Field of the invention

Invention relates to railway techniques, especially to devices connected to stock rail for the transfer of railway switchpoints.

Background art

It is known the roller device where the switchpoint is transferred in a horizontal direction on bearing roller on adjustable support connected to the switchpoint as in the patent US1599733.

In this known device the elevating force is constant so the position of the switch point above the blade seats does not change too. When this switchpoint is loaded by the transfer of wheels it seats on seats with a shock.

Also it is known a roller support for switchpoints containing the body which can be connected to stock rail where the roller turns on the axis parallel to the switchpoint or the blade as I apparent from RU 238578, in CI.E01 B 7/02, from 1969.

Also the slide is known, where the connected block is created with a connecting device for fastening it to the base of a stock rail and where the oscillating lever, which bears the transferring rollers elevates by the spring placed laterally at the body and connected with the oscillating lever by a tie rod, as it can be seen in CS 277466 in Cl. E01 B 7/02, B61 L 5/02, from 29.12.1990.

Nevertheless, a disadvantage of this solution is the placing of the spring which is mounted between the rails. This position ca cause difficulties not only by checking the raii switch and by hand or machine works of the railroad and can cause the damaging the spring itself, with a possible consequent railroad disaster. Adjustable blade support is known, too, which is integrated in the body, which body is connected to the stock rail where the rollers turn on axis parallel to the blade, as is apparent in RU 2265687, in Cl. E01 B 7/02, from year 2000.

The most similar technical solution is the adjustable roller supporting device of switchpoints containing the body with hooks which body is created with lateral walls, face transversal wall with a face opening and the lower wall with a lower opening where the fastening device is fixed in the face opening for connecting the body to the stock rail where the elastic support is screwed in the lower opening which support bears on its upper end the free end of the oscillating lever, which lever is by the bolt connected to the lateral walls. The oscillating lever bears two rollers on the bolts, where one roller provides a contact with the elastic support. This solution is published in RU2117085, in Cl. E01 B, from 1998.

The basic disadvantages of said solution are as follows:

- During the traffic, in the first position of blades, blades with rollers are seating on the seats with a shock, which is the consequence of unpredictable deformations of related elements while the blade transfer is going, which causes disturbing of a correct function of all the rail switch, naturally with all negative consequences,

- only part adjustment of the blade position in relation to the roller is provided in the vertical direction only,

- a construction of the elastic support in form of outgoing shank with a plate or dish, where a push spring is seating, which is covered by a push element on the its upper end, leads to soon wear of the plates from the impacts under the approaching of the blade, which can lead to braking of the support.

So, such a construction of the support causes vibrations of blades or switchpoints and of all the rail switch device, what means the life of the device is reduced.

Technical aim of the present invention is a creating of adjustable, or regulated, roller device for switch point or blades of railroad switches, providing broader technical possibilities, and this for a possibility of regulating the amount of a number of rollers in related action. Summary of the invention

The technical aim is reached, by present invention, by creating the regulated roller device for switchpoints, containing the body, equipped by lateral guide walls, and by connecting block, adjusted for connecting the body to the stock rail, which block contains lateral walls, face walls and lower wall, wherein the connection to the base of stock rail is on the base of elastic clamp and the anchoring screw with a nut, and especially the clamp held in one of the face walls, wherein the bod contains further the elastic support, seated in the opening of the lower wall, oscillating lever having a contact with the elastic support, and one end of which lever is seated on axis or bolt being placed in openings in lateral walls, wherein further, according to the present invention, the oscillating lever is created in form of two vertical panels, connected by a transversal panel, situated in the body, and wherein the device is equipped by a supplemental bolt, where all the bolts are fixed in the vertical walls of the oscillating lever, and the elastic support is created from elastomer, wherein the elastic clamp is created as a 3D piece from one piece of elastic material of a circle section and having two parallel parts, intended for connecting to an outer part of the body, and, simultaneously, the central part of the clamp provides a form, securing a connection with the anchoring screw, and finally, openings for bolts or axis of the oscillating lever are created in the lateral walls of the body, which openings are for fixing the lever in these walls created as vertical grooved guiding cut-outs.

Present device, as being fixed to the base of a stock rail, can reduce the influence of sharp load power peaks on the geometry changes under a transfer of the blade.

Present construction of the connecting block leads to lowering of vibrations od the blade under its transferring motion of the blade from one its lateral position to the other position.

Creating the elastic support from the elastomer minimalize vibrations of the blades and of all the transferring device, and so the life of the device is prolonged.

The number of bolts the related rollers is, according to technological possibilities and relevant aims, as follows: - the roller is seated on supplemental bolt and provides a contact with the elastic support,

- two rollers are seated on bolts, and one roller of them provides a contact with the elastic support,

- two rollers are seated on bolts, wherein one of them provides a contact with the elastic support, and the other roller is equipped by adjusting mechanism of its position, placed in the second opening of the transversal panel.

The possibility of adjusting or regulating of the first and second roller position enables to use the present device in conditions of a broad range of temperatures, for ex. From -60 to +60 C and this also in a situation of weared blade or switch point seats or weared other parts of other elements of all the device.

Advantageously, adjusting mechanism based on screw and nut can be used for a position regulation of the second roller.

The present regulating roller device for switchpoints enables to eliminate absolutely the lubrication of switchpoint seats working surfaces, what reduces the maintenance costs and ameliorate the ecology in way of eliminating the exhausted lubricant penetration to the soil.

In the same time the blades are transferring smoothly, with minimal force needed, and simultaneously the wear of blades is reduced, an also a device driving motors failure rate reduces.

The use of the device according to the invention reduces the negative ecological influence by eliminating the used lubricants pollution.

Also the working safety for maintenance personal is higher, in consequence of no periodical need of lubrication of switchpoint seats, what is substantive especially in case of railway hump traffic.

Brief description of the drawings

In the drawings:

Fig.1 is regulated roller device for railway switchpoints with one regulated roller, Fig.2 is regulated roller device for railway switchpoints with two rollers, where one roller is regulated,

Fig.3 is regulated roller device for railway switchpoints with two rollers, where both of them are regulated,

Fig.4 is a section A-A, which position is marked at Fig.3

Fig.5 is a scheme of placing of present regulated roller device for railway switchpoints at real railway switches.

Detailed description

Regulated roller device for railway switchpoints contains a body, consisting of lateral walls 1 , face transversal walls 2 and of lower wall 3 an is equipped by extensions 4, created for fixing at the base of stock rail, and further the body contains an elastic support 5, produced from elastomer and placed in an opening of the lower wall 3, and an oscillating lever, having contact with the elastic support 5 and it contains connecting block, too.

The oscillating lever is created in form of two vertical panels 6, connected by transversal panel 7, which panels 7 are seated in the body of the device.

The oscillating lever provides a contact with the elastic support 5, and one its end is placed on an axis 8, being placed in openings 9 in lateral walls 1 of the body. The openings 9 are created in form of vertically oriented grooves or cut-outs, in which the axis has a possibility to move in a vertical direction.

Bolts 10, 11 , 12 with rollers 13, 14 are placed in the panels, where the roller 13 provides a contact with the elastic support 5.

The connecting block consists of an elastic clamp 15 and of a screw 16 with a nut 17, which are placed in one of the face walls 2.

The elastic clamp 15 is 3D-formed, from one piece of an elastic material having circular section, and this in form of two parallel parts, adjusted for connecting to the outer part of the body, and of a central part, which form enables the connection with the anchoring screw 16.

According to technological conditions and to conditions of placing the rollers it can be taken a choice, for ex., s follows: - roller 13 is placed on the central, supplementar bolt 11 a having contact with the elastic support 5, or

- the rollers 13, 14 are placed on the bolts 10 and 12, wherein the roller 13 having contact with the elastic support 5, or

- the rollers 13, 14 are placed on the bolts 10 and 12, wherein the roller 13 having contact with the elastic support 5, and the roller 14 is equipped by a mechanism for adjusting or regulating its position, which mechanism is placed in an opening 18, which is created in the lower wall 3 of the body.

The mechanism for adjusting the position is created here in form of an adjusting screw 19 and a nut 20.

Places for mounting and a number of pieces of present devices are to be choiced individually.

According to individual specifications of placing the blades it is possible to change a position of this regulated roller device for railway switchpoints, and to place maximally one or two devices between two sleepers, what means one or two sleeper boxes, from their basic position.

No need for regulated roller device for railway switchpoints being directly in opposite positions, they can be placed in alternating way, too.

Usually, on blades 10 m long two devices are used, and this way in a forward section of the blade, what means between transfer boxes 2-m and 3-m, from the root of the blade, and this with one roller.

The function of the present device, or all configuration of rollers and bolts, is as follows:

The stock rail, not shown at Figures, will be cleared in place for fastening the device, the room under the stock rail will be cleared rom little stones an so the room for mounting the device is ready. The free depth about 20 - 25 cm is needed.

The lower surface of the blade will be cleared, over the place of contact with the roller 13, or rollersl 4, 15 with the connecting block.

The blade will be moved into a position by the stock rail, and in this position the device will be mounted under the base of the stock rail, mounted with aid of the connecting block. The nut 17 will be tightened under reaching only a small deformation od elastic fastening clamp 15.

Then the roller 13 will be connected with the elastic support 5, using the tightening torque 80-86 Nm, wherein the lower surface of the blade rests on the roller. Afterwards it will be proved a correct position of all the device at the rail. It will be done so that after the mounting the blade will be moved to and fro, for checking the position of the blade relating to the rollers. The blade is supposed to rest on rollers. Mounting and adjustment of the device, for all said configurations of rollers, is to be done in prescribed order of steps.

For the device where the roller 13 is placed on the central, supplementar bolt 11 and in case with the rollers 13, where two rollers are used the order of adjustment is similar and so:

The first step is done. in a closed position, it means in locked position, where the blade is in a position by the stock rail.

It is to be observed the gap between the lower surface of the blade and the opposite upper surface of the seat, and this in a point of placing the device, seen from both sides.

The elastic support 5 will be adjusted, what means the position of the roller 13 is elevated or lowered, with aid of the adjusting screw 21 , until a moment when a contact with the lower surface of the blade is reached.

In case of two adjusting rollers 13 and 14 are used in the device, the adjusting of the second roller 14 follows.

Using a rotation of the second adjusting screw 19 and the nut 20 adjusting roller 14 is adjusted to a level, answering the previous adjustment of the first roller 13.

Further, using rotating of the adjustment screw 21 , placed under the roller 13, the blade will be elevated by 1-2 mm, related to the position of sooner measured gap between the lower surface of the blade and the upper surface of the seat.

Afterwards the roller 14 will be adjusted at the same level, where the first roller is now situated.

As the level of blade elevation above the surface of the seat, when supported by the roller 13, and this after balancing the rollers, the blade moves to the position “the blade from the stock rail” and it will be checked, also for this position, the gap between he lower surface of the blade and the upper surface of the seat.

Several devices of this sort were produced an tested with the results as follows: TIME Transfer time (sec) relation: Time For to Time After for mounting the device/after

Minimum 0,464 0,307 1 ,51

Medium 0,503 0,421 1 , 19

Maximum 0,586 0,453 1 ,29

As it can be seen in the table, minimal time of the transfer was reduced from 0,464 s to 0,307 s, it means the ratio is 1 ,51 , maximal time was reduced from 0,586 s to 0,454 s, it means the ratio 1 ,29.

In all the duration of testing the switchpoint transfer, equipped with the present device, working of the device was reliable, both concerning the roller device and concerning the blade elements ad their power accessories.

Industrial applicability

The device, according to the present invention, is usable at railway switches, where higher safety and higher reliability is achieved by the all blade elevating set.