METHOD AND DEVICE FOR COMPACTING THE BALLAST BED OF A TRACK

Abstract

A method and device for compacting the ballast bed of a track, especially in the region of a switch, comprising a switch tamping machine (1), which is fitted with a tamping unit (4), a lifting and lining device (2) comprising at least one pair of roller pincers (6) and at least one lifting hook (7) for lining the track position, and which is guided in a longitudinally displaceable manner on the machine frame (2) in the longitudinal direction of the machine. In order to provide advantageous lining conditions, it is proposed that a switch component measuring system (3), which is provided upstream of the lifting and lining device (2) in the working direction (C), is provided for the position-dependent measurement of the position of the switch components.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a lifting and lining device of a switch tamping machine that is drivable on a track and has a tamping unit a pair of roller pincers (6), and at least one lifting hook (7), said method comprising: guiding the lifting and lining device in a longitudinally displaceable manner in a longitudinal direction of the machine; measuring and storing intermediately a position of one or more switch components including at least one of switch drive boxes, rails and a cross frog during advancement of the switch tamping machine in a position-dependent manner in a transverse direction of the track using a switch component measuring system that is arranged upstream of the lifting and lining device in a working direction, detecting and intermediately storing a position of sleepers and intermediate compartments in the working direction, querying detected values for a working position of the pair of roller pincers and the lifting hook, carrying out a first check based on said detected values whether the pair of roller pincers can be used at said working position and, responsive to said first check determining that the pair of roller pincers cannot be used, making a second check based on said detected values whether the lifting hook can act on the rail head, and gripping the rail with the lifting and lining device and lifting the rail.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises determining from the position of the switch components detected by the switch component measuring system a gripping position for the lifting and lining device, and automatically accessing said gripping position prior to the closure of the pair of roller pincers or prior to said gripping of the rail by the lifting hook.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the switch component measuring system detects the position of the switch components by a sensor strip arranged extending transversely to the longitudinal direction of the machine, upstream of the lifting and lining device in the working direction.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the switch component measuring system detects the position of the switch components by a number of inductive sensors and/or capacitive sensors.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the switch component measuring system detects the position of the switch components by a number of laser distance sensors and/or ultrasonic distance sensors.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein-the switch component measuring system detects the position of the switch components by at least one laser scanner.

7. A device for compacting the ballast bed of a track, especially in the region of a switch, said device comprising: a switch tamping machine fitted with a tamping unit, a lifting and lining device comprising at least one pair of roller pincers and at least one lifting hook configured to line the track position, and guided in a longitudinally displaceable manner on a machine frame in a longitudinal direction of the machine, wherein a switch component measuring system is provided upstream of the lifting and lining device in a working direction, said switch component measuring system providing position-dependent measurement of a position of switch components.

8. A device according to claim 7, wherein a lifting hook depth adjustment cylinder with a displacement path sensor is associated with the lifting hook of the lifting and lining device.

9. A device according to claim 7, wherein the pair of roller pincers of the lifting and lining device is associated with a roller pincer closing cylinder with a closing path sensor.

10. A device according to claim 7, wherein the lifting and lining device is associated with a transverse displacement cylinder with a displacement path sensor.

11. A device according to claim 7, wherein the switch component measuring system that is provided upstream of the lifting and lining device in the working direction comprises a sensor strip provided on the switch tamping machine oriented transversely to the longitudinal direction of the machine.

12. A device according to claim 11, wherein the sensor strip comprises a plurality of individual sensors arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction of the strip.

13. A device according to claim 12, wherein the individual sensors arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction of the strip are arranged in two or more rows extending adjacent to each other.

14. A device according to claim 7, wherein the switch component measuring system comprises inductive sensors, capacitive sensors, laser distance sensors and/or ultrasonic distance sensors or optionally at least one laser scanner.

15. A method according to claim 1, wherein, responsive to said second check determining that the lifting hook cannot act on the rail head, a displacement of the lifting hook in the longitudinal direction of the machine is carried out such that the lifting hook comes to a standstill at the rail base close to an intermediate compartment.

16. A method according to claim 2, wherein said gripping position is automatically accessed prior to the closure of the pair of roller pincers or prior to said gripping of the rail by the lifting hook, especially by transverse displacement, longitudinal displacement and depth adjustment of the lifting and lining device.

17. A method according to claim 3, wherein the sensor strip that comprises a plurality of switch component detection sensors.

18. A device according to claim 11, wherein the sensor strip comprises a plurality of individual sensors.

19. A device according to claim 13, wherein the individual sensors of adjoining sensor rows are preferably arranged in a staggered manner with respect each other.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The subject matter of the invention is shown by way of example in the drawings, wherein:

[0015] FIG. 1 shows a track driveable track tamping machine in a side view;

[0016] FIG. 2 shows a side view of a lifting and lining device in accordance with the invention with a roller pincers and transversely displaceable and depth-adjustable lifting hooks, as well as a measuring device for detecting the track components;

[0017] FIG. 3 shows a front view of a lifting and lining device with illustration of the transversely displaceable and depth-adjustable lifting hook with displacement detection of the cylinder movements;

[0018] FIG. 4 shows a pair of roller pincers with displacement detection of the closing movement in a front view;

[0019] FIG. 5 shows a top view of a switch with switch components such as switch blades, switch blade drive, cross frog, wing rails and guide rails, as well as the longitudinal sleepers, the continuous and the diverging track;

[0020] FIGS. 6 and 7 each show an illustration of the switch blade region of switches, the measuring device for detecting the position of the track components in the transverse direction of the track and, by way of example, the stored measured data of such a measuring device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] A switch tamping machine 1 comprises a tamping unit 4 and a track lifting and lining unit 2 comprising a lifting cylinder 5, a pair of roller pincers 6, a lifting hook 7 and a measuring device 3 (FIG. 1). The lifting and lining device can be displaced via a hydraulic cylinder in the longitudinal direction 11 of the track. The switch tamping machine is displaceable on the rail 9 via undercarriages 8. The control of the switch tamping machine 1 occurs from the working cabin 10 which is arranged in the working direction C behind the tamping unit 4. The working cabin 10 and the driver's cabs can be accessed via lateral doors 29. The arc length of the track is determined by a distance measuring device 27. The usually provided second switch tamping cabin 28 can be omitted in the embodiment in accordance with the invention. The switch component measuring system 3 for the position-dependent measurement of the position of switch components is provided upstream of the lifting and lining device 2 in the working direction C.

[0022] The lifting and lining device (FIG. 2) comprises a pair of roller pincers 6, a roller pincer closing cylinder 12 with a closing path sensor 26, a lifting cylinder 5 with the lifting force F.sub.H, a hook depth cylinder 13 with a depth transducer 30 for the lifting hook, a switch component measuring system 3 with switch component detection sensors 15, a lifting hook 7 and a guide lining wheel 14. The lifting and lining unit 2 is guided via wheels 14 along the rail 9.

[0023] The view according to FIG. 3 of the lifting and lining device 2 especially shows the guide device 16 for the transverse displacement of the lifting hook 7, the lifting hook displacement cylinder 17 with the displacement path sensor 31, the guide lining wheel 14, the lifting cylinder 5 and the guide rail 9.

[0024] The view according to FIG. 4 of the lifting and lining device 2 shows the pair of roller pincers 6, the roller pincer closing cylinder 12 with the closing path sensor 26, the lifting cylinder 5 with the lifting force F.sub.H, the guide rail 9 and the guide lining wheel 14.

[0025] FIG. 5 shows the schematic top view of a switch 22 to be aligned with the relevant switch components, namely the switch blade drives 18, the switch blades 19, the guide rails 20, the cross frog 21, the wing rails 25, the continuous main track 23, the sleepers 32, the intermediate compartments 33 and the diverging track 24.

[0026] The switch blade region 19 is schematically shown in the upper part of FIG. 6. In the transverse direction, i.e. transversely to the working direction C, the obstruction position D is retained, K corresponds to the track position of the switch component measuring system 3 which consists in the indicated exemplary embodiment of individual switch component detection sensors 15. The switch component detection sensors 15 are arranged in two rows extending adjacent to each other, wherein the individual sensors of adjacent sensor rows are arranged in a staggered manner with respect to each other. 19 shows the switch blade, 9 shows the continuous track, E indicates the region in which the pair of roller pincers 6 is used, F shows the position in which the lifting hook 7 needs to be used. C indicates the working direction. In the bottom region of the illustration, the vertical axis D indicates the obstruction position and the horizontal axis K shows the track position where the measuring device 3 was situated at the time of the measurement. The crosses in the diagram indicate where the distance sensors 15 actively detected a switch component. The diagram also contains the maximum hook extension limit G and the maximum roller pincer limit J in which there is sufficient clearance for closing the pair of roller pincers 6. M shows the required clearance from which the pair of roller pincers 6 can be used.

[0027] The cross frog region L is shown in the upper part of FIG. 7. The obstruction position D is indicated in the transverse direction, K corresponds to the track position of the measuring device 3 which consists of individual distance sensors 15 in the indicated exemplary embodiment. E indicates the region in which the pair of roller pincers 6 is used, F shows the position in which the lifting hook 7 needs to be used. C indicates the working direction. In the bottom region of the illustration, the vertical axis D indicates the obstruction position and the horizontal axis K shows the track position where the measuring device 3 was situated at the time of the measurement. The crosses in the diagram indicate where the distance sensors 15 actively detected a switch component. The diagram also contains the maximum hook extension limit G and the maximum roller pincer limit J in which there is sufficient clearance for closing the pair of roller pincers 6. M shows the required clearance from which the pair of roller pincers 6 can be used. 21 represents the cross frog and 25 represents the wing rails.