RAILWAY VEHICLE FOR WORKING OR SERVICE WITH VARIABLE

COMPOSITION, ADAPTED TO BE EQUIPPED FOR PERFORMING

REPAIR, REPLACEMENT, MAINTENANCE, CHECK, INSTALLATION,

TRANSPORT AND OTHER KIND OF WORKS ON RAILWAY LINES,

TRAMWAY LINES AND METROPOLITAN LINES, ADAPTED TO RUN ONTO RAILS AND TO BE TRANSFERRED ON TO THE ROAD IN AN

AUTONOMOUS OR TOWED MANNER

DESCRIPTION

The invention relates to a railway vehicle for working or service with variable composition, provided for performing repair, replacement, maintenance, check, installation, transport and other kind of works on railway lines, tramway lines and metropolitan lines, which is shaped in a manner to be coupled to conventional road towing motor vehicles, in order to be towed on to roads in an usual way toward the railway yards where the works must be performed, so as to be released from the road towing vehicle near the railways and to be able to be approached to and positioned on to the rails thanks to an autonomous guiding and running device provided thereon, and to be subsequently picked up by the same towing motor vehicles when the works are ended, and towed on to road up to the deposit or a new work yard.

Railway vehicles for working are known, which can be run on to railway lines for performing repair, replacement, maintenance, check, installation

and other kind of works. A first kind of railway lines vehicles is constituted by the working trains, which are designed for being parked and displaced exclusively on to rails along the railway lines, which are normally formed by either a head locomotive or two end locomotives driven by diesel motors ; the same are coupled with one or more railway wagons equipped with the working and checking instruments and apparatuses adapted to perform all the requested works. These working trains have the merit to allow to effect variable modular compositions of the wagons, so as to get convoys which may perform the works requested from time to time, however they have at least two significant limitations in use.

The first limitation is represented by the fact that the wagons aren't provided with motors for the autonomous moving thereof, so that the displacement on to the rails of the same wagons requires necessarily the presence of at least a towing locomotive, and moreover the wagons which are released, when they aren't needed for the works to be performed in that specific circumstance, remain unused and inactive on the deposits. The second limitation relates to their transfer capacity, which hardly penalizes them in that the particular expensive cost (due to the complexity and the large dimensions thereof) limits the territorial distribution thereof, so that their transfer among different working yards affects normally very long distances, therefore by determining considerable interruptions and inefficiencies in the ordinary railway line (a transport of the same on the road being not suppo sable) and consequently by requiring very long displacement times thereof with expensive costs. A second kind of vehicles for working on railway lines is represented by the operative machines, constituted normally by a single machine driven by diesel motor and equipped with instruments and appliances for performing a sole kind of work only, the displacement of which on the rails occurs with limited speeds and long times. Even in the case in which such machines would be provided with tired wheels for running on to the road, the reduced speed permitted by the law regulations obliges them to be transferred by road, from a railway working yard to another one, loaded on to specific trailers or semitrailers, often of a special and very expensive

type. These operative machines are less expensive than the working trains and therefore would lend themselves to be widely distributed on the territory, which fact would involve that the transfer distances would be shortened and consequently also the times needed for going from a yard to another one would be reduced, but these machines would be actually often unused because of shortage of a localized request, with consequent inactivity, damaging and increasing of the amortization period thereof. A third kind of vehicles for working on railway lines is constituted by the road-railway trucks, characterized in that to be able to run both on to the road and the rails of the railway lines. These trucks are provided, in addition to the usual road axles with tired wheels, also with axles /bogies with railway wheels being arranged on a raised position when they are running on to the road and the vehicle rests on to the tired wheels, while these wheels are lowered and rests on to the rails of the railway lines, and the road tired wheels are contemporaneously raised so as to allow the vehicle to be moved on to the railway lines.

These kinds of vehicles may displace themselves quickly on to the road from, a working yard to another one, however they have operative limits when used on to the rails, owing to the fact that these motor-vehicles perform mainly a single working function only and with working performances the more times reduced because of the limited residual carrying capacity available for the needed working equipment and the reduced volumes available for containing the same equipment, and this for complying with the E. E. C. regulations relating to the traffic of these kinds of motor-vehicles. Furthermore, they are characterized by such dimensions as to make difficult, and also impossible in many cases, the railway, tramway and metropolitan limit outlines to be observed, above all when running on to bent portions. The present invention relates to a railway vehicle for working or service with variable composition, made in such a manner that to comply with the following requirements :

1. To be able to perform more works at a time and not only a work at a time, being it composed of one or more modules which can be assembled

to each other with different combinations, and this for adapting them quickly to the types and quantities of works required from time to time ;

2. To be able to use the modules which aren't needed by a working yard in other working yards, in that each one of these modules is self-propelled in an autonomous manner and therefore needn't a towing locomotive, thereby shortening the inactive parking time on the deposit ;

3. To have dimensions which are so armonized that to allow the use thereof, without particular limitations, on the railway lines and/ or tramway lines and/ or metropolitan lines and the road, therefore by complying with the various regulations of the respective fields ;

4. To be able to be displaced quickly on the road from a working yard to another one, with reduced costs and without causing troubles to the normal road and railway traffic.

This railway vehicle for working or service is realized with the cosntructive characteristics substantially described hereinafter, with particular reference to the enclosed claims of the present patent.

The invention will be better understood from the following description, given solely by way of not limitative example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein : - Fig. A 1 shows a schematic view of the profile of a module of a railway vehicle according to the invention, on a first embodiment thereof (type semitrailer with loading platform), represented on a first operative condition thereof (running on to the railway) ;

- Fig. A2 shows a schematic view of the profile of a module of a railway vehicle according to the invention, on a second embodiment thereof (type trailer with loading platform), represented on a first operative condition thereof (running on to the railway) ;

- Fig. A3 shows a schematic view of the profile of a module of a railway vehicle according to the invention, on a third embodiment thereof (type semitrailer with van), represented on a first operative condition thereof (running on to the railway) ;

- Fig. A4 shows a schematic view of the profile of a module of a railway vehicle according to the invention, on a fourth embodiment thereof (type

trailer with van), represented on a first operative condition thereof (running on to the railway),

- Fig. B 1 shows a schematic view of the profile of a module of a railway- vehicle according to the invention, on the embodiment Al, represented on a second operative condition thereof (autonomous running by passing close to the road, moving away from or approaching to the rails) ;

- Fig. B 2 shows a schematic view of the profile of a module of a railway vehicle according to the invention, on the embodiment A2, represented on a second operative condition thereof (autonomous running by passing close to the road, moving away from or approaching to the rails) ;

- Fig. B3 shows a schematic view of the profile of a module of a railway vehicle according to the invention, on the embodiment A3, represented on a second operative condition thereof (autonomous running by passing close to the road, moving away from or approaching to the rails), ; - Fig. B4 shows a schematic view of the profile of a module of a railway vehicle according to the invention, on the embodiment A4, represented on a second operative position thereof (autonomous running by passing close to the road, moving away from or approaching to the rails) ;

- Fig. C 1 shows a schematic view of the profile of a module of a railway vehicle according to the invention, on the embodiment Al, represented on a third operative condition thereof (positioned on to the road, arranged for being coupled with the towing vehicle) ;

- Fig. C2 shows a schematic view of the profile of a module of a railway vehicle according to the invention, on the embodiment A2, represented on a third operative condition thereof (positioned on to the road, arranged for being coupled with the towing vehicle) ;

- Fig. C3 shows a schematic view of the profile of a module of a railway vehicle according to the invention, on the embodiment A3, represented on a third operative condition thereof (positioned on to the road, arranged for being coupled with the towing vehicle) ;

- Fig. C4 shows a schematic view of the profile of a module of a railway vehicle according to the invention, on the embodiment A4, represented on a third operative condition thereof (positioned on to the road, arranged for

being coupled with the towing vehicle) ;

- Fig. D 1 shows a schematic view of the profile of a module of a railway vehicle according to the invention, on the embodiment Al, represented on a fourth operative condition thereof (arranged for being coupled with a road tractor) ;

- Fig. D2 shows a schematic view of the profile of a module of a railway vehicle according to the invention, on the embodiment A2, represented on a fourth operative condition thereof (running on to the road towed by a road truck) ; - Fig. D3 shows a schematic view of the profile of a module of a railway vehicle according to the invention, on the embodiment A3, represented on a fourth operative condition thereof (arranged for being coupled to a road tractor) ;

- Fig. D4 shows a schematic view of the profile of a module of a railway vehicle according to the invention, on the embodiment A4, represented on a fourth operative condition thereof (running on to the road towed by a road truck) ;

- Fig. El shows a schematic view of the profile of a module of a railway vehicle according to the invention, on the embodiment Al, represented on a fifth operative condition thereof (running on to the road towed by a road tractor) ;

- Fig. E2 shows a schematic view of the profile of a module of a railway vehicle according to the invention, on the embodiment A2, represented on a fifth operative condition thereof (running on to the road towed by a road tractor) ;

- Fig. E3 shows a schematic view of the profile of a module of a railway vehicle according to the invention, on the embodiment A3, represented on a fifth operative condition thereof (running on to the road towed by a road tractor) ; - Fig. E4 shows a schematic view of the profile of a module of a railway vehicle according to the invention, on the embodiment A4, represented on a fifth operative condition thereof (running on to the road towed by a road tractor) ;

- Fig. Fl shows an enlarged schematic view of the profile of the front part of a module of a railway vehicle according to the invention, on the embodiment and operative condition of the Fig. Bl ;

- Fig. F2 shows an enlarged schematic view of the profile of the back part of a module of a railway vehicle according to the invention, on the embodiment and operative condition of the Fig. B 1 ;

- Fig. Gl shows a schematic view of the profile of a convoy composed of two modules of a railway vehicle, according to the invention, on the embodiment and operative condition of the Fig. A3 ; - Fig. G2 shows a schematic view of the profile of a convoy composed of two modules of a railway vehicle, according to the invention, on the embodiment and operative condition of the Fig. A3 and of a module of a railway vehicle, according to the invention, on the embodiment and operative condition of the Fig. A4. The above mentioned Figures schematically illustrate different kinds of railway vehicles for working or service with variable composition thereof, according to the invention, adapted to perform repair, replacement, maintenance, check, installation, transport and other kind of works on railway lines, tramway lines and metropolitan lines, which are shaped in a manner to be able to be coupled to road motor vehicles adapted to tow, in order to be towed on to the road near the railway lines portions where the works must be effected. Once they have been positioned on to these portions, they will operate in an autonomous manner up to the works are ended, and then will be returned back autonomously on to the road for being coupled again to the towing road motor vehicles and towed on the road up to the deposit or the new working yards. From the Figures it is noticeable that each module of railway vehicle, according to the invention, is constituted substantially by a special carrying frame "11" having mainly two configurations kinds, namely of semitrailer kind (Fig. Al) or trailer kind (Fig. A2), frames on to which two types of bodyworks "12" may be mainly mounted, namely with loading platform (Figs. Al and A2) where some frames, trailers or any support and fixing system for the working instruments and appliances for railway uses

(not illustrated) can be mounted directly thereon or supported below it, or with van-like configuration (Figs. A3 and A4), where some frames, trailers or any support and fixing system for the same working instruments and appliances for railway uses (not illustrated) can be housed thereon or below it. The frame "11" is provided at its end portions with a main guide cabin "13" and a secondary guide cabin "14", both provided for containing one or more motormen for movement and working operations, and both are provided with all the drive and check controls and instruments, adapted to permit the vehicle to run autonomously on to the rails in the two opposite directions, depending on the guide cabin from which it is manoeuvered, and to allow the working equipment to be driven and monitored.

A powered system "15" is adequately secured to the frame "11", which system is constituted by one or more diesel or petrol motors, and/ or electric motors, and/ or electric generators, and/ or oleodynamic motors and pumps, and is intended to determine the autonomous displacement of the vehicle on to the rails and, for limited displacements with reduced speed, on to the road and the passages close to the rails, as well as for supplying ,the working instruments and appliances when performing the requested functions. Furthermore, the frame "11" is also provided at its end portions with a system with couplers and bumpers "16", provided for being able to be coupled at each end portion thereof, through a corresponding system with couplers and bumpers, with other similar vehicles. The frame "11" if is configured like a semitrailer (Figs. Al and A3) carries at its front end portion a device "45S", suitable for being coupled with the fifth wheel of the towing road tractors, while if is configured like a trailer (Figs. A2 and A4) carries a device "45R" with rotatable drawbar, suitable for being coupled to the motor vehicles back towing coupler. Two or more systems "18" for the guide and advancement on to the rails are secured below the frame "11", which are made and operating as it will be described later on and which are controlled by the powered system "15", for determining the displacements of the vehicle on to the rails, before, during and after the works have been effected.

Still below the frame "11" is arranged, at its middle /front part, a system "17" for the guide and advancement on to the road , which is made and operates as it will be described subsequently, and is controlled by the powered system "15", for determining limited displacements at reduced speed and in an autonomous manner of the vehicle on to the road, for going from the same road to the passage close to the rails and vice versa. Again below the frame "11" there are secured one or more road axles "19" provided with tired wheels, on the back portion thereof only in case of a semitrailer configuration (Figures Al and A3), and both on the front and back portion thereof in case of a trailer configuration (Figures A2 and A4) ; these allow the railway vehicle to effect short autonomous displacements (assisted by the device "17") from the passage close to the rails to the road and vice versa, or allow it to effect (without the aid of the device "17") normal transfers on to the road toward the working yards, towed by normal road motor vehicles.

In detail, the operative condition depicted on Figs. Al, A2, A3 and A4, corresponding to running on to the rails, is guaranteed when the railway type devices ^a 18" are lowered on the operative condition thereof, while the device "17" and the device/s "19" are raised on the rest position thereof. The system "18" for the guide and advancement on to the rails, as represented more in detail on the Figs. Fl and F2, is constituted by two or more pairs, namely right hand and left hand pairs, of metallic wheels "24" of railway type, spaced away therefrom in a longitudinal direction, in a manner to arrange themselves on the vehicle front and back zones, while the wheels of each pair are spaced away therefrom in a transversal direction from the distance useful for being inserted into the railway seat (namely the right hand and left hand rail of the railway), thereby being able to be moved on to the same rails, such wheels "24" being wholly or partially driven by the vehicle powered system " 15" and supported by the relative transversal axles or trolleys "25" applied below the frame "11", at least one of which acts as motor or brake, and such axles or trolleys "25" being moved in a vertical direction by a suitable mechanical raising system "23", controlled by a device "26" driven with a mechanical or

oleodynamic or pneumatic or electric system, and since such raising system "23" forms the connection element between the axle or trolley "25" carrying the wheels "24" and the frame "11", it may so be determined the contemporaneous displacement of the wheels "24" from a raised rest position thereof (running condition on to the road) to the lowered operative condition thereof (running condition on to the railway) . The operative condition depicted by the Figs. Bl, B2, B3 and B4, corresponding to the running at reduced speed from the passage close to the rails near the rails to the road and vice versa, is guaranteed when, after the device "17" has been descended to the ground, the railway type devices "18" are raised up to their rest position, by determining the contemporaneous descent and support on to the ground of the road type devices "19". In particular, the system "17" for the guide and advancement on to the road for short portions and with limited speed, as represented more in detail by Fig. Fl, is substantially constituted either by a movable trailer "20" arranged on the vehicle central position and transversal direction thereof, or by a pair of movable trailers "20" spaced away therefrom in the vehicle transversal direction. This or these movable trailers "20" are supported by and connected to the frame "11" by a mechanical raising system "30", coupled to a suitable driving system "21" with mechanical or oleodynamic or pneumatic or electric control. The raising/ lowering system "30" provides for descending the trailer/ s "20", from a raised position thereof (running condition on to the railway or running on to the road with towed vehicle), to a lowered operative position thereof supported by the ground, when limited autonomous displacements at reduced speed of the vehicle are requested (transfer condition from the passage close to the rails to the road and vice versa) . In order to allow the vehicle displacement on to the ground, each one of the movable trailers "20" is provided with a set of wheels and/ or tracks "22", or also with other adequate movement transmission mechanisms (not represented), which are driven always by the vehicle powered system "15" or by any other independent systems thereof. In order to allow the guide on to the ground, the movable trailers "20" may rotate being driven

from the main guide cabin "13". The device "19" is constituted by at least a pair of tired wheels "27" applied to one or more road axles "28", joined through a mechanical system "29" of mechanical or pneumatic or hydraulic suspensions to the frame "11" of the railway vehicle. The operative condition depicted by the Figs. Cl, C2, C3 and C4, corresponding to the parking on to the road in view of being coupled to the towing motor vehicle, is guaranteed when the railway type devices "18" are raised to their rest position and when the road type devices "19" are laid on to the ground. Besides, in case of railway vehicles with frame "11" having a semitrailer configuration, the device "17" must remain lowered for assisting the device "19" to support the vehicle and must be adjusted for arranging the device "45S" to be coupled with the fifth wheel of the tractor motor vehicle (Figs. Cl and C3). On the contray, in case of railway vehicles with frame "11" having a trailer configuration, the device "17" must be raised on a rest position thereof, while the drawbar device "45R" must be lowered longitudinally, for arranging the railway vehicle to be coupled with the road motor vehicle towing coupler (Figs. C2 and C4). The figures D 1 and D3 propose again, with a different representation, the operative condition of the Figs. Cl and C3.

The operative condition depicted by the Figs. D2 and D4, corresponding to the usual running on to the road in the condition towed by a truck, is guaranteed when the railway type devices "18" and the device "17" are raised to their rest position, when the road type devices "19" are laid on to the ground and when the drawbar device "45R" is coupled to the truck towing coupler "H2". The operative condition depicted oby the Figs. El, E2, E3 and E4, corresponding to the usual running on to the road in the condition towed by a road tractor, is guaranteed when the railway type devices "18" and the device "17" are raised on their rest position and when the road type vehicle "19" are laid on to the ground.

Moreover, in case of railway type vehicles with a frame "11" having a semitrailer configuration, the device "45S" must be coupled with the fifth wheel of the tractor "Hl" (Figs. El and E3).

On the contrary, in case of railway vehicles with a frame "11" having a trailer configuration, the drawbar device "45R" must be coupled with the tractor towing coupler "Hl" (Figs. E2 and E4). In accordance to the invention, it is possible to attain variable compositions of the modules of the described types, by using adequately and differently equipped modules, having instruments and appliances for the works on the railway, tramway and metropolitan infrastructure which are suitable to perform the works required from time to time, thus without departing from the protection field of the present invention. Later on, it is summarized the operative procedure by considering by way of example the railway type module having the configuration "3" (see the Figs. A3, B3, C3, D3, E3), taking into account that the same operative steps will be the same also for the other configurations (represented or not represented by the Figure). The road convoy, with the tractor "Hl" having the module of the railway vehicle "K3" which is coupled (Fig. E3), reaches via the road, at normal speed and without particular limitations, the railway line in correspondence to a "passage close to the rails" (for example a level crossing, in which the rails are situated at the height of the road asphalt) nearer to the railway work yard where it must perform the works, by stopping it on the useful position nearer the railway seat. The conditions of the railway vehicle devices are at this point the following: lowered road axle/s "19" with the tired wheels "27" on to the ground, towing coupling system "45S" which is coupled, devices "17" and "18" raised on the rest position thereof. The coupling system "45S" is released and the device "17" (Fig. D3) is lowered until the wheels or the tracks "22" of such trailer/ s "20" are arranged into contact with the ground, thereby raising the railway vehicle front part "K3", on a position allowing the tractor road vehicle "Hl" to be detached, by permitting the tractor to be moved away therefrom (fig. C3). In fact, from the Fig. C3 it can be seen the railway vehicle in the parking step on to the road, near the passage close to the rails, after the towing road vehicle has been moved away, on the slightly squatted position attained for making easier the releasing thereof.

At this point, after the device "17" has been partially raised for assuming again the horizontal position (Fig. B3), the railway vehicle is on the conditions to be moved autonomously, at reduced speed, thanks to the possibilities of traction and guide of the device "17", supported frontally by the wheels and/or tracks "22" and backwardly by the tired wheels "27", until to reach the rails, by aligning its longitudinal axis to that of the railway. Afterwards, as illustrated in the Fig. A3, the devices "18" are lowered until the railway wheels "24" are laid onto the rails and the monoeuvre is continued up to the tired wheels "27" joined to the axle/s "19" are detached from the ground; thereafter the device "17" is fully raised up to its rest position. Now, the railway vehicle is ready, with its own configuration or with a convoy configuration, being coupled to other vehicles of the same or different type and after having been arranged on to the rails in the same described manners, to be moved and to operate autonomously on to the rails, of railway, tramway or metropolitan lines, by forming a "working or service train".

Therefore, there appear evident the advantages attainable with the railway vehicle for work or service with variable composition according to the invention, deriving above all from the possibility to configurate "working or service trains" with variable compositions adapted from time to time to the particular needs. Furthermore, it is possible to use at the same time, in that they are autonomous, the not requested modules for a determinate work or service, singularly or with couplings of various kind of the same modules, for other intervention requests, thereby limiting the deposit parking duration and optimizing at the greatest the use of the available vehicles, with consequent better whole productivity and considerable economical advantages in terms of required costs and investments. Finally, thanks to the fact to be able to separate and combine at will to each other the single modules of each "working or service train", it is possible to use the modules detached from other similar trains, of the type according to the invention, and to transfer them rapidly via road from a railway yard to another one, by utilizing road towing motor vehicles of normal kind, in that the dimensions and the characteristics of the railway

modules according to the invention do not involve any limitation in use, thereby avoiding to provide for this scope very expensive towing or transport motor vehicles of special kind, as well as by avoiding to displace such railway modules onto the railway lines, with the consequent discomforts and inefficiencies that they would cause to the ordinary railway traffic, as it occurs in case of the present working trains, not in accordance with the invention.