CA1193914A - Bidirectionally operative tie exchanging apparatus - Google Patents
Bidirectionally operative tie exchanging apparatusInfo
- Publication number
- CA1193914A CA1193914A CA000410572A CA410572A CA1193914A CA 1193914 A CA1193914 A CA 1193914A CA 000410572 A CA000410572 A CA 000410572A CA 410572 A CA410572 A CA 410572A CA 1193914 A CA1193914 A CA 1193914A
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- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- tie
- beams
- relative
- support
- locking
- Prior art date
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Abstract
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A compact bidirectionally operative tie exchanging apparatus includes an extensible telescoping beam assembly carried in a support cradle mounted on the underside of a railway maintenance car. In a first embodiment, the beam assembly includes an inner and an outer beam telescopically received within one another with hydraulically actuated tie clamping arms mounted on the opposite, remote ends of the beams assembly. A push/pull hydraulic cylinder has its ram and its cylinder connected, respectively, to the inner and outer beams. Hydraulically actuated locking pins mounted on the support cradle are selectively actuatable to lock either the inner beam or the outer beam to its respective support cradle. When the inner beam is locked to its support cradle and the push/pull hydraulic cylinder actuated, the unlocked outer beam can be extended and retracted to remove and replace railway ties from one side of the rail bed and, when the outer beam is locked to its support cradle and the push/pull hydraulic cylinder actuated, the unlocked inner beam can be extended and retracted from the other side of the rail bed. In another embodiment, the tie exchanging apparatus is mounted on a turret to permit controlled rotation about the vertical axis. The rail tie exchanger is advantageously compact, simple to operate, and can be used with equal facility for removing rail ties from one side of a rail bed or the other.
A compact bidirectionally operative tie exchanging apparatus includes an extensible telescoping beam assembly carried in a support cradle mounted on the underside of a railway maintenance car. In a first embodiment, the beam assembly includes an inner and an outer beam telescopically received within one another with hydraulically actuated tie clamping arms mounted on the opposite, remote ends of the beams assembly. A push/pull hydraulic cylinder has its ram and its cylinder connected, respectively, to the inner and outer beams. Hydraulically actuated locking pins mounted on the support cradle are selectively actuatable to lock either the inner beam or the outer beam to its respective support cradle. When the inner beam is locked to its support cradle and the push/pull hydraulic cylinder actuated, the unlocked outer beam can be extended and retracted to remove and replace railway ties from one side of the rail bed and, when the outer beam is locked to its support cradle and the push/pull hydraulic cylinder actuated, the unlocked inner beam can be extended and retracted from the other side of the rail bed. In another embodiment, the tie exchanging apparatus is mounted on a turret to permit controlled rotation about the vertical axis. The rail tie exchanger is advantageously compact, simple to operate, and can be used with equal facility for removing rail ties from one side of a rail bed or the other.
Description
BIDIRECTION~LLY OPER~TI~E TIF
EXCHANGING ~PP~R~TUS
BAC~GROUND OF TH~ E~T~ON
The present in~ention ~elates to a rail bed maln-tenance apparatus and, ~ore ~pecifically, to an appara~us fo~
removing and replacing railw~y cross ties from a rall bed.
Various machines are known for remo~ing and replacing railway cross tles from a rall bed for maintenance purposes.
These machines have included apparatus for sawing or otherwise severing the tie ln its mid-section and for withdrawing the so-severed h~lves, for connecting f~exible cables to the tie to pull it from the track~ and more sophisticated machines that include hydraulically operated booms for engagin~ an end of the tie to apply a thrust force that pushes the tie laterally outward from the one side of -the rail bed, and various pulling machines for manuall~ gripping the end of the tie and pulling the so-gripped tie from the rail bed. In general, the known machines provide acceptable levels of performanae although these ~achines possess certain dis-advantages or drawbacks that are related to their structuralarrangements or their method of ope~ation. For those machines that sever the tie prior to its withdrawal, it i5 necessary to manipulate a se~erin~ de~ice, such as a saw blade or opposed cutting blades, to e~fect the severing operation. In the course of the operation of these se~ering machines, the cutting blades must be re~sharpened or replaced periodlcally which, of course, adds -to the expense of the tie remo~al and replacement operation.
Those machines which push or pull the tie from the rai~ bed are generally quite large and some are also restricted to -1- .~;, ~ ~33~
removing and replacing rail ties from one ~ide of ~he ~ail bed or the other. In those cases whe~e it is deslred to pull or push a tie from either side of the rall bed, it is of~en necessary in some machines to reVerse the orientation of all or a major portion of the machi~e components~
~ n genexal, known tie exchanging machines ~re Inost e~ective for removing and replacing ties that are optlmaliy positioned, that is, ties ~hat are ~enerally perpendicular to the direction of the rails and generally parallel to the rail bed. There are situations, however, in which the ties may not be op-timally positioned lncluding those ties~
for example, that support the rails in a switch arrangement where some of the ties may be at an angle relatlve the supported rail, that angle dependlng upon the angle of the turnout. In this situation, the efflciency of some known machine may be impaired since they may not be able to c~pply a force along the axis of the tie.
SU~M~RY OF TH~ I~ENTION
In view of the above, it is a primary object of the present invention, among others, to provlde a cross tie removing machine that is compact in size and which is simple to operate.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a cross tie exchanging apparatus that can remove rail-way cross ties with equal facility f~om either side of the rail bed ~ithout the need for re~ersin~ the orientation of Inaior apparatu~ components.
It is also an obiect of the p~esent inventlon to provide a cross tie remo~al c~nd ~eplacing machine that can insert c~oss ties into a rail bed for either side of a railway "
vehicle.
It is still another object of the p~ese~t in~ention to pro~ide a cross -tie removal and xeplacing machine that can remove or replace ties from either side of ~he xail bed includin~ ties that lie at an an~le .relative the dixection of the rails and/or the plane of the ~ail bed~
In accordance ~i-th~these obj~cts and others, the present invention provides a cxoss tie removal and replacement machine for removing and inseXting cxoss ties from either side of a rail bed. In one embodiment, the machine i.ncludes a support cradle or Erame that is connected to the chassis of a suitable railway vehicle and which supports a telescopin~
beam assembly in a position dixectly above and paxallel to the tie to be removed. The telescopin~ beam assembly includes an inner beam telescopically received w~thin an outer beam wlth hydraulically actuated tie clamping assemblies mounted on the outward ends of the beams. A push-pull fluid cylinder is connected to the inner and outer beams so that the fluid cylinder, when extended, causes the inner and outer beam to telescope outwardly relative to one anothex and, when retracted, causes the beams to retract to a nested position. Fluid actuated lock pins are mounted on the support cradle and are selectively actuated to lock the inner beam to its support cradle or, in the alternative, lock the outer beam to its support cradle.
When the inner beam lock pin is actuated to lock the inner beam to its support cxadle and the fluid cylinder is actuated, the outer beam is operati~e to telescopically extend and xetract latexally out~ard fxo~ o~e side of the xail bed;
con~ersely, when the outex be~m lock pin is actuated to lock the outer beam to its suppo~t c~dle and the flu~d cylindex similarlY actuated, the inner beam is operative to telescopically extend and retract laterally outward fxom -the othex side o~ the rail vehicle. Accordingly, by selective actuatiorl of the lock pins and actuation of th~ fluid c~linder, it is possi~le to effect tie re~oval fro~ either side of the rail vehicle as contrasted to priox desi~ns Whic~ Xemove the ties from a preferred side or in which maior machine components must be re-oriented to effect removal from the opposite side of the vehicle. The support cradle is connected to the rail vehicle by individually controlled fluid actuators which permit control of the elevatlon and angle of inclination of the beam assembly relative the -tie to be remo~ed so that forces can be applied along the axis of ties that lie at an lnclined angle relative to the rail bed. In another embodiment of the present invention, the beam assembly is mounted on a turret that permits rotation about the vertical axis so that the beam assembly can be aligned with ties that lie at an angle relative to the direction of the rails, for example, when removing and replacing ties on the turn-out side of a switch. The cross ti.e exchange apparatus in accordance wlth the present invention is compact, very sturdy, and can be fabricated at lower cost compared -to p~ior designs~
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRA~INGS
The above descxiption, as well as the objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciated by reference to the following detailed description of presently p~ef~rxe~ but nonetheless illustrative embodlmçnts in accordance With ~he pres~nt inYention when taken in conjunction ~ith the ~ccompanylng drawings whereln:
Fi~. 1 is a perspective ~iew of the cross tie exchanging apparatus in accordanc~ ~ith the present inVention showing tie clamping assemblies at opposite ends of telescoping beam assemblY;
Fig. 2 is a perspec~i~e ~iew o~ one side o~ ~ rail vehicle e~uipped with a cross tie exchanging appara~u~ of the type shown in Fig. 1 illu~txating a portlon (phantom line illustration~ of the appa~tu,s e~tendin~ la~exally outward from one side of the vehlcle;
Fig. 3 is a plan view of a segment of a xail bed including tracks and ~sociated cross ~ies with a rail~ay vehicle located on the tracks;
Fig. 4 is an exploded pexspective view of the cross tie exchanging apparatus shown in Fi~. l;
Flg. 5 is an end elevational view of a tie clamp assembly showing the assembly in a clamped position (solid line illustration) and an unclamped or retracted position (broken line illustration);
Fig~ 6 is an exploded perspective view of one of the clamping arms of the clamping assembly ~shown in Fig. 5i ~ Fig. 7 is a plan view, in partial cross section, of the cross tie exchange apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 4 with the inner and outer telescoped beams shown in a fullY retracted po~ition with the tie clamping assemblies of Fi~. 5 omitted for reasons of clarity;
Fig. 8 is a plan view, in partial cross section and similar to that shown in Fig. 7, showing the inner bea~ locked to its support cradle and ~he outer beam extended to the right;
Fi~. 9 is a p~an View, ~n p~xtial cross Section and sim~lar to that shown in Fi~. 7 and Fig. 8, showln$ the Quter ~am locked to i~s support cr~dle and the inner beam e~ended to the left;
Fig. 10~ illustrates a h~draulic fluid circuit suitable 35~
for eEfec-ting operation of the hydraulic cylinder that extends and retracts the inner and outer beams;
Figs. 10B and 10C illustrate hydraulic circuits for effecting bidirectional operation of the lock pins for selectlvely locking the inner or outer beams to their respective support cradles;
Figs. 10D and 10E illus-trate hydraulic circuits for hydraulically raising and lowering the cross tie exchanger relative to the tie to be replaced;
Fig. 11 illustrates a further embodiment of the present invention in which the beam assembly is mounted to a turret assembly to permit selective bidirectional rotation about the vertical axis;
and Fig. :L2 illustrates a hydraulic circuit for controlling the degree of rotation of the beam assembly of the turretted embodiment of Fig. 11.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
-A first embodiment of a cross tie exchanging apparatus in accordance with the present invention is shown in an assembled perspective ln Fig. 1 and exploded perspective in Fig. 4 and referred to generally herein by the reference character 20. The cross tie exchanger 20 includes tie clamping assemblies 100 and 100' attached to opposite ends of a telescoping beam assembly 200 that extends between the clamping assemblies. As shown in Fig. 2, the cross tie exchanger 20 is attached to the underside of the carriage or chassis of a railway car: 22 between the trucks by vertically aligned hydraulic cylinders 24 and 24' located on each side of the car as explained more fully below. The cross tie exchanger 20 can be raised or lowered relative to the rail bed 26 by appropriate control of the cylinders 24 and 241 to control the atti-tude of the cross tie exchanger over a tie T to be removed.
Once the cross tie exchanger 20 is posi-tioned over a selected tie T by movement of -the rail car 22 along the track 28, the exchanger is raised or lowered to a preferred attitude to permit the tie clamping assembly 100 to clamp the end of -the tie T. Thereafter, the beam assembly 200 is caused to operate, as explained more fully below, to pull the tie T laterally outward from the rail bed 26 as shown in phantom line illustration in Fig. 2. The cross tie exchanger 20 may also be used to insert the tie T into the rail bed 26 by clamping the end of a replacement tie in the clamping assembly 100 and then retracting the beam assembly 200 to insert the tie into position. As shown in Fig. 3, the cross tie exchanger 20 is effective for pulling ties T from the rail bed 26 in either lateral direction and is equally effective for inserting new ties T into the rail bed 26 from either direction.
The clamp assemblies 100 and 100' are identically constructed; a description of the clamp assembly 100 being sufficient to describe both the clamp assembly 100 as well as the clamp assembly 100'. As shown in Figs. 1, 4, 5, and 6, the clamp assembly 100 includes opposed clamping arms 102a and 102b, each fabricated as a structural steel weldment, with the clamplng arm 102b including as shown in the exploded perspective view of Fig. 6, a clamping bar 104b, a reinforcing spine 106b that is welded to the back face of the clamping bar 104b, an outwardly and upwardly extending connecting lug 108b welded to the upper portion of the reinforcing spine, an apertured lug 110 welded to the front face of the clamping bar, and a detachable clamping plate 112b secured to the lower end of ~ - 7a-~93~
the clamping bar 104b by threaded fas-teners 114b extending through suitable clearance bores in the lower end of the clamping bar 104b lnto threaded /''~
,~
- 7b -bores (no-t shown) in the clamping plate 112. It can be appreciated from Fig. 4 that a similar clamping bar, reenforcing spine, connecting lug, detachable clamping plate and threaded fasteners are associated with clamping arm 102a. The clamping arms 102a and 102b are mounted symmetrically relative -to the vertical on a mounting plate 116 with hinge pins 118a and 118b passing through appropria-tely sized bores 120a and 120b, respectively, formed in the lugs llOa and llOb. A
bidirec-tionally operative hydraulic cylinder 122 that includes a cylinder portion 124 and a ram 126 is connected between the lugs 108a and 108b (by conventional clevis-and-pin connections) of the two clamping arms 102a and 102b. As shown in Fig. 5, the hydraulic cylinder 122 is opera-tive (solid line illustration) to cause the clamping arms 102a and 102b to pivot towards one another to grip a tie T between their respective clamping plates 112a and 112b and, conversely, opera-tive (phantom line illustration) to cause the clamping arms 102a and 102b to pivot to release the so-gripped tie T. A stop limit unit 128 (Fig. 5) is secured to the mounting plate 116 between the clamping arms 102a and 102b -to establish -the maximum open position of the clamping arms. The stop limit unit 128 includes adjustable threaded fasteners 130 having head portions that are positioned to contact and halt movement of the clamping arms 102a and 102b to establish the maximum open position.
The beam assemhly 200, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, includes first and second cradles 202 and 202' fabricated as hollow, rectangular box weldments and interconnected by a hollow, box-like support tube 204. Each cradle 202 and 202' includes a lock pin entry opening 206 and 206', respectively, and beam guide plates 208 and 208'. ~he cradles 202 and 202' and the support tube 204 are connected, as by welding, to the underside of a horizon-tally disposed support plate 210 that has a guide plate 212 secured there-to in a direction generally parallel -to -the axis of the support plate 210 and generally perpendicular there-to.
The guide plate 212 is received within two guide rails ~;~ - 8 -214 and 214' that are secured to appropriate structur~l portions (not shown) of the rail car 22 under chassis. The guide ~ils 214 and 214' restxain the guide ~l~te 212 ~oX ~uided moti~n in the vextical directlon alt~ough suf~icient side-to-side clea~-ance is provided between the side edgeS of the guide pl~te 212 and the guide rail~ 214 and 214' to permit adjust~ent of the attltude or angular alignment of the beam assembly 200 by approprlate control o~ the hydraullc cyllnders 24 and 24'.
Two lock-up lu~s 216 and 216' axe secured to the top of the support plate 210 and lnclude holes 218 and 213', respecti~ely, for cooperation with lock-up Pins 220 and 22Q' and mating apertured lugs (not shown) on the rail car 22 to secuxe the cross tie exchanger 20 to the xail car in a stowed position.
The hydraullc cylinders 24 and 24' that are used to change the elevation and relative attltude of the cross tie exchanger 20 each include a cylinder 24a and downwaxdly extending ram 24b.
The lower end of the ram 24b includes a lug 24c that connects to a pair of sp~ced apart apexture tabs 222 through a cooperating pln 224. The hydraulic cylinders 24 and 24' are operative, as described more fully below, to elevate and lower the cross tie exchanger 20 relative to the rail bed 26.
The cradles 202 and 202', the support tube 204, and the support plate 210 de~ine a frame for supporting an outer beam 230 and an inner beam 230'. The outer and inner beams 230 and 230' are formed as elongated hollow box members and may be fabricated as ~eldments. The outer beam 230 includes a lock pin hole 234 and an apertured tab 236. In a similar manner, the inner be~m 23~' includes a lo~k p~n 234' and a set of apertu~ed lugs 236'. The clampin~ a~semblies 100 and lQ0', as descxlbed aboye, are ~ecured to ~he remo~e e~ds of ~heix respec~ive beams 230 and 230' by, fo~ example, bolting, weIding, or othexwlse _g _ securing the locking plates 116 and 116' of the respectiVe clamp assemblies 100 and lOQ' to the distal ends of thç bçam5.
The inner beams 230' has a smaller hei~ht and width relative to the outer beam 230 so ~h~t the inner bea~ 230' is telescopically received ~ithin the outer beam 230. The outside sur~ace dimensions o~ the inner beam 230' and the inner sur~ace dimensions of the outer beam 23Q are s~lected so that a clearance fit exists the~ebet~een to permit relative slidin~
movement. The outer beam 230 and the inner beam 230' are both received with the cradles 202 and 2Q2' and the support tube 204.
While not specifically shown in the fi~ures, load bearing pads or plates fabricated rom a suitable bearing ~aterial such as brasc, bronze, or the like, are posltl~ned ~etween the various moving parts to ~acilitate guided relative sliding therebetween.
In addition, shims of varying thickness may be provided to ef~ect adjustment of the bearing cle~rance between the various parts.
Lock pin cylinders 238 and 288' are secured to each of the cradles 202 and 202', respectively. The lock pin cylinders 238 and 238' are bidirectionally operative actuators ~for example, electromagnetic, pneumatic, or hydraulic actuators) that ~nclude a cylinder 238a and a ram 238b. The lock pin cylinders 238 and 238' are mounted in registration with their respective lock pin holes 206 and 206' on the cradles 202 and 202' and can be selectively actuated as described below, to permit their rams 238a and/ox 238a' to pass through the lock pin holes 234 and/or 234' on thç remote ends of the outer and inne~ beams 230 and 230', respectively.
A main push~pull fluid ~tuator 240 (e~. hyd~aulic) is provided to extend and ret~act the outer and inner beams 230 and 230' ~s desc~ibed moxe ~ull~ below. The main actuato~ 240 includes a cylinder 240a and a ram 240b that is connected to 3 ~
an internally located piston 240c and fluid couplings 240 and 240e for in-troducing and/or removing hydraulic fluid under pressure into the cylinder 240a -to effec-t operation. The actuator 240 includes an apertured lug 242 that is connected to the apertured tabs 236' of the outer beam 230' with a pin 244'. In a similar manner, the ram 240b includes a clevis 246 that connects to the aperture tab 236 of the outer beam 230 through a pin 244.
An understanding of the manner by which the cross tie exchanger 20 operates to extract railroad ties T may be had by a consideration of Figs. 7-9 in which the cradles 202 and 202' and the outer beam 230 have been shown in cross section, and in which the support tube 204, the clamping assemblies 100 and 100', and other parts have been omitted for reasons of clarity. In Fig. 7, both the outer beam 230 and the inner beam 230' are shown in their fully retracted positions in which the lock pin holes 206 and 206' of the cradles 202 and 202' and the lock pin holes 234 and 234' of the outer and inner beams 230 and 230', respectively, are in registration. The position shown in Fig. 7 represents the nested or fully retracted position of the cross tie exchanger 20. It is from this nested position that the cross tie exchanger 20 can be used to clamp and extract ties T from either direction, that is, the left or the right in Figs. 7-9.
In order for the outer beam 230 to extend to the right in Fig. 7, pressurized hydraulic fluid is introduced into the port 238c' of the lock pin cylinder 238' (the left~hand cylinder in Fig.
7) to cause the lock pin 238b' to advance through the registered lock pin holes 206' of the cradle 202' and the lock pin hole 234' of the inner beam 230' to thereby secure the inner beam 230' to i-ts support cradle 202'. Thereafter, pressurized hydraulic fluid is introduced into the port 240e of the main actua-tor 240 to cause it to extend. Since the inner 230' is secured by its lock pin 238b' to its cradle 202', theouter beam 230 will be forced to the righ-t as shown in Fig. 8 with the degree of extension depending upon the amount of hydraulic fluid introduced into the main actuator 240. In order to retract the so-extended outer beam 230, pressurized hydraulic fluid is introduced into the port 240d of the main actuator 240 -to cause the partially or fully extended ou-ter beam 230 to retract to its fully retracted or nested position.
In order to extend the inner beam 230', pressurized hydraulic fluid is introduced into the port 238c of the lock pin cylinder 238' (the righ-t-hand cylinder in Fig. 9) to cause the lock pin 238b to pass through -the registered lock pin holes 206 of the cradle 202 and :lock pin hole 234 of the outer beam 230 to thereby lock the outer beam to its suppo-t cradle. Thereafter, pressurized hydraulic fluid is introduced into the main actuator 240 through port 240e to cause the main actuator to expand. Since the outer beam 230 is locked to its support cradle 202, the inner beam 230' wlll extend outwardly toward the left as shown in Fig. 9. In order to cause the inner beam 230' to retract from its extended position, pressurized hydraulic fluid is introduced through port 240d to cause the main actuator 240 to retract along with the inner beam 230'.
Hydraulic circuitry for effecting functional control of the cross tie exchanger 20 is shown in Figs. lOA-lOE. In Fig. lOA, a three position, four way hydraulic valve 300 is connected between the main actuator 240, a source of pressurized hydraulic fluid P
and a hydraulic fluid reservoir of sump S. The valve 300 is normally biased to an intermediate position as shown in Fig. lOA
in which no hydraulic fluid is introduced into or removed from the actuator 240. Actuation of the valve 300 to 3~
the right causes the main actuatox 24Q to extend, and, çonversely, actuation of the valve 300 to the left causes the main actuator to retract. Hydraulic cixcuitr~ ~ox ef~ecting control o~ the lock pin cylinders 238 and 238l is shown in F~gs. lOB and lOC.
In Fig. lQB, a three posltion, ~our ~ay hydraulic valve 3Q2 is connected between the lock pin cylinder 238 and the a~oxe-mentioned souxce o~ pressu~ized ~luid P and the h~draulic reservoir S. Operation of ~he valve 302 to the right causes the lock pin to actuate and opexation o~ the valve towards the lQ left causes it to unlock. A resilient spring biaslng means (not shown) may be pro~ided to bias the valve 302 to the unlocked positlon. The lock pin cylinder 238' shown ln Fig. lOC is similarly operated throu~h its associated valve 302'. As shown in Flgs. lQD and 10E, the cxoss tle exchanger 20 elevation control cylinders 24 and 24' are also controlled through three position, four way hydraullc valves 304 and 304' in a manner slm:ilar to -the valvlng prevlously described. Hydraullc circultry ~or operating the cyllnders 124 and 124l of the clamping assembly lOQ and 100', while not speclficaliy shown, is essentially the same as shown in Figs. lOB-lOE as explained above.
In order to remoVe a cross tie T fxom a road bed, the railway vehicle 22 upon which the cross tle exchanger 20 ls mounted is moved along the track 28 until the cross tie exchanger 2Q is positioned oyer the tie T to be exchanged. There~fter, the elevation control cylinders 24 and 24' on either side of the rail vehicle 22 are opexated through appropriate manipulation of the bidirectional v~lves 3Q4 and 304' (Figs. lOD ~nd lOE) so that the cross tie exchan~ex 20 is PositiQned directl~ ovex the tie T
to be exchan~ed and has ~n ~lignment attitude appxoximatel~
3~ parallel to the tie T. ~ providin~ independentl~ controllable ele~ation c~lind~rs 24 and 24', it is possible to closely match the angle of inclinatlon of the cross tie exchange~ 20 with that of the tie T to be removed. This feature is part.içular~y u~eful when ties from detex~orated ~ail beds a~e to ~e re~oved where the ties have an~ulaxly shi~ted from their as-installed positionS. Thereafter, the appropri~te lock Pin cylinde~ 238 or 238' is actuated to lock the beam that is not -to be extended 230 or 230' to its respecti~e cradle 202 or 202'. ~fter the beam locking iS co~pleted, the appxoprlate clamping a~sembly 100 or 100' is operated throu~h ~çtuation of the respective cylinder 124 or 124' to cause the clamping axms 102a and 102b or 102a' and 102b' to grip the end of the tie T in the rail bed. Once the tie to be replaced is gxipped, the main actuator 240 is operated through appropriate manipula-tlon of the valve 300 to cause the unlocked bea.m to extend laterally outward from the road bed carrying the tie T with it. In the preferred embodiment, the inner and outer beams are each approximately 7' long and are efective for removing a tie T in a single stroke. However, as can be appreciated b~ tho~e ski.lled in the art, a railway cross tie may be "~alked" out of its position in the xoad bed by clamping the end of the tie, partiall~ extending the respective beam, releasing the clamp on the tie, retractin~ the partially extended beam, regripping the tie adjacent the rail bed, and then further extending the beam to incremently remove the tie from the road bed. Once the tie has been removed, a new tie may be gripped on end and inserted into the posi~lon le~t by the ~emoved tie.
The new tie can be inserted from the sa~e side that the old tie was xemoved ox, i~ preferxed, ~xom the. opposite side, takin~
ad~a~tage o~ the ~idixectiona~ly ope~tive nature of the cxoss tie e~changer 20.
~ is known in the art, ~ hoisting or li~tlng appa~atu~
(not sho~n~ may be provided for connection to the xails 28 to relieve the loading on the: tle to he ~emoved -to facilitate the operation of the cross tie exchangex.
A second embodiment of the present in~ention that incorporates a turreted support -to p~ovide relati~e rotation about -the ~rextical axis is shown in F~g. 11 and is referred to therein generally by the reference characte.r 5Q0. The tie exchanger 500 includes ~ -turxet assembly 50.2 to which a modiied tie exchanyer 20' is attached. The turret ass~embly 502 includes a turret support plate 5Q4 that includes upwardly extendln~
and outwardly incllned cran~ axms S06 and 506' at the opposite ends thereof. The upper distal ends of the crane arms 506 and 506' are apertured for connection ~y conventional clevis and pin connectors 508 and 508' to the upper ends o~ the elevation control cyllnders 24 and 24' described above. ~ turret support member 510 includes a structural support mean 512 that extends laterally across the width of thç rall vehlcie and is secured to the ~ehicle frame (not shown). ~ turret support extension 514 is connected, as by welding, to the laterally extending structural support beam 512 at a point intermediate its ends.
An upwardly extending pintle 516 is secured to the turret support extension 514. The turret support plate 504 includes a centrally located bore 518 throu~h whlch the pintle 516 extends to permit relative rotation therebetween. A turret cap 520 is secured to the upper end o~ the pintle 516 to prevent uninten-tional disengagement o~ the turxet support plate 504 from the pintle 506. The organization o~ the turret structure permits the turret assembly 502 and its connected tie exchanger 20' to rotate e~ther clockwi.se ox counter clockwise about the ve~tic~l ~xis 522 a~d to a ~elected maximum ~alue (e.g. plus or ~inUs 20). The beam a~sem~ly 2Q0' dif~ers fro~ that described abo~e in that the ~uide plate 212 and the guide rails 214 and 214' (Fig. 4) are not utilized. Instead, a guide surface set 524 and 526 (.only one ~uide rom each s~t being shown~ is secured to the turxe-t support plate 504 to constrain the beam assembly 200' from movement ln the fore and aft direction. ~dditional constraining members (not shown) are provided to limit side-to-side mo~ement of thq beam assembly 20Q' relative to the turret support plate 504. A h~draulic actuator 528 is pxovided to control rotatio~ of the turret assembly 502 about the pin~le 516 and ~ncludes a cyllnder portion 528a connected to the lateral support beam 512 and a ram 528b connected to the turret suppor-t plate 504 vla a clevis and pin connection 530. A hydraulic circuit for operating the hydraulic actuator is shown in Fig. 12 and includes a three position, four way hydraulic valve 532 connected between the rotation control cylinder 528 and the a~orementioned source of pressurized fluid P and the hydxaulic reservoir S. Operation of the valve 532 to the right causes the rotation actuator 528 to extend and rotate the turret assembly 502 clockwise ~bout the vertical axis 522. Conversely, operation of the valve 532 to the left causes the rotation cyllnder 528 to retxact and cause the turret assembly 502 to rotate counter clockwise about the vertical axls 522. As can be appxeciatedl selected control of the valve 532 peXmits the turret assembly to be rotated about the vertical axis 522 so as to pro~ide precise all~nment between the beam assembly 200' and the -tie to be xe~oved. This ~eatuxe is particularly valuable when remoVing cross tles from the turn out poxtion of a switch where the ties may lie at an angle relative to the di~ec ti~n o~ the X~ils.
In orde~ to remo~e a cross tie from a xoad bed using the croSs tie exchange~ 5Q~ sho~n in ~ig. 12, the xailwa~ vehicle 22 upon ~hich the cross tle exchangex 500 is mounted is moved along 33l~
the track 28 until the cross tie exchan~er S00 is positioned over the tie T to be exchan~ed. Thereafter, the ~urret rotation control cyllnder 528 is ope~ated so ~hat the beam assembl~ 200' is aliyned precisely with the ali~n~ent o~ -the tie to be exchan~ed. Thexeaftex, the elev~tion control cylindexs 24 and 24' on either slde o~ the rail vehicle 22 are operated through appropriate manipulatlon of the bidi~ec-tional valves 304 and 304' (Fi~s. 10D and lQE) so that the cross tie exchan~er 20' is positioned dlxectly over the tie to be exchan~ed and has an ali~nment or attitude approximately paxallel to the tie to be exchanged. Thereafter, the appropriate lock pin cylinder 238 or 238' is actu~ted to lock the beam that is not to be extended 230 or 230' to its respective cradle 202 or 202'. The appropxiate clampin~ assembly 100 or 110' ls then operated throu~h actuation of the respective cylinder 124 or 124' to cause the clamping arms 102a and 102b or 102a' and 102b' to ~rip the end of the tie in the rail bed. Once the tie to be exchanged is gripped, the main actuator ~40 ls operated as described above to ef~ect removal of the tie.
As can be appreciated from the above, the cross tie exchanger 20 is well suited ~or removing and replacing railway cross ties T from one side of the road bed or the other. The independent elevation control cylinders and the turret design provide substantial operational freedom for removin~ ties that are not optimally poSitioned for xemoval.
This latter featu~e is a dist~nc~ advan~a~e when removin~
and replalcn~ rail tieS at switches, fro~s, or the like.
In the disclosed embod~ment, the various actuators have heen shown as hydx~ulic cylinders~ Other t~pes of actu~tors, includin~ electrical, pneumatic, and even ~anual are suita~le~
Likewise, while the cross -tie exchanger ls shown with outer and inner beams having a square or rectangulax cross se~tion, bea~s having other cross sections axe equally suitable.
As can be appreciated by those skilled in the aXt, vaxious changes and modiflcations may be made to the disclosed embodiments Q~ the cross tie exchanger without departing from the spirit and scope o~ the lnv~nt.ion as de~ined in the appended claims and their legal equi~alent~
EXCHANGING ~PP~R~TUS
BAC~GROUND OF TH~ E~T~ON
The present in~ention ~elates to a rail bed maln-tenance apparatus and, ~ore ~pecifically, to an appara~us fo~
removing and replacing railw~y cross ties from a rall bed.
Various machines are known for remo~ing and replacing railway cross tles from a rall bed for maintenance purposes.
These machines have included apparatus for sawing or otherwise severing the tie ln its mid-section and for withdrawing the so-severed h~lves, for connecting f~exible cables to the tie to pull it from the track~ and more sophisticated machines that include hydraulically operated booms for engagin~ an end of the tie to apply a thrust force that pushes the tie laterally outward from the one side of -the rail bed, and various pulling machines for manuall~ gripping the end of the tie and pulling the so-gripped tie from the rail bed. In general, the known machines provide acceptable levels of performanae although these ~achines possess certain dis-advantages or drawbacks that are related to their structuralarrangements or their method of ope~ation. For those machines that sever the tie prior to its withdrawal, it i5 necessary to manipulate a se~erin~ de~ice, such as a saw blade or opposed cutting blades, to e~fect the severing operation. In the course of the operation of these se~ering machines, the cutting blades must be re~sharpened or replaced periodlcally which, of course, adds -to the expense of the tie remo~al and replacement operation.
Those machines which push or pull the tie from the rai~ bed are generally quite large and some are also restricted to -1- .~;, ~ ~33~
removing and replacing rail ties from one ~ide of ~he ~ail bed or the other. In those cases whe~e it is deslred to pull or push a tie from either side of the rall bed, it is of~en necessary in some machines to reVerse the orientation of all or a major portion of the machi~e components~
~ n genexal, known tie exchanging machines ~re Inost e~ective for removing and replacing ties that are optlmaliy positioned, that is, ties ~hat are ~enerally perpendicular to the direction of the rails and generally parallel to the rail bed. There are situations, however, in which the ties may not be op-timally positioned lncluding those ties~
for example, that support the rails in a switch arrangement where some of the ties may be at an angle relatlve the supported rail, that angle dependlng upon the angle of the turnout. In this situation, the efflciency of some known machine may be impaired since they may not be able to c~pply a force along the axis of the tie.
SU~M~RY OF TH~ I~ENTION
In view of the above, it is a primary object of the present invention, among others, to provlde a cross tie removing machine that is compact in size and which is simple to operate.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a cross tie exchanging apparatus that can remove rail-way cross ties with equal facility f~om either side of the rail bed ~ithout the need for re~ersin~ the orientation of Inaior apparatu~ components.
It is also an obiect of the p~esent inventlon to provide a cross tie remo~al c~nd ~eplacing machine that can insert c~oss ties into a rail bed for either side of a railway "
vehicle.
It is still another object of the p~ese~t in~ention to pro~ide a cross -tie removal and xeplacing machine that can remove or replace ties from either side of ~he xail bed includin~ ties that lie at an an~le .relative the dixection of the rails and/or the plane of the ~ail bed~
In accordance ~i-th~these obj~cts and others, the present invention provides a cxoss tie removal and replacement machine for removing and inseXting cxoss ties from either side of a rail bed. In one embodiment, the machine i.ncludes a support cradle or Erame that is connected to the chassis of a suitable railway vehicle and which supports a telescopin~
beam assembly in a position dixectly above and paxallel to the tie to be removed. The telescopin~ beam assembly includes an inner beam telescopically received w~thin an outer beam wlth hydraulically actuated tie clamping assemblies mounted on the outward ends of the beams. A push-pull fluid cylinder is connected to the inner and outer beams so that the fluid cylinder, when extended, causes the inner and outer beam to telescope outwardly relative to one anothex and, when retracted, causes the beams to retract to a nested position. Fluid actuated lock pins are mounted on the support cradle and are selectively actuated to lock the inner beam to its support cradle or, in the alternative, lock the outer beam to its support cradle.
When the inner beam lock pin is actuated to lock the inner beam to its support cxadle and the fluid cylinder is actuated, the outer beam is operati~e to telescopically extend and xetract latexally out~ard fxo~ o~e side of the xail bed;
con~ersely, when the outex be~m lock pin is actuated to lock the outer beam to its suppo~t c~dle and the flu~d cylindex similarlY actuated, the inner beam is operative to telescopically extend and retract laterally outward fxom -the othex side o~ the rail vehicle. Accordingly, by selective actuatiorl of the lock pins and actuation of th~ fluid c~linder, it is possi~le to effect tie re~oval fro~ either side of the rail vehicle as contrasted to priox desi~ns Whic~ Xemove the ties from a preferred side or in which maior machine components must be re-oriented to effect removal from the opposite side of the vehicle. The support cradle is connected to the rail vehicle by individually controlled fluid actuators which permit control of the elevatlon and angle of inclination of the beam assembly relative the -tie to be remo~ed so that forces can be applied along the axis of ties that lie at an lnclined angle relative to the rail bed. In another embodiment of the present invention, the beam assembly is mounted on a turret that permits rotation about the vertical axis so that the beam assembly can be aligned with ties that lie at an angle relative to the direction of the rails, for example, when removing and replacing ties on the turn-out side of a switch. The cross ti.e exchange apparatus in accordance wlth the present invention is compact, very sturdy, and can be fabricated at lower cost compared -to p~ior designs~
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRA~INGS
The above descxiption, as well as the objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciated by reference to the following detailed description of presently p~ef~rxe~ but nonetheless illustrative embodlmçnts in accordance With ~he pres~nt inYention when taken in conjunction ~ith the ~ccompanylng drawings whereln:
Fi~. 1 is a perspective ~iew of the cross tie exchanging apparatus in accordanc~ ~ith the present inVention showing tie clamping assemblies at opposite ends of telescoping beam assemblY;
Fig. 2 is a perspec~i~e ~iew o~ one side o~ ~ rail vehicle e~uipped with a cross tie exchanging appara~u~ of the type shown in Fig. 1 illu~txating a portlon (phantom line illustration~ of the appa~tu,s e~tendin~ la~exally outward from one side of the vehlcle;
Fig. 3 is a plan view of a segment of a xail bed including tracks and ~sociated cross ~ies with a rail~ay vehicle located on the tracks;
Fig. 4 is an exploded pexspective view of the cross tie exchanging apparatus shown in Fi~. l;
Flg. 5 is an end elevational view of a tie clamp assembly showing the assembly in a clamped position (solid line illustration) and an unclamped or retracted position (broken line illustration);
Fig~ 6 is an exploded perspective view of one of the clamping arms of the clamping assembly ~shown in Fig. 5i ~ Fig. 7 is a plan view, in partial cross section, of the cross tie exchange apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 4 with the inner and outer telescoped beams shown in a fullY retracted po~ition with the tie clamping assemblies of Fi~. 5 omitted for reasons of clarity;
Fig. 8 is a plan view, in partial cross section and similar to that shown in Fig. 7, showing the inner bea~ locked to its support cradle and ~he outer beam extended to the right;
Fi~. 9 is a p~an View, ~n p~xtial cross Section and sim~lar to that shown in Fi~. 7 and Fig. 8, showln$ the Quter ~am locked to i~s support cr~dle and the inner beam e~ended to the left;
Fig. 10~ illustrates a h~draulic fluid circuit suitable 35~
for eEfec-ting operation of the hydraulic cylinder that extends and retracts the inner and outer beams;
Figs. 10B and 10C illustrate hydraulic circuits for effecting bidirectional operation of the lock pins for selectlvely locking the inner or outer beams to their respective support cradles;
Figs. 10D and 10E illus-trate hydraulic circuits for hydraulically raising and lowering the cross tie exchanger relative to the tie to be replaced;
Fig. 11 illustrates a further embodiment of the present invention in which the beam assembly is mounted to a turret assembly to permit selective bidirectional rotation about the vertical axis;
and Fig. :L2 illustrates a hydraulic circuit for controlling the degree of rotation of the beam assembly of the turretted embodiment of Fig. 11.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
-A first embodiment of a cross tie exchanging apparatus in accordance with the present invention is shown in an assembled perspective ln Fig. 1 and exploded perspective in Fig. 4 and referred to generally herein by the reference character 20. The cross tie exchanger 20 includes tie clamping assemblies 100 and 100' attached to opposite ends of a telescoping beam assembly 200 that extends between the clamping assemblies. As shown in Fig. 2, the cross tie exchanger 20 is attached to the underside of the carriage or chassis of a railway car: 22 between the trucks by vertically aligned hydraulic cylinders 24 and 24' located on each side of the car as explained more fully below. The cross tie exchanger 20 can be raised or lowered relative to the rail bed 26 by appropriate control of the cylinders 24 and 241 to control the atti-tude of the cross tie exchanger over a tie T to be removed.
Once the cross tie exchanger 20 is posi-tioned over a selected tie T by movement of -the rail car 22 along the track 28, the exchanger is raised or lowered to a preferred attitude to permit the tie clamping assembly 100 to clamp the end of -the tie T. Thereafter, the beam assembly 200 is caused to operate, as explained more fully below, to pull the tie T laterally outward from the rail bed 26 as shown in phantom line illustration in Fig. 2. The cross tie exchanger 20 may also be used to insert the tie T into the rail bed 26 by clamping the end of a replacement tie in the clamping assembly 100 and then retracting the beam assembly 200 to insert the tie into position. As shown in Fig. 3, the cross tie exchanger 20 is effective for pulling ties T from the rail bed 26 in either lateral direction and is equally effective for inserting new ties T into the rail bed 26 from either direction.
The clamp assemblies 100 and 100' are identically constructed; a description of the clamp assembly 100 being sufficient to describe both the clamp assembly 100 as well as the clamp assembly 100'. As shown in Figs. 1, 4, 5, and 6, the clamp assembly 100 includes opposed clamping arms 102a and 102b, each fabricated as a structural steel weldment, with the clamplng arm 102b including as shown in the exploded perspective view of Fig. 6, a clamping bar 104b, a reinforcing spine 106b that is welded to the back face of the clamping bar 104b, an outwardly and upwardly extending connecting lug 108b welded to the upper portion of the reinforcing spine, an apertured lug 110 welded to the front face of the clamping bar, and a detachable clamping plate 112b secured to the lower end of ~ - 7a-~93~
the clamping bar 104b by threaded fas-teners 114b extending through suitable clearance bores in the lower end of the clamping bar 104b lnto threaded /''~
,~
- 7b -bores (no-t shown) in the clamping plate 112. It can be appreciated from Fig. 4 that a similar clamping bar, reenforcing spine, connecting lug, detachable clamping plate and threaded fasteners are associated with clamping arm 102a. The clamping arms 102a and 102b are mounted symmetrically relative -to the vertical on a mounting plate 116 with hinge pins 118a and 118b passing through appropria-tely sized bores 120a and 120b, respectively, formed in the lugs llOa and llOb. A
bidirec-tionally operative hydraulic cylinder 122 that includes a cylinder portion 124 and a ram 126 is connected between the lugs 108a and 108b (by conventional clevis-and-pin connections) of the two clamping arms 102a and 102b. As shown in Fig. 5, the hydraulic cylinder 122 is opera-tive (solid line illustration) to cause the clamping arms 102a and 102b to pivot towards one another to grip a tie T between their respective clamping plates 112a and 112b and, conversely, opera-tive (phantom line illustration) to cause the clamping arms 102a and 102b to pivot to release the so-gripped tie T. A stop limit unit 128 (Fig. 5) is secured to the mounting plate 116 between the clamping arms 102a and 102b -to establish -the maximum open position of the clamping arms. The stop limit unit 128 includes adjustable threaded fasteners 130 having head portions that are positioned to contact and halt movement of the clamping arms 102a and 102b to establish the maximum open position.
The beam assemhly 200, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, includes first and second cradles 202 and 202' fabricated as hollow, rectangular box weldments and interconnected by a hollow, box-like support tube 204. Each cradle 202 and 202' includes a lock pin entry opening 206 and 206', respectively, and beam guide plates 208 and 208'. ~he cradles 202 and 202' and the support tube 204 are connected, as by welding, to the underside of a horizon-tally disposed support plate 210 that has a guide plate 212 secured there-to in a direction generally parallel -to -the axis of the support plate 210 and generally perpendicular there-to.
The guide plate 212 is received within two guide rails ~;~ - 8 -214 and 214' that are secured to appropriate structur~l portions (not shown) of the rail car 22 under chassis. The guide ~ils 214 and 214' restxain the guide ~l~te 212 ~oX ~uided moti~n in the vextical directlon alt~ough suf~icient side-to-side clea~-ance is provided between the side edgeS of the guide pl~te 212 and the guide rail~ 214 and 214' to permit adjust~ent of the attltude or angular alignment of the beam assembly 200 by approprlate control o~ the hydraullc cyllnders 24 and 24'.
Two lock-up lu~s 216 and 216' axe secured to the top of the support plate 210 and lnclude holes 218 and 213', respecti~ely, for cooperation with lock-up Pins 220 and 22Q' and mating apertured lugs (not shown) on the rail car 22 to secuxe the cross tie exchanger 20 to the xail car in a stowed position.
The hydraullc cylinders 24 and 24' that are used to change the elevation and relative attltude of the cross tie exchanger 20 each include a cylinder 24a and downwaxdly extending ram 24b.
The lower end of the ram 24b includes a lug 24c that connects to a pair of sp~ced apart apexture tabs 222 through a cooperating pln 224. The hydraulic cylinders 24 and 24' are operative, as described more fully below, to elevate and lower the cross tie exchanger 20 relative to the rail bed 26.
The cradles 202 and 202', the support tube 204, and the support plate 210 de~ine a frame for supporting an outer beam 230 and an inner beam 230'. The outer and inner beams 230 and 230' are formed as elongated hollow box members and may be fabricated as ~eldments. The outer beam 230 includes a lock pin hole 234 and an apertured tab 236. In a similar manner, the inner be~m 23~' includes a lo~k p~n 234' and a set of apertu~ed lugs 236'. The clampin~ a~semblies 100 and lQ0', as descxlbed aboye, are ~ecured to ~he remo~e e~ds of ~heix respec~ive beams 230 and 230' by, fo~ example, bolting, weIding, or othexwlse _g _ securing the locking plates 116 and 116' of the respectiVe clamp assemblies 100 and lOQ' to the distal ends of thç bçam5.
The inner beams 230' has a smaller hei~ht and width relative to the outer beam 230 so ~h~t the inner bea~ 230' is telescopically received ~ithin the outer beam 230. The outside sur~ace dimensions o~ the inner beam 230' and the inner sur~ace dimensions of the outer beam 23Q are s~lected so that a clearance fit exists the~ebet~een to permit relative slidin~
movement. The outer beam 230 and the inner beam 230' are both received with the cradles 202 and 2Q2' and the support tube 204.
While not specifically shown in the fi~ures, load bearing pads or plates fabricated rom a suitable bearing ~aterial such as brasc, bronze, or the like, are posltl~ned ~etween the various moving parts to ~acilitate guided relative sliding therebetween.
In addition, shims of varying thickness may be provided to ef~ect adjustment of the bearing cle~rance between the various parts.
Lock pin cylinders 238 and 288' are secured to each of the cradles 202 and 202', respectively. The lock pin cylinders 238 and 238' are bidirectionally operative actuators ~for example, electromagnetic, pneumatic, or hydraulic actuators) that ~nclude a cylinder 238a and a ram 238b. The lock pin cylinders 238 and 238' are mounted in registration with their respective lock pin holes 206 and 206' on the cradles 202 and 202' and can be selectively actuated as described below, to permit their rams 238a and/ox 238a' to pass through the lock pin holes 234 and/or 234' on thç remote ends of the outer and inne~ beams 230 and 230', respectively.
A main push~pull fluid ~tuator 240 (e~. hyd~aulic) is provided to extend and ret~act the outer and inner beams 230 and 230' ~s desc~ibed moxe ~ull~ below. The main actuato~ 240 includes a cylinder 240a and a ram 240b that is connected to 3 ~
an internally located piston 240c and fluid couplings 240 and 240e for in-troducing and/or removing hydraulic fluid under pressure into the cylinder 240a -to effec-t operation. The actuator 240 includes an apertured lug 242 that is connected to the apertured tabs 236' of the outer beam 230' with a pin 244'. In a similar manner, the ram 240b includes a clevis 246 that connects to the aperture tab 236 of the outer beam 230 through a pin 244.
An understanding of the manner by which the cross tie exchanger 20 operates to extract railroad ties T may be had by a consideration of Figs. 7-9 in which the cradles 202 and 202' and the outer beam 230 have been shown in cross section, and in which the support tube 204, the clamping assemblies 100 and 100', and other parts have been omitted for reasons of clarity. In Fig. 7, both the outer beam 230 and the inner beam 230' are shown in their fully retracted positions in which the lock pin holes 206 and 206' of the cradles 202 and 202' and the lock pin holes 234 and 234' of the outer and inner beams 230 and 230', respectively, are in registration. The position shown in Fig. 7 represents the nested or fully retracted position of the cross tie exchanger 20. It is from this nested position that the cross tie exchanger 20 can be used to clamp and extract ties T from either direction, that is, the left or the right in Figs. 7-9.
In order for the outer beam 230 to extend to the right in Fig. 7, pressurized hydraulic fluid is introduced into the port 238c' of the lock pin cylinder 238' (the left~hand cylinder in Fig.
7) to cause the lock pin 238b' to advance through the registered lock pin holes 206' of the cradle 202' and the lock pin hole 234' of the inner beam 230' to thereby secure the inner beam 230' to i-ts support cradle 202'. Thereafter, pressurized hydraulic fluid is introduced into the port 240e of the main actua-tor 240 to cause it to extend. Since the inner 230' is secured by its lock pin 238b' to its cradle 202', theouter beam 230 will be forced to the righ-t as shown in Fig. 8 with the degree of extension depending upon the amount of hydraulic fluid introduced into the main actuator 240. In order to retract the so-extended outer beam 230, pressurized hydraulic fluid is introduced into the port 240d of the main actuator 240 -to cause the partially or fully extended ou-ter beam 230 to retract to its fully retracted or nested position.
In order to extend the inner beam 230', pressurized hydraulic fluid is introduced into the port 238c of the lock pin cylinder 238' (the righ-t-hand cylinder in Fig. 9) to cause the lock pin 238b to pass through -the registered lock pin holes 206 of the cradle 202 and :lock pin hole 234 of the outer beam 230 to thereby lock the outer beam to its suppo-t cradle. Thereafter, pressurized hydraulic fluid is introduced into the main actuator 240 through port 240e to cause the main actuator to expand. Since the outer beam 230 is locked to its support cradle 202, the inner beam 230' wlll extend outwardly toward the left as shown in Fig. 9. In order to cause the inner beam 230' to retract from its extended position, pressurized hydraulic fluid is introduced through port 240d to cause the main actuator 240 to retract along with the inner beam 230'.
Hydraulic circuitry for effecting functional control of the cross tie exchanger 20 is shown in Figs. lOA-lOE. In Fig. lOA, a three position, four way hydraulic valve 300 is connected between the main actuator 240, a source of pressurized hydraulic fluid P
and a hydraulic fluid reservoir of sump S. The valve 300 is normally biased to an intermediate position as shown in Fig. lOA
in which no hydraulic fluid is introduced into or removed from the actuator 240. Actuation of the valve 300 to 3~
the right causes the main actuatox 24Q to extend, and, çonversely, actuation of the valve 300 to the left causes the main actuator to retract. Hydraulic cixcuitr~ ~ox ef~ecting control o~ the lock pin cylinders 238 and 238l is shown in F~gs. lOB and lOC.
In Fig. lQB, a three posltion, ~our ~ay hydraulic valve 3Q2 is connected between the lock pin cylinder 238 and the a~oxe-mentioned souxce o~ pressu~ized ~luid P and the h~draulic reservoir S. Operation of ~he valve 302 to the right causes the lock pin to actuate and opexation o~ the valve towards the lQ left causes it to unlock. A resilient spring biaslng means (not shown) may be pro~ided to bias the valve 302 to the unlocked positlon. The lock pin cylinder 238' shown ln Fig. lOC is similarly operated throu~h its associated valve 302'. As shown in Flgs. lQD and 10E, the cxoss tle exchanger 20 elevation control cylinders 24 and 24' are also controlled through three position, four way hydraullc valves 304 and 304' in a manner slm:ilar to -the valvlng prevlously described. Hydraullc circultry ~or operating the cyllnders 124 and 124l of the clamping assembly lOQ and 100', while not speclficaliy shown, is essentially the same as shown in Figs. lOB-lOE as explained above.
In order to remoVe a cross tie T fxom a road bed, the railway vehicle 22 upon which the cross tle exchanger 20 ls mounted is moved along the track 28 until the cross tie exchanger 2Q is positioned oyer the tie T to be exchanged. There~fter, the elevation control cylinders 24 and 24' on either side of the rail vehicle 22 are opexated through appropriate manipulation of the bidirectional v~lves 3Q4 and 304' (Figs. lOD ~nd lOE) so that the cross tie exchan~ex 20 is PositiQned directl~ ovex the tie T
to be exchan~ed and has ~n ~lignment attitude appxoximatel~
3~ parallel to the tie T. ~ providin~ independentl~ controllable ele~ation c~lind~rs 24 and 24', it is possible to closely match the angle of inclinatlon of the cross tie exchange~ 20 with that of the tie T to be removed. This feature is part.içular~y u~eful when ties from detex~orated ~ail beds a~e to ~e re~oved where the ties have an~ulaxly shi~ted from their as-installed positionS. Thereafter, the appropri~te lock Pin cylinde~ 238 or 238' is actuated to lock the beam that is not -to be extended 230 or 230' to its respecti~e cradle 202 or 202'. ~fter the beam locking iS co~pleted, the appxoprlate clamping a~sembly 100 or 100' is operated throu~h ~çtuation of the respective cylinder 124 or 124' to cause the clamping axms 102a and 102b or 102a' and 102b' to grip the end of the tie T in the rail bed. Once the tie to be replaced is gxipped, the main actuator 240 is operated through appropriate manipula-tlon of the valve 300 to cause the unlocked bea.m to extend laterally outward from the road bed carrying the tie T with it. In the preferred embodiment, the inner and outer beams are each approximately 7' long and are efective for removing a tie T in a single stroke. However, as can be appreciated b~ tho~e ski.lled in the art, a railway cross tie may be "~alked" out of its position in the xoad bed by clamping the end of the tie, partiall~ extending the respective beam, releasing the clamp on the tie, retractin~ the partially extended beam, regripping the tie adjacent the rail bed, and then further extending the beam to incremently remove the tie from the road bed. Once the tie has been removed, a new tie may be gripped on end and inserted into the posi~lon le~t by the ~emoved tie.
The new tie can be inserted from the sa~e side that the old tie was xemoved ox, i~ preferxed, ~xom the. opposite side, takin~
ad~a~tage o~ the ~idixectiona~ly ope~tive nature of the cxoss tie e~changer 20.
~ is known in the art, ~ hoisting or li~tlng appa~atu~
(not sho~n~ may be provided for connection to the xails 28 to relieve the loading on the: tle to he ~emoved -to facilitate the operation of the cross tie exchangex.
A second embodiment of the present in~ention that incorporates a turreted support -to p~ovide relati~e rotation about -the ~rextical axis is shown in F~g. 11 and is referred to therein generally by the reference characte.r 5Q0. The tie exchanger 500 includes ~ -turxet assembly 50.2 to which a modiied tie exchanyer 20' is attached. The turret ass~embly 502 includes a turret support plate 5Q4 that includes upwardly extendln~
and outwardly incllned cran~ axms S06 and 506' at the opposite ends thereof. The upper distal ends of the crane arms 506 and 506' are apertured for connection ~y conventional clevis and pin connectors 508 and 508' to the upper ends o~ the elevation control cyllnders 24 and 24' described above. ~ turret support member 510 includes a structural support mean 512 that extends laterally across the width of thç rall vehlcie and is secured to the ~ehicle frame (not shown). ~ turret support extension 514 is connected, as by welding, to the laterally extending structural support beam 512 at a point intermediate its ends.
An upwardly extending pintle 516 is secured to the turret support extension 514. The turret support plate 504 includes a centrally located bore 518 throu~h whlch the pintle 516 extends to permit relative rotation therebetween. A turret cap 520 is secured to the upper end o~ the pintle 516 to prevent uninten-tional disengagement o~ the turxet support plate 504 from the pintle 506. The organization o~ the turret structure permits the turret assembly 502 and its connected tie exchanger 20' to rotate e~ther clockwi.se ox counter clockwise about the ve~tic~l ~xis 522 a~d to a ~elected maximum ~alue (e.g. plus or ~inUs 20). The beam a~sem~ly 2Q0' dif~ers fro~ that described abo~e in that the ~uide plate 212 and the guide rails 214 and 214' (Fig. 4) are not utilized. Instead, a guide surface set 524 and 526 (.only one ~uide rom each s~t being shown~ is secured to the turxe-t support plate 504 to constrain the beam assembly 200' from movement ln the fore and aft direction. ~dditional constraining members (not shown) are provided to limit side-to-side mo~ement of thq beam assembly 20Q' relative to the turret support plate 504. A h~draulic actuator 528 is pxovided to control rotatio~ of the turret assembly 502 about the pin~le 516 and ~ncludes a cyllnder portion 528a connected to the lateral support beam 512 and a ram 528b connected to the turret suppor-t plate 504 vla a clevis and pin connection 530. A hydraulic circuit for operating the hydraulic actuator is shown in Fig. 12 and includes a three position, four way hydraulic valve 532 connected between the rotation control cylinder 528 and the a~orementioned source of pressurized fluid P and the hydxaulic reservoir S. Operation of the valve 532 to the right causes the rotation actuator 528 to extend and rotate the turret assembly 502 clockwise ~bout the vertical axis 522. Conversely, operation of the valve 532 to the left causes the rotation cyllnder 528 to retxact and cause the turret assembly 502 to rotate counter clockwise about the vertical axls 522. As can be appxeciatedl selected control of the valve 532 peXmits the turret assembly to be rotated about the vertical axis 522 so as to pro~ide precise all~nment between the beam assembly 200' and the -tie to be xe~oved. This ~eatuxe is particularly valuable when remoVing cross tles from the turn out poxtion of a switch where the ties may lie at an angle relative to the di~ec ti~n o~ the X~ils.
In orde~ to remo~e a cross tie from a xoad bed using the croSs tie exchange~ 5Q~ sho~n in ~ig. 12, the xailwa~ vehicle 22 upon ~hich the cross tle exchangex 500 is mounted is moved along 33l~
the track 28 until the cross tie exchan~er S00 is positioned over the tie T to be exchan~ed. Thereafter, the ~urret rotation control cyllnder 528 is ope~ated so ~hat the beam assembl~ 200' is aliyned precisely with the ali~n~ent o~ -the tie to be exchan~ed. Thexeaftex, the elev~tion control cylindexs 24 and 24' on either slde o~ the rail vehicle 22 are operated through appropriate manipulatlon of the bidi~ec-tional valves 304 and 304' (Fi~s. 10D and lQE) so that the cross tie exchan~er 20' is positioned dlxectly over the tie to be exchan~ed and has an ali~nment or attitude approximately paxallel to the tie to be exchanged. Thereafter, the appropriate lock pin cylinder 238 or 238' is actu~ted to lock the beam that is not to be extended 230 or 230' to its respective cradle 202 or 202'. The appropxiate clampin~ assembly 100 or 110' ls then operated throu~h actuation of the respective cylinder 124 or 124' to cause the clamping arms 102a and 102b or 102a' and 102b' to ~rip the end of the tie in the rail bed. Once the tie to be exchanged is gripped, the main actuator ~40 ls operated as described above to ef~ect removal of the tie.
As can be appreciated from the above, the cross tie exchanger 20 is well suited ~or removing and replacing railway cross ties T from one side of the road bed or the other. The independent elevation control cylinders and the turret design provide substantial operational freedom for removin~ ties that are not optimally poSitioned for xemoval.
This latter featu~e is a dist~nc~ advan~a~e when removin~
and replalcn~ rail tieS at switches, fro~s, or the like.
In the disclosed embod~ment, the various actuators have heen shown as hydx~ulic cylinders~ Other t~pes of actu~tors, includin~ electrical, pneumatic, and even ~anual are suita~le~
Likewise, while the cross -tie exchanger ls shown with outer and inner beams having a square or rectangulax cross se~tion, bea~s having other cross sections axe equally suitable.
As can be appreciated by those skilled in the aXt, vaxious changes and modiflcations may be made to the disclosed embodiments Q~ the cross tie exchanger without departing from the spirit and scope o~ the lnv~nt.ion as de~ined in the appended claims and their legal equi~alent~
Claims (41)
OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A railway tie removing apparatus comprising:
an extensible beam means including first and second beams, one telescopically received within the other;
an adjustable support means for supporting said beam means relative to a support vehicle, said support means selectively adjustable to position said beam means relative to the axis of the tie to be removed;
selectively actuatable lock means for locking a selected one of said first and second beams to said support means;
tie gripping means mounted on said first and said second beams for selectively gripping a railway cross tie; and force actuator means connected to said first and to said second beams for causing said first and second beams to telescopically extend relative one another;
whereby actuating said locking means to lock one of the first and second beams to the support means and unlock the other and operating the force actuator means causes the unlocked other of the first and second beams to extend relative to the locked beam, and actuating said locking means to lock the other of the first and second beams to the support means and unlock the one and operating the force actuator means causes the unlocked one of the first and second beams to extend relative to the locked other beam.
an extensible beam means including first and second beams, one telescopically received within the other;
an adjustable support means for supporting said beam means relative to a support vehicle, said support means selectively adjustable to position said beam means relative to the axis of the tie to be removed;
selectively actuatable lock means for locking a selected one of said first and second beams to said support means;
tie gripping means mounted on said first and said second beams for selectively gripping a railway cross tie; and force actuator means connected to said first and to said second beams for causing said first and second beams to telescopically extend relative one another;
whereby actuating said locking means to lock one of the first and second beams to the support means and unlock the other and operating the force actuator means causes the unlocked other of the first and second beams to extend relative to the locked beam, and actuating said locking means to lock the other of the first and second beams to the support means and unlock the one and operating the force actuator means causes the unlocked one of the first and second beams to extend relative to the locked other beam.
2. A railway cross tie exchanging apparatus comprising:
reversibly extensible beam means including first and second beams, one telescopically received within the other;
an adjustable support means for supporting said beam means relative to a support vehicle, said support means selectively adjustable to position said beam means relative to the axis of the tie to be removed;
selectively actuatable lock means for selectively locking one of said first and second beams to said support means to prevent relative movement;
tie gripping means mounted on said first and said second beams for selectively gripping a railway cross tie;
reversible force actuator means connected between said first and second beams to cause said first and second beams to telescopically extend and retract relative one another;
whereby actuating the locking means to lock the first beam to the support means and unlock the second beam and operating the force actuator means to extend causes the unlocked second beam to extend relative to the locked first beam, and causing the force actuator means to retract causes the so-extended unlocked second beam to retract relative to the locked first beam, and whereby actuating the locking means to lock the second beam to the support means and operating the force actuator means to extend causes the first beam to extend relative to the locked second beam and causing the force actuator means to retract causes the first so-extended beam to retract relative to the locked second beam.
reversibly extensible beam means including first and second beams, one telescopically received within the other;
an adjustable support means for supporting said beam means relative to a support vehicle, said support means selectively adjustable to position said beam means relative to the axis of the tie to be removed;
selectively actuatable lock means for selectively locking one of said first and second beams to said support means to prevent relative movement;
tie gripping means mounted on said first and said second beams for selectively gripping a railway cross tie;
reversible force actuator means connected between said first and second beams to cause said first and second beams to telescopically extend and retract relative one another;
whereby actuating the locking means to lock the first beam to the support means and unlock the second beam and operating the force actuator means to extend causes the unlocked second beam to extend relative to the locked first beam, and causing the force actuator means to retract causes the so-extended unlocked second beam to retract relative to the locked first beam, and whereby actuating the locking means to lock the second beam to the support means and operating the force actuator means to extend causes the first beam to extend relative to the locked second beam and causing the force actuator means to retract causes the first so-extended beam to retract relative to the locked second beam.
3. The apparatus claimed in claims 1 or 2 wherein said first and second beams have a rectangular cross section, one of said beams hollow so as to telescopically receive the other therein.
4. The apparatus claimed in claim 1 wherein said adjustable support means supports said beam means substantially along the lateral axis of its support vehicle for extension in a direction laterally of said vehicle.
5. The apparatus claimed in claim 2 wherein said adjustable support means supports said beam means substantially along the lateral axis of its support vehicle for extension in a direction laterally of said vehicle.
6. The apparatus claimed in claim 5 wherein said adjustable support means comprises:
turret mounted on the support vehicle and including a first stationary portion secured to said support vehicle and a second portion mounted on said first portion for relative rotation therebetween.
turret mounted on the support vehicle and including a first stationary portion secured to said support vehicle and a second portion mounted on said first portion for relative rotation therebetween.
7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said selectively actuatable locking means further comprises:
first locking means associated with said first beam for selectively locking said first beam against movement relative to said support means; and second locking means associated with said second beam for selectively locking said second beam against movement relative to said support means.
first locking means associated with said first beam for selectively locking said first beam against movement relative to said support means; and second locking means associated with said second beam for selectively locking said second beam against movement relative to said support means.
8. The apparatus claimed in claim 2 wherein said tie gripping means comprises:
first tie gripping means connected to said first beam and second tie gripping means connected to said second beam, said first and second tie gripping means including pivotably mounted arms for releasably gripping a tie therebetween.
first tie gripping means connected to said first beam and second tie gripping means connected to said second beam, said first and second tie gripping means including pivotably mounted arms for releasably gripping a tie therebetween.
9. The apparatus claimed in claim 2 wherein said force actuator means comprises:
fluid cylinder means having a cylinder portion connected to one of said first and second beams and a ram portion connected to the other of said first and second beams, said fluid cylinder means reversibly actuatable to cause extension and retraction of said beams relative to one another.
fluid cylinder means having a cylinder portion connected to one of said first and second beams and a ram portion connected to the other of said first and second beams, said fluid cylinder means reversibly actuatable to cause extension and retraction of said beams relative to one another.
10. The apparatus claimed in claim 4 or claim 5 wherein said adjustable support means supports said beam means for movement in a generally vertical direction.
11. The apparatus claimed in claim 4 of claim 5 wherein said adjustable support means supports said beam means for selective positioning at an angle relative the horizontal.
12. The apparatus claimed in claim 4 or claim 5 wherein said adjustable support means said beam means for selective rotation about a generally vertical axis.
13. The apparatus claimed in claim 4 or claim 5 wherein said adjustable support means supports said beam for selective positioning at an angle relative to the horizontal, and for selective rotation about a generally vertical axis.
14. The apparatus claimed in claim 4 wherein said adjustable support means comprises:
turret mounted on the support vehicle and including a first stationary portion secured to said support vehicle and a second portion mounted on said first portion for relative rotation therebetween.
turret mounted on the support vehicle and including a first stationary portion secured to said support vehicle and a second portion mounted on said first portion for relative rotation therebetween.
15. The apparatus claimed in claim 6 or claim 7 wherein said adjustable support means further comprises:
a rotation controlling fluid actuator connected between said first and second portions of said turret means to effect controlled rotary positioning therebetween.
a rotation controlling fluid actuator connected between said first and second portions of said turret means to effect controlled rotary positioning therebetween.
16. The apparatus claimed in claim 4 or claim 5 wherein said adjustable turret means further comprises:
elevation controlling fluid actuator means connected between the second portion of said turret means and said supported beam means for moving said supported beam means in a generally vertical direction and for adjustably positioning the angle of the supported beam means relative to the tie to be removed.
elevation controlling fluid actuator means connected between the second portion of said turret means and said supported beam means for moving said supported beam means in a generally vertical direction and for adjustably positioning the angle of the supported beam means relative to the tie to be removed.
17. The apparatus claimed in claim 1 wherein said selectively actuatable locking means further comprises:
first locking means associated with said first beam for selectively locking said first beam against movement relative to said support means; and second locking means associated with said second beam for selectively locking said second beam against movement relative to said support means.
first locking means associated with said first beam for selectively locking said first beam against movement relative to said support means; and second locking means associated with said second beam for selectively locking said second beam against movement relative to said support means.
18. The apparatus claimed in claim 7 or claim 17 wherein said first and second locking means further comprises:
a locking pin connected to a lock pin actuator for causing said locking pin to advance into a lock pin receiving opening in the respective beam to lock said beam to said support means or for causing said locking pin to be retracted from said lock pin receiving opening to thereby unlock said beam.
a locking pin connected to a lock pin actuator for causing said locking pin to advance into a lock pin receiving opening in the respective beam to lock said beam to said support means or for causing said locking pin to be retracted from said lock pin receiving opening to thereby unlock said beam.
19. The apparatus claimed in claim l wherein said tie gripping means comprises:
first tie gripping means connected to said first beam and second tie gripping means connected to said second beam, said first and second tie gripping means including pivotably mounted arms for releasably gripping a tie therebetween.
first tie gripping means connected to said first beam and second tie gripping means connected to said second beam, said first and second tie gripping means including pivotably mounted arms for releasably gripping a tie therebetween.
20. The apparatus claimed in claim 8 or claim 19 wherein said first and second pivotable arms are connected at their upper end by a push/pull force actuator and include tie clamping pads at their lower end for gripping a tie therebetween.
21. The apparatus claimed in claim 1 wherein said force actuator means comprises:
fluid cylinder means having a cylinder portion connected to one of said first and second beams and a ram portion connected to the other of said first and second beams, said fluid cylinder means reversibly actuatable to cause extension and retraction of said beams relative to one another.
fluid cylinder means having a cylinder portion connected to one of said first and second beams and a ram portion connected to the other of said first and second beams, said fluid cylinder means reversibly actuatable to cause extension and retraction of said beams relative to one another.
22. The apparatus claimed in claim 9 or claim 21 wherein said fluid cylinder means is a push/pull hydraulic cylinder.
23. A railway tie exchanging apparatus comprising:
first and second beams, one telescopically received within the other;
first tie clamping means connected to an end of said first beam and second tie clamping means connected to an end of said second beam, said first and second tie clamping means selectively actuatable to grip a railway cross tie;
support means for supporting said first and second beams relative to a support vehicle;
first selectively actuatable locking means for locking said first beam against movement relative to said support means;
second selectively actuatable locking means for locking said second beam against movement relative to said support means; and fluid actuator means connected between said first and second beams, said fluid actuator means operable to cause said first and second beams to extend relative to one another and operable to cause said first and second beams to retract relative one another;
whereby actuation of the first locking means to lock the first beam against movement relative to the support means and operating the first fluid actuator means to extend causes the second beam to extend relative to the first beam and operating the fluid actuator means to retract causes the so-extended second beam to retract relative to the first beam, and actuation of the second locking means to lock the second beam against movement relative to the support means and operating the fluid actuator means to extend causes the first beam to extend relative to the second beam and operating fluid actuator means to retract causes the so-extended first beam to retract relative to the second beam.
first and second beams, one telescopically received within the other;
first tie clamping means connected to an end of said first beam and second tie clamping means connected to an end of said second beam, said first and second tie clamping means selectively actuatable to grip a railway cross tie;
support means for supporting said first and second beams relative to a support vehicle;
first selectively actuatable locking means for locking said first beam against movement relative to said support means;
second selectively actuatable locking means for locking said second beam against movement relative to said support means; and fluid actuator means connected between said first and second beams, said fluid actuator means operable to cause said first and second beams to extend relative to one another and operable to cause said first and second beams to retract relative one another;
whereby actuation of the first locking means to lock the first beam against movement relative to the support means and operating the first fluid actuator means to extend causes the second beam to extend relative to the first beam and operating the fluid actuator means to retract causes the so-extended second beam to retract relative to the first beam, and actuation of the second locking means to lock the second beam against movement relative to the support means and operating the fluid actuator means to extend causes the first beam to extend relative to the second beam and operating fluid actuator means to retract causes the so-extended first beam to retract relative to the second beam.
24. The apparatus claimed in claim 23 wherein said first and second beams have a rectangular cross section, one of said beams being hollow and telescopically received by the other.
25. The apparatus claimed in claim 23 wherein each of said tie clamping means further comprises:
first and second tie clamping arms pivotably connected to an end of a respective beam and having second fluid actuator means connected thereto to cause said first and second tie clamping arms to pivot towards a closed position to grip a tie therebetween or pivot to an open position.
first and second tie clamping arms pivotably connected to an end of a respective beam and having second fluid actuator means connected thereto to cause said first and second tie clamping arms to pivot towards a closed position to grip a tie therebetween or pivot to an open position.
26. The apparatus claimed in claim 25 wherein said tie clamping arms are spaced apart from one another in a common vertically aligned plane and pivoted intermediate their ends, said second fluid actuator means connected between the upper ends of said tie clamping arms, the lower ends thereof for gripping a tie therebetween.
27. The apparatus claimed in claim 26 wherein said lower ends of said tie clamping arms include pad elements for contacting and gripping the railway cross tie.
28. The apparatus claimed in claim 27 wherein said pad elements are detachably attached to said tie clamping arms.
29. The apparatus claimed in claim 28 further comprising:
adjustable stop means positioned between said tie clamping arms to define and limit the fully open position of said arms.
adjustable stop means positioned between said tie clamping arms to define and limit the fully open position of said arms.
30. The apparatus claimed in claim 23 wherein said support means supports said first and second beams in a substantially horizontal attitude aligned substantially along a lateral axis of the support vehicle.
31. The apparatus claimed in claim 30 wherein said adjustable support means supports said beam means for movement in a generally vertical direction.
32. The apparatus claimed in claim 30 wherein said adjustable support means supports said beam means for selective positioning at an angle relative to the horizontal.
33. The apparatus claimed in claim 30 wherein said adjustable support means supports said beam means for selective rotation about a generally vertical axis.
34. The apparatus claimed in claim 30 wherein said adjustable support means supports said beam means for movement in a generally vertical direction, for selective positioning at an angle relative to the horizontal, and for selective rotation about a generally vertical axis.
35. The apparatus claimed in claim 30 wherein said support means comprises:
a support tube for supporting said first and second beams therein.
a support tube for supporting said first and second beams therein.
36. The apparatus claimed in claim 30 further comprising:
third fluid actuator means connected between said support means and the support vehicle for causing movement of said support means relative to said support vehicle in a generally vertical direction.
third fluid actuator means connected between said support means and the support vehicle for causing movement of said support means relative to said support vehicle in a generally vertical direction.
37. The apparatus as claimed in claim 36 further comprising:
guide means for guiding movement of said support means in a substantially vertical direction.
guide means for guiding movement of said support means in a substantially vertical direction.
38. The apparatus as claimed in claim 37 wherein said guide means comprises:
a flat vertically aligned plate and edge guides positioned along the edges of said plate to guide said plate for movement in a substantially vertical direction.
a flat vertically aligned plate and edge guides positioned along the edges of said plate to guide said plate for movement in a substantially vertical direction.
39. The apparatus as claimed in claim 23 wherein said locking means comprises:
a pin connected to a fourth fluid actuator means, each of said beams including a pin receiving opening, said fourth fluid actuator means operable to advance said pin into respective pin receiving apertures in said beams to effect locking and operable to retract said pin from said pin receiving aperture to effect unlocking.
a pin connected to a fourth fluid actuator means, each of said beams including a pin receiving opening, said fourth fluid actuator means operable to advance said pin into respective pin receiving apertures in said beams to effect locking and operable to retract said pin from said pin receiving aperture to effect unlocking.
40. The apparatus as claimed in claim 23 wherein said first fluid actuator means is a push/pull hydraulic cylinder having a cylinder portion thereof connected to one of said beams and a ram portion thereof connected to the other of said beams.
41. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2 or 23 wherein said support means supports said first and second beams between trucks of the support vehicle.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US06/367,936 US4418625A (en) | 1981-06-18 | 1982-04-13 | Bidirectionally operative tie exchanging apparatus |
| US367,936 | 1982-04-13 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1193914A true CA1193914A (en) | 1985-09-24 |
Family
ID=23449225
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000410572A Expired CA1193914A (en) | 1982-04-13 | 1982-09-01 | Bidirectionally operative tie exchanging apparatus |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1193914A (en) |
-
1982
- 1982-09-01 CA CA000410572A patent/CA1193914A/en not_active Expired
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| MKEX | Expiry |