Mobile railway measuring unit

Abstract

 The present invention relates to a mobile unit for performing measurements on railway tracks, comprising a supporting structure (6) provided with rolling or travel means (7) for displacing the mobile unit along a railway track and measuring and checking instruments (4,5) for performing measurements and/or checks along railway line. The supporting structure (6) consists of a plurality of elements (10,11,19) which are removably connected together and can be associated with one another so as to allow conversion between a stowed-away condition (8) for easy transportation of the mobile unit (1) and an unfolded and fully extended condition (9) where the mobile unit (1) can be arranged on the railway track.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a mobile unit for performing measurements on railway tracks.

[0002] The mobile unit in question is intended to be used in the railway sector in order to perform measurements on lines and in particular in order to check that the arrangement of the rails corresponds to the design data or in order to monitor the actual state of the line.

[0003] At present, in accordance with the known art, the abovementioned measurements are performed using an electro-optical apparatus comprising the mobile unit in question, which can be arranged, in the operative condition, on top of the rails of a track so as to be able to move along it, and a fixed station to be arranged in the vicinity of the railway line.

[0004] The mobile unit basically consists of a carriage which transports the measuring instruments such as essentially a prism capable of reflecting infrared rays emitted by the fixed station, a device for detecting the inclination of the track and a device for detecting the variations in the distance existing between the rails of a same track and, if necessary, an apparatus for detecting the distance from the vaults of tunnels.

[0005] The fixed station has, mounted on it, an apparatus for locating, tracking and receiving the reflected rays, which is able to determine, by means of a logic processing unit (which, if necessary, can also be arranged on the mobile unit and connected to the fixed station by means of a telemetering system), the spatial positioning of the rail.

[0006] At present, in accordance with the known art, there exist various models of mobile unit which all have a supporting structure provided with rolling means for allowing the displacement thereof along the tracks and with all the instruments necessary for measuring and checking the rails.

[0007] As is known, this supporting structure is generally composed of a rigid frame with relatively large dimensions and, for this reason, transportation of the mobile unit 1 is somewhat problematic once it has been used on the railway line.

[0008] Moreover, it should be noted that the measurements are generally performed without interrupting operation of the line. Therefore, it is necessary to be able to remove the mobile unit from the tracks quickly and easily when a train is about to arrive.

[0009] This latter operation is made difficult owing to the considerable size of the supporting structure of the mobile units of this type. Therefore, these units are characterized by a limited practicality of use during the normal conditions in which they are required to operate. The main object of the present invention is therefore that of overcoming the drawbacks associated with the mobile units of the known type, by providing a mobile unit for performing measurements on railway tracks, which has a supporting structure which allows easy transportation once it has been used and which allows easy and rapid removal thereof from the railway tracks during normal conditions of use.

[0010] A further object of the present invention is that of providing a mobile unit which is contructionally simple and operationally entirely reliable. The technical characteristics of the invention, in accordance with the abovementioned objects, may be clearly understood from the contents of the claims indicated below and the advantages thereof will emerge more clearly from the detailed description which follows, provided with reference to the accompanying drawings which show a purely exemplary and non-limiting embodiment thereof and in which:

• Figure 1 shows the mobile unit for performing measurements on railway tracks according to the present invention in an unfolded condition on top of a railway track;
• Figure 2 shows schematically a perspective view of the mobile unit in question in a stowed-away condition. In accordance with the figures of the accompanying drawings, 1 denotes in its entirety the mobile unit which is arranged in the operative condition on top of the rails 2, 3 of a railway track.

[0011] The mobile unit 1 is provided with a device for measuring the transverse gauge of the rails (not shown in the figures), a device 4 for detecting the inclination of the track, and a prism 5 able to reflect infrared rays emitted by a source mounted on a fixed station (not shown in the accompanying figures).

[0012] The latter station is also provided with a locating, tracking and receiving apparatus which is capable of capturing the rays reflected by the prism 5.

[0013] The fixed station and the mobile unit 1 also have, operationally associated with them, a logic processing unit which receives the data from the measuring devices and the locating, tracking and receiving apparatus and, by means of processing of the acquired data, determines the spatial arrangement of the rails 2, 3 of the line. Structurally, the mobile unit 1 comprises a supporting structure 6 provided with rolling or travel means 7 which can be positioned on top of the rails 2, 3 of a railway track.

[0014] The supporting structure 6 consists of a plurality of elements which are removably connected together and can be associated with one another so as to allow conversion between a stowed-away condition 8 (see Fig. 2) for easy transportation of the mobile unit 1 and an unfolded and fully extended condition 9 (see Fig. 1) where the mobile unit 1 can be arranged on the railway track.

[0015] More specifically, the supporting structure 6 has, when it is in the unfolded condition 9, a configuration substantially in the form of a T consisting of a crossbeam 10 arranged transversely with respect to the rails 2, 3 and an arm 11 arranged in the direction of a rail and fixed centrally in a manner perpendicular to a first end 12 of the crossbeam 10.

[0016] The arm 11 and the second end 13 of the crossbeam 10 have, mounted underneath them, rollers or wheels 7 (respectively two 7' on a first rail 2 and one 7" on the second rail 3) which are designed to allow the mobile unit 1 to travel along the rails.

[0017] Obviously guiding elements (not shown) are provided so as to keep the mobile unit 1 always correctly positioned on top of the rails.

[0018] The crossbeam 10 is provided centrally with a hinge 15 which allows it to be folded onto itself by means of rotation, through 180 degrees, of a movable portion 16 thereof limited by the second end 13.

[0019] Folding over of the crossbeam 10 by means of the hinge 15 allows the mobile unit 1 to be converted between the stowed-away condition 8 and the fully unfolded position 9.

[0020] Advantageously, the supporting structure 6 is fitted with a handle 18 which is designed to allow easy transportation of the mobile unit when it is in the stowed-away condition 8.

[0021] Retaining means 17 may also be provided for securing the movable portion 16 of the crossbeam 10 respectively in an elongated position, corresponding to the fully extended condition 9 of the supporting structure 6, and in a folded-up position, corresponding to the stowed-away condition 8 of the supporting structure 6.

[0022] As can be seen in Fig. 2, the measuring and checking instruments may be mounted (at least partly) on a frame 19 which is fixed to the supporting structure 6 at a corner of the crossbeam 10 and the arm 11.

[0023] Advantageously, the said handle 18 may be arranged on the frame 19.

[0024] The state of a railway line is assessed by means of measurements to be performed at regular intervals along its extension. For this purpose, it is necessary to be able to displace the mobile unit 1 along the line over predefined distances and in a precise manner.

[0025] The abovementioned movement may be obtained by means of an operator who pushes the mobile unit 1 along the track, for example by means of a bar 40 hinged with the supporting structure 6 or by means of motorisation of the rollers or wheels 7 so as to displace automatically the mobile unit 1 along the track itself.

[0026] In particular the movement of the mobile unit 1 may be controlled by the logic processing unit mentioned above which therefore manages, in addition to all the data relating to the measurements, also the positioning of the mobile unit 1 along the line by means of operation of the abovementioned rollers 7.

Claims

1. Mobile unit for performing measurements on railway tracks, comprising a supporting structure (6) provided with rolling or travel means (7) which can be positioned on the rails (2, 3) of a railway track, said means (7) allowing displacement of the mobile unit along said railway track in accordance with operational requirements and also comprising measuring and checking instruments (4, 5) for performing measurements and/or checks along said railway track, characterized in that said supporting structure (6) consists of a plurality of elements (10, 11, 19) which are removably connected together and can be associated with one another so as to allow conversion between a stowed-away condition (8) of said supporting structure (6) and an unfolded and fully extended condition (9) thereof allowing it to be arranged on said railway track, connection means (15) being provided for connecting together said elements (10, 11, 19).

2. Mobile unit according to Claim 1, characterized in that said connection means consist of hinges (15), said removably connected elements (10, 11, 19) being able to rotate relative to one another about said hinges (15).

3. Mobile unit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said supporting structure (6) can be folded up.

4. Mobile unit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said supporting structure (6) is provided with at least one handle (18) which is designed to allow easy transportion of the mobile unit (1) when it is in said stowed-away condition (8).

5. Mobile unit according to Claim 1, characterized in that said supporting structure (6) has, in said unfolded and fully extended condition (9), a configuration substantially in the form of a T.

6. Mobile unit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said supporting structure (6) substantially consists of a crossbeam (10), which is designed to be arranged transversely with respect to the rails (2, 3) of a track in said unfolded and fully extended condition (9), and an arm (11), which is connected to a first end (12) of said crossbeam (10) and is provided with at least one roller (7') for travelling along a first rail (2) of the track, at least a second roller (7") being mounted on the second end (13) of said crossbeam (10) for travelling along the second rail (3) of the track.

7. Mobile unit according to Claim 6, characterized in that said arm (11) is connected centrally in a manner perpendicular to said crossbeam (10).

8. Mobile unit according to Claims 2 and 6, characterized in that said crossbeam (10) can be folded up, a hinge (15) being arranged substantially in a middle position.

9. Mobile unit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises retaining means (17) which are designed to ensure that said supporting structure (6) is kept in said stowed-away condition (8) and said unfolded and fully extended condition (9).

10. Mobile unit according to Claim 6, characterized in that said measuring and checking instruments (4, 5) are mounted on said supporting structure (6) by means of a frame (19) arranged at a corner of said crossbeam (10) and said arm (11).

11. Mobile unit according to Claims 4 and 10, characterized in that said handle (18) is mounted on said supporting structure (6).

12. Mobile unit according to Claim 1, characterized in that said rolling or travel means (7) are motorised and designed to displace automatically said mobile unit (1) along the rails.

13. Mobile unit according to Claim 12, characterized in that it comprises a logic processing unit designed to manage positioning of the mobile unit (1) along the line by means of operation of said rolling or travel means (7).

Drawing