The invention is based on a platform-related arrangement that includes a raisable and lowerable barrier structure which, when in a vertical or at least an essentially vertical position, functions to keep people present on the platform at a specific distance from an adjacent railroad track section along which a train is able to pass close to the platform without stopping.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Express trains will often pass through a railroad station at very high speeds and close to the station platforms, without stopping.

The development of fast moving trains has not only resulted in quieter and faster trains, but also in the formation of a varying or pulsating pressure wave around the train as it passes through a station.

This pressure wave is able to subject people standing on the platform close to the platform edge as the train passes to a wind gust that can cause a person to lose his/her balance and fall against the train, with serious injuries as a result.

Accordingly, various types of protective constructions have been designed to safeguard against such occurrences. A first protec- tive device that predominated in Sweden is based on painting a line along the platform at a given distance from the edge thereof, with the intention that the platform section between this line and said edge will be observed as a protective zone to which access is denied, at least whilst a train is passing.

Another protective device is based on covering a platform section with concrete slabs or the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION TECHNICAL PROBLEMS When taking into consideration the technical deliberations that a person skilled in this particular art must make in order to provide a solution to one or more technical problems that he/she may encounter, it will be seen that on the one hand it is necessary initially to realize the measures and/or the sequence of measures that must be undertaken to this end, and on the other hand to realize which means is/are required to solve one or more of these problems. On this basis, it will be evident that the technical problems listed below are highly relevant to the development of the present invention.

When considering the present state of techniques as referred to above, it will be seen that a technical problem resides in providing a platform-related arrangement that is able to afford effective protection for persons standing on the platform, parti- cularly at times when a train passes through the station close to a platform at high speed, without stopping.

It will also be seen that a technical problem resides in provid- ing a platform-related arrangement that includes a barrier- functioning structure that can be raised to a vertical, or essentially vertical position, and therewith keep persons present on the platform at a safe distance from a train that moves past

the platform without stopping.

It will also be seen that a technical problem resides in realizing the conditions and advantages that are associated with pivotally mounted one edge-part of said barrier structure on the platform such that the distance from the edge of the platform proximal to the railroad track will corresponds to the height of said barrier structure above the upper, planar surface of said platform when the barrier structure is raised to said at least near vertical position.

Another technical problem is one of realizing the significance of and the advantages afforded by pivotally connecting said one edge-part in a manner which will enable the barrier structure to be rotated to a horizontal position, or at least an essentially horizontal position, in which said structure lies close to or in the upper, planar surface of the platform during those times at which no train is expected to pass the platform or when a train moves along said railroad track slowly in order to stop and allow passengers to embark and disembark.

Another technical problem is one of providing a platform-related arrangement of simple construction with which initial movement of the barrier structure from a horizontal to a vertical position will warn travellers and persons standing on the barrier struc- ture to move away from said barrier structure and said track section towards the centre of the platform, by virtue of raising said barrier.

Another technical problem is one of realizing the significance of and the advantages afforded by constructing said barrier structure from a continuous-surface section, for instance from an imperforate plate, such as a checkered plate.

It will also be seen that a technical problem resides in realiz- ing the significance of forming the edge-region of the platform (beneath the downwardly swung section) from a horizontal

protective grating, wherein said edge region may be given a flexurally rigid construction, such as an expanded metal con- struction, or the form of a grating or lattice structure, or the like.

Another problem is one of realizing the significance of support- ing and constructing said barrier and said platform-related arrangement from one or more coordinated cantilever bracket structures.

Another technical problem is one of realizing the significance of and the advantages afforded by constructing each cantilever bracket structure from an upper horizontal beam and a support leg that extends obliquely downwards towards the foundations of the platform.

Another technical problem is one of realizing the significance of and the advantages afforded by causing said support leg to co- act with one or more arms that extend horizontally, or at least essentially horizontally, and which function to support electric cables, conduits and like devices.

Another technical problem is one of realizing the significance of and the advantages that are afforded by adapting the means for driving the cantilever bracket structure such as to enable the barrier structure to be swung slowly between a horizontal and a vertical position, and vice versa.

It will also be seen that a technical problem resides in realiz- ing the significance of and the advantages afforded by giving said barrier structure a specific length, such as a length between 3 and 10 meters, preferably between 4 and 6 meters.

Another technical problem is one of realizing the significance of providing each of a number of said structures with a respecti- ve drive means that are mutually connected for synchronous operation in driving said structures.

SOLUTION With the intention of solving one or more of the aforesaid technical problems, the present invention takes as its starting point a platform-related arrangement of the kind defined in the introduction.

In accordance with the invention, one edge-part of the bar- rier-functioning structure of said arrangement is pivotally mounted on the platform at a distance from an edge-line facing towards an adjacent railroad track and trains that pass there- along which corresponds to the height of said barrier structure above the upper, planar surface of the platform when the barrier section is raised. The barrier structure is also mounted along said one edge-part to enable the barrier structure to be swung to a horizontal position, or at least an essentially horizontal position, in which it lies close to or in the upper, planar surface of said platform.

The barrier structure may conveniently be lowered to its hori- zontal position during those times when no train is expected to pass the platform or when a train approaches the platform at a slow speed, such as when intending to stop at the platform in order to enable travellers to embark and disembark.

According to proposed embodiments that lie within the scope of the inventive concept, the barrier structure is comprised of a continuous-surface plate, such as a checkered plate.

It is also proposed that the edge-region of the platform is comprised of a horizontal protective grating, and that this edge region has the form of an expanded-metal or checkered plate or the like.

The barrier or the platform-related arrangement is supported by a plurality of cantilever bracket structures or consists of a plurality of cantilever bracket structures to form a section.

Each bracket structures may comprise an upper horizontal beam and a support leg that extends obliquely down towards the platform foundations.

According to one particular embodiment, the support that extends obliquely down towards the platform foundations co-acts with one or more horizontal, or generally horizontal arms that are intended to support electric cables, conduits and like devices.

The platform-related arrangement includes means adapted to co-act with one bracket structure among several mutually co-acting bracket structures to rotate the barrier structure between a horizontal and vertical position, or vice versa.

The barrier structure may conveniently have a length of between 3 and 10 meters, and a height of 1-1.2 meters.

When the platform-related arrangement comprises a plurality of mutually sequential sections, it is proposed that the section drive means are synchronized with one another.

ADVANTAGES Those advantages that are primarily afforded by the inventive station-related arrangement reside in the provision of conditions which provide effective protection for persons and travellers present on a station platform, by virtue of a barrier structure that can be moved to a vertical position in which persons present on the platform are distanced safely from an adjacent track section, at least during those times at which a train is expected to pass said platform without stopping.

The barrier structure can also be lowered to a horizontal position, in which it forms part of the platform. When the barrier is lowered, people are able to stand on the barrier when no train is expected to pass or when a train approaches the platform slowly, in order to stop and allow travellers to get on

and off the train.

The primary characteristic features of an inventive platform- related arrangement are set forth in the characterizing clause of the following Claim 1.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to an exemplifying embodiment thereof and also with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a platform, with one section enlarged, provided with two inventive platform-related arrangements; and Figure 2 is a sectioned side view of a platform-related cantile- ver bracket structure with the barrier shown in a horizontal position in full lines and in a vertical position in broken lines.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS AT PRESENT PREFERRED The present invention relates to a railroad platform-related arrangement 1 that includes a barrier-functioning part 2.

The barrier part 2 can be raised to a vertical, or essentially vertical, position in which it keeps persons "B" present on a platform "P" at a given distance from an adjacent track section 3a as a train 3 passes the platform non-stop and at a high speed, for instance in excess 100 km/h.

Naturally, the barrier 2 can also be raised at other times.

The barrier part 2 is pivotally connected to the platform "P"

along one edge-part 2a at a distance from the edge-line "P1" proximal to the train 3 that corresponds to the height "h" of said barrier part above the upper, planar surface 20 of the platform when the barrier is raised.

The barrier part 2 can also be swung about its one edge-part 2a to a horizontal position, or to an essentially horizontal position in which the barrier is located in the close proximity of the upper, planar surface 20 of said platform "P". The barrier can be lowered to this position when no train is expected to pass the platform or when a train 3 approaches the platform slowly on the track section 3razz with the intention of stopping in order to allow travellers to embark and disembark.

The barrier part 2 of the arrangement is comprised of an imperfo- rate, thin aluminium plate, such as a checkered, embossed or grooved plate, with raised parts (checker markings) disposed along the surface 21 in order to prevent slipping.

The edge region P2 of the platform has a width "b" and is comprised of a protective grating 4, preferably a floor grating, an expanded metal-plate, or the like.

The platform related arrangement 1 is supported on or is embodied in a plurality of mutually adjacent cantilever bracket structures 5, of which one is shown in side view in Figure 2.

A plurality of such bracket structures 5 for one and the same barrier part 2 form a section.

The bracket structure 5 shown in Figure 2 is comprised of an (actually a chosen number of laterally orientated) upper, horizontal beam 5a and a support leg 5b which extends obliquely downwards to the platform foundations, and a vertical post 5d fixedly connected to a base 5c.

Co-acting with the support leg 5b that extends down towards the

platform foundations Sc is one or more arms 6a, 6b which extend horizontally, or at least generally horizontally.

The arms 6a, 6b are constructed and orientated to carry electric cables, conduits and like devices, low voltage cables are carried by the arm 6b and high voltage cables are carried by the arm 6a.

The platform-related arrangement 1 also includes a drive means 10 in the form of a pivot mechanism for co-action between the barrier 2 and the bracket structure 5. The drive means 10 is constructed to enable the barrier 2 to be swung slowly between a horizontal and a vertical position, and vice versa.

The arrangement illustrated in Figure 2 includes to this end a first embodiment of the pivot mechanism 10, which includes a rack 10a that co-acts with a toothed ring lOb mounted on a shaft 28 which is fixedly related to and extends along one edge-part 2a of the barrier part 2.

The pivot mechanism may, of course, have another form, such as a so-called pivot device.

The barrier part 2 has a horizontal length of between 3 and 10 meters and a height or width of 1.1 meters, the number of bracket structures 5 required being dependent on the chosen length of the barrier 2.

When a number of barrier parts 2, or sections, are positioned sequentially along the platform "P", it is proposed in accordance with the invention that the drive means 10 of each barrier part 2 will be driven synchronously for simultaneous operation. The mechanical and electrical arrangement required to this end are known in principle.

The inventive arrangement may also include end-related barrier units 12 (shown in broken lines in Figure 1) in the form of fabric or some other suitable material that will prevent people

passing unintentionally between the barrier 2 and the platform edge "P1" or the train 3 when the barrier 2 is vertical (shown to the left in Figure 1).

When the barrier 2 is in its horizontal position (shown to the right in Figure 1), it will function as a tread surface for passengers leaving or boarding a train.

It will be understood that the invention is not restricted to the aforedescribed and illustrated exemplifying embodiments thereof, and that modifications can be made within the scope of the inventive concept as defined in the following claims.