Device for distributing multi-component adhesives onto a granular mixture, as well as method for distributing and using the device

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a device for dispensing multi-component adhesives comprising at least two fluid components onto a granular mixture, in particular for dispensing multi-component adhesives onto the ballast of a railway track. The two fluid components are conveyed from storage tanks via two separate supply lines by gear pumps at precisely controllable flow rates through a mixer unit, thereby producing a fluid, sprayable adhesive mixture. A spray unit with a spray bar and multiple dispensing nozzles serves to precisely dispense the adhesive mixture onto the ballast bed. The invention further relates to a method for implementing this device and its use for dispensing multi-component adhesives onto the ballast of an iron rail line.

[0002] Today, railways are an important component of infrastructure for both long-distance and local transport. The rail superstructure cannot always cope with increasing traffic loads. With increasing speeds, greater traffic loads, or greater intensity of use, the weaknesses of the various designs become apparent. In addition to regular maintenance, track renewals are necessary measures to cope with the increased stress. Ballasted track predominates as the base layer in long-distance transport. In urban transport, on bridges, or in tunnels, however, a slab track is found. Adhesive systems offer an efficient solution for both designs and for connecting different track surfaces. In a ballasted track, the loosely laid track grid of rails and sleepers lies in this unbound, compacted ballast bed without any lateral fastening.The ballast bed can absorb considerable compressive forces, but can only be shifted within limits under tensile loads. Adhesive systems ensure quick and lasting stability in difficult areas such as rail joints or switches. During reconstruction and track renewal work on multi-track lines, special measures are necessary to secure the position of the ballast bed. Bonding the ballast shoulders with two-component resin-hardener mixtures has proven to be an effective method. Compared to conventional shoring measures, the use of a fast-curing adhesive system saves considerable time and money. A particularly challenging area for railway tracks is the integration of different construction types. Transitions between a ballasted track and a slab track are problematic due to their different settlement behavior.Here, the gradual bonding of ballast has proven to be an effective measure for equalizing different elasticities. Adhesive systems offer particular advantages in this area, too, including short waiting times until load-bearing capacity and the adhesive system's excellent environmental compatibility. In urban public transport, slab tracks and grass tracks are the main features of rail tracks. For these types of applications, too, the two-component mixtures offer efficient detailed solutions for stabilizing, sealing, and shaping track systems.

[0003] The bonding of granular mixtures is therefore used in a wide variety of fields today. In track construction, coarse-grained riprap and gravel are primarily bonded, while in road construction, in addition to coarse-grained riprap, smaller-grained riprap and chippings are also used. Even finer mixtures are used, for example, in the bonding of decorative surface coverings. Despite the stabilization provided by bonding the covering, its water permeability and seepage capacity can be maintained. The bonding of ballast is particularly important in track construction. Two-component polyurethane-based adhesives are commonly used for this purpose. Such multi-component polyurethane-based adhesives are known in the art, for example from WO 2011 / 110489 A1.Devices for the controlled pumping, dosing, mixing and dispensing of such adhesives, including with the aid of gear pumps, are also known in principle, for example from CN 101 850 312 A, DE 196 32 638 A1 or WO 2014 / 176589 A1.

[0004] Bonding ballast in track construction achieves various positive effects. Among other things, it stabilizes the tracks and reduces joints at transitions between ballasted and slab track, for example, at tunnel entrances and exits. For this purpose, the ballast is usually bonded over the entire surface, including under the rails and sleepers. To reduce joints at the transitions between ballasted and slab track, the penetration depth of the bond is gradually increased toward the slab track. Bonding the ballast can not only improve ride comfort but also improve the longevity of the track by preventing the stones from shifting.

[0005] Bonding the ballast bed at the edge of a railway line is often crucial when a trench is to be excavated near the railway line, or more generally when material is to be excavated alongside the railway line as a result of a construction project, such as the laying of another parallel railway line or a building, a retaining wall, etc., or for other structural measures. Such excavation would otherwise weaken the ballast bed, compromising its load-bearing capacity. Trains, with their considerable weight, would no longer be able to pass through this area. As a countermeasure, a deep bracing or a temporary wall could temporarily ensure stability so that the railway line could continue to be used.However, it proves much easier to bond the ballast along the side where such structural changes are to be made, which would otherwise significantly weaken the ballast line. By bonding the ballast bed only along a strip along the side of the track, a stable ballast shoulder can be created extremely quickly. This shoulder proves advantageous when laying and maintaining control and signaling lines along the tracks, as a trench can easily be excavated outside the bonded area. Thanks to the defined, stable shoulder of the ballast bed, the installed control and signaling lines can be easily exposed. After the lines have been replaced, the trench can be filled in again without compromising the basic shape of the ballast bed.The ballast bed shoulder stabilized by bonding remains passable under normal loads, despite the trench excavated directly next to the rail line. With a professionally bonded ballast bed, it can be cut off sideways, so to speak, and excavation can be carried out directly next to the ballast bed, for example. Thanks to the bonding, the necessary stability of the ballast bed for normal train traffic is maintained, which offers enormous advantages.

[0006] Applying the adhesives to create such a stable bond requires that the adhesives are always applied in the correct mixing ratio, that the penetration depth of the mixed adhesive into the ballast bed reaches a precisely specified depth throughout, and that the amount of adhesive is applied at a precisely consistent rate per linear meter at a defined spray width. Furthermore, such bonding should be able to be carried out quickly and reliably not just over a few meters, but over larger sections.All necessary boundary conditions must be adhered to meticulously, such as the temperatures of the adhesive components, an absolutely consistent, continuously monitored mixing ratio, a uniform application over the treatment section with a constant speed of the spray jet over the ballast to maintain a constant penetration depth into the ballast bed. This is the only way to ensure that the ballast is bonded to a defined depth with a precisely defined amount of adhesive per ballast volume, also depending on the size of the stones in the ballast and the desired penetration depth.Only if these specifications are meticulously adhered to can such a bonding be certified in the sense that a railway train of a certain weight may continue to travel on a section of track, alongside which construction work is being carried out as mentioned above, i.e. trenches for pipeline construction or retaining walls or excavations of all kinds are being dug.

[0007] According to the current state of the art, the application of such adhesive mixtures has so far been unprofessional, laborious, and error-prone, meaning it is not carried out regularly and, above all, very inefficiently. Application is carried out manually using watering cans or hand lances, with hand- or motor-operated pumps. The two basic components of the adhesive are carried on a railway wagon, for example, and mixed there. The mixture is then poured into watering cans or fed directly to the hand lances via a pipe. To bond one m³ of ballast, 15 liters of adhesive mixture are required, and when applied using a watering can, only approximately 4 m³ of ballast can be treated per hour. Furthermore, the application quality is highly uneven, as it depends on the dexterity of the person watering with the watering can or operating the hand lance while walking along the railway track.It is immediately clear that this does not allow for an effectively uniform spray jet to be directed over the ballast at a uniform speed while maintaining a constant distance from the ballast. Accordingly, a bond created in this way cannot be certified in the sense that the rail line can be guaranteed to be passable while still enjoying full insurance coverage. This is of great importance for trains carrying heavy loads of several hundred tons. An accident resulting from a weakened ballast bed, potentially causing freight or tank wagons to tip over and, in the worst case, toxic substances to leak into the subsoil, would have enormous consequences for the insurance company, which is why an insurance-recognized certification of a bond for normal use of the rail line has not been possible to date, although it would be crucial.

[0008] When applying the adhesive by hand, the application must be interrupted immediately to refill a watering can or to advance the supply, i.e., the containers and machinery for pumping the adhesive to the lance, in stages. These containers and equipment are either carried on a railway wagon or transported by road and positioned alongside the track. If, for any reason, a malfunction occurs—for example, a pump malfunctions or breaks down—a single, individually toxic component can be sprayed in large quantities, which can have fatal consequences for the groundwater. The components must only be applied when thoroughly mixed in the prescribed mixing ratio. This ensures that the mixture hardens reliably, and no individual component can penetrate the soil in isolation.

[0009] Bonding must be done quickly and determines the penetration depth, as the applied adhesive flows downward through the gravel, and as it bonds and hardens quickly, the penetration depth is limited. Application work usually has to be carried out outside of traffic hours and often at night, and dry weather is also a prerequisite for applying the adhesive. It is clear that there are many constraints, resulting in the requirement for a uniform application with precisely defined specifications, reliably and quickly on site using machinery.

[0010] If bonding is to take place somewhere along a section of track, such as in a station, or in hard-to-reach places such as bridges, underpasses or overpasses, or generally in places where the track is not accessible from the side by vehicles, it is particularly challenging to be able to apply the adhesive quickly and evenly, ideally in a flash and without any interruptions. Assuming around 15 liters of adhesive mix per m³ of track ballast to be treated, this will be sufficient for 8 linear meters with a half-meter bed depth to be bonded and a half-meter bed width to the side of the rail. Two 200-liter drums will then be sufficient for just over 200 meters of track. If the bonding is to take place across the full width of the ballast bed, only a section of around 50 meters can be bonded in one pass.

[0011] A particular challenge for the rapid, controlled dispensing of adhesives with a perfect mix and consistent penetration depth over long distances in a flash is the fact that the necessary machinery and storage containers require large quantities. Powerful pumps, for example, are essential. Furthermore, an independent power supply is required, both for the pumps and for heating the components to be dispensed, which must be kept in large quantities. Furthermore, all of this equipment must be movable along a track. If one wanted to use a railway wagon for this purpose, which could then be pulled or pushed, it would be far too heavy for road transport, and its installation on a section of track would require large crane trucks. Such a system would be far too cumbersome to be deployed flexibly and quickly.If all the equipment were to be transported along a railway line by truck, it would not be possible to drive along the railway line in many places, but would only be able to be used in open areas.

[0012] Various devices for the controlled mixing of components into a defined mixture are known in the prior art, but no devices are known that enable this controlled and precise application of adhesives for bonding ballast beds along railway lines over hundreds of meters in a flash, and that are quick and flexible to use. US 2007 / 272486 A1 shows a liquid distribution system mounted on a railway locomotive for applying a liquid composition to the rails.

[0013] The object of this invention is therefore, in view of the situation as set out above, to create a device by means of which the ballast bed of a rail track section can be bonded over its entire width or over a selectable part of its width over any distance up to 6 km in no time with an adhesive, for example a one- or two-component adhesive, with a minimal expenditure of personnel, namely by just two people, and with which the adhesive can be applied in a controlled and continuously monitored manner at a uniform, selectable speed and with definable application quantities per time and thus defined penetration depth in precisely definable areas into the ballast bed in selectable spray jet patterns.

[0014] The solution to the problem is defined by a device having the features of claim 1, as well as by the method according to claim 10 and the use according to claim 13. In a special embodiment, this device can be transported by road to any accessible location on a railway line and there mounted on a railway wagon or lifted onto such a wagon and then deployed within a few minutes by pushing or pulling the wagon. The device can be lifted off the wagon just as quickly and transported by road to another location. The device enables the controlled application of the adhesive in precisely defined quantities and mixing ratios, with automatic feed, thus ensuring a defined penetration depth of the adhesive into the ballast bed. The device is energy-autonomous and automatically controllable.

[0015] The drawings first demonstrate the results of such bonding. This device for creating the bonding is then presented and described, and its functions are explained. The method and use of the device are then described and explained in more detail. The drawings show exemplary embodiments of the device, and the task and purpose of the invention are also demonstrated and explained using the figures. It shows: Figure 1: A cut-out ballast track, stabilized by prior bonding, along which a train is currently passing; Figure 2: A cut-out stabilized ballast track along a track in front of a tunnel portal; Figure 3: A device for dispensing adhesive from three wagons, a schematic representation seen from above; Figure 4: This device seen from its front, i.e. seen from the front of the spray wagon, shown in a schematic elevation; Figure 5: The block diagram of the means for pumping and mixing the components into a sprayable mixture on the spray wagon; Figure 6: A device consisting of three wagons, shown in perspective, with a view of the spray wagon at the very front, the adjoining container wagon and the power supply wagon at the rear; Figure 7: The spray wagon seen diagonally from behind; Figure 8: The spray wagon seen from the front;Figure 9: A combination wagon for the power supply and carrying the containers, to form a two-part assembly together with a spray wagon; Figure 10: A facility consisting of three wagons being loaded onto a trailer; Figure 11: A suitable vehicle-trailer assembly for the road transport of the entire facility and personnel; Figure 12: A vehicle with a trailer and the facility therein, consisting of three wagons, in a schematic representation seen from above, approaching a railway line with the towing vehicle and trailer at a level crossing, and then placing the three wagons on the rails; Figure 13: The front of the spray wagon with its spray boom, when this spray wagon is standing on a track and spraying the railway line; Figure 14: A assembly of two wagons, namely a power supply wagon and a spray and container wagon, in use on a track;Figure 15: A view of the front of the assembly at work, with a locomotive passing next to it on the siding; Figure 16: A perspective view of the assembly from the rear, with a train passing on the siding; Figure 17: A rail-compatible road vehicle, on which all elements for the electrical power supply and control for pumping by means of gear pumps, for mixing and controlled dispensing of the components of a multi-component adhesive via the spray boom mounted at the front are present.

[0016] In Figure 1One application is shown: a ballasted track cut just outside the perimeter of a railway line, which was previously bonded by spraying a two-component epoxy resin, forming a quasi-monolithic trestle. In this state, the ballasted track can be cut with an excavator bucket, as shown here, and it still remains stable, allowing vertical walls to be exposed without significantly compromising the load-bearing capacity and stability of the ballasted track. Whenever, for example, cables or pipes have to be laid along such a railway line, major challenges arise for maintaining the stability of the railway line if it is to continue to be used by trains, i.e., during the installation work for the cables and pipes.Without the possibility of stabilizing the route, the railway line would have to be closed to rail traffic, which would mean major restrictions and expensive disruptions for the railway operators.

[0017] The Figure 2shows another ballast line stabilized by bonding and then cut along a railway line in front of a tunnel portal. As can be seen, a trench often has to be excavated over considerable distances, and this poses the particular problem of how to stabilize a ballast line over longer distances so reliably and safely that the subsequently cut line can be certified for use by trains carrying normal loads. When removing the ballast by hand, no one can guarantee the homogeneity of the bonding. Furthermore, manual bonding is far too slow, labor-intensive, inaccurate, and correspondingly expensive.This is where the present invention comes in, enabling the bonding of ballasted tracks in a completely different dimension: much faster and more efficient, and completely homogeneous, with a precisely selectable bond width and a precisely definable penetration depth of the adhesive throughout the entire bond. Only such a mechanical application of the adhesive can be achieved with such precision that the bonding and stabilization can be certified, so that a railway operator can be certain that even fully loaded trains can safely travel on this bonded track and are also permitted for insurance purposes.

[0018] The Figure 3 shows an example of a device for dispensing the adhesive, consisting of three carriages, in a schematic representation from above. The decisive solution for the realization of a road transportableThe advantage of this device, which can be operated by only two people, is that the The facility is either built directly on a rail-compatible road vehicle, which can be driven directly onto a rail track on site and driven on it, or that it is functionally divided will be in at least two or three units or two or three separate cars, which separated can be loaded and unloaded onto a road vehicle or road trailer and thus separated, or separately, can be placed onto the rails of a track by just two people. A single trolley weighs approximately 350 kg, and the trolley with the component containers alone, which weighs approximately 250 kg when empty, can weigh up to 2000 kg depending on the load. If, on the other hand, the device were built as a single-piece machine, it would certainly function, but its handling and transport would be much more complicated. It would hardly be possible to load it onto a vehicle and place it onto a track with just a few personnel and without a crane. Furthermore, it would be technically very demanding to transport such a heavy device to the site and place it on the rails there.

[0019] And so the Figure 3A device according to the invention on rail cars parked on railway tracks 4, schematically shown in plan view from above. The railway tracks 4 here stand on crossbeams 5, which are embedded in the ballast track 6. The composition of rail cars consists of three units that can be coupled together and easily separated again. The front unit forms a spray car 1 with four rail wheels, followed by a first trailer as a container car 2, also with four rail wheels, and a second trailer with four rail wheels coupled to the rear of the container car as a power supply car 3. These trailers 2, 3 are coupled together via detachable drawbars 7, 8. For this purpose, the cars are equipped with spherical trailer hooks.The drawbars can, for example, each be made from two conventional car trailer drawbars, resulting in a drawbar 7, 8 in the form of a single rod approximately half a meter long, with a coupling socket at both ends. On the spray carriage 1, the two supply lines 9, 10 for the two components of the epoxy resin mixture can be seen. They lead through two gear pumps 11, 12, each driven by a precisely controlled electric motor 13, 14. From the gear pumps 11, 12, the supply lines 9, 10 each lead through a mass flow meter 15, 16 and finally to the spray boom 17, where they lead to one or more spray nozzles via a Y-shaped junction. The spray boom 17 can be moved via a horizontally extending arm 18 which extends transversely over more than the width of the spray carriage, so that spraying is possible to the right or left of the carriage or in any position in between.The spray boom 17 can be pivoted around its vertical axis as needed to vary the spray width. Pneumatic valves 19, 20 are installed in front of the spray nozzles to sharply or instantly stop the flow as needed. Pulled by the coupling rod 7, the container trolley 2 follows behind the spray trolley 1. This trolley carries two 200-liter drums 60, 61 for the two components A and B of the epoxy resin adhesive. The rearmost trolley, namely the power supply trolley 3, is pulled by another coupling rod 8.

[0020] The self-propelled unit, i.e. the sprayer 1, is in Figure 4 shown in a view from the front. Below the rails 4, the ballast bed 6 can be seen, which consists of a granular mixture of a large number of ballast stones 21, Figure 4such ballast stones 21 are only indicated on one side. The spraying vehicle 1 comprises a chassis 22 with two axles 23 and four wheels 24. The wheels 24 on both sides of the vehicle are movable along their axles 23 and are provided with a mechanical coupling so that they move symmetrically outwards or inwards. This means that the wheels 24 of all vehicles 1, 2, 3 are part of a gauge change system, with which the vehicles 1, 2, 3 can be used on the largest track widths available down to the narrowest track gauges. The wheels on at least one of the axles 23 can be driven by an electric 24V traction motor 25. A first gear pump 11 with an associated speed-controlled, electric drive 13 is arranged on the self-propelled spraying vehicle 1 to control the flow rate of the first component A.From this first gear pump 11, a section of a first supply line 9 leads to a first mass flow meter (not shown here), which serves to record the flow rate. From the mass flow meter, another section of the first supply line 9 leads to a first controllable pneumatic valve 19 and further to a first check valve, and opens into a mixer unit 29 via a Y-fitting 26. An identical second gear pump 12 for the second component B with an associated speed-controlled electric drive 14 is arranged in parallel. From the second gear pump 12, a section of a second supply line 10 leads to a second mass flow meter (not shown here), further to a second controllable pneumatic valve 20 and then to a second check valve, all the way into the mixer unit 29.The mixer unit 29 contains a static mixer inside, for example in the form of an approximately 10 cm long grid-like structure or a spiral mixer, and is attached to a boom 18. The average inner diameter of the supply lines 9, 10 measures, for example, 1.5 cm. A discharge device in the form of a spray bar 17 is attached to the fluid outlet side 33 of the mixer unit 29. The spray bar 17 consists of a horizontally extending hollow cylindrical profile with, for example, five replaceable flat jet nozzles 30 arranged side by side at regular intervals of 5 cm, each with a nozzle diameter of, for example, 1 mm. Each of the flat jet nozzles 30 can generate a fan-shaped jet 31. The flat jet nozzles 30 are arranged next to one another in such a way that the jets 31 which can be produced thereby together form a continuous flat or circular jet in an area 32 to be sprayed on the ballast bed 6.A curtain-like overall jet is formed. The spray width of the overall jet in the application area 32 on the ballast bed 6 is, for example, approximately 55 cm. The distance between the flat jet nozzles 30 and the ballast bed is approximately 40 cm.

[0021] The Figure 5shows a block diagram with all the means for pumping and mixing the components into a sprayable mixture on the spray truck. The two electric drives 13, 14 of the two gear pumps 11, 12 can, as shown, be controlled independently of one another by the control unit 34 via a control line 35, 36 each by issuing two independent output signals. This allows the delivery rates of the two gear pumps 11, 12 and thus the flow rates in the two supply lines 9, 10 to be controlled independently of one another. Via the signal lines 37, 38 between the two mass flow meters 15, 16 and the control unit 34, the flow rates in the two supply lines 9, 10 can be independently recorded, controlled, and processed in the control unit 34.

[0022] These can be opened and closed via additional signal lines 39, 40 between the control unit 34 and the two pneumatic valves 19, 20. A check valve 27, 28 is located downstream of each of the pneumatic valves 19, 20. A further signal line 41 is located between the control unit 34 and the 24V drive motor 25, which enables control of the speed of the sprayer 1. The control unit 34 has a microprocessor controller with a memory and a computing unit. The required mixing ratios between components A and B, the desired flow rates or total flow rates, and the speed of the sprayer 1 can be entered and stored as target values ​​in the memory, for example, via the control unit or an input interface.The processing unit is programmed to execute a control program that ensures that the mixing ratios between components A and B and the flow rates are maintained to within a few percent. In the event of significant deviations, the discharge of components A and B is automatically stopped.

[0023] For example, a pressure relief valve can be integrated into the supply lines 9, 10 between each of the two gear pumps 11, 12, and the outlet of the pressure relief valves can be equipped with return lines, with which a fluid component A or B escaping when the pressure relief valve is open can be returned to a corresponding section of the supply line upstream of the corresponding gear pump 11 or gear pump 12. In principle, the mass flow meters 15, 16 can also be omitted, and instead, additional position sensors can be provided on the gear pumps 11, 12 and / or the associated drives 13, 14.

[0024] As shown in the block diagram Figure 5As shown further, a speed sensor 43 can be provided, which transmits information on the current travel speed of the spray vehicle 1 to the control unit 34 via an associated signal line 44. This makes it possible to precisely regulate the throughput of the two fluid components depending on the respective current speed of the spray vehicle 1. Furthermore, for example, the discharge device or the spray boom 17 can be arranged so as to be movable along the boom 18. For this purpose, a rack and pinion drive can be used, for example. Due to the mobility, the width of the sprayable area 32 can be massively increased. The control of the movement of the spray boom 17 of the discharge device can in turn be controlled by the control unit 34 and, for example, synchronized with the speed of the spray vehicle 1 and the flow rates. Furthermore, it is possible to Figure 5indicated sensor 45 can be provided, with which the condition of the area to be sprayed can be continuously checked and transmitted to the control unit 34 via the signal line 46. For this purpose, ultrasonic sensors and / or laser-based sensors can be used, for example. This allows areas that are not to be sprayed, such as sleepers 5 or rails 4, to be automatically detected, and the application can be interrupted when driving over these areas. This saves adhesive on the one hand and reduces the effort on the other, since these areas do not have to be covered beforehand. Furthermore, additional panels can be attached to the spray carriage 1, which prevent, for example, the rails 4 from being coated with adhesive during application. Overall, the application of the two mixed components A, B can be fully automated, as everything is controlled by the programmable control unit 34.It ensures that the entire system, with its carriage assembly, operates at a uniform speed and dispenses the adhesive evenly over the precisely specified width and in such a quantity that the exact penetration depth is maintained. It can also be programmed to vary the penetration depth over a specific distance, for example, by steadily increasing its depth or gradually decreasing it from a certain depth.

[0025] In Figure 6The facility is depicted as a composition of three vehicles, with the spray vehicle 1 at the front, which weighs approximately 350 kg. On the first trailer, the container vehicle 2, which is directly coupled to the self-propelled spray vehicle 1, there is a first barrel-shaped container 60 containing a liquid polyurethane resin and a second barrel-shaped container 61 containing a liquid hardener. The liquids in the two containers 60 and 61 are components A and B of a two-component polyurethane-based adhesive. This container vehicle weighs approximately 250 kg, and when fully loaded, up to 2,000 kg, depending on the capacity of the loaded containers. From these barrels or containers 60, 61, the supply lines for the adhesive components A, B lead to the spray carriage 1 and finally, after mixing together by combining in a mixer, for example a spiral mixer, to the spray nozzles on the spray boom 17.The viscosities of the two liquid components are in the range of approximately 200 mPas. The two containers 60, 61 each have a capacity of 200 liters, for example, although larger or smaller containers can also be used. A special feature of these containers 60, 61 is that they can be inserted into recesses in the top of an otherwise hollow box. The interior of the box acts as a collecting tray 56 in the event of a leak and is heated and ventilated to always keep components A and B at their ideal temperature. The heating can be a temperature-controlled electric heater or a gas heater using propane gas, as is common on campsites. The container tray 56 is also equipped with ventilation, of which the vent pipe 70 can be seen here. This also serves to regulate the temperature of the components if they get too warm in summer.A further section of the first supply line 9 connects the first container 60 to the first gear pump 11 and a further section of the second supply line 10 connects the second container 61 to the second gear pump 12.

[0026] The second trailer, the power supply vehicle 3, weighing around 350 kg, houses a diesel engine and a switchable power-generating diesel generator with a 400 V output voltage, as well as a compressed air generation system with a compressed air tank, whose compressor is also driven by the diesel engine, and other auxiliary equipment for operating the system. Electricity and compressed air are fed from this power supply vehicle 3 via lines not shown via the tank truck 2 to the front of the spray truck 1. Electrical energy is required, among other things, to drive the vehicles via the 24 V drive motors. The secondary drives for the wagon wheels can be chain drives or toothed belts, for example. The gear pumps on the spray truck are also driven by electric motors, and the heating on the tank truck 2 can also be electric.Furthermore, the control unit 34, which is located either on the energy supply trolley 3 or on the spray trolley 1, requires electrical power. This control unit 34 processes the signals from the mass flow meters and all other sensors, such as those for measuring the travel speed and the thermometer on the container trolley 2. From these, it generates control signals for the gear pumps, for the pneumatic safety valves on the spray nozzles and for the drive motors for travel as well as for the heating and cooling of components A, B. Compressed air is required for the pneumatic safety valves, as well as for any compressed air tools on the energy supply trolley 3. This can be designed as a workstation, with a work surface 57 like that of a workbench, and with all kinds of tools for any possible service and repair work that might be necessary. This can be seen in the . Figure 6only the control panel 69 for operating the diesel engine and generator, as well as the compressor for compressed air generation. On the spray carriage 1, there is a control unit 34 with an operating unit, a display unit, a microprocessor controller, and several input and output interfaces. The control and power lines between the various components are located in the Figures 6 However, these lines are not explicitly shown, but can be deduced from the block diagram already described according to Figure 5 .

[0027] The Figure 7shows a spray carriage 1 in an oblique rear view. The two electric motors 13, 14 for the gear pumps 11, 12 for precisely metering the two adhesive components A, B are clearly visible here, as are the two mass flow meters 15, 16. The lever 62 at the rear of the carriage is used to raise the spray carriage 1 so that it can be hoisted from a level floor onto a rail lying on this floor. If the lever 62 is swung downwards by hand, it turns the swivel wheel 66, which in turn turns the load lever 64 in the same direction. This causes the chassis of the spray carriage 1 to lift at the rear on the two support wheels 65, which are connected by a connecting axle 66. At the front of the carriage, the boom 18 is visible, with the mixer attached to it, for example, a spiral mixer 29, which can be moved back and forth.

[0028] In Figure 8The spray carriage 1 is shown from the front, and here one can see the boom 18 and the spray unit that can be moved back and forth on it, with which the two supply lines 10, 11 are brought together via a Y-fitting 26 and the components A, B are pumped into a mixer, here a spiral mixer 29. At the bottom, the spiral mixer 29 opens into the spray bar (not shown).

[0029] Instead of dividing the facility into three separate cars as just presented, a design with just two cars can also be implemented. In this case, for example, the container car 2 and the power supply car 3 are combined into a single car 42, as shown in Figure 9shown. Together with a separate spray wagon 1, this combination also forms a suitable device if both wagons 1, 42 are designed to have approximately the same weight, around 500 kg. This device and its two wagons 1, 42 can be handled by two people. This makes the device even more compact and setting up is even faster because only two wagons instead of three have to be coupled together on site. At the front of this wagon 42 you can see the towing device 71 with a coupling ball 72 for this coupling. The ball socket of a drawbar can be coupled to this ball 72, whereby the drawbar also has a ball socket at its other end for coupling the next wagon, such as a container wagon or spray wagon.The vehicle is equipped with a crane 67 with a pulley 68 or electric drive, so that the containers 60, 61 can be easily hoisted from a vehicle into the lifting trough 56 and used there.

[0030] On the other hand, the composition can also be divided in such a way that the spray carriage 1 simultaneously accommodates the containers for the two components A, B, and the second carriage serves solely for the energy supply, i.e. the generation of electricity and compressed air generation and supply, and with its work surface 57 serves as a workshop carriage.

[0031] The division into either two wagons (1, 42) or three (1, 2, and 3) is key to the flexibility of the equipment, allowing it to be transported to the site of use by road vehicle. Thanks to the division into two or three wagons of approximately equal weight, the total weight of the equipment can be handled by just two people in any case. This means that the equipment can even be transported by road on 3.5-ton vehicles and, at the site of use, can be placed on the rails of a railway track and put into operation by just two people.

[0032] For very long stretches of bonding, a large tanker in the form of a freight car with several large containers parked on it can be pulled as the rearmost car. Supply lines then lead from this railway car into the container car and its containers 60, 61, which then serve as buffers for preheating the components to the ideal temperature. For such applications, it is advantageous if all two or three cars of the system are designed as self-propelled cars, i.e., their wheels are each driven by electric motors. The speed between the various self-propelled cars is advantageously synchronized with the speed of the shunting locomotive. The power for this is provided by the 400V generator on power supply car 3. If a very large quantity of adhesive components is carried on a long freight car, the system may have to be pushed by a separate shunting locomotive.The described speed sensor 43 ensures that the throughput of the two fluid components is precisely regulated depending on the current speed of the vehicle. Speed ​​changes of any additional shunting locomotive can thus be compensated. The spray wagon with its pumps allows approximately 21 m³ of track ballast to be bonded per hour. If, for example, 6,000 liters of adhesive mixture are transported on the container wagon or on a towed railway wagon, the machine can operate for 19 hours at a time and bond 400 m³ of track ballast perfectly and evenly. In view of the above description, it is quite obvious that not only the containers, but also the entire equipment can be transported on a railway wagon.It can be mounted on a railway wagon or it can be transported as a whole by road, for example in a container, and lifted onto a railway wagon so that the spray boom can then be positioned at the front of the railway wagon and removed for operation, for example, from a vehicle of the type shown in . Figure 17 shown or is pushed or pulled uniformly by a trolley or shunting locomotive.

[0033] Based on Figure 10 It is explained how the loading of a road vehicle with the equipment consisting of three wagons is carried out. A road trailer 48 is advantageously used for car transport. Figure 10shows such a box-enclosed road trailer 48 with a tandem axle 49, here with the tailgate 59 open. It is equipped with rails 50 inside, a part 51 of which can be extended backwards, or which have a pivoting section 51 at the rear. The rails 51 can therefore be placed beyond the rear edge of the road trailer 48, and the road trailer 48 can be tilted backwards, so that one car after the other, starting from a flat concrete surface, can be driven onto the rails 50, 51 in the road trailer 48 and then pulled into the road trailer 48. The best way to do this is with an electric cable winch 52 on the front of the trailer 48, such as is normally used for charging a car. As shown in Figure 10Shown here, spray truck 1 was first pulled into road trailer 48, followed by container truck 2, and finally energy supply truck 3. This ensures that trucks 1, 2, and 3 are loaded in the correct order as required at the site. After loading, the rails 51 in the road trailer are supplied, and the trailer is pivoted into a horizontal position. The road trailer 48 can then be moved to any location using a towing vehicle 53. A 3.5-ton road vehicle can be used for this purpose. This has the advantage that it can be driven with a car driver's license and is not subject to any restrictions, such as a night-time or Sunday driving ban, and is also not subject to the heavy goods vehicle tax, as is the case with trucks in many places.All this offers tremendous flexibility and availability at any time of day or night, and the simple handling of the entire facility can be managed by just two people. A large team of workers is no longer necessary.

[0034] The Figure 11shows an ideal combination of a 3.5-ton road vehicle 53 and an associated road trailer 48, suitable for transporting the entire installation by road. The road trailer 48 accommodates the entire installation, whether consisting of two or three separate rail cars, and the road vehicle offers two to three seats, which is sufficient for an entire work crew. No more than two people are needed to unload the installation on site, place it on the railway tracks, and then operate it. Because a road vehicle in the category up to 3.5 tons gross weight can be used, there are no restrictions on traffic, compared to, for example, a truck with a gross weight of 7.5 tons or more. Neither a driving inspection is required, nor are there restrictions due to the weight or width of the road vehicle. For 3.There are no night-time driving bans for 5-ton vehicles, and they can be driven by almost anyone. A spraying crew therefore doesn't need a person with a truck driver's license. Instead of a towing vehicle, a self-propelled low-loader, onto which trailers 1-3 can be loaded, can also be used in individual cases.

[0035] The Figure 12shows in a schematic representation from above how the device is placed on the rails 4 at a site of use. The ideal place to place the device on the rails 4 of a railway track is at level crossings or wherever the top of the rails is level with a concrete slab, asphalt surface, or wooden base. The situation at a level crossing is shown here. The road vehicle 53 with its road trailer 48 and the device inside approaches from the right, then drives over the level crossing as shown by the arrow and then maneuvers the trailer 48 backwards into the position shown. The road trailer 48 is then tilted backwards, as already shown for loading the rail cars 1, 2, 3. The three rail cars 1, 2, 3 are visibly indicated here on the trailer 48.Now the rails 51 in the road trailer are extended or swung out to the rear so that they extend the inner rails 50 in exactly the same direction and their ends are placed precisely on the railway tracks 4. Then, using the cable winch belonging to the road trailer 48, the power supply wagon 3 is slowly moved backwards from the road trailer along the rails 50, 51 until it rests on the railway tracks 4. The same is then done with the container wagon 2 and finally with the spray wagon 1. Each individual wagon 1, 2, 3 is just heavy enough to be easily carried out by two people. One operates the cable winch, the other monitors the extension and can intervene if necessary. As soon as all wagons 1, 2, 3 are on track 4, they are coupled together with coupling rods 7, 8 in the form of double drawbars that can be pivoted in all directions.The device is then ready to be driven upwards across the road in the picture and then to spray the gravel bed on the desired side.

[0036] In Figure 13 The front of the spray carriage 1 can be seen in use. At the front of the spray carriage 1, the boom 18 and the spray bar 17 suspended from it can be seen, as well as on both sides a cover 47 in the form of a plastic mat, which precisely limits the spraying laterally. The spray bar 17 is equipped with a number of nozzles 30, allowing different spray patterns of the adhesive mixture to be sprayed. In the image shown, the spray jets are sprayed through a filter 58, which, however, is not always necessary. The spray bar 17 can be displaced horizontally along the boom and also vertically by motor control.

[0037] In Figure 14depicts a composition of two rail cars, namely a one-piece spray car 1 and container car 2, and the power supply car 3. A view of the front of the spray car 1 in use shows how the spray boom, with its nozzles 30, sprays the adhesive mixture onto the ballast bed below. It is possible to precisely determine how many grams of adhesive per linear meter are applied at a specific spray width and travel speed, and it is also possible to determine which spray pattern is most suitable, in this case something like a flat spray curtain or a spray cone, depending on the conditions. Baffles 47 in the form of rubber flaps are mounted to the left and right of the spray boom 17, so that the spray area is safely limited to the sides. The control unit 34 of the device ensures that the selected values ​​are consistently and reliably maintained.Should any disruption occur in the supply of a component A or B, this is registered by the flow meter signals, and spraying is immediately stopped by closing the pneumatic valves on the spray nozzles 30. This ensures that an otherwise highly toxic individual component never penetrates the ground. The spray boom 17 is mounted on the boom 18 so that it can pivot about its vertical axis and runs at an oblique angle to track 4, but can also be adjusted perpendicular to it. Its height above the ballast bed can also be varied, and it is clear that the spray boom 17 can be moved to any point on the boom 18, depending on where the spray strip is to be laid. With the width shown here outside one rail of the track, in most cases approximately 15 liters of adhesive mixture per cubic meter of ballast to be bonded is required.Of course, the application rate per area or cubic capacity can be freely varied, based on experience and depending on the desired penetration depth of the adhesive into the ballast bed.

[0038] In Figure 15 One looks at the front of spray carriage 1, which is spraying the left side of the track on which the device is located with adhesive. The adjustable and continuously monitored speed of the two or three carriages of the device guarantees a precisely even application of the adhesive. During the entire work process, train traffic can continue on an adjacent track, as shown in the Figure 15 is shown where a locomotive is currently passing the facility.

[0039] In Figure 16The device is shown in a perspective view, looking at the composition from the rear, with a train passing alongside. A compressed air tank 59 is mounted at the rear of power supply car 3. This is supplied with compressed air by the on-board diesel engine and compressor and ensures a sufficient supply of compressed air for operating tools and for the pneumatic safety valves on the spray nozzles. Of course, the compressed air tank can also be housed inside power supply car 3.

[0040] When applying the two-component adhesive using the device according to the invention, high-quality bonds with well-defined widths and depths could be achieved. Tests on track ballast consolidated or bonded according to the invention have shown that these contain hardly any defects and hold far better than conventionally treated track ballast. This has even led to this application method being certified by the Swiss Federal Railways and therefore recognized by insurance companies. This means that, if used properly, tracks bonded with this method can be used normally, even if they are cut off at the sides and would never be stable enough for train traffic without the bonding.

[0041] The Figure 17Finally, a rail-compatible road vehicle 71 is shown, which contains all the elements for the electrical power supply and control for pumping via gear pumps, for mixing and controlled dispensing of the components of a multi-component adhesive via a front-mounted spray boom 17. All of the previously described elements, components, parts, etc., are combined on this vehicle 71, including the diesel generator for power generation, the compressor with a pressure tank for a supply of approximately 30 liters of compressed air for operating the pneumatic tools carried on board, and the pneumatic safety valves at the spray nozzles. A heating device for preheating the components to the ideal temperature is also included. This vehicle 71 can be driven directly onto a rail line anywhere.The rail wheels 72 are then hydraulically lowered and locked, after which the vehicle 71, with its pneumatic wheels 73, travels on the rails and is guided by the rail wheels 72. The boom 18 and the spray boom 17 are mounted on the front of the vehicle 71 on site, and the flexible hoses are connected. Everything else functions essentially the same as with a two-part or three-part assembly, as described in detail above. Components A and B can be carried directly on this vehicle 71, or larger quantities of adhesive components can be carried in separate containers, for example, on a railway freight car. This freight car is attached to the rail-compatible road vehicle 71. Using the flexible hoses, the components are pumped from these containers onto this railway freight car and sprayed after mixing. This allows for a significant expansion of capacity.Kilometers of track can be covered very quickly by just two operators, ensuring that the adhesive is applied with perfect mixing and perfect uniformity. If, for example, 6,000 liters of adhesive are carried on a rail wagon, 400m³ of track ballast can be bonded in a single operation, which can be completed in less than 20 hours. Today, using the usual manual application method, such a quantity would require at least 100 hours on site alone, which in reality means about two working weeks, not including the carrying and transport of comparatively small batches of components. And this does not guarantee that the bonding will be so even that the track can subsequently be certified for traffic, meaning there is no need to fear the track collapsing under heavy load.

[0042] In summary, this device for dispensing a multi-component adhesive offers enormous advantages over the conventional manual application, particularly when bonding or consolidating ballast on railway systems. In particular, it is extremely flexible in use, as it can be easily transported to the site by road, placed on the track by just two people, and subsequently enables a massive increase in the application speed of the multi-component adhesive and a significant improvement in the quality of the bonding of track ballast. Index

[0043] 1Spray truck 2Container truck 3Energy supply truck 4Railway tracks, track 5Railway sleepers 6Ballast bed 7Coupling drawbar between 1 and 2 8Coupling drawbar between 2 and 3 9First supply line for component A 10Second supply line for component B 11First gear pump for component A 12Second gear pump for component B 13Electric motor, drive for 11 14Electric motor, drive for 12 15Mass flow meter for component A 16Mass flow meter for component B 17Spray boom 18Boom for spray boom 19Pneumatic safety valve for component A 20Pneumatic safety valve for component B 21Ballast bed stones 22Chassis 23Chassis axle 24Chassis wheel 2524V traction motor 26Y-shaped fitting 27Check valve for component A 28Check valve for component B 29Helix mixer 30Spray nozzles 31Spray pattern 32Spray area 33Fluid outlet side 34Control unit 35Control line for electric motor 13 36Control line for electric motor 1437Signal line from mass flow meter for component A 38Signal line mass flow meter for component B 39Signal line from control unit 34 to pneumatic valve 19 40Signal line from control unit 34 to pneumatic valve 20 41Control line for traction motor 42 42Single wagon for container and power supply 43Travel speed sensor 44Signal line from travel speed sensor to control unit 45Sensor for the condition of the area to be sprayed 46Signal line from sensor 45 to control unit 34 47Panels to the left and right of the spray boom, in the form of rubber mats 48Trailer 49Tandem axle 50Rails inside the trailer 51Extendable or extendable rails on the trailer 52Cable winch on the trailer 53Towing vehicle 54Container on the freight wagon 55Shunting locomotive 56Collecting trays 57Work surface, workbench 58Sieve for the adhesive mixture 59Compressed air tank 60First tank for component A 61Second tank for component B 62Power lever for lifting the spray carriage63Rotary wheel for the power lever 62 64Load lever for lifting the sprayer 65Support wheel for lifting the sprayer 66Connecting axle between the two support wheels 65 67Crane boom 68Pull block 69Control panel for generator, diesel engine 70Ventilation pipe for fan to the collecting tray 71Rail-compatible road vehicle 72Rail wheels 73Tyre wheels

Claims

1. A device for applying adhesives to a granular ballast bed (6) of a railway track (4) at a job site, the device including an electrical power supply and control for pumping the adhesives from containers (60, 61) via flexible hose lines (9, 10), as well as a gear pump and a mass flow meter (15, 16) in the flexible hose line (9, 10) for the controlled discharge of the adhesives, characterised in that the entire device is installed on a railway wagon and has a boom (18) with a spray bar (17), wherein the spray bar can be brought into position at a front of the railway wagon, and that a control unit (34) is present, which is configured in such a way that the flow rate of the adhesives can be controlled as a function of the travel speed by determining the latter by means of a travel speed sensor (43) on the railway carriage, for the speed-dependent controlled application of the adhesive in a plurality of selectable spray patterns.

2. Device for transporting single- or multi-component adhesives according to claim 1, characterised in that the spray bar (17) is automatically controllable, horizontally and vertically displaceable and pivotable in all directions on the boom (18), for speed-dependent, controlled application of the adhesives in several selectable spray patterns.

3. Device for dispensing single-component or multi-component adhesives according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the device contains all the elements necessary for pumping, mixing and controlled dispensing of the adhesive or its components (A, B) via flexible hose lines (9, 10) to a spray unit with a spray bar (17), and contains all further elements for operation, namely collecting trays (56) with one or more standing containers (60, 61), with the fluid adhesives or components (A, B) to be used or mixed, which can be carried in them, and a 400 V diesel power generator for the energy supply and a control unit (34) for the electrical control.

4. Device for dispensing single-component or multi-component adhesives according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the device has drip trays (56) for placing and heating the containers (60, 61) with the fluid adhesives to be used or components (A, B) to be mixed and for the power supply with a diesel-electric generator with starter battery and a control unit (34) for the electrical control of all electrically operated components.

5. Device for discharging single- or multi-component adhesives according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the device has a spray bar (17) that can be aligned transversely to the direction of travel of the railway wagon loaded or equipped with the device, which is mounted on a cantilever (18) so as to be horizontally and vertically displaceable under motor control and pivotable in all directions, and has a multiplicity of nozzles (30) for producing different spray patterns (31), and furthermore the device has a self-regulating heater for the interior of the collecting trays (56) for maintaining the adhesives or components (A, B) at a set temperature, and that batteries are provided for the intermediate storage of electrical energy, and that the control unit (34) is programmable, for various application programmes and for the supply and control of the heating device, the gear pumps (11, 12) for the adhesives or their components (A, B), and which is designed for the movement of the spray nozzles (30) and for the control devices with their sensors (43, 45).

6. Device for dispensing single- or multi-component adhesives according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the unit (1) for spraying comprises supply lines (9, 10) for conveying the fluid adhesives or their components (A, B) and wherein the supply lines (9, 10) are equipped with a controllable gear pump (11, 12) for controlling the flow rate and a mass flow meter (15, 16) for the respective adhesives or fluid components (A, B) through the respective supply line (9, 10), and the control unit (34) is designed such that, on the basis of the detected flow rates, an overall feed rate of the adhesives and / or a mixing ratio between the fluid components (A, B) can be maintained via at least one output variable.

7. Device for dispensing single- or multi-component adhesives according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a control unit (34) belongs to the device, which is designed in such a way that it can be used to regulate the total feed rate of the adhesives and, when using a two-component adhesive, the mixing ratio between the fluid components (A, B).

8. Device for dispensing single- or multi-component adhesives according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the spray bar (17) includes a plurality of nozzles (30) that can be selectively supplied to produce a flat, curtain-like or conical spray pattern (31).

9. A method of operating a device for discharging single- or multi-component adhesives according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the spray bar is arranged at the front or rear of the railway carriage above the ballast bed, and the railway wagon is pulled or pushed onto the ballast bed by means of the device for the automatically controlled pumping and dispensing of the adhesive, wherein the output quantity per unit of time can be controlled by the control unit as a function of the travel speed by determining the latter by means of a travel speed sensor (43) on the railway wagon.

10. A method according to claim 9, characterised in that during the discharge of the adhesives, the flow rates are detected by continuously measuring the flow rates in the control unit (34) of the device and compared by comparing the measurement data with a defined setpoint value and at least one output variable, in particular with an output signal for controlling the overall delivery rate of the adhesives with the gear pumps (11, 12) and / or the mixing ratio in the case of fluid components (A, B) for the continuous monitoring of the discharge.

11. A method according to one of claims 9 to 10, characterised in that deviation from the setpoint values for the discharge per section causes the control unit (34) to automatically stop the discharge and / or delivery of the adhesives or their fluid components (A, B) is automatically stopped by the control unit (34) by stopping the gear pumps (11, 12) and closing the pneumatic valves (19, 20).

12. Use of the device according to one of the claims 1 to 8 for the controlled discharge of single- or multi-component adhesives (A, B) onto the ballast bed (6) of a railway line with a precisely definable depth of penetration for the purpose of bonding the same in sections over the entire width of the line or over a part of the line width.