Lifting Device Buffer Mechanism for Railway Ballast Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing machines used for cleaning or transporting ballast on railway tracks are prone to damage when encountering obstacles like larger rocks, as the conveyor chain can collide with them, leading to machine failure and downtime.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a lifting device with an articulated connection to the machine frame, equipped with a buffer element, such as a hydraulic cylinder, that allows the conveyor chain to give way upon hitting an obstacle, triggering a priority stop to prevent damage and further risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the conveyor chain is lowered below the track bed to excavate ballast, then the cleaning efficiency is improved, but the risk of collision with obstacles increases
Solution Approach 1:
The holder is made movable relative to the machine frame through a buffer element (hydraulic cylinder), allowing the excavation device to dynamically adjust its position when encountering obstacles. This dynamic capability enables the system to maintain high cleaning efficiency while preventing collision damage by automatically yielding when resistance exceeds a predetermined threshold.
Solution Approach 2:
A buffer element in the form of a hydraulic cylinder is pre-installed between the holder and machine frame to provide beforehand cushioning. This cushioning mechanism is designed to absorb collision forces and trigger an emergency stop before the conveyor chain can be damaged by obstacles in the track bed.
2Strength
If the conveyor chain is made more robust to prevent breakage, then the resistance to collision increases, but the adaptability to track bed variations decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of making the conveyor chain statically more robust, the system uses a dynamic buffer element (hydraulic cylinder) that allows controlled movement of the holder relative to the machine frame. This enables the chain to yield adaptively to track bed variations while maintaining sufficient strength to handle normal operating loads.
Solution Approach 2:
The buffer element allows the system to change the positional parameter of the holder relative to the machine frame when encountering obstacles. This parameter change enables the chain to adapt its position dynamically, maintaining both strength during normal operation and flexibility when obstacles are detected through resistance changes.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid connection is used between the excavation device and machine frame, then the structural stability is improved, but the ability to yield upon collision is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The connection between the holder and machine frame is changed from rigid to dynamic through the introduction of a buffer element (hydraulic cylinder). This dynamic connection maintains structural stability during normal operation while enabling the system to yield reliably when collision resistance exceeds a predetermined threshold, thus resolving the contradiction between stability and collision yieldability.
Solution Approach 2:
A buffer element in the form of a hydraulic cylinder is introduced as an intermediary between the holder and machine frame. This intermediary component acts as a mediator that transmits forces during normal operation (maintaining stability) but yields and triggers emergency stop when collision forces exceed safe limits (enabling reliable collision response).
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Prevents damage to the conveyor chain and machine by allowing the chain to yield upon collision, ensuring reliable operation and minimizing downtime and costs associated with repairs.
Implementation Method 1
The buffer element 21 can be designed, for example, as a hydraulic cylinder 23, which can be acted upon with a hydraulic pressure—which forms the desired resistance 22
Data Source
Figure 1a~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
A lifting device (7) with a rotatable, endless conveyor-chain (8) for receiving bulk material (9) of a track bed (10) is associated with a machine (1) comprising a machine frame (2) that can be moved on a track (6) during a working advancement (5). A discharging device (12) for discharging the received bulk material (9) and a mounting (13) for connecting the lifting device (7) to the machine frame (2) in an articulated manner are provided in the region of an upper conveyor-chain deflection (11). The mounting (13) is movably supported on the machine frame (2) relative to same in a longitudinal direction of the machine, said mounting moving in a displacing motion (20) that is limited by a front working position (18) with respect to a working direction (4) and by a rear end position (19). The mounting is also connected to a buffering element (21) that is fixed on the machine frame (2), said buffering element enabling a displacement of the mounting (13) together with the lifting device (7) to the end position (19) after a target resistance (22) acting against the displacing motion (20) is exceeded. A switch (25) that detects the displacing motion (20) and the exceeding of the target resistance (22) is designed to interrupt the working advancement (5) of the machine (1).