Gantry crane for transporting track panels

Abstract

A gantry crane for transporting track panels comprises a longitudinal beam extending in a longitudinal direction. The longitudinal beam includes lifting tools for gripping a track panel and is supported by chassis frames including in each case two vertical beams, having vertical adjustment drives, and two transverse beams connected to the vertical beams. The transverse beams extend perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction and have drives for transverse adjustment. Pairs of crawler tracks are fastened to the chassis frames for mobility of the longitudinal beam, each crawler track being connected to one of the vertical beams. Each chassis frame is designed to be rotatable relative to the longitudinal beam by means of a vertical axis of rotation which is disposed centrally between the two crawler tracks and connects the two transverse beams to the longitudinal beam.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Applicants claim priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 of AUSTRIAN Application No. AT A1953/2004 filed on Nov. 22, 2004. Applicants also claim priority under 35 U.S.C. §120 of International Application No. PCT/EP2005/009635 filed on Sep. 8, 2005. This application is a by-pass continuation application of said International Application No. PCT/EP2005/009635 filed on Sep. 8, 2005. The International application under PCT Article 21(2) was not published in English. The disclosure of the aforementioned International application and Austrian application are incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the invention

The invention relates to a gantry crane. More particularly, the invention relates to a gantry crane for transporting track panels, comprising a longitudinal beam extending in a longitudinal direction and having lifting tools for gripping a track panel. The longitudinal beam is supported by chassis frames. Each chassis frame includes vertical beams, having vertical adjustment drives, and transverse beams connected to the vertical beams. The transverse beams extend perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction and include drives for transverse adjustment. Pairs of crawler tracks are fastened to the chassis frames for mobility of the longitudinal beam, each crawler track being connected to one of the vertical beams.

2. The Prior Art

EP 0 505 240 A1 shows a gantry crane for transporting track panels. This gantry crane comprises a gantry frame which is mobile with the aid of four vertically adjustable crawler tracks. Lifting tools spaced from one another in the longitudinal direction of the frame are arranged on the gantry frame for gripping the track panel. In addition, vertically adjustable flanged rollers are provided by means of which the gantry crane is also mobile on a railroad track.

DE 2 309 930 A1 shows a gantry crane for laying track panels, comprising a carrying device for gripping the track panel to be transported. The gantry crane has vertically and laterally adjustable crawler tracks as well as vertically adjustable lifting rams arranged at either side thereof. Several of these gantry cranes are driven onto the laid-down track panel via flanged rollers and connected to the track panel by means of corresponding lifting tools. Subsequently, the track panel is raised by lowering the lifting rams onto the ballast bed, and the crawler track is lowered onto the ballast bed by lateral and vertical adjustment underneath the track panel. After all four lifting rams have at last been raised, the track panel is moved into the construction gap with the aid of the crawler tracks.

A track maintenance machine for exchanging a track panel is known from DE 33 40 739 A1. This track maintenance machine consists essentially of an elongated beam which, at the ends thereof, may be selectively supported on an on-track undercarriage or on a crawler track.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is the primary object of this invention to improve a gantry crane of the first-described type so that optimal maneuverability is assured even under spatially constricted conditions.

This object is accomplished in accordance with the invention with a gantry crane for transporting track panels which comprises a longitudinal beam extending in a longitudinal direction. The longitudinal beam includes lifting tools for gripping a track panel and is supported by chassis frames including in each case two vertical beams, having vertical adjustment drives, and two transverse beams connected to the vertical beams. The transverse beams extend perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction and have drives for transverse adjustment. Pairs of crawler tracks are fastened to the chassis frames for mobility of the longitudinal beam, each crawler track being connected to one of the vertical beams. The present invention provides that each chassis frame is designed to be rotatable relative to the longitudinal beam by means of a vertical axis of rotation disposed centrally between the two crawler tracks and connecting the two transverse beams to the longitudinal beam.

As a result of this structurally relatively simple configuration, mobility of the gantry crane is significantly improved, so that the picked-up track panel may be transported without problems also transversely or even obliquely to the longitudinal direction of the track. In this context, it is of particular advantage that the stability of the frame is not compromised in any way. The chassis frame is maneuverable very simply by means of variable actuation of the motive drives.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other benefits and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed as an illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the invention.

In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 shows a side view of a gantry crane;

FIG. 2 shows a cross-section according to section line II in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 shows a schematic top view of the gantry crane.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring now in detail to the drawings, FIGS. 1 to 3 show a gantry crane 1 which comprises a central longitudinal beam 5. Said beam extends in a longitudinal direction 2 and is connected by means of two chassis frames 24 to crawler tracks 4. Each chassis frame 24 is formed by two vertical beams 20 and two transverse beams 6, the latter extending perpendicularly or at an angle to the longitudinal direction 2. Each chassis frame 24 is designed to be rotatable relative to the longitudinal beam 5 by means of a vertical axis of rotation 25 which is arranged centrally between the two crawler tracks 4 and connects the two transverse beams 6 to the longitudinal beam 5.

As can be seen in FIG. 3, a maximum angle of rotation α±15° of the chassis frame 24 with respect to the longitudinal direction 2 of the longitudinal beam 5 is possible. The axis of rotation 25 extends perpendicularly with regard to the longitudinal direction of the two transverse beams 6.

Power sources 7 are fastened to the longitudinal beam 5, consisting essentially of an internal combustion engine and a hydraulic pump. In addition, guide members 8, spaced from one another in the longitudinal direction of the frame, are vertically adjustably mounted on the longitudinal beam 5 and connected in each case to drives 9 for vertical adjustment. The lower end of each guide member 8 is connected to a horizontally extending beam 10 which, in turn, is connected to two lifting tools 11 spaced from one another in the longitudinal direction of the beam. Each beam 10 is supported on said guide member 8 for rotation about a vertical axis 12. The lifting tools 11 are designed in the known manner in the shape of clamps or hooks for form-fittingly gripping a rail head or a rail base of a track panel 13 to be transported.

Each of the four crawler tracks 4 consists of two undercarriage units 14, 15 which are spaced from one another in the longitudinal direction of the frame, or rather in the longitudinal direction 2 of the longitudinal beam 5. Both undercarriage units 14, 15 are connected to one another in each case by means of a chassis beam 17 mounted on the vertical beam 20 for pivoting about a horizontal axis 16 extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the frame. Each undercarriage unit 14, 15 is in turn mounted on the chassis beam 17 for pivoting about a horizontal undercarriage axis 18 extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the frame. Associated with each undercarriage unit 14 or 15, designed as crawler tracks 4, is a separate motive drive 19.

The two horizontal undercarriage axes 18 of the two undercarriage units 14, 15 are arranged spaced from one another at a distance of about 2.5 to about 3.5 meters, preferably 3 meters. As visible particularly in FIG. 2, two drives 9 are fastened to the longitudinal beam 5 for vertical adjustment of each guide member 8, respectively. Vertical adjustment drives 3 are arranged inside the two-part vertical beams 20, the latter being telescopically extendable in the vertical direction.

As can be seen in the left-hand half of FIG. 2, the lower ends of two of the vertical beams 20 at a time, adjustable in the vertical direction and associated in each case with a crawler track 4, are connected to one another by means of a connecting beam 21. The said chassis beam 17 is fastened to the connecting beam 21 for pivoting about the horizontal axis 16. The respective upper halves of the two two-part vertical beams 20 are connected to a guide tube 22 which is displaceably mounted within the transverse beam 6. With the aid of a transverse adjustment drive 23, the guide tube 22, together with the vertical beams 20 and the associated undercarriage units 14 and 15, is adjustable in the longitudinal direction of the transverse beam 6.

In working operations for removing a track panel 13, the gantry crane 1 is moved forward with the aid of the crawler tracks 4 on the region of the ballast bed or the earth formation laterally adjoining the laid track, until the construction gap is reached. Subsequently, the longitudinal beam 5 together with the transverse beams 6 is lowered by means of corresponding actuation of the vertical adjustment drives 3. The drives 9 are then actuated until the lifting tools 11 come to lie immediately above the rails of the track panel 13 to be gripped. After the said lifting tools 11 have been form-fittingly engaged with the associated rail, the track panel 13 is lifted by actuation of the vertical adjustment drives 3 and the drives 9 (see FIG. 1).

By actuation of the motive drives 19, the raised track panel 13 can now be transported away. During this, better adaptation to an uneven riding surface is ensured due to the special design and mounting of the crawler tracks 4, in which the individual undercarriage units 14, 15 are pivotable about both the undercarriage horizontal axis 18 and the horizontal axis 16. The expression “horizontal” refers to that situation in which the gantry crane 1 is resting on a horizontal plane.

Accordingly, while an embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, it is obvious that many changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A gantry crane for transporting track panels, comprising:

a) a longitudinal beam extending in a longitudinal direction and having lifting tools for gripping a track panel;

b) chassis frames supporting the longitudinal beam, each chassis frame including: 1) two vertical beams; 2) two transverse beams connected to the vertical beams and extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction; 3) vertical adjustment drives associated in each case with the vertical beams; 4) drives for transversely adjusting the transverse beams; 5) pairs of crawler tracks fastened to the chassis frame for mobility of the longitudinal beam, each crawler track being connected to one of the vertical beams; and 6) a vertical axis of rotation, disposed centrally between the two crawler tracks and connecting the two transverse beams to the longitudinal beam, for allowing rotation of the chassis frame relative to the longitudinal beam.