A device and method for increasing the effective volume of a locomotive sand box

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of locomotive sanding device and method, and particularly relates to a device and method for improving effective volume of a locomotive sand box. The device for improving effective volume of a locomotive sand box comprises an air bag, which is arranged in the interior of the sand box and in the circumferential direction of the sanding device. The air bag has an un-inflated state and an inflated state. When the air bag is in the un-inflated state, the air bag is attached to the inner wall of the sand box. When the air bag is in the inflated state, the upper part of the air bag forms a slope surface gradually downwardly inclined from the vicinity of the sand box to the vicinity of the sanding device, so as to push the sand at the edge of the sand box to the middle, and ensure that the sand can smoothly pass through the sanding device to be sprayed between the wheel rail, so as to improve the effective volume of the sand box, meet the sanding requirements of the locomotive, and ensure the safety of the train.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of locomotive sanding device and method, and particularly relates to a device and method for improving effective volume of a locomotive sand box. BACKGROUND

[0002] When a locomotive starts or brakes, the surface state between the wheel and the track has a great influence on the adhesion coefficient, especially in rainy and snowy weather, the adhesion coefficient will decrease greatly. In order to improve the adhesion coefficient, the locomotive usually sands when starting or braking. The purpose of sanding is to improve the state between the wheel and the track, thereby increasing the adhesion of the locomotive to improve the traction or braking force of the locomotive and prevent the locomotive wheel from idling. Generally, the locomotive will configure a sand box with a certain capacity according to the line condition, endurance mileage, and route condition, so as to provide enough sand for the sanding device. The amount of effective sand in the sand box is related to the starting and braking capacity of the locomotive.

[0003] The working principle of the existing sanding system is shown in Figure 1 The sanding system is composed of a sand box 2, a sand adding port 1, a sanding device 3, an air pipeline, a sand pipe 4, and a sanding nozzle 5. The sand enters the sand box through the sand adding port for storage, when sanding is needed, the air pipeline inputs compressed air to the sanding device to drive the sanding device to spray a certain amount of sand between the wheel and the track through the sand pipe and the sanding nozzle. The sand in the sand box relies on the gravity of the sand itself and the shaking during the locomotive operation to continuously flow to the sanding device to fill the space left by the sprayed sand.

[0004] In order to improve the dynamic performance of the locomotive, the locomotive sand box is usually arranged on the locomotive body. For example, a certain type of electric locomotive needs to arrange four sand boxes with a capacity of 50 liters on the body. The sand box is independently suspended under the body chassis, or combined with part of the load-bearing structure of the body chassis, as shown in Figure 2 The locomotive sand box is generally composed of a closed box body made of steel plates, a sand adding port on the top, and a sanding device at the bottom of the sand box. As can be seen from the figure, the volume of the sand box depends on the size of the space reserved by the chassis for the sand box.

[0005] The existing locomotive sand box volume is limited by the chassis space. As the trend of lightening the vehicle body, the height and thickness of the chassis need to be reduced as much as possible, and the upper space of the sand box is compressed. Since the sanding device and the sanding nozzle must have a certain height difference to ensure the smooth flow of sand in the sand pipe, the height of the sanding device is required to be as high as possible. Based on the above reasons, the space left for the sand box generally tends to be flat. Although the flat-shaped sand box can meet the volume requirement of the sand box, the available volume of the sand box is reduced, and the sand far from the sanding device in the sand box cannot flow into the sanding device due to poor flowability and moisture, etc. The actual sanding amount is much smaller than the nominal volume of the sand box, which seriously affects the starting and braking performance of the locomotive. In order to increase the flowability of sand, the existing sand box usually sets a flow guide plate at the bottom of the sand box, as shown in Figure 3 If the inclination angle of the flow guide plate is too small, it cannot play a flow guide role, and if the inclination angle is too large, the volume of the sand box is reduced too much, which cannot guarantee the effective volume of the sand box. Therefore, the existing technology still needs to be improved. SUMMARY

[0006] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, the present application provides a device and method for improving the effective volume of a locomotive sand box to solve the problem of small effective volume of the existing locomotive sand box.

[0007] A device for improving the effective volume of a locomotive sand box, comprising a sand box, an air pipe connected to the outside of the sand box, a sand box cover provided at the top of the sand box, a base body installed at the bottom of the sand box, and a sanding device provided on the base body. The device further comprises an air bag, which is arranged inside the sand box and circumferentially around the sanding device. The air bag has an un-inflated state and an inflated state. When the air bag is in the un-inflated state, it is attached to the inner wall of the sand box. When the air bag is in the inflated state, the upper part of the air bag forms a downwardly inclined slope surface from the vicinity of the sand box to the vicinity of the sanding device.

[0008] Further, a first flange is provided at the edge of the bottom of the sand box, and the base body comprises a second flange and a fixing cylinder. The first flange and the second flange are arranged in a top-to-bottom corresponding manner and connected by bolts. The sand box is installed on the vehicle body through the flanges. The fixing cylinder is arranged inside the sand box and mounted on the second flange. The fixing cylinder is arranged to fix the air bag.

[0009] Further, the air bag is made of a hollow rubber body and is bonded or vulcanized with the base body. An air inlet valve and a pressure relief valve are connected to the air bag for controlling air inlet and air outlet, respectively.

[0010] Further, a pressure switch is arranged on the air bag to detect the internal pressure of the air bag.

[0011] Further, the device for increasing the effective volume of a locomotive sand box further comprises a sensor configured to detect the amount of sand in the sand box.

[0012] Further, the sensor is at the same height as the air bag, and when the sand falls to the height of the sensor, the air bag starts to inflate.

[0013] Further, the fixed cylinder is in close contact with the inner wall of the sand box, and the height of the air bag is the same as that of the fixed cylinder.

[0014] Further, the sanding device is arranged at the center hole of the flange, and the inner side of the air bag extends to the center hole of the flange.

[0015] Further, the device for increasing the effective volume of a locomotive sand box further comprises a control system configured to receive the signal of the sensor and control the opening and closing of the air inlet valve and the pressure relief valve.

[0016] A method for increasing the effective volume of a locomotive sand box based on the device for increasing the effective volume of a locomotive sand box comprises the following steps:

[0017] The driver blows air to the sanding device within 3-5 seconds of stepping on the sanding pedal, and the sanding device sands; when the height of the sand is higher than the height of the air bag, the air bag is in an uninflated state; when the height of the sand in the sand box is lower than the height of the air bag, the air bag starts to inflate, forming a downwardly inclined slope from the sand box to the sanding device, guiding the sand to flow into the sanding device.

[0018] The present application has the following advantages: the present application sets an air bag in the sand box, the air bag has an uninflated state and an inflated state, when the air bag is in the uninflated state, the air bag is in close contact with the wall of the sand box, almost does not occupy the volume of the sand box, and increases the effective volume of the locomotive sand box; when the air bag is in the inflated state, the upper part of the air bag forms a downwardly inclined slope from the sand box to the sanding device, if sanding is needed, the air bag bulges to push the sand at the edge of the sand box to the middle, ensuring that the sand can smoothly pass through the sanding device and be sprayed between the wheel and the rail, meeting the sanding requirements of the locomotive and ensuring the safety of driving. The present application can avoid frequent sanding of the locomotive, save time and sand, and can be widely used in all railway locomotive sand boxes, having great economic benefits. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 A structure diagram of a sanding system in the prior art is shown;

[0020] Figure 2 A structure diagram of the installation of a sand box in a sanding device in the prior art is shown;

[0021] Figure 3A structure diagram of a flow guide plate inside a sand box in a prior art sanding device is shown.

[0022] Figure 4 A working principle diagram of an air bag in a device for increasing the effective volume of a locomotive sand box according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0023] Figure 5 A structure diagram of a device for increasing the effective volume of a locomotive sand box according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0024] Figure 6 A structure diagram of a base body of a device for increasing the effective volume of a locomotive sand box according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0025] Figure 7 A flow chart of a method for increasing the effective volume of a locomotive sand box according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0026] Label explanation: 1, sand box cover; 2, sand box; 3, second flange; 4, fixed cylinder; 5, sensor; 6, sanding device; 7, air bag; 8, air inlet valve; 9, pressure relief valve; 10, first flange. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] It should be understood that the embodiments of the present application shown in the example embodiments are only illustrative. Although only a few embodiments are described in detail in the present application, those skilled in the art can easily appreciate that various modifications are possible without departing from the teachings of the present application subject matter. Accordingly, all such modifications should be included within the scope of the present application. Other substitutions, modifications, changes and omissions can be made to the design, operating conditions and parameters of the following example embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present application.

[0028] The device for increasing the effective volume of a locomotive sand box according to an embodiment of the present application includes a sand box 2, which is installed on a vehicle body and used to hold sand. An air pipe is connected to the outside of the sand box 2, and a sand box cover 1 is provided on the top of the sand box 2. The sand box cover 1 can be opened and closed to put sand into the sand box 2. A base body is installed on the bottom of the sand box 2, and a sanding device 6 is provided on the base body. The sanding device 6 is connected with a sand pipe and a sanding nozzle. When sanding is needed, the air pipe inputs compressed air to the sanding device 6 to drive the sanding device 6 to spray a certain amount of sand between the wheels and the rails through the sand pipe and the sanding nozzle. The sand in the sand box 2 constantly flows to the sanding device 6 by relying on the gravity of the sand itself and the shaking during locomotive operation, to fill the space left by the sprayed sand.

[0029] In particular, the device for increasing the effective volume of the sand box of the locomotive provided by the embodiment of the present application further comprises an air bag 7 arranged in the interior of the sand box 2 and in the circumferential direction of the sanding device 6. The air bag 7 has an un-inflated state and an inflated state. When the air bag 7 is in the un-inflated state, the air bag 7 is attached to the inner wall of the sand box 2 and almost does not occupy the volume of the sand box 2, thereby increasing the effective volume of the sand box 2. When the air bag 7 is in the inflated state, the upper part of the air bag 7 forms a slope surface gradually downwardly inclined from the vicinity of the sand box 2 to the vicinity of the sanding device 6. If sanding is needed, the air bag 7 is inflated to push the sand at the edge of the sand box 2 to the middle, thereby ensuring that the sand can smoothly pass through the sanding device 6 to be sprayed between the wheel rails. The working principle of the air bag 7 is shown in Figure 4 FIG. 6. As shown, the left air bag 7 is in the un-inflated state and the right air bag 7 is in the inflated state. In this way, as long as there is sand in the sand box 2, the sand will be pushed by the air bag 7 to the vicinity of the sanding device 6 and will not be left in the corner of the sand box 2, thereby effectively increasing the available volume of the sand box 2. According to analysis, the effective volume of the sand box 2 can be increased by 10% to 30%. Due to the different structures and sizes of the sand box 2, as well as the different degrees of dryness of the sand and the running speed of the vehicle, the degree of increase of the effective volume is slightly different. The increase of the effective volume of the sand box 2 can meet the sanding requirements of the locomotive and ensure the safety of the vehicle.

[0030] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 5 FIG. 7, the bottom edge of the sand box 2 is provided with a first flange 10, the base body comprises a second flange 3 and a fixing cylinder 4, the first flange 10 and the second flange 3 are arranged in the upper and lower correspondence and are connected by bolts and nuts, so that the base body is mounted on the sand box 2, the fixing cylinder 4 is arranged in the interior of the sand box 2 and is mounted on the flange 3, and the fixing cylinder 4 is arranged for fixing the air bag 7. During installation, the fixing cylinder 4 is inserted from the lower part of the sand box 2, the through holes in the first flange 10 and the second flange 3 are aligned in the upper and lower correspondence, and then the first flange 10 and the second flange 3 are connected by bolts and nuts, so that the base body is firmly connected with the sand box 2 as a whole and the sealing property of the sand box 2 is ensured.

[0031] In some embodiments, the air bag 7 is a hollow rubber body and is bonded or vulcanized with the base body. The air bag 7 is connected with an air inlet valve 8 and a pressure relief valve 9 (as shown in Figure 5 FIG. 8), and the air inlet valve 8 and the pressure relief valve 9 are respectively used for controlling the air inlet and the air outlet to adjust the state of the air bag 7.

[0032] In some embodiments, the air bag 7 is further provided with a pressure switch for detecting the pressure in the air bag 7. The pressure switch is internally provided with a pressure detector. When the air bag 7 is inflated, the pressure in the air bag 7 reaches the set pressure of the pressure switch, the pressure switch starts to act, and the air inlet valve 8 stops the inflation, so that the air pressure in the air bag 7 does not exceed the maximum pressure that the air bag 7 can withstand.

[0033] In some embodiments, the device for increasing the effective volume of the locomotive sand box further comprises a sensor 5 arranged to detect the sand level in the sand box 2 to better control the timing of the operation of the air bag 7.

[0034] In some embodiments, the sensor 5 is at the same height as the air bag 7, and when the sand level drops to the height of the sensor 5, the air inlet valve 8 opens and the air bag 7 starts to inflate.

[0035] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 6 the fixed cylinder 4 is in close contact with the inner wall of the sand box 2 to prevent sand from entering the gap between the fixed cylinder 4 and the sand box 2, and the height of the air bag 7 is the same as that of the fixed cylinder 4 to reduce the probability of sand being stuck in the connection between the air bag 7 and the fixed cylinder 4.

[0036] In some embodiments, the sanding device 6 is arranged at the center hole of the flange 3, and the inner side of the air bag 7 extends to the center hole of the flange 3 to ensure that the sand flows into the sanding device 6 from the middle when the air bag 7 is in the inflated state.

[0037] In some embodiments, the device for increasing the effective volume of the locomotive sand box 2 further comprises a control system for receiving signals from the sensor 5 and controlling the opening and closing of the air inlet valve 8 and the pressure relief valve 9.

[0038] A method for increasing the effective volume of a locomotive sand box, based on the above-mentioned device for increasing the effective volume of a locomotive sand box, as shown in Figure 7 comprises the following steps:

[0039] The driver steps on the sanding pedal for 3-5 seconds, blows air into the sanding device 6 through the air pipe, and the sanding device 6 sands; the sensor 5 senses the sand level in the sand box 2, and when the sand level is higher than the height of the sensor 5, the air inlet valve 8 on the air bag 7 does not act, and the air bag 7 is in the uninflated state; when the sand level in the sand box 2 is lower than or equal to the height of the sensor 5, the air bag 7 starts to inflate, forming a downwardly inclined slope from near the sand box 2 to near the sanding device 6, guiding the sand to flow into the sanding device 6.

[0040] The above-mentioned is only the preferred embodiment of the present application, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present application; if the present application is modified or replaced by the equivalent, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application, it should be covered in the protection scope of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A device for increasing the effective volume of a locomotive sand box, comprising a sand box, an air line connected to the outside of the sand box, a sand box cover arranged on the top of the sand box, a base body mounted on the bottom of the sand box, and a sanding device arranged on the base body, characterized in that, The sand box further comprises an air bag arranged in the interior of the sand box and in the circumference of the sand spreading device, the air bag has an un-inflated state and an inflated state, when the air bag is in the un-inflated state, the air bag is attached to the inner wall of the sand box, when the air bag is in the inflated state, the upper part of the air bag forms a slope gradually downward from the vicinity of the sand box to the vicinity of the sand spreading device.

2. The device for increasing the effective volume of a locomotive sand box of claim 1, wherein, The bottom edge of the sand box is provided with a first flange, the base body comprises a second flange and a fixing cylinder, the first flange and the second flange are arranged in correspondence with each other in up and down directions and are connected by bolts and nuts, the fixing cylinder is arranged in the interior of the sand box and is installed on the second flange, and the fixing cylinder is arranged for fixing the air bag.

3. The apparatus for increasing the effective volume of a locomotive sand box of claim 1 wherein, The air bag is a hollow rubber body and is bonded or vulcanized with the base body, the air bag is provided with an air inlet valve and a pressure relief valve, the air inlet valve and the pressure relief valve are respectively used for controlling air inlet and air outlet.

4. The apparatus for increasing the effective volume of a locomotive sand box of claim 1 wherein, The air bag is further provided with a pressure switch for detecting the pressure in the interior of the air bag.

5. The apparatus for increasing the effective volume of a locomotive ash box of claim 3 wherein, The sand box further comprises a sensor arranged for detecting the sand storage amount in the sand box.

6. The apparatus for increasing the effective volume of a locomotive drop box of claim 5 wherein, The height of the sensor is the same as the height of the air bag, when the sand drops to the height of the sensor, the air bag starts to be inflated.

7. The apparatus for increasing the effective volume of a locomotive ash box of claim 2, wherein, The fixing cylinder is tightly attached to the inner wall of the sand box, and the height of the air bag is the same as the height of the fixing cylinder.

8. The apparatus for increasing the effective volume of a locomotive ash box of claim 2, wherein, The sand spreading device is arranged at the central circular hole of the flange, and the inner side of the air bag extends to the central circular hole of the flange.

9. The apparatus for increasing the effective volume of a locomotive ash box of claim 5 wherein, The sand box further comprises a control system arranged for receiving the signal of the sensor and controlling the opening and closing of the air inlet valve and the pressure relief valve.

10. A method of increasing the effective volume of a locomotive sand box, based on the device for increasing the effective volume of a locomotive sand box according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The sand box comprises the following steps: The driver blows air to the sand spreading device within 3-5 seconds after stepping on the sand spreading pedal, and the sand spreading device spreads sand, when the sand height is higher than the height of the air bag, the air bag is in the un-inflated state, when the sand height in the sand box is lower than the height of the air bag, the air bag starts to be inflated, and a slope gradually downward from the vicinity of the sand box to the vicinity of the sand spreading device is formed, thereby guiding the sand to flow into the sand spreading device.

Images