Railway and road transport vehicle and rail-road conversion method

Abstract

The application discloses a highway-railway transport vehicle and a highway-railway transport vehicle wheel-iron conversion method, and relates to the field of highway-railway transport vehicles. The highway-railway transport vehicle comprises a vehicle frame, a lifting mechanism and position detection sensors. The lifting mechanism is arranged between running wheels of a highway wheel shaft and the vehicle frame and is used for adjusting the distance between the running wheels and the vehicle frame. A plurality of position detection sensors are arranged in a straight line on a side of the vehicle frame close to a road surface, and the straight line where the position detection sensors are located is parallel to the center line of the vehicle frame. One of the position detection sensors is defined as a positioning sensor, each highway wheel shaft is arranged on the vehicle frame and can rotate independently, and the positioning sensor can rotate as a center. After the highway-railway transport vehicle is vertically lifted onto a rail, the highway-railway transport vehicle rotates as the positioning sensor as a center until the rail signals are simultaneously detected by each position detection sensor, then the whole vehicle is transversely moved to align the vehicle center line with the rail center line, and then the highway wheel shaft is lifted to make the railway wheel shaft fall off the rail, so that the wheel-iron conversion is completed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of road-rail transport vehicle technology, and more specifically, to a road-rail transport vehicle and a method for converting road-rail transport vehicle wheels to rails. Background Technology

[0002] The road-rail transport vehicle has the functions of road travel, rail travel, and road-rail switching. When traveling on the road, the road-rail switching function can lift the rail wheel axle off the ground to meet the requirements of road travel; when traveling on the rail, the road wheel axle can be lifted to meet the requirements of rail clearance and travel. However, the main factor limiting the development of road-rail transport vehicles is how to realize the road-rail switching function, including how to realize the road-rail switching simply and reliably, and how to realize the road-rail switching in a short time and efficiently. Therefore, how to achieve efficient and reliable loading and unloading of road-rail transport vehicles is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved.

[0003] Currently, most rail-road transport vehicles rely on the lifting and lowering of railway bogies for their rail connection. However, because railway transport conditions are more demanding than road transport conditions, adding a lifting mechanism between the railway bogie and the car body would reduce the safety of rail-road transport vehicles. Therefore, the current rail transport speed of rail-road transport vehicles is relatively low, all below 85 km / h. At the same time, the reliability of the lifting mechanism between the railway bogie and the car body must be prioritized in railway operating conditions, making it mostly used in light-load transport or maintenance vehicles, rather than heavy-load transport. These two points greatly limit the realization of the long-distance and high-efficiency advantages of railway transport.

[0004] Regarding the methods for loading and unloading railcars, the most advanced method currently is vertical loading. This requires the railway bogie to be a powered bogie with self-propelled capability. The railcar reverses vertically to align and lower the rear bogie to the rail. Then, the rear bogie lowers and lifts part of the road axle, and finally, the railway bogie tows the entire car onto the rail. The advantage is strong adaptability to level crossings, but the disadvantage is a complex alignment process. The introduction of a powered bogie not only increases the overall weight of the car, limiting its road carrying capacity, but also reduces the ground clearance of the bogie bottom when traveling on the railway, decreasing railway passability. Another method is using a cantilever crane for loading. The advantage is reduced driver workload, but the disadvantage is that cantilever cranes are not available at any level crossing, making it impossible to guarantee fast and efficient loading of railcars.

[0005] Therefore, how to achieve rapid and efficient rail transport vehicles to be put on the rails has become a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of this, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a rail-road transport vehicle to achieve rapid and efficient rail-road transport vehicle loading.

[0007] Another objective of this invention is to provide a method for converting rail-road transport vehicles to rail-road transport using the aforementioned rail-road transport vehicle.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0009] A road-rail transport vehicle, comprising:

[0010] A frame on which railway axles and highway axles are rotatably mounted;

[0011] A lifting mechanism is provided between the travel wheel of the road axle and the frame, for adjusting the distance between the travel wheel and the frame;

[0012] A plurality of position detection sensors are arranged in a straight line on the side of the frame that is close to the road surface, and the line in which the position detection sensors are located is parallel to the center line of the frame. The sensors are used to detect whether the frame is parallel to the track. One of the position detection sensors is a positioning sensor. The road wheel axle is used to rotate around the positioning sensor as the center during the process of mounting the track.

[0013] Optionally, in the aforementioned road-rail transport vehicle, the road axle includes:

[0014] A drive shaft is rotatably mounted on the vehicle frame, and a connecting plate is provided at one end of the drive shaft near the road surface. The first end of the lifting mechanism is hinged to the connecting plate.

[0015] A first driving component is disposed on the vehicle frame and is used to drive the drive shaft to rotate;

[0016] The traveling wheel is rotatably mounted on the second end of the lifting mechanism;

[0017] A hub motor, mounted on the driving wheel, is used to drive the driving wheel to move.

[0018] Optionally, in the aforementioned rail-road transport vehicle, the lifting mechanism includes:

[0019] The first support rod is hinged at one end to the connecting plate;

[0020] The second support rod is hinged at both ends to the driving wheel and the first support rod, respectively.

[0021] The telescopic component is hinged at both ends to the first support rod and the second support rod, respectively, and the first support rod, the second support rod and the telescopic component form a triangular structure.

[0022] Optionally, in the aforementioned rail-road transport vehicle, each of the aforementioned position detection sensors is mounted on the vehicle frame via an adjustment mechanism, the adjustment mechanism comprising:

[0023] Mounting plate, provided on the vehicle frame;

[0024] The telescopic linkage assembly has one end connected to the mounting plate and the other end connected to the position detection sensor, and the telescopic linkage assembly is driven to extend and retract by a second driving component disposed on the mounting plate;

[0025] Specifically, when the telescopic linkage assembly is in the retracted state, the position detection sensor is spaced apart from the vehicle frame by a first distance; when the telescopic linkage assembly is in the open state, the position detection sensor is spaced apart from the vehicle frame by a second distance, and the first distance is less than the second distance.

[0026] Optionally, in the aforementioned rail-road transport vehicle, the telescopic linkage assembly includes:

[0027] The first link is connected to the second driving component in a transmission manner;

[0028] The second link is hinged at one end to the first link;

[0029] The third link is connected to the mounting plate and the third link at both ends, respectively, and the position detection sensor is located at the end of the third link away from the first link.

[0030] The fourth link is hinged at both ends to the second link and the third link respectively, and the second link and the third link are parallel, while the first link and the fourth link are parallel.

[0031] The support rod is hinged at one end to the mounting plate and at the other end to the fourth connecting rod and the second connecting rod.

[0032] Optionally, the aforementioned rail-road transport vehicle further includes an alignment mechanism, which comprises:

[0033] Mounting bracket, provided on the vehicle frame;

[0034] A groove detection component is mounted on the mounting frame via a position adjustment component, which is used to adjust the distance between the groove detection component and the ground.

[0035] When the position adjustment component is in the first state, the groove detection component is lowered to detect the groove signal on the inner side of the level crossing track. When the position adjustment component is in the second state, the groove detection component is retracted onto the vehicle frame.

[0036] Optionally, in the aforementioned rail-road transport vehicle, the position adjustment assembly includes:

[0037] A rotating frame is rotatably mounted on the mounting frame, and the rotation axis of the rotating frame is perpendicular to the plane where the vehicle frame is located and intersects the center line of the vehicle frame;

[0038] A third driving component is disposed on the mounting bracket and is used to drive the rotating bracket to rotate;

[0039] The first ends of the two rotating rods are hinged to the rotating frame, and one of the two rotating rods is driven to rotate by a fourth driving member disposed on the rotating frame;

[0040] The connecting rod is hinged to the second end of the two rotating rods;

[0041] A support plate is disposed on the connecting rod, and the groove detection component is disposed on the support plate.

[0042] Optionally, in the aforementioned rail-road transport vehicle, the groove detection element is a pressure sensor, and a sensing component is provided on the support plate, the sensing component comprising:

[0043] A testing frame is disposed at the end of the support plate away from the connecting rod, and the grooved testing element is disposed inside the testing frame;

[0044] The detection head is slidably mounted on the detection frame via an elastic element, and the end of the detection head exposed on the detection frame is used to abut against the ground. The side of the detection head facing the grooved detection element has a guide slope.

[0045] When the detection head moves to the first position, there is a gap between the guide slope and the groove detection element, and the groove detection element detects a first pressure. When the detection head moves from the first position to the second position, the guide slope contacts the groove detection element, and the groove detection element detects a second pressure, which is greater than the first pressure.

[0046] A method for converting road-rail transport wheels to rail, used for converting road-rail transport vehicles to rail, includes the following steps:

[0047] The rail-road transport vehicle moves above the track, and the positioning sensor detects the track signal.

[0048] The rotation occurs when each of the road wheel axles rotates around the positioning sensor as the rotation center until each of the position detection sensors simultaneously detects the track signal and then stops rotating.

[0049] The rail-road transport vehicle moves laterally toward the center of the track until the center line of the vehicle frame is aligned with the center line of the track, and then stops moving.

[0050] During the wheel-to-rail conversion, the lifting mechanism raises the road wheel axle until the railway wheel axle is lowered onto the rail.

[0051] Optionally, in the above-described method for converting road-rail transport vehicles to rail-rail transport, the rail alignment step is performed using the aforementioned road-rail transport vehicle. The rail alignment step specifically includes:

[0052] Each of the road wheel axles is turned to be perpendicular to the track, the fourth drive unit controls the rotation of the rotating rod, the third drive unit controls the rotation of the rotating frame, the groove detection device faces the track on the side closer to the center line of the frame, and the road-rail transport vehicle moves towards the center of the track until the groove detection device stops displaying a value;

[0053] If the rotating frame is rotated so that the groove detection element faces the track away from the center line of the frame, and the groove detection element does not display a value, then the center line of the frame and the center line of the track are aligned.

[0054] The rail-road transport vehicle provided by this invention includes a frame, a lifting mechanism, and position detection sensors. Railway axles and road axles are rotatably mounted on the frame. The road axles enable the rail-road transport vehicle to travel on roads, and the railway axles enable it to travel on railways. The lifting mechanism is located between the road axle's running wheel and the frame, used to adjust the distance between the running wheel and the frame, enabling the rail-road transport vehicle to switch between road transport mode and railway transport mode. Position detection sensors are used to detect the position of the rail-road transport vehicle. Multiple position detection sensors are arranged in a straight line on the side of the frame closest to the road surface, and the line containing the position detection sensors is parallel to the centerline of the frame. This is used to detect whether the frame is parallel to the rail. One of the position detection sensors is defined as a positioning sensor. Each road axle is individually and rotatably mounted on the frame. During the process of the rail-road transport vehicle mounting on the rail, the entire vehicle can rotate around the positioning sensor as the center.

[0055] When a road-rail transport vehicle switches from road transport mode to rail transport mode, the driver first moves the vehicle to a position perpendicular to the rail surface, ensuring the vehicle is vertically mounted on the rail until the frame is above the rail and the positioning sensors detect the rail signal. Then, each road axle rotates around the positioning sensor until all position sensors simultaneously detect the rail signal and stop, indicating the vehicle is parallel to the rail. At this point, the road axles move the entire vehicle in the direction perpendicular to the rail until the rail axles are aligned with the rail. The road axles are then raised until the rail axles align with the rail, completing the mounting process. When switching from rail transport mode to road transport mode, the lifting mechanism lowers the road axles until the rail axles are off the ground and the road axles are in contact with the ground, completing the transition.

[0056] Compared to existing technologies, the rail-road transport vehicle provided by this invention is equipped with multiple position detection sensors that can detect the vehicle's position during rail-road switching, assisting in rapid wheel-to-rail conversion. The operation is simple, highly practical, and improves rail-mounting efficiency. Furthermore, the lifting mechanism is mounted on the road axle, allowing for wheelset conversion by adjusting the axle height. The railway axle only provides support and steering functions, resulting in a compact structure that ensures a stable center of gravity for railway operation. This improves the stability and safety of the rail-road transport vehicle, enhances both its road and railway load-bearing capacity, and improves its maneuverability.

[0057] The present invention provides a method for converting road-rail transport vehicles to rail-rail systems. This method includes a rail-mounting step, a rotation step, a rail alignment step, and a wheelset conversion step. The rail-mounting step involves the road-rail transport vehicle moving above the rail, and the positioning sensors detecting a rail signal. The rotation step involves each road wheel axle rotating around the positioning sensor as the rotation center until all position sensors simultaneously detect a rail signal, at which point rotation stops. The rail alignment step involves the road-rail transport vehicle moving laterally towards the center of the rail until the centerline of the vehicle frame aligns with the centerline of the rail, at which point movement stops. The wheelset conversion step involves controlling a lifting mechanism to raise the road wheel axles until the rail wheel axles are lowered onto the rail, completing the wheelset conversion. Compared to existing technologies, the rail-mounting method provided by this invention is simple, easy to operate, and enables rapid and efficient rail-mounting of road-rail transport vehicles. Attached Figure Description

[0058] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0059] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the rail-road transport vehicle disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0060] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the telescopic linkage assembly in the open state as disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0061] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the telescopic linkage assembly in the retracted state as disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0062] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the alignment mechanism disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0063] Figure 5 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the alignment mechanism disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0064] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the orientation of the road wheel axle during the rotation step of the road-rail transport wheel-to-rail conversion method disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0065] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing the orientation of the road wheel axle in the rail alignment step of the road-rail transport wheel-to-rail conversion method disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0066] Among them, 1 is the frame, 2 is the cab, 3 is the drive unit, 4 is the railway wheel axle, 5 is the highway wheel axle, 6 is the lifting mechanism, 7 is the position detection sensor, 8 is the drive shaft, 9 is the connecting plate, 10 is the first drive component, 11 is the running wheel, 12 is the hub motor, 13 is the first support rod, 14 is the second support rod, 15 is the telescopic component, 16 is the mounting plate, 17 is the first connecting rod, 18 is the second connecting rod, 19 is the third connecting rod, 20 is the support rod, 21 is the fourth connecting rod, 22 is the second drive component, 23 is the mounting frame, 24 is the rotating frame, 25 is the third drive component, 26 is the rotating rod, 27 is the connecting rod, 28 is the support plate, 29 is the groove detection component, 30 is the fourth drive component, 31 is the detection frame, 32 is the detection head, 33 is the guide slope, 34 is the elastic component, 35 is the bogie, 36 is the railway wheel, and 37 is the railway coupler. Detailed Implementation

[0067] The core of this invention lies in disclosing a road-rail transport vehicle to achieve rapid and efficient rail transport.

[0068] Another objective of this invention is to provide a method for converting rail-road transport vehicles to rail-road transport using the aforementioned rail-road transport vehicle.

[0069] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, the embodiments shown below do not limit the scope of the invention as described in the claims. Additionally, the complete contents of the structures represented in the embodiments below are not limited to those necessary for the solution of the invention as described in the claims. It should be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts relevant to the relevant application are shown in the drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other.

[0070] Combination Figure 1 The rail-road transport vehicle disclosed in this embodiment of the invention includes a frame 1, a lifting mechanism 6, and a position detection sensor 7. A railway axle 4 and a road axle 5 are rotatably mounted on the frame 1. The road axle 5 enables the rail-road transport vehicle to travel on roads, and the railway axle 4 enables it to travel on railways. The lifting mechanism 6 is located between the running wheel 11 of the road axle 5 and the frame 1, and is used to adjust the distance between the running wheel 11 and the frame 1, thereby enabling the rail-road transport vehicle to switch between road transport mode and railway wheel transport mode.

[0071] Position detection sensor 7 is used to detect the position of the rail-road transport vehicle. Multiple position detection sensors 7 are arranged in a straight line on the side of the frame 1 that is close to the road surface, and the straight line where the position detection sensors 7 are located is parallel to the center line of the frame 1. It is used to detect whether the frame 1 is parallel to the rail. One of the position detection sensors 7 is defined as a positioning sensor. Each road wheel axle 5 is individually and rotatably mounted on the frame 1. During the process of the rail-road transport vehicle moving onto the rail, the entire vehicle can rotate around the positioning sensor as the center.

[0072] Combination Figure 6 and Figure 7 When the road-rail transport vehicle switches from road transport mode to rail transport mode, the driver first moves the vehicle to a position perpendicular to the rail surface, ensuring the vehicle is vertically mounted on the rail until the frame 1 is above the rail and the positioning sensor detects the rail signal. Then, each road wheel axle 5 rotates around the positioning sensor until each position detection sensor 7 simultaneously detects the rail signal and stops, indicating the road-rail transport vehicle is parallel to the rail. At this point, the road wheel axles 5 drive the entire vehicle to translate perpendicular to the rail's extension direction until the rail wheel axle 4 is aligned with the rail. Then, the road wheel axles 5 are raised until the rail wheel axle 4 aligns with the rail, completing the mounting process. When the road-rail transport vehicle switches from rail transport mode to road transport mode, the lifting mechanism 6 lowers the road wheel axles 5 until the rail wheel axle 4 is off the ground and the road wheel axles 5 touch the ground, completing the transition.

[0073] Compared to existing technologies, the multiple position detection sensors in the road-rail transport vehicle disclosed in this invention can detect the position of the road-rail transport vehicle during the road-rail conversion process, assisting in the rapid wheel-rail conversion. The operation process is simple, highly practical, and improves the efficiency of rail connection. Furthermore, the lifting mechanism 6 is set on the road wheel axle 5, and the height of the road wheel axle 5 is adjusted by the lifting mechanism 6 to convert the wheelset, while the railway wheel axle 4 only has support and steering functions. The structure is compact, which can ensure the center of gravity height of the railway operation, improve the stability and safety of the road-rail transport vehicle on the railway, and improve the road and railway load-bearing capacity of the whole vehicle, resulting in good driving passability.

[0074] To ensure the flexible steering capability of the road axle 5, in a specific embodiment of the present invention, the road axle 5 includes a drive shaft 8, a first drive member 10, a travel wheel 11, and a hub motor 12. The drive shaft 8 is rotatably mounted on the frame 1, and a connecting plate 9 is provided at the end of the drive shaft 8 near the road surface. The first end of the lifting mechanism 6 is hinged to the connecting plate 9. The first drive member 10 is mounted on the frame 1 and is used to drive the drive shaft 8 to rotate. The travel wheel 11 is rotatably mounted on the second end of the lifting mechanism 6. Driven by the first drive member 10, the drive shaft 8 can drive the connecting plate 9 and the lifting mechanism 6 to rotate synchronously, so that the travel wheel 11 can drive the entire vehicle to rotate in place with the positioning sensor as the center.

[0075] A hub motor 12 is mounted on the travel wheel 11 and serves as a power source to drive the travel wheel 11. The drive shaft 8 can be a splined shaft, and the first drive component 10 is a motor. Driving the travel wheel 11 with the hub motor 12 offers advantages in energy saving and consumption reduction, is convenient to install, and facilitates troubleshooting and replacement in case of a fault in the hub motor 12. It also meets the load-bearing capacity and high-speed operation requirements for highway driving.

[0076] During the rotation of the drive shaft 8, the lifting mechanism 6 drives the driving wheels 11 to rotate synchronously, changing the vehicle's direction of travel. By driving the drive shaft 8 to rotate through the first driving component 10, each road wheel axle 5 can be steered independently, ensuring that each road wheel axle 5 does not interfere with each other when steering.

[0077] Specifically, there are multiple road wheel axles 5, which are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the frame 1 and are parallel to each other along the forward direction of the frame 1. The steering range of each road wheel axle 5 is ±90°. By matching the steering angle of each road wheel axle 5 with synchronous electric steering, the parallelism and alignment of the frame 1 with the track can be achieved.

[0078] The road axle 5 is driven by the drive unit 3 mounted on the frame 1. The drive unit 3 is located at the rear of the cab 2, which can avoid affecting the transportation of the road-rail transport vehicle. The drive unit 3 serves as the power source for the road-rail transport vehicle to travel on the road, and also provides power for the lifting mechanism 6 to lift.

[0079] Combination Figure 1 In one embodiment, the lifting mechanism 6 includes a first support rod 13, a second support rod 14, and a telescopic member 15. One end of the first support rod 13 is hinged to the connecting plate 9, and both ends of the second support rod 14 are hinged to the driving wheel 11 and the first support rod 13, respectively. Both ends of the telescopic member 15 are hinged to the first support rod 13 and the second support rod 14, respectively, and the first support rod 13, the second support rod 14, and the telescopic member 15 form a triangular structure.

[0080] The angle between the first support rod 13 and the second support rod 14 can be adjusted by extending and retracting the telescopic component 15, thereby adjusting the distance between the driving wheel 11 and the frame 1. During the adjustment process, the first support rod 13, the second support rod 14, and the telescopic component 15 always form a triangular structure, resulting in good structural stability and support.

[0081] The telescopic component 15 can be a hydraulic cylinder. The lifting mechanism 6 can also be replaced by other structures for lifting.

[0082] The position detection sensor 7 can be a variety of sensors. For example, the position detection sensor 7 can be an eddy current sensor. However, since the detection range of the turbine sensor is limited, it needs to be placed closer to the track when wheel-rail conversion is required to facilitate the detection of the overall vehicle position.

[0083] In one embodiment, the position detection sensor 7 is mounted on the vehicle frame 1 by an adjustment mechanism, and the distance between the position detection sensor 7 and the ground is adjusted by the adjustment mechanism, with each adjustment mechanism corresponding to a position detection sensor 7.

[0084] Specifically, the second driving component 22 is a drive motor, and the adjustment mechanism includes a mounting plate 16 and a telescopic linkage assembly. The mounting plate 16 is mounted on the frame 1 and serves as a mounting base. One end of the telescopic linkage assembly is connected to the mounting plate 16, and the other end is connected to the position detection sensor 7. The telescopic linkage assembly is driven to extend and retract by the second driving component 22 mounted on the mounting plate 16. When the telescopic linkage assembly is in the retracted state, the position detection sensor 7 is spaced apart from the frame 1 by a first distance. When the telescopic linkage assembly is in the open state, the position detection sensor 7 is spaced apart from the frame 1 by a second distance, and the first distance is less than the second distance.

[0085] During the track-mounting process, the control telescopic linkage assembly is in the open state to allow the position detection sensor 7 to be lowered to a position close to the ground for easy detection of track signals. Figure 3 As shown, during road or rail travel, the control telescopic linkage assembly is in a retracted state, retracting the position detection sensor 7 onto the frame 1, giving it a large ground clearance. This does not affect the passability of the road or rail transport vehicle and also avoids unnecessary damage to the position detection sensor 7.

[0086] In one embodiment, there are two railway wheel axles 4. Three eddy current sensors are arranged on the line connecting the rotation nodes of all the tires 11 of the railway and road transport vehicle on one side. One position detection sensor 7 is set in the middle of the two railway wheel axles 4 as a positioning sensor. The other two position detection sensors 7 are respectively set on the front and rear sides of the frame 1, and the straight line where the three position detection sensors 7 are located is parallel to the center line of the frame 1.

[0087] When the positioning sensor detects a track signal, the rail-road transport vehicle stops moving, such as... Figure 6 As shown, at this time, the steering of each road wheel axle 5 is controlled so that each road wheel axle 5 is tangent to the trajectory circle formed with the positioning sensor as the center. The radius of the trajectory circle is equal to the distance from each road wheel axle 5 to the positioning sensor. After the parameters are set, each road wheel axle 5 can be directly controlled to rotate. The rotation stops when the three position detection sensors 7 simultaneously detect the track signal.

[0088] If the acquired signals are sequential, it is necessary to determine the positional relationship between the centerline of the chassis 1 and the centerline of the track to determine whether the chassis 1 needs to be rotated clockwise or counterclockwise to adjust its posture.

[0089] Finally, the road wheel axles 5 are steered again to ensure that each road wheel axle 5 is perpendicular to the track. The road-rail transport vehicle is then moved laterally until the centerline of the frame 1 and the centerline of the track are in the same vertical plane, thus completing the track alignment. After alignment, the road wheel axles 5 are lifted by the lifting mechanism 6, causing the railway wheel axles 4 to come into contact with the track, thus completing the wheel-rail conversion.

[0090] Once the installation positions of the positioning sensors are determined, the rotation angle of each road wheel axle 5 and the lateral movement distance of the rail-road transport vehicle during rail alignment are defined parameters, enabling one-button start of rail alignment after the vehicle is on the rail. The entire rail alignment process is convenient and simple, and can be achieved at any level crossing, demonstrating strong adaptability.

[0091] Specifically, the lateral movement distance of the aforementioned rail-road transport vehicle is the difference between the position detection sensor 7 and the center line of the frame 1, and the theoretical distance between the position detection sensor 7 and the center line of the track after the rail-road transport vehicle completes its mounting.

[0092] The telescopic linkage assembly can specifically take various structures with adjustable telescopic lengths, such as... Figure 2 As shown, in one embodiment, the telescopic linkage assembly includes a first link 17, a second link 18, a third link 19, a fourth link 21, and a support rod 20. The first link 17 is connected to the second drive member 22. One end of the second link 18 is hinged to the first link 17. Both ends of the first link 17 are hinged to the mounting plate 16 and the third link 19, respectively. A position detection sensor 7 is located at the end of the third link 19 away from the first link 17. Both ends of the fourth link 21 are hinged to the second link 18 and the third link 19, respectively. The second link 18 and the third link 19 are parallel, and the first link 17 and the fourth link 21 are parallel, forming a parallelogram structure. One end of the support rod 20 is hinged to the mounting plate 16, and the other end is hinged to the hinge position of the fourth link 21 and the second link 18.

[0093] Combination Figure 2 and Figure 3 When the position detection sensor 7 needs to work, the first link 17 is driven to rotate by the second drive member 22, which in turn drives the second link 18, the third link 19, the fourth link 21 and the support rod 20 to move together until the position detection sensor 7 moves down to point to the road surface. When the position detection sensor 7 does not need to work, the telescopic link assembly is retracted, and the position detection sensor 7 is driven to move to a position close to the frame 1.

[0094] The dimensions of the parallelogram structure formed by the first link 17, the second link 18, the third link 19, and the fourth link 21 can be adjusted, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the second link 18 is hinged to the middle position of the first link 17, and the fourth link 21 is hinged to the middle position of the third link 19, forming a smaller parallelogram structure, which saves installation space while meeting the working distance of the position detection sensor 7.

[0095] To improve the accuracy of the alignment process, the rail-road transport vehicle disclosed in this embodiment of the invention also includes an alignment mechanism. When the rail-road transport vehicle is aligned, the alignment mechanism can be used to determine whether the center line of the frame 1 and the center line of the track are in the same vertical plane.

[0096] Specifically, the alignment mechanism includes a mounting bracket 23 and a groove detection element 29. The mounting bracket 23 is mounted on the vehicle frame 1 and serves as a mounting base. The groove detection element 29 is mounted on the mounting bracket 23 via a position adjustment assembly, which can adjust the distance between the groove detection element 29 and the ground.

[0097] When the position adjustment component is in the first state, the groove detection component 29 is lowered to a position close to the ground, and the track signal can be indirectly detected through the groove existing inside the track of the level crossing. When the position adjustment component is in the second state, the groove detection component 29 has a large gap with the ground, and the groove detection component 29 is retracted on the frame 1 and cannot be operated.

[0098] The position adjustment assembly can be a structure similar to the telescopic linkage assembly. However, since there are grooves inside the track at the level crossing, it is not possible to determine whether the frame 1 is parallel to the track by detecting only one point through the alignment mechanism. Therefore, the alignment mechanism needs to be rotated 180° to achieve two-point detection or two alignment mechanisms need to be arranged so that the two groove detection pieces 29 can simultaneously detect the grooves on both sides of the track. Only when the two detected points are aligned with the grooves can it be determined that the center line of the frame 1 is parallel to the track.

[0099] In a specific embodiment disclosed in this invention, combined with Figure 4The position adjustment assembly includes a rotating frame 24, a rotating rod 26, a connecting rod 27, and a support plate 28. The rotating frame 24 is rotatably mounted on the mounting frame 23, and the rotation axis of the rotating frame 24 is perpendicular to the plane of the vehicle frame 1 and intersects the center line of the vehicle frame 1. The third drive member 25 is mounted on the mounting frame 23 and is connected to the rotating frame 24 for driving the bogie 24 to rotate. The first ends of the two rotating rods 26 are hinged to the rotating frame 24, and one of the two rotating rods 26 is driven to rotate by the fourth drive member 30 mounted on the rotating frame 24. The two ends of the connecting rod 27 are respectively hinged to the second ends of the two rotating rods 26. One end of the support plate 28 is mounted on the connecting rod 27, and the groove detection member 29 is mounted on the support plate 28.

[0100] like Figure 4 As shown, the third drive component 25 and the fourth drive component 30 are both drive motors. The rotating frame 24, the two rotating rods 26 and the connecting rod 27 form a parallelogram mechanism. When the alignment mechanism is not in use, the fourth drive component 30 drives the rotating rod 26 to rotate, so that the rotating rod 26 is in a horizontal state. At this time, the support plate 28 and the rotating rod 26 above it are on the same horizontal line, and the groove detection component 29 is raised. At the same time, the third drive component 25 drives the rotating frame 24 to rotate, so that the rotating rod 26 and the support plate 28 are placed along the length of the frame 1, so as to prevent the groove detection component 29 from exceeding the edge of the frame 1 and affecting the passability of the rail-road transport vehicle.

[0101] At a level crossing, the road surface between the two tracks is flush with the upper surface of the tracks, but there is a groove between the road surface and the tracks. When the alignment mechanism is in position... Figure 4 When in use, the rotation diameter of the groove detection component 29 is slightly larger than the width of the road surface between the two rails, so as to align with the groove for detection.

[0102] When there is only one alignment mechanism and the groove detection element 29 is a pressure detection element, in the alignment step of the rail-road transport vehicle, firstly, the fourth drive element 30 drives the rotating rod 26 to rotate, so that the rotating rod 26 is in a vertical position. At this time, the height of the support plate 28 is reduced and it remains perpendicular to the rotating rod 26. The third drive element 25 drives the rotating frame 24 to rotate, so that the groove detection element 29 faces the track on the side closer to the position detection sensor 7. The groove detection element 29 comes into contact with the road surface, and at this time, the groove detection element 29 displays a value. Then, the road wheel axle 5 is controlled to drive the rail-road transport vehicle to move laterally. When the rail-road transport vehicle moves into position, the groove detection element 29 is above the groove, and at this time, the groove detection element 29 no longer displays a value. At this time, the third drive element 25 drives the rotating frame 24 to rotate, so that the groove detection element 29 faces the track on the other side. If the groove detection element 29 also no longer displays a value, the alignment is completed. If the groove detection element 29 can still display a value, the position of the rail-road transport vehicle can be fine-tuned until the groove detection elements 29 on both sides of the track no longer display values.

[0103] To protect the groove detection component 29, a sensing assembly is provided on the support plate 28. The sensing assembly includes a detection frame 31 and a detection head 32, combined with... Figure 5 The testing frame 31 is located at the end of the support plate 28 away from the linkage rod 27, and the groove testing element 29 is located inside the testing frame 31. The testing head 32 is slidably mounted on the testing frame 31 through the elastic element 34, and the end of the testing head 32 exposed outside the testing frame 31 is used to contact the ground. The side of the testing head facing the groove testing element 29 has a guide slope 33.

[0104] When the detection head 32 moves to the first position, there is a gap between the guide slope 33 and the groove detection element 29, and the groove detection element 29 detects the first pressure (the first pressure is zero). When the detection head 32 moves from the first position to the second position, the guide slope 33 contacts the groove detection element 29, and the groove detection element 29 detects the second pressure, which is greater than the first pressure.

[0105] like Figure 5 As shown, the detection head 32 passes through one end of the detection frame 31. When the detection head 32 slides into the detection frame 31, the guide slope 33 abuts against the grooved detection element 29, generating a pressure value. When the detection head 32 is not in contact with the road surface, the grooved detection element 29 is reset under the action of the elastic element 34. The two ends of the elastic element 34 are respectively connected to the detection frame 31 and the detection head 32.

[0106] Furthermore, the end of the detection head 32 that contacts the ground can be treated with wear-resistant or ball-bearing coating to reduce frictional resistance.

[0107] The alignment mechanism can also use other sensing elements to detect the grooves on the track to achieve alignment of the rail-road transport vehicle, such as infrared sensors, which will not be elaborated here.

[0108] To improve the load-bearing capacity and transportation stability of the rail-road transport vehicle, two railway axles 4 are respectively installed at the front and rear ends of the frame 1, and highway axles 5 are installed on both the front and rear sides of the two railway axles 4. The spacing between the highway axles 5 and the railway axles 4 provides good support performance for the rail-road transport vehicle when traveling on both roads and railways, enabling stable operation.

[0109] The railway wheel axle 4 includes a bogie 35 and railway wheels 36. The bogie 35 is rotatably mounted on the frame 1 and employs unpowered steering, which reduces the weight of the rail-road transport vehicle and increases its load-bearing capacity. When the rail-road transport vehicle is pulled forward on the rails by a train, the railway wheels 36 can move along the rails, and the bogie 35 can achieve passive steering along the extension direction of the rails. There are multiple railway wheels 36, and all of the multiple railway wheels 36 are rotatably mounted on the bogie 35.

[0110] Railway couplers 37 are installed at the front and rear ends of the frame 1. The railway couplers 37 enable the road-rail transport vehicle to have the function of being assembled and coupled. The railway couplers 37 are general couplers for railway freight. After being put on the rail, they are assembled and coupled by railway tractor cars and then pulled, which can achieve seamless integration with the railway operation mode.

[0111] The method for converting road-rail transport wheels to rail using the aforementioned road-rail transport vehicle includes the following steps:

[0112] S10, upper rail;

[0113] The rail-road transport vehicle moved above the track, and the positioning sensor detected the track signal.

[0114] Specifically, the driver controls the drive unit 3 to operate the rail-road transport vehicle onto the rail until the positioning sensor detects a track signal and stops moving forward, thus completing the rail-road transport vehicle's mounting process.

[0115] Most road and rail transport vehicles use vertical tracks to accommodate the space at level crossings and facilitate driver operation.

[0116] S20, Rotation;

[0117] Each road wheel axle 5 rotates around the positioning sensor as the rotation center until the position detection sensors 7 simultaneously detect the track signal and then stop rotating.

[0118] Specifically, each traveling wheel 11 automatically rotates to a state with the positioning sensor as the rotation center, and determines the rotation direction of the rail-road transport vehicle based on whether the other position detection sensors 7 detect the track signal. When all position detection sensors 7 detect the track signal at the same time, the rotation of the rail-road transport vehicle stops.

[0119] S30, alignment;

[0120] The rail-road transport vehicle moves laterally toward the center of the track until the center line of the vehicle frame 1 is aligned with the center line of the track, and then stops moving.

[0121] Specifically, the driver operates the steering system of the rail-road transport vehicle to turn each road wheel axle 5 to be perpendicular to the track, and moves the entire vehicle laterally in the direction perpendicular to the track until the center line of the frame 1 is aligned with the center line of the track.

[0122] S40, wheel-to-rail conversion;

[0123] The control lifting mechanism 6 raises the highway wheel axle 5 until the railway wheel axle 4 is lowered onto the rail, completing the wheel-to-rail conversion.

[0124] Specifically, the highway wheel axle 5 is automatically lifted, the railway wheel axle 4 is lowered onto the rail, and after the highway wheel axle 5 is lifted into position, the tires of the driving wheel 11 are straightened, completing the loading of the road-rail transport vehicle onto the rail.

[0125] Compared with the prior art, the method for loading the rail transport vehicle disclosed in this invention is simple, easy to operate, and can achieve rapid and efficient loading of the rail transport vehicle.

[0126] When a rail-road transport vehicle needs to switch from rail transport mode to road transport mode, the road axle 5 is lowered at a level crossing using a lifting mechanism 6 until the rail axle 4 is off the ground and the road axle 5 comes into contact with the ground, thus completing the switch.

[0127] In a specific embodiment of the present invention, the driver operates the rail-road transport vehicle to align it perpendicular to the track. When the positioning sensor located between the two railway axles 4 detects a track signal, the rail-road transport vehicle stops moving forward. Figure 6 As shown, the first driving component 10 then controls the rotation of the drive shaft 8, so that each traveling wheel 11 is tangent to the trajectory circle formed with the positioning sensor as the center. At this time, the rail-road transport vehicle can turn in place with the positioning sensor as the center. The hub motor 12 is controlled to make the rail-road transport vehicle rotate. When multiple position detection sensors 7 simultaneously detect the track signal, the rail-road transport vehicle is in a state parallel to the track. The first driving component 10 drives the drive shaft 8 to rotate again, as shown. Figure 7 As shown, each traveling wheel 11 is rotated to a position perpendicular to the track. At this point, the hub motor 12 drives the traveling wheels 11 to rotate, allowing the road-rail transport car to move along the vertical track direction for alignment. After alignment is complete, the telescopic component 15 is retracted, raising the height of the traveling wheels 11 so that the railway wheels 36 contact the track, thus completing the wheel-to-rail conversion process. Finally, the road-rail transport car is assembled onto the railway traction car using the railway coupler 37.

[0128] In one embodiment, the alignment step specifically involves each road wheel axle 5 moving laterally a predetermined distance toward the center of the track, after which the centerline of the frame 1 aligns with the centerline of the track and the movement stops.

[0129] After S20 is defined, the positioning sensor (position detection sensor 7) is spaced at a first theoretical distance from the center line of the frame 1 and at a second theoretical distance from the center line of the track. The preset distance is the difference between the first theoretical distance and the second theoretical distance.

[0130] In a specific embodiment of the present invention, in order to improve the accuracy of track alignment, S30 uses an alignment mechanism to detect whether the center line of the frame 1 and the center line of the track are in the same vertical plane.

[0131] Specifically, when controlling the vehicle to move towards the center of the track, the fourth drive unit 30 controls the rotation of the rotating rod 26 to make the rotating rod 26 vertical, thereby lowering the height of the support plate 28 and making it perpendicular to the rotating rod 26. The third drive unit 25 controls the rotation of the rotating frame 24 to make the groove detection element 29 face the track on the side closer to the center line of the frame 1. The groove detection element 29 comes into contact with the road surface, at which point the groove detection element 29 displays a value. Then, the highway wheel axle 5 is controlled to drive the rail-road transport vehicle to move laterally. After the rail-road transport vehicle moves into position, the groove detection element 29 is located above a groove on the inner side of the track, at which point the groove detection element 29 no longer displays a value.

[0132] When the groove detection component 29 no longer displays a value, stop moving the rail-road transport vehicle. Then, rotate the frame 24 to make the groove detection component 29 face the other side of the track. Adjust the position of the rail-road transport vehicle according to the value of the groove detection component 29 until the groove detection component 29 also no longer displays a value. This indicates that the groove detection component 29 is now above another groove on the inner side of the track, and the track alignment is complete.

[0133] The terms "first" and "second," etc., used in the specification and claims of this invention are used to distinguish different objects, not to describe a specific order, and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. Furthermore, in the description of embodiments in this application, "a plurality of" refers to two or more.

[0134] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A road-rail transport vehicle, characterized in that, include: The frame (1) is rotatably provided with railway wheel axle (4) and highway wheel axle (5). A lifting mechanism (6) is provided between the driving wheel (11) of the road axle (5) and the frame (1) for adjusting the distance between the driving wheel (11) and the frame (1); Position detection sensors (7) are arranged in a straight line on the side of the frame (1) that is close to the road surface, and the straight line of the position detection sensors (7) is parallel to the center line of the frame (1). They are used to detect whether the frame (1) is parallel to the track. One of the position detection sensors (7) is a positioning sensor. The road wheel axle (5) is used to rotate around the positioning sensor as the center during the track mounting process until all the position detection sensors (7) detect the track signal at the same time and then stop rotating. The road wheel axle (5) is also used to turn again after stopping rotating so that each road wheel axle (5) is in a state perpendicular to the track, so as to control the lateral movement of the rail-road transport vehicle and make the center line of the frame (1) and the center line of the track in the same vertical plane to complete the track alignment. It also includes an alignment mechanism, which includes a mounting bracket (23) and a groove detection component (29). The mounting bracket (23) is disposed on the vehicle frame (1), and the groove detection component (29) is disposed on the mounting bracket (23) by a position adjustment component. The position adjustment component is used to adjust the distance between the groove detection component (29) and the ground. The position adjustment assembly includes a support plate (28) and a linkage rod (27). The support plate (28) is disposed on the linkage rod (27). A sensing assembly is disposed on the support plate (28). The sensing assembly includes a detection frame (31) and a detection head (32). The detection frame (31) is disposed at the end of the support plate (28) away from the linkage rod (27), and the groove detection element (29) is disposed inside the detection frame (31). The detection head (32) is slidably disposed on the detection frame (31) through an elastic element (34), and the detection head (32) is exposed outside the detection frame. The end of (31) is used to abut against the ground. The detection head (32) has a guide slope (33) on the side facing the groove detection member (29). When the detection head (32) moves to the first position, there is a gap between the guide slope (33) and the groove detection member (29). The groove detection member (29) detects a first pressure. When the detection head (32) moves from the first position to the second position, the guide slope (33) contacts the groove detection member (29). The groove detection member (29) detects a second pressure. The second pressure is greater than the first pressure.

2. The rail-road transport vehicle as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The highway wheel axle (5) includes: A drive shaft (8) is rotatably mounted on the frame (1), and a connecting plate (9) is provided at one end of the drive shaft (8) near the road surface. The first end of the lifting mechanism (6) is hinged to the connecting plate (9). The first driving component (10) is disposed on the frame (1) and is used to drive the drive shaft (8) to rotate; The driving wheel (11) is rotatably mounted on the second end of the lifting mechanism (6); A hub motor (12) is mounted on the driving wheel (11) and is used to drive the driving wheel (11) to move.

3. The road-rail transport vehicle as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The lifting mechanism (6) includes: The first support rod (13) is hinged at one end to the connecting plate (9); The second support rod (14) is hinged at both ends to the driving wheel (11) and the first support rod (13), respectively; The telescopic member (15) is hinged at both ends to the first support rod (13) and the second support rod (14) respectively, and the first support rod (13), the second support rod (14) and the telescopic member (15) form a triangular structure.

4. The rail-road transport vehicle as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the aforementioned position detection sensors (7) is mounted on the vehicle frame (1) via an adjustment mechanism, the adjustment mechanism comprising: Mounting plate (16) is disposed on the vehicle frame (1); The telescopic linkage assembly is connected at one end to the mounting plate (16) and at the other end to the position detection sensor (7), and the telescopic linkage assembly is driven to extend and retract by a second driving member (22) disposed on the mounting plate (16); When the telescopic linkage assembly is in the retracted state, the position detection sensor (7) is spaced apart from the frame (1) by a first distance. When the telescopic linkage assembly is in the open state, the position detection sensor (7) is spaced apart from the frame (1) by a second distance, and the first distance is less than the second distance.

5. The road-rail transport vehicle as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The telescopic linkage assembly includes: The first link (17) is connected to the second drive member (22) in a transmission manner; The second link (18) is hinged at one end to the first link (17); The third link (19) is hinged to the mounting plate (16) and the third link (19) at both ends of the first link (17) respectively, and the position detection sensor (7) is located at the end of the third link (19) away from the first link (17). The fourth link (21) is hinged at both ends to the second link (18) and the third link (19) respectively, and the second link (18) and the third link (19) are parallel, while the first link (17) and the fourth link (21) are parallel. The support rod (20) is hinged at one end to the mounting plate (16) and at the other end to the fourth link (21) and the second link (18).

6. The rail-road transport vehicle as described in claim 1, characterized in that, When the position adjustment component is in the first state, the groove detection component (29) is lowered to detect the groove signal on the inner side of the level crossing track. When the position adjustment component is in the second state, the groove detection component (29) is retracted onto the frame (1).

7. The road-rail transport vehicle as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The position adjustment component includes: A rotating frame (24) is rotatably mounted on the mounting frame (23), and the rotation axis of the rotating frame (24) is perpendicular to the plane where the vehicle frame (1) is located and intersects the center line of the vehicle frame (1); The third driving component (25) is disposed on the mounting bracket (23) and is used to drive the rotating bracket (24) to rotate; Rotating rods (26), the first ends of both rotating rods (26) are hinged to the rotating frame (24), and one of the two rotating rods (26) is driven to rotate by a fourth driving member (30) provided on the rotating frame (24); The connecting rod (27) is hinged to the second end of the two rotating rods (26); The support plate (28) and the groove detection element (29) are disposed on the support plate (28).

8. The rail-road transport vehicle as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The groove detection element (29) is a pressure sensing element.

9. A method for converting road-rail transport wheels to rail, used for converting road-rail transport wheels to rail using a road-rail transport vehicle as described in any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, Including the following steps: The rail-road transport vehicle moves above the track, and the positioning sensor detects the track signal. The rotation occurs as follows: each of the road wheel axles (5) rotates around the positioning sensor as the rotation center until each of the position detection sensors (7) simultaneously detects the track signal and then stops rotating. The rail-road transport vehicle moves laterally toward the center of the track until the center line of the vehicle frame (1) is aligned with the center line of the track and then stops moving. During the wheel-to-rail conversion, the lifting mechanism (6) raises the road wheel axle (5) until the railway wheel axle (4) is lowered onto the rail.

10. The method for converting road-rail transport wheels to rail as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The rail alignment step is performed using the rail-road transport vehicle as described in claim 8, wherein the rail alignment step specifically comprises: Each of the road wheel axles (5) is turned to be perpendicular to the track, the fourth drive unit (30) controls the rotating rod (26) to rotate, the third drive unit (25) controls the rotating frame (24) to rotate, the groove detection unit (29) is oriented toward the track on the side close to the center line of the frame (1), and the road-rail transport vehicle moves toward the center of the track until the groove detection unit (29) stops moving when it no longer displays a value; Rotate the rotating frame (24) so ​​that the groove detection element (29) faces the track away from the center line of the frame (1). If the groove detection element (29) does not display a value, then the center line of the frame (1) and the center line of the track are aligned.

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