TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a group for painting the sides of railway track rails and a method of management of such group.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

As is known, high temperature during the summer is harmful for track rails, such as railway tracks.

In this regard, for a few years, in particular in areas most exposed to high temperatures, thermal sensors have been installed to detect the temperature of the rails, with these sensors sending the data collected to a regional operations room.

On railway lines where there are no sensors, technicians in charge of extraordinary supervision are despatched to carry out a manual check on the temperature of the rails, especially in the areas most exposed to sunlight and in the hottest hours of the day.

When specific warning thresholds are reached, the speed is reduced and particular attention is paid to possible structural changes in the rails.

To limit the overheating of the rails, it has been acknowledged that an effective method consists in painting the sides of the rails a light colour, for example white, in particular in spring or in any case before the summer period.

This is usually done by road-rail vehicles or even by short trains made up of two or three wagons.

However, with the solutions proposed so far, the paint dispensing circuit, after a period of inactivity - for example after the winter period - is clogged by the paint and this is highly costly and time consuming before the working conditions of the painting device can be resumed.

This operation is also quite labour intensive and, obviously, prone to errors; there are also similar problems with the paint tanks which must be washed and refilled each time.

US patent 2586256A describes a spraying apparatus for the rails of a railway comprising a railway vehicle, a spraying trolley suspended from the railway vehicle and free to move laterally with respect to the vehicle, a trolley wheel supported and guided by the rail, a spray nozzle mounted on the trolley and facing the rail and guides to limit the lateral movements of the trolley with respect to the railway vehicle and restrict movements in the transversal direction with respect to the rail.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a new painting group for rail sides, to protect the rails from dangerous overheating.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a group as mentioned above wherein it is possible to avoid clogging of the paint conveying circuit, in particular after a prolonged period of inactivity.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a group as mentioned above wherein it is possible to avoid clogging of the paint spray nozzles, in particular after a prolonged period of inactivity.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a group as indicated above wherein no problems are experienced in the management of the paint tanks.

According to an aspect of the invention a painting group is provided according to claim 1.

According to another aspect of the invention a method is provided for the management of a painting group according to claim 15.

Dependent claims refer to preferred and advantageous embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will be more apparent from the description of an example of embodiment of a group, illustrated for guidance only in the accompanying drawings wherein:

figures 1 and 2 are perspective views from respective sides of a group according to the present invention;

figures 3 to 6 show details on an enlarged scale of the group of figure 1; figures 7 and 8 schematically show the components of a group according to the present invention.

In the accompanying drawings the same parts or components are indicated by the same reference numerals.

EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

With reference to the attached figures, a group 1 for painting the sides of rails has been illustrated, comprising a main support frame 2, at least one first tank 3, two according to the example in the figures, of paint mounted on the main support frame 2 and at least one or more nozzles 4 for spraying the paint towards the sides Rl, R2 of a rail R; the spraying nozzles 4 are supported by the main support frame 2.

The nozzles 4 are positioned or can be positioned so as not to paint the upper part or top of the rails, this part must be used for traction of trains and as an electrical contact for signalling the presence of a train, and therefore, it must not be painted.

According to the example embodiment illustrated in the figures, four or eight nozzles 4 are provided, two or four provided for painting respective sides of a first rail R of a railway track and the other two or four provided for painting respective sides of the second rail R of a railway track.

In any case, the number of nozzles 4 can be any starting from one for each side of the rail; moreover, the aforesaid nozzles are positioned or positionable in an appropriate way to paint the sides of the rail.

The group 1 comprises a circuit 5 for conveying paint from the first tank 3 to the nozzles 4 mounted on the main support frame 2, with the circuit 5 including a number of pipes that connect the components of the group.

Also provided in group 1 are advancing means 6 of the main support frame 2 along or on the rails R to be painted.

In this regard and by way of non-limiting example, the advancing means 6 can include wheels or rollers 6a, as well as means for actuating the same wheels.

With reference to this aspect and again by way of non limiting example, the group 1 can be mounted on a truck T or vehicle, or rather on a rear flatbed P thereof, and in this case the advancing means 6 can comprise a front carriage 6b and a rear carriage 6c for moving the truck T on the rails R, as well as a component for lowering the carriages 6b, 6c to the ground, so as to raise the wheels TW of the truck T, and in such a way that the truck T rests on the ground or better on the rails R only at the moving carriages 6b, 6c.

It should be noted that the group 1 according to the present invention could also be mounted on another type of vehicle suitable for moving on rails.

The group 1 further comprises a device for guiding the nozzles 4 along the rails R. The device for guiding the nozzles 4 along the rails R can be in contact for example by means of wheels which are in contact with the rails and are located in the support brackets of nozzles 4.

The guiding device may also be contactless, for example, if the guiding device is contactless: optical recognition, or laser, or even ultrasound, or inductive, or capacitive, or magnetic means can be used as rail recognition means.

The group 1 comprises conveying or pumping means 7, such as a pump controlled by a respective motor 70 - the pump could also be of the high pressure type - for pumping the paint from the first tank 3 to the nozzles 4.

Furthermore, the group 1 includes at least one second tank 8 of a cleaning fluid, such as water, also mounted on said main support frame 2, and the conveying means 7 are designed for conveying the cleaning fluid from the second tank 8 through the conveyor circuit 5.

The conveying means 7 can comprise a single pump for the paint and the cleaning fluid, or a first pump for the paint and a second pump for the cleaning fluid.

Also present in group 1 is at least one shut-off valve 9, for example a three- way valve, designed to alternatively put the conveying circuit 5 in fluid communication with the second tank 8 or with the first paint tank 3, so that it is possible to clean the circuit 5 with the cleaning fluid taken from the second tank 8 after paint has gone through the same circuit 5 for the performance of at least one previous painting step.

More particularly, the group 1 comprises at least one first connection duct 10 of the, or of each, first tank 3 with the circuit 5, as well as at least one second connection duct 11 of the second tank 8 with the circuit 5, in which case the first connection duct 10, the second duct 11 and the circuit 5 are mutually connected by means of the shut-off valve 9. Alternatively, two or more shut-off valves could be provided, each designed to shut off a respective connection duct between the circuit 5 and the first tank 3 or the second tank 8.

The shut-off valve 9 can be, for example, automatically operated, controlled by PLC, or other electric/electronic or mechanical/hydraulic/pneumatic logic control means, although it could also be manually operated.

The group 1 is also provided with closing/opening valves 12, 13 of the first connection duct 10 and/or of the second connection duct 11, these closing/opening valves 12, 13 can be manually or automatically operated.

In this regard, the circuit 5 can have at least one first delivery section 50 for delivering fluid, paint or cleaning fluid, towards the nozzles 4 and at least one second return section 51, for returning fluid, in particular paint to one or more first tanks 3.

In this case, at least one control valve 14 can be provided, which is designed to alternatively set the circuit 5 to the setting for fluid delivery to nozzles 4 or to recirculation.

According to this variant, the control valve 14 shuts off the first section 50 splitting it into a first part 52 upstream of the control valve 14 and a second part 53 downstream of the control valve 14.

Clearly, in the delivery setting, the first part 52 of the first section 50 is in fluid communication with the second part 53 of the first section 50, while the second section 51 is isolated from the tanks 3, 8, so that it is possible, among other things, to paint or clean the nozzles 4 with the cleaning fluid taken from the second tank 8 after paint has gone through them to carry out at least one previous painting step. While in regard to the recirculation setting, it includes the first part 52 of the first section 50 in fluid communication with the second section 51 and the second part 53 of the first section 50 isolated from the tanks 3, 8, so that it is possible to clean the second section 51.

The control valve 14 can also be set to a fully open condition, meaning that the first part 52 of the first section 50 is in fluid communication with both the second part 53 of the first section 50, and with the second section 51.

Thanks to the control valve 14 it is therefore possible to allow or interrupt the fluid communication between the nozzles 4 and the second tank 8 or the first paint tank 3.

As will be ascertained, if four or more nozzles 4 are provided and therefore the group is designed to simultaneously paint the sides of both rails R of a railway track, then the first part 52 of the first section 50 would comprise a terminal branch for feeding two second parts 53 of the first section 50, each designed to serve a respective pair or respective pairs of nozzles 4. In this case, there could also be two second sections 51 each in fluid communication with a branch of the first part 52.

In this case, if two first tanks 3 are provided, each second section 51 could end in a respective first tank 3.

In addition, at least one first connector 15 can be provided in the group, designed to removably connect or disconnect the first tank 3 to/from the circuit 5, so as to allow the replacement or regeneration of the first tank 3 alone or in an isolated manner. In this regard, the first connector 15 can for example be placed in the connection point of each first tank 3 to a first connection duct 10.

However, the group can also comprise at least one second connector 16 designed to removably connect or connect and disconnect the first connection duct 10 from the circuit 5, so that it is possible to replace or clean the first connection duct 10 alone or in isolated manner.

Furthermore, the conveying circuit 5 can comprise at least one section operating at low pressure 54 and at least one section operating at high pressure 55. In this case, the section working at low pressure 54 is interposed between the first tank 3 and the section operating at high pressure 55 or better between the first connection duct 10 and the section operating at high pressure 55.

The conveying or pumping means 7 can be placed between the section operating at low pressure 54 and the section operating at high pressure 55.

The group 1 can then comprise an electric power generator 18, such as a generator set or a battery for the electrical power supply to the components.

A compressed air generator 19 can also be present in the group for the pneumatic supply to the actuators or valves.

Other components may also be provided in the group, for example filters 20 for shutting off the circuit 5 or other ducts.

The group may further comprise mixers 31 within the tank(s) 3 for mixing the paint in said tanks continuously or when desired.

With reference now in particular to the nozzles 4, a support and displacement unit 21 of the nozzles 4 connected to the main support frame 2 can be provided.

According to the non-limiting example of embodiment shown in the figures, the support and displacement unit 21 includes at least one upright 22 which can be raised-lowered by means of a respective first actuator 23 and which can be moved closer-away from the frame 2 by means of a respective second actuator 24.

The support and displacement unit 21 then comprises an articulation mechanism, for example an articulated parallelogram 25 connected to the upright 22 and designed to raise-lower the support brackets 26 of the nozzles 4. The articulation system 25 can be controlled by means of special actuators 27.

On the other hand, a flapping or pivoting actuator 28 of the articulation system 25 around a substantially vertical axis can also be provided.

A rod 29 can be provided, with a substantially horizontal setting, supported by one or a pair of support brackets 26 and bearing at the respective ends bars 30 for constraining the nozzles 4.

With reference to this aspect, one or two nozzles 4 supported by each bar 30, and two bars 30 each constrained to a respective end of a rod 29 can be provided.

In this case, one or two nozzles 4 are designed to paint a first side R1 of a rail R and one or two nozzles 4 are designed to paint a second side R2 of a rail R.

However, if the group 1 comprises nozzles 4 for simultaneously painting the sides of both rails R of a respective railway track, then two uprights 22 could be provided, for example parallel supports each of a respective articulated parallelogram system 25 with a rod 29 and a bar 30 for constraining two or more nozzles 4 to each articulation system 25.

The group under the nozzles 4 can include a tank (not shown in the figures) for the recovery of the fluids dispensed by the nozzles, in particular the flushing fluid or water which is returned to the second tank 8.

A group according to the present invention can also comprise a PLC or a control unit for the automatic management of one or more of the valves, in particular of the shut-off valves 9, as well as of the conveying means 7 and, if desired, also of the actuators that control the various components.

With a group according to the present invention it is possible to implement a method according to which the group is initially positioned on at least one rail R with the nozzles 4 each facing a respective side Rl, R2 of the rail R and then the conveying means 7 are activated so as to push the paint from the tank 3 to the nozzles 4 passing through the conveying circuit 5 and then towards a portion of the sides of the rail R. As indicated above, the nozzles are positioned or positionable so as not to paint the top or upper part of the rails, which acts as an electrical contact to signal the presence of a train and, as such, must not therefore be painted.

Subsequently, the advancing means 6 of the main support frame 2 are controlled along or on the rail R, thus painting the sides of a respective section of the rail R itself.

Once the painting phase of the sides of the rail R or of a section thereof has been completed, the group can be stored away.

At the end of the painting operations or, if desired, at the end of the painting season or period, e.g. at the end of the summer season, the shut-off valve 9 is switched so as to interrupt the fluid communication between the first tank(s) 3 and conveyor circuit 5 and the fluid communication between the second tank 8 and the conveying circuit 5 is activated.

Finally, the conveying means 7 are activated so as to push the cleaning fluid - for example water - taken from the second tank 8 into the conveying circuit 5, cleaning the latter.

However, when the conveying means 7 are activated so as to push the cleaning fluid taken from the second tank 8 into the conveying circuit 5, the cleaning fluid is also pushed into the nozzles 4 also cleaning these components.

After one or more painting steps, when the paint has been used up in the first tank(s) 3, this/these is/are disconnected from the conveying circuit 5 and replaced each with a first new or regenerated tank and then repositioned in the group and connected to the other components of the same.

As will be understood, the present invention relates to a group for whitewashing or painting, in particular with white paint, the sides of the rails in order to decrease their temperature in summer and in which, unlike what happens with the groups proposed so far, it is possible to easily check and quickly clean the pipes of the entire system or group after one or more painting steps, which may also be done automatically thanks to a PLC or a control unit.

The pipes and also the nozzles are then washed automatically, so that, particularly at the start of a new summer season, the circuit is clean and not clogged and therefore can be quickly put in operation.

Basically, to use a group according to the present invention, an operator can determine, directly from the control panel, if the group must paint the rails or wash the respective circuit, with no room for error.

Moreover, as indicated above, the spent paint tanks could also be replaced or regenerated.

Changes to and variants of the invention are possible within the scope of protection defined by the claims.