Rail Vehicle Lateral Positioning Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current railway vehicles, particularly road-rail vehicles, are expensive and complex, with cumbersome processes for mounting and dismounting, which limits their efficiency in minimizing disruption to commercial rail services during maintenance and inspection works.
Innovation Solution
A self-propelled railway vehicle with only rail-engaging rolling means, featuring a chassis, working surface, and positioning means with telescopically extendable lifting and shifting mechanisms, allowing lateral movement and vertical lifting to reduce height and facilitate easier access to railway tracks, while maintaining stability and safety compliance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If road-rail vehicles with retractable rail bogies are used, then access to railway tracks is improved, but vehicle complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle is divided into separate road-going and rail-going functions. The rail bogie assembly is a detachable module that can be mounted or dismounted from the road vehicle chassis, rather than being an integrated permanent feature. This segmentation allows the vehicle to have rail capability when needed while maintaining simplicity as a road vehicle otherwise.
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle configuration is made dynamic through the ability to mount and dismount the rail bogie assembly on demand. The system transitions between road-only mode and rail-capable mode based on operational requirements, rather than being statically designed for dual-purpose from the outset.
2Adaptability or versatility
If pivotable rear rail bogies or turntable systems are provided, then mounting at more track locations is enabled, but vehicle complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning function is separated from the main vehicle body through the use of detachable positioning means that can be independently deployed. These positioning devices are separate modules that attach to the vehicle and provide the necessary lateral movement capability without being integrated into the vehicle's core structure.
3Loss of time
If road-rail vehicles are used, then delivery proximity to engineering sites is improved, but useful working time within possession windows is reduced due to complex mounting procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The rail bogie assembly is pre-mounted onto the road vehicle chassis at the depot or base location before departure. This preliminary action ensures that when the vehicle arrives at the engineering site, the mounting procedure is already complete or requires minimal final adjustments, thereby maximizing the time available for actual working activities within the possession window.
4Adaptability or versatility
If dual purpose road-rail vehicles are designed, then road and rail travel capability is achieved, but cost increases due to over-engineering
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle system is segmented into a standard road vehicle platform and a separate, specialized rail bogie assembly. This allows the road vehicle to be a conventional, cost-effective design while the rail capability is provided by a dedicated module that can be shared across multiple vehicles or applications, reducing overall system cost compared to fully integrated dual-purpose vehicles.
Solution Approach 2:
The rail bogie assembly is designed as a universal module that can be attached to different road vehicle platforms. This multi-functionality allows a single rail module design to serve multiple vehicle types and applications, reducing development and manufacturing costs through standardization and economies of scale.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a self-propelled vehicle (10) provided only with rail-engaging rolling means (18) comprising: a chassis (14); a working surface (16) connected thereto for supporting equipment, materials (20) and personnel; and positioning means (22, 24) connected to the chassis for lifting the vehicle and moving it laterally with respect to a direction of rail travel between a trackside location and an on-track location (12). A lifting apparatus (28) is mountable on the chassis and moveable along the length of the working surface (16). By providing only rail-engaging rolling means (18), the height of the vehicle's overlying working surface (16) above the track (12) and surrounding ground is significantly reduced as compared to existing dual purpose road-rail vehicles. The vehicle is capable of working safely below live overhead lines and alongside tracks open to traffic thus avoiding the need to for full closure of tracks during maintenance and inspection works.