EP0141948A1 - Method and device for the continuous rectification of the rails of a railway - Google Patents

Abstract

1. Method for the continuous on track reprofiling of at least one rail (12) of a railway track according to which one displaces along the track at least one assembly of grinding units (10) angularly displaced the ones with respect to the others and submitted to the pressure with which each grinding unit (10) is applied against the rail, characterized in that the said pressure is automatically controlled in function of at least one parameter which represents the dimensions of the sides (L) of a predetermined polygon (6) circumscribed to a reference profile (7) and the sides of which (L) are parallel to the corresponding active surfaces of the grinding wheels of the grinding units.

Description

The transverse profiles of the rails for railway tracks have been determined by calculation and experimentally, they have been improved over the years to optimize the requirements of the easiest manufacturing possible on the one hand and on the other hand the requirements relating to the safety and comfort of running convoys. The UIC has defined several transverse profiles for the rails, one of the most frequently used of which is the UIC 60, illustrated in FIG. 1, defining a symmetrical transverse profile formed by three radii of curvature, a radius R ₁ of 300 mm, forming the tread table 1 of the rail or upper surface of the rail head, a radius R ₂ of 13 mm constituting the fillets 2 inside or outside of the rail connecting to the lateral flanks 3, approximately rectilinear of the rail, and a third radius R ₃ of 80 mm forming the transition zones 4 between the tread table 1 and the fillets 2 of the rail.

If an angle yn is defined as being the angle between a straight line D tangent to the profile of the rail head perpendicular to the vertical axis of symmetry x of the rail and the tangent Tn to the profile of the rail head at point N; the transverse profile of the rail can be represented graphically by plotting for each point of the profile on the ordinate the radius of curvature of the rail and on the abscissa the angle y. For the UIC 60 standardized profile, this graphic representation is given in Figure 2.

The tire profiles of the wheels of the railway vehicles were likewise determined by calculation and experience. The rail and bandage profiles are conjugate profiles.

By the passage of railway convoys on the rails of railway tracks, the profiles of the rails and wheels wear and change. Worn wheels passing on a new rail profile gradually deform it and give it an "average wear profile" which, although different from the "original profile", can in some cases be considered satisfactory from the point of view of both safety and ride comfort. railway convoys. This satisfactory "average wear profile" is characterized by the fact that the three original radii of curvature of the profile have been replaced by a multitude of radii of curvature which can also be represented graphically R = f (y ), still being defined in the same way as above. This representation of this average wear profile is given in FIG. 4, the profile itself being illustrated in FIG. 3.

Under the effect of heavy loads and especially dynamic overloads, wave wear gradually forms as well as a significant deterioration of the average wear profile, more or less significant burrs can form.

To allow longer use of the rails, the rails are reprofiled, in particular by grinding; operation which aims to give the rail a correct transverse profile. Up to now, efforts have been made to restore the rail to its original profile, see patent CH 611,365, which often requires significant removal of material depending on the deformation of the rail to be ground. A reprofiling process by grinding is described in patent CH 592,780 according to which one continuously moves along the rails several grinding units, forming angles between them and therefore grinding different generators of the rail whose pressure is adjusted, and therefore the cutting depth, depending on the differences existing for each generator concerned between the original profile and the actual profile of the rail.

This known process is well suited for the first coarse passes of reshaping, but then requires a high number of finishing passes to approach the original profile to be recreated. These finishing operations are therefore long and expensive. In addition, in this process as the generators of the rail which are ground are determined purely arbitrarily and judged by the grinding personnel, it is obviously not possible to obtain the best possible reshaping.

If a lapidary wheel is made to act with a certain bearing force on the part of the rail head having a radius R ₁ of 300 mm, the depth of cut will be small and the width of the facet produced large. If the same lapidary acts with the same pressure on the part of the head of the rail whose radius of curvature R ₂ is 13 mm, the width of the facet will be much smaller, but the depth of cut much greater. There is therefore an interdependence between the width of the ground facet and the desired depth of cut and the radius of curvature and the previously mentioned known method taking into account only the desired depth of cut to adjust the working pressure of the wheels turns out to be unsuitable for finishing reprofiling. To overcome these drawbacks, the bearing pressure of the grinding wheels is arbitrarily adjusted and judged by the grinding personnel, but this also cannot lead to optimum reprofiling.

Practice has shown that when a rail has been reprofiled to a shape close to its original profile, it quickly resumes when passing worn wheels of convoys, and without disadvantage for rail traffic, a satisfactory average wear profile .

High-speed traffic requires a very thorough grinding finish, especially in the area of the rail clearance where the relative angular position of the facets as well as their width are of decisive importance for guiding the convoys and to avoid any risk of derailment. Current processes, as we have seen are entirely dependent on human appraisals for the positioning of the grinding wheels as well as for the pressure of support of these grinding wheels against the rail. They do not necessarily achieve the desired quality of reprofiling and are therefore only a shortcut.

Given the observations noted above and the drawbacks of existing reprofiling processes, the present invention relates to a method and a device for rectifying the rails of a continuous rail track, in particular for the finishing passes of reprofiling rails such as as defined in the independent claims of this patent.

• La figure 1 représente en coupe le profil du champignon d'un rail aux normes UIC 60.
• La figure 2 est une représentation graphique R = f (y) du profil illustré à la figure 1.
• La figure 3 représente une coupe partielle d'un profil d'usure moyen d'un rail.
• La figure 4 est une représentation graphique R = f (y) du profil illustré à la figure 3.
• La figure 5 est un schéma de principe illustrant le procédé de reprofilage de finition selon l'invention.
• La figure 6 est un schéma illustrant une forme d'exécution simplifiée d'un dispositif de reprofilage selon l'invention.
• La figure 7 illustre un exemple pratique de reprofilage d'un rail à l'aide d'un dispositif comportant quatre paires de meules.

The appended drawing schematically illustrates, by way of example, representations of transverse rail profiles, a diagram explaining the principle of reprofiling of the present invention, a simplified representation of a device for implementing the method according to the invention and a practical example of a reprofiled rail.

• Figure 1 shows in section the profile of the head of a rail to UIC 60 standards.
• FIG. 2 is a graphic representation R = f (y) of the profile illustrated in FIG. 1.
• Figure 3 shows a partial section of an average wear profile of a rail.
• FIG. 4 is a graphic representation R = f (y) of the profile illustrated in FIG. 3.
• Figure 5 is a block diagram illustrating the finishing reprofiling process according to the invention.
• FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a simplified embodiment of a reprofiling device according to the invention.
• FIG. 7 illustrates a practical example of reprofiling of a rail using a device comprising four pairs of grinding wheels.

The present method relates to the reshaping of the rails of a railway track using grinding tools mounted on carriages rolling on the rails and connected to a rail vehicle by members ensuring their traction along the rails and their application against these rails.

Starting from the observation that a rail reprofiled to its original profile or a new rail deforms very quickly under the rolling of the wheels of the convoys to reach an average wear profile and that once this first wear has been carried out, subsequent deformations of the profile, rendering the rail unfit for service take much longer to form; and knowing that the reprofiling to the original profile of the rail is an operation requiring very many finishing passes making this work long and expensive, the licensee proceeds to the reprofiling of the rail not to its original profile, but to its profile d 'average wear which has never been proposed so far.

Practice shows that, thanks to this new way of working, the reprofiling of the rails, with a satisfactory average wear profile, used as a reference profile, can be done more quickly and in fewer work passes.

In addition, the licensee set itself the goal of eliminating the arbitrary uncertainties and adjustments relating to the positioning of the grinding wheels as well as their bearing pressure by defining a rigorous method for the determination of these parameters.

The first operation of the present method consists in defining for a section of the rail network to be rectified a satisfactory average wear profile _o It is this average profile which will serve as a reference profile for the finishing of the rail reprofiling.

This mean wear or reference profile is represented for example in FIG. 3 and it is characterized by the fact that for each of these points N, N + 1 it has another radius of curvature Rn, Rn + 1. The shape of this profile can be represented graphically as it is the case in figure 4 by deferring the function Rn = f (yn) or yn is the angle which forms a tangent to the profile at point N with a tangent to this profile perpendicular to the axis of symmetry or to the longitudinal plane of the rail.

Once defined, the average reference wear profile for reshaping, the second step of the present method consists in defining a polygon circumscribed by this reference profile. This polygon or rather at least one of its parameters, such as number of facets n, the angle at the center a between the facets, the angle between two facets Ay, the width of the facets L, is determined as a function of the quality of finish of the desired reprofiling. For the determination of the polygon, the values of n, Ay or L can be defined by functions n = f (R), Ay = f (R) or L = f (R); these values may not be constant.

In general, the polygon circumscribed to the reference profile is unambiguously defined on the one hand by said profile and on the other hand by a parameter of the polygon determined itself as a function of the precision of the desired reprofiling, in particular the number of sides , the angle between sides, etc.

The third operation of the present method consists in positioning the grinding units so that the active surface of each grinding wheel is parallel or tangent to one side of the previously determined polygon.

Finally, the fourth operation of the present method consists in adjusting the pressure of support of each grinding unit against the rail as a function of at least one parameter. on the side of the polygon with which it is associated.

In a simplified version of the method according to the invention, the inclination of the axes of the grinding units relative to the plane of symmetry of the rail is, as so far, determined only by the judgment of the grinding personnel. This adjustment of the angular position of the grinding units being carried out, each grinding wheel is located on one side of a polygon circumscribed to the rail.

Knowing this circumscribed polygon, the pressing pressure of each grinding wheel against the rail is determined as a function of one or more parameters of this polygon, and no longer arbitrarily as so far.

Even this simplified version of the process brings significant technical progress because the determination of the pressure of the grinding wheels against the rail is practically impossible to carry out on a trial basis.

FIG. 5 very schematically illustrates the original basic principle of the method according to the present invention. This figure shows a part of the mean wear profile 5 for reference of a section of track to be reprofiled. The broken line 6 materializes the polygon circumscribed to the reference profile 5 comprising in the example illustrated four facets for each side of the rail covering the running table, the intermediate zone and the fillet. The number of facets or sides of this polygon is determined according to the precision of the desired finishing reprofiling. In reality, this polygon could have more than eight facets covering the entire profile of the rail head. The greater the number of facets, the greater the precision of the reshaping, but the greater the number of grinding tools, respectively of work passes.

This polygon circumscribed to the reference profile can be determined by parameters other than its number of sides. For example we can impose that the angle between Δγ facets either constant, or varies depending on the radius of curvature of the reference profile. It can also be imposed that the length of the sides L of this polygon is constant or a function of the radius of curvature of the reference profile.

Line 7 shows a real profile of the rail head to be reprofiled.

In the illustrated case, the number n of facets covering the active part of the rail profile is n = 4 distributed symmetrically with respect to the vertical X axis of the rail. Each facet corresponds to a facet width L1, L2, L3, L4; an angle yl, y2, y3, y4 that the facet forms with a straight line tangent to the reference profile 5 and perpendicular to the x axis; an angle Δγ ₁ , Δγ ₂ , Δγ ₃ , Δγ ₄ formed by the envisaged side with the adjacent side situated on the side of the axis x of the rail, a mean radius of curvature R ₁ , R ₂ , R ₃ , R4; an angle at the center α ₁ , a ₂₁ α ₃ , α ₄ ; a cutting depth C ₁ , C _{2 ′} C ₃ , C ₄ represented by the distance separating, at the midpoint of the side envisaged, the real profile 7 from the side of the polygon 6; and finally a removal surface S ₁ , S ₂ , S ₃ and S ₄ representing in section the quantity of metal to be removed in order to pass from the real profile 7 to the desired reprofiling profile represented by the polygon 6.

The choice of the circumscribed polygon depends on the quality or finish of the desired reprofiling, it is possible for example in the first finishing passes to define a polygon whose metal removal surfaces S would be constant and equal to a maximum value. Thus, at the start of the finish, the maximum amount of metal would be removed per pass. On the other hand, at the end of finishing, the circumscribed polygon, which finally corresponds to the profile of the reprofiled rail, fits as best as possible to the reference profile 5 and it is a polygon where the angle between facets Δγ will be chosen constant or function of the radius of curvature R which will be preferred. A definition of the polygon generally well suited to practical cases is that where the angle between facet Ay is proportional to the curvature of the reference profile Ay ₌ K. (R) o

It is obvious, although this generally requires more finishing passes, that the polygon, determined according to the required quality of the reprofiling, can be limited to the original profile or to the actual profile of the rail and not to its average profile. of wear.

In general, the essence of the present reprofiling process of a rail consists in moving along a line of rails of a railway track, a set of rail grinding units, angularly offset by one relative to the others and to regulate the pressure with which each of these grinding units is applied against the rail as a function of at least one parameter of a polygon circumscribed to a reference profile and whose sides are parallel to the active surfaces of the grinding wheels grinding units.

It should be noted that if the reprofiling vehicle has only a limited number of grinding units, several passes may be necessary for the reprofiling of the entire profile of the rail, the units working each pass on different generators of the rail.

The pressure which applies each grinding unit against the rail is thus a function of the position of the corresponding facet relative to the axis of symmetry of the rail, that is to say a function of the angular offset y of l 'grinding unit with respect to this axis of symmetry of the rail, generally approximately vertical; on the other hand this pressure is also a function of the width L of the envisaged side or of the desired depth of cut C for example or of a combination of these parameters. It can also be a function of metal surface to be removed S.

To obtain greater reprofiling precision, the method also provides that the polygon or some of its parameters are defined as a function of the quality of the reprofiling desired, the polygon in question is defined as being a polygon circumscribed in the profile that one wishes to reconstruct either the original profile or better still the average wear profile of the rail, although in the case of the simplified method this polygon may be circumscribed to the actual profile of the worn rail.

The device for implementing the method described comprises a set of grinding units 10 carried by a carriage 11 guided by the rail 12, each comprising a motor 13 for driving a lapidary wheel 14 in rotation. A jack 15 makes it possible to apply the grinding wheel 14 against the rail with a determined force. Each unit 10 is angularly movable relative to the carriage 11 and therefore relative to the other grinding units carried by this carriage 11.

Each grinding unit further comprises a motor 16 controlling the inclination of this unit relative to the carriage and a sensor 17 measuring the angle of inclination of this unit 10 relative to the carriage 11.

Each grinding unit is controlled by a control circuit 18 comprising on the one hand a servo-control of the inclination of the unit and on the other hand a servo-control of the bearing force of the grinding wheel 14 against the rail 12.

The tilt control of the grinding unit 10 comprises an angle selector 19 supplied by a memory 22 containing the parameters of the polygon, in particular the angular position of its facets, and selects for each grinding unit the facet of the polygon to which the active face of the grinding wheel must be parallel and therefore the degree of inclination of the grinding unit 11 relative to the carriage 12. The signal delivered by this selector 19 supplies the first input of an angle error detector 20 whose other input is supplied by the output of the sensor 17. As soon as a difference is detected between the inputs of the error detector 20, the latter delivers a signal to the amplifier 21 which controls the motor 16.

The control of the pressing pressure of the grinding wheel 14 against the rail 12 comprises a calculator 23 powered by the memory 22 and the tilt selector 19. This calculator determines as a function of at least one parameter of the polygon stored at 22 and where appropriate, taking into account the angle of inclination of the unit, a control value which is delivered to a servo-valve 24 controlling the supply of the jack 15 by a source of fluid 25.

A calculator 26 containing in memory the information relating to the reference profile determined by the quality of the desired reprofiling, determines the parameters of the polygon as a function of said profile and of information I defining the desired quality of finish. These parameters or characteristics of the polygon are stored at 22.

FIG. 7 illustrates a polygon circumscribed with the desired reference profile comprising 24 grinding facets or sides of the polygon distributed over the rolling surface of the rail, the internal fillet of the latter and the rolling zone between these two parts. This polygon circumscribed to the reference profile is determined according to the quality of the desired reprofiling, in this precise case the width of the grinding facets, that is to say the length of the sides of the polygon, is a function of the radius of curvature of the reference profile. Thus in the illustrated case the side of the polygon centered on the vertical axis of the rail is of 3.46 mm as well as the following facet. The third facet from the axis of the rail has a width of 3.16 mm the 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 facets a width of 2.79 mm, the ninth a width of 2.52 mm and the rest a width of 2.27 mm.

This corresponds to a metal removal surface S = _O, 0118 mm2 for the first facets, of S = 0.0227 mm 2 for the facets of a width of 2.79 mm and _0, 0748 mm ² facets with a width of 2.27 mm.

To reprofile a rail according to such a polygon, a machine is used comprising four carriages A, B, C, D each carrying two grinding units. The grinding units of a carriage A are angularly offset from each other by 10 ° while the grinding units of the other three carriages B, C, D are offset from each other by 2 °

The finishing reprofiling is carried out in three successive passes during which the four carriages occupy different angular positions relative to the rail.

In a first pass, relative to the longitudinal plane of the rail, the carriage A is offset at 28 °, the carriage B at 4 °, the carriage C at - 0.7 ° and the carriage D at - 12 °. During this machining pass the sides 6, 5; 11.12; 18, 15 and 23, 24 are reprofiled. In a second machining pass, the carriage A is offset at 48 °, the carriage B at 8 °, the carriage C at 0 ° and the carriage D at - 8 ° The sides 3.4; 9.10; 14.17; and 21.22 are reprofiled. Finally, in a third machining pass, the carriage A is offset at 68 °, the carriage B at 12 °, the carriage C at 0.7 ° and the carriage D at - 4 ° and the sides 1.2; 7.8; 13.15; and 19.20 are reprofiled.

The grinding pressure is the pressure of each wheel against the rail is in this particular case function of the angle y on the side of the polygon and of its width L.

Thus using a compact machine, comprising a limited number of grinding units, the useful profile of a rail is rectified in three successive finishing passes.

In this example, a polygon circumscribed on the reference profile is determined, the width of the sides of which is a function of the radius of curvature of the reference profile; then the grinding wheels are placed parallel to the sides of this polygon, the pressure of each grinding wheel against the rail being determined as a function of the angle of the corresponding side of the polygon and of its width so that the surface of metal to be removed S corresponding to each side of the polygon is effectively ground.

In such an example, each grinding unit comprises two motors each driving a grinding wheel. Each unit therefore comprises a pair of grinding wheels applied against the rail with the same force coming from application means common to the grinding unit.

It is obvious that the relative angular position of the axes of rotation of the grinding wheels of the same unit can be fixed or adjustable. It is likewise obvious that in all the embodiments described the angular displacement of the grinding units in question takes place in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis around the head of the rail.

Claims (16)

1. Process for the continuous reprofiling of at least one rail of a railroad track according to which at least one set of grinding units is displaced along the track, angularly offset from one another, characterized by the fact that the pressure with which each grinding unit is applied against the rail is controlled as a function of at least one parameter of a polygon circumscribed to a reference profile and whose sides are parallel to the corresponding active surfaces of the grinding wheels of the grinding units. 2. Method according to claim 1 _. characterized in that the polygon is a polygon circumscribed to the original transverse profile of the rail head. 3. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the polygon is a polygon circumscribed to a transverse profile of average wear of the rail head. 4. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the polygon is a polygon circumscribed to the real transverse profile of the rail. 5. Method according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that said polygon, or at least some of its parameters, are determined as a function of the precision of the desired reprofiling. 6. Method according to claim 5, characterized in that one imposes the number of sides, equal or unequal of the polygon. 7. Method according to claim 5, characterized in that the angle Δy between the sides of the polygon is constant, respectively is a function of the radius of curvature Ay = f (R) of the desired profile of the rail. 8. Method according to claim 5, characterized in that the angle Ay between the sides of the polygon is proportional to the curvature of the desired profile of the rail

9. Method according to claim 5, characterized in that the width L of the sides of the polygon is constant respectively is a function of the radius of curvature L = f (R) of the desired profile of the rail. 10. Method according to one of claims 5 to 9, characterized in that the bearing pressure of each grinding wheel is a function of the angle y formed by the corresponding side of the polygon with a tangent to the reference profile of the rail, perpendicular to the plane of symmetry of this rail, and of the width L on this side of the polygon, P = f (y, L). 11. Method according to one of claims 5 to 9, characterized in that the bearing pressure of each grinding wheel is a function of the angle y formed by the corresponding side of the polygon with a tangent to the desired profile of the rail perpendicular to the plane of symmetry of this rail and the desired depth of cut C, P = f (y, C). 12. Method according to one of claims 5 to 9, characterized in that the contact pressure of each grinding wheel is a function of the metal surface to be removed P = f (S). 13. Device for implementing the method according to claim 1 comprising a plurality of grinding units mounted angularly movable relative to each other, on a carriage guided along a rail, each unit comprising at least one motor driving a rotating grinding wheel and means applying the grinding wheel or wheels against the rail, characterized in that it comprises for each unit at least one control circuit defining, as a function of a parameter of a polygon circumscribed to a profile of reference and whose sides are parallel to the active surfaces of the grinding wheels of the corresponding unit, the inclination of the unit; and at least one control circuit also defining for each unit as a function of at least one parameter of said polygon the bearing force with which the grinding wheel is applied against the rail. 14. Device according to claim 13, characterized in that it comprises a memory memorizing the characteristics of a polygon circumscribed to the reference profile, function of the desired reprofiling precision, giving the information to a calculator delivering, according to parameters of this polygon of signals supplying the circuits for controlling the inclination of the grinding unit and its bearing force against the rail. 15. Device according to claim 13, characterized in that each unit comprises a motor driving a grinding wheel. 16. Device according to claim 13, characterized in that at least some units have two motors each driving a grinding wheel in rotation.

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