ACTUATING DEVICE FOR RAILROAD SWITCHES FOR CHANGING TRACKS

Abstract: The invention concerns an actuating device for railroad switches that is designed to be lodged in the hollow interior of a crosstie, consisting of a base plate (1) on which two fixed longitudinal guides (3) and fixed upper support 84) are disposed. A lower bar (6) that can be displaced longitudinally by hydraulic cylinders is placed on the guides (3). An upper bar (10) is placed on said lower bar (6), the ends (11) of said bar, which are raised relative to the fixed support (4), receive a mobile support (12) fitted with a central bolt (13) engaging with the points by traversing the upper base of the crosstie. The lower bar (6) is inoperative during a first stage of displacement in any direction until end pullers (14) of said bar interlock with the pawls (15) laterally associated with the upper bar (10) when said bar is being pulled. Pulling is stopped before the lower bar (6) reaches an opposite limiting position. The end positions of the upper bar (10), and hence the points, are interlocked by a bolt (18) that traverses a central point of the bar (10) and engages in a pair of notches (20-20') disposed on the fixed upper support (4).

Description: OBJECT OF THE INVENTION The present invention concerns a safety device, of an electro-hydraulic nature, specially designed to act on railroad switches for changing tracks. The object of the invention is to achieve the correct movement of the switches, with a device which is wholly lodged in the hollow interior of a crosstie and all this making adjustment of the driving stroke possible, allowing one same device to be used in different practical situations. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the area of railways the use of hollow crossties is known, combined with the traditional concrete crossties in such a way that braces, linkages and nail locks are lodged in said hollow crossties, necessary in order to form sidings. U.S.-Patent 5,620,156 discloses a switch assembly with a hollow sleeper. This type of siding, depending on each case, requires the assistance of one or several actuating bridges, which permit the correct geometry of the points as they make their movements. Currently, said movements are made by installing a point operation in each and every pulling point of the siding, in such a way that, depending on the features of the latter, ie., the greater or lesser length thereof, from between one single engine up to twelve engines are used. This type of installation carries with it two problems, on the one hand there is gradual deterioration in the position and levelling of the siding due to the imbalance that the latter bears due to its having one or more point operations placed on one of its sides and, on the other, the maintenance work to the track, performed using heavy machinery requiring the disconnection and disassembly of all parts connected to the point operation, in particular the engine itself, mechanical transmissions and the parts for checking, where appropriate, parts which need to be reassembled after maintenance work on the siding. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The actuating device for railroad switches proposed by the invention as defined by claim 1 resolves the aforementioned problems completely satisfactorily, in the different aspects mentioned, also offering a series of added features from a safety point of view. To this end and starting from the basic idea of using hollow crossties in sidings, the device proposed by the invention presents a structure the whole of which is lodged in the hollow interior of the crosstie, thus being safe from any maintenance operation on the siding, its disassembly not being necessary for the normal undertaking of these jobs. The position of the device being perfectly centred in the hollow interior of the crosstie, which means also that the siding is safe from imbalance. In addition, it is quickly and simply connected and disconnected electrically and hydraulically, making work normally quicker and also allowing, as previously mentioned, adjustment of the driving stroke, without need to change it. More specifically, the device takes the form of a base plate to be immovably fixed at the bottom of the hollow interior of the crosstie, in a perfectly centred position, a base plate on which, in turn, are immovably fixed a pair of longitudinal guides for a lower bar, likewise longitudinal, which can be displaced on said guides, in both directions, with the help of both hydraulic cylinders which are lateral and opposite, properly attached at one of their ends to the base plate and the other end of which acting on said lower longitudinal bar, through arms that are also transverse and opposite, duly attached to same. In addition, said lower bar acting as a pulling element for an upper interlocked bar, incorporating at its ends and opposite sides, respective pullers to act on both pawls, assembled, in turn, tilting on the respective side walls of the interlocked bar, in such a way that from a limiting position for the lower bar the point operation of the corresponding hydraulic cylinder brings about a first displacement for the same without transmitting movement towards the interlocked bar, during which both tilting is caused of the corresponding pawl towards a position pulling the interlocked bar by the lower bar, as well as freeing said interlocked bar, interlocking that in such limiting position is caused by a bevel edged bolt, ie., with frustum-conical ends, which, resting on the lower bar and traversing the interlocked bar, locks into a frustum-conical notch of an upper support fixed to the base plate, the lower bar having another notch, suitably out of phase with that of the upper support, which remains opposite the interlocking bolt after the first stage of longitudinal displacement of the lower bar, at which time there is unlocking of the interlock bar and the pull of same through the respective pawl, by the puller, likewise corresponding to the lower bar, until said interlock bar reaches the other anticipated limiting position, which is defined by a second upward tilting of the other pawl and the effect on its trajectory on an upper buffer properly attached to the support, which is likewise an upper one, at which time the upper bar becomes interlocked again, the central bolt having reached an opposite position to a second notch of the upper support and having been made to move upwards due to the effect of the slope in the lower bar, that, in continuing its forwards movement, displaces said bolt upwards in order for it to reach the blocking position for the interlocked bar. This operation is repeated symmetrically when the point operation of the device is in the opposite direction. It only remains, finally, to point out that the bar has ascending extensions through which a mobile support is fixed to the same, situated above the aforementioned fixed support and equipped halfway with a bolt for engaging the points, through which movement is conveyed to the latter. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS To complement this description and with the object of aiding better understanding of the features, in accordance with the preferred embodiment of same, a set of drawings is attached as an integral part of this description, which are illustrative and not limiting in character, where the following are shown: Figure 1.- Shows a schematic view of a side elevation of an actuating device for railroad switches for changing tracks made in accordance with the object of the present invention, shown in one of the limiting positions covered in same. Figure 2.- Also shows a schematic view, the same unit as the previous figure now as a plan view Figure 3.- Shows a view similar to that of figure 1 where the device is in a central position. Figure 4.- Shows again a similar view to that of figures 1 and 3, but where the device is in the opposite limiting position to that shown in figure 1 Figure 5.- Shows, finally, a detail in cross section of the device. PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Looking at the figures summarised, it can be seen that the device being described is structured from a base plate (1), of considerable length, of suitable dimensions for it to be lodged in the hollow interior of a crosstie, and equipped, for example, near its angular points, with two holes (2) for it to be screwed to the base of said crosstie, there being placed on said base plate (1) a pair of fixed, longitudinal guides (3), and an upper support (4) which is also fixed, which connects with the lower base plate(1) using lateral caps (5) which work with said lower guides (3) for the longitudinal displacement of a lower bar (6) equipped at its ends with two lateral and opposite arms (7), on which work respective hydraulic cylinders (8), likewise opposite, as seen in figure 2, cylinders that have been omitted from the remaining figures for greater clarity of the drawing and which are attached at one of their ends (9) to the base plate (1) while at the other to the respective arms (7), in such a way that the operation point of one of said cylinders (8) causes the displacement in one direction of the lower bar (6), while the operation point of the other cylinder brings about displacement in the opposite direction. An interlocked bar (10) slides over the lower bar (6), guided by the side caps (5) and equipped at its ends with ascending extensions (11) which, raised relative to the fixed upper support (4), receive a mobile upper support fitted with a central bolt (13) engaging with the points, through which movement is transmitted to these latter, and to which effect said bolt (13) should traverse the upper base of the hollow crosstie. In order to transmit movement from the lower bar (6) to the interlocked bar (19), provision has been made for said lower bar (6) to have two pullers (14 - 14') at its lateral and opposite ends joined to which are placed, on the sides of the interlocked bar (10), respective pawls (15-15) in such a way that in a limiting position for the device, such as that shown in figure 1, the pawl (15) rests obliquely on the front part of the puller (14) and during a first stage of longitudinal displacement of the lower bar (6) the interlocked bar (10) remains inoperative, specifically until the upwards tilting movement of said pawl (15) becomes limited when it coincides with an upper buffer (16) attached to the fixed support (4), at which time pulling of the interlocked bar (10) starts and at which time unlocking of same is produced, as will be seen as follows. In order for the interlocked bar (10) to be initially in the interlocked or blocked position, said bar has a vertical hole (17) in the centre having a bolt (18), with frustum-conical ends, the lower bar (6), having a notch (19) on its upper surface with the same frustum-conical shape as the lower end of the bolt (18) while the fixed, upper support (4) has in turn another two notches (20-20'). Similar to the previous and symmetrically disposed, in such a way that in a limiting position for the interlocked bar (10), shown in figure 1, the bolt (18) fits into the notch (20) of the support (20), said bar (10) remaining perfectly blocked or interlocked during the first displacement stage of the lower bar (6), until this places its notch (19) opposite the bolt (18), at which time blocking is produced simultaneously between the pawl (15) and the puller (14), where the bolt (18) moves downwards to fit into the lower notch (19) and where the interlocked bar (10) starts to be pulled by the lower bar (6) transmitting its movement through the fixed upper support (12) and the engaging bolt (13) to the points, not shown in the figures. This displacement of the points is kept up as can be seen from looking at figure 3, until the bolt (18) comes opposite the second notch (20') of the fixed upper support (4), at which time the pawl (15) leaves the upper buffer (16) and can continue to tilt upwards to become free of the puller (14), so that not only is the pulling movement of the upper bar (10) interrupted but also the notch (19) of the lower bar (6) causes the bolt (18) to be pushed upwards, which is locked into the upper notch (20') interlocking the upper bar (10) once more and, as a consequence, blocking the points in this other limiting position, after which the lower bar (6) continues its forwards movement towards the final position of its course, shown in figure 4, from which position the device is able to repeat the same operation as described in the opposite direction. It only remains to point out finally, that the ascending extensions (11) of the interlocked bar (10) have a toothing (21) on their upper surface which, with an additional toothing on the fixed upper support (12), allows perfect positional adjustment of the latter and as a consequence for the points connected to same.

Claims: An actuating device for railroad switches for changing tracks, which, using a hollow crosstie, designed to accommodate the actuating device within it, equipped centrally with a hole on its upper base for a bolt to emerge for engaging the points, comprising a base plate (1), equipped with securing means (2) to the base of the crosstie, where longitudinal guides are placed for the displacement of a lower bar (6), activated hydraulically, on which is placed an upper bar (10) also longitudinally displaceable and to which is attached a mobile upper support (12), a bolt holder (13) for engaging the points, being between the upper bar (10) and an upper mobile support (12), a fixed support (4) attached to the base plate (1), the lower bar (6) and the upper bar (10) equipped with means (14 - 15) for longitudinal displacement of the first in relation to the second until a blocking situation is produced between both bars and the consequent pulling of the upper bar (10) by the lower bar (6), and said upper bar (10), also having locking means (18 -20) keeping it stable in the two limiting positions anticipated for the same, those corresponding with the two limiting positions anticipated, in turn, for the points, characterised in that the lower bar incorporates two pullers, (14 -14') laterally, at extreme ends and opposite, which move with it, and which work together with the respective pawls (15-15'), assembled tilting on the sides of the upper bar (10), in such a way that said pawls, (15 - 15') rest obliquely on the respective pullers (14 -14') in respective limiting positions for the device, allowing relative displacement of the lower bar (6) in relation to the upper bar (10) until said pawls, after a first tilting, are placed on to respective longitudinal and lateral buffers (16) attached to the fixed support (4), thereby pulling the upper bar (10) by the lower bar (6). An actuating device for railroad switches for changing tracks, according to claim 1, characterised in that the upper bar (10) has a vertical hole (17) in the centre with an interlocking bolt (18), assisted by a notch (19) placed in the central point of the lower bar (6) and a pair of notches (20 -20'), symmetrically disposed on the fixed support (4), in such a way that a limiting position for the device is provided, the bolt (18) lodges into one of the notches (20) of the fixed support (4), while the notch (19) of the lower bar (6) remains out of phase in relation to said bolt (18), which keeps the upper bar (10) interlocked to the fixed support (4) until pulling is started of the upper bar (10) by the lower bar (6), through the puller (14) and the pawl (15), at which time the lower notch (19) comes opposite the bolt (18), thereby the bolt (18) moves downwards, becoming unlocked from the fixed support (4), allowing displacement of the upper bar (10) pulled by the lower bar (6). An actuating device for railroad switches for changing tracks, according to claim 2, characterised in that the bolt (18) has a frustum-conical shape at its ends, coinciding with the shape of the notches (19) and (20), to facilitate the entry and exit of said bolt into the aforementioned notches. An actuating device for railroad switches for changing tracks, according to claims 2 and 3, characterised in that each buffer (16) on the fixed support (4) is interrupted at a point such that the corresponding pawl (15) affects a interruption of the buffer (16) at the time when there should be interruption in the pulling of the upper bar (10) by the lower bar (6), when the puller (14) becomes disconnected from the pawl (15) by the aforementioned upwards tilting of the latter and when the interlocking bolt (18) comes opposite the second notch (20') of the fixed support (4). An actuating-device for railroad switches for changing tracks, according to previous claims, characterised in that the end and upper extensions (11) of the upper bar (10), through which said bar (10) moves over the fixed support (4) to receive the mobile support (12), having a toothing (21) on the surface where it fits the latter, to complement with another toothing on the mobile support (12) itself, with the aim of allowing positional adjustment of the mobile support (12) in relation to the upper bar (10) and consequently, positional adjustment of the points connected to the engaging bolt (13) of the mobile support (12).

Inventors: CLAUDIO HERNANDEZ JOSE MARIA, CLAUDIO HERNANDEZ, JOSE MARIA, CLAUDIO HERNANDEZ, José Maria
Applicants: DIMETRONIC SA, DIMETRONIC, S.A.
Application year: 2000
Main classification: B61L5
IPC codes: B61L5