Transport vehicle

Abstract

To provide a small-sized lightweight transport vehicle movable on a rail and on a ground.SOLUTION: A transport vehicle 1 is a mechanical device for transporting cargoes. The transport vehicle 1 comprises: a vehicle body 2; a rail wheel 3 consisting of one wheel; a pair of right and left ground wheels 4; a pair of right and left steering wheels 5; and a pair of right and left leg parts 6. The rail wheel 3 is arranged at the center of a right-left direction under the vehicle body 2. The ground wheels 4 are arranged under the vehicle body 2. The handle bars 5 are fixed to a rear part of the vehicle body 2. The leg parts 6 are parts arranged behind the rail wheel 3 and the ground wheels 4 and in front of the steering wheel 5 and projecting downward from the vehicle body 2. The rail wheel 3 has flanges 32 on both right and left sides of a tread 31 thereof.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a carrier for transporting luggage in railway maintenance work and the like.

Background Art

[0002] Since signal current and return current flow through railway rails, the joints are electrically connected by rail bonds (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1). A rail bond has a conducting wire and terminals at both ends thereof. The terminals of the rail bond are joined to the rail web. Due to rail vibrations and the like caused by the running of railway vehicles, fatigue cracks may occur at the joint with the rail and lead to breakage, and the rail bond may fall off the rail. Therefore, in maintenance work, when a fallen rail bond is discovered during inspections of track circuits and level crossing control units, or when responding to a fallen rail bond by an emergency call from a command center, etc., it is frequent to repair the fallen rail bond. The equipment brought to the site for repairing a rail bond is approximately 45 kg in total, including a gas cylinder of about 20 kg, a portable generator of about 15 kg, materials, etc. of about 10 kg. Workers carry such heavy objects in the track multiple times between the automobile and the site. Such transportation work not only takes time but also poses risks of worker falls and heavy object drops.

[0003] Conventionally, a manual trolley for tracks that can move on both the rail and the ground is known (see Patent Document 参照). It is conceivable to use such a manual trolley for tracks to transport heavy objects between an automobile on the ground and a site in the track. However, since this manual trolley for tracks has a loading platform wider than the rail pitch and four wheels each for ground travel and rail travel, it is heavy, and it is not easy to place it on the rail (loading onto the rail) and remove it from the rail (unloading from the rail). When performing work in the track within the limited time between train intervals, it is also necessary to quickly load onto the rail and unload from the rail.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

[0005] [Non-Patent Document 1] JIS E 3601 "Rail Bonds" [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] The present invention aims to solve the above problems and provide a transport vehicle that can move on rails and on the ground, is small and lightweight, and is easy to load and unload from rails. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The transport vehicle of the present invention is for transporting cargo and comprises a vehicle body, a single rail wheel provided in the center of the left-right direction beneath the vehicle body for moving on rails, a pair of left and right ground wheels provided beneath the vehicle body for moving on the ground, a pair of left and right handles fixed to the rear of the vehicle body, and a pair of left and right legs located behind the rail wheel and ground wheel and in front of the handles, protruding downward from the vehicle body, wherein the rail wheel has flanges on both the left and right sides of its tread surface.

[0008] In this transport vehicle, it is preferable to have a marker indicating the center in the left-right direction at a position visible to the user holding the handle.

[0009] In this transport vehicle, it is preferable that a container for storing cargo is provided on the vehicle body, and that the container is detachably fixed to the vehicle body. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The transport vehicle of the present invention is equipped with rail wheels and ground wheels, allowing it to move continuously on rails and on the ground. Since the transport vehicle moves on a single rail, its width does not need to be narrower than the track gauge, and because it has one rail wheel and two ground wheels, it is smaller and lighter than a vehicle with four wheels on each side, and loading and unloading from the rails is easy. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a transport vehicle on a rail according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a side view of the transport vehicle. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a front view of the transport vehicle. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of the rail wheels for the transport vehicle. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the markings on the transport vehicle as seen from the user's point of view. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a plan view of the vehicle body of the transport vehicle. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] A transport vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6. As shown in Figure 1, the transport vehicle 1 is a device for transporting goods. The goods to be transported are, for example, maintenance equipment for railway facilities, but are not limited to that. Note that Figure 1 shows the vehicle without the markings described later attached.

[0013] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the carrier 1 includes a vehicle body 2, a single-wheel rail wheel 3, a pair of left and right ground wheels 4, a pair of left and right handles 5, and a pair of left and right legs 6. The rail wheel 3 is a wheel for moving on the rail R and is provided at the center in the left-right direction under the vehicle body 2. The left-right direction is the width direction of the vehicle body 2 and is the direction of the crab when the rail wheel 3 is on the rail R. The ground wheels 4 are wheels for moving on the ground (a surface other than on the rail) and are provided under the vehicle body 2. The handle 5 is a part (grip) held by the user of the carrier 1 and is fixed to the rear part of the vehicle body 2. The legs 6 are located behind the rail wheel 3 and the ground wheels 4 and in front of the handle 5, and are parts protruding downward from the vehicle body 2. FIGS. 1 to 3 show the state where the vehicle body 2 is horizontal.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 4, the rail wheel 3 has flanges 32 on both the left and right sides of its tread 31.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 5, the carrier 1 has a mark 7 indicating the center in the left-right direction at a position visible to the user holding the handle 5.

[0016] The carrier 1 has a container 8 for accommodating luggage on the vehicle body 2 (see FIG. 2). The container 8 is detachably fixed to the vehicle body 2. As a modification of the present embodiment, the carrier 1 may have a container 8 permanently fixed to the vehicle body 2, or the vehicle body 2 and the container 8 may be integrally formed. Also, the container 8 may be omitted.

[0017] Each component of the carrier 1 will be described in further detail. Since the carrier 1 can move on the rail and on the ground, it is also called a rail-and-ground dual-use carrier. The carrier 1 has a symmetric structure (see FIG. 3).

[0018] The vehicle body 2 of the carrier 1 is made of light metal (aluminum). The vehicle body 2 receives the load of the loaded luggage (cargo) and transmits the load to the rail wheel 3 or the ground wheel 4.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 6, the vehicle body 2 is formed by joining a plurality of elongated members, and has a pair of left and right side frames 22 that are long in the front-rear direction and a pair of front and rear cross frames 23 that are long in the left-right direction. The two side frames 22 and the two cross frames 23 form a rectangular outer frame. The vehicle body 2 has a horizontal cross member 24 that is long in the left-right direction and a vertical cross member 25 that is long in the front-rear direction on the surface surrounded by its outer frame. The horizontal cross member 24 connects the intermediate portions of the left and right side frames 22 in the left-right direction. The vertical cross member 25 connects the intermediate portions of the cross frame 23 and the horizontal cross member 24 in the front-rear direction. Note that the left side of FIG. 6 is the front side of the carrier 1.

[0020] The upper surface of the vehicle body 2 is the loading platform 21 (see FIG. 3). For example, the size of the loading platform 21 is such that the effective width of the loading platform is about 485 mm and the effective length of the loading platform is about 700 mm. Since the track spacing of conventional railways in Japan is 1067 mm (narrow track) and the track spacing of the Shinkansen railway (the Shinkansen railway defined in Article 2 of the National Shinkansen Railway Maintenance Law) is 1435 mm (standard track), the width of the loading platform 21 is narrower than either of these track spacings, and the carrier 1 is miniaturized. A container 8 may be placed on the loading platform 21, and the goods may be placed in the container 8. The goods may be directly placed on the loading platform 21. A board may be laid on the loading platform 21 to receive the goods.

[0021] The rail wheels 3 are provided on the vehicle body 2 via forks 33 (wheel support frames). The rotation center axis of the rail wheels 3 is in the left-right direction. The rail wheels 3 do not perform yawing (steering). The flange 32 of the rail wheels 3 is a portion with a diameter larger than the tread surface 31, and is continuously provided on the outer periphery of the rail wheels 3 to prevent the rail wheels 3 from derailing from the rail (see FIG. 4). The rail wheels 3 are double-flanged wheels with flanges 32 on both sides of the tread surface 31.

[0022] In order to reduce the friction between the rail wheels 3 and the left and right inner walls 331 of the forks 33, bearings 34 are provided on both the left and right sides of the rail wheels 3. With these bearings 34, the load when the carrier 1 moves on the rail is reduced.

[0023] Since the rail wheel 3 is a single wheel, it does not short-circuit the left and right rails R (see Figure 3). Since the rail wheel 3 is a single axle, it does not short-circuit the rails before and after the insulating joint of the rail R (see Figure 2). In this embodiment, the rail wheel 3 is made of synthetic resin, which further prevents short-circuiting of the rails. Thus, since the transport vehicle 1 does not short-circuit the rails, it does not affect the track circuit even when used on the rails.

[0024] The two ground wheels 4 are arranged side by side on the same axle (see Figure 3). In this embodiment, each ground wheel 4 has a tire for ground travel. For example, the tires of the ground wheels 4 are 13-inch tires.

[0025] The tread of the rail wheel 3 is higher than the tread of the ground wheel 4. The height difference between the treads of the rail wheel 3 and the ground wheel 4 is less than the height of the rail R. Therefore, when the rail wheel 3 is on the rail, the ground wheel 4 is lifted off the track surface (the top surface of the sleepers and ballast, or the top surface of the slab). When the ground wheel 4 is on the ground, the rail wheel 3 is lifted off the ground. As a result, the transport vehicle 1 does not need to support the rail wheel 3 or the ground wheel 4 so that they can be raised and lowered relative to the vehicle body 2, and the structure of the transport vehicle 1 is simplified.

[0026] The handles 5 are fixed to the right and left ends of the rear of the vehicle body 2, respectively. In other words, the handles 5 are fixed handles, and there is a right handle 5R and a left handle 5L. The right handle 5R and the left handle 5L are spaced apart to the left and right. Each of the left and right handles 5 (5R, 5L) is made from a long, slender hollow member (metal pipe) and has a portion 51 (column) that extends upward from the rear of the vehicle body 2 and a portion 52 (grip) that extends backward from the upper end of the portion 51 (see Figure 2). The portion 52 that extends backward is held by the user. The user holds the right handle 5R with their right hand and the left handle 5L with their left hand.

[0027] The leg portion 6 is formed from a long, slender hollow member (metal pipe) shaped into a roughly V-shape in side view, and one is provided at each of the right and left ends of the rear of the vehicle body 2. In this embodiment, the upper end of the rear member of the roughly V-shape of the leg portion 6 is continuous with the lower end of the handle 5. That is, each of the left and right leg portions 6 and the handle 5 are integrally constructed. The leg portion 6 does not have wheels. Note that the leg portion 6 may be U-shaped or I-shaped, etc., in side view.

[0028] In this embodiment, the marker 7 is a plate-shaped member that protrudes upward from the center in the left-right direction of the front end of the vehicle body 2 (see Figures 2 and 3). The marker 7 indicates the left-right position of the rail wheel 3. It is desirable that the marker 7 has a surface color with high brightness and high saturation so that it is conspicuous. As a modification of this embodiment, the marker 7 may be provided so as to protrude from the front end of the container 8. Alternatively, the marker may be provided on the container 8 or the vehicle body 2 by painting.

[0029] The container 8 is a box-shaped container with a bottom and no lid, and is mounted on the vehicle body 2 (see Figure 2). In this embodiment, the container 8 is a commercially available trough. The container 8 may have a lid. The vehicle body 2 has a fall prevention fence 26 at the end of the loading platform 21 to prevent the container 8 and the cargo from falling. The container 8 is secured to the vehicle body 2 with loading straps or belts. Loading straps can be repurposed, for example, those used for bicycles.

[0030] The method of using the transport vehicle 1 configured as described above will now be explained. The transport vehicle 1 functions as a two-wheeled hand-pushed cart on the ground and as a single-wheeled hand-pushed cart on rails.

[0031] When the user does not hold the handle 5, the transport vehicle 1 is supported at three points on the rail by a single rail wheel 3 and a pair of legs 6. When the user does not hold the handle 5, the transport vehicle 1 is supported at four points on the ground by a pair of ground wheels 4 and a pair of legs 6. Thus, when the user does not hold the handle 5, the transport vehicle 1 is supported at at least three points and will not tip over.

[0032] Conventional four-wheeled transport trolleys on rails will start moving on their own if the user lets go of them on a gradient section of the track. In contrast, transport vehicle 1 will not move even if the user lets go of it on a gradient section, as its rear is supported by legs 6. In railways, stopping is more important than moving for safety reasons, so it is extremely important that transport vehicle 1 does not move on its own on gradient sections.

[0033] On the ground, when the handle 5 of the transport vehicle 1 is lifted by the user, the legs 6 leave the ground and the vehicle becomes movable on the ground wheels 4. The transport vehicle 1 is configured to have a small front-to-back distance between the center of gravity, including the load, and the contact surface of the ground wheels 4, so that the majority of the weight of the transport vehicle 1, including the load, is supported by the ground wheels 4. The ground wheels 4 are located towards the front of the transport vehicle 1. When the handle 5 is lifted on the ground, the transport vehicle 1 functions as a type 2 lever, with the contact surface of the ground wheels 4 as the fulcrum, the handle 5 as the point of force application, and the area near the center of the loading platform 21 (the position of the load) as the point of application. Due to the lever principle, the force required to lift the handle 5 is small.

[0034] On the ground, the transport vehicle 1 moves forward when the handle 5 is lifted and pushed forward. Conversely, the transport vehicle 1 moves backward when the handle 5 is lifted and pulled backward.

[0035] Transport vehicle 1, loaded with goods to be transported to the work site, is moved on the ground to the level crossing. At the level crossing, transport vehicle 1, still loaded, is loaded onto the rails by continuous movement from the ground. Once loaded onto the rails, transport vehicle 1 can continue to move along the rails. However, when loading onto the rails at locations other than level crossings, it is desirable to load an empty transport vehicle 1 onto the rails first, and then load the goods onto the transport vehicle, in order to prevent the load from shifting.

[0036] On the rails, the transport vehicle 1 moves forward when the handle 5 is lifted and pushed forward. When the handle 5 is lifted on the rails, the transport vehicle 1 functions as a type 2 lever, with the contact point of the rail wheels 3 with the rails as the fulcrum, the handle 5 as the point of effort, and the area near the center of the loading platform 21 as the point of application. Due to the lever principle, the force required to lift the handle 5 is small. The transport vehicle 1 is then moved to the work site.

[0037] When transport vehicle 1 arrives at the work site, the cargo is unloaded from transport vehicle 1, and transport vehicle 1 departs the site.

[0038] Transport vehicle 1 may be used to transport goods on the ground at the work site after it has been removed from the rails. Since transport vehicle 1 has two wheels on the ground, it is more maneuverable than vehicle with four wheels.

[0039] Once work at the construction site is complete, first, an empty transport vehicle 1 is loaded onto the tracks. Next, the cargo to be removed from the site is loaded onto transport vehicle 1. Then, transport vehicle 1 is moved along the rails to the level crossing. At the level crossing, transport vehicle 1 is moved off the rails to the ground with its cargo still inside. Once moved off the rails, transport vehicle 1 can continue to move on the ground. However, when moving off at locations other than level crossings, it is desirable to unload the cargo from transport vehicle 1 and leave it empty to prevent the cargo from shifting.

[0040] Let's further elaborate on the movement of the transport vehicle 1 on the rails. In railway common sense, a vehicle that runs on tracks requires four wheels, two on each side and two on the front and rear axles, and runs on two rails on each side. The two wheels on each side prevent derailment and overturning. Also, the two wheels on the front and rear axles guide the direction of movement (yaw direction) to the rails. Therefore, moving on a single narrow rail with only one wheel is difficult from a railway common sense perspective. The transport vehicle 1, which has one rail wheel 3, was realized by the inventor of this application through prototyping, actual use, and repeated improvements.

[0041] The transport vehicle 1 has a pair of handles 5, a right handle 5R and a left handle 5L. By applying the force to lift these handles, the transport vehicle 1 can be balanced from side to side (see Figure 1). In addition, the difference in the force applied to the right handle 5R and the left handle 5L generates a yawing moment in the transport vehicle 1, which determines the direction of movement. Therefore, when the transport vehicle 1 moves along the rails, the user can prevent the transport vehicle 1 from derailing by adjusting the force applied to the right handle 5R and the left handle 5L.

[0042] Let us consider, in hindsight, why such operation by the user is possible with a load on the transport vehicle 1. In railway vehicles, the derailment coefficient is the value Q / P obtained by dividing the lateral force Q, which is the force the wheel exerts on the rail laterally, by the wheel load P, which is the force the wheel exerts on the rail downward (see JIS E 4001). The smaller the derailment coefficient Q / P of a railway vehicle, the less likely it is to derail. Although the transport vehicle 1 is a piece of equipment and not a railway vehicle, let's try applying the derailment coefficient Q / P to the rail wheels 3 of the transport vehicle 1.

[0043] When the load on transport vehicle 1 is heavy, the wheel load P of the rail wheels 3 is large, so the derailment coefficient Q / P becomes small, and the rail wheels 3 are less likely to derail. In this case, the rail wheels 3 are prevented from derailing by the flange 32.

[0044] When the load on the transport vehicle 1 is light, the wheel load P of the rail wheels 3 is small, so the derailment coefficient Q / P becomes large, and the flange 32 is more likely to lift onto the rail. The user prevents derailment by adjusting the force applied to the right handle 5R and the left handle 5L, respectively. In this case, since the load on the transport vehicle 1 is light, the force required for adjustment is small.

[0045] In the initial prototype of the transport vehicle 1, it was difficult to determine whether the rail wheel 3 was on the rail. Therefore, an improvement was made by adding a marker 7 (see Figure 2). The single rail wheel 3 is located in the center in the left-right direction (see Figure 3). The marker 7 indicates the center in the left-right direction. Therefore, when a user holding the handle 5 looks at the marker 7, they can accurately determine the relative left-right positional relationship between the rail wheel 3 and the rail R. In this embodiment, when loading the transport vehicle 1 onto the track from a level crossing, the marker 7 serves as a marker for entering the track. Also, when moving the transport vehicle 1 forward on the rail, the user may push the handle 5 while looking at the marker 7 and the rail R. Note that if the cargo bed 21 or container 8 of the vehicle body 2 has an opening or transparent window, and the rail wheel 3 is directly visible to the user holding the handle 5, the marker 7 may be omitted.

[0046] Furthermore, in the initial prototype of the transport vehicle 1, the container 8 (a trough) holding the cargo wobbled, making it difficult to balance the transport vehicle 1. Therefore, an improvement was made to fix the container 8 to the vehicle body 2.

[0047] As described above, the transport vehicle 1 according to this embodiment is equipped with rail wheels 3 and ground wheels 4, so it can move continuously on rails and on the ground. Since the transport vehicle 1 moves on a single rail, its width does not need to be narrower than the track gauge, and since it has one rail wheel 3 and two ground wheels 4, it is smaller and lighter than a vehicle with four wheels each, and loading and unloading is easy. Since it moves on a single rail with one wheel, it does not interfere with equipment within the track gauge. Since it has two wheels on the ground, it is highly maneuverable. In addition, since the transport vehicle 1 is equipped with a pair of legs 6 on the left and right, it will not tip over even if the user lets go, and it will not start moving on its own even if the user lets go in a gradient section. For this reason, the transport vehicle 1 does not need to be equipped with brakes, and its configuration and maintenance are simplified. The rail wheel 3 has flanges 32 on both the left and right sides, so it is prevented from derailing from the rails. Since the transport vehicle 1 has a pair of handles 5 fixed to the rear of the vehicle body 2, the wheels can be prevented from coming off by operating the left and right handles 5 (right handle 5R and left handle 5L).

[0048] By having a marker 7 indicating the center in the left-right direction in a position visible to the user holding the handle 5, the relative left-right positional relationship between the rail wheels 3 and the rail can be accurately determined, making it easier to load the transport vehicle 1 onto the rail from the level crossing.

[0049] The transport vehicle 1 has a detachable container 8 on its body 2, which facilitates loading and unloading of cargo and prevents the cargo from falling. In addition, because the container 8 is fixed to the body 2, the container 8 does not wobble, making it easier to balance the transport vehicle 1.

[0050] By using this transport vehicle 1 for maintenance work on the railway tracks, the risk of workers falling or heavy objects falling during equipment transport can be reduced. In addition, transport vehicle 1 can transport more equipment at once faster than carrying it along the tracks, thus reducing the time required for transport.

[0051] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible without changing the essence of the invention. For example, a film-like retroreflective material may be attached to the surface of the marker 7. Retroreflection is a type of reflection in which reflected light is selectively returned in a direction substantially along the optical path of the incident light over a wide irradiation angle (see JIS Z 8713). The marker 7 with the retroreflective material attached reflects light emitted from the user's helmet light back to the user. Alternatively, the container 8 may be detachably fixed to the vehicle body 2 by providing a fastener such as a latch. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 1. Transport vehicle 2 car bodies 3 Rail wheels 31 Tread 32 flange 4. Ground wheels 5 handles 6 legs 7 Landmarks 8 containers

Claims

1. A transport vehicle for carrying goods, The car body and, A single rail wheel is provided in the center of the left-right direction beneath the vehicle body for moving along railway tracks, A pair of ground wheels, one on each side, are provided beneath the vehicle body for moving on the ground, A pair of left and right handles fixed to the rear of the vehicle body, It comprises a pair of left and right legs that are located behind the rail wheels and ground wheels, and in front of the handle, and protrude downward from the vehicle body, The pair of ground wheels, one on each side, are separated from the rails in the left-right direction. The aforementioned rail wheel has flanges on both the left and right sides of its tread surface. The aforementioned tread surface has a constant diameter in the left-right direction. The transport vehicle is characterized in that each flange has a portion that is continuous with the tread and whose diameter gradually increases as it moves further away from the tread in the left-right direction.

2. A mark indicating the center in the left-right direction is provided in front of the rail wheel, The transport vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the aforementioned marker protrudes diagonally upward and forward, and is positioned so as to be visible to the user holding the handle, together with the rail.

3. The vehicle has a container on the vehicle body for storing luggage, The transport vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the container is detachably fixed to the vehicle body.

Images