Assembly and method for testing point machines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9823164-B2
Application number	US-201515123708-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 16, 2015
Priority date	Apr 3, 2014
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

A device under test, such as a point machine, which is screwed to two longitudinal supports, which can be individually moved horizontally and vertically is provided. Thus, a highly flexible solution is created, because even devices under test having unknown or asymmetric dimensions can be fittingly accommodated and positioned. Linear drives enable highly accurate positioning of the supports, in particular even if the supports are have high inherent weight or are already loaded with the device under test. According to one embodiment, the mechanical system is designed to grasp and/or to lift a mounting cart by means of the supports, on which mounting cart the device under test is fastened by screwing. This provides the advantage that the device under test can be tested while mounted directly to the mounting cart without separate transferring and screwing of the device under test being required.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An assembly for testing point machines,
having at least one receptacle device comprising:
at least two supports which are adapted for receiving a point machine as a specimen, or for receiving a mounting truck on which a point machine as a specimen is mounted; and
a mechanism which is adapted for displacing the supports both in the horizontal direction and in the vertical direction;

having a test bed which disposes of a force generator which is adapted for applying counterforces to the specimen while the specimen on the test bed performs actuation procedures, on account of which the test bed is adapted for adjusting and/or testing forces which are generated by the specimen; and
wherein the force generator and the mechanism in mechanical and electrical terms are mutually independent such that the supports are displaceable without being influenced by the test bed or by the force generator, on account of which a predefined coupled position between the specimen and the force generator is adjustable.

2. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the mechanism is adapted for adjusting a horizontal spacing between the supports.

3. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the mechanism is adapted for displacing the supports in a mutually independent manner, both in the horizontal direction and in the vertical direction.

4. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the mechanism for displacing the supports in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction has horizontal and vertical linear guides, which are linear friction bearings, dovetail guides, profiled rail guides, or caged rail guides.

5. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the mechanism for each of the supports is specified with one dedicated horizontal linear drive and with one dedicated vertical linear drive, said linear drives both being adapted for automated displacement of the respective support to a required position.

6. The assembly as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the mechanism is configured from at least two vertically mounted cross tables and/or vertically mounted X-Y linear drives, one of the supports being mounted on each thereof.

7. The assembly as claimed in claim 5 , wherein each support is mounted on a support slide which is displaceable by the respective vertical linear drive; wherein each vertical linear drive is mounted on a transverse slide which is displaceable by the respective horizontal linear drive.

8. The assembly as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the linear drives interact with in each case parallel guides which are constructed for guiding the respective slides; and
wherein the linear drives each include one hydraulic or electric linear motor or linear actuator.

9. The assembly as claimed in claim 5 , having a controller in which support positions depending on types of specimens are programmed, whereby the controller is adapted for actuating the linear drives and for automated displacing of the supports to the support positions.

10. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the mechanism by way of the supports is conceived for gripping and/or lifting a mounting truck, the specimen being fastenable thereto by a screw connection; and wherein the supports have fastening elements, which are bolts, pins, gripping arms, depressions, or horizontal bores, which are disposed inboard and which permit the mounting truck to be gripped in particular by clamping the mounting truck between the supports.

11. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the supports have vertical threaded bores which permit fastening of the specimen by a screw connection.

12. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the supports have outboard fastening means, which are dovetail profiles, which are screwed into horizontal threaded bores and which are adapted for fastening additional fastening elements, in particular clamps, for the specimen.

13. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the receptacle device is mounted on the test bed per se, or on the floor beside the test bed.

14. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the test bed has a test-bed interface which has at least one horizontal guide; having a slide which is displaceable along the horizontal guide; and having at least two of the receptacle devices which are mounted beside one another on the slide.

15. The assembly as claimed in claim 14 ,
having a running gear which is composed of rollers, wheels, or a guide, which supports the slide on a ground.

16. The assembly as claimed in claim 14 ,
having at least one protective wall which is mounted between the receptacle devices on the slide;
or
having a protective hood which is mounted on the test bed.

17. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 ,
having an adapter truck which has a frame on which the receptacle device is mounted; and wherein the frame has a truck interface by way of which the adapter truck is capable of being mechanically coupled to a test-bed interface of the test bed.

18. The assembly as claimed in claim 17 ,
having an adapter station which is adapted for mechanically coupling the truck interface of the adapter truck to the adapter station; and
by the mechanism for displacing the supports both in the horizontal direction and in the vertical direction.

19. The assembly as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the mechanism for each of the supports has a drive shaft for a self-locking actuator gear for displacing the respective support in a direction X; and wherein the mechanism for each of the supports has a drive shaft for a self-locking actuator gear for displacing the respective support in a direction Y which is orthogonal to the direction X.

20. The assembly as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the drive shafts each have a mechanical connector for transmitting torque, by way of which the drive shafts, when mechanically coupling the adapter truck to the adapter station, are capable of being automatically docked to actuators in the adapter station.

21. The assembly as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the truck interface has an electric plug connector which when mechanically coupling the adapter truck to the test bed or to the adapter station is automatically plugged into an electrical plug connector of the test-bed interface or of the adapter station.

22. The assembly as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the adapter truck has an actuator for each drive shaft; and wherein the adapter station by way of the electrical plug connectors provides electric power and control signals to the actuators, in order for the supports to be displaced.

23. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 , having a mounting truck which is adapted for receiving the point machine and which is capable of being fixed by a form-fit between the supports.

24. A method for testing a point machine,
displacing by way of a mechanism at least two supports both in the horizontal direction and in the vertical direction; and
mounting a point machine as a specimen on the supports; or
gripping and/or lifting with the mechanism by way of the supports, a mounting truck to which a point machine as the specimen is fastened;
applying with a test bed counterforces to the specimen by way of a force generator while the specimen on the test bed performs actuation procedures, wherein forces which are generated by the specimen are adjusted and/or tested; and
displacing the supports prior to mounting of the specimen without being influenced by the test bed or by the force ge

Assignees

• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Dudeck Sven Gerhard

Classifications

• B61L5/06 Primary

  Electric devices for operating points or scotch-blocks {, e.g. using electromotive driving means} · CPC title

• B61L5/00 Primary

  Local operating mechanisms for points or track-mounted scotch-blocks; Visible or audible signals; Local operating mechanisms for visible or audible signals (B61L11/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01M17/08 Primary

  Railway vehicles · CPC title

• G01M13/00 Primary

  Testing of machine parts · CPC title