EP2576314B1 - Closure for railway switch actuating devices - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a closure for points setting devices, with a closure piece which forms a running in the adjustment direction of the switch guide slot and a transversely outgoing from the guide slot locking seat, a displaceable in the guide slot guide pin, connected to a remote switch blade hinge pin, and a bearing block, the is pivotable about the axis of the guide pin and in which the guide pin (and the hinge pin are mounted.

Such a closure is off NL 7 704 379 A known.

Turnouts for rail vehicles have two switch points, which are pivotally located between so-called stock rails of a switch and can be adjusted in the direction transverse to the stock rails with the aid of the points setter. In each stationary state of the switch machine is one of the two switch blades on the associated stock rail. It is therefore called the adjacent tongue. The other switch tongue is referred to as a remote tongue, since its free end to the associated stock rail has a certain distance. The closure serves to positively block the adjacent switch blade in the adjacent position, so that they can not be moved away from the stock rail, as this could lead to derailment of the rail vehicle. The point setting device must therefore have an unlocking mechanism which unlocks the closure before the actual changeover process can begin.

If a rail vehicle approaches the switch from the direction of the junction and the switch is not in the correct position for the passage of this rail vehicle, so the switch can also be switched from the rail vehicle itself by the wheels of the rail vehicle, the previously exposed tongue in the adjacent Displace position. This process is referred to as "driving on" the switch. In this case, the release mechanism must ensure that the lock for the initially applied tongue is lifted in time.

An example of a known shutter that fulfills these functions is disclosed in US Pat EP 0 984 882 B1 described.

The object of the invention is to provide a novel closure for switches setting devices, which is characterized by a high reliability and a compact design.

This object is achieved in that a hingedly connected to an adjacent switch blade locking lever carries at the remote from the switch blade end lockable on a locking lock pin, the locking pin, the guide pin and the hinge pin are mounted in a triangular configuration in such a positional block that the locking pin and the hinge pin lie on opposite sides of the guide slot and the adjacent switch blades are closer than the guide pin, and that a spring biases the remote switch blade towards its remote position. If a force acting on the remote switch blade and thus on the hinge pin, which tends to move the remote switch blade into its adjacent position, the adjacent tongue remains initially blocked in its adjacent position, since the locking pin rests against the locking seat. On the bearing block then acts a torque which has the tendency to pivot the bearing block about the axis of the guide pin. Due to this pivoting movement of the locking pin enters the guide slot, so that it comes free from the locking seat. The spring can yield slightly during this process and thus makes it possible for the hinge pin to move in accordance with the pivoting movement of the bearing block.

When the originally applied switch blade returns to its adjacent position, the spring ensures that the bearing block in the opposite direction is pivoted. In this way, it is ensured that the locking pin re-enters the locking seat and reliably locks the adjacent tongue again.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

In the following an exemplary embodiment is explained in more detail with reference to the drawing.

Fig. 1

einen schematischen Schnitt durch eine Weiche und eine zugehörige Weichenstellvorrichtung;

Fig. 2

die Weichenstellvorrichtung nach Fig. 1 in der Draufsicht; und

Fig. 3 bis 5

Schnittdarstellungen analog zu Fig. 1, für unterschiedliche Betriebszustände der Weichenstellvorrichtung.

Show it:

Fig. 1

a schematic section through a switch and an associated Weichenstellvorrichtung;

Fig. 2

the Weichenstellvorrichtung after Fig. 1 in the plan view; and

Fig. 3 to 5

Sectional views analogous to Fig. 1 , for different operating states of the point setting device.

In Fig. 1 a switch 10 for rail vehicles, a closure 12 of an associated switch device are shown. The switch 10 has two stock rails 14, 16 and two switch blades 18, 20. In the in Fig. 1 shown state, the switch blade 18 is located on the stock rail 14 (adjacent tongue), while the switch blade 20 is moved away from the stock rail 16 (tongue off).

The closure 12 has a stationary between the jaw rails 14, 16 arranged closure piece 22 which forms a transverse to the cheek rails guide slot 24. The guide slot 24 is formed by a straight on the largest part of its length in a wall of the closure piece 22 extending slot, which at one end, left in Fig. 1 is extended, so that a transversely of the guide slot 24 outgoing locking seat 26 is formed for a locking pin 28. The locking pin 28 is seated at the free end of a Z-shaped angled locking lever 30 which is connected at the other end by a hinge 32 with the adjacent switch blade 18. The locking lever 30 and the voltage applied to the locking seat 26 locking pin 28 thus ensure that the adjacent switch blade 18 is positively locked in the adjacent position. Since the axis of the hinge 32 is horizontal and the locking seat 26 is formed on the underside of the guide slot 24, the weight of the locking lever 30 contributes to the fact that the locking pin 28 reliably engages in the locking position.

The locking pin 28 is held in a bearing block 34, which also receives a guide pin 36 and a hinge pin 38. The hinge pin 38 connects the bearing block 34 articulated to a connecting member 40, which in turn is connected via a hinge 42 with the remote switch blade 20.

The axes of the locking pin 28, the guide pin 36 and the hinge pin 38 form a triangle. The guide pin 36 is slidably guided in the guide slot 24. The locking pin 28 and the hinge pin 38 are offset from the guide pin 36 to the adjacent switch blade 18 out and lie on opposite sides (below and above) of the central axis of the guide slot 24th

The connecting member 40 has in the middle between the hinge pin 38 and the joint 42 on a downwardly projecting lug 44 on which a spring 46 engages via a hinge 46. The other end of the spring 48 is connected in the example shown here via a control rod 50 with a drive, not shown, of the point setting device.

The entire closure 12 is housed in a box-shaped housing 52, which is arranged below the stock rails 14, 16 and in the area between the stock rails slightly higher drawn side walls, between which the closure piece 22 is held.

As in the plan view in Fig. 2 can be seen, the closure 12 has a total of a symmetrical structure, wherein the plane of symmetry by the locking lever 30 and the connecting member 40 is defined. The closure piece 22 has in plan a C-shaped configuration with lying symmetrically to the locking lever 30 side walls in which the slots are formed, which are the guide link 24 form. Optionally, these slots can also be formed congruently in the walls of the housing 52, so that the housing 52 can be considered as part of the closure piece.

The locking pin 28 passes through the entire housing 52. Its middle part is in Fig. 2 covered by the overlying hinge pin 38. The bearing block 34 and the guide pin 36 are each formed by two separate parts due to the symmetrical structure, which lie on both sides of the plane of symmetry. Each part of the guide pin 36 extends through the guide slot 24 and is mounted in the associated part of the bearing block 34. The hinge pin 38 connects the connecting member 40 with the two parts of the bearing block 34, but does not quite reach the walls of the closure piece 22, in which the guide slot 24 is formed.

Also, the spring 48 is formed by two symmetrically arranged spring elements which engage the common joint 46. The other ends of these spring elements are connected to the control rod 50 by a shaft 54 which is guided in slots (not shown) in the walls of the housing 52.

Next, it will be explained how the shutter 12 is unlocked when the switch is opened, ie, when a rail vehicle displaces the remote switch blade 20 in the direction of the associated stock rail 16. About the joint 42 is then a right in Fig. 1 directed tensile force exerted on the connecting member 40. The spring 48 is a tension spring that can yield under this force, so that the joint 46 continues to the right in Fig. 1 can relocate. Also on the hinge pin 38 held in the bearing block 34 acts a rightward traction. However, the bearing block 34 can not yield to this force because it also supports the locking pin 28, which is still caught on the locking seat 26. The adjacent switch blade 18 thus initially remains blocked in its adjacent position.

However, the pulling force exerted on the hinge pin 38 results in a torque tending to turn the bracket 34 clockwise in FIG Fig. 1 to pan. There the locking pin 28 is caught on the locking seat 26 and the guide pin 36, which is also mounted in the bearing block 34, is supported on the lower edge of the guide slot 24, pivot the bearing block 34 and the hinge pin 38 about the axis of the guide pin 36. The locking pin 28th is levered out of the locking seat 26. Since the guide pin 36 is slidable in the guide slot 24, the pivotal movement of the bearing block 34, a translation to the right in Fig. 1 be superimposed so that the locking pin 28 does not need to move to the left during the pivoting movement, which would be prevented by the supported on the switch blade 18 locking lever 30. Optionally, a certain bearing clearance and a certain play of the guide pin 36 in the guide slot 24 contribute to the fact that it does not lead to jamming of the bearing block 34 in the described process.

In Fig. 3 the state is shown in which the bearing block 34 has been pivoted so far that the locking pin 28 is released from the locking seat 26 and lies in the guide slot 24. The exact contour of the locking seat 26 is therefore in Fig. 3 to recognize more clearly. The remote switch tongue 20 and the connecting member 40 have slightly to the right in Fig. 3 relocated. In addition, the link has been slightly pivoted about the hinge 42 because the bearing pin 38 has lifted. The hinge 46, on which the spring 48 engages, has also shifted slightly to the right. Since the control rod 50 was not actuated when driving the switch, the spring 48 has been pulled out slightly.

In the in Fig. 3 shown state, the lock for the adjacent switch blade 18 is now canceled, so that this switch blade can be taken to the right in the further course of Auffahrvorgangs.

Fig. 4 shows the state at the end of the drive-up process. The switch tongue 20 now bears against the stock rail 16, while the switch tongue 18 has moved away from the stock rail 14. The guide pin 36 has moved to the right end of the guide slot 24. The locking pin 28 lies with its ends on the rectilinear upper edge of the guide slot 24 and has thus prevented further pivoting of the bearing block 34, so that the bearing block 34 has carried out a pure translational movement. The spring 48 is extended and thus is under considerable tension. When the rail vehicle has left the switch again, the switch can due to the restoring force of the spring 48 back into the in Fig. 1 return home position shown. Towards the end of this movement, the locking pin 28 again falls on the locking seat 26, partly because of the dead weight of the locking lever 30, but mainly because of the force exerted by the bearing pin 28 on the bearing block 34 torque, which now acts in the counterclockwise direction.

When the locking pin 28 again according to its locking position Fig. 1 If the center of this locking pin 28 is slightly lower than the lower edge of the guide slot 24. If a rightward force is exerted on the locking pin from the switch blade 18, therefore, this can not be lifted over the locking seat 26 away, but he will self-locking held on the locking seat 26. The self-locking is reinforced in the example shown still by the fact that the locking lever 30 has a Z-shaped configuration, so that a rightward force acting on the hinge 32, together with the resistance of the locking seat 26 generates a clockwise torque, the presses the locking pin 28 deeper into the recess at the end of the guide slot 24, which forms the locking seat 26. However, this shape of the locking lever 30 has the consequence that the locking pin 28 must move slightly to the right during the unlocking process. The contour of the locking seat 26 may be selected so that on the one hand this movement allows, on the other hand, however, ensures the self-locking when the force is applied via the locking lever 30 and the locking pin is not raised by the pivotal movement of the bearing block 34.

Fig. 5 illustrates the case that the switch is not driven up, but with the help of acting on the control rod 50 (not shown) actuator is actively converted by the control rod 50 to the right in Fig. 5 is moved. The spring 48 is in This example is designed to be in the initial state according to Fig. 1 is on block so she can transmit shear forces. The force of the control rod 50 is then transmitted by the spring 48 on the hinge 46 and further via the connecting member 40 on the bearing pin 38. The unlocking can then be effected in the same way as above in connection with Fig. 1 and 3 has been described. Thereafter, the switch blade 20 is then moved by means of the control rod 50 and the spring 48 in the applied position.

With the shutter 12 shown here, however, it is not possible to lock the switch blade 20 in the adjacent position. If so desired, however, a second shutter may be provided for the switch blade 20 that is identical in construction to the shutter 12 described herein, but (except for the spring 48 and the control rod 50) is disposed in mirror image relation thereto. The springs 48 should then be designed so that they are in the in Fig. 1 and Fig. 5 state not shown to be block, but be in the neutral position from which they can both be stretched and compressed, so that a departure of the switch is possible even if the switch blade 20 is the adjacent tongue.

Claims (7)

1. A lock for railway switch adjusting devices, comprising a locking member (22) having a guide contour (24) that extends in the direction in which the switch is actuated and forms a locking seat (26) that projects transversely from the guide contour; a guide bolt (36) that is slidable in the guide contour (24); a hinge bolt (38) connected to a remote tongue (20); and a bearing block (34) that is rotatable about the axis of the guide bolt (36) and in which the guide bolt (36) and the hinge bolt (38) are pivoted, characterised in that a locking lever (30) that is hinged to an engaging tongue (18) carries, at the end remote from the tongue (18), an arresting bolt (28) adapted to be blocked at the locking seat (26); the arresting bolt (28), the guide bolt (36) and the hinge bolt (38) are pivoted in the bearing block (34) in a triangular configuration such that the arresting bolt (28) and the hinge bolt (38) are positioned on opposite sides of the guide contour (24) and are closer to the engaging tongue (18) than the guide bolt (36); and in that a spring (48) biases the remote tongue (20) in the direction towards its remote position.
2. The lock according to claim 1, wherein the hinge (32) that connects the locking lever (30) to the engaging tongue (18), and the arresting bolt (28) are disposed on opposite sides of the central axis of the guide contour (24).
3. The lock according to any of the preceding claims, having a symmetric configuration with respect to the locking lever (30) and comprising guide contours (24) disposed on both sides of this locking lever (30).
4. The lock according to claim 3, wherein each of the bearing block (34) and the guide bolt (36) are formed by two parts disposed on opposite sides of the plane of symmetry.
5. The lock according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the hinge bolt (38) is connected to the remote tongue (20) by a link (40) at which the spring (48) is supported.
6. The lock according to claim 5, wherein the spring (48) is arranged in a plane that is offset relative to the guide contour (24) and is supported at a lug (44) that projects from the link (40) approximately in the centre thereof.
7. The lock according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the spring (48) is configured to be expanded to an amount that corresponds to the range of displacement of the switch tongues (18, 20).

Images