Ballast management device for railway tracks

Abstract

To improve simplification, weight saving, and operability of a railway line ballast arrangement device.SOLUTION: A railway line ballast arrangement device of this invention comprises: a ballast arrangement machine 4 that pivotally supports a rotor 8 in a horizontal direction which is rotatably driven at a tip of an operation rod 7 in a longitudinal direction through which a drive shaft is inserted to scrape a ballast between railway lines; and a truck 6 to which the ballast arrangement machine 4 is attached and that comprises a travel unit 19 that travels on a rail 1, wherein a support frame 21 that supports the operation rod 7 in a left / right swingable manner is provided between the travel units 19, 19. The support frame 21 is provided horizontally, and the ballast arrangement machine 4 is supported along the support frame 21 in a left / right slidable manner.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a ballast trimming device for railway tracks that trims ballast on a railway trackbed. [Background technology]

[0002] As is widely known, the roadbed of a railway track is formed by laying ballast, mainly consisting of crushed stone, in a trapezoidal cross section, and within that cross section, sleepers made of wood or precast concrete are buried in the left and right directions, and on top of that, tracks (rails) are laid in a crosswise direction, and the left and right rails are fixed to the sleepers with fasteners.

[0003] When laying tracks or during maintenance work after laying, ballast is poured or replenished between the tracks and sleepers, and the surface is leveled using a ballast trimming machine. In particular, any ballast remaining on the sleepers must be scraped and removed using the trimming machine in order to install, replace, or retighten track fasteners.

[0004] Conventional ballast management machines for railway tracks are known from Patent Documents 1 and 2, etc., which have a brush (rotor) rotatably supported on a bogie that runs on the tracks by power, and which scrapes ballast from the roadbed to level the ground or scrapes ballast off sleepers.

[0005] Portable ballast management machines have also been developed and are commercially available, which are modified from powered, handheld brush cutters that have been known for a long time and have a cutting section consisting of a horizontally rotating cutting blade, cutting rope, or cutting wire at the end of an operating rod with a built-in drive shaft.

[0006] The above-mentioned modified brush cutter-type ballast management machine is a handy powered ballast management machine that has a rotating brush or sieve (rotor) supported on the left and right axis at the end of an operating rod instead of the conventional rotating cutting blade (see Figure 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 56-704 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 3158082 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] However, the ballast management machines in the above-mentioned Patent Documents 1 and 2 both have rotating brushes that scrape ballast from the trackbed axially supported on a powered bogie in the left-right direction or partially in the front-to-back direction, which inevitably makes the entire device larger.

[0009] Furthermore, since the brushes are attached to fixed positions on the trolley, if they are fixedly attached, the brushes cannot reach corners near the rails sufficiently, and in order to reach these areas sufficiently, multiple brushes must be arranged in a complex manner.

[0010] On the other hand, making the brush adjustable requires an adjustment device, which increases the size and complexity of the brush and leads to higher costs.

[0011] Furthermore, the handy, portable, powered ballast trimming machine shown in Figure 1, which is also used in the present invention, has the problem that it places a heavy burden on the worker and results in individual differences in leveling depending on the worker's skill. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] The device of the present invention for solving the above problems comprises, first, a ballast management machine 4 having a rotor 8 in the left-right direction supported on the tip of a longitudinal operating rod 7 having a drive shaft inserted therein, the rotor 8 being driven to rotate and scrape ballast between the tracks, and a running section for running the ballast management machine 4 on a mounting rail 1. 19 and a bogie 6 equipped with the operating rod 7 between the running sections 19, 19. In plan view with respect to the traveling direction of the carriage 6 A support frame 21 is provided to support the device so that it can swing left and right. A guide frame 22 is provided between the left and right running portions 19, 19 in front of the support frame 21 to receive and support the rotor side of the operating rod 7 of the ballast management machine 4 so that it can slide left and right. It is characterized by being slapped.

[0013] Secondly, the support frame 21 is installed horizontally between the left and right running sections 19, 19, and a slider 24 is provided between the operating rod 7 and the support frame 21 to support the ballast management machine 4 so that it can slide left and right along the support frame 21.

[0014] No. 3 In addition, the operating rod 7 is supported on the carriage 6 so as to be capable of swinging up and down.

[0015] No. 4 In addition, the ballast management machine 4 is characterized in that either or both of the mounting portion 23 for mounting on the carriage 6 and the guide frame 22 are configured to be height adjustable.

[0016] No. 5 The trolley 6 is characterized in that it can be manually pushed by an operator. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] The device of the present invention configured as above provides the following effects. (1) By supporting the operating rod so that it can swing left and right relative to the support frame, the rotor at the tip can scrape or scrape the ballast surface of the roadbed evenly along the direction of the sleepers from the middle of the rail to the corners on the inner side of the left and right rails, preventing unevenness in the ballast surface.

[0018] (2) By sliding the support part of the operating rod left and right using a slider, it is possible to scrape a wide area left and right, and the length of the operating rod can be shortened, which improves the operability of the ballast management machine and makes it easier to level the ballast surface.

[0019] (3) The guide frame supports the tip of the operating rod, which is equipped with a rotor and is heavy, and allows it to slide left and right. This ensures evenness of the ballast surface in the left and right directions. In addition, there is no need to support the rotor by pushing down on the base end of the rod, which has the advantage of reducing the labor required for scraping work.

[0020] (4) By making the cart into a mechanism that can be pushed and moved by human power, power for moving the cart is not required. In addition to the advantage that the entire sorting work can be operated manually, the entire mechanism is simple, making it possible to realize compactness, lightness, and cost reduction. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall perspective view showing the ballast management device of the present invention in use; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the mechanism of the rotor portion of the ballast management machine used in the device of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a left side view of the entire device of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a front cross-sectional view of the support frame and slider of the bogie. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a front cross-sectional view of the guide beam of the bogie. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] The drawings show one embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 1 is an overall perspective view showing the device in use. As shown in the figure, a pair of rails 1 are laid in a cross direction on top of sleepers 3 that are embedded in ballast (not shown) of a trackbed 2, and are fixed onto the sleepers 3 by fasteners (not shown).

[0023] In contrast, the ballast management device of the present invention is configured by mounting a handheld ballast management machine 4, which performs the work of scraping ballast at the tip by horizontally swinging the operating rod, on a bogie 6 that is pushed by hand along the tracks (rails) (no power is used for running).

[0024] In this example, the ballast management machine 4 is an improved version of a well-known, handheld brush cutter that can be carried by the operator over the shoulder, as described above, and is already available on the market. The rotor 8, which is a rotating brush, is pivotally attached to the end of an operating rod 7, which is a pipe with a drive shaft (not shown) inserted inside, and is axially supported in the left-right direction (T-shaped relative to the rod). In this example, the rotor 8 rotates clockwise in Figure 1, scraping the ballast forward. As shown in Figure 3, a cylindrical rotor cover 10 is attached to the back side of the rotor 8.

[0025] As shown in Figure 2, the rotor 8 has a pair of rotating brushes 8a and 8b mounted on the rotor shaft 9, one of which is fixed and the other of which is detachably inserted into the rotor shaft 9, which is a splined shaft protruding to one side. A gear case 11 is installed at the middle position of the rotor shaft 9, and is connected to the operating rod 7 and the tip of the drive shaft, and the rotation of the drive shaft is transmitted to the rotor shaft 9 by a worm gear or the like.

[0026] A drive motor 14, which is integral with a main handle 13 and is connected to the drive shaft together with a battery 12, is attached to the rear end (base end) of the operating rod 7. Reference numeral 16 denotes a switch attached to the main handle 13 for starting and stopping the motor.

[0027] The operating rod 7 is divided into two parts, a first rod 7a on the base end side and a second rod 7b on the tip end side, together with an internal drive shaft, and is detachably connected at a joint 17. As shown in Figure 2, the brush pieces of the rotor 8 are made of metal or plastic with a certain degree of rigidity and elasticity, and are linear or rectangular members arranged radially or spirally around the rotor shaft 9.

[0028] In addition, a loop-shaped sub-handle 18 protrudes upward from the tip of the first rod 7a, and the operator of the ballast management machine 4 holds the main handle 13 in one hand and the sub-handle 18 in the other, and performs the ballast scraping work by swinging the rotor 8 at the tip left and right and up and down.

[0029] The bogie 6 is formed into a rectangular frame shape in plan view by a longitudinal running section 19 that is mounted on the left and right rails 1 so that it can move forward and backward via wheels 20 (see Figure 3) that are journaled at the front and rear, and a support frame 21 and a guide frame 22 that are installed horizontally at the front and rear between the left and right running sections 19, 19, and each running section 19 is composed of a member with a downward channel-shaped cross section that journals the wheels 20 inside.

[0030] The rear support frame 21 that constitutes the mounting portion 23 of the ballast management machine 4 is made of a square pipe in this example, and is detachably installed between the left and right running portions 19, 19. A mounting base made of a hollow material that is convex when viewed from the front is attached to the support frame 21 as a slider 24 that can slide left and right along the support frame 21. The support frame 21 is inserted left and right into the hollow portion of a slide case 26 on the lower end side of the mounting base (slider) 24, in other words, the slide case 26 of the mounting base 24 is attached so as to cover at least the upper part and both the front and rear sides of the support frame 21.

[0031] Furthermore, left-right slide rails 27 are attached and supported in parallel to the bottom surface of the support frame 21, and multiple rollers 28 are journaled within the slide case 26, rollingly contacting the upper surface of the bottom edge of the slide rails 27 and supporting the mounting base 24 so that it can slide left and right (see Figure 4).

[0032] A mast case 29 made up of vertical pipes is formed in the left-right center of the slide case 26, opening upward, and stands upright, and an attachment mast 31 that attaches and supports the ballast management machine 4 is inserted into this mast case 29 so that it can be slid up and down. A set lever 32 that tightens and sets the height of the attachment mast 31 relative to the mast case 29 at a predetermined position by operating a bolt (30) is attached to the back side of the mast case 29 by being inserted through a slit 35 (see Figure 4).

[0033] The upper end of the mounting mast 31 and the tip position of the first rod 7a (the intermediate position between the sub-handle 18 and the joint part 17) are pivotally connected and supported via a pair of connecting members 33 so that the operating rod 7 can be operated to swing up and down. The supported posture of this ballast management machine 4 is such that the operating rod 7 is tilted forward and the rotor 8 at its tip is tilted so that it can sufficiently contact the ballast surface between the left and right rails 1,1.

[0034] In addition, a rod-shaped guide member 34 made of a plastic material or the like with a predetermined elasticity is attached along the guide frame 22, which is installed horizontally on the front side of the bogie 6, and this guide member 34 supports the ballast management machine 4 in a forward-leaning position so that it can slide smoothly left and right, and determines the lower limit position of the rotor 8.

[0035] The guide frame 22 is attached to the carriage 6 via lifting brackets 36 attached to both ends thereof and fixed brackets 37 attached and fixed to the front ends of the left and right running parts 19. The lifting brackets 36 are attached so as to be able to slide up and down along the inner corners of the fixed brackets 37, which are formed in an angled shape in plan view, and the height can be adjusted to any position by tightening bolts (41) at a sliding position of a predetermined height using a set lever 39 inserted from the outside (front side) through a vertical slit 38 formed in the front wall of the fixed bracket 37.

[0036] When ballast adjustment of the trackbed 2 is performed using the device of the present invention configured as described above, the bogie 6 on the rail 1 is manually pushed by an operator, mainly moving forward, or moving backward as needed, while the rotor 8 is pressed against the ballast surface while swinging up and down or left and right as needed, to level the ballast surface or scrape off and remove the ballast on the sleepers 3, as shown in Figures 1 and 3.

[0037] At this time, the ballast trimming machine 4 slides freely left and right on the support frame 21, so the inclination and left and right position of the rotor 8 relative to the sleepers 3, etc. in a plan view can be freely changed, and the ballast surface can be trimmed and adjusted over a wide range by changing the up and down height of the rotor 8 according to the height and unevenness of the ballast surface.

[0038] Furthermore, by adjusting the height of the support portion 23 and the height of the guide frame 22, the rotor height and the optimum posture of the ballast management machine can be selected according to the conditions of the site and the worker.

[0039] The cart 6 is of the hand-pushed type to reduce weight and improve operability, but it can also be powered by a small engine or motor if necessary, and the rotor 8 can be of the well-known sheave drum type with multiple strip plates mounted horizontally on the periphery, rather than a rotating brush.In addition, the height of the mounting part 23 and guide frame 22 can also be adjusted by using a jack type with vertical screws, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1. Rails 2. Trackbed 4 Ballast trimming machine 6 carts 7 Operating rod 8(8a,8b) Rotor 19 Running part 21 Support frame 22 Guide Frame 23 Mounting part 24 Slider (mounting base) 27 Slide rail

Claims

1. A ballast management device for railway tracks comprising a ballast management machine (4) having a left-right rotor (8) supported on the tip of a longitudinal operating rod (7) with a drive shaft inserted therein that rotates to scrape ballast between the tracks, and a bogie (6) having a running section (19) that runs on a mounting rail (1) for the ballast management machine (4), wherein a support frame (21) is provided between the running sections (19, 19) to support the operating rod (7) so that it can swing left and right in a plan view relative to the running direction of the bogie (6), and a guide frame (22) is provided horizontally between the left and right running sections (19, 19) in front of the support frame (21) to receive and support the rotor side of the operating rod (7) of the ballast management machine (4) so ​​that it can slide left and right.

2. A ballast trimming device for railway tracks as described in claim 1, wherein a support frame (21) is installed horizontally in the left-right direction between the left and right running sections (19), (19), and a slider (24) is provided between the operating rod (7) and the support frame (21) to support the ballast trimming machine (4) so ​​that it can slide left and right along the support frame (21).

3. 3. A ballast management device for railway tracks according to claim 1, wherein an operating rod (7) is supported on the bogie (6) so as to be capable of swinging up and down.

4. A ballast management device for railway tracks as described in either claim 1 or 2, wherein either or both of the mounting portion (23) of the ballast management machine (4) to the bogie (6) and the guide frame (22) are configured to be height adjustable.

5. 3. A railroad ballast management device according to claim 1, wherein the carriage (6) is a carriage that can be manually pushed by an operator.

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