| JP3891719 | CLEANING DEVICE FOR WHEEL TREAD |
LARSEN HANS (SE)
SAMUELSSON KENNERTH (SE)
LARSEN HANS (SE)
| US2042029A | 1936-05-26 | |||
| US1527541A | 1925-02-24 | |||
| US5054401A | 1991-10-08 | |||
| US3777858A | 1973-12-11 | |||
| GB1270327A | 1972-04-12 | |||
| GB2355702A | 2001-05-02 |
CLAIMS
1. A device, which is adapted to prevent the forming of a wheel flat on an vehicle wheel (2), which runs on a rail (3), and comprises a moisture removing unit (4), which is arranged in front of the wheel (3), seen in the travelling direction of the vehicle, to remove, in an active position, moisture from the upper side of the rail (3), c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that it comprises a rain sensor unit (10), which is arranged, when sensing moisture, to move the moisture removing unit (4) to its active position.
2. A device as claimed in claim 1 , which comprises a rain sensor unit (10), which is arranged, when sensing moisture, to move the moisture removing unit (4) to its active position only when the wheel (3) is being braked. 3. A device as claimed in claim 1 , which comprises a rain sensor unit
(10), which is arranged, when sensing moisture, to move the moisture removing unit (4) to its active position when the speed of rotation of the wheel (3) is being changed.
4. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1-3, in which the moisture removing unit (4) is a moisture wiping unit, which comprises a wiping blade (5), which is movable between a starting position, in which it is spaced from the rail (3), and a working position, which corresponds to the active position of the moisture removing unit and in which the wiping blade (5) abuts against the upper side of the rail (3) to wipe moisture from the same. 5. A device as claimed in claim 4, in which the starting position is an upper position, in which the wiping blade (5) is spaced from the rail above the same, and the working position is a lower position.
6. A device as claimed in claim 5, in which the wiping blade (5) is vertically adjustable by means of a cylinder assembly (9). 7. A device as claimed in any one of claims 4-6, in which the wiping blade (5) is inclined downwards backwards, seen in the travelling direction of the vehicle.
8. A device as claimed in any one of claims 4-7, in which the wiping blade (5) forms an angle different from 90° to the longitudinal direction of the rail. |
DEVICE FOR REMOVING OF MOISTURE FROM RAILWAY RAILS
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device, which is adapted to prevent the forming of a wheel flat on vehicle wheels, which run on a rail.
Background Art
A wheel flat is formed on a vehicle wheel when, in braking, the wheel is locked and slides on the rail. A vehicle wheel with a wheel flat is out-of-round and must for renewed use be turned in a lathe once more, which takes time and is expensive.
Object of the Invention
The object of the invention is to reduce the risk of a vehicle wheel, in braking, being locked and thus sliding on a rail, that is to prevent the forming of a wheel flat. A further object is to increase friction against the rail as the speed of rotation of the wheel is being changed.
Summary of the Invention
This object is achieved by a device, which comprises a moisture removing unit, which is arranged in front of the wheel, seen in the travelling direction of the vehicle, to remove, in an active position, moisture from the upper side of the rail.
Moreover, the device advantageously comprises a rain sensor unit, which is arranged, when sensing moisture, to move the moisture removing unit to its active position, either only when the wheel is being braked, or when it is being both braked and accelerated. The device is thus suitably only active when there is a risk of the wheels sliding during braking and/or spinning during acceleration.
In a preferred embodiment of the device, the moisture removing unit comprises a moisture wiping unit, which comprises a wiping blade, which is movable between a starting position, in which it is spaced from the rail, and a working position, which corresponds to the active position of the moisture
removing unit and in which the wiping blade abuts against the upper side of the rail to wipe moisture from the same.
The wiping blade is preferably vertically adjustable by means of a cylinder assembly. The wiping blade is preferably inclined downwards backwards, seen in the travelling direction of the vehicle, to minimise wear, and it suitably forms an angle different from 90° to the longitudinal direction of the rail.
Brief Description of the Drawings The invention will now be described in more detail by means of a preferred, but not limiting, embodiment and with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a side view and shows a device according to the invention, applied to a vehicle wheel and arranged in a passive position. Fig. 2 is a detail view of the device in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a side view and shows a device according to the invention in an active position.
Description of a Preferred Embodiment Fig. 1 shows part of a chassis 1 for a vehicle, such as a railway engine or railway carriage, which chassis is supported by a vehicle wheel 2, which runs on a rail 3. A moisture removing unit 4 is arranged in front of the wheel, seen in the travelling direction of the vehicle. The moisture removing unit 4 is in Figs 1 and 2 in a passive position and in Fig. 3 in an active position. In the shown example, the moisture removing unit 4 is a moisture wiping unit 4 which comprises a wiping blade 5, which by means of a suitable joint 6, such as a screw joint, is attached to a blade holder 7. The blade holder 7 is in turn attached to a plate 8, which via a piston rod is connected to a piston (not shown) of a pneumatic cylinder assembly 9. This cylinder assembly can, of course, also be hydraulic.
The wiping blade 5 is vertically adjustable by means of the cylinder assembly 9 and can be moved from a starting position to a working position.
In the starting position, which is shown in Figs 1 and 2, the wiping blade 5 is spaced from the rail 3. In the working position, which is shown in Fig. 3, the wiping blade 5 abuts against the upper side of the rails 3 to wipe moisture from the same. The working position corresponds to the active position of the moisture wiping unit.
The wiping blade is a scraper of rubber, Teflon, silicone or some other material that has the strength and rigidity that are necessary for this application.
For adequate abutment against the rail and good wiping capacity, the wiping blade extends obliquely downwards backwards relative to the travelling direction of the vehicle. Of course, it could also be directed forwards, but this would cause greater wear on the blade in the working position.
Furthermore, the wiping blade is inclined relative to the longitudinal direction of the rail, that is it makes an angle, which is different from 90°, to the longitudinal direction of the rail.
The moisture wiping unit 4 is to be moved to its active position when the wheel is being braked and the rail is moist. The moisture removing unit is automatically connectable by means of a rain sensor 10 (schematically shown), which senses rain or moisture and which via a control unit 11 controls the moisture wiping unit. The rain sensor 10 is arranged on the front of the vehicle. The rain sensor 10 has such a sensitivity as to sense moisture, such as dew, and is activated even if there is no rain but the rail is moist. When the wheel 2 is being braked and the rain sensor 10 senses moisture, the rain sensor signals to the control unit 10, which then moves the moisture wiping unit 4 to its active position to remove moisture from the upper side of the rail. This occurs by the cylinder assembly being actuated, via a pressure transducer 12, by the control unit 11 to move, by means of the piston and the piston rod, the wiping blade 5 from its starting position to its working position. In an alternative embodiment, the cylinder assembly may also be actuated manually. It is also possible for the moisture removing unit to be connected in series to the windscreen wiper of the engine in such a manner
that the moisture removing unit is moved to the active position when the wheel is being braked and the windscreen wipers are working.
When there is a risk of the wheels spinning, the moisture removing unit is controlled in the same way as described above, but with the difference that the unit is moved to the active position as the wheel is being accelerated.
The invention can be modified in various ways within the scope of the claims. The moisture removing unit can thus also be a device which blows air onto the rail in order to dry it.