Railroad car traverser

Abstract

To provide a traverser for a railroad vehicle capable of absorbing the difference in height of a traveling surface of a plurality of installed traverse rails and enabling all traverse wheels to be grounded to the traveling surface of the traverse rails.SOLUTION: A traverser 100 for a railroad vehicle includes a base 101 for mounting a railroad vehicle 10 and travels on a plurality of traverse rails 150 laid in parallel with one another on the ground (a ground surface 20) with a plurality of traverse wheels (driving wheels 160 and driven wheels 170) to transport the railroad vehicle 10 or a vehicle truck mounted on the base 101. Three or more (for example, four) traverse rails 150 are laid. In the base 101, divided bases 111 are adjacently arranged in a sleeper direction of the traverse rails 150. The divided base 111 is connected to the divided base 111 adjacent in the sleeper direction of the traverse rails 150 through a hinge member having a rotation shaft in a direction parallel to a track direction of the traverse rails 150.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a railway vehicle traverser that has a base for mounting a railway vehicle or vehicle bogie, and uses a number of traverse wheels on the base to run on a number of traverse rails laid in parallel on the ground, to transport the railway vehicle or vehicle bogie mounted on the base. [Background technology]

[0002] In an inspection and repair depot where inspection and maintenance (hereinafter simply referred to as inspection and repair) of railway vehicles are performed, multiple inspection and repair rails are laid parallel to each other on the floor of the depot. In some cases, a railway vehicle placed on one of the multiple inspection and repair rails is traversed to another inspection and repair rail.

[0003] To perform this traverse, a railway vehicle traverser such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1 is used. This railway vehicle traverser has a base for mounting a railway vehicle, and the base is provided with rails on which the railway vehicle can run. Furthermore, the base is equipped with traverse wheels. The railway vehicle traverser can run on the traverse rail laid in a direction perpendicular to the inspection and repair rail by using the traverse wheels. In other words, the railway vehicle traverser can move in a direction perpendicular to the inspection and repair rail. Note that driving wheels and driven wheels are generally used as the traverse wheels. The driving wheels have a driving source and are used to self-propel the railway vehicle traverser. The driven wheels do not have a driving source and are used to support the load of the railway vehicle or vehicle bogie mounted on the base.

[0004] Using such a railcar traverser, a railcar can be traversed as follows. For example, if a railcar is to be traversed from a first inspection / repair rail to a second inspection / repair rail laid parallel to the first inspection / repair rail, first, the rail of the railcar traverser base and the first inspection / repair rail are aligned in the sleeper direction, and then the railcar is pulled from the first inspection / repair rail to the base. The railcar pulled into the base is run along the rail of the base and stopped at a predetermined position on the base, completing the loading onto the base. After the railcar is loaded onto the base, the railcar traverser is run on the traverse rail in a direction perpendicular to the rail, until the rail of the railcar traverser and the second inspection / repair rail are aligned in the sleeper direction. Finally, the railcar is lowered from the base to the second inspection / repair rail, completing the traverse. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-185905 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Three or more traverse rails may be laid in parallel. In such cases, it is important to manage the height of the running surfaces of each traverse rail. This is because if there is a difference in height between the running surfaces of each traverse rail, there is a risk that all of the traverse wheels on the railway vehicle traverser will not touch the traverse rail.

[0007] For example, when three or more cross rails are laid in parallel, if the height of the running surface of the cross rail (hereinafter referred to as the inner cross rail) that is laid between the two outermost cross rails (hereinafter referred to as the outer cross rail) in the sleeper direction of the cross rails (for convenience of explanation, the direction perpendicular to the rail of the cross rail will be referred to as the "sleeper direction", as with the inspection and repair rails) is lower than the height of the running surface of the outer cross rail, the base will be supported by the cross rails that touch the running surface of the outer cross rail, and the cross rails for running on the inner cross rail may not touch the running surface of the inner cross rail (conversely, if the height of the running surface of the inner cross rail is higher than the height of the running surface of the outer cross rail, the cross rails for running on the outer cross rail may not touch the running surface of the outer cross rail). Therefore, in order to bring all of the traverse wheels provided on the base into contact with the running surfaces of the traverse rails, it is desirable that the heights of the running surfaces of the respective traverse rails be as uniform as possible.

[0008] In such a situation, it is common to manage the height difference of each running surface of multiple traverse rails to be within a range of ±5mm. This is because if the height difference of each running surface of traverse rails is within a range of ±5mm, the base can bend and absorb the height difference within a range that does not cause problems in the function of the railway vehicle traverser. If the height difference can be absorbed, all of the traverse wheels can be placed in contact with the running surface.

[0009] However, as the traverse rails deteriorate, a height difference of several tens of millimeters may occur in the height of the running surface of each traverse rail. When such a height difference occurs, the above-mentioned flexure of the base cannot absorb the height difference, and among the multiple traverse wheels, some traverse wheels do not touch the running surface of the traverse rail. If there are traverse wheels that do not touch the ground, the mass of the railcar or vehicle bogie mounted on the base cannot be supported, and excessive stress may be applied to the base. This may cause deformation of the base that is harmful to the function of the railcar traverser. In addition, if the traverse wheels that do not touch the ground are drive wheels, the drive wheels will spin freely, which will interfere with the running of the railcar traverser, making it impossible to efficiently transport the railcar or vehicle bogie.

[0010] The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a traverser for railway vehicles that can absorb the difference in height between the running surfaces of multiple laid traverse rails and enable all of the traverse wheels to contact the running surfaces of the traverse rails. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] In order to solve the above problems, a traverser for a railway vehicle according to the present invention has the following configuration. (1) A railway vehicle traverser that includes a base for mounting a railway vehicle or vehicle bogie, and that travels on a plurality of lateral rails laid in parallel on the ground by a plurality of lateral wheels provided on the base to transport the railway vehicle or vehicle bogie mounted on the base, wherein three or more lateral rails are laid, the base is configured by a plurality of split bases that are lined up adjacent to each other in the sleeper direction of the lateral rail, and the split bases are connected to the split bases adjacent to each other in the sleeper direction of the lateral rail via hinge members having a rotation axis in a direction parallel to the track direction of the lateral rail, The plurality of divided bases include a first divided base which is a divided base having the traverse wheels, and a second divided base which is a divided base not having the traverse wheels, and the second divided base is supported by the first divided base via the hinge member and is suspended in the air; It is characterized by:

[0012] (2) In the railway vehicle traverser described in (1), each of the split bases is connected to the split base adjacent to the traverse rail in the sleeper direction in the vicinity of the traverse rail that is laid between the two outermost traverse rails in the sleeper direction among the multiple traverse rails laid in parallel.

[0013] (3) In the traverser for railway vehicles described in (1) or (2), the split base is characterized in that the number of split bases, one less than the number of traverse rails, is arranged adjacent to each other in the sleeper direction of the traverse rails, thereby forming the base.

[0014] (4) In the traverser for railway vehicles described in any one of (1) to (3), the split base rotates around the rotation axis, so that the base follows the difference in height of the running surface of the traverse rails on which multiple bases are laid, and all of the traverse wheels come into contact with the running surface. Effect of the Invention

[0015] The rail vehicle traverser of the present invention is configured such that the base is composed of a plurality of split bases arranged adjacent to each other in the sleeper direction of the traverse rail. Furthermore, the split bases are connected to the split bases adjacent to each other in the sleeper direction of the traverse rail via hinge members having a rotation axis in a direction parallel to the track direction of the traverse rail. In other words, each of the plurality of split bases is connected to the adjacent split base so as to be rotatable about the rotation axis. Therefore, even if a difference in height occurs between the running surfaces of the plurality of traverse rails, the base is mechanically deformed by the rotation of the split bases about the rotation axis, and can follow the difference in height of the running surface so that all of the traverse wheels are in contact with the running surface. Specifically, for example, if the running surface of the inner transverse rail becomes lower than the running surface of the outer transverse rail, the split base rotates about the rotation axis and the base deforms into an arch shape that bulges toward the transverse rail when viewed from the track direction of the transverse rail, thereby absorbing the difference in height of the running surfaces of the transverse rails. On the other hand, if the running surface of the inner transverse rail becomes higher than the running surface of the outer transverse rail, the base deforms into an arch shape that bulges away from the transverse rail when viewed from the track direction of the transverse rail, thereby absorbing the difference in height of the running surfaces of the transverse rails.

[0016] Therefore, according to the railway vehicle traverser of the present invention, it is possible to absorb the difference in height between the running surfaces of multiple laid traverse rails and bring all of the traverse wheels into contact with the running surfaces of the traverse rails. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a front view of a railway vehicle traverser according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of a railway vehicle traverser according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 3] 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG. 1, showing the base from the roof side. [Figure 4] 4 is a partially enlarged view of a portion B in FIG. 3, showing a part of the hinge member in a partially sectional view. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line E-E of FIG. [Figure 6] 4 is a partially enlarged view of a portion C in FIG. 3, and is a partially sectional view showing the configuration of a drive wheel. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line F-F of FIG. 6. [Figure 8] 4 is a partially enlarged view of a portion D in FIG. 3, and is a partially sectional view showing the configuration of a driven wheel. FIG. [Figure 9] 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line G-G of FIG. 8. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a double flange wheel type driven wheel. [Figure 11] This figure illustrates the state of a railway vehicle traverser when a difference in height occurs in the running surfaces of multiple laid traverse rails. [Figure 12] This figure illustrates the state of a railway vehicle traverser when a difference in height occurs in the running surfaces of multiple laid traverse rails. [Figure 13] This figure illustrates the state of a railway vehicle traverser when a difference in height occurs in the running surfaces of multiple laid traverse rails. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] An embodiment of the railway vehicle traverser according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view of the railway vehicle traverser 100 according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view of the railway vehicle traverser 100 according to this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 1, showing the base 101 from the roof 103 side. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view of part B in FIG. 3, showing a part of the hinge member 180 in a partially cross-sectional view. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line E-E in FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged view of part C in FIG. 3, showing a partially cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the driving wheel 160D. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line F-F in FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is a partially enlarged view of part D in FIG. 3, showing a partially cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the driven wheel 170B. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line G-G in FIG. 8. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the double-brim wheel type driven wheel 170D.

[0019] The railcar traverser 100 according to this embodiment runs on four lateral rails 150A, 150B, 150C, and 150D (see FIG. 1) laid parallel and at equal intervals on the ground 20 (one example of the ground) in an inspection and repair shed where inspection and repair of a railcar 10 (see FIG. 2) is performed. The lateral rails 150A, 150B, 150C, and 150D are laid in a direction perpendicular to a plurality of inspection and repair rails (not shown) laid on the floor surface of the inspection and repair shed. As a result, the railcar traverser 100 can load the railcar 10 placed on one of the plurality of inspection and repair rails, and then run on the lateral rails 150A, 150B, 150C, and 150D to traverse the railcar 10 to another inspection and repair rail. In the following description, the four lateral travel rails 150A, 150B, 150C, and 150D will simply be referred to as lateral travel rail 150, except when each of them is to be described individually.

[0020] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the railway vehicle traverser 100 is composed of a base 101, a pair of side wall sections 102 that are vertically raised from both ends of the base 101 in the short side direction (left and right direction in Figure 2), and a roof section 103 that is horizontally installed on the upper ends of the pair of side wall sections 102. The railway vehicle traverser 100 also has a driver's cab 114 at one end in the short side direction (the end on the right side in Figure 2). A control device 115 (see Figure 3) is provided in the driver's cab 114, and by operating this control device 115, the railway vehicle traverser 100 can be made to run on the traverse rail 150. Furthermore, end openings 105A, 105B are provided at both ends of the railway vehicle traverser 100 in the longitudinal direction (left and right direction in Figure 1), and the railway vehicle 10 can be loaded into the railway vehicle traverser 100 from either end opening 105A, 105B and mounted on the base 101.

[0021] The base 101 is composed of three divided bases 111A, 111B, and 111C, which is one less than the number of lateral travel rails 150. Furthermore, the base 101 is equipped with eight lateral travel wheels for traveling on the lateral travel rails 150. These lateral travel wheels refer to four driving wheels 160A, 160B, 160C, and 160D (see FIG. 3) and four driven wheels 170A, 170B, 170C, and 170D (see FIG. 3). In the following explanation, except when describing the individual details of the three split bases 111A, 111B, and 111C, the term will be used simply as split base 111, except when describing the individual details of the four drive wheels 160A, 160B, 160C, and 160D, the term will be used simply as drive wheel 160, and except when describing the individual details of the four driven wheels 170A, 170B, 170C, and 170D, the term will be used simply as driven wheel 170.

[0022] As shown in Fig. 3, each of the divided bases 111A, 111B, and 111C is configured by joining floor plates constituting floor surfaces 112A, 112B, and 112C to a frame body formed in a substantially rectangular shape. The divided bases 111A, 111B, and 111C are arranged adjacent to each other in the sleeper direction of the lateral travel rail 150 (hereinafter simply referred to as the sleeper direction) and are connected by a hinge member 180 described later. As a result, the base 101 is configured in a rectangular shape.

[0023] The length of each of the three split bases 111 in the sleeper direction is set to a length that divides the base 101 into approximately three equal parts in the sleeper direction. Specifically, the split bases 111A and 111C have the same length in the sleeper direction, and the split base 111A is set to a length that traverses the lateral travel rails 150A and 150B, and the split base 111C is set to a length that traverses the lateral travel rails 150C and 150D. The split base 111B sandwiched between the split bases 111A and 111C has a length in the sleeper direction that is shorter than the split bases 111A and 111C, and is set to a length that fits between the lateral travel rails 150B and 150C.

[0024] The split base 111 is connected to the split base 111 adjacent in the sleeper direction via a hinge member 180. Specifically, the split base 111A and the split base 111B are adjacent in the sleeper direction, and an end face 1131 of the split base 111A on the split base 111B side and an end face 1132 of the split base 111B on the split base 111A side are connected by two hinge members 180 arranged in the track direction of the lateral travel rail 150 (hereinafter simply referred to as the track direction). In addition, the split base 111B and the split base 111C are adjacent in the sleeper direction, and an end face 1133 of the split base 111B on the split base 111C side and an end face 1134 of the split base 111C on the split base 111B side are connected by two hinge members 180 arranged in the track direction. The locations at which adjacent split bases 111 are connected to each other by the hinge members 180 are located near the upper sides of the lateral travel rails 150B, 150C, on the split base 111B side of the lateral travel rails 150B, 150C.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 4, the hinge member 180 is made up of a first rotating member 181, a second rotating member 184, and a rotation shaft 188.

[0026] The first rotating member 181 has a flat base body 182. A pair of first connecting parts 183A, 183B are erected perpendicularly to a surface of the base body 182 opposite to a surface that contacts the split base 111 (a surface that contacts the end surface 1133 in FIG. 4). Each of the first connecting parts 183A, 183B has an insertion hole 183a that penetrates the first connecting parts 183A, 183B in the orbital direction. A bush member 187 is attached to the insertion hole 183a. An inner peripheral surface 187a of the bush member 187 is positioned coaxially with the insertion hole 183a.

[0027] The second rotating member 184 has a flat base body 185. Four second coupling parts 186A, 186B, 186C, and 186D are provided perpendicularly to the surface of the base body 185 opposite to the surface that contacts the divided base 111 (the surface that contacts the end surface 1134 in FIG. 4). Each of the second coupling parts 186A, 186B, 186C, and 186D has an insertion hole 1861 that penetrates the second coupling parts 186A, 186B, 186C, and 186D in the orbital direction.

[0028] The first connecting portion 183A is located between the second connecting portion 186A and the second connecting portion 186B, and the first connecting portion 183B is located between the second connecting portion 186C and the second connecting portion 186D. In addition, the inner circumferential surface 187a of the bush member 187 and the insertion holes 1861 of the second connecting portions 186A, 186B, 186C, and 186D are located coaxially. This makes it possible to insert the rotating shaft 188 into the inner circumferential surface 187a of the bush member 187 and the insertion hole 1861 in a direction parallel to the track direction.

[0029] The rotating shaft 188 has a notch 188a at one end (the upper end in FIG. 4) of both ends in the axial direction. As shown in FIG. 5, two notches 188a are provided symmetrically with respect to the axis of the rotating shaft 188, and a flat plate-shaped retaining member 189 is fitted into each of the two notches 188a. The retaining member 189 is fixed to the second connecting portion 186A by a bolt 190. As a result, the rotating shaft 188 is fixed in a state in which it is inserted into the inner circumferential surface 187a of the bushing member 187 and the insertion hole 1861. By inserting the rotating shaft 188 into the inner circumferential surface 187a of the bushing member 187 and the insertion hole 1861, the first rotating member 181 and the second rotating member 184 are connected to each other so that one can rotate relative to the other.

[0030] In the hinge member 180 described above, the first rotating member 181 is coupled to one of the adjacent split bases 111, and the second rotating member 184 is coupled to the other split base 111. As a result, the split base 111 is connected to the adjacent split base 111 so as to be rotatable about the rotation shaft 188. Specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, the base body 182 of the first rotating member 181 is coupled to an end surface 1133 of one of the split bases 111B and 111C, which are adjacent to each other, by a bolt 191. Then, the base body 185 of the second rotating member 184 is coupled to an end surface 1134 of the other split base 111C by a bolt 191. As a result, the split bases 111B and 111C are coupled to each other so as to be rotatable about the rotation shaft 188. Adjacent split bases 111A and 111B are also connected by hinge member 180 in the same manner, so that one can rotate relative to the other about rotation shaft 188. In this way, split base 111 can rotate about rotation shaft 188, so that base 101 can be mechanically deformed.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 3, the split base 111A and the split base 111C are each provided with traverse wheels (driving wheels 160A, 160B, 160C, 160D and driven wheels 170A, 170B, 170C, 170D) at the four corners. Specifically, the split base 111A has driving wheels 160A and driven wheels 170A arranged side by side in the track direction at the end of the end opening 105A side of both ends in the sleeper direction, in that order from the driver's cab 114 side. The driving wheels 160A and driven wheels 170A are in contact with the running surface 151 of the traverse rail 150A. Furthermore, the split base 111A has driving wheels 160B and driven wheels 170B arranged side by side in the track direction at the end of the split base 111B side of both ends in the sleeper direction, in that order from the driver's cab 114 side. The driving wheels 160B and the driven wheels 170B are in contact with the running surface 151 of the lateral travel rail 150B. The split base 111C has the driving wheels 160C and the driven wheels 170C arranged in the track direction at the end of the split base 111B side of both ends in the sleeper direction, in that order from the driver's cab 114 side. The driving wheels 160C and the driven wheels 170C are in contact with the running surface 151 of the lateral travel rail 150C. The split base 111C has the driving wheels 160D and the driven wheels 170D arranged in the track direction at the end of the end opening 105B side of both ends in the sleeper direction, in that order from the driver's cab 114 side. The driving wheels 160D and the driven wheels 170D are in contact with the running surface 151 of the lateral travel rail 150D.

[0032] As described above, the split base 111A and the split base 111C have lateral wheels, while the split base 111B does not have lateral wheels. In other words, the split base 111B is not in contact with the lateral rail 150, and both ends in the sleeper direction are connected to the adjacent split bases 111A and 111C, so that it is suspended in the air. When the railcar 10 is mounted on the base 101, the bogie of the railcar 10 is located on the split base 111A and the split base 111C, so that the mass of the railcar 10 is supported by the split base 111A and the split base 111C, which have lateral wheels, being in contact with the lateral rail 150. Therefore, even if the split base 111B is suspended in the air, there is no problem in the base 101 supporting the mass of the railcar 10.

[0033] Each of the driving wheels 160 has a driving source 162. Specifically, for example, in the case of the driving wheel 160D shown in FIG. 6, a first gear 165 is connected to a rotating shaft 163 of the driving source 162 via a coupling 164. This first gear 165 meshes with a second gear 166 having the same rotating shaft 161 as the driving wheel 160D. Therefore, when the rotating shaft 163 of the driving source 162 rotates, the rotational force is transmitted to the rotating shaft 161, and the driving wheel 160D rotates. Since the driving wheel 160D is in contact with the running surface 151 of the traverse rail 150D as shown in FIG. 7, the driving wheel 160D can travel on the traverse rail 150D by being rotated by the driving source 162. Like the driving wheel 160D, the driving wheels 160A, 160B, and 160C are each rotatable by the driving source 162, and therefore can run on the lateral travel rails 150A, 150B, and 150C, respectively. As described above, since the driving wheels 160A, 160B, 160C, and 160D can run on the lateral travel rails 150A, 150B, 150C, and 150D, the railway vehicle traverser 100 can run on the lateral travel rail 150 by itself. The running speed of the railway vehicle traverser 100 with the railway vehicle 10 mounted on the base 101 is 30 m to 50 m / min.

[0034] The four driven wheels 170 rotate on the traverse rail 150 as the railway vehicle traverser 100 travels on the traverse rail 150 by the driving wheels 160. This allows the railway vehicle traverser 100 to travel smoothly on the traverse rail 150. In addition, each of the four driven wheels 170 contacts the traverse rail 150, thereby supporting the mass of the railway vehicle traverser 100 and the mass of the railway vehicle 10 mounted on the base 101.

[0035] Of the four driven wheels 170A, 170B, 170C, and 170D, the driven wheels 170B and 170C can detect the travel distance of the railroad vehicle traverser 100 using the rotary encoder 171 disposed adjacent to each of the driven wheels 170B and 170C. Taking the driven wheel 170B shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 as an example, the driven wheel 170B has a pulley 174 with the same rotation axis. A chain 172 is wound around the pulley 174, and the chain 172 is also wound around the disk 173 of the rotary encoder 171. Therefore, when the driven wheel 170B rotates as the railroad vehicle traverser 100 travels, the rotational force is transmitted to the disk 173 of the rotary encoder 171 by the pulley 174 and the chain 172, causing the disk 173 to rotate. Based on the amount of rotation of the disk 173, the rotary encoder 171 can detect the distance traveled by the railroad vehicle traverser 100. As with the driven wheel 170B, the driven wheel 170C can also detect the distance traveled by the railroad vehicle traverser 100 by the rotary encoder 171 disposed adjacent thereto.

[0036] Among the four driven wheels 170A, 170B, 170C, and 170D, the driven wheels 170A and 170D prevent the railcar traverser 100 from derailing. Taking the driven wheel 170D shown in FIG. 10 as an example, the driven wheel 170D is a double-flange wheel type having flanges 175 at both ends in the sleeper direction. When the driven wheel 170D is grounded on the lateral travel rail 150D, the flanges 175 sandwich the running surface 151, preventing the driven wheel 170D from derailing from the lateral travel rail 150D. The driven wheel 170A is also a double-flange wheel like the driven wheel 170D, preventing the driven wheel 170A from derailing from the lateral travel rail 150A. By preventing the driven wheels 170A, 170D from coming off the traverse rails 150A, 150D, derailment of the railway vehicle traverser 100 is prevented.

[0037] Also, on floor surfaces 112A, 112B, 112C of split bases 111A, 111B, 111C, a pair of rails 107A, 107B, 107C are laid from one end to the other end of both ends in the sleeper direction, as shown in Fig. 3. The rails 107A, 107B, and 107C are aligned in the sleeper direction of rails 107A, 107B, and 107C, and have the same gauge, so that the split bases 111A, 111B, and 111C are connected to form a continuous rail from end opening 105A to end opening 105B.

[0038] Moreover, the rails 107A, 107B, and 107C are laid perpendicular to the track direction of the traverse rail 150. In other words, the rails 107A, 107B, and 107C are parallel to the inspection and repair rail (not shown). Furthermore, the track gauge of the rails 107A, 107B, and 107C is the same as that of the inspection and repair rail. Therefore, the railcar 10 pulled into the railcar traverser 100 from the inspection and repair rail can run on the rails 107A, 107B, and 107C and move to a predetermined position on the base 101.

[0039] The divided bases 111A, 111B, and 111C are provided at both ends in the short side direction (left and right direction in FIG. 2) with a pair of divided side walls 202A, 202B, and 202C that are erected perpendicularly to the floor surfaces 112A, 112B, and 112C. The divided side walls 202A, 202B, and 202C are aligned in the short side direction of the base 101, and the divided bases 111A, 111B, and 111C are connected to form the side wall portion 102 of the railway vehicle traverser 100.

[0040] The divided bases 111A, 111B, and 111C include divided roofs 203A, 203B, and 203C that are horizontally disposed on the upper ends of the pair of divided side walls 202A, 202B, and 202C. As shown in FIG. 1, the divided roofs 203A, 203B, and 203C have the same height dimension D11 from the base 101, and the divided bases 111A, 111B, and 111C are connected to form the roof section 103 of the railway vehicle traverser 100.

[0041] The railroad vehicle traverser 100 having the above-mentioned configuration is configured by arranging the base 101 with a plurality of divided bases 111 adjacent to each other in the sleeper direction of the lateral travel rail 150. Furthermore, the divided bases 111 are connected to the divided bases 111 adjacent to each other in the sleeper direction of the lateral travel rail 150 via hinge members 180 having a rotation shaft 188 in a direction parallel to the track direction of the lateral travel rail 150. That is, each of the plurality of divided bases 111 is connected to the adjacent divided bases 111 so as to be rotatable about the rotation shaft 188. Therefore, even if a difference in height occurs in each running surface 151 of the plurality of laid lateral travel rails 150, the base 101 is mechanically deformed by the rotation of the divided bases 111 about the rotation shaft 188, and can follow the difference in height of the running surface 151 so that all of the lateral travel wheels are in contact with the running surface 151. A specific description will be given with reference to Figs. 11 to 13. 11 to 13 show the state of the railway vehicle traverser 100 when a difference in height occurs in the height of the running surfaces 151 of the multiple traverse rails 150. Each state of Fig. 11 to Fig. 13 will be described in more detail below.

[0042] Fig. 11 illustrates the state of the railway vehicle traverser 100 when the height of the running surface 151 of the lateral rails 150B and 150C (these two lateral rails 150 are collectively referred to as the inner lateral rails) laid between the outermost lateral rails 150A and 150D (these two lateral rails 150 are collectively referred to as the outer lateral rails) in the sleeper direction among the four lateral rails 150 is lower than the height of the running surface 151 of the outer lateral rails by, for example, 50 mm. Note that Fig. 11 illustrates the lateral rails 150B and 150C in a state where they are sunk into the ground 20 so that it is easy to understand that the height of the running surface 151 of the lateral rails 150B and 150C is lower.

[0043] 11, when the height of the running surface 151 of the inner lateral travel rail becomes lower than the height of the running surface 151 of the outer lateral travel rail, the divided base 111A inclines downwards toward the center of the base 101 in the sleeper direction in order to bring the driving wheels 160A and the driven wheels 170A into contact with the lateral travel rail 150A and bring the driving wheels 160B and the driven wheels 170B into contact with the lateral travel rail 150B due to gravity. In addition, the divided base 111C inclines downwards toward the center of the base 101 in the sleeper direction in order to bring the driving wheels 160D and the driven wheels 170D into contact with the lateral travel rail 150D and bring the driving wheels 160C and the driven wheels 170C into contact with the lateral travel rail 150C due to gravity. The inclination of split base 111A and split base 111C is achieved by split base 111A and split base 111C rotating relative to split base 111B around rotation shaft 188 of hinge member 180. At this time, since the running surfaces 151 of the two inner lateral rails are at the same height, the end of split base 111A facing split base 111B and the end of split base 111C facing split base 111B are at the same height. Therefore, split bases 111B connected to each end are kept horizontal.

[0044] As described above, even if the height of the running surface 151 of the inner lateral rail becomes lower than the height of the running surface 151 of the outer lateral rail, the split base 111A and the split base 111C rotate and tilt relative to the split base 111B, so that the base 101 has a bow shape that bulges toward the lateral rail 150 (downward in FIG. 11) when viewed from the track direction of the lateral rail 150, and can follow the height difference of the lateral rail 150. Note that the railway vehicle 10 mounted on the base 101 can absorb the tilt of the split bases 111A, 111C by the bolster springs interposed between the car body and the bogie.

[0045] Next, Fig. 12 illustrates the state of the railway vehicle traverser 100 when the height of the running surface 151 of the inner traverse rail is, for example, 50 mm higher than the height of the running surface 151 of the outer traverse rail. Note that Fig. 12 illustrates the traverse rail 150B and the traverse rail 150C in a state where they are floating above the ground 20 so that it is easy to understand that the heights of the running surfaces 151 of the traverse rail 150B and the traverse rail 150C are higher.

[0046] 12, when the height of the running surface 151 of the inner lateral rail becomes higher than the height of the running surface 151 of the outer lateral rail, the divided base 111A inclines upwards toward the center of the base 101 in the sleeper direction in order to bring the driving wheels 160A and 170A into contact with the lateral rail 150A and bring the driving wheels 160B and 170B into contact with the lateral rail 150B due to gravity. In addition, the divided base 111C inclines upwards toward the center of the base 101 in the sleeper direction in order to bring the driving wheels 160D and 170D into contact with the lateral rail 150D and bring the driving wheels 160C and 170C into contact with the lateral rail 150C due to gravity. The inclination of the split bases 111A and 111C is achieved by the split bases 111A and 111C rotating relative to the split base 111B around the rotation shaft 188 of the hinge member 180, as in the case shown in Fig. 11. At this time, since the running surfaces 151 of the two inner lateral rails are at the same height, the end of the split base 111A on the split base 111B side and the end of the split base 111A on the split base 111B side are at the same height. Therefore, the split bases 111B connected to each end are kept horizontal.

[0047] As described above, even if the height of the running surface 151 of the inner lateral rail becomes higher than the height of the running surface 151 of the outer lateral rail, the split base 111A and the split base 111C rotate and tilt relative to the split base 111B, so that the base 101 has a bow shape that bulges out toward the opposite side to the lateral rail 150 (upward in FIG. 12) when viewed from the track direction of the lateral rail 150, and can follow the height difference of the lateral rail 150. Note that the railway vehicle 10 mounted on the base 101 can absorb the tilt of the split bases 111A, 111C by the bolster springs interposed between the car body and the bogie.

[0048] Next, Figure 13 illustrates the state of the railway vehicle traverser 100 when the height of the running surface 151 of the lateral travel rail 150B is higher, for example, by 50 mm, than the height of the running surface 151 of the outer lateral travel rail and the height of the running surface 151 of the lateral travel rail 150C is lower, for example, by 50 mm, than the height of the running surface 151 of the outer lateral travel rail, that is, when the height of the running surface 151 of the lateral travel rail 150B is 100 mm higher than the height of the running surface 151 of the lateral travel rail 150C (when a difference in height occurs in the running surfaces 151 between the inner lateral travel rails). In Figure 13, to make it easier to see that the height of the running surface 151 of the lateral travel rail 150B is higher, the lateral travel rail 150B is shown floating above the ground 20, and to make it easier to see that the height of the running surface 151 of the lateral travel rail 150C is lower, the lateral travel rail 150C is shown sunken into the ground 20.

[0049] As shown in Figure 13, when the height of the running surface 151 of the lateral travel rail 150B becomes higher than the height of the running surface 151 of the outer lateral travel rail and the height of the running surface 151 of the lateral travel rail 150C becomes lower than the height of the running surface 151 of the outer lateral travel rail, the split base 111A tilts uphill toward the center of the base 101 in the sleeper direction due to gravity, in order to ground the driving wheels 160A and 170A on the lateral travel rail 150A and to ground the driving wheels 160B and 170B on the lateral travel rail 150B. In addition, when the height of the running surface 151 of the lateral travel rail 150C becomes lower than the height of the running surface 151 of the outer lateral travel rail, the split base 111C, due to gravity, grounds the driving wheels 160D and the driven wheels 170D on the lateral travel rail 150D and tilts downward toward the center of the base 101 in the sleeper direction in order to ground the driving wheels 160C and the driven wheels 170C on the lateral travel rail 150C. The tilt of the split bases 111A and 111C is achieved by the split bases 111A and 111C rotating relative to the split base 111B around the rotation shaft 188 of the hinge member 180, as in the case shown in Figures 11 and 12. At this time, since the height of the running surface 151 of the lateral travel rail 150B is higher than the height of the running surface 151 of the lateral travel rail 150C, the end portion of the split base 111A on the split base 111B side is at a higher position than the end portion of the split base 111C on the split base 111B side. Therefore, the split bases 111B connected to the respective ends are inclined downward from the split base 111A toward the split base 111C.

[0050] As described above, even if the height of the running surface 151 of the lateral travel rail 150B becomes higher than the height of the running surface 151 of the outer lateral travel rail and the height of the running surface 151 of the lateral travel rail 150C becomes lower than the height of the running surface 151 of the outer lateral travel rail, the base 101 becomes substantially N-shaped when viewed from the track direction of the lateral travel rail 150 due to the inclination of the divided bases 111A, 111B, 111C, and can follow the height difference of the lateral travel rail 150. Note that the railway vehicle 10 mounted on the base 101 can absorb the inclination of the divided bases 111A, 111C by the bolster springs interposed between the car body and the bogie.

[0051] As explained above with reference to Figures 11 to 13, even if a difference in height occurs in the running surfaces 151 of the multiple lateral travel rails 150 laid down, the base 101 can mechanically deform into a bow shape or an approximately N-shape, thereby following the difference in height of the running surfaces 151 so that all of the driving wheels 160A, 160B, 160C, and 160D and the driven wheels 170A, 170B, 170C, and 170D come into contact with the running surfaces 151.

[0052] If all the traverse wheels can be brought into contact with the traverse rail 150, the mass of the railway vehicle 10 mounted on the base 101 can be reliably supported. This makes it possible to prevent the base 101 from deforming in a way that is detrimental to the function of the railway vehicle traverser 100. Furthermore, if all the traverse wheels can be brought into contact with the traverse rail 150, it is also possible to prevent the drive wheels 160A, 160B, 160C, and 160D from spinning freely. This makes it possible to reliably run the railway vehicle traverser 100 on the traverse rail 150.

[0053] In order to ensure that the railway vehicle traverser 100 can follow the height difference of the running surface 151 of the lateral travel rail 150, it is most desirable that the rotation axis 188 of the hinge member 180 is located near the upper side of the lateral travel rail 150. In this regard, the railway vehicle traverser 100 has a base 101 made up of three separate bases 111, which is one less than the number of lateral travel rails, and further, these three separate bases 111 are connected to adjacent separate bases 111 by the hinge member 180 near the upper sides of the lateral travel rails 150B, 150C, thereby ensuring the above-mentioned followability.

[0054] Here, a further comment will be made on the height dimension D11 (see FIG. 1) of each of the roof divisions 203A, 203B, and 203C shown in FIG. 1, the distance D12 between adjacent roof divisions 203A and 203B, and the distance D13 (see FIG. 1) between adjacent roof divisions 203B and 203C. The height dimension D11 and distances D12 and D13 of each of the roof divisions 203A, 203B, and 203C are set to dimensions such that when the split base 111 rotates about the rotation axis 188, each of the roof divisions 203A, 203B, and 203C does not interfere with the adjacent roof divisions 203A, 203B, and 203C. For example, as shown in Fig. 11, when the height of the running surface 151 of the inner traverse rail becomes lower than the height of the running surface 151 of the outer traverse rail, the distance D21 between the adjacent divided roofs 203A and 203B and the distance D22 between the adjacent divided roofs 203B and 203C become smaller than the distances D12 and D13 shown in Fig. 1. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 13, when the height of the running surface 151 of the traverse rail 150B becomes higher than the height of the running surface 151 of the outer traverse rail and the height of the running surface 151 of the traverse rail 150C becomes lower than the height of the running surface 151 of the outer traverse rail, the distance D23 between the adjacent divided roofs 203B and 203C becomes even smaller than the distance D22 in Fig. 11. In other words, when the rotated split base 111 forms an approximately V-shape with an adjacent split base 111, the distance between the split roofs 203A, 203B, 203C becomes small. Therefore, even in such a case, the height dimension D11 and the distances D12, D13 between the adjacent split roofs 203A, 203B, 203C must be set so that the split roofs 203A, 203B, 203C do not interfere with each other.

[0055] Specifically, they are set as follows. The extent to which the distances D21, D22, and D23 are smaller than the distances D12 and D13 depends on the amount of rotation of the divided base 111. The amount of rotation of the divided base 111 depends on the variation in the height of the running surface 151 of the lateral travel rail 150. Therefore, the height dimension D11 and the distances D12 and D13 are set depending on the tolerance with which the height of the running surface 151 of the lateral travel rail 150 of the inspection and repair depot in which the rail car traverser 100 is used is managed. It goes without saying that the divided roofs 203A, 203B, and 203C must be high enough to cover the rail car 10 pulled into the base 101 as shown in FIG. 2.

[0056] In addition, in the above explanation, the railway vehicle traverser 100 has been described as mounting the railway vehicle 10 on the base 101 and traversing the railway vehicle 10, but it is also possible to mount only the vehicle bogie separated from the railway vehicle 10 on the base 101 and traverse the vehicle bogie.

[0057] As described above, the railway vehicle traverser 100 of this embodiment has the following features: (1) A railway vehicle traverser 100 is provided with a base 101 for mounting a railway vehicle 10 or a vehicle bogie, and runs on a plurality of lateral travel rails 150 laid in parallel on the ground (ground surface 20) using a plurality of lateral travel wheels (e.g., four driving wheels 160 and four driven wheels 170) provided on the base 101 to transport the railway vehicle 10 or the vehicle bogie mounted on the base 101. The lateral travel rails 150 are laid in a number of three or more (e.g., four), the base 101 is constructed by a plurality of split bases 111 lined up adjacent to each other in the sleeper direction of the lateral travel rail 150, and the split bases 111 are connected to the split bases 111 adjacent to each other in the sleeper direction of the lateral travel rail 150 via hinge members 180 having a rotation axis 188 in a direction parallel to the track direction of the lateral travel rail 150.

[0058] (2) In the railway vehicle traverser 100 described in (1), each of the split bases 111 is connected to the split base 111 adjacent to the traverse rail 150 in the sleeper direction near the inner traverse rail (in this embodiment, traverse rails 150B, 150C) that is laid between the two outermost traverse rails in the sleeper direction among the multiple traverse rails 150 laid in parallel.

[0059] (3) In the railway vehicle traverser 100 described in (1) or (2), the split bases 111 are characterized in that the number of split bases 111, one less than the number of traverse rails 150, are arranged adjacent to each other in the sleeper direction of the traverse rails 150 to form the base 101.

[0060] (4) In the railway vehicle traverser 100 described in any one of (1) to (3), the divided base 111 rotates around the rotating shaft 188, so that the base 101 follows the difference in height of the running surfaces 151 of the multiple traverse rails 150 laid down, and all of the traverse wheels (driving wheels 160 and driven wheels 170) come into contact with the running surfaces 151.

[0061] The above-mentioned railway vehicle traverser 100 is configured by a base 101 in which a plurality of divided bases 111 are arranged adjacent to each other in the sleeper direction of the lateral travel rail 150. Furthermore, the divided bases 111 are connected to the divided bases 111 adjacent to each other in the sleeper direction of the lateral travel rail 150 via hinge members 180 having a rotation axis 188 in a direction parallel to the track direction of the lateral travel rail 150. In other words, each of the plurality of divided bases 111 is connected to the adjacent divided bases 111 so as to be rotatable about the rotation axis 188. Therefore, even if a difference in height occurs in each running surface 151 of the plurality of laid lateral travel rails 150, the base 101 is mechanically deformed by the rotation of the divided bases 111 about the rotation axis 188, and can follow the difference in height of the running surface 151 so that all of the lateral travel wheels are in contact with the running surface 151.

[0062] Therefore, the railway vehicle traverser 100 can absorb the difference in height between the running surfaces 151 of multiple laid traverse rails 150, and allow all of the traverse wheels to contact the running surfaces 151 of the traverse rails 150.

[0063] The above embodiment is merely an example and does not limit the present invention in any way. Therefore, the present invention can be improved and modified in various ways without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the number of lateral travel rails 150 and the number of split bases 111 are not limited to the numbers given in the above embodiment, and the number of lateral travel rails may be three and the base may be two split bases. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 10. Railroad cars 20 Ground (example of ground) 101 Foundation 111 Split base 150 Traverse rail 160 Driving wheel (an example of a traverse wheel) 170 Driven wheel (an example of a traverse wheel) 180 Hinge member 188 Rotational Axis

Claims

1. A railroad vehicle traverser includes a base for mounting a railroad vehicle or a vehicle bogie, and the base includes a plurality of traverse wheels that run on a plurality of traverse rails laid in parallel on the ground to transport the railroad vehicle or vehicle bogie mounted on the base. The number of the traverse rails is three or more. the base is configured by a plurality of divided bases arranged adjacent to each other in a sleeper direction of the traverse rail; the split base is connected to an adjacent split base in a sleeper direction of the lateral travel rail via a hinge member having a rotation axis in a direction parallel to a track direction of the lateral travel rail; The plurality of divided bases include a first divided base which is a divided base having the traverse wheels, and a second divided base which is a divided base not having the traverse wheels, the second divided base is supported on the first divided base via the hinge member and is suspended in air; A traverser for railway vehicles characterized by:

2. The rail vehicle traverser according to claim 1, each of the split bases is connected to the split base adjacent to the lateral travel rail in the sleeper direction in the vicinity of the lateral travel rail that is sandwiched between two outermost lateral travel rails in the sleeper direction among the plurality of lateral travel rails laid in parallel; A traverser for railway vehicles characterized by:

3. The rail vehicle traverser according to claim 1 or 2, the divided bases are arranged adjacent to each other in a direction of the sleepers of the lateral travel rail, the number of the divided bases being one less than the number of the lateral travel rails, thereby constituting the base; A traverser for railway vehicles characterized by:

4. The railroad vehicle traverser according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The divided base rotates about the rotation axis, so that the base follows the height difference of the running surfaces of the plurality of traverse rails laid down, and all of the traverse wheels come into contact with the running surfaces. A traverser for railway vehicles characterized by:

Images