IT201900019924A1 - Machine for the inspection and maintenance of rail and tram trains. - Google Patents

Description

“Machine for the inspection and maintenance of rail and tram trains”.

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a machine for the inspection and maintenance of railway and tram trains.

In the rail and tram sector it is customary to subject rail and tram trains to continuous and frequent inspection and maintenance operations.

The parts of the railway train that most deserve attention in order to operate with maximum safety ergonomics are the roof - called imperial jargon - and the side panels.

Platform machines have therefore been developed to allow reaching these railway parts which, in principle, can be divided between fixed platforms and mobile platforms.

The former are substantially characterized by a load-bearing structure defining a walking surface at a fixed height extending laterally to the tracks intended to accommodate a rail and tram train for a length comparable to that of the rail and tram train itself.

In order to guarantee the level of safety necessary to safeguard the operators, these fixed platforms can be equipped with walkways that can be extended in the direction of the railway train so as to reduce or cancel the empty space between the rolling stock and all the devices necessary for the safety of the operators.

These fixed platforms of known type, which due to their conformation denote a high stability of the access floor, are not free from drawbacks including the fact that, being at a fixed altitude, they do not allow to determine the ideal access conditions. to all types of rail and tram trains.

In other words, for some they will be too tall, for others too short and only for a few at the right height.

Furthermore, another drawback of these fixed platforms consists in the fact that, being a fixed structure that is not removable or movable, it very often constitutes an obstacle and limitation of movement inside the room in which it is installed.

The latter, on the other hand, consist of a pantograph structure mounted on a trolley so as to allow altimetric adjustments of the access plane.

Also in this case, in order to guarantee the level of safety necessary to safeguard the operators, these mobile platforms can be equipped with walkways that can be extended in the direction of the railway train so as to reduce or cancel the empty space between the rolling stock platform and all device necessary for the safety of operators.

However, these known types of mobile platforms are not free from drawbacks, including the fact that they are substantially labile structures, that is, subject to oscillations and have non-negligible overall dimensions such as to hinder access to the areas near the base. of the platform.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a machine for the inspection and maintenance of rail and tram trains such as to obviate the drawbacks and overcome the limitations of the known art.

Within the scope of this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a machine which allows to reach any part of the railway or tramway while maintaining reduced dimensions or in any case not to be an obstacle for accessing the areas near the base of the vehicle. machine.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a machine which guarantees the highest levels of reliability and safety, while at the same time being simple to manufacture and quick to install.

This task, as well as these and other purposes which will appear better later, are achieved by a machine for the inspection and maintenance of rail and tram trains, characterized by a machine for the inspection and maintenance of rail and tram trains, characterized by the fact that it includes a first load-bearing structure defined by at least one guide at height, which can be installed in a room intended to accommodate a railway train to be inspected and / or maintained at a height above the floor of said room in such a way as to have an orientation substantially parallel to the longitudinal development of the tracks present in said room and on which to place said rail and tram train, and by at least one supporting column associated with said at least one guide at height by means of a first shoe constraint whose degree of freedom during translation lies on a direction oriented substantially parallel to said tracks; said at least one supporting column being configured in such a way as to rest on said floor by means of a second shoe constraint whose translation degree of freedom is oriented substantially parallel to the translation degree of freedom of said first shoe constraint; further comprising a first platform slidingly associated with said at least one bearing column along a direction of elevation substantially normal to said floor; said first platform being equipped with first raising and lowering means and with first blocking means for its positioning and maintenance at a predetermined height along said at least one supporting column and with first perimeter delimitation means configured in such a way as to define an enclosure within which at least one operator can carry out the planned inspection and / or maintenance operations.

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become clearer from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a machine for the inspection and maintenance of railway and tram trains, according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic side elevation view of a machine according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic front elevation view of the machine shown in Figure 1 during the positioning operations;

Figure 3 is a schematic top plan view of the machine shown in Figure 2;

figure 4 is a schematic front elevation view of the machine represented in the previous figures during the inspection and / or maintenance operations;

figure 5 is an enlarged scale view of the machine shown in figure 4;

Figure 6 is a schematic top plan view of the machine shown in Figure 4;

figure 7 is a perspective schematic view of the platform of the machine represented in the previous figures.

With particular reference to the aforementioned figures, the machine for the inspection and maintenance of railway and tram trains, globally indicated with the reference number 1, comprises a first bearing structure 2a defined by at least one guide at a height 3a, which can be installed in a room intended for receiving a railway train 4 to be inspected and / or maintained at a height raised with respect to the floor 5 in such a way as to have an orientation substantially parallel to the longitudinal development of the tracks 6 on which to place the railway train 4, and by at least one associated supporting column 7a to the guide at height 3a by means of a first shoe constraint 8a whose translation degree of freedom lies on a directrix oriented substantially parallel to the tracks 6.

The supporting column 7a is configured in such a way as to rest on the floor 5 by means of a second shoe constraint 9a and 9b whose translation degree of freedom is oriented substantially parallel to the translational degree of freedom of the first shoe constraint 8a. Furthermore, a first platform 10a slidingly associated with the supporting column 7a along an elevation direction 11 substantially normal to the floor 5 is included.

More specifically, the first platform 10a is equipped with first raising and lowering and locking means 12a for its positioning and maintenance at a predetermined height along the supporting column 7a and with first perimeter delimitation means 13a configured in such a way as to define a safety fence within which at least one operator 14 can carry out the planned inspection and / or maintenance operations.

Advantageously, the first bearing structure 2a comprises at least one earth guide 15a which can be installed on the floor 5 parallel and lateral to the tracks 6 in such a way that the bearing column 7a is slidingly associated with said earth guide 15a for the realization of the second constraint of shoe 9a.

In the proposed embodiment, the first bearing structure 2a comprises at least two bearing columns 7a associated with the height guide 8a, respectively, by means of two first shoe constraints 8a and to the ground guide 15a respectively, by means of two second shoe constraints 9a.

Conveniently, the first platform 10a is slidingly associated with both the two bearing columns 7a in such a way as to define a substantially H-shaped structure with the first platform 10a located transversely between the two bearing columns 7a.

In the proposed embodiment, a second platform 10b is provided associated with a second supporting structure 2b substantially specular to the first supporting structure 2a with respect to the tracks 6.

In other words, what has been described up to now for the first load-bearing structure 2a can be found in a similar way in the second load-bearing structure 2b and its components are found as they are to those listed for the first load-bearing structure 1, maintaining the same reference numbers modified for the subscript from "a" to "b".

The second platform 10b is therefore opposite to the first platform 10a and is equipped with second raising and lowering and locking means 12b and with second perimeter delimiting means 13b, respectively, similar to the first raising and lowering and locking means 12a and to the first means of perimeter delimitation 13a.

Conveniently, at least one or both platforms 10a and 10b are equipped with a mobile walkway 16 which can be extended in the direction of the railway train 4 in such a way as to be able to define a continuous walking surface with the railway train 4 and free from stumbling points for the operator 14.

More specifically, each mobile walkway 16 comprises a walkable shelf 17 which can be moved, by means of manually or motorized movement means, approaching and moving away from and from the railway train 4 between a retracted position, in which the walkable shelf 17 is located below the gallery. of the respective platform 10a or 10b, and an extracted position, in which the walkable shelf 17 is extended in the direction and in contact with the shape of the railway train 4.

Conveniently, each walkable shelf 17 is provided with a rubberized profile 18 defined in correspondence with the corner intended to come into contact with the shape of the railway train 4.

As regards the guides at height 3a and 3b, each of these comprises a suspended track that can be associated with at least one of the walls and the ceiling of the room in which the machine 1 is installed and each first shoe constraint 8a and 8b is made by a first trolley 19 equipped with first wheels in engagement with the suspended track.

Conveniently, these first wheels define a sliding joint with the suspended track in such a way as to be hung thereon.

On the other hand, as regards the ground guides 15a and 15b, each of these comprises a ground track that can be recessed into the floor 5 and each second shoe constraint 9a or 9b is made by a second trolley 20 equipped with second wheels 21 of the motorized type and in engagement with the track on the ground and with third wheels 22 of the rubber type and configured to remain selectively suspended or resting on the floor 5 adjacent to the second wheels 21.

As regards, the raising and lowering and locking means 12a and 12b comprise, for each platform 10a and 10b, two racks associated with the respective bearing columns 7a or 7b and four pinions associated with two by two a said two racks.

The pinions are therefore equipped with respective motor-reducers 23 independent of each other and governed by electronic control and management means in such a way as to ensure the horizontality of the platforms 10a and 10b.

With particular reference to Figure 7, the perimeter delimitation means 13a and 13b comprise extractable parapets 24 and movable gates 25 approaching and moving away from each other between a maneuvering position, in which the extractable parapets 24 and the gates 25 of each platform 10a and 10b laterally delimit the platforms 10a and 10b independently and separately from each other so as to define for each of them a closed enclosure within which the operator 14 can be safely contained during the handling operations of the platforms 10a and 10b, and a position of work, in which the removable parapets 24 and the gates 25 of each platform 10a and 10b are extracted and opened in such a way as to put the platforms 10a and 10b in communication with each other and to define a single fence laterally delimiting a work area of the operator 14 defined in correspondence with the work platforms of the platforms 10a and 10b, of the calpe shelves 17 of the removable walkways 16 and the shape of the rail and tram train 4.

To complete the machine 1, anti-fall devices are provided for the operator 14 and sensor and position means associated with the platforms 10a and 10b, the perimeter delimitation means 13a and 13b and the electronic control and management means for mutual alignment. of the platforms 10a and 10b and for the selective and / or sequential opening of the perimeter delimitation means 13a and 13b in such a way as to define in any conditions of use a closed enclosure around the operator 14.

The machine 1 described up to now can be used for different interventions, including: visits to the upper parts of the rail and tram trains 4 with limited descents on the roof by the operators;

interventions that provide for a longer stay on the roof for a replacement of faulty elements using, for example, a sliding arm crane;

interventions on the sides for maintenance operations of the cash desk, windows and doors of the rail and tram train.

In the first two cases, the operator positions himself longitudinally with respect to the railway train 4 at the height of the carriage on which to intervene by adjusting the altimetry of the platforms 10a and 10b to the desired working height based on the type of railway train 4.

This operation can be set directly from the platform 10a or 10b through a dedicated user interface.

Once the height detected by a special sensor has been reached, the lifting stops and enables the opening of the gate 25 - railway train 4 side - sliding which allows you to exit from the balcony of platform 10a or 10b and to access the railway line train 4.

However, before opening the gate 25, the operator 14 extends the mobile walkway 16 of both platforms 10a and 10b until it comes into contact with the shape of the railway train 4 by means of a manually operated lever and at the same time extends the extractable parapets 24 of both platforms 10a and 10b until they come into contact with each other.

At this point, the operator 14 can possibly hook himself to the fall arrest devices and freely access the rail of the railway train 4.

In the third case, however, the operator can position himself, according to the needs of the work to be performed, at any height between the low position and the high position set.

In this case, however, he will not be able to open the sliding gate, but he will be able to operate from the gallery. In practice it has been found that the machine according to the invention responds to the technical problem described above by allowing all the external parts of a railway or tramway to be reached simply, quickly and in total safety.

The machine for the inspection and maintenance of railway trains, thus conceived, is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which fall within the scope of the attached claims.

Furthermore, all the details can be replaced by other technically equivalent elements.

In practice, the materials used, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to requirements and to the state of the art.

Claims (15)

CLAIMS 1. Machine (1) for the inspection and maintenance of railway and tram trains, characterized by the fact of comprising a first bearing structure (2a) defined by at least one guide at height (3a), which can be installed in a room intended to accommodate a railway or tramway (4) to be inspected and / or maintained at a raised height with respect to the floor (5) of said room in such a way as to have an orientation substantially parallel to the longitudinal development of the tracks (6) present in said room and on which to place said rail and tram train (4), and by at least one bearing column (7a) associated with said at least one guide at height (3a) by means of a first runner restraint (8a) whose translation degree of freedom lies on a direction oriented substantially parallel to said tracks (6); said at least one supporting column (7a) being configured in such a way as to rest on said floor (5) by means of a second runner constraint (9a) whose degree of freedom in translation is oriented substantially parallel to the degree of freedom in the translation of said first shoe constraint (8a); further comprising a first platform (10a) slidingly associated with said at least one bearing column (7a) along an elevation direction (11) substantially normal to said floor (5); said first platform (10a) being equipped with first raising and lowering and locking means (12a, 12b) for its positioning and maintenance at a predetermined height along said at least one supporting column (7a) and with first perimeter delimitation means (13a) configured in such a way as to define a safety fence within which at least one operator (14) can carry out the planned inspection and / or maintenance operations. 2. Machine (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said first bearing structure (7a) comprises at least one ground guide (15a) which can be installed on said floor (5) parallel and lateral to said tracks (6); said at least one bearing column (7a) being slidingly associated with said at least one ground guide (15a) for the realization of said second shoe constraint (9a). 3. Machine (1) according to claims 1 or 2, characterized in that said first supporting structure (2a) comprises at least two of said supporting column (7a) associated with said at least one guide at height (3a), respectively, by means of two of said first shoe constraint (8a); said first platform (10a) being slidingly associated with both said at least two supporting columns (7a) in such a way as to define a substantially H-shaped structure with said first platform (10a) located transversely between said at least two supporting columns (7a). 4. Machine (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that said at least two supporting columns (7a) are associated with said at least one earth guide (15a), respectively, by means of two of said second shoe constraint (9a). 5. Machine (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a second platform (10b) associated with a second supporting structure (2b) substantially specular to said first supporting structure (2a) with respect to said tracks (6 ); said second platform (10b) being opposite to said first platform (10a) and being equipped with second raising and lowering and locking means (12b) and second perimeter delimiting means (13b), respectively, similar to said first raising means and lowering and locking devices (12a) and to said first perimeter delimitation means (13a). 6. Machine (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one of said first platform (10a) and said second platform (10b) is equipped with a mobile gangway (16) which can be extended in the direction of said railway and tramway (4) in such a way as to be able to define a continuous walking surface with said railway train (4), free from stumbling points for said at least one operator (14). 7. Machine (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that said movable walkway (16) comprises a walkable shelf (17) movable towards and away from said railway train (4) between a retracted position, in which said walkable shelf (17) is located below the work gallery of the respective first and second platforms (10a, 10b), and an extracted position, in which said walkable shelf (17) is extended in direction and in contact with the shape of said railway train (4). 8. Machine (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that said walkable shelf (17) is equipped with a rubberized profile (18) defined in correspondence with the corner intended to come into contact with the shape of said rail and tram train (4) . Machine (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that each of said guides at height (3a, 3b) comprises a suspended track that can be associated with at least one of the walls and ceiling of said room and that each of said first shoe restraints (8a, 8b) are made by a first trolley (19) equipped with first wheels in engagement with said suspended track; said first wheels defining a sliding joint with said suspended track in such a way as to be hung on said suspended track. 10. Machine (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that each of said ground guides (15a, 15b) comprises a ground track that can be embedded in said floor (5) and that each of said second shoe constraints (9a, 9b) is made by a second trolley (20) equipped with second wheels (21) in engagement with said track on the ground and by third wheels (22) configured to remain selectively suspended or resting on said floor (5) in manner adjacent to said second wheels (21). 11. Machine (1) according to claim 10, characterized in that said second wheels (21) are of the motorized type and that said third wheels (23) are of the rubberized type. Machine (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said first and second raising and lowering and locking means (12a, 12b) comprise, for each of said first and second platforms (10a, 10b), two racks associated with the respective of said bearing columns (7a, 7b) and four pinions associated with two by two to said two racks; said pinions being equipped with respective motor-reducers (23) independent from each other and governed by electronic control and management means in such a way as to ensure the horizontality of said first and second platforms (10a, 10b). Machine (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said first and second perimeter delimitation means (13a, 13b) comprise removable parapets (24) and movable gates (25) moving towards and away from each other a maneuvering position, in which said removable parapets (24) and said gates (25) of each of said first and second platforms (10a, 10b) laterally delimit said first and second platforms (10a, 10b) independently and separately between them so as to define for each of said first and second platforms (10a, 10b) a closed enclosure within which said at least one operator (14) can be safely contained during the handling operations of said first and second platforms (10a, 10b ), and a working position, in which said removable parapets (24) and said gates (25) of each of said first and second platforms (10a, 10b) are extracted and opened in such a way as to to put said first and second platforms (10a, 10b) in communication with each other and to define a single fence laterally delimiting a work area of said at least one operator (14) defined in correspondence with the work galleries of said first and second platforms ( 10a, 10b), of said walkable shelves (17) of said extractable walkways (16) and of the shape of said rail and tram train (4). Machine (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises sensor and position means associated with said first and second platforms (10a, 10b), with said first and second perimeter delimitation means (13a, 13b ) and to said electronic control and management means for the mutual alignment of said first and second platforms (10a, 10b) and for the selective and / or sequential opening of said first and second perimeter delimitation means (13a, 13b) in in such a way as to define in every condition of use a closed enclosure around said at least one operator (14). Machine (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises anti-fall devices for said at least one operator (14).