Method and track tamping machine for tamping a track

1 . A method for tamping a plurality of sleepers of a track supported in a ballast bed by means of a plurality of tamping units arranged one behind another on a machine frame of a track tamping machine with tamping tools opposite each other in pairs, with only one sleeper being tamped by means of a respective tamping unit of said plurality of tamping units during a tamping process, the method comprising the following steps:

actuating longitudinal actuators via a control device which is given a sleeper spacing of the sleepers to be tamped,

positioning at least two tamping units towards each other in the longitudinal direction of the machine by means of the longitudinal actuators prior to a tamping process, in order to adjust the positions of said at least two tamping units to a given sleeper spacing, and

tamping sleepers not arranged directly one behind the other during the tamping process;

detecting progressions of a ballast force acting on a tamping tool over a distance the tamping tool covers during a tamping process for each tamping unit by means of force and/or movement sensors arranged on an associated tamping tool, in order to derive a parameter for compaction control.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one position of the sleepers are detected by means of a sensor device arranged on the track tamping machine and that a sleeper spacing is derived from any detected positions.

3 . The track tamping machine according to claim 1 , wherein the respective tamping unit is symmetrically constructed with respect to a symmetry plane orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the machine.

4 . The track tamping machine according to claim 1 , wherein the tamping units arranged one behind the other are identical in construction.

5 . The track tamping machine according to claim 1 , wherein each tamping unit comprises a plurality of tamping unit segments arranged next to each other crosswise to the longitudinal direction of the machine, which are attached to a shared carrier device and, in particular, have tamping tool carriers that can be adjusted in height separately.

6 . A method for tamping a plurality of sleepers of a track supported in a ballast bed by means of a plurality of tamping units arranged one behind the other on a machine frame of a track tamping machine with tamping tools opposite each other in pairs, with only one sleeper being tamped by means of the respective tamping unit during a tamping process, the method comprising the following steps:

actuating longitudinal actuators via a control device, which is given a sleeper spacing of the sleepers to be tamped,

positioning the tamping units towards each other in the longitudinal direction of the machine by means of the longitudinal actuators prior to a tamping process, in order to adjust the positions of the tamping units to the given sleeper spacing, and

tamping sleepers not arranged directly one behind the other during the tamping process;

lifting and laterally lining a track panel formed of sleepers and rails fixed thereon prior to tamping by means of a lifting and lining unit, and that a vertical position and a horizontal position of the rails are detected by means of a measuring device positioned in front of at least one tamping unit of said plurality of tamping units at a very front.

7 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein at a beginning of worksite maintenance, only the tamping unit at a very front tamps once so that the track panel is fixed in a lifted vertical position and a lined horizontal position.

8 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein in a case of three tamping units arranged one behind the other at a distance that is double the sleeper spacing, all three tamping units are moved forward by three sleeper spacings in a direction of work after a first tamping process, that tamping is carried out only with the very front and a middle tamping unit during a second tamping process, that all three tamping units are moved forward again by three sleeper spacings in the direction of work after the second tamping process, and that tamping is carried out with all three tamping units during a third tamping process.

9 . A method for tamping a plurality of sleepers of a track supported in a ballast bed by means of a plurality of tamping units arranged one behind the other on a machine frame of a track tamping machine with tamping tools opposite each other in pairs, with only one sleeper being tamped by means of the respective tamping unit during a tamping process, the method comprising the following steps:

actuating longitudinal actuators via a control device, which is given a sleeper spacing of the sleepers to be tamped,

positioning the tamping units towards each other in the longitudinal direction of the machine by means of the longitudinal actuators prior to a tamping process, in order to adjust the positions of the tamping units to the given sleeper spacing, and

tamping sleepers arranged one behind the other;

tamping sleepers not arranged directly one behind the other during the tamping process;

wherein, in the case of three tamping units arranged one behind the other at a distance that is double the sleeper spacing, after an initial tamping of sleepers positioned directly one behind the other, all tamping units are moved forward by three sleeper spacings in the direction of work prior to a tamping process, and that tamping is carried out with all three tamping units during a tamping process.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein for tamping Y-sleepers, one rail is tamped using the tamping unit at the very front, and that another rail is tamped using the tamping unit positioned behind the very front one.

11 . A track tamping machine comprising:

a plurality of tamping units arranged one behind the other on a machine frame for a simultaneous tamping of a plurality of sleepers of a track;

each tamping unit comprising:

a tamping tool carrier having a height adjustment drive for adjusting the tamping tool carrier in height by means of a height-adjustment drive, with tamping tools opposite each other in pairs being mounted on the tamping tool carrier;

a plurality of drives to set each tamping tool carrier in vibration and can be squeezed towards each other;

wherein one of the tamping units arranged one behind the other is fixed to the machine frame and that at least one other tamping unit is mounted on longitudinal guide rods coupled to the machine frame;

wherein the machine is adapted to carry out a method according to claim 1 in such a way that the tamping units can be shifted towards each other in the longitudinal direction of the machine by means of longitudinal actuators, and that the longitudinal actuators can be actuated by means of a shared control device in order to position the tamping units at a distance from each other which corresponds to a multiple of a given sleeper spacing.

12 . The track tamping machine according to claim 11 , wherein each tamping tool comprises a tamping tine at a lower free end which is vertically aligned in a penetration position.

13 . The track tamping machine according to claim 11 , wherein a main frame supported on running gears is movable on the track, and that the machine frame with the tamping units is arranged so it can be shifted in relation to the main frame in the longitudinal direction of the machine.