SWEEPING DEVICE FOR WORKING ON A TRACK SYSTEM

Abstract

A sweeping device works on a track formed of rails and sleepers. The sweeping device has a brush shaft formed from a plurality of shaft portions configured as hollow shafts, and resilient sweeping elements protruding radially from the brush shaft. The sweeping device can be attached via at least one adjustable vertical drive to a vehicle that can travel on rails. It is provided that at least one axis of rotation of a shaft portion is adjustable via a control shaft with control elements acting externally on the shaft portion. This achieves an increase in sweeping performance and thus the cost efficiency of the machine, with a concomitant improvement in the quality of the sweeping pattern.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A sweeping device for working on a track formed of rails and sleepers, the sweeping device comprising: a brush shaft having a plurality of shaft portions each configured as a hollow shaft; resilient sweeping elements protruding radially from said brush shaft; at least one adjustable vertical drive for attaching the sweeping device to a vehicle that can travel on the rails; and a control shaft having control elements, at least one axis of rotation of a shaft portion of said shaft portions is adjustable via said control shaft with said control elements acting externally on said shaft portion.

12. The sweeping device according to claim 11, wherein said control elements are joined to said control shaft being a rotatably mounted control shaft and are configured in a sword-shape.

13. The sweeping device according to claim 11, further comprising: a mechanical linkage; and at least one gear, said control shaft is rotated via said mechanical linkage and said at least one gear.

14. The sweeping device according to claim 13, wherein said at least one the gear is a worm gear.

15. The sweeping device according to claim 11, further comprising cardan joints, individual ones of said shaft portions of said brush shaft are movably connected via said cardan joints.

16. The sweeping device according to claim 11, further comprising at least one laterally disposed chain drive, said brush shaft is driven by means of said at least one laterally disposed chain drive.

17. The sweeping device according to claim 11, wherein said brush shaft is formed of five said shaft portions.

18. The sweeping device according to claim 11, wherein two of said control elements act on a central part of said shaft portions, with one of said control elements each acting on a bearing point on a left and a right of the central part.

19. The sweeping device according to claim 11, further comprising a common brush box, said brush shaft and said control shaft with their associated drive and bearing components are disposed in said common brush box.

20. The sweeping device according to claim 11, wherein said resilient sweeping elements, which are resilient and radially disposed on said brush shaft, are made of solid material or internally hollow, tubular products.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] In the following, the invention is explained by way of example with reference to the accompanying figures. The following figures show in schematic illustrations:

[0032] FIG. 1 Side view of a machine for working on a track system

[0033] FIG. 2 View of a multi-part brush shaft with sweeping elements

[0034] FIG. 3 Sectional view of a multi-part brush shaft with sweeping elements

[0035] FIG. 4 Isometric drawing of a multi-part brush shaft with sweeping elements

[0036] FIG. 5 Isometric drawing of a multi-part brush shaft without sweeping elements

[0037] FIG. 6 Side view of a sweeping device with brush box

[0038] FIG. 7 Isometric drawing of a sweeping device with brush box

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0039] FIG. 1 shows a simplified vehicle 1 for working on a track 5 formed of rails 3 and sleepers 4, which is movable on the track 5 by means of rail-based running gears 2. This comprises a drive and work cab 6, a drive unit 7, a sweeping device 8, and ploughs 9 for manipulating the ballast 26. The sweeping device 8 is attached to the vehicle via an adjustable vertical drive 23.

[0040] FIG. 2 shows a view of a multi-part brush shaft 10 over a sleeper 4 with rails 3. In this embodiment, the brush shaft 10 consists of five shaft portions 11 (see also

[0041] FIG. 5), which are designed as hollow shafts. Radially protruding from this, the sweeping elements 12 are made of resilient material, whereby these can be exchanged individually. The shaft portions 11 are joined together by cardan joints 13.

[0042] The embodiment explained above for FIG. 2 is shown in FIG. 3 by means of a sectional view through the axis of rotation 24. The central part of the shaft portions 11 is designed to be vertically adjustable by two control elements 17; the control elements 17 act on the left and right in the area of the cardan joints 13. The arrangement is symmetrically designed; the two adjacent parts of the central shaft portion are therefore inclined by the same angle in terms of magnitude.

[0043] FIG. 4 shows an isometric drawing of a multi-part brush shaft 10 with sweeping elements 12; the sweeping device is attached to the vehicle 1 via an adjustable vertical drive 23. The brush shaft is pressurised by means of two laterally arranged hydraulic drives 14 via chain drives 15. The control shaft 16 with the control elements 17 is mounted via the supporting frame 21 of the device 8. A gear is installed on the control shaft 16, designed as a double, self-locking worm gear 18. Actuation is carried out by a translatorily acting hydraulic cylinder 20, which is connected to the worm gears 18 via a mechanical linkage 19.

[0044] FIG. 5 shows, as in FIG. 4, an isometric drawing of a multi-part brush shaft 10, but without sweeping elements 12, in order to clearly illustrate the entire set-up of the brush shaft 10 with the individual shaft portions 11 and, in particular, the engagement points of the control elements 17. The shaft portions 11 are connected by cardan joints 13. In the neutral, undeflected position of the control elements 17, the axis of rotation 24 of the shaft portions 11 is parallel to the axis of rotation 25 of the control shaft 16. The control shaft 16 is designed shaft-in-shaft, i.e. only the two central control elements 17, which act on the central shaft portion 11 directly adjacent to the left and right thereof, are designed to rotate. All other control elements 17 are rigidly joined to the outer profile of the control shaft 16.

[0045] FIG. 6 shows a side view of the sweeping device 8 in the brush box 22.

[0046] The supporting frame 21 is directly connected to the brush box 22.

[0047] Supplementary to FIG. 6, FIG. 7 shows an isometric drawing of the sweeping device 8 in the brush box 22.