Tangential Rail Grinding Machine Inversion Dynamics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Tangential grinding machines face challenges such as complex adjustment and vibration issues due to the wear of abrasive discs, high costs for negative contour apparatuses, inefficient use of abrasive material, and the need for multiple cup wheels to cover the entire rail profile, leading to imperfect execution and mechanical shocks.
Innovation Solution
A tangential grinding machine with a base structure on wheels, adjustable L-shaped frames, and a motor-operated grinding wheel system that self-profiles by inclining and converging the grinding wheel to maintain contact with the rail, eliminating vibrations and wastage of abrasive material.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a disc of abrasive material (grinding wheel) is used to operate with its circumferential edge, then grinding function is achieved, but the axis of rotation must be shifted as the disc wears, requiring complex adjustment and control systems
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of shifting the grinding wheel axis to compensate for wear (conventional approach), the invention inverts the approach by making the grinding wheel stationary relative to the rail and moving the rail itself through the grinding wheel using a lifting mechanism. This eliminates the need for complex axis adjustment systems while maintaining effective grinding contact throughout the wheel's service life.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces dynamic movement of the rail relative to the grinding wheel through the lifting mechanism, allowing the rail to be raised and lowered through the stationary grinding wheel. This dynamic adjustment eliminates the need for complex control systems by simplifying the relative motion requirement to a single degree of freedom.
2Manufacturing precision
If a negative contour apparatus is used to re-profile the rail, then the original profile can be regenerated, but the apparatus is of high cost and requires displacement of its barycentre, causing high wastage of abrasive material
Solution Approach 1:
The invention makes the rail itself serve as the negative contour by positioning it within the grinding wheel's rotation cone. The rail's own geometry guides the grinding process, eliminating the need for separate negative contour apparatuses and reducing abrasive material wastage to minimal levels through self-contained profile control.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the negative contour function from separate expensive apparatuses and integrates it directly into the grinding process by using the rail's own geometry and position within the grinding wheel cone to define the profile, thereby eliminating unnecessary equipment and reducing material wastage.
3Productivity
If cup grinding wheels are used to operate on a narrow longitudinal band of the rail, then grinding can be performed, but multiple grinding wheels are required to cover the entire profile, resulting in excessive size and imperfect execution with faceting
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the grinding function into a single stationary grinding wheel that processes the entire rail profile through vertical movement of the rail itself, rather than using multiple cup wheels. The lifting mechanism divides the grinding action into sequential passes, allowing one wheel to replace multiple wheels while eliminating faceting by ensuring continuous contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The single grinding wheel in the invention performs multiple functions that would traditionally require several cup wheels: it grinds the entire longitudinal profile, handles different rail sections through vertical movement, and maintains continuous contact to prevent faceting. This multi-functional design reduces the number of wheels from multiple to one.
4Productivity
If cup grinding wheels operate on both rails simultaneously for mass balancing, then grinding can be performed, but it becomes more difficult to carry out grinding work on a single rail
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces dynamic vertical movement of the rail through the grinding wheel, allowing the system to adapt between grinding single rails or multiple rails as needed. The lifting mechanism enables selective operation on one rail or both rails, providing versatility while maintaining mass balancing capabilities when both rails are processed simultaneously.
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
The machine effectively regenerates rail profiles with reduced vibration and abrasive material wastage, achieving precise and efficient grinding without the need for multiple wheels, thus improving the grinding process and rail surface quality.
Implementation Method 1
a grinding device consisting essentially of a grinding wheel of abrasive material which when rotated removes by abrasion a part of the material with which it comes into contact
Data Source
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AI summary
A tangential grinding machine slidable on rails to be ground, comprising: - a base structure (2) mounted on wheels (4) slidable on the rails (8) to be ground, - two first frames (18) - two curved portions (28) connecting the two frames (18) and comprising a plurality of holes (30), - a second frame (32) engagable selectively in one of said holes (30) of each curved portion (28), said frame being provided with means (34) for hinging thereto an annular portion (38) to which a plate (46) is rotoidally connected, - means (42, 44) for moving said annular portion (38) relative to said frame (32), - an electric motor (50) positioned on said plate (46), the shaft of said electric motor being connected via a pulley (52) to an abrasive grinding wheel (54) located in a position below said plate (46).