Machine and method for compacting a ballast bed of a track

Abstract

The invention relates to a machine for compacting a ballast bed of a track with a machine frame supported on rail-based running gears and a height-adjustable stabilising unit connected thereto, comprising a vibration drive and an axle with wheel flange rollers movable on rails of the track, whose distance to each other extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the machine can be varied by means of a spreading drive, as well as a roller clamp that can be pressed against the rails by means of clamping drives. The spreading drive and/or the clamping drives are set up to apply a predefined variable horizontal load force to the rails, whereby a measuring device is arranged to detect a rail head deflection and/or track gauge change caused by the variable load force. In this way, it can be determined by means of the stabilising unit whether the track panel is intrinsically stable.

1 : A machine for compacting a ballast bed of a track with a machine frame supported on rail-based running gears and a height-adjustable stabilising unit connected thereto, comprising
 a vibration drive,   an axle with wheel flange rollers movable on rails of the track, whose distance to each other extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the machine can be varied by means of a spreading drive, and   a roller clamp that can be pressed against the rails by means of clamping drives,   
       wherein the spreading drive and/or the clamping drives are set up to apply a predefined variable horizontal load force to the rails, and that a measuring device is arranged to detect a rail head deflection and/or track gauge change caused by the variable load force. 
     
     
         2 : The machine according to  claim 1 , wherein control signals, which cause a periodically changed load force, are stored in a control equipment for actuating the spreading drive and the clamping drives. 
     
     
         3 : The machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the measuring device is coupled to the axle of the wheel flange rollers. 
     
     
         4 : A The machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the measuring device is coupled to an evaluation device, and that the evaluation device is set up to evaluate a rail fastening on the basis of the detected rail head deflection and/or track gauge change. 
     
     
         5 : The machine according to  claim 4 , wherein the evaluation device is set up to evaluate rail head deflections and/or track gauge values detected at a measuring point as a function of a progression of changed load values in order to assess a condition of rail fastenings positioned in the area of the measuring point. 
     
     
         6 : The machine according to  claim 1 , wherein a position determination unit is arranged for a location-specific detection of rail head deflections and/or the track gauge change. 
     
     
         7 : The machine according to  claim 1 , wherein two stabilising units are arranged one behind the other, and that each stabilising unit for detecting rail head deflections and/or the track gauge change caused by the respective horizontal load force. 
     
     
         8 : A method for operating a machine according to  claim 1 , with the stabilising unit with the wheel flange rollers being lowered onto the rails of the track, wherein the rails are subjected to a predefined variable horizontal load force by means of the spreading drive and/or the clamping drives, and that a rail head deflection and/or track gauge change caused by the horizontal load force is detected by means of the measuring device in order to indicate a condition of a rail fastening. 
     
     
         9 : The method according to  claim 8 , the horizontal load force is periodically changed by means of a control equipment with a frequency that is lower than a vibration frequency of the vibration drive. 
     
     
         10 : The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the rails are subjected to a first horizontal load force by means of the stabilising unit, and that the rails are subjected to a second horizontal load force by means of a further stabilising unit. 
     
     
         11 : The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the machine is moved continuously along the track. 
     
     
         12 : The method according to  claim 8 , the track gauge change is detected and evaluated as a function of the varied load force by means of an evaluation device. 
     
     
         13 : The method according to  claim 12 , wherein rail head deflection values and/or track gauge values detected at a measuring point by means of the evaluation device are jointly evaluated as a function of different load force values. 
     
     
         14 : The method according to  claim 8 , wherein a position determination unit is used to determine the position of the measuring device for a location-specific detection of the rail head deflections and/or the track gauge changes. 
     
     
         15 : The method according to  claim 14 , wherein evaluation data of a respective rail fastening is stored with reference to its location in order to assess its condition.