Track inspection equipment

Abstract

This satisfies both the requirement to narrow the gap between reference contacts and the requirement for high-speed train operation. [Solution] The track inspection device of the present invention comprises a reference beam, a wheel running on the rail to be measured, two reference contactors, an arm, a wheel running on the opposite rail, a contactor on the opposite side, a spring for the opposite side, a guide roller, a stopper for the turnout section, a pressure roller, a guard spring, and a measuring unit. The two reference contactors are arranged at different positions on the reference beam and come into contact with the gauge surface of the rail to be measured. The contactor on the opposite side is arranged at the end of the arm on the opposite rail side and comes into contact with the gauge surface of the opposite rail. The guide roller is arranged at the end of the arm on the opposite rail side so as to face the gauge surface of the opposite rail. The stopper for the turnout section limits the extension range of the arm at the gauge gap section. The pressure roller is arranged between the two reference contactors on the reference beam and comes into contact with the guardrail.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a track inspection device for measuring a track including a turnout section. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Documents 1 and 2 are known as prior art. Patent Documents 1 and 2 show five types of track irregularities in railway tracks (alignment irregularity, elevation irregularity, gauge irregularity, level irregularity, and planarity irregularity). Note that "track irregularity" is now called "track irregularity," and the five types are called alignment irregularity, elevation irregularity, gauge irregularity, level irregularity, and planarity irregularity. Patent Document 2 states, "For railway trains to operate safely and with a comfortable ride, the track must have sufficient strength and be constantly maintained in good condition. However, each time a train passes, the track is repeatedly subjected to loads, causing various parts to displace and deform, resulting in track irregularities. As this track irregularity increases, the train's ride becomes less comfortable, and if the irregularity becomes even greater, there is a risk of train derailment. For this reason, it is necessary to constantly and accurately grasp the state of track irregularities and to repair or improve any defective parts without missing an opportunity." It then goes on to specifically describe track irregularities and shows a method for inspecting track irregularities on tracks, including turnout sections, and an apparatus for implementing this method. Figure 8 of Patent Document 2 (a diagram showing a conventional portable track irregularity inspection device) is shown in Figure 1, and Figure 9 of Patent Document 2 (a diagram showing the conventional device installed on a rail) is shown in Figure 2. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 02-096002 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-108651 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Figure 3 shows the track including the turnout section. Figure 4 illustrates the relationship between the reference contact, guide roller, and gauge gap. A rail 201 to be measured exists continuously on both the reference line side and the branch line side. The gap between the opposing rails 202 narrows from the front end 204 of the crossing, and then widens beyond the gauge gap 206 to the rear end 205 of the crossing. A gauge gap 206 exists between the front end 204 and the rear end 205 of the crossing. From the gauge gap 206 to the rear end 205 of the crossing, the opposing rail 202 on the reference line side bends toward the branch line, while the opposing rail 202 on the branch line bends toward the reference line. Furthermore, a guardrail 203 faces the rail 201 to be measured in the section where the gauge gap 206 is located. The guardrail 203 has a guide section 203B and a guard section 203A. The purpose of the guardrail 203 is to prevent derailment in sections where there are gaps in the gauge 206 .

[0005] The portable track irregularity inspection device of Patent Document 2 is equipped with an auxiliary beam 106, and guide rollers 112 are arranged on both ends of the auxiliary beam 106. The length of the auxiliary beam 106 is made longer than the gap in the gauge line, so that even when passing through the gap in the gauge line, one of the guide rollers 112 can maintain contact with the opposite rail. In addition, the distance between the reference contacts 102 is set wider than the distance between the guide rollers 112.

[0006] However, advances in measurement technology have made it possible to collect track-related data with sufficient accuracy even when the distance between the reference contacts 102 is shortened. At the time of filing of Patent Document 2, the distance between the reference contacts 102 was 2 to 2.5 m, but at the time of filing of the present application, a distance of 1 to 1.25 m is sufficient. Therefore, there is a growing demand to narrow the distance between the reference contacts 102 in order to reduce the size and weight of the entire device. On the other hand, the demand for high-speed train travel is leading to the demand for high-speed passage through turnout sections, and the angle between the reference line side and the turnout line side in turnout sections is becoming smaller. As a result, the length of the gauge line gap 206 tends to increase.

[0007] 4(A) shows the state when the distance between the reference contacts is set wider than the distance between the guide rollers and one of the guide rollers is in contact with the opposite rail, and Fig. 4(B) shows the state when the distance between the reference contacts is set narrower than the distance between the guide rollers and one of the guide rollers is in contact with the opposite rail. As shown in Fig. 4(A), when the distance between reference contacts 102A and 102B is wider than the distance between guide rollers 112A and 112B, the force X pushing back reference contact 102A against measured rail 201 and the force Y pushing back reference contact 102B against measured rail 201 are determined so that they balance with the force Z pushing back guide roller 112A against opposite rail 202, and the moment around guide roller 112A is also balanced.

[0008] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4(B), when the distance between the reference contactor 102A and the reference contactor 102B is narrower than the distance between the guide rollers 112A and 112B, the force X with which the reference contactor 102A is pushed back by the rail 201 to be measured and the force Y with which the reference contactor 102B is pushed back by the rail 201 to be measured ("Y" is not shown in FIG. 4(B)) are not determined as in FIG. 4(A). Considering the balance of the moment around the guide roller 112A, the force Y must be in the opposite direction to the force with which the reference contactor 102B is pushed back by the rail 201 to be measured. As a result, in the case of FIG. 4(B), the reference contactor 102B moves away from the rail 201 to be measured. Therefore, the distance between the reference contactors cannot be set narrower than the distance between the guide rollers.

[0009] As mentioned above, there is a problem in that the requirement to narrow the gap between reference contacts in order to make the entire device smaller and lighter, and the requirement to enable high-speed train operation, are contradictory requirements. An object of the present invention is to provide a track inspection device that satisfies both the requirement to narrow the gap between reference contacts and the requirement to enable high-speed train operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The track inspection device of the present invention comprises a reference beam, a wheel running on the rail to be measured, two reference contactors, an arm, a wheel running on the opposite rail, the opposite contactor, an opposite spring, a guide roller, a stopper for the turnout section, a pressure roller, a guard spring, and a measuring unit. The reference beam is a rod-shaped body arranged on the rail to be measured. The wheels running on the rail to be measured are arranged at different positions on the reference beam and roll on the top surface of the rail to be measured. The two reference contactors are arranged at different positions on the reference beam and contact the gauge surface of the rail to be measured. The arm is an extensible rod-shaped body extending from between the two reference contactors on the reference beam toward the opposite rail. The wheel running on the opposite rail is arranged at the end of the arm on the opposite rail side and rolls on the top surface of the rail to be measured. The opposite contactor is arranged at the end of the arm on the opposite rail side and contacts the gauge surface of the opposite rail. The opposing spring is arranged on the arm and presses the reference contactor against the gauge surface of the rail to be measured, and also presses the opposing contactor against the gauge surface of the opposing rail. The guide roller is arranged on the end of the arm on the opposing rail side so as to face the gauge surface of the opposing rail. The turnout section stopper limits the extension range of the arm in the gauge gap section. The pressure roller is arranged between the two reference contactors on the reference beam and comes into contact with the guardrail. The guard spring is arranged on the reference beam and presses the reference contactor against the gauge surface of the rail to be measured, and also presses the pressure roller against the gauge surface of the guardrail. The measurement unit measures data related to the track. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The track inspection device of the present invention has a pressure roller that comes into contact with the guardrail and a guard spring, so it can press two reference contacts against the gauge surface of the rail to be measured even when the opposing contact is in a gap in the gauge line. This makes it possible to provide a track inspection device that meets both the requirement for narrower spacing between reference contacts and the requirement for high-speed train operation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 8 (a diagram showing a conventional example of a portable track irregularity inspection device) of Patent Document 2. [Figure 2] FIG. 9 of Patent Document 2 (a diagram showing a conventional example installed on a rail). [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the state of a track including a turnout section. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining the relationship between the reference contact, the guide roller, and the missing portion of the gauge wire. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a track inspection device of the present invention. [Figure 6] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing the state when the opposite contactor of the track inspection device of the present invention is in contact with the opposite rail, and when the opposite contactor is in a missing gauge line portion and is not in contact with the opposite rail. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. Components having the same functions are given the same numbers, and duplicated explanations will be omitted. [Example]

[0014] Figure 5 shows an example of the configuration of a track inspection device of the present invention. Figure 5 is a plan view. The track inspection device 30 includes a reference beam 300, a wheel 305 running on the rail to be measured, two reference contacts 302, an arm 304, a wheel 307 running on the opposite rail, a contactor 308 on the opposite side, a spring 309 for the opposite side, a guide roller 316, a stopper 317 for the turnout section, a pressure roller 310, a guard spring 313, and a measuring unit 303. The measuring unit 303 measures track-related data using existing technology. The measured track-related data is some or all of the data used to evaluate five items (alignment, elevation, gauge, level, and roll) that are determined as track irregularities (track irregularities) of railway tracks. Existing technology can be used for the measuring unit 303, so a detailed description is omitted.

[0015] Figure 6 shows the state of the track inspection device of the present invention when the opposing contactor is in contact with the opposing rail and when the opposing contactor is in a gap in the gauge line and not in contact with the opposing rail. Figure 6 is a view from the direction of travel of Figure 5. Figure 6(A) shows the state when the opposing contactor is in contact with the opposing rail. Figure 6(B) shows the state when the opposing contactor is in a gap in the gauge line and not in contact with the opposing rail. The dashed-dotted line AA in Figures 6(A) and 6(B) indicates the position of the track surface of the rail 201 to be measured. The dashed-dotted line BB indicates the position of the track surface of the opposing rail 202 in the section that does not include the gap in the gauge line 206. The dashed-dotted line CC indicates the position of the track surface of the guard portion 203A of the guardrail 203. The dashed-dotted line DD indicates the position of the end of the guide portion 203B of the guardrail 203 opposite the guard portion 203A. The "position of the end of the guide portion 203B of the guardrail 203 opposite to the guard portion 203A" is the position indicated by D in FIG.

[0016] The reference beam 300 is a rod-shaped body placed on the side of the rail 201 to be measured. The wheels 305 running on the rail to be measured are placed at different positions on the reference beam 300 and roll on the top surface of the rail 201 to be measured. Three wheels 305 running on the rail to be measured are shown in Figure 5. Depending on the method of measuring track irregularity, this does not necessarily have to be limited to three. Two reference contactors 302 are placed at different positions on the reference beam 300 and come into contact with the gauge surface of the rail 201 to be measured. The two reference contactors 302 may be placed at both ends of the reference beam 300. The "top surface" refers to the top surface of the rail. The "gauge surface" refers to the inner surface of the rail, where the gauge surface of the rail 201 to be measured faces the gauge surface of the opposite rail 202.

[0017] The arm 304 is an extendable rod-shaped body extending from between the two reference contacts 302 of the reference beam 300 toward the opposite rail 202. However, if the arm 304 is extended from the center of the two reference contacts 302 of the reference beam 300 toward the opposite rail 202, the force applied to the two reference contacts 302 can be made uniform, so it is preferable to place the arm 304 near the center of the two reference contacts 302. The arm 304 may be extendable by combining two rod-shaped bodies, for example. The opposite rail traveling wheel 307 is located at the end of the arm 304 on the opposite rail 202 side and rolls on the top surface of the opposite rail 202 (see FIG. 6(A)). The opposite rail traveling wheel 307 has a length sufficient to roll on the top surface of the opposite rail 202 that is bent toward the branch track at the gauge gap portion 206 (see FIG. 6(B)). Since the arm 304 extends at the gauge line gap 206, the length of the opposite rail running wheel 307 needs to be long enough to roll on the top surface of the opposite rail 202 bent toward the turnout line, taking into account the extension of the arm 304. The extension range of the arm 304 itself is limited by a general section stopper 318, which will be described later. However, when passing through the gauge line gap 206, it is limited by a turnout section stopper 317, which will be described later. The "end" means near the tip. In the example of Figure 5, an opposite beam 306 is provided at the end of the arm 304 on the opposite rail 202 side, and the opposite rail running wheel 307, opposite contactor 308, and guide roller 316 are provided on the opposite beam 306.

[0018] The opposite contactor 308 is disposed at the end of the arm 304 on the opposite rail 202 side and contacts the gauge surface of the opposite rail 202. The opposite spring 309 is disposed on the arm 304 and presses the normal section stopper 318 to press the reference contactor 302 against the gauge surface of the measured rail 201 and the opposite contactor 308 against the gauge surface of the opposite rail 202 (see FIG. 6(A)). The opposite spring 309 may be disposed, for example, inside the two rod-shaped bodies constituting the arm 304 so as to press against each other. In the example of FIG. 5, the normal section stopper 318 is pressed by the opposite spring 309 and is set to be able to expand and contract by a stroke S1. The gauge of the normal section (other than the gauge line missing portion 206 in the turnout section) varies significantly from the standard gauge due to track irregularities, slack in curved sections, etc. The stroke S1 may be set longer than the gauge allowable in the normal section. In this case, the shape of the contralateral spring 309 can be maintained by passing the shaft through the contralateral spring 309. In this case, the shaft can be treated as part of the arm 304, and the contralateral beam 306 can be disposed at the end of the shaft.

[0019] The guide roller 316 is disposed at the end of the arm 304 on the opposite rail 202 side so as to face the gauge surface of the opposite rail 202 (see FIGS. 6(A) and 6(B)). At least one guide roller 316 is disposed further in the traveling direction than the opposite contactor 308. In the example of FIG. 5, two guide rollers 316 are provided on the opposite beam 306. The guide rollers 316 serve to guide the opposite contactor 308 to the gauge surface of the opposite rail 202 after passing the gauge line gap 206. To enable the guide rollers 316 to perform this function, the turnout section stopper 317 limits the extension range (stroke S2) of the arm 304. In the example of FIG. 5, the turnout section stopper 317 is provided with a plunger 319. When passing through a normal section (other than the gauge line gap 206 in the turnout section), the plunger 319 does not protrude its pin toward the opposite beam 306 (OFF state) as shown in Figure 5. In the OFF state, the arm 304 can extend and retract by stroke S1. When passing through the gauge line gap 206, the plunger 319 protrudes its pin toward the opposite beam 306 (ON state), limiting the range in which the opposite beam 306 can move. In the ON state, the arm 304 can extend and retract by stroke S2. The turnout section stopper 317 determines the maximum gap between the guide roller 316 and the rail 201 to be measured when passing through the gauge line gap 206. More specifically, the turnout section stopper 317 limits the gap between the guide roller 316 and the measured rail 201 when the train is passing through the gauge line gap 206 so that the guide roller 316 can guide the opposite contactor 308 to the gauge surface of the opposite rail 202 after passing through the gauge line gap 206 (see FIG. 6(B)). In other words, the turnout section stopper 317 prevents the opposite beam 306 from intruding into the turnout line (cross-rail intrusion) when passing through the gauge line gap 206. For this reason, the stroke S2 ​​is set shorter than the stroke S1. The turnout section stopper 317 may have a protrusion instead of the plunger 319, and the turnout section stopper 317 may be rotated to change whether or not to limit the range of movement of the opposite beam 306. The turnout section stopper 317 may also be manually operated to turn on and off while the train is traveling.In this case, after passing the front end 204 of the crossing and before passing the missing gauge line section 206, the stopper 317 for the turnout section is turned ON by manual operation while the train is running, and after passing the missing gauge line section 206 and before passing the rear end 205 of the crossing, the stopper 317 for the turnout section is turned OFF by manual operation while the train is running.

[0020] The pressure roller 310 is disposed between the two reference contacts 302 of the reference beam 300 and contacts the guardrail 203 (see FIG. 6(B)). In FIG. 5, two pressure rollers 310 are provided. Providing two or more rollers is desirable because it stabilizes the contact between the pressure rollers 310 and the guardrail 203. However, if stable contact can be ensured by adjusting the position or shape of the pressure roller 310, one pressure roller will suffice. The guard spring 313 is disposed on the reference beam 300 and presses the reference contacts 302 against the gauge surface of the measured rail 201, and presses the pressure roller 310 against the gauge surface of the guardrail 203 (see FIG. 6(B)). The pressure roller 310 is disposed so as to be located at the position of the guardrail 203 at least when the counter contact 308 is located at the gauge line missing portion 206. When the guardrail 203 is not present, the distance between the pressure roller 310 and the rail 201 to be measured is wider than the distance between the guard portion 203A of the guardrail 203 and the rail 201 to be measured, and is set so that the pressure roller 310 is guided to the side of the guide portion 203B of the guardrail 203 that faces the rail 201 to be measured (see FIG. 6(A)). The distance between the pressure roller 310 and the rail 201 to be measured may be narrower than the distance between the end of the guide portion 203B of the guardrail 203 opposite the guard portion 203A and the rail 201 to be measured. Therefore, the pressure roller can come into contact with the side of the guide portion 203B that faces the rail 201 to be measured, and be guided to the side of the guard portion 203A that faces the rail 201 to be measured. In the example of FIG. 5, the pressure roller 310 and the guard spring 313 are housed in the mounting portion 311. Furthermore, the fixed base 314 limits the distance between the pressing roller 310 and the rail 201 to a distance guided by the side surface of the guide portion 203B of the guardrail 203 on the rail 201 side.

[0021] The track inspection device of the present invention has a pressure roller that comes into contact with the guide rail and a guard spring, so it can press two reference contacts against the gauge surface of the rail to be measured even when the opposing contact is in a gap in the gauge line. This makes it possible to provide a track inspection device that meets both the requirement for narrower spacing between reference contacts and the requirement for high-speed train operation. [Explanation of symbols]

[0022] 30 Track inspection device 102 Reference contact 106 Auxiliary beam 112 Guide roller 201 Rail to be measured 202 Opposite rail 203 Guardrail 203A Guard section 203B Guidance section 204 Front end of crossing 205 Rear end of crossing 206 Missing gauge line 300 Reference beam 302 Reference contact 303 Measuring unit 304 Arm 305 Wheel running on rail to be measured 306 Opposite beam 307 Opposite rail running wheel 308 Opposite contactor 309 Opposite side spring 310 Pressing roller 311 Mounting part 313 Guard spring 314 Fixed base 316 Guide roller 317 Stopper for turnout section 318 Stopper for general section 319 Plunger

Claims

1. a reference beam, which is a rod-shaped body arranged on the side of the rail to be measured; Wheels running on the test rail are arranged at different positions on the reference beam and roll on the top surface of the test rail; two reference contacts arranged at different positions on the reference beam and in contact with the gauge surface of the rail to be measured; an extensible rod-shaped arm extending from between the two reference contacts of the reference beam toward the opposite rail; an opposite-rail running wheel disposed at an end of the arm on the opposite rail side and rolling on the top surface of the opposite rail; an opposite-side contactor disposed at an end of the arm on the opposite rail side and contacting the gauge surface of the opposite rail; an opposing spring disposed on the arm, for pressing the reference contact against the gauge surface of the rail to be measured and for pressing the opposing contact against the gauge surface of the opposing rail; a guide roller disposed at an end of the arm on the opposite rail side so as to face the gauge surface of the opposite rail; a stopper for a turnout section that limits the extension range of the arm at a gauge line gap portion; a pressure roller disposed between the two reference contacts of the reference beam and in contact with the guard rail facing the rail to be measured; a guard spring disposed on the reference beam, for pressing the reference contact against the gauge surface of the rail to be measured and for pressing the pressure roller against the gauge surface of the guard rail; a measurement unit for measuring data relating to the trajectory; A track inspection device equipped with:

2. The track inspection device according to claim 1, A general interval stopper is also provided to determine the maximum distance between the guide roller and the rail to be measured. A track inspection device characterized by:

3. 3. The track inspection device according to claim 2, the guide roller is disposed in a direction of travel of the opposite contact, The guide roller guides the opposite contactor to the gauge surface of the opposite rail after passing through the gauge gap portion. A track inspection device characterized by:

4. The track inspection device according to claim 1, The wheels running on the opposite rail have a length that allows them to roll on the top surface of the opposite rail that is bent toward the branch line at the gauge gap portion. A track inspection device characterized by:

5. The track inspection device according to claim 1, The pressing roller is disposed so as to be located at the position of a guardrail when the opposite contact is located at the position of a missing gauge line. A track inspection device characterized by:

6. 6. The track inspection device according to claim 5, The distance between the pressure roller and the rail to be measured is wider than the distance between the guard rail and the rail to be measured when there is no guard rail, and is the distance guided by the side of the guard rail's guide part on the side of the rail to be measured. A track inspection device characterized by:

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