Truck assembly apparatus

Abstract

To provide a truck assembly apparatus in which an air leak test can be automatized with reference to an air spring of a truck.SOLUTION: A truck assembly apparatus includes loading devices that hold down a truck frame against the resilience of a shaft spring on the basis of the outputs of loading cylinders mounted on left- and right-side support pillars, when assembling a wheel shaft and a truck frame. In a load pad 26, which is mounted on the tip of a piston rod of the loading cylinder to be pressed by the truck frame, a connection joint is arranged for pumping a compressed-air by being connected to the air supply port of an air spring mounted on the truck frame. An air supply pipe 45 is connected to the load pad 26 for supplying the compressed-air. An on-off valve 47 and a pressure detector 48 are connected to the air supply pipe 45. The truck assembly apparatus also includes an air leak test device for detecting an air pressure of the secondary-side space of the air supply pipe 45 including the air spring by closing the on-off valve 47 by using the pressure detector 48.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a bogie assembly device capable of performing a leakage test for determining the presence or absence of air leakage in an air spring of a bogie for a railway vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] In a bogie for a railway vehicle (hereinafter simply referred to as a "railway bogie"), a wheel axle and a bogie frame are connected via a journal box support device. The journal box support device houses bearings that support the wheel axle at both ends, and a shaft spring exists between the journal box and the bogie frame. Such a structure corresponds to the suspension of an automobile and plays an important role in determining the running characteristics of the railway bogie. Therefore, in the journal box support device, its shaft spring, journal box, etc. are regularly disassembled during inspection work, and inspection and repair are performed for damage, wear, etc. Thus, in Patent Document 1 below, the applicant has proposed a bogie assembly device that enables such disassembly and assembly work to be carried out reliably.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Conventional bogie assembly devices are used for disassembling and assembling a wheel axle and a bogie frame, and repairing the journal box support device accompanying the disassembly. However, if other operations can be added, the device will have enhanced functions, and it is considered that the burden on the operator will be reduced. For example, after assembling a railway bogie, an air spring is attached, and a leakage test is performed to check for the presence or absence of leakage of the supplied air.

[0005] The air spring attached to the bogie frame has an upper panel connected to a diaphragm or the like, and an air supply portion protruding upward is formed at the center thereof. In the air leakage test, an air supply pipe from a compressor is connected to the air supply portion, and after compressed air is supplied to the air spring, it is checked whether air leaks from the mounting surface of the air spring or the air piping portion of the bogie, etc., and whether there is air leakage. In the conventional air leakage check operation, the operator visually checks for air bubbles generated by applying soapy water to the relevant location to check for air leakage. However, such a conventional air leakage test not only causes contamination of the test site as well as the railway bogie due to the use of soapy water, but also places a burden on the operator because the air leakage test is a qualitative and operator-dependent inspection method.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a bogie assembly device that can automatically perform an air leakage test on an air spring of a railway vehicle bogie in order to solve such problems.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] When assembling the axle and the bogie frame that constitute the railway vehicle bogie, the bogie assembly device according to the present invention has a load loading device that presses the bogie frame from above against the restoring force of the axle spring by the output of a load loading cylinder attached to columns erected on both the left and right sides of the railway vehicle bogie. A connection joint for connecting to the air supply portion of the air spring attached to the bogie frame and sending compressed air is formed on a load pad attached to the tip of the piston rod of the load loading cylinder and pressed against the bogie frame. An air supply pipe for supplying compressed air is connected to the load pad, and an on-off valve and a pressure detector are connected to the air supply pipe. It has a leakage test device that detects the air pressure in the secondary side space of the air supply pipe including the air spring by the pressure detector when the on-off valve is closed.

Effects of the Invention

[0008] According to the above configuration, a load loading device that enables the assembly of the axle and the bogie frame of a railway vehicle bogie by pressing the bogie frame from both left and right sides of the railway vehicle bogie with load loading cylinders and maintaining the compressed state of the axle springs is configured such that the load pad of the load loading cylinder is connected to the air supply part of the air spring attached to the bogie frame via a connection joint, so that compressed air flowing through the air supply pipe can be supplied to the air spring. After the supply of compressed air, the on-off valve is closed, and air leakage determination becomes possible by detecting the air pressure in the secondary side space of the air supply pipe including the air spring with a pressure detector.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] An embodiment of a bogie assembly device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1 to 3 are views showing the bogie assembly device of this embodiment. In particular, FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a part of the device and a railway vehicle bogie. FIG. 2 is a front view showing the device in the rail direction in which the railway vehicle bogie moves. FIG. 3 is a side view showing the device from the sleeper direction perpendicular to the rail direction. As shown in FIG. 1, a railway vehicle bogie (hereinafter simply referred to as "railway bogie") 80 has an H-shaped frame composed of left and right longitudinal beams 85 and a cross beam 86 connecting them. An axle 82 in which an axle 87 and a wheel 88 are integrated is assembled back and forth via an axle box support device 89 to a bogie frame 81.

[0011] The axle 82 is provided at both ends of the axle 87 with axle box support devices 89 having spring axles between them and the bogie frame 81. The axle box support device 89 is a wing type axle box support device, with spring receiving parts projecting forward and backward along the rail direction, and a coil spring and a cylindrical laminated rubber as spring axles are respectively mounted on the front and back. The coil spring receives the vertical load between the bogie frame 81 and the axle box body, and the cylindrical laminated rubber receives the horizontal load between the bogie frame 81 and the axle box body.

[0012] When a railway vehicle reaches a specified running distance or inspection time, maintenance for the purpose of maintaining the bogie is carried out. The same applies to the railway bogie 80 which is a part of the railway vehicle, and the bogie assembly device 1 is used for its maintenance. The coil spring of the railway bogie 80 is installed in a compressed state and is compressed using bolts or the like so that it does not extend beyond a certain amount. In particular, the coil spring during the assembly of the railway bogie 80 must maintain a compressed state. Therefore, the bogie assembly device 1 is equipped with a load loading device 3, and by pressing down the coil spring which is a spring axle, it maintains the compressed state against its restoring force, enabling the assembly of the bogie frame 81 to the axle 82.

[0013] The bogie assembly device 1 is provided with a positioning device for positioning the front and rear axles 82 in the sleeper direction, similar to the above-mentioned Patent Document 1. That is, it is a positioning device that makes the left and right wheels 88 symmetrical with respect to the front and rear axles 82 of the railway bogie 80. Although not shown in detail, a hydraulic cylinder is fixed in the center so that the piston rod expands and contracts in the front and rear directions, and the left and right wheels 88 are biased outward of the vehicle body along the axle 87 with the same force through symmetrical pushing arms axially attached to the tip of the piston rod. Also, an axle distance adjustment device for positioning the front and rear axles 82 in the rail direction is provided. The axle distance adjustment device has each wheel 88 placed on two centering rollers arranged respectively in the front and back, and has a structure that enables the movement adjustment of each centering roller in the rail direction (front and back direction) according to the axle distance of the target workpiece.

[0014] In the assembly work of the railway carriage 80, the carriage frame 81 suspended by a crane is mounted on the positioned axle 82, and the assembly work of tightening bolts is performed in a state where the coil spring is compressed by the load loading device 3. In addition, in the work during the disassembly of the railway carriage 80, the compression spring is often in a released state in the previous process where the vehicle body is loaded, and it is often carried into the carriage assembly device 1. The load loading device 3 is provided with two columns 11 so as to be located outside the rail, that is, on both the left and right sides of the railway carriage 80. The vertically erected column 11 has a swivel part 111 formed at its upper end that bends in the horizontal direction orthogonal thereto (in other words, extends horizontally from the upper end of the column 11).

[0015] The load loading device 3 is provided with a swivel mechanism 13 at the lower end portion of the column 11 so that the swivel part 111, which is a horizontal linear member, can be oriented in the rail direction and the sleeper direction orthogonal to the rail direction. The carriage assembly device 1 of the present embodiment has a structure equipped with a lifting device in a pit 5 constructed in the factory. The pit 5 is closed by a floor lid 6 flush with the factory floor surface, and the column 11 of the load loading device 3 penetrates the floor lid 6 and is supported by a support structure 70 assembled in the pit 5. The swivel mechanism 13 of the load loading device 3 is provided at the upper part of the support structure 70 located under the floor lid 6.

[0016] The swivel mechanism 13 has a swivel plate 31 that can be swiveled by bearings fixed to the lower end of the column 11, and a ring gear is integrally formed on the swivel plate 31. The swivel mechanism 13 is provided with a swivel drive motor 32 as a drive source, and the gear fixed to its output shaft meshes with the ring gear. The swivel range in the swivel mechanism 13 is 90 degrees in the rail direction and the sleeper direction as described above, and the rotation control of the swivel drive motor 32 is performed by detecting the dog attached to the swivel plate 31 with a limit switch.

[0017] The load applying device 3 is provided with a load applying mechanism 15 for applying a load in the vertical direction to the swivel part 111. Here, FIG. 4 is a view showing the load applying mechanism 15 as viewed in the direction of the arrow of the A-A cross section of FIG. 3. The load applying mechanism 15 is assembled with a load applying cylinder (hydraulic cylinder) 21 in a vertical posture so as to be orthogonal to the horizontal swivel part 111. The load applying cylinder 21 is attached in a state of penetrating the swivel part 111, and its piston rod 211 is configured to expand and contract downward. The load applying mechanism 15 is further provided with two guide rods 22 on both sides of the swivel part 111 so as to sandwich the load applying cylinder 21, and is configured to be slidable in the vertical direction.

[0018] A support plate 23 is arranged to abut against the lower surface of the swivel part 111 (details will be described later), and a cylindrical guide pipe 24 is fixed to penetrate the support plate 23 in the orthogonal direction. And a guide rod 22 is slidably inserted into the guide pipe 24. The two guide rods 22 and the piston rod 211 that are both movable in the vertical direction are connected to a connection plate 25 at their respective tip ends. Therefore, the load applying cylinder 21 is supported by the guide rod 22 for the expansion and contraction operation of the piston rod 211, enabling stable displacement in the vertical direction.

[0019] A load pad 26 is attached to the tip end side of the piston rod 211 via a connection plate 25. The load pad 26 is a member that is directly pressed against the car body frame 81 of the railway carriage 80 by the extension operation of the load applying cylinder 21. In particular, it is pressed from above at the intersection of the longitudinal beam 85 and the cross beam 86 of the car body frame 81, and an air spring 90 is attached to the car body frame 81 so as to overlap the portion pressed by the load pad 26. Therefore, the carriage assembling device 1 of the present embodiment is configured with an air supply device for sending compressed air to the air spring 90 via the load pad 26 based on such a positional relationship.

[0020] The air spring 90 is provided with an air supply portion 95 that protrudes upward at the circular central portion. The air supply portion 95 of such an air spring 90 has a joint structure to which an air supply pipe extending from a compressor that supplies compressed air can be connected. On the other hand, in the load loading mechanism 15 of the present embodiment, a connection joint 36 that can be connected to the air supply portion 95 of the air spring 90 is configured on the load pad 26. That is, the load pad 26 is formed with an input port to which the air supply pipe can be connected, and the connection joint 36 communicates with the input port via an air flow path.

[0021] As shown in the figure, the load pad 26 has a circular pressing surface 35 formed on the lower surface, and it is shaped like a frustum of a cone, which is larger than the upper surface side connected to the piston rod 211. The connection joint 36 is formed in a recess located at the center of the pressing surface 35. The air supply portion 95 of the air spring 90 has a so-called male-type connection structure, while the connection joint 36 of the load pad 26 has a so-called female-type joint structure. Therefore, the bogie assembly device 1 of the present embodiment can supply compressed air to the air spring 90 attached to the railway bogie 80 via this load pad 26.

[0022] Next, the load loading device 3 is provided with a configuration that enables the load loading mechanism 15 to move horizontally. This makes it possible to adjust the pressing position of the bogie frame 81 on the load pad 26 and to align the position for connection to the air spring 90 so as to be compatible with various railway bogies. Specifically, horizontal guide rails 27 are fixed to both side surfaces of the swivel portion 111, and guide blocks 28 integrated with the support plate 23 are slidably fitted to the guide rails 27. The load loading mechanism 15 is configured such that the load loading cylinder 21, the guide rod 22, and the load pad 26 are integrally configured and can move freely in the horizontal direction (the longitudinal direction of the swivel portion 111) in the swivel portion 111.

[0023] Inside the swivel unit 111, an actuator such as a hydraulic cylinder (not shown) is fixed, and the load-bearing cylinder 21 or the like moves along the guide rail 27 by its output, enabling position adjustment. Therefore, the load-bearing device 3 is configured to be capable of 90-degree swivel movement of the load pad 26 (the movement between the solid line and the dashed-dotted line shown in FIG. 2), vertical lifting movement (load-bearing operation), and horizontal movement along the swivel unit 111 (the direction of the double-headed arrow shown below the load pad 26 in FIG. 2).

[0024] Next, FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the air circuit that constitutes the air leakage test device. This air circuit is used for driving the air actuators provided in each device that constitutes the carriage assembly device 1. In this embodiment, an air leakage test device using this air circuit is configured. The air circuit is provided with a connection joint 41 for connecting to a compressor installed in the factory, and compressed air is supplied to each device while the air supply pipe 42 branches. The air supply pipe 42 is connected to an air combination 44 composed of a filter, a pressure sensor, a pressure regulator, etc. via a 3-port valve 43 for discharging residual pressure, so that removal of moisture, oil, etc. and pressure setting according to the equipment are performed.

[0025] On the secondary side of the air combination 44, the air supply pipe 42 branches to form an air leakage test line for sending compressed air to the load-bearing mechanism 15. An electro-pneumatic regulator 46 and an on-off solenoid valve 47 are sequentially connected to the air supply pipe 45 that constitutes the air leakage test line. Further, the air supply pipe 45 branches into two, and the load pads 26 are connected to each of them. And a dual-speed controller 53 and a pressure sensor 48 are connected to each branched air supply pipe in front of the load pad 26.

[0026] The pressure sensor 48 provided in the air supply pipe 45 is capable of analog voltage output for monitoring the air pressure inside the pipe, and a detection signal is transmitted when the pressure drops below the set pressure. The connection joint 36 of the load pad 26 connected to the air supply section 95 of the air spring 90 is configured to be able to send compressed air to the air spring 90 in an airtight state. Therefore, after supplying compressed air to the air spring 90, when the on-off electromagnetic valve 47 is closed, the air pressure in the closed secondary space including the air spring 90 is kept constant. The pressure sensor 48 transmits a detection signal when such air pressure drops to the set value.

[0027] By the way, the compressed air supplied through the load pad 26 not only inflates the air spring 90 but also flows into the auxiliary air chamber in the bogie frame 81 connected to the lower connecting part of the air spring 90. For the railway bogie 80, a leakage test is performed to check whether there is air leakage in the air piping parts formed in such air springs 90 and bogie frames 81. In the conventional leakage test, as described above, the operator applies soapy water to the air spring 90 and the bogie frame 81, and visually checks whether bubbles are generated from the air piping parts and the mounting surfaces of the air spring 80.

[0028] However, such a conventional leakage test not only places a heavy burden on the operator but also dirties the surroundings with soapy water not only on the air spring 90 and the bogie frame 81, so it was necessary to move the railway bogie 80. Therefore, the leakage test device of the present embodiment is configured to automatically determine leakage without changing the location of the railway bogie 80 assembled by the bogie assembling device 1. Therefore, the control device of the bogie assembling device 1 stores a leakage determination program for performing leakage determination based on the detection signal transmitted from the pressure sensor 48 according to the change in air pressure for the space on the air spring 80 side sealed by shutting off the on-off electromagnetic valve 47.

[0029] The bogie assembly device 1 can assemble and disassemble the bogie frame 81 with respect to the axle 82, similar to the above-mentioned Patent Document 1. In the load application device 3, when assembling, a coil spring in a compressed state is pushed in against its restoring force. When the bogie frame 81 suspended by a crane enters and exits the bogie assembly device 1, the swivel part 111 faces the rail direction as shown by the solid line in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. On the other hand, when pushing in the bogie frame 81, the swivel plate 31 rotates by the output of the swivel drive motor 32 of the swivel mechanism 13, and the swivel part 111 of the support column 11 swivels 90 degrees from the rail direction to the sleeper direction.

[0030] The railway bogie 80 is lifted from the floor surface to a predetermined working height by a lifting device as shown by the dashed-dotted line in Fig. 3. Then, a pushing-in operation against the bogie frame 81 is performed by the load application mechanism 15, and an assembly operation of the bogie frame 81 with respect to the axle 82 is performed. At this time, in the load application mechanism 15, the load application cylinder 21 extends, the piston rod 211 extends vertically while being supported by the guide rod 22, and the load pad 26 connected to the lower end thereof descends. The load pad 26 is applied to the bogie frame 81, and further, when hydraulic pressure acts on the load application cylinder 21, the bogie frame 81 is pushed in by that pressure.

[0031] The assembled railway bogie 80 is equipped with air springs 90 on both its left and right sides as shown in Fig. 1 and is connected to an air pipe section configured on the bogie frame 81 side. For such air springs 90, a connection joint 36 of the load pad 26 is connected to the air supply section 95. That is, in the load application mechanism 15, similar to the case of applying the above-mentioned load, the load pad 26 descends by the extension operation of the load application cylinder 21, and the connection joint 36 is connected to the air supply section 95 of the air spring 90. Since the bogie assembly device 1 also handles components other than the railway bogie 80 and the air springs 90, the sizes may be different from those of the railway bogie 80 and the like. At that time, a fine position adjustment of the connection joint 36 in the load application mechanism 15 is performed by the horizontal movement of the load pad 26 along the guide rail 27.

[0032] Next, when an operator starts the air leakage test from the operation panel provided on the bogie assembly device 1, the control device automatically performs an air leakage determination. For this, first, the on-off solenoid valve 47 in the air supply pipe 45 is switched to the open state, and the compressed air sent from the compressor is supplied to the load pad 26 of the bogie assembly device 1. In the load pad 26, the compressed air sent from the input port is supplied to the air spring 90 through the connection joint 36. Then, the air spring 90 expands due to the supplied compressed air, and the inside of the air piping portion formed in the bogie frame 81 is increased to a predetermined pressure.

[0033] A load cell 37 (see FIG. 4) is provided on the load pad 26, and when the detected value thereof exceeds an abnormal value, the supply of compressed air is emergently stopped. On the other hand, the air pressure of the air spring 90 is detected by the pressure sensor 48, and when the set pressure is reached, the on-off solenoid valve 47 is switched to the closed state, and the supply of compressed air is stopped. The air supply pipe 45 blocked by the on-off solenoid valve 47 has its secondary side in a sealed state and the internal air pressure becomes constant. At this time, if there is no air leakage in the air spring 90 or the air piping portion formed in the bogie frame 81, no reaction occurs, but if leakage occurs, the internal air pressure will decrease.

[0034] When air leakage occurs in the air spring 90 or the air piping portion of the bogie frame 81, the internal pressure gradually decreases, and the state where the air pressure falls below a preset threshold value is detected by the pressure sensor 48. Therefore, the detection signal transmitted from the pressure sensor 48 is received by the control device, and a determination of air leakage occurrence is made. And when air leakage occurs in any of the attachment surface of the air spring or the air piping portion of the bogie, etc., notification to the operator is made by the operation of the alarm display, alarm alarm, etc. provided on the operation panel of the bogie assembly device 1.

[0035] Therefore, according to this embodiment, by adding a leak test device to the bogie assembly device 1, not only the assembly and disassembly operations of the bogie frame 81 but also the leak test can be performed. Since the leak test device uses compressed air, there is no need for operations such as applying soapy water to the air spring 90 and then checking for the presence or absence of bubbles as in the conventional leak test, and the work burden on the operator is significantly reduced. Also, although there is a possibility that the operator may overlook the confirmation of bubbles, according to this embodiment, such human errors can be avoided.

[0036] In addition, in this embodiment, since soapy water is not used, the bogie assembly device 1 composed of various devices and the inside of the pit 5 will not be soiled. Therefore, in addition to the disassembly and assembly of the railway bogie 80, the leak test can also be performed at the same location of the bogie assembly device 1. Also, the leak test device can be configured without significant improvement or cost increase by using the air circuit for driving the air actuators of the devices constituting the bogie assembly device 1. Furthermore, by using the on-off solenoid valve 47, the pressure sensor 48, etc., the automation of leak determination becomes possible.

[0037] As described above, an embodiment of the present invention has been explained, but the present invention is not limited to this, and various changes are possible without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, in the above embodiment, the supply of compressed air to the air spring 90 is configured to use the air circuit for operating the air actuators of the bogie assembly device 1, but a dedicated air circuit for the leak test device may be configured.

Explanation of reference numerals

[0038] 1... Bogie assembly device 3... Load loading device 11... Support column 13... Swivel mechanism 15... Load loading mechanism 21... Load loading cylinder 22... Guide rod 23... Support plate 25... Connecting plate 26... Load pad 27... Guide rail 28... Guide block 36... Connecting joint 37... Load cell 42, 45... Air supply pipe 47... On-off solenoid valve 48... Pressure sensor 80... Bogie for railway vehicle (railway bogie) 81... Bogie frame 82... Axle box 89... Axle box support device 90... Air spring 95... Air supply unit 111... Swivel part

Claims

1. In the assembly of the axle and the bogie frame constituting the bogie for railway vehicles, a load loading device having a load loading cylinder attached to struts erected on both the left and right sides of the bogie for railway vehicles, and pressing the bogie frame from above against the restoring force of the axle spring by the output of the load loading cylinder. The load loading device is configured such that: A connection joint for sending compressed air is formed in a load pad attached to the tip of the piston rod of the load loading cylinder and pressed against the bogie frame, and is connected to an air supply portion of an air spring attached to the bogie frame. An air supply pipe for supplying compressed air is connected to the load pad, and an on-off valve and a pressure detector are connected to the air supply pipe. The bogie assembly device has a leak test device for detecting the air pressure in the secondary side space of the air supply pipe including the air spring by the pressure detector when the on-off valve is closed.

2. The load pad is configured such that a pressing surface directly pressed against the bogie frame is the lower surface, and the connection joint has a female joint structure formed in a recess of the pressing surface with respect to the air supply portion of the air spring having a male joint structure. The bogie assembly device according to Claim 1.

3. The leak test device according to Claim 1, wherein the pressure detector has a notification means for detecting a state in which the air pressure in the secondary side space is lower than a preset threshold value and notifying the occurrence of a leak based on the detection.

4. The strut according to Claim 1, wherein a horizontal portion bent in the horizontal direction is formed at the upper end portion, and the load loading cylinder is attached via a guide member enabling horizontal movement with respect to the horizontal portion.

5. The strut according to Claim 4, comprising a swivel mechanism for changing the direction of the horizontal portion in the rail direction and the sleeper direction perpendicular to the rail direction. The bogie assembly device according to Claim 4.

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