INSTALLATION AND METHOD FOR CLEANING BALLAST OF A TRACK

Abstract

An installation for cleaning ballast of a track includes a plurality of vehicles having machine frames supported on on-track undercarriages. Two shoulder clearing chains, positioned opposite one another relative to a transverse direction of the track, take up ballast located in a shoulder area adjoining sleeper ends, an endless clearing chain follows the shoulder clearing chains relative to a working direction of the installation and is to be guided around the track for taking up ballast underneath the track. A screening installation, conveying devices for transporting ballast, and a ballast introduction device are also provided. A first conveying device transporting ballast to the screening installation is associated with the shoulder clearing chains. A second conveying device transporting ballast to a processing unit is associated with the endless clearing chain. A third conveying device transporting ballast to the screening installation is associated with the processing unit.

Description

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

The invention relates to an installation for cleaning ballast of a track, consisting of several vehicles having machine frames supported on on-track undercarriages, including two shoulder clearing chains, positioned opposite one another with regard to a transverse direction of the track, for taking up the ballast located in a shoulder area adjoining sleeper ends, an endless clearing chain following the shoulder clearing chains with respect to a working direction of the installation and designed to be guided around the track for taking up the ballast located underneath the track, further including a screening installation, conveying devices for the transport of ballast, and a ballast introduction device. The invention also relates to a method for cleaning ballast of a track with an installation of this type.

PRIOR ART

The cleaning of the ballast bed, to be carried out at regular intervals, poses great demands on the track maintenance machines used in the process regarding the treatment and transport of the ballast. Enormous amounts of ballast have to be treated and transported in an efficient and cost-saving manner.

According to AT 514 806 B1, a vehicle combination for cleaning ballast of a track is already known. With respect to a working direction, first the ballast located in the track bed region adjoining sleeper ends is taken up by two shoulder clearing chains lying opposite one another in the transverse direction of the track. Then, the ballast located underneath the track is taken up by means of an endless clearing chain guided around the track. All of the excavated ballast is transported by means of a conveying device to a screening installation, is cleaned there and reintroduced into the track.

Known from EP 0 629 744 A2 are a method and an installation for subgrade rehabilitation of a ballast bed of a track. In this, the ballast is excavated by means of two endless clearing chains which are guided around the track and arranged one following the other with regard to a working direction. The ballast taken up by the front clearing chain is comminuted in a stone crusher device and discharged by the rear clearing chain as a formation protection layer upon the earth formation exposed after removal of the remaining ballast.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is the object of the invention to provide an improvement over the prior art for an installation of the type mentioned at the beginning. A further object lies in showing a method for cleaning ballast of a track by means of an improved installation.

According to the invention, this object is achieved in that a first conveying device for transport of ballast to the screening installation is associated with the shoulder clearing chains, a second conveying device for transport of ballast to a processing unit is associated with the endless clearing chain, and a third conveying device for transport of ballast to the screening installation is associated with the processing unit.

This configuration enables a needs-based cleaning or renewal of the ballast bed of a track. Though the ballast located in a shoulder region adjoining sleeper ends is normally also contaminated, it is however not as heavily mechanically stressed during the service life as the ballast located underneath the track. The latter is heavily worn by direct loading during rail operations, which means that the sharp edges of the individual ballast stones, required for a stable structure of the track bed, no longer exist. These edges can be restored by appropriate processing of this portion of the ballast bed in a processing unit. The portion of the ballast bed less stressed does not need to be treated in this manner and can be fed directly to a screening installation. In this way, the flow rate of cleaned ballast and thus the working speed is increased as compared to conventional installations.

A useful further development is realized in that the processing unit has a pre-separator and a crusher following the same. When the ballast passes through these two units, coarse contaminants are first separated out, and subsequently the edges are sharpened.

In another advantageous embodiment, the processing unit is arranged on a separate processing vehicle having a machine frame supported on on-track undercarriages. The processing vehicle can thus be integrated with manageable technical expense into an installation or, if there is no need for processing, can be excluded from the installation. Likewise, the expansion of an already existing installation with a processing vehicle is facilitated.

Several possibilities of incorporating the processing vehicle into the installation are conceivable: the installation can be configured in such a way that the processing vehicle is arranged between the shoulder clearing chains and the endless clearing chain, with regard to the working direction. It is also possible that the processing vehicle is arranged, with regard to the working direction, in front of the shoulder clearing chains and the endless clearing chain and behind the screening installation. Finally, it is also conceivable that the processing vehicle and the screening installation are arranged between the shoulder clearing chains and the endless clearing chain, with regard to the working direction.

Such variants ensure high flexibility when retrofitting existing installations with a processing vehicle. In addition, the composition of the installation can be advantageously influenced in dependence on the construction site situation and the availability of installation components and material cars.

The object of the invention is also achieved by implementation of a method in which the ballast located underneath the track is first fed to a processing unit and thereafter transported to the screening installation. By the separate, condition-dependent taking-up of the ballast, no ballast quantities accrue which are subjected to treatment which is either too intensive or too inefficient. Thus, neither the clearing chains nor the components of the processing unit or the conveying devices or the screening installation are overstressed. These can be dimensioned smaller and based on need.

A particularly advantageous embodiment of the method is achieved in that the ballast located underneath the track is first transported to a pre-separator and then fed to a crusher. Method steps of this kind enable an optimal pre-cleaning and edge sharpening of the ballast worn by the rail operations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described below by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. In a schematic manner, FIGS. 1 to 3 show side views of different variants of an installation for cleaning ballast of a track.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Visible in FIGS. 1 to 3 are installations 1 for cleaning ballast 2 of a track 3. An installation 1 of this type consists of several vehicles 6 having machine frames 5 supported on on-track undercarriages 4. The installation 1 has two shoulder clearing chains 7, lying opposite one another in a transverse direction of the track, for taking up the ballast 2 located in a shoulder area 8 adjoining sleeper ends, and an endless clearing chain 10, following the shoulder clearing chains 7 with respect to a working direction 9 of the installation 1 and designed to be guided around the track 3, for taking up the ballast 2 located underneath the track 3. The installation 1 is further equipped with a screening installation 11 for ballast cleaning, with conveying devices 13, 14, 15, 21, 22 for transport of ballast 2, and with a ballast introduction device 12.

A first conveying device 13 is designed for the transport of ballast 2 from the shoulder clearing chains 7 to the screening installation 11. Associated with the endless clearing chain 10 is a second conveying device 14 for the transport of ballast 2 to a processing unit 16 with which is associated a third conveying device 15 for the transport of ballast 2 to the screening installation 11. Each of the conveying devices 13, 14 and 15 is composed of several conveyor belts arranged one following the other. The processing unit 16 has a pre-separator 17 and a crusher 18 following the same. All of the drives, not further shown, of the listed devices and units as well as motive drives are supplied with energy by a central energy unit 19. The processing unit 16 is arranged on a separate processing vehicle 20 having a machine frame 5 supported on on-track undercarriages 4.

As can be seen in FIG. 1, the processing vehicle 20 is arranged between the shoulder chains 7 and the endless clearing chain 10, with regard to the working direction 9.

In the installation 1 shown in FIG. 2, the processing vehicle 20 is arranged in front of the shoulder clearing chains 7 and the endless clearing chain 10 and behind the screening installation 11, with regard to the working direction 9.

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment in which the processing vehicle 20 and the screening installation 11 are arranged between the shoulder clearing chains 7 and the endless clearing chain 10, with regard to the working direction 9.

The method for cleaning ballast 2 of a track 3 by means of an installation 1 will be described in more detail below. First, the ballast 2 is removed by shoulder clearing chains 7 in a shoulder region 8 adjoining sleeper ends and fed to the screening installation 11. Then, the ballast 2 located underneath the track 3 is removed by the endless clearing chain 10. This worn ballast 2 is first fed to the processing unit 16 and only afterwards transported to the screening installation 11. Inside the processing unit 16, the ballast 2 is first transported to a pre-separator 17 and then to a crusher 18. In the pre-separator 17, the ballast 2 is separated from coarse contaminants before the edges of the ballast 2 are sharpened in the crusher 18. Prior to the treatment of the ballast 2 in the screening installation 11, the ballast quantities removed separately from one another are united again and together run through the screening installation 11. From there, the cleaned ballast 2 is transported counter to the working direction 9 by means of a fourth conveying device 21 to a ballast introduction device 12 situated behind the endless clearing chain 10, in order to be reintroduced into the track 3. The spoil accruing during the ballast cleaning is transported via a fifth conveying device 22 to a front end of the installation 1 with regard to the working direction 9. Both the fourth and the fifth conveying device 21, 22 are composed of several conveyor belts arranged one following the other.

Claims

1-8. (canceled)

9. An installation for cleaning ballast of a track, the installation comprising:

a plurality of vehicles including on-track undercarriages and machine frames supported on said on-track undercarriages;

two shoulder clearing chains positioned opposite one another relative to a transverse direction of the track for taking up the ballast located in a shoulder area adjoining sleeper ends;

an endless clearing chain following said shoulder clearing chains relative a working direction of the installation, said endless clearing chain configured to be guided around the track for taking up the ballast located underneath the track;

a screening installation;

a ballast introduction device;

a processing unit; and

conveying devices for transporting the ballast, said conveying devices including: a) a first conveying device associated with said shoulder clearing chains for transporting the ballast to said screening installation; b) a second conveying device associated with said endless clearing chain for transporting the ballast to said processing unit; and c) a third conveying device associated with said processing unit for transporting the ballast to said screening installation.

10. The installation according to claim 9, wherein said processing unit includes a pre-separator and a crusher following said pre-separator.

11. The installation according to claim 10, which further comprises a separate processing vehicle including on-track undercarriages and a machine frame supported on said on-track undercarriages, said processing unit being disposed on said separate processing vehicle.

12. The installation according to claim 11, wherein said processing vehicle is disposed between said shoulder clearing chains and said endless clearing chain, relative to said working direction.

13. The installation according to claim 11, wherein said processing vehicle is disposed in front of said shoulder clearing chains and said endless clearing chain and behind said screening installation, relative to said working direction.

14. The installation according to claim 11, wherein said processing vehicle and said screening installation are disposed between said shoulder clearing chains and said endless clearing chain, relative to said working direction.

15. A method for cleaning ballast of a track, the method comprising the following steps:

providing an installation according to claim 9;

removing the ballast in the shoulder area adjoining sleeper ends prior to removing the ballast located underneath the track;

feeding the ballast located underneath the track to the processing unit and then transporting the ballast to the screening installation; and

subsequently introducing the ballast into the track again.

16. The method for cleaning ballast of a track according to claim 15, which further comprises transporting the ballast located underneath the track to a pre-separator and then feeding the ballast from the pre-separator to a crusher.