Switch machine

Abstract

A drive unit having an actuating part 6 interacting with a moving part 7 mounted to be movable in an adjusting direction in order to move the moving part 7 in the adjusting direction, an adjusting rod 9 mounted to be movable in the adjusting direction between a first adjusting position and a second adjusting position, the moving part 7 being coupled for driving in the adjusting direction, preferably by a mounting clutch 8, also provided, two tester sliders 12, 13 extending parallel to the adjusting rod 9 and mounted to be movable in the adjusting direction between a first adjusting position and a second adjusting position, and locking sliders 14, 15 displaceable transversely with respect to the adjusting direction, in a point machine, each locking slider 14, 15 is moved by the action of a force to a first locking position at one of the adjusting positions, engages in recesses 16a, 16b of the moving part 7 in the first locking position, the moving part 7 having two movement transmission elements, preferably rocker arms 20a, 20b, arranged on the moving part 7, which are operable by the actuating part 6 and can convert at least part of the movement of the actuating part 6 into the movement of actuating members 19a, 19b displaceable in a first recess 16a and a second recess 16b in the moving part 7, the actuating members 19a, 19b being arranged in the locking position between the locking sliders 14, 15 and the adjusting rod 9 and engaging in recesses 18a, 18b in the adjusting rod 7 in the first locking position of the locking sliders 14, 15.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention comprises a drive unit having an engagement component that interacts with a sliding part mounted to be displaceable in a path setting direction in order to displace the sliding part in the path setting direction, and is mounted to be displaceable in the path setting direction between a first path setting position and a second path setting position. The sliding part further comprises an operating rod that is preferably drivingly coupled in the path setting direction by a ride-on coupling part. The present invention further relates to a point path setting device that further comprises two detector sliders that extend parallel to the operating rod and are mounted to be movable in the path setting direction between the first path setting position and the second path setting position, and a locking slider that is movable across the path setting direction.

Background Art

[0002] This type of point path setting device is described in DE19525012A1 and DE202018101643U1.

[0003] An integrated end position monitoring device is provided for a movable point part, in particular a route setting device for a tongue rail or a movable frog etc., which is generally known as belonging to the prior art. In a known route setting device, the mechanical switching of the movable point part is effected with the aid of an electromechanical or hydraulic drive unit which drives an operating rod, in which case a locking device integrated in the point route setting drive locks the end position of the operating rod and an end position monitoring device is also provided. Such an end position monitoring device is used to mechanically investigate the current state of the point and generate a monitoring signal which can be used to reliably determine whether the point has moved correctly and whether the adjacent and remote tongue rails are in their respective correct end positions. The end position monitoring device extends essentially transversely to the longitudinal direction of the rail and comprises two detector sliders which each displace in their longitudinal direction when the point is switched. The position of the detector sliders is detected with the aid of an electromechanical transducer, which can be integrated in the route setting device, for example in the form of a limit switch or a tongue rail monitoring contact.

[0004] The integrated locking device of the electromechanical route setting device according to DE19525012A1 is movable transversely to the displacement direction of the operating rod and comprises two locking sliders which each engage firmly in a locking recess of the operating rod in each locking position. The first locking slider is provided for locking the operating rod in one end position and the second locking slider is provided for locking the operating rod in the other end position. In the design according to DE19525012A1, the locking sliders are also designed to engage simultaneously in the respective locking recesses of the detector sliders in the locking positions in order to lock the detector sliders in each end position.

[0005] The locking slider is spring-biased in the direction of the operating rod or the detector slider so as to be spring-biased and engaged in each locking recess. Therefore, in order to unlock each end position, it is necessary to pull out each locking slider from the locking recess. For this purpose, in the subject matter of DE19525012A1, a so-called operating bar is provided, which, during the switching process, displaces the locking slider by moving the inclined surface of the operating bar along the roller surface arranged on the locking slider against the spring force acting on the locking slider. The operating bar is driven in the switching direction by the engaging part of the drive unit, so that the actual switching of the operating rod will occur after passing through the free stroke. However, during the free stroke, the operating bar has already been moved in the switching direction to unlock the above-mentioned locking device. After moving through the free stroke, the engaging part pulls in the switching direction the sliding part that is drivingly coupled to the operating rod in the route setting direction. By this series of movements, the operating rod and the detector slider are reliably unlocked before the switching movement of the operating rod or the tong rail starts.

[0006] To enable boarding of the point, the sliding part can be coupled to the operating rod by a boarding-corresponding coupling part. In a normal point switching operation, the operating movement provided by the sliding part is transmitted to the operating rod via the boarding-corresponding coupling part. However, when boarding of the point occurs, since too strong a force acts on the operating rod with the actuator locked, the boarding-corresponding coupling part is overwhelmed and the operating rod is displaced to the other end position relative to the sliding part. In order to also reliably unlock the operating rod and the detector slider during boarding, according to the design of DE19525012A1, the locking slider at the locking position is made to be pushed out from the locking recess of the operating rod when the operating rod is displaced as a result of boarding. This is facilitated by the inclined side surface of the locking slider sliding in contact with the corresponding inclined contact surface of the locking recess.

[0007] The operating bar provided in the above prior art has several disadvantages. Since there is an operating bar, the ride-on coupling part can only be attached in the side area of the sliding part, resulting in an asymmetric force transmission. Furthermore, the system surrounding the ride-on coupling part has a complicated design and an asymmetric positional relationship. The operating bar also requires a complicated bearing. Another disadvantage is that unlocking by the inclined surface on the surface of the operating bar causes an undesirable force transmission, which has an adverse effect on the wear state.

[0008] In addition, since the above-described point route setting device is designed to be attached to only one front face of the point route setting drive unit, it is only possible with great effort to convert from a position installed on the right side of the point to a position installed on the left side, or vice versa. In the electromechanical point route setting drive unit described in the prior art, such a conversion is performed by maintaining the wall portion of the housing from which the operating rod and any detector slider exit the housing when the point route setting drive unit is installed on the right or left side of the point as viewed from a specific moving direction. For this purpose, the entire housing has to be rotated 180°, and as a result, the detector slider will be on the wrong side of the operating rod. Therefore, it becomes necessary to remove and reinstall the detector slider, and for each installation position, there will be one guide track on the left side and one on the right side along the operating rod. This means that installation space is required for the two guide tracks for the detector slider. Also, the locking slider has to be adapted to the modified detector slider and guide track. Furthermore, it can be assumed that the contact of the end position monitoring device has to be adapted to the 180°-rotated housing in order to output a monitoring signal corresponding to the point route setting.

[0009] A hydraulic point route setting drive unit having a front face that can be used on both sides so as not to rotate 180° even when the installation position changes is known from the current state of the art. This principle has not yet been used for electromechanical point route setting drive units because the design is difficult and excessive space is required.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0010]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0011] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks and create a point route setting device with a simple and robust design that enables safe operation. It should also be possible to create a point route setting device that requires the following installation space in the past. This is regardless of whether the point route setting device is driven electrohydraulically or electromechanically, and is preferably mountable, and it is suitable for mounting the front of one side of the housing or the fronts of both sides of the housing in the direction of the point.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0012] To solve this problem, essentially according to a first aspect of the present invention in a point path setting device of the type mentioned at the beginning, a first locking slider can be displaced at a first path setting position to a first locking position where the first locking slider engages in a first recess of a sliding part, biased; a second locking slider can be displaced at a second path setting position to the first locking position where the second locking slider engages in a second recess of the sliding part, biased; preferably, two movement transmission elements, which are rocker levers, are arranged on the sliding part and are operable by an engagement part, at least a part of the movement of the engagement part is converted into the movement of an actuator, the actuator can be displaced respectively in the first recess and the second recess of the sliding part, and is arranged at a locking position between on one hand the first locking slider or the second locking slider and on the other hand an operating rod, such that when the first locking slider or the second locking slider is in the first locking position, it engages in the first recess or the second recess of the operating rod.

[0013] Accordingly, the present invention is preferably designed not to directly interact each locking slider with the operating rod at the locking position, but rather to be operable by a movement transmission element which is preferably designed as a roller or a drum rotatably mounted at least in the contact area with the operating rod or the locking slider. The locking effect of the locking slider is achieved by engaging with the recess in the sliding part. The actuator is designed to move each locking slider from its locking position to the release position at the beginning of the switching process, i.e., to move it out of the interference with the recess of the sliding part. This is achieved by the movement transmission element being driven by the drive unit via the engaging parts at the beginning of the switching process and by the actuator pushing out the locking slider. Thereby, each path setting position, i.e., the end position can be unlocked by simple means. By providing separate movement transmission elements, in particular rocker levers, to unlock each of the two end positions, the corresponding unlocking mechanism can be realized separately, and in this case, it is particularly advantageous that the movement transmission elements are arranged in mirror symmetry. Thereby, it is also possible to arrange the ride-on coupling part between the movement transmission elements and thus at the center of the sliding part, so that the force is not transmitted asymmetrically.

[0014] According to a preferred design, the movement transmission elements are pivotally mounted and each designed as a rocker lever with a first lever arm operable by the engaging parts and a second lever arm provided with a corresponding actuator.

[0015] A further advantage of unlocking by means of movement transmission elements, in particular rocker levers, and the actuators operable thereby, compared to a design with an operating bar, is that the unlocking mechanism can be arranged between the drive unit and the housing base to save space, that material can be saved, that the manufacturing effort is reduced, and that a small bush is sufficient to guide the rocker lever, so that the guide rod of the operating bar can be dispensed with.

[0016] With the configuration of the present invention, the unlocking process is also not affected by reverse stress. The reverse stress may be caused by, for example, a foreign object being pinched or the point tong rail bending, and brings stress to the components involved in locking each end position. However, since the locking slider at the first locking position does not directly engage with the operating rod but engages with the sliding portion, the reverse stress acting on the locking slider is limited to a certain extent that can be transmitted by the ride-on coupling portion or the operating force of the point route setting device. In order to unlock the locking slider, first, the spring force acting on it and the frictional force caused by being fixed to the sliding portion must be overcome. The locking slider can be surely unlocked by a rocker lever that transmits the operating force of a movement transmission element, for example, a driving portion, to the locking slider through an actuator without basically attenuating it.

[0017] Locking the sliding part according to the invention with the aid of a locking slider engaging in a corresponding recess in the sliding part has the advantage that the locking slider stops in each recess in both path-setting directions, i.e. is basically received without play, so that the position of the sliding part in the locked path-setting position is clearly determined by the position of the recess in the sliding part. Preferably, in at least some regions, the locking slider engaging with the recess has a conical geometry, by which the sliding part can be reliably locked without play. In this case, the conical geometry includes a change in the cross-section of the locking slider, for which the width of the cross-section measured in the path-setting direction preferably decreases continuously towards the free end of the locking slider. As a result, two main advantages arise: 1. The impact on the tong rail is directly absorbed by the locking unit, protecting the drive unit including the spindle from damage caused by the impact; 2. By fixing the reference positions of the sliding part and the operating rod, it is possible to detect any operating-related deviations in the measurement results of the gap measurement of the detector as quickly and accurately as possible. Determining the actual gap of the detector depends to some extent on the position of the sliding part connected to the operating rod being the same and clearly defined even when repeated. Therefore, defining the position of the sliding part with the operating rod contributes to safety.

[0018] Locking the sliding part according to the invention with the aid of a locking slider engaging in a corresponding recess in the sliding part also has the advantage that the path-setting reciprocating stroke of the operating rod is clearly defined by the distance between two recesses in the sliding part and is easily recognizable. The path-setting reciprocating stroke can be changed by replacing the sliding part with correspondingly spaced recesses, for example, it can be 150 mm, 180 mm or 220 mm. Instead of replacing the entire sliding part to change the distance between the recesses, only a part of the sliding part can be replaced. For example, the two recesses can be provided as parts of the sliding part in the form of inserts that can be assembled with the sliding part in an exchangeable manner.

[0019] In addition to the locking of the operating rod, in a preferred further development of the invention, in order to provide a second locking stage as a stage of reverse return therefrom, the first locking slider engages in a first recess of the detector slider in the first locking position, and the second locking slider engages in a second recess of the detector slider in the first locking position. Also by this, the detector slider is secured in the end position.

[0020] Consideration must be given to ensuring that the detector slider is reliably unlocked when boarding the point. In this case, the unlocking does not occur by actively operating the movement transmission element, specifically the rocker lever, but can occur by the actuator being pushed out of the recess of the operating rod as a result of the relative displacement of the operating rod with respect to the sliding part. In a preferred design in this situation, the recess of the actuator and / or the operating rod is dimensioned such that it pushes the first locking slider or the second locking slider out of the first recess or the second recess of the operating rod as a result of the boarding process. In this process, the actuator is pushed out of the first recess or the second recess of the operating rod by the relative displacement of the operating rod with respect to the locked sliding part, and the first locking slider or the second locking slider is pushed into a second locking position where the first locking slider remains engaged with the first recess of the sliding part and the second locking slider remains engaged with the second recess of the sliding part while the detector slider is released. This second locking position of the locking slider is between the first locking position and the release position, and has the advantage that the sliding part remains locked and the boarding process can be detected when boarding the point occurs at the second locking position.

[0021] During the switching process, before the operating rod is set to move, in order to ensure that each end position is reliably unlocked, preferably, in order to pull the sliding part in each route setting direction after the free stroke, the engaging part is made to interact with the corresponding stop part of the sliding part. In this case, the second lever arm of each movement transmission element, specifically each rocker lever, can be actuated along the free stroke by the engaging part.

[0022] Specifically, in this case, the actuator of the second lever arm at the end of the free stroke of the engaging component displaces the first locking slider and the second locking slider out of the engaged state with the first recess and the second recess of the sliding part, so as to occupy the release position.

[0023] In this situation, the first locking slider and the second locking slider are designed to be disengaged from the engaged state with the first recess and the second recess of the detector slider at the second locking position.

[0024] According to a preferred further development, the first locking slider and the second locking slider are each provided with a first locking projection and a second locking projection. In this case, the first locking projection is arranged to engage into the first recess and the second recess of the sliding part at the first locking position and the second locking position of the locking slider respectively, and the second locking projection is arranged to engage into the first recess and the second recess of the detector slider respectively at the first locking position.

[0025] It is already known per se that the first locking slider and the second locking slider can interact with respective electric switches that indicate that the correct end position has been reached.

[0026] In order to achieve a compact configuration, by a preferred design, the first locking slider and the second locking slider are guided into a sliding mechanism that crosses the path setting direction. This sliding mechanism makes it possible to better absorb the locking force acting on the locking slider in the displacement direction, that is, across the path setting direction.

[0027] It is particularly advantageous that the locking slider is guided into a locking block that firmly surrounds the locking slider that slides relative to each other on two outer surfaces.

[0028] To correspond to a more preferred embodiment of the present invention, when the detector slider passes through the locking block, in their arrangement, the entire installation space occupied in the housing becomes smaller. In addition, the locking block can radially provide the detector slider to fix the detector slider with respect to the locking slider in its position, whereby a simple and at the same time stable position fixing is surely performed.

[0029] In order to enable the point route setting device according to the present invention to be simply converted from the right installation position to the left installation position, or vice versa, without changing components if possible, preferably, the point route setting device further includes a housing in which a drive unit, an engaging component, a sliding part, a mounting corresponding coupling part, and a locking slider are arranged, and the operating rod and the detector slider each pass through a housing opening of the housing in opposite housing wall parts and are displaceably mounted in the housing opening. Depending on the installation position, the operating rod and the detector slider can protrude from either one of the housing wall parts or the other housing wall part and can be guided by the tongue rail. In this case, specifically, other assemblies such as the locking slider, the engaging component, the sliding part, and the mounting corresponding coupling part do not require any adjustment device. Arranging the components centrally and designing them symmetrically is particularly advantageous for this.

[0030] Overall, the present invention enables the point route setting device to be designed in a modular manner. In this design, for example, the drive unit can be replaced as a module without the need to remove or convert other sub-assemblies. For example, a drive unit having an electromechanical drive part such as an electric motor, or a drive unit having an electro-hydraulic drive part, that is, a hydraulic cylinder-piston unit operated by electricity, can be installed.

[0031] Another advantage to mention in this context is the use of movement transmission elements such as a rocker lever for the locking mechanism and the unlocking mechanism, which are installed outside the replacement path of the module, and thus also advantageously contributes to the modular design of the point route setting device. Although the modules are locked to each other in a fixed position, they do not ride on top of each other. As a result, each module can be easily lifted upward and removed individually after loosening the screw connection to the housing, for example, it can be easily replaced.

[0032] In order to further improve the compatibility of one or both fronts of the point route setting drive unit being arranged in the direction of the point regardless of the (hydraulic or mechanical) form of the drive, a further aspect of the present invention is provided below, whereby on the one hand, the required components and installation space are less than those of the conventional solutions according to the prior art, and on the other hand, maintenance and wear are reduced. The further aspect is independent of the first aspect of the present invention.

[0033] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a locking block for a point route setting device is provided, which includes two side walls and at least one locking slider guided between the side walls for displacement, in order to lock at least one locking slider and the operating rod of the point route setting device. The side walls each have an opening for guiding at least one detector slider through the locking block in a direction extending across the displacement direction of at least one locking slider.

[0034] In a symmetric design where only one guiding track is required for the detector slider, the guiding track of one or more detector sliders extends through the locking block, and the installation space can be further saved. For example, the wall or housing of the locking block surrounding the locking slider is provided with an inner hole, a recess or a notch so that the detector slider is guided through it.

[0035] Preferably, the vertical recess is also provided in a locking slider extending between the wall portions of the locking block. One vertical surface of the vertical recess can be used to lock two detector sliders that vertically overlap each other and pass through the vertical recess. Therefore, the detector slider is locked within the locking block.

[0036] By being arranged in the center, when an abnormally high tension occurs within the point route setting device, the relative positions among the detector rod, the locking block, and the locking slider are ensured.

[0037] According to a third aspect of the present invention, a locking device for a point route setting device is provided. This locking device includes a sliding portion that is drivable by a drive unit and is mounted so as to be displaceable in the route setting direction. The sliding portion has an inner hole passing therethrough for receiving an operating rod. At least one recess is formed within the sliding portion for inserting a locking slider for locking the sliding portion across the route setting direction. In this case, at least one recess opens into the inner hole.

[0038] With such a design, both the sliding portion and the operating rod guided therein to be locked can be locked by a single locking slider as already described in relation to the first aspect of the present invention. Specifically, the operating rod can be contacted by the locking slider via an actuator, or the actuator can spatially overlap the inner hole within the sliding portion. In this case, the operating rod preferably can include a recess for engaging with the actuator.

[0039] Particularly when using an actuator with a circular cross-section, by combining a circular recess within the operating rod that matches it, it is possible to avoid the stress concentration being promoted by the notch within the operating rod.

[0040] If the actuator moves to the same height as the recess in the operating rod during the route setting movement and the end position is locked by a larger recess in the sliding part, the recess in the operating rod is significantly smaller, and thus the impact on the cross-section of the operating rod may be smaller.

[0041] Another advantage is that all the main positions of the components are investigated centrally and in a straight line without branching, thereby saving space.

[0042] The locking device according to the third aspect of the present invention can be particularly advantageously combined with the locking block according to the second aspect of the present invention in such a way that the locking device and the locking block are adjacent to each other. This saves space and material and enables the components to have multiple functions. Furthermore, this makes it possible to form a particularly short locking slider, and as a result, material is saved.

[0043] For this purpose, when at least one locking slider is in a release position where it is disengaged from the engagement state with the recess in the sliding part, the sliding part may be made to slide along at least one locking slider.

[0044] Preferably, the sliding part can also be slidably arranged on the locking block, specifically on its side wall surface.

[0045] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a point route setting device is provided, which includes a locking device according to the third aspect of the present invention, a locking block according to the second aspect of the present invention, an engaging component that interacts with a sliding part mounted displaceably in the route setting direction to displace the sliding part in the route setting direction, and a housing in which an operating rod is arranged that is mounted displaceably in the route setting direction between a first route setting position and a second route setting position, and the sliding part is preferably drivingly coupled in the route setting direction by a riding mating coupling.

[0046] This enables the individual modules of the point path setting device within the housing, namely a) the drive unit, b) the operating rod and the sliding part, and c) the locking block, to be advantageously arranged. These three modules are arranged adjacent to each other in a direction transverse to the path setting direction such that the operating rod and the sliding part are disposed between the drive unit and the locking block. In this case, the modules mesh with each other but do not overlap, and as a result, if they can be removed upward from the housing independently of each other, the individual modules can be installed or removed independently of the other modules.

[0047] Preferably, the engaging components of the sliding part and the drive unit are guided riding on rollers in the groove in the housing base, and as a result, space-saving guidance is achieved without the need for a sliding rod or the like.

[0048] Furthermore, it is advantageous to arrange the modules symmetrically about the center between two housing wall parts facing each other in the path setting direction. As a result, the point path setting device is suitable for use at both sides, i.e., the left or right installation positions. Changing the installation position can also be easily achieved by virtue of the fact that the connecting part for the crank handle of any provided manual drive part is arranged at the upper part of the housing. In this case, the rotational movement of the crank handle is transmitted to the drive shaft or the gear shaft of the path setting drive part by a flexible shaft within the housing.

[0049] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the embodiments schematically shown in the drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0050]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0051] FIG. 1 shows the point route setting device 1. Inside its housing 2, all the components necessary for driving and transmitting the operating movement, locking the end position, monitoring the end position, and enabling the point to be mounted are arranged. A drive part is provided which includes an electric motor 3 and a spindle gear driven by the electric motor 3 with a gear device 4 intervening therebetween, whereby a linear operating movement in the axial direction of the spindle 5 is brought about. For this purpose, an engaging component 6 provided with a spindle nut interacts with the sliding part 7 in a form described in more detail below to transmit the operating movement to the sliding part 7. The sliding part 7 is coupled to the operating rod 9 via a mounting corresponding coupling part 8, and through which the operating movement is transmitted to a tong rail (not shown) according to the double arrows 10. The sliding part 7 and the engaging component 6 are preferably guided by riding on rollers in a groove at the housing base.

[0052] The crank handle 11 is a part of the manual drive part that can manually operate the drive part when necessary.

[0053] The detector sliders 12, 13 are connected to the tong rail and are adapted to confirm that the end positions are correctly occupied. This tong rail is also mounted in the housing 2 so that it can be moved along the double arrows. Further, a first locking slider 14 and a second locking slider 15 are provided, which are guided transversely so as to be movable separately from each other between a release position and at least one locking position, more specifically in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal directions of the operating rod 9 and the detector sliders 12, 13. In the locking position, as will be described in more detail in the following figures, the operating rod 9 and the detector sliders 12, 13 are locked in their corresponding end positions by the corresponding locking sliders 14, 15.

[0054] In FIG. 2, the route setting device is shown in a form in the right end position. To lock this end position, the first locking slider 14, on which the force of the spring 17 acts, enters, by means of a locking projection, into the first recess or slot 16a on the left side of the sliding part 7. The locking projection is spring-biased and pressed against the roller 19a and enters into the first recess 18a of the operating rod 9 (see FIGS. 7 and 8). The roller 19a is arranged on the first lever arm 21a of the rocker lever 20a, and the rocker lever 20a is pivotally mounted on the sliding part 7 around the shaft 22a. The second lever arm 23a is arranged to be actuated by the engaging part 6. To lock the left end position, a mirror image of the described components is provided on the right side of the sliding part 7. Accordingly, the rocker lever 20b is pivotally mounted on the sliding part 7 so as to pivot around the shaft 22b, the first lever arm 23b is arranged to be actuated by the engaging part 6, and the second lever arm 21b carries the roller 19b which is movably held in the second recess 18b of the operating rod 9.

[0055] In the end position shown in FIG. 2, the locking projection of the first locking slider 14 also engages respectively with the first recesses 25, 26 of the first detector slider 12 and the second detector slider 13, so as to confirm or lock the detector sliders 12, 13 in their end positions.

[0056] In FIGS. 2 and 3, the engaging component 6 engages between two stop portions 24a, 24b on the sliding portion 7 and interacts with the opposing 24a or 24b only after passing through the free stroke x starting from the end position. As a result, it can be seen that the sliding portion 7 is dimensioned to be moved in the switching direction only after this free stroke x. To unlock the end position shown in FIG. 2, the engaging component 6 is moved to the left by the drive unit, whereby the engaging component 6 actuates the first lever arm 23a of the rocker lever 20a when passing through the free stroke x. As a result, the rocker lever 20a pivots around the shaft 22a, and the roller 19a disposed on the second lever arm 21a pops out from the first recess 18a of the operating rod 9 and pushes the first locking slider 14 out of the first recess 16a of the sliding portion 7. At the same time, the detector sliders 12, 13 are also unlocked. In this way, the unlocked state of FIG. 3 is achieved. The free stroke x consists of a first partial stroke and a second partial stroke. The rocker lever 20a is not yet driven during the first partial stroke. This distance until the rocker lever operates is larger in the case of a variant having an electromechanical drive unit than in the case of a hydraulic drive unit. Then, the second stroke is used to actuate the rocker lever 20a.

[0057] When the engaging component 6 is further displaced to the left, as shown in Fig. 4, since it hits the stop portion 24a of the sliding portion 7, the sliding portion 7 is displaced together with the operating rod 9 to which it is coupled. The detector sliders 12, 13 are also pulled in the switching direction by the tong rail. After passing through the entire switching stroke, reaching the left end position shown in Fig. 5 occurs, where now the spring-biased second locking slider 15 can enter into the second recess or slot 16b of the sliding portion 7. At this time, the second locking slider 15 pushes the roller 19b arranged on the first lever arm 21b of the rocker lever 20b into the second recess 18b of the operating rod 7, and thus locks the operating rod 9 at the left end position as shown in Fig. 6. At the same time, the locking protrusion of the second locking slider 15 engages into the second recesses 27, 28 of the detector sliders 12, 13, and the detector sliders 12, 13 are also confirmed or locked at their end positions.

[0058] In Figs. 2 to 6, it is also shown that the first locking slider 14 and the second locking slider 15 are firmly received in the locking block 29 and are guided in the displacement direction there.

[0059] The left end position is again shown in the cross-sectional views according to FIGS. 7 and 8, and the details of the design of the boarding-corresponding coupling part 8 are also shown in FIG. 7. The boarding-corresponding coupling part 8 includes a compression element 30 that is pressed against the operating rod 9 while sandwiching a ball or roller 32 by a spring 31. In this case, the ball or roller 32 engages in a recess 33 of the operating rod 9, whereby the operating rod 9 is surely coupled to the sliding part 7 in a force-applied and shape-conforming manner. When boarding occurs at the point, since too much force is applied to the operating rod 9 by the tong rail and to the sliding part 7 locked therefrom, the ball or roller 32 is pressed upward against the force of the spring 31 together with the compression element 30, and as a result, the operating rod 9 is displaced with respect to the sliding part 7. This is shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. Comparing FIGS. 8 and 10, while moving upward, at the same time, the roller 19b is pushed out from the second recess 18b of the operating rod 9, whereby the roller 19b pushes the second locking slider 15 back into the second recess 16b of the sliding part 7. However, the second locking slider 15 remains in an intermediate position (the second locking position), and at this position, the sliding part 7 remains locked. However, the displacement of the second locking slider 15 is sufficient for the protrusions attached to the detector sliders 12, 13 to pop out from the second recesses 27 or 28 of the detector sliders 12, 13, releasing the detector sliders 12, 13 and detecting the boarding.

[0060] Since the unlocking of the detector sliders 12 and 13 described here occurs only after a certain switching stroke, the second recess 27 formed in the first detector slider 12 is larger in the longitudinal direction than the second recess 28 formed in the second detector slider 13. This takes into account that at the right-hand end position shown here, where the point lift occurs, the first detector slider 12 is assigned to the remote tongue rail that displaces ahead of the adjacent tongue rail during the lift process. The same applies to the first recesses 25 and 26 that act at the other end position. In this case, conversely, since the second detector slider 13 is assigned to the remote tongue rail, the first recess 26 formed in the second detector slider 13 is longer than the first recess 25 formed in the first detector slider 12.

Claims

1. A drive unit having an engagement part (6) that interacts with the sliding part (7) which is mounted so as to be displaceable in the path setting direction in order to displace the sliding part (7) in the path setting direction, mounted so as to be displaceable in the path setting direction between a first path setting position and a second path setting position, the sliding part (7) further comprising an operating rod (9) that is preferably drivingly coupled in the path setting direction by a ride-on corresponding coupling part (8), two detector sliders (12, 13) that extend parallel to the operating rod (9) and are mounted so as to be movable in the path setting direction between the first path setting position and the second path setting position, and locking sliders (14, 15) that are movable across the path setting direction, a point path setting device, wherein the first locking slider (14) is biased at the first path setting position to be displaceable to a first locking position in which the first locking slider (14) engages in a first recess (16a) of the sliding part (7), the second locking slider (15) is biased at the second path setting position to be displaceable to a first locking position in which the second locking slider (15) engages in a second recess (16b) of the sliding part (7), preferably two movement transmission elements, which are rocker levers (20a, 20b), are arranged on the surface of the sliding part (7), are operable by the engagement part (6), convert at least a part of the movement of the engagement part (6) into the movement of the actuators (19a, 19b), the actuators are displaceable respectively in the first recess (16a) and the second recess (16b) of the sliding part (7), and are arranged in the locking positions between on the one hand the first locking slider (14) and the second locking slider (15) respectively and on the other hand the operating rod (9), and when the first locking slider (14) and the second locking slider (15) are respectively in the first locking positions, they engage respectively in a first recess (18a) or a second recess (18b) of the operating rod (9), a point path setting device characterized thereby.

2. The first locking slider (14) engages within the first recesses (25, 26) of the detector slider (12, 13) at the first locking position, and the second locking slider (15) engages within the second recesses (27, 28) of the detector slider (12, 13) at the first locking position. The point route setting device according to claim 1, characterized in that.

3. The actuator (19a, 19b) is dimensioned to displace the first locking slider (14) or the second locking slider (15) as a result of the boarding process. In this process, the actuator (19a, 19b) is pushed out of the first recess (18a) or the second recess (18b) of the operating rod (9) by the relative displacement of the operating rod (9) with respect to the locked sliding part (7). The first locking slider (14) remains engaged with the first recess (16a) of the sliding part (7) or the second locking slider (15) remains engaged with the second recess (16b) of the sliding part (7), but the detector slider (12, 13) is pushed into a second locking position where it is released. The point route setting device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that.

4. The engaging part (6) interacts with each stop part (24a, 24b) of the sliding part (7) in order to accompany the sliding part (7) in each of the route setting directions after at least one free stroke (x). Each of the movement transmission elements is operable along the free stroke (x) by the engaging part (6). The point route setting device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that.

5. The actuator (19a, 19b) disengages the first locking slider (14) and the second locking slider (15) from the engaged state with the recesses (16a, 16b) of the sliding part (7) and moves them to the end of the free stroke (x) of the engaging part (6), so as to occupy the release position. The point route setting device according to claim 4, characterized in that.

6. The first locking slider (14) and the second locking slider (15) are designed to be disengaged from the engagement states with the first recesses (25, 26) and the second recesses (27, 28) of the detector sliders (12, 13) respectively at the second locking position. The point route setting device according to any one of claims 2 to 5.

7. The actuator (19a, 19b) is designed as a roller or a drum rotatably mounted at least in the contact area with the operating rod or the locking slider. The point route setting device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The first locking slider (14) and the second locking slider (15) are guided to slide in contact with each other across the route setting direction. The point route setting device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The first locking slider (14) and the second locking slider (15) interact with each electric switch. The point route setting device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The point route setting device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising a housing (2) in which the drive unit, the engaging component (6), the sliding part (7), the riding corresponding coupling part (8), and the locking sliders (14, 15) are arranged, wherein the operating rod (9) and the detector sliders (12, 13) each pass through a housing opening of the housing (2) in the opposing housing wall portions and are displaceably mounted within the housing opening.

11. The detector sliders (12, 13) pass through a locking block (29) inside which the first locking slider (14) and the second locking slider (15) are displaceably guided. The point route setting device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A locking block (29) for a point route setting device, comprising two side walls and at least one locking slider (14, 15) displaceably guided between the side walls for locking at least one detector slider (12, 13) and an operating rod (9) of the point route setting device, wherein each of the side walls is provided with an opening for guiding at least one of the detector sliders (12, 13) through the locking block (29) in a direction transverse to the displacement direction of at least one of the locking sliders (14, 15).

13. The locking block according to claim 12, characterized in that the locking block (29) comprises an electrical switch contact part for checking the position of at least one of the locking sliders (14, 15).

14. The locking block according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that at least one of the locking sliders (14, 15) has a locking protrusion in a region existing within the locking block (29), and the locking protrusion engages within a recess (25, 26, 27, 28) of at least one of the detector sliders (12, 13) in a locking position.

15. The locking block according to claim 12, 13 or 14, characterized in that two locking sliders (14, 15) are provided which are arranged side by side and guided to slide in contact with each other between the side walls.

16. The locking block according to any one of claims 12 to 15, characterized in that two detector sliders (12, 13) are provided which are arranged vertically one above the other.

17. A locking device for a point route setting device, comprising a sliding part (7) which can be driven by a drive unit and is mounted so as to be displaceable in a route setting direction, the sliding part (7) having an inner hole passing through the sliding part (7) for receiving the operating rod (9), and at least one recess (16a, 16b) for inserting a locking slider (14, 15) for locking the sliding part (7) is formed in the sliding part (7) so as to be insertable transverse to the route setting direction, wherein at least one of the recesses (16a, 16b) opens into the inner hole.

18. The locking device according to claim 17, characterized in that the inner hole is cylindrical and the recesses (16a, 16b) are designed to receive the locking slider displaceable in the radial direction with respect to the inner hole.

19. The locking device according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that the operating rod (9) can be contacted by the locking sliders (14, 15) via actuators (19a, 19b), and / or the actuators (19a, 19b) spatially overlap above the inner hole in the sliding part.

20. The locking device according to claim 17, 18 or 19, characterized in that the sliding part (7) is drivingly coupled to the operating rod (9) in the path setting direction via a boarding corresponding coupling part (8) arranged in the center of the sliding part (7).

21. The locking device according to claim 19 or 20, characterized in that the operating rod (9) has recesses (18a, 18b) for engaging with the actuators (19a, 19b), and the recesses (18a, 18b) are preferably limited in one path setting direction by an inclined contact surface.

22. The locking device according to any one of claims 17 to 21, characterized in that the sliding part (7) has opposing stop parts (24a, 24b) for the engaging parts (6) of the drive unit and can be pulled in the path setting direction by the engaging parts (6), and at least one movement transmission element is provided on the surface of the sliding part (7) to convert at least part of the movement of the engaging parts (6) along the free stroke of the engaging parts (6) into the movement of the actuators (19a, 19b) in the direction of disengaging the locking sliders (14, 15).

23. The locking device according to claim 22, characterized in that the movement transmission element is designed as a rocker lever (20a, 20b).

24. Two recesses (16a, 16b) are formed in the sliding part (7), and locking sliders (14, 15) for locking the sliding part (7) can be inserted across the path setting direction in each of the recesses (16a, 16b), an actuator (19a, 19b) can be accommodated in each recess (16a, 16b), each of the actuators (19a, 19b) can be actuated by its own motion transmission element, and the recesses (16a, 16b), the actuators (19a, 19b) and the motion transmission element are preferably arranged symmetrically about the central axis of the sliding part. The locking device according to claim 22 or 23.

25. The locking device according to any one of claims 17 to 24, further comprising a locking block according to any one of claims 12 to 16, wherein the sliding part (7) is disengaged from the engaging state with the recesses (16a, 16b) of the sliding part (7). At the release position of the locking slider (14, 15), it is slidably disposed on the surface of at least one of the locking sliders (14, 15).

26. The locking device according to claim 25, wherein the sliding part (7) is arranged to slide on the side wall surface of the locking block (29), particularly the locking block (29).

27. The point path setting device includes a locking device according to any one of claims 17 to 26, a locking block (29) according to any one of claims 12 to 16, and the sliding part (7) mounted so as to be displaceable in the path setting direction. A drive unit (3) having an engaging component (6) that interacts to displace the sliding part (7) in the path setting direction, and a motion rod (9) mounted to be displaceable in the path setting direction between a first path setting position and a second path setting position, and the sliding part (7) is preferably driven and coupled in the path setting direction by a riding corresponding coupling part (8). A housing (2) is provided.

28. The point path setting device according to claim 27, wherein the locking block (29) includes a terminal position monitoring contact that can be actuated by at least one of the locking sliders (14, 15).

29. The detector sliders (12, 13) passing through the locking block (29) each pass through a housing opening of the housing (2) in opposing housing wall portions and are displaceably mounted within the housing opening, and the locking block (29) is preferably arranged centrally between the housing wall portions. The point route setting device according to claim 27 or 28.

30. The sliding part (7) coupled to the operating rod (9) is arranged centrally between the housing wall portions at an intermediate position located midway between the first route setting direction and the second route setting direction. The point route setting device according to claim 27, 28 or 29.

31. The boarding corresponding coupling part (8) is arranged centrally on the sliding part (7) in the route setting direction. The point route setting device according to any one of claims 27 to 30.

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