US3685589A

US3685589A - Ballast treating machine

Info

Publication number: US3685589A
Application number: US96774A
Authority: US
Inventors: Franz Plasser; Josef Theurer; Karl Folser
Original assignee: Franz Plasser Bahnbaumaschinen Industrie GmbH
Current assignee: Franz Plasser Bahnbaumaschinen Industrie GmbH
Priority date: 1969-12-18
Filing date: 1970-12-10
Publication date: 1972-08-22
Anticipated expiration: 1989-08-22
Also published as: NL168282B; PL72945B1; CA937456A; AT316617B; CH534255A; NL168282C; JPS5011127B1; CS190353B2; NL8200039A; YU34552B; DE2057197C3; FR2072980A5; ES386591A1; YU305670A; GB1338598A; NL7018470A; HU164488B; DE2057197A1; DE2057197B2

Abstract

In a ballast treating apparatus, wherein ballast is removed from underneath a track section, cleaned on a screen which separates the removed ballast into clean ballast and rubble, and the clean ballast is returned to the ballast bed, two overlapping conveyor bands are arranged to receive the rubble from the screen and move it away in opposite directions.

Description

United States Patent Plasser et al.

[451 Aug. 22, 1972 [541- BALLAST TREATING MACHINE [72] Inventors: Franz Plasser; Josef Theurer, both of Vienna; Karl Folser, Linz-Urfahr, all of Austria [73] Assignee: Franz Plasser Bahnbaumaschinen- Industrie-Gesellschaft m.b.H., Vienna, Austria [22] Filed: Dec. 10, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 96,774

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Dec. 18, 1969 Austria ..l 1775 52 us. Cl ..17l/l6 51 Im. Cl. ..E0lb 27/00 [58] Field of Search ..l71/16 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,793,389 2/1931 Elmer ..l7l/l6 2,737,901 3/1956 Drouard et a1. 171/16 2,791,410 5/1957 Allemann ..171/l6 Primary Examiner-Antonio F. Guida Attorney-Kurt Kelman ABSTRACT In a ballast treating apparatus, wherein ballast is removed from underneath a track section, cleaned on a screen which separates the removed ballast into clean ballast and rubble, and the clean ballast is returned to the ballast bed, two overlapping conveyor bands are arranged to receive the rubble from the screen and move it away in opposite directions.

I 14 Clains, 4 Drawing Figures Patented Aug. 22, 1972 3,685,589

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m4; WM

RGENT Patented Aug. 22, 1912 3,685,589

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lid 6 H BALLAST TREATING MACHINE The present invention relates to improvements in an apparatus for treating ballast, wherein the apparatus has a frame moving on a track including rails fixed to ties resting on a ballast bed.

Known apparatus of theis type comprises a ballast removing bucket chain mounted on the frame and including a stringer extending horizontally and transversely undemeath the track for removing ballast from the ballast bed, a ballast cleaning screen mounted on the frame and separating the removed ballast into clean ballast and rubble, and a conveyor system for conveying removed ballast from the ballast removing chain means, and for conveying the clean ballast from the ballast cleaning screen to the ballast bed in a conveying path.

Such apparatus also comprises further conveying means arranged to receive the rubble from the screen and for removing it, usually in a forward direction in respect of the working direction of the apparatus. The rubble is then loaded on trucks or cars for removal or at least temporarily deposited laterally of the track. When the amount of removed rubble is considerable, this requires a great number of cars in front of the apparatus, or laterally thereof, for which there is not always room. Difficulties are also encountered in arranging and moving a great number of cars for loading and subsequent removal of the rubble. Furthermore, the single conveyor for removing the rubble often has insufficient capacity to handle all the rubble produced in a continuous and rapid ballast cleaning operation. Just about the same difficulties are encountered if the rubble is removed to the rear by a single conveyor.

It is the primary object of this invention to overcome these and other disadvantages, which the invention accomplishes with a first conveyor band arranged to move the rubble forwardly in the working direction and a second conveyor band arranged to move the rubble backwardly in respect of this direction.

Such an apparatus is very readily adapted to local requirements. If there is more room for removal of the rubble in front of the apparatus, the rubble is moved forwardly; if there is more room in back, the rubble is moved there. If the removed ballast is particularly dirty or is altogether useless and must be removed entirely as rubble, both conveyor bands may be operated to remove the rubble in opposite directions simultaneously.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment, one of the conveyor bands is selectively movable in both directions. In this case, one of the conveyor bands may be operated to remove the rubble while the working direction of the other conveyor band is reversed to deliver fresh clean ballast to the apparatus.

Throughout the specification and claims, the term conveyor band and the like includes not only endless elastic bands but also plate conveyors, scraper flight conveyors, vibratory chutes and all conveying means functioning in an equivalent manner.

According to one advantageous feature of the invention, each conveyor band has an end extending under the ballast cleaning screen, the conveyor band ends overlapping in the direction of track elongation, with one overlapping conveyor band end being arranged above the other conveyor band end. A conveyor band of the conveyor system for conveying the clean ballast to the ballast bed is arranged adjacent the one conveyor band end and ballast guide means is arranged to direct ballast from the one conveyor band end to the conveyor band of the conveyor system.

The above and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of a now preferred embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein FIG. 1 is a side view, partially, in section, of a mobile abllast treating apparatus according to this invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side view of the central part of the apparatus of FIG. 1, showing the overlapping ends of the two conveyor bands for removing the rubble from the ballast cleaning screen; and

FIG. 4 is a top view of FIG. 3, withthe ballast cleaning screen removed.

Referring now to the drawing, the apparatus is shown to include an elongated frame 1 having from and

rear running gears

2, 2 moving over a track which includes rails 3 fixed to ties 4 resting on ballast 5. In a conventional manner, a bucket chain conveyor having a stringer 6 extending horizontally and transversely underneath the track is mounted on the apparatus frame for removing ballast from underneath the track. The upper ends 7, 7 of the bucket conveyor are mounted for pivoting the conveyor laterally, i.e. transversely of the track, as well as vertically. In the illustrated embodiment, the bucket conveyor moves through a triangular path determined by a pair of guide rolls 8, 8 and a driven roll 9 over which the conveyor chain is trained. Obviously, other abllast removing means may be used, and the invention is not concerned with the structure of such means.

As is also conventional, the upwardly moving ballast removed from underneath the track is conveyed to a ballast cleaning means which is illustrated herein as a swinging, vibratory screen 10 which is mounted on frame 1 downwardly inclined for gravity feeding the cleaned ballast and the rubble separated therefrom to subsequent conveyor means. The rubble is separated from the ballast on screen 10 by falling through apertures in the screen.

In accordance with the present invention, overlapping ends of first and second conveyor bands 11 and 12 are arranged under the screen and are movable in opposite directions for selectively moving the rubble backwardly by means of conveyor band 11 or forwardly by means of conveyor band 12, the latter discharging the rubble to a pivotal discharge conveyor 13 which may discharge the rubble on cars and trucks. The path of the conveyed rubble is determined by adjustable guide means consisting of

pivotal bafiles

14 and 17 which may be moved into selected positions indicated in full and broken lines, respectively, by remote controllable drives 14' and 17, which are preferably hydraulic motors. Furthermore, the bottom of the support of the bucket conveyor 6 has adischarge port which may be selectively opened and closed by a sliding door 15 movable by a hydraulic motor 16. When the port is opened, the bucket conveyor will not deliver the removed ballast to the cleaning screen but will discharge it directly to conveyor band 11 or 12, depending on the pivotal position of

baffles

14 and 17.

This will be done when the entire removed ballast is considered rubble, i.e. no portion thereof can be used again.

The conveyance of the rubble or untreated, removed ballast may be effected in the following manner with the above-described'arrangement:

1. If it is desired to convey all of the rubble forwardly, the drive rollers of the first and second conveyor bands 11 and 12 are driven counterclockwise and the guide baffle 14 is pivoted into the position shown in full lines in FIG. 3. In this manner, one portion of the rubble falling through screen will be gravity fed through the open discharge port in the support bottom of the screen directly to conveyor band 12 while the other portion thereof will fall through the screen directly onto conveyor band l1 which will discharge this portion of the rubble ontothe conveyor band 12 since the superposed discharge end of conveyor band 11 overlaps the intake end of conveyor band 12. I 2. If it is desired to convey all of the rubble backwardly, the discharge port in the support bottom of the screen is closed bypivoting the guide baffle 14 into the position shown in broken lines in FIG. 3 and the conveyor band 11 is moved in clockwise direction, i.e. opposite to the working direction of the apparatus. In this manner, the portion of the rubble falling through the screen onto the downwardly inclined support bottom will be gravity fed onto the conveyor band 11 while the posite directions, i.e. conveyor band 11 clockwise and conveyor band 12 counter-clockwise, while the baffle guide 14 assumes the upwardly pivoted position shown in full lines.

away without cleaning, the slide door 15 in the bottom of the bucket conveyor support is opened and the guide baffle 17 is pivoted upwardly in the position indicated in broken lines in FIG. 3 so that the removed ballast falls directly onto conveyor band 12 to be moved forwardly. On the other hand, if the guide baffle 17 is pivoted downwardly into the position shown in full lines and the guide bafile. 14 is pivoted upwardly, the removed ballast will be divided for forward and backward movement on conveyor bands 11 and 12 when the two conveyor bands are moved in opposite directions.

If the guide baffle 14 also is in the lowered posi- 1 tion, the entire removed ballast will be moved I backwardly by conveyor band 11.

As will be noted inthe drawing, the section of the track, under which ballast is removed by bucket conveyor 6, is lifted by a pair .of track lifting means 18 and 19 of generally conventional structure, the track jack 18 being mounted on frame 1 substantially in vertical alignment with the transversely extending stringer of bucket conveyor 6 while the track jack 19 is mounted behind it (in the working direction). The illustrated track jacks have pairs of

rail gripping rollers

18a, 19a,

Finally, if the entire removed ballast is to be taken the moving speed of the apparatus so that, regardless of this speed, the ballast will be compacted uniformly. To maintain the track in its repositioned and lined condition, clean ballast is also conveyed to the cribs of the repositioned track at B by means of chute 21 receiving clean ballast from screen 10 in a manner more fully described hereinafter. This additional ballast fill provides sufficient ballast for the subsequent tarnping operation wherein ballast is tamped fixing the track in position.

The conveyance of clean ballast in selected amounts and to selected track sections is adapted to need by providing a ballast storage means in the conveyor path of the conveyor system, the preferred storage means being a bin having an open top through which ballast may pass after temporary storage therein. The illustrated storage means is a bin 22 whose open top is posi-. tioned below the discharge ends of a pair of elongated endless conveyor bands 23 extending in the direction of track elongation. The conveyor bands 23 receive cleaned ballast from screen 10 in annanner to be described hereinafter and, as shown in FIG. 2, they are pivotally mountedon frame 1 for lateral movement of their discharge ends, enabling the ballast to be distributed uniformly as it is discharged. As will be noted from FIG. 4, such uniform discharge of the ballast to the track is also assured from thestorage bin which extends at least the entire width of the track, i.e. the length of ties 4, but preferably transversely over the width of the entire ballast bed.

The open storage bin 22 is divided into two

storage chambers

25 and 26 by a hinged door 24 which maybe selectively pivoted into positions indicated by full and broken lines by a preferably remote controlled hydraulic motor 24'. The front storage chamber 25, which is vertically aligned with the ballast filling station A, has a slidably adjustable bottom27 for discharging selected amounts of ballast, adjusted positions of the bottom 27 ,being indicated in full and broken lines, respectively,

from the above description and the drawing herein, and

is as follows:

Ifthe amount of clean ballast at stations A and B, i.e. underneath the lifted track section and the cribs of the repositioned track section, respectively, corresponds to the amount of clean ballast coming from screen 10, the

under the ties for sliding bottom 27 is opened fully into the retracted position shown in full lines therein. This assures the full amount of clean ballast delivered to the open bin 22 by conveyor bands 23 to be returned to station A, the feeding of clean ballast from screen to conveyor bands 23 being regulated by pivotal baffle 29 which may be selectively adjusted to direct the ballast to the conveyor bands 23 or the chute 21, or which may be pivoted to an intermediate position wherein portions of the clean ballast are directed to the conveyor bands 23 while another portion thereof will fall through chute 21 into cribs of the repositioned track.

If the screen 10 delivers more clean ballast than is needed at stations A and B, a selected amount of the clean ballast may be deflected into rear storage chamber 26 of bin 22 by suitably pivoting the baffles into selected positions across the conveyor bands 23 so that some or all of the conveyed ballast is'prevented from passing the baffles towards the discharge ends of the conveyor bands and is forced to drop into storage chamber 26. FIG. 4 illustrates one of the bafiles 30 in a blocking position wherein all of the ballast is deflected into storage chamber 26 while the other bafile 30 is pivoted completely out of the way to permit all of the ballast to reach the discharge end of the conveyor band. As in the case of all the guide or baffle means selectively directing the clean ballast along the conveyor means, the baffles 30 are remote controlled by hydraulic drives 30'.

On the other hand, if the conveyor bands 23 deliver too little clean ballast to satisfy the requirements, clean ballast stored in storage bin 22 is mixed with the conveyed ballast to obtain the desire amounts. At station A, this is accomplished by opening the hinged wall 24 into the position indicated in broken lines in FIG. 3 to gravity feed clean ballast from reserve chamber 26 into the forward chamber 25 of the storage bin. Ifadditional ballast is needed in the cribs of the repositioned track, trap door 28 of the reserve storage chamber 26 is lowered into the position shown in broken lines so that stored ballast falls from the chamber 26 into a crib therebelow.

Further regulation of the ballast feed to station A is possible by adjusting the position of slidable bottom 27 so that selected amounts of ballast are discharged through the opening in the bottom of chamber 25.

In case the screen 10 delivers too little or no clean ballast, which will happen when the removed ballast is so dirty or comminuted that all of it falls through the screen openings and is taken away by conveyor 12, the conveyor band 11 is reversible so that it may be used selectively to carry away fines and dirt discharged through screen 10 or to deliver clean ballast to the apparatus. When clean ballast is to be delivered by con veyor band 11 to

conveyor bands

23, 23, a wedgeshaped baffle 31 is lowered into position of the conveyor band 11 to direct clean ballast off the conveyor 11 to the

conveyors

23, 23, this baffle again being remote controlled by drive 31.

Obviously, many variations and modifications of the described and illustrated structure will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, particularly after benefiting from the teaching thereof. For instance, a further conveyor band parallel to conveyor 11 could be provided to deliver additional clean ballast to the apparatus simultaneously with the backward removal of rubble therefrom.

We claim:

1. An apparatus for treating ballast and adapted to move in a working direction on a track including railsv fixed to ties resting on a ballast bed, comprising 1. a frame moving on the track rails;

2. a ballast removing chain means mounted on the frame and including a stringer extending horizontally and transversely underneath the track for removing ballast from the ballast bed;

3. a ballast cleaning screen mounted on the frame and separating the removed ballast into clean ballast and rubble;

4. a conveyor system for conveying removed ballast from the ballast removing chain means, and for conveying the clean ballast from the ballast clean-- ing screen to the ballast bed in a conveying path; and

. further conveying means arranged to receive the rubble from the screen and for removing the rubble, the further conveying means including a first conveyor band arranged to move' the rubble forwardly in the working direction and a second conveyor band arranged to move the rubble backwardly in respect of said direction.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the conveyor bands is movable in both directions.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of said conveyor bands has an end extending under the ballast cleaning screen, the conveyor band ends overlapping in the direction of track elongation.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein one of the overlapping conveyor band ends is arranged above the other conveyor band end, a conveyor band of the conveyor system for conveying the clean ballast to the ballast bed is arranged adjacentthe one conveyor band end, and ballast guide means is arranged to direct ballast from the one conveyor band end to the conveyor band of the conveyor system.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising ballast guide means mounted between the screen and the first and second conveyor bandsfor distributing the rubble onto said conveyor bands.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a ballast storage means in the conveying path between the ballast cleaning screen and the ballast bed.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the ballast storage means is a bin open on top, the bin being arranged to receive the clean ballast through the open top, and an adjustable door means in the bin for selectively releasing stored ballast.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the ballast storage means has ballast discharge means arranged to discharge clean ballast to the ballast bed.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the ballast storage means is a bin and an adjustable wall divides the bin into two storage chambers.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein one of the storage chambers has an apertured bottom, means is provided for selectively opening and closing the bottom for selective discharge of clean ballast to the ballast bed, and the conveyor system including a conveyor band having a discharge end for discharging clean ballast into the one storage chamber.

7 1 l. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising guide means arranged to direct clean ballast from the at a discharge end of one ofthe conveyor bands and to discharge the rubble.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising liftingmeans mounted on the frame forliftingasection of the track above said stringer, the lifting meanscomprising a first track lifting means substantially vertically aligned with the stringer, and a second track lifiing means mounted adjacent the first track lifting means in the direction of track elongation.

Claims

1. An apparatus for treating ballast and adapted to move in a working direction on a track including rails fixed to ties resting on a ballast bed, comprising 1. a frame moving on the track rails; 2. a ballast removing chain means mounted on the frame and including a stringer extending horizontally and transversely underneath the track for removing ballast from the ballast bed; 3. a ballast cleaning screen mounted on the frame and separating the removed ballast into clean ballast and rubble; 4. a conveyor system for conveying removed ballast from the ballast removing chain means, and for conveying the clean ballast from the ballast cleaning screen to the ballast bed in a conveying path; and 5. further conveying means arranged to receive the rubble from the screen and for removing the rubble, the further conveying means including a first conveyor band arranged to move the rubble forwardly in the working direction and a second conveyor band arranged to move the rubble backwardly in respect of said direction.

4. a conveyor system for conveying removed ballast from the ballast removing chain means, and for conveying the clean ballast from the ballast cleaning screen to the ballast bed in a conveying path; and

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein one of the overlapping conveyor band ends is arranged above the other conveyor band end, a conveyor band of the conveyor system for conveying the clean ballast to the ballast bed is arranged adjacent the one conveyor band end, and ballast guide means is arranged to direct ballast from the one conveyor band end to the conveyor band of the conveyor system.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising ballast guide means mounted between the screen and the first and second conveyor bands for distributing the rubble onto said conveyor bands.

5. further conveying means arranged to receive the rubble from the screen and for removing the rubble, the further conveying means including a first conveyor band arranged to move the rubble forwardly in the working direction and a second conveyor band arranged to move the rubble backwardly in respect of said direction.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising guide means arranged to direct clean ballast from the last-named conveyor band to the other storage chamber.

12. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the ballast storage means has ballast discharge means arranged to discharge clean ballast into successive cribs of the ballast bed.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a pivotal discharge conveyor arranged to receive rubble at a discharge end of one of the conveyor bands and to discharge the rubble.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising lifting means mounted on the frame for lifting a section of the track above said stringer, the lifting means comprising a first track lifting means substantially vertically aligned with the stringer, and a second track lifting means mounted adjacent the first track lifting means in the direction of track elongation.