Method and system for concreting railway slab track

Abstract

Method for concreting railway slab track which envisages placing two parallel rails one at each side and at the exterior of the track under construction, supported and fixed on the platforms, semi-platforms or lateral spaces, on which at least one autonomous device or hopper moves, capable of loading concrete and/or pouring it in a controlled manner, distributing it uniformly along the track under construction to form the concrete slab of the slab track; transporting the concrete from a supply area to the pouring area on the track under construction is also carried out by means of devices or hoppers which move by rolling on the auxiliary rails, which are either the same devices that carry out the pouring, or are auxiliary transport devices or hoppers.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for concreting railway slab track, proceeding from an initial position in which the track is previously mounted, suspended and fixed in the final position and pending concreting on the existing base on which the track has been settled so that once the concrete has set, the concrete constitutes the slab of the slab track, in which the method comprises the steps of:
 placing two auxiliary parallel rails ( 5 ) one at each side and at the exterior of the track ( 2 ) under construction and the slab ( 3 ) once the track has been concreted, supported on platforms, semi-platforms or adjacent lateral spaces ( 4 ), on which one or various autonomous devices or hoppers ( 6 ) move which are capable of loading concrete, transporting and pouring the concrete in a controlled manner on the track to be concreted, all these operations therefore being carried out in the space present on the track under construction;   transporting the concrete from a concrete supply point (PS) to the pouring area on the track under construction ( 2 ) in devices or hoppers which move by rolling on said auxiliary rails ( 5 );   pouring the concrete on the track under construction ( 2 ) in a controlled manner, distributing the concrete uniformly along the same to form the concrete slab ( 3 ), by means of at least one device or hopper ( 6 ) which moves in an autonomous and controlled manner on the auxiliary rails ( 5 ).   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the steps of receiving, transporting, distributing and pouring the concrete are carried out with at least one device ( 6 ) which moves by rolling on the auxiliary rails ( 5 ), loading concrete at the supply point (PS) when the device or hopper is emptied and returning loaded to the pouring point, where the concrete-pouring operation is carried out in a controlled manner, while the device advances at a controlled speed. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the step of pouring the concrete is carried out by a device ( 6 ), while transporting the concrete from the supply point (PS) to the pouring device ( 6 ) is carried out by means of at least one additional satellite device ( 7 ) provided with means for emptying and transferring the content thereof to the pouring device ( 6 ) or to another satellite device ( 7 ), all of these moving by rolling on the auxiliary rails ( 5 ). 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the concrete supply point is situated at a point where a train or other transport means loaded with concrete can be introduced, and a regulating device ( 8 ) is situated between the supply point and the concrete pouring area which moves on the auxiliary rails ( 5 ) or on the principal track ( 2 ) once the concrete, which forms the slab of the slab track, has conveniently hardened. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the concrete supply point (PS) is situated in the interior of a tunnel at a point where the concrete can be supplied by way of ventilation shafts, connection galleries with a parallel tunnel, by way of an auxiliary track or by any available space. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , in which the concrete supply point (PS) varies as a function of the advance of the concreting, of the needs in this aspect and of the possibilities in terms of possible concrete supply points available along the total length of the track to be concreted. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , in which the pouring the concrete is carried out by means of two devices ( 6 ) which work from a concrete supply point (PS) at both sides of the track. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of vibrating and/or floating the concrete by means of apparatuses ( 9 ) supported on the pouring device ( 6 ) and actuated from the same. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of vibrating and/or floating the concrete by using an auxiliary platform which moves on the auxiliary rails ( 5 ). 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , in which the auxiliary platform moves coupled to the pouring device ( 6 ) at the rear part thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , in which the auxiliary platform moves in an autonomous manner behind the pouring device. 
     
     
         12 . A system for concreting railway slab track which, proceeding from an initial position in which the track is previously mounted, suspended and fixed in the final position and pending concreting on the existing base on which the track has been settled so that once the concrete has set, the concrete constitutes the slab of the slab track, comprising:
 two auxiliary parallel rails ( 5 ), one fixed at each side and at the exterior of the track ( 2 ) under construction and of the slab ( 3 ) once it has been concreted, supported on the platforms, semi-platforms ( 4 ) or in adjacent lateral spaces, on which at least one autonomous device or hopper ( 6 ) moves which is capable of loading and/or transporting and/or pouring the concrete in a controlled manner on the track under construction;   at least one concrete pouring device ( 6 ) provided with motorization and autonomous roller ( 61 ,  64 ) and movement means on the auxiliary rails ( 5 ) and concrete pouring means capable of carrying out pouring in a controlled manner and distributed uniformly along and on the track under construction ( 2 ) forming the concrete slab ( 3 );   at least one device for transporting concrete from a collection area or concrete supply point (PS) to the pouring area on the track under construction ( 2 ), provided with motorization and autonomous roller and movement means on the auxiliary rails ( 5 ), which is or is not the same as the pouring device ( 6 ).   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , in which any of the pouring and/or transport devices have a peripheral structure ( 62 ) with a regulatable width formed by preferably metallic profiles which are laterally supported by means of at least two wheels ( 61 ) at each side on the corresponding auxiliary rail ( 5 ), on which the central body or hopper per se ( 60 ) is supported which has an interior width in the lower portion thereof similar to that of the slab ( 3 ) which is going to be concreted. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , in which the pouring device ( 6 ) has, as pouring means, a motorized endless screw ( 68 ), which facilitates the pouring of the concrete and the direction thereof, with the revolutions of which, in conjunction with the opening of lower gates ( 69 ) and the movement speed of the device ( 6 ) during the pouring, the quantity of concreted distributed on the track ( 2 ) under construction to form the slab ( 3 ) is controlled. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , in which the pouring device ( 6 ) has, at the bottom, three pouring mouths separated by blind areas ( 63 ) matching the position of the rails of the track under construction ( 2 ) and gates ( 69 ) which open or close each one of the pouring mouths, the opening of which is controlled in a combined or independent manner. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 12 , in which the roller means ( 61 ,  71 ,  81 ,  64 ) of the devices are mounted on a telescopic support ( 65 ,  66 ) regulatable in height such that, depending on the levelling, or otherwise, of the auxiliary rails ( 5 ) and on the height of each one of these, the device is leveled, being situated in the horizontal position or parallel to the plane of the track. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 12 , in which the transport devices are either the pouring devices ( 6 ) themselves which move at a higher speed than when they carry out this operation, or are satellite devices ( 7 ) provided with means for automatically emptying and transferring ( 72 ) the concrete to the pouring devices ( 6 ) or even to other satellite devices ( 7 ). 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , in which the means ( 72 ) for transferring concrete from the lower portion of the satellite device ( 7 ) to the upper portion of the pouring device ( 6 ) is formed by at least one conveyor belt. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising a regulating device or hopper ( 8 ) which establishes the concrete supply point, which has means for movement on the auxiliary rails ( 5 ), or on the already concreted track once the concrete has sufficiently hardened, acting as an accumulator or regulator of the concrete flow coming from the exterior in the case of it being discontinuous, or maintaining the supply to the transport device in the case of the external supply being interrupted for any reason.