Equipment for processing wheel sets for railway vehicles

Abstract

A device (7, 7') for processing wheel sets (8) for railway vehicles, comprising: support rollers (12) for rotatably holding the wheel set (8), at least two of which are assigned to each of the two wheels (9) of the wheel set (8), at least one of which has an actuator for rotating the wheel set (8) and / or is provided with at least one actuating roller for rotating the wheel set (8); and guide rollers (13) for axially guiding the wheel set (8), at least one guide roller ( The device (7, 7') is shown and described, comprising guide rollers (13), one of which is assigned to each of the two wheels (9) of a wheel set (8), tools for machining the wheel set (8), in particular the running surface and / or brake disc of said wheel set (8), at least one tool being assigned to each of the two wheels (9) of the wheel set (8), and at least one handling device (1) for mounting and moving thrust bearings (10) for radially fixing the wheel set (8), the handling device (1) being assigned to each of the two wheels (9) of the wheel set (8). In order to be able to easily and quickly reposition and replace the thrust bearings (10) used for fixing the wheel set (8), it is proposed that the minimum required handling device (1) should have at least two degrees of freedom of movement, in particular at least three degrees of freedom of movement.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The invention relates to an apparatus for machining wheel sets for railway vehicles, comprising support rollers for rotatably holding the wheel set, at least two of which are assigned to each of the two wheels of the wheel set, at least one of which has an actuator for rotating the wheel set and / or is provided with at least one actuating roller for rotating the wheel set, guide rollers for axially guiding the wheel set, at least one guide roller is assigned to each of the two wheels of the wheel set, tools for machining the wheel set, in particular the running surfaces and / or brake discs of this wheel set, at least one tool is assigned to each of the two wheels of the wheel set, and at least one handling device for mounting and moving thrust bearings for radially fixing the wheel set, at least one handling device assigned to each of the two wheels of the wheel set.

[0002] Wheelsets for railway vehicles are used to safely transport and guide railway vehicles and are therefore important from a safety perspective for reliable movement of railway vehicles. The geometry of the wheelset's running surface interacts with the geometry of the rail to determine the vehicle's course. However, due to the rolling contact between the wheelset and the rail, the wheelset is subjected to high stresses and the running surface is subject to wear. In the maintenance of railway vehicles, wheelsets and their running surfaces are of particular importance because the high demands placed on reliability necessitate regular inspection of the running surface geometry.

[0003] Various machine tools are known for correcting ("sharpening") the tread geometry of wheelsets. Since the wheelset is a rotationally symmetrical component, lathes are primarily used for machining the wheelset, and are therefore also called wheelset lathes.

[0004] Among known wheelset turning machines, a distinction can be made between portable and fixed, i.e. stationary, wheelset turning machines, with the turning of the wheelset being carried out using different process steps in portable and stationary wheelset turning machines.

[0005] In a stationary wheelset lathe, a railcar with a wheelset to be machined is positioned on the wheelset lathe, so that the wheelset is moved relative to the machine. This can be done, for example, by a wheelset lathe located in a workshop pit below a workshop track, on which the railcar can be moved so that the wheelset to be machined can be brought into the required position above the wheelset lathe. The wheelset to be machined is then fixed to the (rotatable) wheelset lathe to enable precise machining. The wheelset can then be machined, after which the wheelset locking device can be released again.

[0006] Stationary wheelset lathes are known, for example, from DE 199 02 04 14 A1 or DE 199 02 04 14 A1.

[0007] On the other hand, in a portable wheelset lathe, the wheelset to be machined or the entire railcar must be lifted and the wheelset lathe positioned below the wheelset to be machined. Unlike a stationary wheelset lathe, in this case the machine must be moved relative to the wheelset. This can be done, for example, by moving the portable wheelset lathe on a workshop track. The wheelset to be machined is then fixed to the (rotatable) wheelset to allow for precise machining. The wheelset can then be machined, after which the wheelset locking device can be released again.

[0008] Portable wheel shaft processing machines are known, for example, from US Pat. No. 5,629,991 and US Pat. No. 5,629,991.

[0009] Therefore, an essential operation for both types of machine, stationary and portable wheelset lathes, consists of fixing or "clamping" and then loosening the wheelset. These steps are used to set up the wheelset lathe for a machining operation and are referred to as "setup time." During setup, the wheelset lathe cannot be used productively, and for this reason, setup time must be kept as short as possible.

[0010] In both types of machines, the wheelset is fixed in position by a mechanical thrust bearing (sometimes called a "claw"). To rotate the wheelset during processing and to allow the torque required for this to be transmitted to the wheelset, the wheelset is mounted, for example, on a driven friction roller that presses the wheelset from below against a mechanical thrust bearing that engages the two ends of the wheelset (i.e., the steering knuckles or shaft knuckles) to prevent the wheelset from moving upward in the radial direction. Due to the required stiffness and robustness, the thrust bearing must often be of very solid design, such as a heavy weldment made of steel.

[0011] Thrust bearings must be adapted to the specific type of railcar and wheelset to ensure safe and accurate fixing. Furthermore, the thrust bearings must be removed from the railcar gap after each machining operation to avoid collision with the railcar. In portable wheelset machining equipment in particular, the thrust bearings often need to be completely separated from the machine so that the equipment can then be moved to the next wheelset to be machined.

[0012] Conventionally, both the replacement of thrust bearings and their removal from vehicles are performed manually, which is time-consuming due to their considerable weight and extends setup times. Manual loading of thrust bearings onto machines is also disadvantageous for work safety and ergonomic reasons due to the frequent repetition of the process and the large mass of thrust bearings (approximately 20 kg to 30 kg).

[0013] In the case of the portable wheel shaft processing device known from DE 10 05 04 199 A1, the thrust bearing is designed as a hook-shaped "clamp 5" (see FIG. 1 of DE 10 05 199 A1), which must be manually displaced axially after processing and therefore manually replaced, resulting in the above-mentioned disadvantages.

[0014] In the known stationary wheelset processing machine from EP 0 699 597 A1, the thrust bearing is designed as a "clamp 11" that can clamp the wheelset vertically (i.e., radially) via its axial bearing housing (see FIG. 1 of EP 0 699 597 A1). However, even in this machine, the claws must be manually adjusted, which again results in the aforementioned drawbacks. While the claws can be moved mechanically vertically (i.e., radially) via hydraulic pistons, the axial displacement of the claws must be performed manually (via an axially movable support beam), since the device supporting the claws can only be adjusted vertically (via hydraulic pistons). The radial and axial displacement of the clamps is not intended to prevent collisions, but rather to allow the wheelset to be clamped and processed via the internal steering knuckle (see FIG. 2 of EP 0 699 597 A1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0015] [Patent Document 1] German Patent Application Publication No. 1 285 839(A) [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2006 / 072584(A1) [Patent Document 3] European Patent No. 1 606 072(B1) [Patent Document 4] European Patent No. 1 984 134(B1)

[0016] Against this background, the invention is based on the object of designing and further developing the initially described machine for machining wheel sets for railway vehicles in such a way that the thrust bearings used for fixing the wheel sets can be easily and quickly repositioned and replaced.

[0017] This object is achieved in the case of a device according to the preamble of claim 1 in that the minimum required handling device has at least two degrees of freedom of movement, in particular at least three degrees of freedom of movement.

[0018] The present invention relates to an apparatus for machining wheelsets for railway vehicles. Machining may include, in particular, metal cutting, for example, by turning or lathe. The apparatus first comprises support rollers for rotatably holding the wheelset, at least two of which are assigned to each of the two wheels of the wheelset. The support rollers are used to support and keep the wheelset. At least one of the support rollers may have an actuator for rotating the wheelset. However, preferably, all support rollers are equipped with an actuator. The support rollers can thus transmit driving force or driving torque to the wheels of the wheelset via friction. As an alternative to driven support rollers, at least one separate actuating roller for rotating the wheelset may be provided. Thus, in this case, the "support / bearing" and "drive" functions are separated from each other. The apparatus further comprises guide rollers for axially guiding the wheelset, at least one guide roller being assigned to each of the two wheels of the wheelset. Therefore, the guide rollers are also referred to as "axial guide rollers." The apparatus further comprises tools for machining the wheelset, in particular the running surfaces and / or brake discs of the wheelset, at least one tool being assigned to each of the two wheels of the wheelset. In particular, the tools may be lathe tools. Finally, the apparatus comprises at least one handling device for mounting and moving thrust bearings for radially fixing the wheelset, at least one handling device being assigned to each of the two wheels of the wheelset. The handling device (also called a "manipulator" or "claw manipulator") can move the thrust bearing (or "claw"), making it easier to replace the thrust bearing. When changing the thrust bearing, it may be provided that the handling device supports only the thrust bearing and transfers it to an outer bearing fixture for machining (see FIGS. 4 and 5). Alternatively, it may be provided that the separate outer bearing fixture is omitted and that the thrust bearing also remains in the handling device (in this case, in a particularly rigid design) during machining (see FIGS. 2 and 3).

[0019] According to the present invention, a handling device must have at least two degrees of freedom of movement, and in particular at least three degrees of freedom of movement. By having not only one degree of freedom of movement (e.g., vertical adjustment), but also two or more degrees of freedom of movement (e.g., horizontal adjustment and / or pivoting or rotation around a vertical axis of rotation), the handling device can realize various advantages. First, flexible movement options facilitate easy replacement of the thrust bearing, since the thrust bearing can be moved to an ergonomically optimal position for the change. Second, a flexible available range of movement makes it quick and easy to swing the handling device out of the collision area and to swing it back toward the wheel set more easily. In other words, the thrust bearing can be moved between a "processing position" or "transfer position" and a "rest position."

[0020] One embodiment of the device envisages that the handling device must have at least one actuator, in particular at least two. The use of actuators, in particular rotary or linear actuators, ensures that movements of the handling device can be performed faster and even more ergonomically than by hand. An actuator for vertical adjustment of the handling device is particularly advantageous because thrust bearings are solid and heavy in design, and therefore require considerable effort to lift. The handling device may have two or more actuators, for example, for horizontal adjustability and / or pivoting or rotating about a vertical axis of rotation.

[0021] The apparatus may further be configured to rotatably hold the handling device on the apparatus, in particular to rotate the handling device about a vertical first axis of rotation, by providing the handling device with a first pivot joint. The pivot joint allows the handling device and the thrust bearing attached to it to be quickly and easily swung out of the collision area after replacing a thrust bearing and swung back towards the wheel set before replacing the next thrust bearing. The pivot joint thus allows easy rotation between a "processing position" or "transfer position" and a "rest position."

[0022] A further embodiment of the device provides that the handling device may have a first section with a first linear guide, in particular for linearly extending and retracting the handling device in the horizontal direction. Alternatively or additionally, the handling device may have a second section with a second linear guide, in particular for linearly raising and lowering the handling device in the vertical direction. The first section with the first linear guide serves to extend and retract the handling device in the horizontal direction, i.e., to change the horizontal distance between the wheel set and the thrust bearing. On the other hand, the second section with the second linear guide serves to raise and lower the handling device in the vertical direction, thereby significantly simplifying the replacement of heavy thrust bearings. The combination of horizontal and vertical mobility achieves a high degree of flexibility that can be used to solve various tasks (e.g., replacing thrust bearings, switching between a "processing position" or "transfer position" and a "rest position"). Preferably, the second section should be inclined by 90° relative to the first section.

[0023] A further embodiment of the device provides that the handling device has a mounting for exchangeably holding the thrust bearing. For this purpose, it may be provided that the mounting of the handling device is rotatably mounted, in particular for rotating the thrust bearing about a vertical second axis of rotation. The fixing device is used to hold and replace thrust bearings of different shapes so that wheel sets of different shapes can be fixed and machined. Preferably, the mounting device also allows linear adjustability of the thrust bearing, for example by configuring it as a slot nut. The mounting device (e.g., slot nut) of the handling device may be rotatably mounted, which makes it easier to replace the thrust bearing, for example, even in limited spaces.

[0024] A further embodiment of the device envisages additional rollers for moving the device on rails. The device may be moved on rails by rolling, in other words the device may be a portable wheelset processing device, in particular a wheelset lathe. The use of the above-mentioned handling device has particular advantages in portable wheelset processing devices, since both thrust bearing replacement and collision-free movement in portable machines are more difficult than in stationary machines, for example, where the surrounding environment can be more easily adapted to the machine by providing auxiliary means for replacing the thrust bearing, for example a crane.

[0025] According to a further embodiment of the device, at least one outer bearing fixture is provided for mounting and moving thrust bearings for radially fixing the wheelset, with at least one outer bearing fixture assigned to each of the two wheels of the wheelset. The outer bearing fixture is used to hold the thrust bearing and radially fix the wheelset during processing. Thanks to the separate outer bearing fixture, the thrust bearing does not need to remain in the handling device during processing, but can remain in the specially designed holding portion of the outer bearing fixture. The outer bearing fixture can be designed to be less mobile than the handling device but to be quite rigid. On the other hand, the handling device can be designed to be lighter and more compact. Thus, a functional separation is achieved: the outer bearing fixture is used to hold the thrust bearing during processing, and the handling device takes care of and facilitates the replacement of the thrust bearing.

[0026] With respect to this embodiment of the device, it is further proposed that the outer bearing fixture should have a mounting for replaceably holding the thrust bearing, and that the mounting of the outer bearing fixture be preferably vertically adjustable. In addition to the handling device, the outer bearing fixture also has a mounting for the thrust bearing, so that the thrust bearing can be pushed back and forth between the two mountings. For this purpose, the two mountings are preferably arranged at the same height and close to each other. Thus, before processing, the thrust bearing can be pushed from the mounting of the handling device to the mounting of the outer bearing fixture, where it remains during processing, and then (i.e., after processing) pushed back into the mounting of the handling device and thereby replaced. Meanwhile (i.e., during processing), the handling device can be swiveled to a "rest position." Therefore, the only manual intervention is to push the thrust bearing back and forth, which represents a significant simplification compared to fully manual thrust bearing replacement by manually lifting the thrust bearing.

[0027] The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings, which show only one preferred exemplary embodiment. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a handling device as a device according to the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a front view of a first embodiment of the device according to the invention with a handling device according to FIG. 1; FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a side view of the device according to the invention according to FIG. 2; [Figure 4] 2 is a front view of a second embodiment of the device according to the invention with a handling device according to FIG. 1; [Figure 5] 5 is a side view of the device according to the invention according to FIG. 4.

[0029] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a handling device 1 according to the invention (not shown in FIG. 1). The handling device 1 has several degrees of freedom of movement, which are explained below. The first degree of freedom of movement results from the fact that the handling device 1 can be rotated about a vertical first axis of rotation D1 (indicated by a double arrow in FIG. 1). For this purpose, the handling device 1 has a pivot joint 2. Adjacent to the pivot joint 2, the handling device 1 has an adapter plate 3, by means of which the handling device 1 can be attached to a device (not shown in FIG. 1).

[0030] The handling device 1 also has a first section A1 with a first linear guide L1. This first section A1 is arranged in a horizontal plane and serves to linearly extend and retract the handling device 1 in the horizontal direction (indicated by the double arrow in FIG. 1). In the case of a preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the first linear guide L1 defines two extendable rails. The (horizontal) stroke of the first linear guide L1 is preferably at least 400 mm, in particular at least 500 mm. The handling device 1 also has a second section A2 with a second linear guide L2. This second section A2 extends vertically and serves to linearly raise and lower the handling device 1 in the vertical direction (indicated by the double arrow in FIG. 1). In the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the second linear guide L2 defines an assembled, telescopic linear lifting column. The (vertical) lift of the second linear guide L2 is preferably at least 500 mm, in particular at least 600 mm. The second linear guide L2 is provided with an actuator 4, which may be activated via a push button 5.

[0031] The handling device 1 also has a fixture 6 for holding a replaceable thrust bearing (not shown in Figure 1). The fixture 6 of the handling device 1 is rotatably mounted such that the fixture 6 (possibly together with the thrust bearing 10) can rotate about a vertical second axis of rotation D2 (indicated by a double arrow in Figure 1).

[0032] Figure 2 shows a front view of a first embodiment of an apparatus 7 according to the invention, which includes a handling device 1 according to Figure 1. The reference numerals already used in connection with Figure 1 are used correspondingly in Figure 2. It is clear that the apparatus 7 supports a wheelset 8 with two wheels 9 and includes two handling devices 1, one assigned to each of the two wheels 9. Furthermore, Figure 2 shows that both handling devices 1 include thrust bearings 10 (also called "claws"). The wheelset 8 has two ends 11 (also called "steering knuckles" or "shaft knuckles") that are designed to engage in the thrust bearings 10 and prevent the wheelset 8 from moving radially upwards during processing.

[0033] The apparatus 7 shown in FIG. 2 serves to machine a wheelset 8 for a rail vehicle and comprises four support rollers 12 for rotatably holding the wheelset 8, two of which are assigned to each of the two wheels 9 of the wheelset 8. Each support roller 12 has an actuator so that the wheelset 8 mounted thereon can be driven, i.e., rotated, during machining. The apparatus 7 also comprises guide rollers 13 for axially guiding the wheelset 8, each of which is assigned to each of the two wheels 9 of the wheelset 8. The apparatus 7 further comprises tools (hidden behind the support rollers 12 in FIG. 2) for machining the wheelset 8, in particular for machining the running surface and / or brake disc of the wheelset 8. At least one tool is assigned to each of the two wheels 9 of the wheelset 8. The apparatus 7 also comprises rollers 14 for displacing the apparatus 7 on a rail 15.

[0034] Figure 3 shows a side view of the device 7' according to the invention according to Figure 2. The reference numerals already used in connection with Figures 1 and 2 are used correspondingly in Figure 3. In the side view, the (rotational) retention of the wheel set 8 on the support rollers 12 can be clearly seen. Furthermore, the rails 15 along which the device 7 can be moved on its rollers 14 can be easily seen.

[0035] FIG. 4 shows a front view of a second embodiment of an apparatus 7′ according to the invention, which includes the handling device 1 according to FIG. 1. Finally, FIG. 5 shows a side view of the apparatus according to FIG. 4. The reference numerals already used in connection with FIGS. 1 to 3 are used correspondingly in FIGS. 4 and 5. The second embodiment of the apparatus 7′ (shown in FIGS. 4 and 5) differs from the first embodiment of the apparatus 7 (shown in FIGS. 2 and 3) in particular in that the second embodiment of the apparatus 7′ has two outer bearing fixtures 16. The outer bearing fixtures 16 serve to accommodate the thrust bearings 10 and to radially fix the wheelset 8 during machining. The outer bearing fixtures 16 each have a fixture 6′ for interchangeably holding the thrust bearings 10, which fixtures 6′ are preferably vertically adjustable. In this way, before processing, the thrust bearing 10 can be pushed from the fixture 6 of the handling device 1 into the fixture 6' of the outer bearing fixture 16, where it remains during processing and is then pushed back into the fixture 6 of the handling device 1, thereby being replaced (as indicated by the double arrow and the hatched thrust bearing 10 in Figure 4). [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 1 Handling equipment 2. First pivot joint 3 Adapter Plate 4. Actuator (of the second linear guide L2) 5 push buttons 6 Mounting fixture (of handling device 1 for thrust bearing 10) 6' Mounting fixture (for outer bearing fixture 16 for thrust bearing 10) 7, 7' device 8 wheelset 9 wheels 10 Thrust bearing 11 (of wheelset 8) end 12 Support roller 13 Guide roller 14 Laura 15 Rail 16 Outer bearing fixture A1 First division A2 Second division D1 First rotation axis (vertical) D2 Second rotation axis (vertical) L1 First linear guide L2 Second linear guide

Claims

1. An apparatus (7, 7') for processing wheel sets (8) for railway vehicles, comprising: - support rollers (12) for rotatably holding the wheel set (8), at least two of said support rollers (12) being assigned to each of the two wheels (9) of said wheel set (8); at least one of the support rollers (12) has an actuator for rotating the wheel set (8) and / or at least one drive roller is provided for rotating the wheel set (8); a support roller (12); guide rollers (13) for axially guiding said wheel set (8), at least one guide roller (13) being assigned to each of said two wheels (9) of said wheel set (8); - tools for machining the wheel set (8), in particular the running surface and / or the brake disc of the wheel set (8), at least one tool being assigned to each of the two wheels (9) of the wheel set (8); at least one handling device (1) for mounting and moving thrust bearings (10) for radially fixing said wheel set (8), said at least one handling device (1) being assigned to each of said two wheels (9) of said wheel set (8); In an apparatus (7, 7') comprising: The device (7, 7') is characterized in that at least one of the handling devices (1) must have at least two degrees of freedom of movement, in particular at least three degrees of freedom of movement.

2. 2. Device (7, 7') according to claim 1, characterized in that the handling device (1) has at least one actuator (4), in particular at least two actuators (4).

3. 3. The device (7, 7') according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the handling device (1) has a first pivot joint (2) for rotatably holding the handling device (1) on the device (7, 7'), in particular for rotating the handling device (1) about a vertical first axis of rotation (D1).

4. The device (7, 7') according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the handling device (1) has a first section (A1) provided with a first linear guide (L1), in particular for linearly extending and retracting the handling device (1) in the horizontal direction.

5. The device (7, 7') according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the handling device (1) has a second section (A2) provided with a second linear guide (L2), in particular for linearly raising and lowering the handling device (1) in the vertical direction.

6. Device (7, 7') according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the handling device (1) comprises a fixture (6) for holding a replaceable thrust bearing (10).

7. 7. The device (7, 7') according to claim 6, characterized in that the mounting (6) of the handling device (1) is rotatably mounted, in particular for rotating the thrust bearing (10) about a vertical second axis of rotation (D2).

8. Device (7, 7') according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by rollers (14) for moving said device (7, 7') on rails (15).

9. 9. A device (7') according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that there is at least one outer bearing fixture (16) for mounting and moving thrust bearings (10) for radially fixing said wheel set (8), said at least one outer bearing fixture (16) being assigned to each of said two wheels (9) of said wheel set (8).

10. 10. The device (7') according to claim 9, characterized in that the outer bearing fixture (16) has a mounting (6') for holding a replaceable thrust bearing (10), the mounting (6') of the outer bearing fixture (16) being preferably vertically adjustable.

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