GB1025780A - Railroad track gripping apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

1,025,780. Track lifters. MANNIX INTERNATIONAL Inc. June 1, 1964 [June 3, 1963(2)], No. 22620/64. Heading E1G. Track gripping means comprises a plurality of groups 40, 41, 42 of rail gripping rollers each group comprising a plurality of rollers 50 of which at least one of each group is positioned on each side of a rail structure, each roller being flanged at 50a to engage the underside of a rail head and there being means for independently moving any group into and out of rail engagement. Pairs of roller groups 42 are secured to a transverse frame 20 movable laterally by screw and nut mechanism 34 and motor 31, relative to a transverse beam 22 pivotally mounted on vertically adjustable columns 25 and hydraulic jack 27. The columns and jacks are supported on a boom 10 carried by rail mounted trucks to provide a track lifting apparatus. Flexible feelers at each end of each roller group actuate sensing mechanism 51 on touching a fishplate 70 to actuate an hydraulic ram 63 which extends to pivot the rollers 50 about axes 56 to a rail disengaged position. Further movement of the boom along the track to clear both feelers of one group from the fishplate results in the rollers of that group being moved back into track engaging condition. In the embodiment of Fig. 2 the centre groups of rollers 41 are set higher than the end groups 40, 42 to compensate for rail curvature when raised. In another embodiment, two sets of roller groups are employed, with hydraulic jacks for transverse rail slewing movement and flanged rollers for fishplate sensing.