RAIL GRINDING MACHINE AND METHOD FOR GRINDING A RAIL OF A TRACK

Abstract

A rail grinding machine contains a machine frame, rail guide units arranged on the machine frame, a grinding unit with a drive motor and a tool holder for driving a grinding tool in rotation about an axis of rotation, a height adjustment device for adjusting the height of the grinding unit and a handle for manually moving the grinding unit. A guide of the height adjustment device defines a guide plane. The axis of rotation is spaced apart from the guide plane, in particular in the region of the tool holder. As a result, the rail grinding machine has a simple configuration and is convenient to use. In particular, the rail grinding machine enables an unrestricted view of a grinding point.

Claims

1. A rail grinding machine for grinding a rail of a track, by manually moving and manually tilting on exactly one said rail, comprising: a machine frame; two rail guide units for guiding the rail grinding machine on exactly one said rail, said rail guide units are spaced apart from one another in a longitudinal direction, said rail guide units are disposed on said machine frame; a grinding unit having a drive motor and a tool holder for driving a grinding tool in rotation about an axis of rotation; a height adjustment device for adjusting a height of said grinding unit relative to said machine frame and having a guide, said guide of said height adjustment device defining a guide plane, and the axis of rotation is spaced apart from the guide plane; and a handle for manually moving said grinding unit.

2. The rail grinding machine according to claim 1, wherein a following applies for a distance A of the axis of rotation from the guide plane: 1 cm < A 40 cm.

3. The rail grinding machine according to claim 1, wherein: said machine frame contains a lower longitudinal member and an upper longitudinal member; and said guide is attached to said lower longitudinal member and said upper longitudinal member.

4. The rail grinding machine according to claim 1, wherein said guide contains at least one guide unit for moving said grinding unit in an adjustment direction.

5. The rail grinding machine according to claim 4, wherein said at least one guide unit respectively contains a guide element and at least one damping element.

6. The rail grinding machine according to claim 4, wherein said at least one guide unit respectively contains a guide element, a lower damping element and an upper damping element.

7. The rail grinding machine according to claim 6, wherein said lower damping element and said upper damping element have different spring stiffnesses.

8. The rail grinding machine according to claim 1, wherein said height adjustment device has a carriage which is mounted on said guide so as to be displaceable in an adjustment direction.

9. The rail grinding machine according to claim 8, wherein said height adjustment device has a spindle drive, wherein at least one of said spindle drive or said grinding unit is attached to said carriage.

10. The rail grinding machine according to claim 1, wherein said height adjustment device has a spindle drive with a spindle axis, which is spaced apart from the guide plane and/or the axis of rotation.

11. The rail grinding machine according to claim 10, wherein the spindle axis is disposed between the guide plane and the axis of rotation.

12. The rail grinding machine according to claim 10, wherein said spindle drive is disposed on an upper longitudinal member of said machine frame.

13. The rail grinding machine according to claim 10, wherein said height adjustment device has at least one damping element for vibration damping of said spindle drive.

14. The rail grinding machine according to claim 9, wherein the axis of rotation and/or a spindle axis of said spindle drive is disposed on a side of the guide plane facing said handle.

15. The rail grinding machine according to claim 9, wherein the axis of rotation and/or a spindle axis of said spindle drive is disposed on a side of the guide plane facing away from said handle.

16. The rail grinding machine according to claim 1, wherein said two rail guide units are pivotable relative to said machine frame about a longitudinal axis.

17. The rail grinding machine according to claim 1, wherein said two rail guide units each comprise two dish-shaped discs and a guide roller.

18. The rail grinding machine according to claim 1, wherein the axis of rotation is spaced apart from the guide plane in a region of said tool holder.

19. The rail grinding machine according to claim 2, wherein the following applies for the distance A of the axis of rotation from the guide plane: 5 cm A 10 cm.

20. A method for grinding a rail of a track, which comprises the steps of: providing the rail grinding machine according to claim 1; positioning the rail grinding machine with the two rail guide units on the rail to be ground; and manually displacing the grinding unit by means of the handle, namely by manually displacing and manually tilting the rail grinding machine by means of the handle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0034] FIG. 1 is a first perspective view of a rail grinding machine according to a first exemplary embodiment with a height adjustment device and a grinding unit arranged thereon;

[0035] FIG. 2 is a second perspective view of the rail grinding machine;

[0036] FIG. 3 is a side view of the rail grinding machine;

[0037] FIG. 4 is a front view of the rail grinding machine;

[0038] FIG. 5 is a first sectional view of the rail grinding machine taken along the section line V-V shown in FIG. 3;

[0039] FIG. 6 is a top view of the rail grinding machine to illustrate clear viewing areas;

[0040] FIG. 7 is a second sectional view taken along the section line VII-VII shown in FIG. 6 to illustrate the height adjustment device of the rail grinding machine without the grinding unit;

[0041] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a rail grinding machine according to a second exemplary embodiment;

[0042] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a rail grinding machine according to a third exemplary embodiment; and

[0043] FIG. 10 is a top view of the rail grinding machine in FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0044] Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly to FIGS. 1-7 thereof, there is shown a first exemplary embodiment of the invention. A rail grinding machine 1 shown in the figures is used for grinding a rail 2 of a track 5. The track 5 comprises rails 2, 3 in a conventional manner, which are attached to sleepers 4. The track 5 is shown in FIG. 4.

[0045] The rail grinding machine 1 comprises a machine frame 6, two rail guide units 7, 8 for guiding the rail grinding machine 1 on the rail 2, a grinding unit 9, a height adjustment device 10 for adjusting the height of the grinding unit 9 relative to the machine frame 6 and a handle 11 for manually moving the grinding unit 9 or the rail grinding machine 1.

[0046] The first rail guide unit 7 and the second rail guide unit 8 are arranged on the machine frame 6 spaced apart from one another in a longitudinal direction x. In a working position, in which the rail grinding machine 1 is arranged on the rail 2, the longitudinal direction x runs substantially parallel to a rail longitudinal direction of the rail 2. The first rail guide unit 7 and the second rail guide unit 8 can be pivoted about a longitudinal axis 12 relative to the machine frame 6.

[0047] The rail guide units 7, 8 respectively comprise a base body 13, which is arranged on the machine frame 6 so that it can be pivoted about the longitudinal axis 12. Furthermore, the rail guide units 7, 8 respectively comprise two dish-shaped discs 14, 15, a guide roller 16 and a guide hook 17. The dish-shaped discs 14, 15 are arranged at an angle relative to each other and can be rotated about associated axes 18, 19. The rail guide units 7, 8 can be placed against the rail 2 in various pivot positions in the conventional way in order to carry out a grinding operation.

[0048] The machine frame 6 is designed as a machine framework. The machine frame 6 comprises a lower longitudinal member 20, an upper longitudinal member 21, a first side member 22 and a second side member 24. The first side member 22 and the second side member 23 are spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction x and connect the lower longitudinal member 20 with the upper longitudinal member 21. The lower longitudinal member 20 has a curved shape and extends from the rail guide units 7, 8 in a transverse direction y away from the longitudinal axis 12. The transverse direction y runs perpendicular to the longitudinal direction x. The side members 22, 23 and the upper longitudinal member 21 are together U-shaped and arranged relative to the rail guide units 7, 8 in such a way that the upper longitudinal member 21 extends away from the longitudinal axis 12 in the transverse direction y corresponding to the lower longitudinal member 20.

[0049] The height adjustment device 10 is attached to the machine frame 6. The height adjustment device 10 comprises a guide 24, a carriage 25, a spindle drive support 26, a spindle drive 27 and a damping element 39. The guide 24 is a linear guide. The guide 24 is used to adjust the height of the grinding unit 9 in an adjustment direction z. The adjustment direction z runs perpendicular to the longitudinal direction x and the transverse direction y.

[0050] The guide 24 contains a first guide unit 28 and a second guide unit 29. The guide units 28, 29 are spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction x and respectively attached to the lower longitudinal member 20 and to the spindle drive support 26, which is in turn attached to the upper longitudinal member 21. The first guide unit 28 comprises a first guide element 30, on which a first guide sleeve 31 is displaceably guided. Accordingly, the second guide unit comprises a second guide element 32, on which a second guide sleeve 33 is displaceably guided. The guide elements 30, 32 are designed as guide bars. The guide elements 30, 32 are attached to the lower longitudinal member 20 and via the spindle drive support 26 to the upper longitudinal member 21. The guide elements 30, 32 run parallel to one another in the adjustment direction z. The guide sleeves 31, 33 can accordingly be displaced between the lower longitudinal member 20 and the upper longitudinal member 21 in the adjustment direction z. The guide elements 30, 32 and the associated guide sleeves 31, 33 have, for example, a circular cross-section.

[0051] The first guide unit 28 has a first central longitudinal axis M1. Accordingly, the second guide unit 29 has a second central longitudinal axis M2. The central longitudinal axes M1, M2 run parallel to one another in the adjustment direction z. The central longitudinal axes M1, M2 define a guide plane E of the guide 24. The longitudinal direction x and the adjustment direction z run parallel to the guide plane E. The transverse direction y runs perpendicular to the guide plane E and forms a normal vector.

[0052] The carriage 25 is attached to the guide sleeves 31, 33 and can be moved together with them in the adjustment direction z. The carriage 25 has a first carriage section 34 and a second carriage section 35, which runs substantially transversely to the first carriage section 34. The first carriage section 34 extends substantially in the longitudinal direction x and the adjustment direction z. By contrast, the second carriage section 35 extends substantially in the longitudinal direction x and the transverse direction y. The spindle drive support 26 runs substantially parallel to the second carriage section 35. The spindle drive support 26 is attached to the upper longitudinal member 21. The spindle drive support 26 extends substantially in the longitudinal direction x and the transverse direction y.

[0053] The grinding unit 9 is attached to the height adjustment device 10 and can be moved in the adjustment direction z by means of the height adjustment device 10. The grinding unit 9 is attached to the first carriage section 34.

[0054] The spindle drive 27 is used to move the grinding unit 9 in the adjustment direction z. The spindle drive 27 comprises a spindle nut 36, a spindle 37 and a handwheel 38. The spindle drive support 26 has a through opening 40. The spindle nut 36 is attached to the spindle drive support 26 concentrically to the through opening 40. The through opening of the spindle nut 36 has a diameter that is at most as large as the diameter of the through opening 40. The spindle 37 is screwed into the spindle nut 36 and runs through the spindle nut 36 and the through opening 40. A first end 41 of the spindle 37 is rotatably connected to the damping element 39. The damping element 39 is fixedly connected to the second carriage section 35. The handwheel 38 is attached to a second end 42 of the spindle 37. The carriage 25 and the grinding unit 9 attached thereto can be lowered in the adjustment direction z by rotating the spindle 37 about a spindle axis 43 by means of the handwheel 38, or raised against the adjustment direction z if the direction of rotation is reversed. The damping element 39 is used for vibration damping of the spindle drive 27. The damping element 39 is used in particular for vibration decoupling of the grinding unit 9 and the spindle drive 27.

[0055] The grinding unit 9 comprises a drive motor 44, a fuel tank 45, a clutch 46 and a tool holder 47. The drive motor 44 is only shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 4 and 5. The drive motor 44 is designed as an internal combustion engine and supplied with fuel by means of the fuel tank 45. The drive motor 44 is connected to the clutch 46, which is in turn connected to the tool holder 47. The tool holder 47 can be or is driven in rotation about an axis of rotation 48 by means of the drive motor 44. A grinding tool 49 is held or attached in or on the tool holder 47. The grinding tool 49 can be driven in rotation about the axis of rotation 48 together with the tool holder 47. The tool holder 47 does not intersect the guide plane E. The tool holder 47 is, for example, configured as a flange to which the grinding tool 49 is attached or screwed. The grinding tool 49 is, for example, a grinding stone. The clutch 46 is used to decouple the drive motor 44 and the tool holder 47 with respect to axially acting force peaks and/or force peaks acting about the axis of rotation 48, so that force peaks are dampened.

[0056] The axis of rotation 48 is spaced apart from the guide plane E in the transverse direction y. The axis of rotation 48 is spaced apart from the guide plane E in the transverse direction y in particular in the region of the tool holder 47 and grinding tool 49. This is shown by way of example in FIG. 5. The axis of rotation 48 is arranged on the same side of the guide plane E as the longitudinal axis 12. The following applies in particular for a distance A of the axis of rotation 48 from the guide plane E in the transverse direction y: 1 cm < A 40 cm, in particular 3 cm A 30 cm, in particular 4 cm A 20 cm, and in particular 5 cm A 10 cm.

[0057] The spindle axis 43 is arranged between the guide plane E and the axis of rotation 48 when viewed in the transverse direction y. The spindle axis 43 is therefore spaced apart from the guide plane E and the axis of rotation 48 in the transverse direction y. The spindle axis 43 is arranged on the same side of the guide plane E as the axis of rotation 48. The spindle axis 43 is at a distance B from the guide plane E in the transverse direction y, wherein the following applies in particular for the distance B: 1 cm B < 40 cm, in particular 3 cm B 30 cm, in particular 4 cm B 20 cm, and in particular 5 cm B 10 cm. In particular: B < A.

[0058] The handle 11 is used to manually move the rail grinding machine 1 along the rail 2 and/or to manually tilt the rail grinding machine around the rail 2. By moving the rail grinding machine 1 by means of the handle 11, the grinding unit 9 for grinding the rail 2 is also moved manually. The handle 11 is arranged on the same side of the guide plane E as the spindle axis 43 and axis of rotation 48. The spindle axis 43 and axis of rotation 48 are arranged between the guide plane E and the handle 11 when viewed in the transverse direction y. The spindle axis 43 and axis of rotation 48 are thus arranged on a side of the guide plane E facing the handle 11. The grinding unit 9 is arranged in an intermediate space between the guide plane E and the handle 11.

[0059] The handle 11 is bow-shaped. The handle 11 comprises a lower longitudinal bar 50, an upper longitudinal bar 51, a first side bar 52 and a second side bar 53. The first side bar 52 and the second side bar 53 are spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction x and connect the lower longitudinal bar 50 with the upper longitudinal bar 51. The upper longitudinal bar 51 is used substantially as a handle bar for an operator.

[0060] The handle 11 is attached to the rail guide units 7, 8 and can be pivoted together with them about the longitudinal axis 12. In addition, the handle 11 can be adjusted relative to the rail guide units 7, 8 by pivoting and locked in the set pivot position. A foldable stand 54 is attached to the lower longitudinal bar 50 for setting down the rail grinding machine 1.

[0061] The rail grinding machine 1 works as now described.

[0062] The rail grinding machine 1 is first positioned with the rail guide units 7, 8 on the rail 2 to be ground. The rail guide units 7, 8 are set and locked in a desired pivot position about the longitudinal axis 12. The grinding tool 49 is driven in rotation about the axis of rotation 48 by means of the drive motor 44. An operator holds the rail grinding machine 1 by the handle 11.

[0063] The grinding tool 49 can be moved in the adjustment direction z by the operator by means of the handwheel 38 and fed to the rail 2. In the position of the rail grinding machine 1 shown in the figures, head grinding is carried out on a rail head 2 of the rail 2. For head grinding, the operator can manually move the rail grinding machine 1 along the rail 2 by means of the handle 11.

[0064] Due to the fact that the axis of rotation 48 is spaced apart from the guide plane E in the transverse direction y in the region of the tool holder 47, the rail grinding machine 1 forms clear viewing areas S1 and S2, which are arranged between the rail guide unit 7 and the grinding tool 49 or between the second rail guide unit 8 and the grinding tool 49 when viewed in the longitudinal direction x. The clear viewing areas S1 and S2 are shown in particular in the top view according to FIG. 6. The clear viewing areas S1 and S2 give the operator a clear view of the rail 2 or the rail head 2 to be ground. Corresponding clear viewing areas S1 and S2 result when the operator tilts the rail grinding machine 1 in the direction of the machine frame 6 around the rail 2 in order to carry out side grinding of the rail head 2. During the grinding operation, the spindle drive 27 for adjusting the height of the grinding unit 9 is vibration-damped by means of the damping element 39.

[0065] A second exemplary embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to FIG. 8. Unlike the first exemplary embodiment, the first guide unit 28 additionally comprises a lower damping element 55 and an upper damping element 56. The first guide element 30 is attached to the lower longitudinal member 20 by means of the lower damping element 55 and to the spindle drive support 26 or the upper longitudinal member 21 by means of the upper damping element 56. Accordingly, the second guide unit 29 comprises a lower damping element 57 and an upper damping element 58. The second guide element 32 is attached to the lower longitudinal member 20 by means of the lower damping element 57 and to the spindle drive support 26 or the upper longitudinal member 21 by means of the upper damping element 58. The damping elements 55 to 58 are used for vibration decoupling of the grinding unit 9 and the handle 11. Vibrations acting on the guide 24 from the grinding unit 9 during the grinding operation are damped by means of the damping elements 55 to 58 such that the vibrations acting on the machine frame 6 and the handle 11 are reduced.

[0066] The lower damping elements 55, 57 respectively have a first spring stiffness, whereas the upper damping elements 56, 58 respectively have a second spring stiffness. The first spring stiffness is different to the second spring stiffness. The first spring stiffness is in particular greater than the second spring stiffness. This prevents undesired oscillation of the height adjustment device 10 or of the grinding unit 9 attached thereto. Reference is made to the description of the preceding exemplary embodiment in terms of the further design and further mode of operation.

[0067] A third exemplary embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. Unlike the preceding exemplary embodiments, the spindle axis 43 and axis of rotation 48 are arranged on a side of the guide plane E facing away from the handle 11. The spindle axis 43 and axis of rotation 48 are arranged on a first side of the guide plane E, whereas the handle 11 is arranged on a second side of the guide plane E. In contrast to the preceding exemplary embodiments, the handle 11 is therefore arranged on the other side of the guide plane E. The grinding unit 9 is therefore not arranged in an intermediate space between the machine frame 6 and the handle 11. This also results in clear viewing areas S1 and S2 on the rail head 2 of the rail 2 to be ground. The drive motor 44 is not shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. Reference is made to the description of the preceding exemplary embodiments in terms of the further design and further mode of operation of the rail grinding machine 1.

[0068] Generally speaking, the individual features of the exemplary embodiments can be combined in any way.