Apparatus and method for automatically passing gaps in railroad cross-overs by an apparatus contacting the upper face of the rail and connected to a running railway vehicle.

摘要

1. Method for automatically traversing the gaps (2) in railroad points and crossings by an apparatus (6) contacting the running surface of the rails (8) and carried by a moving railway vehicle (4), characterised by the fact : a) that the presence of the gaps is detected by at least one contactless proximity sensor (11) carried likewise by the vehicle (4) just above the upper face (7) of the rails (8) and at a certain distance in front of the contact apparatus (6) according to a fixed direction of progression (5) ; b) that a signal which is representative of the distance covered by the vehicle is generated by an appropriate means (17) ; c) that the gap detection information coming from the sensor or sensors (11) is offset by a quantity corresponding to the distance-covered information, according to the said certain distance between the sensors (11) and the contact apparatus (6), reduced and increased respectively by a certain quantity for the rise and descent of the contact apparatus (6) ; and d) that actuators (25) for elevating and lowering the contact apparatus (6) are controlled according to the information thus offset.