Title of Invention	METHOD FOR CLEANING OF A BALLAST BED OF A TRACK
Abstract	In a method for rehabilitation of a ballast bed (2) of a track (3) - in dependence upon the degree of fouling of the ballast bed (2) - in a first working method (A), an upper layer (34) of the ballast is picked up by a front clearing device (16) - with regard to a working direction - and transported to' a first conveyor belt unit (27). Parallel thereto, the remaining ballast (25) is picked up by a rear clearing device (20) - with regard to the working direction - and transported to a second conveyor belt unit (29) to be carried away for disposal. In a second working method (B) which can be carried out selectively, the ballast (25) is picked up exclusively by the rear clearing device (20) and deflected onto the first conveyor belt unit (27) for cleaning, while the front clearing device (16) is in an inoperative position. A deflecting device (33) is provided for selectively diverting the ballast from the second to the first conveyor belt unit (29, 27).

Title of Invention

METHOD FOR CLEANING OF A BALLAST BED OF A TRACK

Abstract

In a method for rehabilitation of a ballast bed (2) of a track (3) - in dependence upon the degree of fouling of the ballast bed (2) - in a first working method (A), an upper layer (34) of the ballast is picked up by a front clearing device (16) - with regard to a working direction - and transported to' a first conveyor belt unit (27). Parallel thereto, the remaining ballast (25) is picked up by a rear clearing device (20) - with regard to the working direction - and transported to a second conveyor belt unit (29) to be carried away for disposal. In a second working method (B) which can be carried out selectively, the ballast (25) is picked up exclusively by the rear clearing device (20) and deflected onto the first conveyor belt unit (27) for cleaning, while the front clearing device (16) is in an inoperative position. A deflecting device (33) is provided for selectively diverting the ballast from the second to the first conveyor belt unit (29, 27).

Full Text	FORM 2 THE PATENT ACT 1970 (39 of 1970) The Patents Rules, 2003 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (See Section 10, and rule 13) TITLE OF INVENTION METHOD AND INSTALLATION. FOR CLEANING OF A BALLAST BED OF A TRACK APPLICANT(S) a) Name b) Nationality c) Address FRANZ PLASSER BAHNBAUMASCHINEN-INDUSTRIEGESELLSCHAFT MBH AUSTRIAN Company JOHANNESGASSE 3, A-1010 WIEN, AUSTRIA PREAMBLE TO THE DESCRIPTION The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed : - CERTIFICATION Dated this 28th day of March 2008 I, Helmut P. Wind, of Drischutzgasse 10/32, A-1110 Vienna, Austria, hereby certify that I am well acquainted with the English and German languages and that I am the translator of the documents in respect of an international patent application filed on the 15th of September 2006 as PCT/EP2006/066399, and certify that the following is a true and correct translation to the best of my knowledge and belief. The invention relates to a method for rehabilitation of a ballast bed of a track, wherein fouled ballast is picked up by a clearing device and transported by a first conveyor belt unit to a screening unit for cleaning, and also to an arrangement according to the features cited in the introductory part of claim 2. An arrangement of this type for ballast bed rehabilitation is known from EP 0 681 062 Bl. By means of a forward, first clearing device, an upper layer of ballast is picked up which, after cleaning, is returned to the ballast bed for re-use. The remaining, heavily fouled ballast is. picked up by a following, second clearing device and intermediately stored in storage wagons for disposal. Machines of this type are used for formation rehabilitation, wherein the subsoil is improved by removal of a fouled ballast layer and introduction of a formation protective layer. According to US 6 637 133, it is also known to improve the picking-up performance of the clearing device inasmuch as the ballast bed to be cleaned is picked up by joint operation of a first and a second clearing device and transported to a screening plant for common cleaning. This embodiment is suitable especially for a particularly efficient screening plant. It is the object of the present invention to provide a method of the type mentioned at the beginning with which better adaptation to different operating conditions is possible. According to the invention, this object is achieved with a method of the specified kind by means of the features cited in the characterizing part of claim 1. The possibility, created by this method, of choosing between two different modes of operation allows in an advantageous way to adjust to various conditions prevailing at the work site, and thus to optimize the work result. Depending upon the degree of fouling, it is possible, on the one hand, to clean only the upper part of the ballast bed while the lower part is removed and -2- transported away by means of the second conveyor belt unit, but is not re-used. On the other hand, however, it is also possible to excavate the entire ballast bed at once by means of only the second, larger clearing device and subject it to cleaning, after which the cleaned ballast is re-introduced upon the formation. Additional advantages of the invention become apparent from claim 2 and the description of the drawing. The invention will be described in more detail below with reference to an embodiment represented in the drawing in which Figs. 1 und 2 show a side view of an arrangement for ballast bed rehabilitation, during operations for carrying out the working method A according to the invention, and Figs. 3 und 4 show said arrangement in operation according to method B. An arrangement 1, shown in Figs. 1 and 2 (or Figs. 3 and 4), for rehabilitation of a ballast bed 2 of a track 3 consists of a number of vehicles 6 coupled to one another and mobile on the track in a working direction 5 by means of on-track undercarriages 4. Said vehicles are essentially composed of an excavating machine 7, a ballast processing car 8 preceding the former in the working direction 5, a screening car 9, and further vehicles not shown here in detail. The excavating machine 7 comprises a machine frame 13 formed of two frame parts 11,12 connected to one another by a joint 10. The frame parts 11 and 12 can be spread apart by means of a spreading drive 14 arranged above the joint 10, thus making it possible to lift in a vertical direction an on-track undercarriage 4 provided in the region of the joint. During this, the on-track undercarriage 4 remains in contact with the track 3 which is automatically lifted at the same time with the aid of rail grippers 15. ' -3- The front frame part 11, in the working direction 5, is connected to a front clearing device 16 having the shape of an endless clearing chain 19 for picking up fouled ballast 25, the clearing chain 19 being vertically and transversely adjustable as well as rotatable by drives 17 or 18, respectively. Associated with the clearing chain 19 is a receiving end 26 of a first conveyor belt unit 27 which extends in the longitudinal direction of the machine to the ballast processing car 8 and onward to the screening car 9 and is shown as a heavy dash-and-dot line. Located on the rear frame part 12 is a further, rear clearing device 20, designed as an endless clearing chain 23 vertically and transversely adjustable by drives 21 and rotatable by a drive 22, which is associated with a receiving end 28 of a second conveyor belt unit 29 extending in the longitudinal direction of the machine. The second conveyor belt unit 29 extends above the first conveyor belt unit 27 and approximately parallel to the same. A further, third conveyor belt unit 30 (shown in heavy dashed lines) is provided for transporting the ballast cleaned in the screening car 9 back, against the working direction 5, to behind the excavation point, and to discharge it into the track 3 again. Provided in the front end region 32 of the excavating machine 7 is a deflecting device 33 which serves for selectively deflecting the ballast 25, coming from the rear clearing device 20, from the second conveyor belt unit 29 onto the first conveyor belt unit 27. In the case shown here, said deflecting device 33 consists of a pivot drive 24 by means of which the rear end 35, in the working direction 5, of a conveyor belt 36 - forming part of the second conveyor belt unit 29 - can be swung upward in the vertical direction (see Fig. 4). As a result, the conveyor belt 37, positioned immediately there under, of the first conveyor belt unit 27 is exposed, as it were, so that the ballast 25 can now fall freely from the second conveyor belt unit 29 directly upon the first conveyor belt unit 27. The two variants A and B of the method according to the invention will now be described briefly. -4- In the first working method A (see Figs. 1 and 2), with the track 3 being raised with the aid of the rail grippers 15 and additional track lifting devices 38, only the upper ballast layer 34 of the ballast bed 2 is removed by means of the front clearing device 16. By means of the first conveyor belt unit 27, said fouled ballast 25 is transported off towards the front, in the working direction 5, to a screening unit 39 of the screening car 9 (see small arrows). While passing through the ballast processing car 8, the ballast 25 may also be pre-treated, if desired, by a pre-separator 40 and/or an impact breaker 41 in order to enhance the cleaning performance. By means of the third conveyor belt unit 30, the cleaned ballast is transported back from the screen 39 against the working direction 5 to be discharged again in the region of the rear clearing device 20 upon the formation 31 which has been rehabilitated in the meantime. Parallel thereto, the remaining rest of the ballast 25 of the ballast bed 2 is excavated by means of the second, rear clearing device 20 and transported forward in the working direction 5 via the second conveyor belt unit 29 to an end 42 of the arrangement 1, where the ballast is loaded - together with the spoil coming from the pre-separator 40, impact breaker 41 and screen 39 - for disposal on bulk good transport wagons, for example, which are not shown. Differing from the above, in the second working method B (see Figs. 3 and 4) the front clearing device 16 is not used, and the front clearing chain 19 is in its raised inoperative position. When operating the arrangement 1 in this manner as a high-performance cleaning machine, the clearing chain 23 of the rear clearing device 20 now excavates the entire ballast bed 2 at once and discharges the fouled ballast 25 on the second conveyor belt unit 29. In the front end region 32 of the excavating machine 7, as a result of the deflecting device 33 being folded upward, the ballast 25 is now diverted onto the first conveyor belt unit 27 positioned directly there under, and is transported by the latter to the screening unit 39 for ballast cleaning in order to then be guided back to the track 3 again by means of the third conveyor belt unit 30. To increase the screening performance, it is advantageous to pre-clean the ballast 25 by means of the pre-separator 40 and the impact breaker 41. In this way, it is possible with only a -5- single screening plant to clean the quantities of ballast picked up by the very efficient clearing chain 23. Within the scope of the invention, other embodiments of the deflecting device 33 are also possible. For instance, the end 35 of the conveyor belt 36, instead of being swung upward, could simply be pivoted laterally or horizontally, or could be displaced in its longitudinal direction, in order to provide access to the conveyor belt 37, lying there under, of the first conveyor belt unit 27. It would also be conceivable to use deflecting flaps. -6- WE CLAIM: 1. A method for rehabilitation of a ballast bed (2) of a track (3), wherein fouled ballast (25) is picked up by a clearing device (16, 20) and transported by a first conveyor belt unit (27) to a screening unit (39) for cleaning, characterized by a first and a second working method (A, B) carried out selectively in dependence upon the degree of fouling of the ballast bed (2), wherein a) in the first working method (A), an upper layer (34) of the ballast is picked up by a front clearing device (16) - with regard to a working direction - and transported to the first conveyor belt unit (27), while parallel thereto the remaining ballast (25) is picked up by a rear clearing devide (20) - with regard to the working direction - and transported to a second conveyor belt unit (29) to be carried away for disposal, or b) in the second working method (B), the ballast (25) is picked up exclusively by the rear clearing device (20) and deflected onto the first conveyor belt unit (27) for cleaning, while the front clearing device (16) is in an inoperative position. 2. An arrangement for rehabilitation of a ballast bed (2) of a track (3), consisting of a number of vehicles (6) coupled to one another, the arrangement including a front clearing device (16), with regard to a working direction (5), for picking up an upper ballast layer (34) and discharging the same upon a first conveyor belt unit (27) for further transport to a screening unit (39), and a rear clearing device (20) provided for picking up the remaining ballast (25) situated below the upper ballast layer (34), wherein a receiving end (28) of a second conveyor belt unit (29) for further transport to an end (42) of the arrangement is associated with the rear clearing device -7- (20), characterized in that a deflecting device (33) is provided for selectively diverting the ballast from the second to the first conveyor belt unit (29,27). Dated this 9th day of June 2008. HIRAL CHANDKAKANT JOSHI AGENT FOR FRANZ PLASSER BAHNBAUMASCHINEN-INDUSTRIEGESELLSCHAFT MBH -8-

Full Text

FORM 2
THE PATENT ACT 1970 (39 of 1970)
The Patents Rules, 2003 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (See Section 10, and rule 13)
TITLE OF INVENTION
METHOD AND INSTALLATION. FOR CLEANING OF A BALLAST BED OF A TRACK

APPLICANT(S)
a) Name
b) Nationality
c) Address

FRANZ PLASSER BAHNBAUMASCHINEN-INDUSTRIEGESELLSCHAFT MBH AUSTRIAN Company JOHANNESGASSE 3, A-1010 WIEN, AUSTRIA

PREAMBLE TO THE DESCRIPTION
The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed : -

CERTIFICATION
Dated this 28th day of March 2008
I, Helmut P. Wind, of Drischutzgasse 10/32, A-1110 Vienna, Austria, hereby certify that I am well acquainted with the English and German languages and that I am the translator of the documents in respect of an international patent application filed on the 15th of September 2006 as PCT/EP2006/066399, and certify that the following is a true and correct translation to the best of my knowledge and belief.

The invention relates to a method for rehabilitation of a ballast bed of a track, wherein fouled ballast is picked up by a clearing device and transported by a first conveyor belt unit to a screening unit for cleaning, and also to an arrangement according to the features cited in the introductory part of claim 2.
An arrangement of this type for ballast bed rehabilitation is known from EP 0 681 062 Bl. By means of a forward, first clearing device, an upper layer of ballast is picked up which, after cleaning, is returned to the ballast bed for re-use. The remaining, heavily fouled ballast is. picked up by a following, second clearing device and intermediately stored in storage wagons for disposal. Machines of this type are used for formation rehabilitation, wherein the subsoil is improved by removal of a fouled ballast layer and introduction of a formation protective layer.
According to US 6 637 133, it is also known to improve the picking-up performance of the clearing device inasmuch as the ballast bed to be cleaned is picked up by joint operation of a first and a second clearing device and transported to a screening plant for common cleaning. This embodiment is suitable especially for a particularly efficient screening plant.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a method of the type mentioned at the beginning with which better adaptation to different operating conditions is possible.
According to the invention, this object is achieved with a method of the specified kind by means of the features cited in the characterizing part of claim 1.
The possibility, created by this method, of choosing between two different modes of operation allows in an advantageous way to adjust to various conditions prevailing at the work site, and thus to optimize the work result. Depending upon the degree of fouling, it is possible, on the one hand, to clean only the upper part of the ballast bed while the lower part is removed and
-2-

transported away by means of the second conveyor belt unit, but is not re-used. On the other hand, however, it is also possible to excavate the entire ballast bed at once by means of only the second, larger clearing device and subject it to cleaning, after which the cleaned ballast is re-introduced upon the formation.
Additional advantages of the invention become apparent from claim 2 and the description of the drawing.
The invention will be described in more detail below with reference to an embodiment represented in the drawing in which
Figs. 1 und 2 show a side view of an arrangement for ballast bed rehabilitation, during operations for carrying out the working method A according to the invention, and
Figs. 3 und 4 show said arrangement in operation according to method B.
An arrangement 1, shown in Figs. 1 and 2 (or Figs. 3 and 4), for rehabilitation of a ballast bed 2 of a track 3 consists of a number of vehicles 6 coupled to one another and mobile on the track in a working direction 5 by means of on-track undercarriages 4. Said vehicles are essentially composed of an excavating machine 7, a ballast processing car 8 preceding the former in the working direction 5, a screening car 9, and further vehicles not shown here in detail.
The excavating machine 7 comprises a machine frame 13 formed of two frame parts 11,12 connected to one another by a joint 10. The frame parts 11 and 12 can be spread apart by means of a spreading drive 14 arranged above the joint 10, thus making it possible to lift in a vertical direction an on-track undercarriage 4 provided in the region of the joint. During this, the on-track undercarriage 4 remains in contact with the track 3 which is automatically lifted at the same time with the aid of rail grippers 15. '
-3-

The front frame part 11, in the working direction 5, is connected to a front clearing device 16 having the shape of an endless clearing chain 19 for picking up fouled ballast 25, the clearing chain 19 being vertically and transversely adjustable as well as rotatable by drives 17 or 18, respectively. Associated with the clearing chain 19 is a receiving end 26 of a first conveyor belt unit 27 which extends in the longitudinal direction of the machine to the ballast processing car 8 and onward to the screening car 9 and is shown as a heavy dash-and-dot line.
Located on the rear frame part 12 is a further, rear clearing device 20, designed as an endless clearing chain 23 vertically and transversely adjustable by drives 21 and rotatable by a drive 22, which is associated with a receiving end 28 of a second conveyor belt unit 29 extending in the longitudinal direction of the machine. The second conveyor belt unit 29 extends above the first conveyor belt unit 27 and approximately parallel to the same. A further, third conveyor belt unit 30 (shown in heavy dashed lines) is provided for transporting the ballast cleaned in the screening car 9 back, against the working direction 5, to behind the excavation point, and to discharge it into the track 3 again.
Provided in the front end region 32 of the excavating machine 7 is a deflecting device 33 which serves for selectively deflecting the ballast 25, coming from the rear clearing device 20, from the second conveyor belt unit 29 onto the first conveyor belt unit 27. In the case shown here, said deflecting device 33 consists of a pivot drive 24 by means of which the rear end 35, in the working direction 5, of a conveyor belt 36 - forming part of the second conveyor belt unit 29 - can be swung upward in the vertical direction (see Fig. 4). As a result, the conveyor belt 37, positioned immediately there under, of the first conveyor belt unit 27 is exposed, as it were, so that the ballast 25 can now fall freely from the second conveyor belt unit 29 directly upon the first conveyor belt unit 27.
The two variants A and B of the method according to the invention will now be described briefly.
-4-

In the first working method A (see Figs. 1 and 2), with the track 3 being raised with the aid of the rail grippers 15 and additional track lifting devices 38, only the upper ballast layer 34 of the ballast bed 2 is removed by means of the front clearing device 16. By means of the first conveyor belt unit 27, said fouled ballast 25 is transported off towards the front, in the working direction 5, to a screening unit 39 of the screening car 9 (see small arrows). While passing through the ballast processing car 8, the ballast 25 may also be pre-treated, if desired, by a pre-separator 40 and/or an impact breaker 41 in order to enhance the cleaning performance. By means of the third conveyor belt unit 30, the cleaned ballast is transported back from the screen 39 against the working direction 5 to be discharged again in the region of the rear clearing device 20 upon the formation 31 which has been rehabilitated in the meantime. Parallel thereto, the remaining rest of the ballast 25 of the ballast bed 2 is excavated by means of the second, rear clearing device 20 and transported forward in the working direction 5 via the second conveyor belt unit 29 to an end 42 of the arrangement 1, where the ballast is loaded - together with the spoil coming from the pre-separator 40, impact breaker 41 and screen 39 - for disposal on bulk good transport wagons, for example, which are not shown.
Differing from the above, in the second working method B (see Figs. 3 and 4) the front clearing device 16 is not used, and the front clearing chain 19 is in its raised inoperative position. When operating the arrangement 1 in this manner as a high-performance cleaning machine, the clearing chain 23 of the rear clearing device 20 now excavates the entire ballast bed 2 at once and discharges the fouled ballast 25 on the second conveyor belt unit 29. In the front end region 32 of the excavating machine 7, as a result of the deflecting device 33 being folded upward, the ballast 25 is now diverted onto the first conveyor belt unit 27 positioned directly there under, and is transported by the latter to the screening unit 39 for ballast cleaning in order to then be guided back to the track 3 again by means of the third conveyor belt unit 30. To increase the screening performance, it is advantageous to pre-clean the ballast 25 by means of the pre-separator 40 and the impact breaker 41. In this way, it is possible with only a
-5-

single screening plant to clean the quantities of ballast picked up by the very efficient clearing chain 23.
Within the scope of the invention, other embodiments of the deflecting device 33 are also possible. For instance, the end 35 of the conveyor belt 36, instead of being swung upward, could simply be pivoted laterally or horizontally, or could be displaced in its longitudinal direction, in order to provide access to the conveyor belt 37, lying there under, of the first conveyor belt unit 27. It would also be conceivable to use deflecting flaps.
-6-

WE CLAIM:
1. A method for rehabilitation of a ballast bed (2) of a track (3), wherein fouled
ballast (25) is picked up by a clearing device (16, 20) and transported by a
first conveyor belt unit (27) to a screening unit (39) for cleaning,
characterized by a first and a second working method (A, B) carried out
selectively in dependence upon the degree of fouling of the ballast bed (2),
wherein
a) in the first working method (A), an upper layer (34) of the ballast is picked up by a front clearing device (16) - with regard to a working direction - and transported to the first conveyor belt unit (27), while parallel thereto the remaining ballast (25) is picked up by a rear clearing devide (20) - with regard to the working direction - and transported to a second conveyor belt unit (29) to be carried away for disposal, or
b) in the second working method (B), the ballast (25) is picked up exclusively by the rear clearing device (20) and deflected onto the first conveyor belt unit (27) for cleaning, while the front clearing device (16) is in an inoperative position.
2. An arrangement for rehabilitation of a ballast bed (2) of a track (3),
consisting of a number of vehicles (6) coupled to one another, the
arrangement including a front clearing device (16), with regard to a working
direction (5), for picking up an upper ballast layer (34) and discharging the
same upon a first conveyor belt unit (27) for further transport to a screening
unit (39), and a rear clearing device (20) provided for picking up the
remaining ballast (25) situated below the upper ballast layer (34), wherein a
receiving end (28) of a second conveyor belt unit (29) for further transport to
an end (42) of the arrangement is associated with the rear clearing device
-7-

(20), characterized in that a deflecting device (33) is provided for selectively diverting the ballast from the second to the first conveyor belt unit (29,27).
Dated this 9th day of June 2008.
HIRAL CHANDKAKANT JOSHI AGENT FOR FRANZ PLASSER BAHNBAUMASCHINEN-INDUSTRIEGESELLSCHAFT MBH
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METHOD FOR CLEANING OF A BALLAST BED OF A TRACK

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