Railway maintenance machine for track levelling and alignment with the capacity to operate without interruptions in its advance on straight tracks and to operate on track turnouts tamping the diverging track

Abstract

Railway maintenance machine for track levelling and alignment, with the capacity to operate without interruptions to its advance on straight tracks, to operate on track turnouts, and with the capacity to tamp the diverging track, characterised in that it comprises a lifting and slewing unit with a duplicated power system at the front end and at the rear end of said unit, where the lifting and slewing unit comprises a lifting trolley ( 21 ), with two pairs of hydraulic cylinders ( 27 A and 27 B) arranged so as to exert force to lift the track, and a slewing trolley ( 20 ) with two pairs of hydraulic cylinders ( 28 A and 28 B), arranged so as to exert force to modify the lateral position of the track, where said power system at the front end exerts force to carry out approximately 80% of the levelling and alignment needed by the track and where said power system at the rear end exerts force to carry out the rest of the levelling and alignment needed by the track to reach its definitive position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A railway maintenance machine for track levelling and alignment, with the capacity to operate without interruptions to its advance on straight tracks, to operate on track turnouts, and with the capacity to tamp the diverging track, characterised in that it comprises a lifting and slewing unit with a power system at the front end and another power system at the rear end of said unit, where the lifting and slewing unit comprises a lifting trolley ( 21 ), with two pairs of hydraulic cylinders ( 27 A and  27 B) arranged so as to exert vertical force to lift the track, and a slewing trolley ( 20 ) with two pairs of hydraulic cylinders ( 28 A and  28 B), arranged so as to exert horizontal force to modify the lateral position of the track, where said power system at the front end exerts force to carry out approximately 80% of the levelling and alignment needed by the track and where said power system at the rear end exerts force to carry out the rest of the levelling and alignment needed by the track to reach its definitive position, and where said lifting trolley ( 21 ) and said slewing trolley ( 20 ) transmit the vertical and horizontal forces to the track independently, and where the slewing trolley ( 20 ) is supported on and rolls along the track and has four hydraulic cylinders ( 23 ) which elevate the lifting trolley ( 21 ), thus eliminating the existing play between said lifting trolley ( 21 ) and the rail, pre-positioning the lifting trolley ( 21 ) fixed to the track to obtain a better transmission of the force of the power system of said lifting trolley ( 21 ). 
     
     
         2 . The railway maintenance machine according to  claim 1 , characterised in that each of said pairs of hydraulic cylinders ( 27 A and  27 B) of the lifting trolley ( 21 ) are arranged parallel to each other and articulated to a fixed point of the frame of said machine, in such a way that in the position corresponding to the final moment of the work cycle, in the furthest backwards position of the lifting and slewing unit, said pairs of hydraulic cylinders ( 27 A and  27 B) are parallel to the vertical axis of the machine, in such a way that during the relative backwards movement of said lifting and slewing unit during the work cycle, said hydraulic cylinders ( 27 A and  27 B) act by shortening their length, either to adapt to said backwards movement or to carry out lifting on a point of the corresponding rail of the track being operated upon. 
     
     
         3 . The railway maintenance machine according to  claim 1 , characterised in that said two pairs of hydraulic cylinders ( 28 A and  28 B) of the slewing trolley ( 20 ) are articulated to a fixed point of the frame of said machine in such a way that in the position corresponding to the initial moment of the work cycle, with the lifting and slewing unit in its furthest forward position, the pair of hydraulic cylinders ( 28 A) situated in the front position ( 28 A) is contained within the plane perpendicular to the track, while at the end of the work cycle, it is the pair of hydraulic cylinders ( 28 B) situated in the rear position that is contained in said plane, in such a way that the power loss of one system is compensated by the gain in the other due to the variation in perpendicularity with regard to the track during the movement of the lifting and slewing unit. 
     
     
         4 . The railway maintenance machine according to  claim 1 , characterised in that it comprises four tamping units ( 12 ) for continuous work, where said tamping units ( 12 ) are arranged in pairs on a rigid common trolley ( 2 ) and where each tamping unit ( 12 ) moves guided by two columns parallel to each other ( 9 ) through the action of a hydraulic cylinder controlled by an electronic system in such a way that the unit remains fixed with regard to the sleeper being operated upon during the tamping cycle. 
     
     
         5 . The railway maintenance machine according to  claim 4 , characterised in that each of the two tamping units ( 12 ) situated on said common trolley ( 2 ) is arranged to operate on each rail of the track, respectively, and with the capacity to move in a transversal direction with regard to the machine, where upon said parallel columns ( 9 ) a shuttle ( 13 ) is situated, arranged to move on said columns ( 9 ), and where from said shuttle ( 13 ) said two tamping units ( 12 ) hang, one interior and the other exterior with regard to the corresponding rail of the track, and with the capacity to rotate on a fixing axle ( 14 ). 
     
     
         6 . The railway maintenance machine according to  claim 4 , characterised in that the aforesaid trolley ( 2 ) comprises hydraulic brake cylinders ( 7 ) articulated to the frame of the machine by a set of rods ( 6 ), where said hydraulic brake cylinders ( 7 ) are capable of exercising a downwards vertical force through the use of a brake shoe ( 4 ) on the upper surface of said trolley ( 2 ), where said force allows the trolley ( 2 ) to brake in the desired transversal position, apart from also cancelling out the vertical play in the system supported on rollers ( 1 ) during the work of the tamping unit ( 12 ). 
     
     
         7 . The railway maintenance machine according to  claim 4 , characterised in that each tamping unit ( 12 ) has a hydraulic cylinder ( 18 ) controlled by a high-frequency servo valve ( 32 ), with three coplanar chambers, where the central chamber positions the tine-holder ( 19 ) in the configuration for single or double sleepers and transmits the vibratory force, which is adjustable in intensity and frequency, and where the two lateral chambers operate in the opposite direction to the central chamber and transmit a constant closing force to the tine-holder ( 19 ). 
     
     
         8 . The railway maintenance machine according to  claim 4 , characterised in that the vibration transmitted to the tine-holder ( 19 ) by means of the hydraulic cylinder ( 18 ), controlled by a high-frequency servo valve ( 32 ) through the vibration rod, is transferred with an oscillating movement of 25 Hz and with an amplitude of 5.6 mm when the tine enters the stones, to then be modified to a vibration of 35 Hz and 3.5 mm during the closing motion of the tines. 
     
     
         9 . The railway maintenance machine according to  claim 2 , characterised in that said two pairs of hydraulic cylinders ( 28 A and  28 B) of the slewing trolley ( 20 ) are articulated to a fixed point of the frame of said machine in such a way that in the position corresponding to the initial moment of the work cycle, with the lifting and slewing unit in its furthest forward position, the pair of hydraulic cylinders ( 28 A) situated in the front position ( 28 A) is contained within the plane perpendicular to the track, while at the end of the work cycle, it is the pair of hydraulic cylinders ( 28 B) situated in the rear position that is contained in said plane, in such a way that the power loss of one system is compensated by the gain in the other due to the variation in perpendicularity with regard to the track during the movement of the lifting and slewing unit. 
     
     
         10 . The railway maintenance machine according to  claim 5 , characterised in that the aforesaid trolley ( 2 ) comprises hydraulic brake cylinders ( 7 ) articulated to the frame of the machine by a set of rods ( 6 ), where said hydraulic brake cylinders ( 7 ) are capable of exercising a downwards vertical force through the use of a brake shoe ( 4 ) on the upper surface of said trolley ( 2 ), where said force allows the trolley ( 2 ) to brake in the desired transversal position, apart from also cancelling out the vertical play in the system supported on rollers ( 1 ) during the work of the tamping unit ( 12 ). 
     
     
         11 . The railway maintenance machine according to  claim 5 , characterised in that each tamping unit ( 12 ) has a hydraulic cylinder ( 18 ) controlled by a high-frequency servo valve ( 32 ), with three coplanar chambers, where the central chamber positions the tine-holder ( 19 ) in the configuration for single or double sleepers and transmits the vibratory force, which is adjustable in intensity and frequency, and where the two lateral chambers operate in the opposite direction to the central chamber and transmit a constant closing force to the tine-holder ( 19 ). 
     
     
         12 . The railway maintenance machine according to  claim 6 , characterised in that each tamping unit ( 12 ) has a hydraulic cylinder ( 18 ) controlled by a high-frequency servo valve ( 32 ), with three coplanar chambers, where the central chamber positions the tine-holder ( 19 ) in the configuration for single or double sleepers and transmits the vibratory force, which is adjustable in intensity and frequency, and where the two lateral chambers operate in the opposite direction to the central chamber and transmit a constant closing force to the tine-holder ( 19 ). 
     
     
         13 . The railway maintenance machine according to  claim 5 , characterised in that the vibration transmitted to the tine-holder ( 19 ) by means of the hydraulic cylinder ( 18 ), controlled by a high-frequency servo valve ( 32 ) through the vibration rod, is transferred with an oscillating movement of 25 Hz and with an amplitude of 5.6 mm when the tine enters the stones, to then be modified to a vibration of 35 Hz and 3.5 mm during the closing motion of the tines. 
     
     
         14 . The railway maintenance machine according to  claim 6 , characterised in that the vibration transmitted to the tine-holder ( 19 ) by means of the hydraulic cylinder ( 18 ), controlled by a high-frequency servo valve ( 32 ) through the vibration rod, is transferred with an oscillating movement of 25 Hz and with an amplitude of 5.6 mm when the tine enters the stones, to then be modified to a vibration of 35 Hz and 3.5 mm during the closing motion of the tines. 
     
     
         15 . The railway maintenance machine according to  claim 7 , characterised in that the vibration transmitted to the tine-holder ( 19 ) by means of the hydraulic cylinder ( 18 ), controlled by a high-frequency servo valve ( 32 ) through the vibration rod, is transferred with an oscillating movement of 25 Hz and with an amplitude of 5.6 mm when the tine enters the stones, to then be modified to a vibration of 35 Hz and 3.5 mm during the closing motion of the tines.