GB162622A - Improvements relating to machines for removing weeds from railway road beds - Google Patents

Abstract

162,622. Scheuchzer, A. April 29, 1920, [Convention date]. Addition to 157,308. Weeds, destroying; hoes.-In a machine for destroying weeds on railways comprising knives which are automatically lifted over the sleepers as described in the parent Specification, the auxiliary motor for raising and lowering the knives is set in motion by an appliance drawn through the ballast and directly actuated by the sleepers. In the form shown in Fig. 1, the knives 15 are movable about an axis 151 and are raised and lowered by lever and rod mechanism connected to a piston in a power cylinder. The supply of steam to the cylinder is controlled by a valve connected by a rod g, a spring, and a tube 32 to a pivoted and spring-controlled lever f carrying a movable rod d which is provided with a pilot roller e moving through the ballast. The roller c is held in the ballast by the engagement of the rod d with a curved arm b<1> of a lever connected by a rod a with a hand-wheel, the lever tending to turn the rod d into a vertical position. When the roller e engages a sleeper, the rod d and lever f are tilted and steam is admitted to the cylinder to raise the knives. When the roller e leaves the sleeper, a spring 43 returns the parts to their original positions and admits steam to the other side of the piston. As the centre of curvature of the arm b<1> does not correspond with the pivot of the lever f, the rod d is pushed along the leve: f towards the knives 15 when they are raised sc as to cause them to clear the sleeper. The lever b is adjusted according to the width of the sleepers. For transport purposes, the rod d is turned up by means of a slotted rod h, a lever c, and a rod a<1> connected to the rod a. The Specification as open to inspection under Sect. 91 (3) (a) comprises also a modification shown in Fig. 4 (Cancelled) in which the rod d slides in a block pivoted on a sliding piece which is con. nected by link and lever mechanism k<2>, k<3>, k<4> tc a hand-wheel k<1>. The rod d is pressed against a curved arm l on the sliding piece by a spring m. It engages in a curved slot in a spring-controlled arm n on a shaft r, the motion of which is transmitted to the slide valve by an arm o. Different widths of sleeper are allowed for by adjusting the height of the sliding piece. Two pilot rollers may act on the slide valves independently, so that, when the railway is curved or the sleepers are of irregular width, the knives are raised by the first roller which engages a sleeper and are held up until the other roller has left it. This subject-matter does not appear in the Specification as accepted.