GB1559258A

GB1559258A - Travellin machine arrangements

Info

Publication number: GB1559258A
Application number: GB2098977A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Franz Plasser Bahnbaumaschinen Industrie GmbH
Current assignee: Franz Plasser Bahnbaumaschinen Industrie GmbH
Priority date: 1976-05-31
Filing date: 1977-05-18
Publication date: 1980-01-16
Also published as: DD129816A5; CH615969A5; HU177021B; CA1056758A; IT1084046B; FR2353475B1; JPS6137148B2; FR2353475A1; SU728723A3; ATA398676A; DE2713634C2; AT351584B; DE2713634A1; JPS52147817A

Abstract

For the more efficient transport of ballast during the cleaning of the ballast bed of tracks, use is made of a train unit comprising a number of track vehicles (1 - 5). A track formed from two rails (17) extends across all the track vehicles. Each track vehicle has, arranged between said rails, a loading surface for a number of transport containers (12 - 16, 31) for receiving the ballast. A portal frame (20), a gripping, lifting and holding device (28) as well as a crane vehicle (18) having rail bogies (19) for conveying the transport containers are movable on the rails. The crane vehicle has its own drive (30) in order that it can move the empty transport containers (16) to a loading point provided on the first track vehicle (1) and can move the filled transport containers (12, 13) from said point onto the remaining track vehicles (2 - 5). <IMAGE>

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO TRAVELLING MACHINE ARRANGEMENTS (71) We, FRANZ PLASSER BAHNBAU MA SCHINEN-INDU m.b.H., an Austrian Body Corporate, of 3 Johannesgasse, Wien I, Austria, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The present invention relates to travelling machine arrangements consisting of a train of several track vehicles for receiving and discharging and also transporting bulk ma serial, more especially the waste spoil which accumulates during the cleaning of ballast beds of railway tracks.The travelling machine arrangements with which the present invention is concerned are of the kind comprising a bulk material transport container which is adapted to be moved by a drive arrangement along a continuous runway arranged on the track vehicles and extending longitudinally of the train and formed by the loading surfaces thereof.

One known machine arrangement for loading the waste spoil which accumulates during the cleaning of bedding ballast by a ballast cleaning machine consists of several low-sided wagons coupled together to form a train. The gaps between the loading surfaces of the individual low-sided wagons in the vicinity of their couplings are bridged by metal connecting plates to form a continuous runway for only one tipper truck travelling under its own power along the loading surfaces of the wagons. In addition, a hopper for receiving and temporarily storing the waste spoil brought up substantially continuously by the conveyor belt of the cleaning machine is provided on a lowsided wagon of the train formation immediately following the ballast cleaning machine.At the beginning of the loading operation of the train or the low-sided wagon, the tipper truck is driven underneath the discharge openings of the hopper and loaded with the waste spoil, after which it is driven along the runway formed by the loading surfaces and connecting plates onto the low-sided wagon situated at that end of the train remote from the ballast cleaning machine. The tipper then deposits the waste spoil and then has to travel back over the entire length of the train to the hopper to be reloaded with the waste spoil which has meanwhile been stored in the hopper. Accordingly, the waste spoil is transported in a continuous cycle from the hopper onto the low-sided wagons where it is discharged until all the wagons have been loaded with waste spoil.Due to the discontinuous removal of the waste spoil from the hopper by means of the tipper, the waste spoil which is brought up substantially continuously has to be stored while the tipper is travelling along the train, so that the hopper has to be correspondingly large and solid in structure to be able to store the waste spoil accumulating for the duration of the transport cycle, i.e. during the travel of the tipper and the discharge of the waste spoil. Furthermore, loading of the waste spoil is relatively slow on account of the time required for the travel or transport cycle of the tipper because it is only ever possible to use one tipper on account of the limited width of the loading surface and the resulting lack of space to accommodate another runway.In addition, the load capacity of the known machine arrangement is not very high because the number of low-sided wagons is limited by the time available for the transport cycle, i.e. in particular for the return journey of the tipper, in conjunction with the limited capacity of the hopper attributable to the narrow width and the load carrying capacity of the low-sided wagon, in order also to avoid interruptions in the substantially continuous delivery of the waste spoil and hence in the operation of the ballast cleaning machine.

Although machine arrangement which provide for the continuous further transport of the waste spoil accumulating during the cleaning of ballast are also known, these arrangements comprise special-purpose vehicles in the form of silo wagons which are provided with conveyor belts mounted above the silos of the wagons, as described for example in British Patent Specification No. 1,432,521. These conveyor belts are provided with drivers for longitudinal displacement so that they may be displaced into a lower or upper position where they overlap with the conveyor belts of the adjoining silo wagons of a train of such wagons to form a continuous conveyor line.In addition, it is known from German Patent Specification No. 1,139,796, that a continuous runway formed by guide members, along which several conveyor belts arranged in a row can be displaced longitudinally of track vehicles from a drive wagon, can be set up during the loading operation above the loading openings of the track vehicles suitable for the transport of bulk materials and coupled to one another to form a train. In this arrangement, the waste spoil is continuously transferred from one conveyor belt to the next and is discharged onto the loading surfaces of the individual track vehicles by the conveyor belt situated furthest from the ballast cleaning machine.

Although machine arrangements such as these enable the waste spoil to be loaded substantially continuously and although they have also frequently proved to be effective in practice, their structure involves the use of special-purpose wagons which, in most cases, have to be designed for this particular purpose and is complicated by the number of individual elements required, such as conveyor belts, displacement drives, monitoring elements and the like, with the result that the amount of maintenance work involved is fairly considerable, not least on account of the heavy wear caused by the waste spoil on the belts of the numerous conveyor installations.

In addition, emptying of the waste spoil both in the known machine arrangement provided with the tipper and also in the known machine arrangements provided with conveyor belts, also necessitates additional equipment, such as for example discharge chutes, tipping drives for the loading surfaces of the low-sided wagons or the like, with which the waste spoil accumulating can only be deposited immediately adjacent the tracks. Alternatively, it is necessary to provide expensive additional machinery in the form of cranes or conveyor belts arranged below the loading surface of the wagons to enable the waste spoil to be dumped at a distance from the tracks.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a travelling machine arrangement for taking up and transporting bulk material, more especially the waste spoil accumulating during the cleaning of a ballast bed. by means of which the disadvantages of the known machine arrangements described above can be obviated or minimised and which, in particular, has a large take-up capacity and enables very large quantities of bulk material to be economically loaded whilst, at the same time, being extremely simple in its construction.

Accordingly, the invention consists in a travelling machine arrangement comprising a plurality of track vehicles, each track vehicle carrying a plurality of transport containers arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction of the track, the transport containers being provided for local storage of bulk material on the loading surfaces of the track vehicles, and a gantry crane having lifting means which is adapted to travel along a continuous crane runway arranged on the track vehicle and extending longitudinally of the train, and which is adapted in operation to pick up and carry individual containers to a loading site and transporting the loaded transport containers from the loading site and lowering them onto the loading surfaces of the track vehicles.

The provision of a travelling machine arrangement constructed in this way ensures for the first time that, by using several transportable containers and a crane vehicle travelling independently of them, the transportable containers are virtually continuously loaded because, during the loading of a container at the loading site, the previously filled container can be carried away whilst the next container to be filled can be brought in. In particular, this eliminates the need to provide a large heavy-duty intermediate hopper for temporarily storing the waste spoil brought up continuously or substantially continuously and enables a very high capacity to be selected for the wastespoil train because the loading operation is largerly independent of the transport cycle or travel time of the crane vehicle.As a result, large quantities of waste spoil accumulating even in a relatively short time can be loaded continuously and uniformly over the length of the machine arrangement.

Another advantage of this new solution is that the flat or low-sided and platform wagons owned in large numbers by most railway authorities can be used for the machine arrangement so that there is no need to provide special-purpose track vehicles. In addition, the use of a crane vehicle and the plurality of transport containers simplifies the construction of the machine arrangement and minimises maintenance work.

In addition, the transport of the waste spoil along the machine arrangement in the transport containers considerably reduces the amount of dust given off, particularly by comDarison with loose transport on conveyor belts, so that the machine arrangement can also be arranged in the vicinity of the already cleaned track because the soiling of already cleaned bedding ballast is avoided.

In one advantageoaus embodiment of the invention, the crane vehicle is provided with a gantry frame which allows passage therethrough of transport containers arranged with their longitudinal sides parallel to the longitudinal axis of the track vehicles, said crane vehicle being adapted to travel along a runway formed by rails arranged on the loading surfaces of the track vehicles on either side of the transport containers which have been deposited on the loading surfaces of said track vehicles. This construction is particularly simple and ordinary low-sided wagons may be used for it, the two rails merely being anchored to the low-sided wagons to form a continuous runway.This construction provides for the use of a relatively large transport container (looking in the longitudinal direction of the track), with the result that the time intervals between changes of the individual transport containers are extremely short.

InI another particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the crane vehicle is provided with a gantry frame for allowing passage therethrough of transport containers the longitudinal sides of which extend substantially perpendicularly of the longitudinal axis of the track vehicles, and has wheel assemblies for travelling along the rails of said runway, which rails extend on both sides of the transport containers below the plane formed by the loading surfaces of the track vehicles.This embodiment provides in particular for the advantageous use of so-called standard containers, of which the relatively short overall length enables them to be transversely loaded and, in addition, affords the advantage that the boom of the crane vehicle with is gripping, lifting and holding means can be designed to swing about a vertical axis so as to enable the transport container to be swung out and deposited onto adjacent tracks or the like.

It is also of advantage for the crane vehicle to travel under its own power along the continuous runway and to be provided laterallv and transverselv of the longitudinal axis of the track vehicles with supporting members which can be swung out and lowered for support adjacent the track rails or ballast. enabling empty and full transport containers to be safely loaded and deposited by the machinerv provided on board the train formation without any need for difficult weight-shifting operations or the like.

The crane vehicle may have gripping, lifting and holding means which may be mounted to pivot about a horizontal axis on a boom of the crane vehicle vertically and transversely pivotal and adjustable relative to the track vehicles, and are connected to a tipping drive. This facilitates unloading of the full transport containers alongside the track vehicles or even their transfer to adjacent track vehicles and also eliminates the need to use additional, expensive equipment for emptying the track vehicles, such as for example tipping loading surfaces or the like.

In another embodiment of the invention, the track vehicle is arranged at one end of the train formation and acts as a loading station and has a fixedly arranged intermediate hopper provided with a closable discharge chute. This construction affords above all the significant advantage that the crane vehicle is independent of the actual storage process at the loading station in its loading and transport movements along the train formation, thereby further increasing take-up capacity for the waste spoil accumulating. In conjunction with the provision of this intermediate hopper, the loading of bulk waste spoil brought up continuously is also possible.

In an other particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the track vehicle acting as a loading station has an endless conveyor thereon disposed longitudinally of the track and capable of conveying movement in both longitudinal directions of the track, this conveyor being associated with a loading means arranged above its longitudinal flight, for example in the form of a conveyor belt of a ballast cleaning machine or, preferably, the intermediate hopper adjoining this conveyor and provided with the closable discharge chute. In conjunction with the intermediate hopper, this arrangement affords the particular advantage that the changing times during loading can be reduced even further and the first track vehicle acting as a loading station can be loaded with a few transport containers almost independently of the crane vehicle.Accordingly, this embodiment has the advantage that a relatively long loading train comprising numerous track vehicles can be continuously loaded by only one crane vehicle.

According to another advantageous aspect of the invention, the runway formed by rails in the vicinity of the track vehicle arranged at the end of the train formation and the longitudinal conveyor overlap one another at least partly in the longitudinal direction of the track vehicles, so that the crane vehicle only deposits and lifts the empty and full transport containers, thereby further reducing the changing times during the loading operation.

The crane vehicle with its gantry frame and the gripping, lifting and holding means may be designed with particular advantage for the continuous transport of standard containers loadable onto lorries.

In addition, the fact that the boom of the crane vehicle with is gripping, lifting and holding means is mounted to pivot about a vertical axis, in conjunction with the loading of the individual containers transversely of the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

enables the loading space and load capacities of the individual track vehicles to be effectively utilised, in addition to which the use of standard containers provides for easier further transport and also enables these transport containers to be exchanged as required. Finally, according to a preferred feature of the invention, the gripping, lifting and holding means are with advantage designed to engage pickun members preferablv arranged on the longitudinal sides of the transport containers. preferably pickup bolts arranged on standard containers.

For a better understanding of the invention, two embodiments thereof are hereinafter described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figures 1 to 3 illustrate a first embodiment of the invention, Figures 1 and 2 being side elevations of the two sections of a waste-spoil train consisting of several track vehicles and Figure 3 being a nlan view of the train section illustrated in Figure 1. and Figures 4 and 5 show a second embodiment of the invention. Figure 4 being a partial side elevation of a track vehicle wih a varied arrangement of the transport containers and the crane vehicle and Figure 5 being a front elevation and a cross-section on the lines V-V of Figure 4.

Referring now to the drawings, the train formation illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 consists of track vehicles 1, 2, 3. 4, 5 which travel along a track 6 consisting of rails and sleepers in the direction of the arrows 7. This train formation is immediately followed by a track-working machine 8. which may be formed in particular by a ballast cleaning machine. which also travels along the track and which is provided with a convevor belt 9 for carrying awav bulk material 10 taken up bv the track working machine 8 or accumulating during a working operation.

Several transport containers 12-16 aligned with their longitudinal sides 11 parallel to the longitudinal axis of the track vehicles are deposited or lnaded onto the track vehicles 1 to 5. Tn addition, the track vehicles are provided along their longitudinal sides with rails 17 along which a crane vehicle 18 is guided on wheel assemblies 19 to travel in the longitudinal direction of the train formation. The crane vehicle 18 is nrovided with a gantrv frame 20 for allowing the transport containers 12. 13 to pass throuPll the crane vehicle 18 as thev travel with their longitudinal sides parallel to the longitudinal axis of the track vehicles.The rails 17 also bridge the gaps present between the individual track vehicles 11 to 15 in the longitudinal direction of the track, at least during the loading or unloading operation, and extend into the vicinity of a loading station formed by the track vehicle 1.

An endless conveyor 21 is arranged on this track vehicle 1 level with its loading surface and extending in its longitudinal direction.

This endless conveyor 21 consists of a chain conveyor 22 which is provided with pickup members 23 for entraining the transport containers deposited thereon and can be driven in opposite directions by a drive 24.

In addition, an intermediate hopper 25 is arranged at that end of the track vehicle 1 facing the ballast cleaning machine 8, the intermediate hopper 25 being provided with a discharge chute 27 remotely controlled from an operator's cabin 26. The distance between the loading surface of the track vehicle 1 and the underneath of the discharge chute 27 facing it is at least equal to or greater than the overall height of the transport containers 12-16 used.

For lifting the transport containers 12-16 off the loading surface of the track vehicles 1--5 and for transporting them along the basically continuous train formation, of which one section is shown in Fig. 1 and the other section in Fig. 2, the crane vehicle 18 is provided with gripping, lifting and holding means 28 arranged on a boom 29 which is vertically adjustable relative to the loading surface of the track vehicles by means of an adjustment drive. The gripping, lifting and holding means 28 are provided with adjustable hooks and securing elements for engaging the transport containers 12-16 in the noses or eyes provided for that purpose.

One exemplary embodiment of these grippring, lifting and holding means and of the crane vehicle is described in the following with reference to another embodiment shown by way of example in Figures 4 and 5. The transport cycle of the transport containers and their loading will first of all described in detail with reference to Figures 1 to 3: As indicated by the two arrows 7 in Figure 1. the train formation can be moved in both directions during the loading operation, for example by means of a drive unit arranged on the track vehicle 1. However, it may of course also be hauled or pushed by its own locomotive or by the track working machine 8. While the bulk material 10 is being continuously brought up from the track working machine 8 by means of the conveyor belt 9 and loaded into the transport container 15 which is situated below the intermediate hopper 25 and which had previously been brought from its transport position (shown in chain lines) on the track vehicle 2 into the vicinity of the end less conveyor 21 by means of the crane vehicle 18 provided with its own drive 30 (diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 1) for travel along the continuous runway formed by the rail 17, another empty transport container 16 is brought up from a storage position on the track vehicle 3 shown in chain lines.The transport container 16 is transported in a position in which it is situated above the already full transport containers 12-14 deposited onto the loading surfaces of the track vehicles, so that, at the end of the forward movement of the crane vehicle 18, it is situated in the dash-dot position above the track vehicle 1.

Once the transport container 15 has been completely filled, it is moved by the chain conveyor 22 in the direction of the adjoining track vehicle 2 up to the end of the loading surface (dash/two-dot position), after which the transport container 16 is deposited onto the endless conveyor and carried to below the intermediate hopper 25.

Because it is moved together with the transport container 16 towards the intermediate hopper 25, the full transport container 15 is thus simultaneously situated below the crane vehicle 18 and is picked up by means of its gripping, lifting and holding means 28 and lifted by way of the adjustment drive. The crane vehicle 18 is then driven along the train formation by the drive 30, which acts in particular on the wheel assemblies 19, and the full transport container 15 is deposited in its storage or transport position on the track v vehicle 2, after which the crane vehicle 18 advances in the direction of the track vehicle 3 in order, for example, to take up the next empty transport container 31 (Figure 2) and to bring it into the vicinity of the track vehicle 1.

It is of course possible in accordance with the invention, in cases where the train formation is of considerable length, i.e. com prises a large number of track vehicles arranged one behind the other for receiving transport containers, to use several such crane vehicles 18 acting as drive arrangements, each of which services a certain number of these track vehicles 1-5 and transfers the transport containers one by one from one transporting vehicle to the next so that the transport containers are brought step-by-step into the vicinity of the track vehicle 1. This is necessary above all in cases where large quantities of waste spoil have to be loaded very quickly to enable the transporting times for carrying off and bringing up the full and empty transporting containers to be kept correspondinglv short.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the loading surface 32 of a track vehicle. below and on both sides of which rails 33 are provided for forming a continuous runway. In addition, the loading surface 32 is adapted to receive transporting containers 34 and provided with corresponding anchoring means to prevent the transporting containers from sliding during transport. In this case, the transporting containers 34 are positioned with their longitudinal axis running transversely of the longitudinal axis of the track vehicle and have a standardised construction to enable them to be loaded onto lorries. A crane vehicle 35 acting as drive arrangement comprises a bridge-like gantry frame 36 guided on the rails 33 by means of rollers 37.A boom arrangement 38 is mounted on the gantry frame 36 for rotation about an axis running substantially perpendicularly of the loading surface, for which purpose there is fixedly mounted on the gantry frame 36 a rack along which runs the Dinion of a drive 39 which is fixed to a platform of the boom arrangement 38. In addition, a boom member 40 of a boom 41 is pivotally mounted on this platform and is supported thereon by way of a hydraulic cylinder-and-piston assembly 42.A second boom member 43 is mounted for displacement relative to the boom member 40 by a drive 44 and, at its end remote from the crane vehicle 35, a yoke 54 is mounted to pivot about an axis 46 and is connected to a pivoting drive 47 supported on the boom member 43.A gripping, lifting and holding unit 49 is mounted on the yoke 45 about an axis 48 running perpendicularly of the pivot axis 46. For rotation about this axis, this gripping, lifting and holding unit 49 is connected to the yoke 45 through a tilting drive 50. This gripping, lifting and holding unit 49 further comprises two hooks 52 which are rotatable by drives 51 and which, for picking up the transport containers 34, are rotatable into a position in which they engage below the pickup-bolts 53 of the transport containers.

Tn addition, supporting members 54 are mounted for vertical adjustment on the gantry frame 36 by means of lowering drives 55. These supporting members are rotatable transversely of the loading surface 32 of the track vehicle by means of further drives 56 and are provided with supporting plates or feet for resting on the ground. more especially adjacent the ballast bed or the track consisting of rails and sleepers.

By virtue of this supporting effect, the tilting moment can be considerably increased, even in cases where there is a very short distance between the two supporting points of the track vehicle, namely the wheels 57 spaced apart from one another by the gauge of the track, so that the boom 41 can be widely swung out sideways with the transport containers, as shown in chain lines in Fig. 5, and the transport containers can be unloaded adjacent the track vehicle by means of the tilting drive 50. Accordingly, the crane vehicle 30 can be usde not only for transporting the transport containers 34, as described in reference to Figures 1 to 3, but also for offloading the full containers, for example for further transport on road vehicles for transfer to a transporting train waiting, for example, on the adjacent track which takes the full containers to a dumping site and returns the empty containers, and for directly unloading the transport con tqiners adjaccnt the track.The boom 41 is also shown in its pivoted position in Figure 4 (thin chain lines), the bases of the transport containers being kept in a position parallel to the loading surface 32 by means of the pivoting drive 47 during the pivoting movement of the arm 41 in order to facilitate centring and lowering of the transport containers 34. In addition, the crane vehicle 35 is adapted to travel along the runway formed by the rails 33 by means of a drive 58 which, as diagrammatically indicated in Figure 4, is connected to at least one of the two rollers 37 through a drive chain. The drive unit 58 is adapted to move the crane vehicle in both directions and preferably consists of a hydraulic motor which is supplied with pressure medium from a central drive unit 59 arranged on the platform of the boom arrangement 38.The drive unit 58, like the drives 42, 47, 50, 51, is connected to the central drive unit 59 through supply lines shown as chain lines. The drives can be controlled from the operator's cabin which is also arranged on the platform of the boom arrangement 38. It is of course also possible to use electric motors or compressed-air motors or the like instead of the hydraulic motor for the drive unit 58.

It is of course possible in accordance with the invention to use any suitable type of transporting containers 34 or standard containers, of the type standardised for road transport on lorries for example, or even special-purpose constructions. The only important factor is that the waste spoil should be loaded into containers which subsequently enable the waste spoil to be universally handled without any need for further reloading.

Tn addition, the described crane vehicles and the endless conveyors in the vicinity of the loading station shown in Figures 1 to 3 may also be modified as required. Thus, the endless conveyor may be replaced for example by a roller conveyor in coniunction with a control cable or by another crane arrangement. Similarly, the transport containers may also be made narrow in their direction transversely of the longitudinal axis of the vehicles, for example to such an extent that two transporting containers can be lowered adjacent one another onto the loading surface of one track vehicle to enable loading to be carried out continuously by alternately replacing the containers in the vicinity of the loading site.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. A travelling machine arrangement comprising a plurality of track vehicles, each track vehicle carrying a plurality of transport containers arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction of the track, the transport containers being provided for local storage of bulk material on the loading surfaces of the track vehicles, and a gantry crane having lifting means which is adapted to travel along a continuous crane runway arranged on the track vehicles and extending longitudinally of the train, and which is adapted in operation to pick up and carry individual containers to a loading site and transporting the loaded transport containers from the loading site and lowering them onto the loading surfaces of the track vehicles.

2. A machine arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gantry crane vehicle is provided with a gantry frame which allows passage therethrough of transport containers arranged with their longitudinal sides parallel to the longitudinal axis of the track vehicles, and said crane vehicle being adapted to travel along a runway formed by rails arranged on the loading surfaces of the track vehicles on either side of transport containers which have been deposited on the loading surfaces of said track vehicles.

3. A machine arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the crane vehicle is provided with a gantry frame for allowing passage therethrough of transport containers the longitudinal sides of which extend substantially perpendicularly of the longitudinal axis of the track vehicles, and has wheel assemblies for travelling along the rails of said runway, the rails of said runway lying in a plane below the plane formed by the loading surfaces of the track vehicles.

4. A machine arrangement as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the crane vehicle is capable of travelling under its own power along the runway and is provided laterally and transversely of the longitudinal axis of the track vehicles with supporting members which can be swung out and lowered for support adjacent the track rails or ballast.

5. A machine arrangement as claimed in any of the preceding claims. wherein the crane vehicle has gripping, lifting and holding means which are mounted with freedom to pivot about a horizontal axis on a boom of the crane vehicle so as to be vertically and transversely pivotal and adjustable relative to the track vehicles, and are connected to a drive means by which they may be fitted.

6. A machine arrangement as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. crane vehicle 30 can be usde not only for transporting the transport containers 34, as described in reference to Figures 1 to 3, but also for offloading the full containers, for example for further transport on road vehicles for transfer to a transporting train waiting, for example, on the adjacent track which takes the full containers to a dumping site and returns the empty containers, and for directly unloading the transport con tqiners adjaccnt the track.The boom 41 is also shown in its pivoted position in Figure 4 (thin chain lines), the bases of the transport containers being kept in a position parallel to the loading surface 32 by means of the pivoting drive 47 during the pivoting movement of the arm 41 in order to facilitate centring and lowering of the transport containers 34. In addition, the crane vehicle 35 is adapted to travel along the runway formed by the rails 33 by means of a drive 58 which, as diagrammatically indicated in Figure 4, is connected to at least one of the two rollers 37 through a drive chain. The drive unit 58 is adapted to move the crane vehicle in both directions and preferably consists of a hydraulic motor which is supplied with pressure medium from a central drive unit 59 arranged on the platform of the boom arrangement 38.The drive unit 58, like the drives 42, 47, 50, 51, is connected to the central drive unit 59 through supply lines shown as chain lines. The drives can be controlled from the operator's cabin which is also arranged on the platform of the boom arrangement 38. It is of course also possible to use electric motors or compressed-air motors or the like instead of the hydraulic motor for the drive unit 58. It is of course possible in accordance with the invention to use any suitable type of transporting containers 34 or standard containers, of the type standardised for road transport on lorries for example, or even special-purpose constructions. The only important factor is that the waste spoil should be loaded into containers which subsequently enable the waste spoil to be universally handled without any need for further reloading. Tn addition, the described crane vehicles and the endless conveyors in the vicinity of the loading station shown in Figures 1 to 3 may also be modified as required. Thus, the endless conveyor may be replaced for example by a roller conveyor in coniunction with a control cable or by another crane arrangement. Similarly, the transport containers may also be made narrow in their direction transversely of the longitudinal axis of the vehicles, for example to such an extent that two transporting containers can be lowered adjacent one another onto the loading surface of one track vehicle to enable loading to be carried out continuously by alternately replacing the containers in the vicinity of the loading site. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1. A travelling machine arrangement comprising a plurality of track vehicles, each track vehicle carrying a plurality of transport containers arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction of the track, the transport containers being provided for local storage of bulk material on the loading surfaces of the track vehicles, and a gantry crane having lifting means which is adapted to travel along a continuous crane runway arranged on the track vehicles and extending longitudinally of the train, and which is adapted in operation to pick up and carry individual containers to a loading site and transporting the loaded transport containers from the loading site and lowering them onto the loading surfaces of the track vehicles.

6. A machine arrangement as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the

track vehicle arranged at one end of the train formation and acting as a loading station comprises a fixedly arranged intermediate hopper provided with a closable discharge chute.

7. A machine arrangement as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the track vehicle arranged at an end of the train formation acts as a loading station and comprises an endless conveyor disposed longitudinally of said track the upper flight of said conveyor being capable of conveying movement in both longitudinal directions of the track, said conveyor being associated with a loading means arranged above its longitudinal flight.

8. A machine arrangement as claimed in claim 7, wherein the rails of said runway overlap at least part of said conveyor in the longitudinal direction of the track vehicles.

9. A machine arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein the crane vehicle with its gantry frame and the gripping, lifting and holdmg means are arranged for the transport of standard containers loadable onto lorries.

10. A machine arrangement as claimed in any of claims 5 to 9, wherein the boom of the crane vehicle with its gripping, lifting and holding means is mounted to pivot about a vertical axis for swinging out and lowering the standard containers onto adjacent tracks or the like.

11. A machine arrangement as claimed in any of claims 5 to 9, wherein the gripping, lifting and holding means are designed to engage pickup members arranged on the longitudinal sides of the transport containers in the form of pickup bolts arranged on standard containers.

12. A machine arrangement substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.

13. A machine arrangement substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.