TRACK BALLAST LEVELLING APPARATUS

Abstract

The invention relates to a track ballast levelling apparatus (1) comprising a machine frame (15) which is movable on rail bogies (14) and with which a levelling apparatus adjustable relative to the machine frame (15) and a sweeping device adjustable relative to the machine frame (15) are associated, wherein the levelling apparatus has a central plough (23) and two flank ploughs (24) and the sweeping device has a rotatably driven ballast-sweeping brush (2, 12) for sweeping away track ballast. and wherein the machine frame (15) is optionally assigned a ballast conveying device associated with the ballast-sweeping brush (2, 12) and a ballast silo (3) with ballast chutes (9, 10) for ballasting the track. In order to create advantageous maintenance conditions, it is proposed that the ballast-sweeping brush (2, 12) is mounted in a rotationally driven manner in a sweeping brush housing (13) which is mounted so as to be pivotally adjustable about a machine vertical axis with respect to the machine frame (15) between a sweeping position and a maintenance position by means of a rotating device (6).

Description

The invention relates to a track ballast levelling apparatus having a machine frame movable on rail bogies, with which a levelling device adjustable relative to the machine frame and a sweeping device adjustable relative to the machine frame are associated, wherein the levelling device comprises a central plough and two flank ploughs and the sweeping device comprises a rotationally driven ballast-sweeping brush for sweeping away track ballast, and wherein the machine frame is optionally associated with a ballast-conveying device associated with the ballast-sweeping brush and a ballast silo with ballast chutes for ballasting the track.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Such a track ballast levelling apparatus for ballasting a track is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,402,547. A ballast plough, which is adjustable in height by means of drives and is arranged below the machine frame, is followed by a total of three sweeping brush housings, which are spaced apart from one another and each have a rotationally driven sweeping brush. At the front end of the machine frame there is a further sweeping brush for replacement with a sweeping brush worn out by work ng in the sweeping brush housing. The manipulative effort required for this is relatively high, since the sweeping brush having a large number of elastic tubes is correspondingly heavy. In the event that the track being swept is located between two neighbouring tracks that are being used without restriction, serious safety problems arise in connection with the replacement of the sweeping brush.

AT 395 875 discloses a sweeping apparatus consisting of three separate sweeping brushes arranged side by side in the transverse direction of the track and individually lowerable towards the track.

The known sweeping brushes have a preferred working direction. While the central plough of track ballast levelling apparatuses can be designed to work in both working directions, this does not apply to the sweeping brushes.

From EP 2 775 035 track ballast levelling apparatuses are known, which have a ballast sweeping device, a steep conveyor belt and a ballast silo.

EP 0 787 858 describes two bearing arms for supporting the brush shaft, which are spaced apart from each other in the transverse direction of the machine and are connected to the machine frame, and which have holding devices for intermediate storage of the brush shaft to facilitate replacement of the sweeping brush. The holding device is mounted in a transversely displaceable manner and is connected to a transverse displacement drive. In order to ensure that different sweeping requirements can be met, up to three different equipped sweeping brushes are carried along with the machine. These differ according to the type of sleepers. In addition, on high-speed lines the ballast between the sleepers is swept out deeper so that there is no ballast turbulence or ballast being knocked loose from the intermediate compartment by ice breaking loose from the trains during winter operaton.

The exchange of sweeping brushes is complicated with the known devices, since drives must be dismantled, the sweeper shaft loosened and removed from the sweeper shaft housing and exchanged for another one. This is aggravated by the fact that the sweeper shaft is heavy and the exchange takes a lot of time.

Track ballast levelling apparatuses must ballast a track several times depending on the maintenance work and level the ballast. Finally, the specified ballast profile must be produced and the ballast swept off the sleepers. Since the current ballast-sweeping brushes can only sweep in one direction of work, the machine must back up to complete the work and perform the final levelling with sweeping. If sweeping could be done in both directions, then time would be saved and the work would be done more efficiently and cost effectively.

Work on the track is characterized by increasingly shorter track possessions. If wooden sleeper sections and concrete sleeper sections lie one behind the other during maintenance work, then the sweeping brush must be replaced in each case. There is often not enough time to do this, which is why in such a case a track of this type cannot be worked on in a single shift.

The sweeping brush housings are protected against wear by replaceable wear plates. If these are worn, then they must be replaced. This is very difficult to do on site due to the difficult accessibility of the inside of the sweeping brush housing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus with a sweeping brush, which permits an advantageous change of the ballast-sweeping brush. According to an advantageous further development of the invention, sweeping is to be possible in both directions of travel of the track ballast levelling apparatus.

The invention solves the problem posed in that the ballast-sweeping brush is mounted in a rotationally driven manner in a sweeping brush housing, which is mounted with a rotating device so as to be pivotally adjustable about a machine vertical axis with respect to the machine frame between a sweeping position and a maintenance position.

With the rotating device for the sweeping brush housing according to the invention, sweeping can be performed in both directions when the ballast-sweeping brush is pivoted by rotating the sweeping brush housing by 180° about a machine vertical axis, i.e., a vertical axis. To replace the ballast-sweeping brush, the sweeping brush housing is rotated 90° to the left or right. This considerably improves accessibility, which facilitates the replacement of the sweeping brushes, but also the replacement of worn brush hoses or the replacement of worn wear plates, which are thus easy accessible from the machine frame side. With the aid of a pivotable transfer device, the sweeper shaft can be picked up and pivoted outwards after the connection to the sweeper brush housing has been released. A simple lifting device can then be used to place the sweeping brush on the machine. Using the same lifting device, another sweeping brush is picked up and deposited into the transfer device. The sweeping brush is then pivoted into the sweeping brush housing and mounted.

Depending on space requirements or operation on adjacent tracks, the sweeping brush housing can be turned to the correspondingly safer or easier-to-use side. In addition, the sweeping brush housing in the sweeping position can be connected flush to a material guide downstream of the ballast-sweeping brush in the direction of sweeping in order to be able to ensure clean removal of the swept ballast. The material guide connected to a suitable conveying device and can be displaced with the conveying device from the conveying position away from the sweeping brush housing in order to be able to pivot the sweeping brush housing into the maintenance position.

Advantageous further developments of the invention will be apparent from the subclaims and the drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the drawing, the subject matter of the invention is shown by way of example, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a side view of a track ballast levelling apparatus,

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the sweeping brush housing arranged in the machine frame and an associated steep belt conveyor in the sweeping position raised from the track,

FIG. 3 shows the track ballast levelling apparatus of FIG. 2 with sweeping brush housing and steep belt conveyor in maintenance position,

FIG. 4 shows a side view of a design variant with sweeping brush housing and associated cross-conveyor belt in sweeping position raised from the track,

FIG. 5 shows the track ballast levelling apparatus of FIG. 4 with sweeping brush housing and cross-conveyor belt in maintenance position and

FIG. 6 shows the track ballast levelling apparatus shown in FIG. 4 with the sweeping brush housing pivoted through 180° for sweeping backwards.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows a track ballast levelling apparatus which can be moved on rails 7 via a machine frame 15 mounted on bogies 14. The cab 22 serves as a driving cab and as a working cab. The centre plough 23 can be used to plough ballast into the centre of the track, out of the centre of the track, and from left to right or vice versa. Flank ploughs 24 can be used to pull ballast up from the flank and feed it to the centre plough for distribution. Interchangeable ballast-sweeping brushes 21 are mounted on the machine. These can be deposited or lifted in the track by the crane 20 and placed on the machine. A ballast-sweeping brush 2, 12 arranged in a sweeping brush housing 13 can pick up ballast from the track. The ballast can be temporarily stored in a silo 3 via a steep conveyor belt 4. The stored ballast can be returned to the track via ballast chutes 9, 10. The machine operates in the indicated working direction A.

The ballast-sweeping brush 2, 12 is rotatably mounted in the sweeping brush housing 13, which is mounted with a rotating device 6 so as to be pivotally adjustable between a sweeping position (FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 6) and a maintenance position (FIGS. 3 and 5) about a machine vertical axis with respect to the machine frame (15). In the present exemplary embodiment, the rotating device 6 comprises a turntable with a rotary drive.

FIG. 2 schematically shows a section of the track ballast levelling apparatus 1 with a working direction A, having a ballast-sweeping brush 2, 12, a silo 3 and a steep conveyor belt 4. The track ballast levelling apparatus can be moved with the frame 15 via bogies 14 on the rails 7, which are mounted on sleepers 8. Ballast can be discharged from the silo 3 into the track via ballast chutes 9, 10 next to the rails on the inside and outside. The ballast-sweeping brush 2, 12 which is radially equipped with sweeping hoses is seated n the sweeping brush housing 13. The material guide 11 of the sweeping brush housing 13 is connected to the steep conveyor belt 4 and can be uncoupled from the sweeping brush housing 13. In the sweeping position, the sweeping brush housing 13 is connected to a material guide 11 arranged downstream of the ballast-sweeping brush 2, 12 in the sweeping direction, which material guide 11 belongs to a feed area of a steep conveyor belt 4, wherein the steep conveyor belt 4 and the material guide 11 are arranged on the machine frame (15) so as to be displaceable between the sweeping position (FIG. 2) and a maintenance position (FIG. 3) releasing a pivoting range for the sweeping brush housing 13 by means of an adjusting drive not shown in greater detail. The material guide 11 is displaceable with the steep conveyor belt 4 in working direction A from the sweeping position into the maintenance position. The ballast-sweeping brush 2, 12 is lowered into the track via parallel links 5. By means of a rotating device 6 the sweeping brush housing 13 can be turned by ±180° from the staffing position shown in FIG. 2 in order to be able to easily reverse the sweeping direction. Deposited ballast-sweeping brushes 21 can be manipulated with the crane 20.

FIG. 3 schematically shows a track ballast levelling apparatus 1 in working direction A with a ballast-sweeping brush 2, 12, a silo 3 and a steep conveyor belt 4. The material guide 11 is connected to the steep conveyor belt 4 and can be moved forward with the steep conveyor belt 4 to make room for the rotation of the sweeping brush housing 13. The rotation can be performed by a dedicated drive or by hand via the rotating device 6. The sweeping brush housing is shown in FIG. 3 rotated 90° with respect to the working direction. The brush hoses 12, the sweeping brush 2 and the wear pates are freely accessible. The ballast-sweeping brush 2, 12 can be installed and removed laterally pivotable support arm 16. After loosening the fastening of the ballast-sweeping brush 2, 12 the ballast-sweeping brush 2, 12 can be swung outwards from the sweeping brush housing 13 into a transfer position by means of the support arm 16 of a transfer device arranged laterally on the machine frame 15 and there lifted by means of a lifting device 20 fastened to the frame and stowed on the machine. A new ballast-sweeping brush 21 can be installed in reverse order.

FIG. 4 schematically shows a track ballast levelling apparatus 1 which has a cross-conveyor belt instead of the steep conveyor belt and the silo. The cross-conveyor belt 18 and the material guide 11 are arranged on the machine frame 15 so as to be displaceable by means of an adjusting drive between the sweeping position (FIG. 4) and a maintenance position (FIG. 5) clearing a pivoting range for the sweeping brush housing 13. In this case, the ballast-sweeping brush 2, 12 is provided with a conveyor belt arranged transversely to the longitudinal direction of the track, which discharges the ballast picked up by the ballast-sweeping brush 2, 12 to the left or right of the track. The material guide 11 is in turn displaceable with the transverse conveyor belt 18 in the working direction A from the sweeping position to the maintenance position.

In FIG. 5, the sweeping brush housing 13 is rotated 90° to the maintenance position, and the material guide 11 is again decoupled from the sweeping brush housing 13 by the transverse conveyor belt 18 and moved forward to allow the rear sweeping brush housing to rotate. Dismantling of a worn ballast-sweeping brush 2, 12 and replacement with a new ballast-sweeping brush 21 is carried out with the aid of the support arm 16 of a transfer device arranged laterally on the machine frame 15 in an analogous manner as described in FIG. 3.

In FIG. 6, the ballast-sweeping brush 2 is arranged in the machine frame 15 rotated by 180°, which makes it possible to work with the ballast-sweeping brush in both directions. Such a position can also be achieved with the device in FIGS. 2 and 3.

Claims

1. A track ballast levelling apparatus comprising: a machine frame that is movable on rail bogies (14); anda levelling device that is associated with and adjustable relative to the machine frame; anda sweeping device that is associated with and adjustable relative to the machine frame;wherein the levelling device has a central plough and two flank ploughs, and the sweeping device has a rotatably driven ballast-sweeping brush sweeping away track ballast; andwherein the ballast-sweeping brush is mounted in a rotationally driven manner in a sweeping brush housing mounted so as to be pivotally adjustable by a rotating device about a machine vertical axis with respect to the machine frame between a sweeping position and a maintenance position.

2. The track ballast levelling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sweeping brush housing in the sweeping position adjoins a material guide that is arranged downstream of the ballast-sweeping brush in a sweeping direction and that is associated with a feed region of a steep conveyor belt, wherein the steep conveyor belt and the material guide are arranged on the machine frame so as to be displaceable by an adjusting drive between the sweeping position and a maintenance position releasing a pivoting range for the sweeping brush housing.

3. The track ballast levelling apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the material guide is displaceable with the steep conveyor belt in a working direction from the sweeping position into the maintenance position.

4. The track ballast levelling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ballast-sweeping brush is displaceable out of the sweeping brush housing into a transfer position in the maintenance position by a support arm of a transfer device arranged laterally on the machine frame.

5. The track ballast levelling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a lifting device is supported on the machine frame, said lifting device providing movement of the ballast-sweeping brush between a transfer position and a storage position on the machine frame.

6. The track ballast levelling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sweeping brush housing in the sweeping position adjoins a material guide arranged downstream of the ballast-sweeping brush in a sweeping direction, and said material guide is associated with a feed area of a transverse conveyor belt.

7. The track ballast levelling apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the transverse conveyor belt and the material guide are displaceably arranged on the machine frame by an adjusting drive between the sweeping position and a maintenance position releasing a pivoting range for the sweeping brush housing.

8. The track ballast levelling apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the material guide is displaceable with the transverse conveyor belt in the working direction (A) from the sweeping position into the maintenance position.

9. The track ballast levelling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sweeping brush housing is mounted so as to be pivotally adjustable by at least 90° by a rotary drive.

10. The track ballast levelling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sweeping brush housing is mounted on the machine frame so as to be vertically adjustable by a lifting drive.

11. The track ballast levelling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the machine frame is assigned a ballast conveying device associated with the ballast-sweeping brush and a ballast silo with ballast chutes ballasting the track.

12. The track ballast levelling apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the lifting device is a crane.

13. The track ballast levelling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sweeping brush housing is mounted so as to be pivotally adjustable by at least 180° by a rotary drive.

14. The track ballast levelling apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the ballast-sweeping brush is displaceable out of the sweeping brush housing into a transfer position in the maintenance position by a support arm of a transfer device arranged laterally on the machine frame.

15. The track ballast levelling apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the ballast-sweeping brush is displaceable out of the sweeping brush housing into a transfer position in the maintenance position by a support arm of a transfer device arranged laterally on the machine frame.

16. The track ballast levelling apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the sweeping brush housing in the sweeping position adjoins a material guide arranged downstream of the ballast-sweeping brush in a sweeping direction, and said material guide is associated with a feed area of a transverse conveyor belt.

17. The track ballast levelling apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the sweeping brush housing in the sweeping position adjoins a material guide arranged downstream of the ballast-sweeping brush in a sweeping direction, and said material guide is associated with a feed area of a transverse conveyor belt.

18. The track ballast levelling apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the sweeping brush housing in the sweeping position adjoins a material guide arranged downstream of the ballast-sweeping brush in a sweeping direction, and said material guide is associated with a feed area of a transverse conveyor belt.