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DE-102024133176-A1 - Fall protection for a person working on an arrangement of railway track sections

DE102024133176A1DE 102024133176 A1DE102024133176 A1DE 102024133176A1DE-102024133176-A1

Abstract

A fall protection device (1) for a person (P) working on an arrangement (ST) of railway track sections (S) is disclosed, comprising the following components: • an engagement assembly (2) arranged at a lower end in a service position of the fall protection (1) for releasably engaging and securing it to one or more railway track sections (S) laid in the arrangement (ST) of railway track sections (S), • an actuating assembly (3) connected to the engagement assembly (2) for actuating the engagement assembly (2) for connecting the engagement assembly (2) to and/or releasing the engagement assembly (2) from the railway track section(s) (S), • a fastening section (4) arranged on the engagement assembly (2) and/or on the actuating assembly (3), • a safety line (5) fixed at a first end to the fastening section (4) and • a strap or harness (6) attached to a second end of the safety line (5) opposite the first end for securing the person (P).

Inventors

  • Eike Bögelsack

Assignees

  • Vossloh Rail Services Deutschland GmbH

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20241113

Claims (11)

  1. Fall protection device (1) for a person (P) working on an arrangement (ST) of railway track sections (S), comprising: • an engagement assembly (2) arranged at a lower end of the fall protection device (1) in a working position for releasably engaging and securing it to one or more railway track sections (S) laid in the arrangement (ST) of railway track sections (S); • an actuating assembly (3) connected to the engagement assembly (2) for actuating the engagement assembly (2) to connect the engagement assembly (2) to and/or release the engagement assembly (2) from the railway track section(s) (S); • a fastening section (4) arranged on the engagement assembly (2) and/or on the actuating assembly (3); • a safety line (5) attached at a first end to the fastening section (4); and • a second end opposite the first end of the Safety line (5) fixed belt or harness (6) for securing the person to be secured (P).
  2. Fall protection (1) according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the engagement assembly (2) has rolling or sliding devices (15) with which it can be moved in a position engaged with and fixed to the one or more railway track section(s) (S) in the longitudinal direction of the railway track section (S) or railway track sections (S), without having to be detached from the railway track section(s) (S).
  3. Fall protection device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the actuating assembly (3) has a handling section (18) which extends upwards from the engagement assembly (2) in the operating position of the fall protection device (1).
  4. Fall protection device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has an actuating element (8) for releasing and/or fixing the engagement assembly (2) on the railway track section(s) (S).
  5. Fall protection (1) according to Claim 4 , characterized in that the actuating element (8) is arranged on the actuating assembly (3) in a position remote from the engagement assembly (2).
  6. Fall protection device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the engagement assembly (2) has a C-shaped cross-section retaining clamp which, in the operating position of the fall protection device (1), has an opening pointing downwards and which is designed and configured to grip a rail head (SK) of a railway track section (S) and to engage behind it with sections projecting inwards at the opening.
  7. Fall protection (1) according to Claim 6 , characterized in that the retaining clamp is shaped and arranged to bear against a rail web (SG) adjoining the rail head (SK) with the sections adjacent to the opening in a state fixed on the railway track section (S).
  8. Fall protection (1) according to one of the Claims 6 or 7 , characterized in that the holding clamp has rollers (15) in positions facing the rail (S) in a state fixed on the railway track section (S) for rolling in the longitudinal direction of the railway track section (S).
  9. Fall protection (1) according to one of the Claims 6 until 8 , characterized in that the retaining clamp is provided with a spreading mechanism (11) for opening and/or closing the retaining clamp when it is to be released from or fixed to a railway track section (S).
  10. Fall protection device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has a braking device to prevent movement of the engagement assembly (2) in the longitudinal direction of the railway track section (S) and/or the railway track sections (S).
  11. Method for securing a person working on an arrangement of railway track sections using a fall protection device according to one of the preceding claims and comprising the following steps: • Detachably engaging and securing the engagement assembly on one or more railway track sections placed in the uppermost position in the arrangement of railway track sections, • Connecting the safety line to the attachment section, • The person to be secured putting on the harness or strap connected to the safety line.

Description

The present invention relates to a fall protection device for a person working on an arrangement of railway track sections. For the construction, expansion, and maintenance of railway infrastructure, sections of railway track are regularly installed and/or replaced. This occurs during track construction work for new lines or as part of maintenance or renovation of existing track sections. In this context, the railway track sections intended for use on-site, i.e., at the track construction site, must first be provided and transported to the site. To reduce the workload on-site and thus shorten setup and construction times, track sections manufactured by rail producers are regularly joined in rail welding plants to form so-called long rail sections, which can already be over 100 meters long. The rail welding plants keep in stock the track sections supplied by the producers, which are to be welded into these long rail sections. These rail sections are typically stacked in piles, in which several track sections are placed directly next to each other and, as a rule, laterally abutting each other, forming a single stack in one plane. Several such stacks are then placed on top of each other, usually with spacers such as wooden beams in between. The fully welded long rails are also regularly stored in such stacks before further transport. Since there are different formats for railway tracks, e.g. depending on the country in which the associated rail network is formed, or also on the type of tracks equipped with the rails - here, for example, high-speed tracks can be fitted with different rails than tracks used only for regional transport. Similar stacks of rails are also formed in the factories of rail manufacturers, where the rail pieces removed from production are first collected and stored before being transported away in larger batches for further use. Finally, for the transport of railway track sections, whether these are track sections produced by the track manufacturers or long track sections assembled from these track sections in, for example, track welding plants, the rails are placed on appropriate transport vehicles, e.g., on railway flat wagons, and arranged in stack-like configurations. When such arrangements of railway track sections are to be formed, i.e., stacked, or dismantled, i.e., rails removed or lifted, it is regularly necessary for personnel to intervene. These personnel must be present and moving around on the arrangements of railway track sections, such as the stacks of rails. For example, they must attach or detach lifting devices of cranes or other machinery used to move the railway track sections, place or remove spacers such as wooden blocks, or align the railway track sections to align them along their length and place them close together. These individuals, who work on railway track stacks, must move about on these structures. Since the structures themselves, such as track stacks in storage areas, often rise considerably, or similar structures on transport vehicles already protrude significantly above the ground due to the vehicle's height, there is an increased risk of falls and injuries for the workers. Furthermore, the railway track stacks are generally located outdoors, which, especially in adverse weather conditions like rain, snow, or frost, can cause the rail heads, on which the workers typically move, to become smooth and slippery. Therefore, to maintain workplace safety and protect those working on these railway track structures, it is essential to prevent falls from these structures, or, in the event of a fall, to protect the individual from falling. The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a fall protection system that allows persons working on an arrangement of railway track sections to move around on the arrangements and carry out the necessary work there. This problem is solved according to the invention by a fall protection device with the features of claim 1. Advantageous further developments of such a fall protection device according to the invention are described in claims 2 to 10. The invention provides for a novel fall protection system proposed here for a A person working on an arrangement of railway track sections initially presents the following: • an engagement assembly arranged at a lower end in a service position of the fall protection system for releasably engaging and securing one or more railway track sections laid in the arrangement of railway track sections, • an actuating assembly connected to the engagement assembly for actuating the engagement assembly to connect the engagement assembly to and/or release the engagement assembly from the railway track section(s), • a fastening section arranged on the engagement assembly and/or on the actuating assembly, • a safety line fixed to the fastening section with one end attached and • a strap or harness attached to a second end of the safety line opposite the first end for securing the perso