Patent Publication Number: US-9834229-B2

Title: Rail-loading train for transporting long-welded rails comprising clamping devices for the rail sections

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a rail loading train for transporting long-welded rails, including loading wagons mobile on a track and a fixing device for anchoring the rails, the fixing device being arranged on the rail loading train and composed of a number of clamping devices provided for anchoring a single rail in each case. 
     Rail loading trains of this type are already known from WO 2007/065500 A1 or WO 2010/127735 A1. These consist of several loading wagons, with a crane being arranged for mobility on rails along said wagons. Long-welded rails to be transported are anchored in a fixing device arranged on the rail loading train, wherein a separate clamping device is associated with each rail. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is the object of the present invention to provide a rail loading train of the type mentioned at the beginning, the loading of which can be accomplished as universally and independently as possible. 
     According to the invention, this object is achieved with a rail loading train of the specified type in that the clamping devices are designed to be adjustable in a longitudinal direction of the wagon relative to the rail loading train by means of a displacement drive. 
     A rail loading train equipped in this manner can now be loaded at the rail welding plant largely independently of the particular situation at the construction site, but, above all, without being limited by the local conditions. At said rail welding plant, operation of the gantry crane belonging to the rail loading train is often possible only in a very limited way or not at all. At the plant, the rails are merely positioned immediately in front of the fixing device. The actual contact between the clamping device and the rail is established by displacing the fixing device. 
     Additional advantages of the invention become apparent from the dependent claims and the drawing description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  shows a schematic side view of a rail loading train, and 
         FIGS. 2 and 3  each show a simplified side view and top view, respectively, of a fixing device for anchoring rails. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     A rail loading train  1  shown in  FIG. 1  is composed of a number of loading wagons  4 , mobile by means of on-track undercarriages  2  on a track  3 , and serves for transporting long-welded rails  5 . These are stored in the known manner in several layers, arranged one above the other, on support racks  6 . Provided for loading and unloading the rails  5  is a crane  9 , having a jib  7  and a cabin  8 , which is freely mobile along the loading wagons  4  on crane rails  10  and displaces the long-welded rails  5  in a longitudinal direction  11  of the wagon. At one end  12  of the rail loading train  1  (preferably at both ends), a fixing device  13  for anchoring the rails  5  during transport is located. 
     As shown in more detail in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the fixing device  13  is composed of several clamping devices  14 , each provided for anchoring a single rail  5 , which are designed to be adjustable by means of a displacement drive  15  relative to the rail loading train  1  in the longitudinal direction  11  of the wagon. As visible in particular in  FIG. 3 , a number of clamping devices  14 —arranged next to one another in a transverse direction  16  of the wagon—are mounted on a common carrier plate  17  which is adjustable in the longitudinal direction  11  of the wagon by means of the displacement drive  15 .  FIG. 2  shows clearly that the fixing device  13  has a number of carrier plates  17  arranged one above the other, each designed to be adjustable independently of the others in the longitudinal direction  11  of the wagon by means of displacement drives  15 . Associated with each carrier plate  17  is a longitudinal guide  18  connected to the fixing device  13 . Each carrier plate  17  has a locking device  19  for fixing the carrier plate  17  to the fixing device  13  or to the rail loading train  1 . 
     Based on the permitted axle load, load carrying capacity and width of the wagon, a configuration of the rail loading train  1  with a total of four carrier plates  17  having ten clamping devices  14  each, i.e. for forty long-welded rails  5 , proves especially advantageous. 
     As far as the design of the clamping device  14  is concerned, reference is made to the state of the art cited at the beginning. Each clamping device  14  has a separate drive  20  for anchoring the rail  5 . Furthermore, a sliding device  21  for inserting and guiding the rail  5  is associated with each clamping device  14 . 
     The manner of operation of the fixing device  13  will now be described briefly. As already mentioned, operation of the crane  9  is not always possible. In these cases, the rails  5  are transported in pairs to immediately in front of the sliding devices  21  by a transport device not further shown. By actuation of the displacement drive  15 , the carrier plate  17  moves slidingly in the longitudinal guide  18  in the longitudinal direction  11  of the wagon towards the ends  22  of the rails  5 . With the aid of the sliding devices  21 , the rails  5  are centred and arrive with their ends  22  in the clamping devices  14 . By actuation of the drives  20 , the two rails  5  are fixed to the fixing device  13  or to the rail loading train  1 . After renewed actuation of the displacement drive  21 , the rails  5  are moved slightly in the direction towards the end  12  of the rail loading train  1 . Now, the next pair of rails  5  is inserted, until the entire carrier plate  17  is furnished with rails  5 . After the last displacement of the carrier plate  17  in the direction towards the end  12 , the carrier plate  17  is fixed to the fixing device  13  with the aid of the blocking device  19 , and the loading operation of the next carrier plate  17  can proceed.