INSTALLATION AND METHOD FOR CLEANING BALLAST OF A TRACK

Abstract

An installation for cleaning ballast of a track includes a plurality of vehicles having machine frames supported on on-track undercarriages. Two shoulder clearing chains, positioned opposite one another relative to a transverse direction of the track, take up ballast located in a shoulder area adjoining sleeper ends, an endless clearing chain follows the shoulder clearing chains relative to a working direction of the installation and is to be guided around the track for taking up ballast underneath the track. A screening installation, conveying devices for transporting ballast, and a ballast introduction device are also provided. A first conveying device transporting ballast to the screening installation is associated with the shoulder clearing chains. A second conveying device transporting ballast to a processing unit is associated with the endless clearing chain. A third conveying device transporting ballast to the screening installation is associated with the processing unit.

Claims

1-8. (canceled)

9. An installation for cleaning ballast of a track, the installation comprising: a plurality of vehicles including on-track undercarriages and machine frames supported on said on-track undercarriages; two shoulder clearing chains positioned opposite one another relative to a transverse direction of the track for taking up the ballast located in a shoulder area adjoining sleeper ends; an endless clearing chain following said shoulder clearing chains relative a working direction of the installation, said endless clearing chain configured to be guided around the track for taking up the ballast located underneath the track; a screening installation; a ballast introduction device; a processing unit; and conveying devices for transporting the ballast, said conveying devices including: a) a first conveying device associated with said shoulder clearing chains for transporting the ballast to said screening installation; b) a second conveying device associated with said endless clearing chain for transporting the ballast to said processing unit; and c) a third conveying device associated with said processing unit for transporting the ballast to said screening installation.

10. The installation according to claim 9, wherein said processing unit includes a pre-separator and a crusher following said pre-separator.

11. The installation according to claim 10, which further comprises a separate processing vehicle including on-track undercarriages and a machine frame supported on said on-track undercarriages, said processing unit being disposed on said separate processing vehicle.

12. The installation according to claim 11, wherein said processing vehicle is disposed between said shoulder clearing chains and said endless clearing chain, relative to said working direction.

13. The installation according to claim 11, wherein said processing vehicle is disposed in front of said shoulder clearing chains and said endless clearing chain and behind said screening installation, relative to said working direction.

14. The installation according to claim 11, wherein said processing vehicle and said screening installation are disposed between said shoulder clearing chains and said endless clearing chain, relative to said working direction.

15. A method for cleaning ballast of a track, the method comprising the following steps: providing an installation according to claim 9; removing the ballast in the shoulder area adjoining sleeper ends prior to removing the ballast located underneath the track; feeding the ballast located underneath the track to the processing unit and then transporting the ballast to the screening installation; and subsequently introducing the ballast into the track again.

16. The method for cleaning ballast of a track according to claim 15, which further comprises transporting the ballast located underneath the track to a pre-separator and then feeding the ballast from the pre-separator to a crusher.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The invention will be described below by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. In a schematic manner, FIGS. 1 to 3 show side views of different variants of an installation for cleaning ballast of a track.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Visible in FIGS. 1 to 3 are installations 1 for cleaning ballast 2 of a track 3. An installation 1 of this type consists of several vehicles 6 having machine frames 5 supported on on-track undercarriages 4. The installation 1 has two shoulder clearing chains 7, lying opposite one another in a transverse direction of the track, for taking up the ballast 2 located in a shoulder area 8 adjoining sleeper ends, and an endless clearing chain 10, following the shoulder clearing chains 7 with respect to a working direction 9 of the installation 1 and designed to be guided around the track 3, for taking up the ballast 2 located underneath the track 3. The installation 1 is further equipped with a screening installation 11 for ballast cleaning, with conveying devices 13, 14, 15, 21, 22 for transport of ballast 2, and with a ballast introduction device 12.

[0016] A first conveying device 13 is designed for the transport of ballast 2 from the shoulder clearing chains 7 to the screening installation 11. Associated with the endless clearing chain 10 is a second conveying device 14 for the transport of ballast 2 to a processing unit 16 with which is associated a third conveying device 15 for the transport of ballast 2 to the screening installation 11. Each of the conveying devices 13, 14 and 15 is composed of several conveyor belts arranged one following the other. The processing unit 16 has a pre-separator 17 and a crusher 18 following the same. All of the drives, not further shown, of the listed devices and units as well as motive drives are supplied with energy by a central energy unit 19. The processing unit 16 is arranged on a separate processing vehicle 20 having a machine frame 5 supported on on-track undercarriages 4.

[0017] As can be seen in FIG. 1, the processing vehicle 20 is arranged between the shoulder chains 7 and the endless clearing chain 10, with regard to the working direction 9.

[0018] In the installation 1 shown in FIG. 2, the processing vehicle 20 is arranged in front of the shoulder clearing chains 7 and the endless clearing chain 10 and behind the screening installation 11, with regard to the working direction 9.

[0019] FIG. 3 shows an embodiment in which the processing vehicle 20 and the screening installation 11 are arranged between the shoulder clearing chains 7 and the endless clearing chain 10, with regard to the working direction 9.

[0020] The method for cleaning ballast 2 of a track 3 by means of an installation 1 will be described in more detail below. First, the ballast 2 is removed by shoulder clearing chains 7 in a shoulder region 8 adjoining sleeper ends and fed to the screening installation 11. Then, the ballast 2 located underneath the track 3 is removed by the endless clearing chain 10. This worn ballast 2 is first fed to the processing unit 16 and only afterwards transported to the screening installation 11. Inside the processing unit 16, the ballast 2 is first transported to a pre-separator 17 and then to a crusher 18. In the pre-separator 17, the ballast 2 is separated from coarse contaminants before the edges of the ballast 2 are sharpened in the crusher 18. Prior to the treatment of the ballast 2 in the screening installation 11, the ballast quantities removed separately from one another are united again and together run through the screening installation 11. From there, the cleaned ballast 2 is transported counter to the working direction 9 by means of a fourth conveying device 21 to a ballast introduction device 12 situated behind the endless clearing chain 10, in order to be reintroduced into the track 3. The spoil accruing during the ballast cleaning is transported via a fifth conveying device 22 to a front end of the installation 1 with regard to the working direction 9. Both the fourth and the fifth conveying device 21, 22 are composed of several conveyor belts arranged one following the other.