METHOD OF AND DEVICE FOR REPLACEMENT OF SWITCHES Russian patent published in 2002 - IPC

FIELD: railway transport. SUBSTANCE: according to proposed method, all load lifting operations are carried out by means of gantry lifts provided with telescopic rail grips with crossmembers which are transported to site in fully assembled state with self-loading onto vehicle on which they are turned through right angle in plan. One and then same vehicles are used for transportation of replaced and new units. Gantry lifts with crossmembers are installed in zone of switch to be replaced, then new switch unit is unloading from vehicle and is placed on top of unit to be replaced, and units are connected by rail grips of crossmembers into common pack. Then pack is lifted with turning over into upper horizontal position to adjoin span beams of gantry lifts by means of rail grips. Rails of new and replaceable units are turned upside down. After cleaning track base, pack is disconnected with replaceable unit left adjoining span beams being held by lifting rail grips. New unit, taken by telescopic rail grips is turned over in reverse order and is placed on base with fastening of butt joints. Free crossmembers are driven under replaceable unit re-gripping it by rail grips of crossmembers, unit is separated from span beams, is turned over in reverse order and is transferred into loading zone and placed on vehicle which is fed along restored track. All telescopic mechanisms are furnished with drive. Support pivot is provided in middle part of crossmember. Invention provides replacement of switches at nonobstructed running of rail vehicles over neighbor tracks. EFFECT: working equipment reduced to minimum. 4 cl, 26 dwg