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(11) | EP 1 985 516 A2 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Transporting rails over a railway |
| (57) The invention relates to a train of mutually coupled wagons to a length of 80 metres
at a minimum wherein a bundle of rails with a length of 80 metres at a minimum is
supported by the wagons such that the bundle bears and wherein the bundle supporting
wagons are of the type to transport removable containers. The the bundle supporting
wagons are provided with quick coupling means to mount the removable containers and
supporting blocks and centre fixation are mounted to said quick coupling means. It
also relates to a method wherein containers and a bundle of rails are transported
in an alternating manner by a number of mutually coupled train wagons which are equipped
with quick couplings for releasable mounting of the containers, with which quick couplings
during transport of the bundle the supporting blocks and centre fixation are mounted
to the wagons to retain the bundle to the wagons.
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[0001] This invention relates to transporting rails over a railway, e.g. of the type 60E1, 49E1, 54E1, 54E3 or a different type.
[0002] Typically, for such transport special wagons with 4 or 6 shafts (so called R-wagons) are used with a completely flat and closed loading floor, provided by a steel circumferential frame, a flush wooden floor completely filling the open space of the frame and along both longitudinal edges so called uprights, mutually spaced and more than 1 metre high. This results in a limited applicability. Furthermore there is little return load for these wagons, such that the train typically returns empty. The number of available wagons of this type is limited. Planning of transport of rails is thus little flexible and must be done a long time ahead.
[0003] The present rails for train traffic are supplied by the producer at a length substantially larger than the length of the rail wagon having a typical length between 15 and 25 metres. Thus it is required to support a rail onto two or more behind each other positioned R-wagons. A modern rail is typically 90 or 120 metres long, such that as a rule a rail is supported by e.g. four or six R-wagons in a train.
[0004] Rails are positioned at the wagons in layers above and next to each other. Typically three layers on top and each layer has 13 or 14 rails next to each other. Approximately half way its length this package of rails is anchored to the relevant R-wagon in all directions by means of a so called centre fixation. The rails are furthermore supported in all directions, except longitudinal, at spaced locations along their length by supporting blocks. Thus variations in length can be accommodated by e.g. shifting of the rail ends or retraction of the bumpers. For each R-wagon two supporting blocks are typically used. The R-wagon with centre fixation has no supporting blocks. The uprights are sufficiently spaced relative to the rails, centre fixation and supporting blocks.
[0005] For fixation at the centre fixation use is made of a clamping or pressing action, for which between the rows of rails and also there below and above wooden rods are positioned and from above downward pressing force from a jib onto the package is applied. The wood, possibly covered with grease, provides a resilient action such that level differences between adjacent rails are compensated and thus all rails are retained by the centre fixation sufficiently free of longitudinally shifting. The wood also keeps the rails free from damage. The package of rails is kept captive sideways at the centre fixation and also the supporting blocks between vertical uprights of steel.
[0006] The centre fixation and the supporting blocks are separate components which are temporary mounted to the R-wagon by clamps and bolts. Above that the centre fixation is mounted to the R-wagon by downwardly inclined forward and backward extending tension cables, to bear the horizontal forces from the rails during e.g. braking. In the space between the supporting blocks and centre fixation the lower rails can be additionally supported by one or more wooden rods to prevent sacking.
[0008] Starting to make use of so called contain wagons to transport rails. Container wagons have 4 or 6 shafts, two shafts per bogy, so two or three bogies. These wagons have a space frame like, thus very open, loading floor of welded steel with along both side edges mutually a gap leaving container pins projecting upward from the loading floor. These container pins are adapted to fit into the so called corner castings of trays, containers, etc., that are adapted to be located onto the wagon. These corner castings are e.g. such as the standardised design for so called marine containers of ISO dimensions. Also the container wagons are adapted to transport marine containers of ISO dimensions, such that the pitch of the containers pins is accordingly adapted. A container wagon measures e.g. approximately 60 or 90 feet (1 feet = 0,3048 metre) long, to be able to carry e.g. three 20-feet ISO marine containers closely behind each other.
[0009] The centre fixation and the supporting blocks are fixed to the container pins, for which the centre fixation and supporting blocks can be provided with corner castings or another mounting means into which the container pins will fit. Another possibility is, to mount the centre fixation and supporting blocks onto a separate plateau and to provide this plateau with the corner castings or such, into which the container pins fit. Thus the location of the corner castings or such of the plateau must correspond with those of the container wagon. The supporting blocks and centre fixation could be permanently mounted to the plateau.
[0010] The centre fixation can additionally, such as known from the R-wagons, be mounted by forward and backward extending tension cables or such, wherein said tension cables e.g. engage one or more container pins remote from the centre fixation or an engagement point at the plateau, if applied. These tension cables or other, preferably flexible, tension members can alternatively be fixed to the wagon remote from the centre fixation. If the centre fixation is immediately mounted to the container wagon, it is e.g. feasible to mount the tension cables to a section equipped with one or more corner castings or such into which the one or more container pins remote from the centre fixation fit.
[0011] It is feasible to mount the centre fixation onto a plateau, such that the centre fixation is mounted indirectly to the container wagon. The tension cables that extend from the centre fixation can be mounted to the same plateau of immediately to the container wagon. The plateau preferably has a length corresponding to an ISO container. A length of 20 feet is most advantageous. According to an embodiment two, three of more plateaus behind each other are mounted onto a container wagon, wherein only one of them (preferably the central) carries the centre fixation while the plateaus preferably have equal length. These plateaus are preferably located in exactly the same manner compared to the ISO containers. The tension cables extending from the centre fixation can be fixed to the plateau carrying the centre fixation or to an adjacent plateau. The plateaus can mutually connect with small gaps and/or be mutually coupled by releasable coupling members. Thus the longitudinal load from the centre fixation can be distributed among many container pins, e.g. through two or more plateaus (through the coupling members or in a butt joint mutually bearing plateaus).
[0013] In case of immediate mounting of centre fixation and supporting block this is preferably at a location where two container pins are close to each other, such as the location of the joint between two 20 feet containers. Thus a block or fixation can be mounted by 4 container pins at a minimum (2 at each side).
[0014] The containers pins located at the wagons are designed to immovably mount the containers in directions forward and to the side. With containers their own weight is sufficient to retain the containers at their location during the journey, with the container pins penetrating their corner castings. With this invention the at the container pins acting upward force at some by container pins fixedly mounted parts, such as the tension cables fixedly mounting the centre fixation, can be important. To be able to provide the required downward reaction force, one of the possibilities is in upward direction fixedly mounting of an element which is located onto a container pin. This is preferably provided by a convenient retaining element, e.g. of easily releasable type, such as a so called twist lock, known as such from the field of transport of marine containers of ISO dimensions, which engages the container pin. Tension straps (sjorbanden) are an example of a retaining element acting remote from the container pin. Alternatively the downward reaction force is provided by a weight.
[0015] Thus the centre fixation and supporting blocks can be easily mounted is dismounted. After unloading the rails the container wagons can thus easily be relieved from the centre fixation and supporting blocks and possibly the plateau, if applicable. These parts can then be stored within a small space, e.g. at one of the container wagons. A part of it and the other five container wagons are then fully available for a return load.
[0016] The plateaus are possibly of the stackable type, e.g. such that the centre fixation and supporting blocks can remain at the plateaus and the plateaus of five of the six container wagons can be stored at a container wagon.
[0017] The other techniques for loading rails can be copied from the R-wagons, e.g. relating to fixedly clamping of the rails, using wood and possibly grease, use of interleaved rods of wood, number of blocks per wagon, etc.
[0018] The enclosed drawing shows a non-limiting example of the loading floor 1 of the container wagon of 60 feet long, ono which three 20 feet long plateaus 2 are located. The container pins 3 penetrate the corner castings at each corner of the plateaus 2. The centre block 4 is located at the central plateau-Inclined cables 5 extend downward in forward and backward directions from the centre fixation and are fixed to the plateau at forward and backward remote locations. At the front and back of this wagon further two and three, respectively, wagons of the same train are located. The cables 5 can possibly be mounted without the intervention of a plateau. The front and back plateaus are then absent.
[0019] If plateaus are used to mount the cables 5, the plateaus provide due to their own weight sufficient downward directed reaction force for the upward directed force from the cables 5, to remain in place. It is thus sufficient to stick the plateaus onto the container pins 3 without upward fixation.
[0020] In addition to or separate from the above one or more of the following aspects are preferably applied: in a train a number of, e.g. three wagons of the one length, e.g. 90 feet and a number of, e.g. two wagons of a different length, e.g. 60 feet, such that the train provided by mutually coupling the wagons has a length of 100 metres minimum, e.g. such that five wagons provide a length of approximately 130 metres; the train contains behind each other wagons of the one and other length in an alternating manner; the train contains a minimum of five wagons; the train contains a minimum or exactly 3 wagons of 90 feet and a minimum or exactly 2 wagons of 60 feet; the central wagon of the train has the maximum length, e.g. 90 feet; the longest wagon has three bogies, of which one midway and one at each end; the centre fixation (tension yoke) is midway the wagon, preferably above the central bogy; before or after transport containers having a length of e.g. 20 or 40 feet; a wagon having a length of 90 feet carries 4 containers of 20 feet length of 2 containers of 40 feet length; a wagon with length 60 feet carries 1 container of 40 feet or 2 containers of 20 feet; each wagon is provided with a minimum or exactly 2 supporting blocks (frames); at each end of a wagon there is a supporting block; a supporting block or centre fixation comprises at both sides of the bundle rails a to above the bundle extending upright part and possibly a below and/or above the bundle from the one to the other upright part extending and to it mounted first and second, respectively, coupling part; the supporting blocks and centre fixation are easily releasable mounted to the wagons; the train is the part of the mutually coupled wagons which supports the to be transported bundle of substantially equally long rails along the complete length.
[0021] Example: five wagons are mutually coupled to a train, the central, front and back wagons are 90 feet, the other two are 60 feet long. Containers are first located on them and transported to a destination. Then the supporting blocks and centre fixation on board of the train are mounted to the wagons and the train moves to a rail factory. The train is at that location loaded with a bundle rails each having a length of 120 metres. The bundle is anchored by the centre fixation and sideways restrained by the supporting blocks. The train is moved to the construction location and the rails are unloaded.
1. Train of at least three mutually coupled wagons to a length of 50 or 80 metres at
a minimum wherein a bundle of rails with a length of 50 or 80 metres at a minimum
is supported by the wagons such that the bundle bears onto at least three wagons,
wherein at least one and preferably all the bundle supporting wagons are of the type
to transport removable containers.
2. Train according to claim 1, wherein the the bundle supporting wagons have a length
of 60 and/or 90 feet.
3. Train according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the the bundle supporting wagons are provided
with quick coupling means to mount the removable containers and supporting blocks
and centre fixation are mounted to said quick coupling means.
4. Train according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the the bundle supporting wagons are alternatingly
of short and long length.
5. Train according to claim 4, wherein the central one of the the bundle supporting wagons
has a long length.
6. Train according to any of claims 1-5, wherein each the bundle supporting wagon is
provided with at least two supporting blocks with which the bundle is held to the
wagon.
7. Train according to any of claims 1-6, wherein the bundle is absent and containers
are mounted onto the wagons while the train comprises a storage in which all released
supporting blocks and the centre fixation are present for correct transport of a bundle.
8. Train according to any of claims 1-7, wherein the part of the train provided by the
the bundle supporting wagons has a length of substantially 130 metres.
9. Method wherein containers and a bundle of rails are transported in an alternating
manner by a number of mutually coupled train wagons which are equipped with quick
couplings for releasable mounting of the containers, with which quick couplings during
transport of the bundle the supporting blocks and centre fixation are mounted to the
wagons to retain the bundle to the wagons.