The invention relates to a tamping tine for a tamping machine for tamping a track, including a tine shaft which has at its upper end a retaining portion for fastening in a tine mount and which merges at its lower end into a tine plate. In this, a sensitive element of a sensor is arranged in a recess of the tine shaft, and the tamping tine includes a coupling element for transmission of a sensor signal. In this manner, the tamping tine fulfils a sensor function for recording measuring values occurring in the tamping tine.

A tamping machine has a tamping unit for simultaneously tamping sleepers of a track that are positioned directly behind one another. Tamping unit segments are arranged one behind the other. Each tamping unit segment has a height-adjustable tamping tool carrier on which opposing tamping tools are mounted that are coupled to a vibration drive via squeezing cylinders. The respective vibration drive has an eccentric shaft with first and second eccentric discs, the axes of symmetry of which, together with a common axis of rotation, span two eccentric planes that enclose a relative angle to one another. A first squeezing cylinder is mounted on the first eccentric disc. An opposing second squeezing cylinder is mounted on the second eccentric disc. Cylinder axes of the opposing squeezing cylinders enclose a position angle which is approximated to the relative angle of the eccentric planes.

For tamping a track, tamping tines are squeezed towards one another in pairs by a squeezing cylinder. A vibration is superimposed on a linear lift motion of a squeezing piston movable in the squeezing cylinder. The vibration is generated by a vibration piston which is arranged in the squeezing cylinder and which is movable independently of the squeezing piston.

A tamping unit for tamping sleepers of a track includes a tool carrier supported in a lowerable manner on an assembly frame, on which two pivot levers with tamping tools are mounted so as to be squeezable toward one another and, while being actuatable with a vibration, are rotatable about a respective rotation axis. A sensor for recording a pivot angle of a pivoting motion about the related rotation axis is associated with at least one pivot lever. The sensor has a multipart configuration with a first sensor part fastened to the tool carrier and a second sensor part fastened to the pivot lever. In this manner, sensitive sensor components in the first sensor part are subjected to lessened stress since the tool carrier merely performs a lowering or lifting motion during a tamping operation. A method for operating the tamping unit is also provided.

A system for working on a track with a track maintenance machine has a machine controller and a work unit controlled thereby, with sensors being arranged to monitor the work unit. In this context, the sensors are coupled to a data acquisition module for the separate recording of sensor data, with the data acquisition module being connected to a computing unit in which a first algorithm for calculating result data from the sensor data is set up. In this way, the system contains additional structural components for processing sensor signals. With the data acquisition module and the computing unit, different evaluations of the working mode can be performed independently of an existing monitoring function.

The invention relates to a method for tamping sleepers of a track by means of a tamping assembly comprising at least two tamping units which have tamping tools lying opposite one another in each case and supported on a lowerable tool carrier, wherein the tamping tools—actuated with a vibration—are lowered into a ballast bed during a tamping operation and squeezed towards one another via squeezing drives. In this, for tamping an obliquely-lying sleeper, the tamping tools or tamping tool pairs in a raised position are moved via a control by means of the squeezing drives in the squeezing direction with different adjustment paths in such a manner that the free ends of the tamping tools or tamping tool pairs rotate approximately about a common vertical rotation axis in order to adapt themselves to the oblique position of the sleeper. With this method according to the invention, the necessity of a separate mechanical rotation device is eliminated.

A method for compaction of a track ballast bed uses a tamping unit including two oppositely positioned tamping tools which are actuated with vibrations and are lowered into the track ballast bed during a tamping operation and moved towards one another with a squeezing motion. A progression of a force acting upon the tamping tool over a path covered by the tamping tool is recorded during a vibration cycle by sensors disposed at the tamping unit for at least one tamping tool. At least one characteristic value is derived therefrom and used to carry out an evaluation of the tamping operation and/or of a quality of the track ballast bed. The tamping unit is thus used as a measuring apparatus during operative use. A device for performing the method is also provided.

The invention relates to a method for tamping sleepers of a track by means of a tamping assembly comprising at least two tamping units which have tamping tools lying opposite one another in each case and supported on a lowerable tool carrier, wherein the tamping tools—actuated with a vibration—are lowered into a ballast bed during a tamping operation and squeezed towards one another via squeezing drives. In this, for tamping an obliquely-lying sleeper, the tamping tools or tamping tool pairs in a raised position are moved via a control by means of the squeezing drives in the squeezing direction with different adjustment paths in such a manner that the free ends of the tamping tools or tamping tool pairs rotate approximately about a common vertical rotation axis in order to adapt themselves to the oblique position of the sleeper. With this method according to the invention, the necessity of a separate mechanical rotation device is eliminated.

A tamping machine includes at least one first tamping unit with first tamping tools and a first hydraulic motor provided with a first drive shaft driving the first tamping tools so as to generate tamping movements, and a second tamping unit adjacent the first tamping unit with second tamping tools and a second hydraulic motor provided with a second drive shaft driving the second tamping tools so as to generate tamping movements. The first hydraulic motor and the second hydraulic motor are supplied with power by a common synchronized hydraulic power supply system.

Ballast (3) located underneath of sleepers of a track is compacted by immersion and squeezing of compacting tools (7) set in vibrations. The vibrations introduced into the ballast (3) during the compacting process are registered as a measure of the ballast compaction. Thus, it is possible to obtain a homogenously compacted track even in the event of different ballast characteristics.