveyor belt
29
, which extends in the longitudinal direction and terminates at a transfer conveyor belt
30
. The transfer conveyor belt
30
projects beyond a wagon end
31
, distanced from the first conveyor device
26
, and has a discharging end
32
positioned higher than the bottom conveyor belt
29
. Thus, when several storage wagons
7
are coupled to one another, a continuous, second conveyor device
33
is established which stretches across all of the wagons
7
.
In working operation for renewing ties
2
of a track
3
, the installation
1
is used to remove damaged old ties
2
from the track
3
, which are subsequently replaced by new ties
34
. The installation
1
travels hereby continuously along the track
3
in the operating direction (arrow
8
) while individual damaged ties
2
are taken out of the ballast bed
14
by means of the lifting device
13
displaceable in the longitudinal direction. For the purpose of loading the ties
2
, these are then seized by the tie grab
21
of the transporting vehicle
19
and transported in the longitudinal direction along the installation
1
to the charging opening
18
of the comminuting device
16
into which the ties
2
are dropped. Subsequently, the material, i.e. the shredded pieces, produced during comminution of the damaged ties
2
, is advanced by the first conveyor device
26
in the longitudinal direction and discharged into the first storage wagon
7
.
With the aid of the second conveyor device
33
, extending in the longitudinal direction and stretching over the storage wagons
7
arranged one following the other, the comminuted ties
2
are then transported onward in a direction opposite to the operating direction for filling the respective adjoining storage wagons
7
. By varying the transport speeds of the individual bottom conveyor belts
29
and transfer conveyor belts
30
extending in the longitudinal direction, the comminuted ties
2
can be either stored in a respective storage wagon
7
or transported through the same to the next following wagon
7
, as needed.
As shown in
FIG. 1
, new ties
34
can be seen stacked on the machine frame
11
between the lifting device
13
and the comminuting device
16
, for temporary storage before the start of working operations of the installation
1
. This affords the possibility of employing the correspondingly designed installation
1
also for installing new ties
34
. The new ties
34
can be gripped by means of the tie grab
21
of the transporting vehicle
19
and laid on the track
3
within reach of the lifting device
13
. The new ties
34
are then seized by the device
13
and—upon reversal of the operating movements carried out previously—inserted laterally into the ballast bed
14
under the rails
5
of the track
3
. Alternatively, new ties
34
can also be installed in the track
3
by means of a separate working unit (not shown) following behind the installation
1
in the operating direction.
Turning now to
FIG. 2
, there is shown a side elevational view of another embodiment of an installation according to the present invention, generally designated by reference numeral
35
and including a working vehicle
36
and—similar to the installation
1
—a number of like storage wagons
7
coupled thereto and following one another in the longitudinal direction. The storage wagons
7
are designed similar to the embodiment already described with reference to FIG.
1
. The working vehicle
36
is equipped with a driver's cab
12
and has a machine frame
11
of recessed design on which are arranged a comminuting device
37
and a lifting device
38
which trails the comminuting device
37
in the operating direction (as indicated by arrow
8
). In the embodiment of
FIG. 2
, the comminuting device
37
is designed as a tie saw
40
, vertically adjustable with the aid of a drive
39
, for sawing the damaged tie
2
into several, for example three, cut pieces while still lying in the ballast bed
14
. An exemplified construction and manner in which such a saw is operatively and functionally incorporated into an installation of the present invention is fully described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,161,213.
The individual pieces of the tie
2
, comminuted in this way, are subsequently gripped and placed on the receiving end
25
of a first conveyor device
26
by the lifting device
38
which, just like the comminuting device
37
, is mounted on the machine frame
11
for mobility in the longitudinal direction of the installation
35
. The conveyor device
26
extends in the longitudinal direction all the way to the forwardmost of the coupled storage wagons
7
and discharges the pieces of the comminuted tie
2
therein. The comminuted tie
2
is then transported onwards or, optionally, stored, as needed, with the aid of the bottom conveyor belts
29
and transfer conveyor belts
30
, arranged in each of the storage wagons
7
and forming a second conveyor device
33
.
FIG. 3
shows a side elevation of yet another embodiment of an installation according to the present invention, generally designated by reference numeral
41
, for lifting damaged ties
2
from a track
3
. The installation
41
includes a working vehicle
42
and a number of like storage wagons
43
coupled thereto. The working vehicle
42
differs from the vehicle
6
, described above with reference to
FIG. 1
, in that no transporting vehicle and no guide rails associated therewith are provided in this case. Instead, the working vehicle
42
has a depositing station
44
arranged in the area of a lifting device
13
and serving for intermediate storage of the ties
2
lifted from the track
3
. The ties
2
are deposited by the transversely, vertically and longitudinally adjustable lifting device
13
on the depositing station
44
, which is connected to a tie conveyor
45
extending in the longitudinal direction. By means of the latter, the damaged ties
2
are then transported to a comminuting device
16
in which they are comminuted and subsequently discharged onto a first conveyor device
26
and transported onwards to the storage wagons
43
.
The storage wagons
43
differ from the previously described storage wagons
7
by having, instead of bottom and transfer conveyor belts, a second conveyor device
46
which extends in its entirety above the storage wagons
43
in the longitudinal direction thereof. Additionally associated with each storage wagon
43
is a deflecting member
47
which is connected to the respective conveyor device
46
for adjustment in the longitudinal direction and with the aid of which the stream of comminuted tie material can be deflected, as needed, for the systematic filling of the storage wagon
43
located directly thereunder.
While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a method of renewing ties of a railroad track, and installation for removing and storing damaged ties, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and practical application to thereby enable a person skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims and their equivalents:
Claims
- 1. A method of renewing ties of a railroad track, comprising the steps of:(a) providing a lifting device for gripping and lifting a damaged tie from the ballast bed and for gripping a new tie and laterally inserting the gripped new tie under the rails of the track; (b) comminuting the damaged tie into pieces in one of the phases selected from the group consisting of before removal of the damaged tie and after removal of the damaged tie; (c) ejecting the pieces into a storage wagon by a first conveyor device; (d) transporting the pieces from the storage wagon by a second conveyor device to a number of further like storage wagons arranged behind one another, for selectively filling the further storage wagons; and (e) replacing the damaged tie in the track by the new tie.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pieces are transported above the storage wagons in the longitudinal direction thereof and optionally discharged into a one of the storage wagons situated thereunder.
- 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the damaged tie is comminuted into shreds.
- 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the damaged tie is comminuted by a saw into cut pieces.
- 5. A method of renewing ties of a railroad track, comprising the steps of:(a) providing a lifting device for gripping and lifting a damaged tie from the ballast bed and for gripping a new tie and laterally inserting the gripped new tie under the rails of the track; (b) removing the damaged tie from the track; (c) comminuting the damaged tie into shredded pieces; (d) ejecting the shredded pieces into a storage wagon by a first conveyor device; (e) transporting the shredded pieces from the storage wagon by a second conveyor device to a number of further like storage wagons arranged behind one another, for selectively filling the further storage wagons; and (f) replacing the damaged tie in the track by the new tie.
- 6. A method of renewing ties of a railroad track, comprising the steps of:(a) providing a lifting device for gripping and lifting a damaged tie from the ballast bed and for gripping a new tie and laterally inserting the gripped new tie under the rails of the track; (b) comminuting the damaged tie, laying in the track, into cut pieces; (c) removing the cut pieces from the track; (d) ejecting the cut pieces into a storage wagon by a first conveyor device; (e) transporting the cut pieces from the storage wagon by a second conveyor device to a number of further like storage wagons arranged behind one another, for selectively filling the further storage wagons; and (f) replacing the damaged tie in the track by the new tie.
- 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the damaged tie is comminuted into cut pieces by a saw.
- 8. A method of loading damaged ties from a railroad track, comprising the steps of(a) providing a lifting device for gripping and lifting a damaged tie from the ballast bed and for gripping a new tie and laterally inserting the gripped new tie under the rails of the track; (b) comminuting the damaged tie into cut pieces; (c) ejecting the cut pieces into a storage wagon by a conveyor device; (d) transporting the pieces by a bottom conveyor belt, situated longitudinally in the storage wagon, to a transfer conveyor belt, which extends the bottom conveyor belt beyond an end of the storage wagon; and (e) ejecting the cut pieces into a further, adjoining storage wagon.
- 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the damaged tie is comminuted while laying in a ballast bed for the track.
- 10. A method of loading damaged ties lifted from a railroad track supported on a ballast bed, comprising the steps of:(a) lifting a damaged tie from the ballast bed by providing a lifting device for gripping and lifting the damaged tie from the ballast bed and for gripping a new tie and laterally inserting the gripped new tie under the rails of the track; (b) comminuting the damaged tie into shredded pieces in a comminuting device; (c) ejecting the shredded pieces into a storage wagon by a conveyor device; and (d) transporting the shredded pieces by a bottom conveyor belt, situated longitudinally in the storage wagon, to a transfer conveyor belt, which extends the bottom conveyor belt beyond an end of the storage wagon, for optionally ejecting shredded pieces into a further, adjoining storage wagon.
- 11. An on-track installation for lifting damaged ties from a railroad track and storing the damaged ties, said installation comprising:(a) a lifting device configured for gripping and lifting a damaged tie from the ballast bed and for gripping a new tie and laterally inserting the gripped new tie under the rails of the track; (b) a depositing station for intermediate storage of the damaged tie; (c) a comminuting device configured for receiving the intermediately stored damaged tie and for comminuting the damaged tie into pieces; (d) a conveyor device receiving the pieces from the comminuting device, said conveyor device extending longitudinally in a direction of the track and including a discharging end for ejecting the pieces; and (e) at least one storage wagon having one end distal to the conveyor device and including a bottom conveyor belt, which extends in the longitudinal direction, and a transfer conveyor belt, which extends the bottom conveyor belt beyond the distal end of the storage wagon and has a discharging end positioned higher than the bottom conveyor belt.
- 12. The installation of claim 11, and further comprising a transporting vehicle mounted on the installation for mobility in the longitudinal direction and provided for the transport of new ties.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
154/2001 U |
Mar 2001 |
AT |
|
US Referenced Citations (10)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
400 341 |
Dec 1995 |
AT |