Patent ID: 12240335

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the drawings, the same technical elements are provided with the same reference signs, and are only described once. The drawings are purely schematic and, in particular, do not reflect the actual geometric proportions. Reference is made toFIG.1showing a track section2with a track3extending in a direction of travel1or longitudinal direction1with a track3, on which a train not shown here can move electrically driven on track3. For the electrical power supply of the train, a conductor rail4is arranged at a not further referenced height above track3, also extending in the longitudinal direction1, from which the train with a not further referenced pantograph can draw electrical current in a manner known per se.

The conductor rail4is suspended from a carrier, which is shown inFIG.1in the form of a ceiling5as an example. Ceiling5could, for example, be part of a tunnel or a bridge. The conductor rail4can be held at a suspension distance6from the ceiling5by means of suspension means which are not shown in any further detail.

FIG.1shows an enlargement of the profile7of the conductor rail4.

When viewed in profile7, the conductor rail4is axisymmetrical to a profile axis8. The profile axis8runs parallel to a height direction9of track section2. Viewed in height direction9, there is a transverse arm10on the upper side of the conductor rail4, of which two tension arms12extend at a distance from each other in a transverse direction11running at a right angle to the longitudinal direction1, and at a right angle to the height direction9, against the height direction9. A clamping arm13is connected to the end of each tension arm12opposite the transverse arm10, between which a contact wire14is held clamped by the tension arms12.

The conductor rail4shown inFIG.1is usually made up of a large number of conductor rail sections which, as seen in profile7ofFIG.1, are laid against each other at the front end exactly aligned with each other via fishplates15. The mutual alignment takes place via an engagement in height direction9between the fishplates15and the conductor rail sections, which is designed inFIG.1as a tongue and groove connection16. To fix the individual conductor rail sections against each other, screws17can be screwed into the fishplates15.

In order to clamp the contact wire14between the clamping arms13, track sections18extending at a connection point between the clamping arms13and the tension arms12, in or against the transverse direction11are connected, on which a threading carriage not shown in more detail can move.

If water accumulates at the resulting clamping points19, redox reactions cause local elements to form. Due to the choice of materials in commercially available conductor rails, the distance between the metals at the clamping points19in the electrochemical series is sufficiently large to cause weathering damage when water accumulates there. Various approaches have already been proposed to reduce water accumulation in order to avoid the formation of local elements, for example according to WO 2014/067989 A1 with drainage openings. However, the occurrence of water can never be completely avoided, which is why it makes more sense to actively protect clamping points19from water.

For this purpose, a greasing device20, also called a greasing sleeve, shown inFIGS.2and3, is proposed, which coats the contact wire14with grease in the area of the clamping points19immediately before being clamped by the threading carriage in the conductor rail4, so that after the clamping of the contact wire14in the conductor rail4no water can approach the clamping points19which bridges the conductor rail4and the contact wire14and thus forms local elements. Before the use of the greasing device20is described in detail, its structure should first be explained.

The greasing device20comprises a base body21comprising, among other things, a guide body part22and a cover part23.

A groove24extending in the longitudinal direction1is formed on an upper side of the guide body part22seen in the height direction9. The groove24is open in the longitudinal direction1at the face sides of the guide body part22which are not referenced further, so that the contact wire14can be inserted into the groove24.

The cover part23is placed on the upper side of the guide body part22, seen in the height direction9, so that the groove24is closed and forms a passage opening25through the base body21. For precise positioning of cover part23on the guide body part22, a positioning projection26can be formed on the cover part23in the area of each of the unreferenced face sides of the base body21in longitudinal direction1. These positioning projections26engage positively in the groove24when the cover part23is placed on the guide body part22in transverse direction11. The cover part23, which is placed on the guide body part22, is then fastened to the guide body part22by means of three screw connections27. One screw connection27is arranged on the back side of the base body21when viewed in the transverse direction11, while two screw connections27are arranged on the front side.

Each screw connection27comprises a fixing strip28extending in the longitudinal direction1, wherein the fixing strips28of the screw connections27are formed integrally on the front side of the base body21when viewed in the transverse direction11. The fixing strips28are fastened to the guide body part22by means of screws29. A threaded rod30, which can be swivelled around the longitudinal direction1, is attached to one face side of each fixing strip28, when viewed in the longitudinal direction1, and can be swivelled into one fork element31each on the cover part23. In the state in which the threaded rods30are swivelled into the fork elements31, one wing nut32each is screwed onto the respective fork element31towards the respective fixing strip28, so that the cover part23is pressed onto the guide body part22, which produces the aforementioned frictional connection. In order to avoid a loss of the wing nuts32when the greasing device20is in the dismantled state, the upper end of the threaded rods30seen in height direction9may be equipped with movement limitation means, which are not referenced further for the sake of clarity.

To pull the greasing device20, it has a horizontal beam33, also known as a draw bar, on the front end of the base body21when viewed in the longitudinal direction1, aligned in the transverse direction11. At the ends of the horizontal beam33when viewed in the transverse direction11, there are holding elements in the form of eye bolts34aligned in the longitudinal direction1. The horizontal beam33and the eye bolts34together form a connecting element35, via which the greasing device20can be connected to a pulling mechanism and pulled over the contact wire14in the longitudinal direction1. This pulling mechanism will be discussed later in connection withFIGS.4and5.

On the horizontal beam33, between the two eye bolts34, two guide pulleys36are held rotatably about one rotation axis37each, which are aligned in the height direction9. In addition, the guide pulleys36are arranged in transverse direction11at a roller distance38from each other. The guide pulleys36, when viewed from an underside of the base body21seen in the height direction9, are arranged at a not further referenced height, which is equal to a likewise not further referenced height of the passage opening25, so that the contact wire14, when pulling the greasing device20in a curve of the track3, can be guided over the guide pulleys36in a predetermined rotational position about the longitudinal direction1into the passage opening25. The guide pulleys36are each held on a swivel arm39so that the position of the guide pulleys36can be adapted to the transverse movements of the contact wire14in the transverse direction11. In order to keep the roller distance38constant, the swivel arms39are connected to each other via a coupling rod40.

The grease to be applied to the contact wire is fed into the passage opening25of the greasing device20via a supply line41. The supply line41leads through a connection socket42which is arranged on an upper side of the cover part23when viewed in the height direction9. A supply line can be connected to the connection socket42, which feeds the grease from a source not shown in further detail into the supply line41. A tap is arranged between the source and the connection socket42to control the supplied quantity of grease. Both the supply line and the tap are described in more detail in connection withFIGS.4and5.

In practice, the contact wire14is very long, and is immediately clamped in the conductor rail4during installation on the track section2after greasing via the threading carriage. It is therefore difficult, when viewed in the longitudinal direction1, to thread the contact wire into the passage opening25on the face side. The mounting of the greasing device20to the contact wire14is therefore implemented in the present version in a more practical way. In addition, the greasing device20has further elements which enable a particularly effective application of grease to the contact wire14in the application to be described later.

The passage opening25has a funnel-shaped area42′ in which an opening width43of the passage opening25tapers in the transverse direction11against the longitudinal direction1. This tapering takes place in at least one section of the funnel-shaped area42′, which is connected to the point where the supply line41leads into the passage opening25. This funnel-shaped area42represents a nozzle which fills the passage opening25with grease before it can leave the passage opening25at the back side when viewed in longitudinal direction1. In this way, a homogeneous grease application is achieved.

The funnel-shaped area42is designed as an insert that can be inserted into the groove24so that the funnel-shaped area42and thus the aforementioned nozzle effect can be adapted to contact wires14of different conductor cross-sections. In this way, the funnel-shaped area42can be easily adapted by replacing the insert.

When viewed in the longitudinal direction1in front of the funnel-shaped area42′, a guiding sleeve44is arranged in the passage opening25. The guiding sleeve44has an unreferenced passageway in which the contact wire14can be held positively in the height direction9and the transverse direction11. In this way, the guiding sleeve44corrects the positioning of the contact wire14when entering the funnel-shaped area42′ in a certain angular position around the longitudinal direction1and in the transverse direction11, so that the pressure of the grease is applied evenly to both sides when viewed in the transverse direction11. The above mentioned guide pulleys36thus roughly pre-position the contact wire14, while the guiding sleeve44carries out a fine positioning and inserts the contact wire14exactly in the middle as well as in a firmly defined rotary position into the funnel-shaped area42′.

For easy installation on the contact wire14, the guiding sleeve44is made up of a first guiding sleeve half45and a second guiding sleeve half46, which can be assembled to the guiding sleeve44by joining in or against the transverse direction11. The assembled guiding sleeve44is held in a guiding sleeve rail47in the guide body part22.

During operation, the contact wire14is inserted into one of the guiding sleeve halves45,46and the guiding sleeve44is closed by placing the corresponding other guiding sleeve half46,45in or against the transverse direction11. The assembled guiding sleeve44can now be inserted into the guiding sleeve rail47.

When viewed in the longitudinal direction1, a wiper sleeve48is arranged on the side of the funnel-shaped area42opposite the guiding sleeve44. The wiper sleeve48has a passage similar to the guiding sleeve44, in which, however, a nose49aligned against the height direction9is arranged on the upper side when viewed in the height direction9, which presses on an upper side of the contact wire14when viewed in the height direction9. When viewed in the transverse direction11to the left and right of nose49, cavities are formed through which grease can pass the wiper sleeve48and be applied to the contact wire14. A nose width50of the nose49when viewed in transverse direction11is selected in such a way that the cavities are located at the points of the contact wire14where the clamping points19are provided when being clamped in the conductor rail4.

The wiper sleeve48is composed of a lower wiper sleeve half51and an upper wiper sleeve half52, which can be assembled by joining in or against the height direction9. To mount the greasing device20, the lower wiper sleeve half51is inserted into a corresponding wiper sleeve rail53in the guide body part22, and the insert forming the funnel-shaped area42′ is inserted into the groove24. Then the contact wire14, around which the guiding sleeve44is placed in the manner described above, is inserted into the lower wiper sleeve half51and the funnel-shaped area42′, the guiding sleeve44being inserted into the guiding sleeve rail47in the manner described above. Now the upper wiper sleeve half52is inserted into the wiper sleeve rail53so that the wiper sleeve48is assembled. The greasing device20in this mounting condition is shown inFIG.4. Finally, the cover part23is placed on the guide body part22in the above manner and screwed tight. Now the grease can be introduced into the passage opening25via the supply line41in the area of the funnel-shaped area42′ and the grease can be applied to the contact wire14in the way already described.

In order to avoid an application of grease at the contact point of the pantograph of the contact wire14as far as possible, the passage opening25is adapted to a shape of the contact wire14on the bottom side when viewed in the height direction9. In this way, the contact wire14engages with the bottom side of the passage opening25in the height direction9and in the transverse direction11so that no grease can reach this point. The nose49presses the contact wire14against the bottom side and thus keeps the contact wire14free of grease at the contact point to the pantograph. This ensures that the grease is actually only applied to the contact wire14in the area of the clamping points19and nowhere else.

In the following,FIGS.4and5are used to describe the greasing application in more detail, showing the greasing device20with a contact wire14inserted into the passage opening25in the manner described above.

FIGS.4and5show the grease which is applied to the contact wire14by means of the greasing device20. It has the reference sign54.

The grease54is supplied via the supply line mentioned above. In theFIGS.4and5, the supply line has the reference sign55. After the contact wire14has been inserted into the greasing device20, the supply line55is connected to connection socket42via a fitting, here in the form of a shut-off valve designed as a tap56. The task of the tap56is to set a pipe cross section between supply line55and connection socket42in order to influence the amount of grease per unit time from supply line55into passage opening25and thus the rate at which grease is supplied into passage opening25. The pipe cross section can be adjusted at tap56by means of a valve key in the form of a lever57, which is mounted so that it can rotate about an axis of rotation that is not shown in further detail. The lever should be at least 5 cm long so that it can be used with sufficient sensitivity.

In addition to connecting the greasing device20to the supply line55, the eye bolts34are also connected to the above-mentioned pulling device.FIG.4shows only the pull ropes58of this puling device. It may be useful for the pulling device to be a car moving along the longitudinal direction1in which the operator is standing. The eye bolts34of the greasing device20can then be connected to the car via the pull ropes58.

If the contact wire14for greasing is inserted into the greasing device20in the manner described above before installation in the conductor rail4, the supply line55is connected to the connection socket42and the greasing device20is connected to the contact wire via the pull ropes58, then the car is set in motion in the longitudinal direction1, for example carried on a rail vehicle moving on track3, whereby the greasing device20is pulled along. The operator in the car now turns the lever57continuously, so that the above-mentioned pipe cross section between the feed line55and the passage opening25opens further and further, and the feed rate of grease54into the passage opening25increases accordingly. In this way the grease54is applied to the contact wire14in the manner shown inFIG.5leaving the greasing device20at the back when viewed in longitudinal direction1.

If the operator turns the lever57too far so that the grease54on the back side of the greasing device20is not only applied to the contact wire14but begins to run down at the back and drip down with drops67, the operator knows that the feed rate is too high to apply the entire grease54from the feed line55to the contact wire14. At that point, the operator stops unscrewing the lever57.

If necessary, the operator turns the lever57slightly to close it again until the grease54stops forming drops67and dripping down at the back of the greasing device20.

In conclusion, we summarize the procedure for applying grease54to the contact wire14once again usingFIGS.5and6.FIG.5shows a diagram in which the above-mentioned feed rate of grease54is provided with the reference sign59and plotted over time60, whileFIG.6shows a flow chart of the individual steps to be performed.

First, in a preparation step61, the contact wire14is inserted into the greasing device20, the supply line55is connected to the connection socket42via the tap56, and the greasing device20is connected to the car via the pull ropes58. In the diagram ofFIG.5, this step takes place at the very beginning.

Then, in opening step62, the car is accelerated and at the same time the lever57for opening the feed line55is turned towards the passage opening25, so that the grease54is introduced into the passage opening with an increasing feed rate59.

The opening step62is performed until the feed rate59exceeds a limit feed rate63at which the grease54at the back of the greasing device20, when viewed in the longitudinal direction1, begins to run down against the height direction9and form drops67. From this point the lever57is slowly turned back towards the passage opening25to close the feed line55until the grease54on the back of the greasing device20, when viewed in the longitudinal direction1, stops running down against the height direction9and forms drops67.

In this state, the car travels at a constant speed so that the grease54is applied constantly and with a constant coating thickness to the contact wire14in one application step65. InFIG.5the diagram is shown interrupted at the point of application step65.

The procedure is terminated in a final step66by fully closing lever57. The car can also be stopped at this time.