GB2029875A

GB2029875A - Raising railway rails

Info

Publication number: GB2029875A
Application number: GB7929003A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Pandrol Ltd
Current assignee: Pandrol Ltd
Priority date: 1978-08-21
Filing date: 1979-08-21
Publication date: 1980-03-26
Also published as: GB2029875B

Abstract

A trolley which can run along a railway track carries a support structure 40 which, when lowered on to the railway track, when at least one of the rails is gripped by grippers 10, raises the trolley and thus the rails. The support structure may also be used for turning the trolley. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Raising railway rails According to the invention, there is provided a device suitable for use in raising railway rails comprising a trolley constructed to run on at least one of the two rails of a railway track and carrying a support structure, rail-engaging means and operating means capable of lowering the support structure on to the railway track and then raising the trolley, so that it is supported by the support structure, whilst said rail-engaging means is in engagement with at least one rail of the railway track, whereby this rail or both rails is or are raised.

The device is preferably constructed to run on both rails of a railway track, in which case the support structure is preferably confined, when lowered, to the area between the rails.

Thus it may stand on one or more railway sleepers, on ballast between sleepers or on a continuous slab extending along the railway track. The support structure may be so constructed that when it is supporting the raised trolley the latter can readily be turned about a vertical axis, preferably through 180 so that the trolley can then travel in the opposite direction along the track.

An example according to the invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a rear view of a device suitable for use in raising railway rails, standing on two rails of a railway track which lie on railway sleepers, and Figure 2 shows a side view of the same device, with the rails lifted so that they no longer lie on the sleepers.

The device shown in the drawings is exactly as described in detail and shown in the drawings of our British co-pending Patent Application No. 7924987 Serial No 2027778. Thus it comprises a trolley having a front wheel 1 and a rear wheel 2, which run on one rail 3 of a railway track, and a further front wheel and a further rear wheel 2A which run on the other rail 3A of the railway track. The rails are laid across concrete railway sleepers 4 on which lie pads (not shown) of electrically insulating material, upon which the rails lie.

Grippers 10 and 10A actuated by hydraulically operated piston-and-cylinder devices can grip the webs of the rails 3 and 3A and the grippers 10 are carried on a structure 34 which is pivotally connected to the lower ends of arms 22 and 23, the upper ends of which are pivotally connected to the chassis 24 of the trolley. The four pivot axes are all parallel to one another and they intersect an imaginary plane, which is perpendicular to all of them, at four points 25 to 28 which lie at the corners of a parallelogram, as shown in Fig.

2, in which the parts 34 and 22 to 24 are also diagrammatically illustrated. By swinging the structure 34 upwardly and to the right, the grippers 10 are raised without their orientation being changed. In this way one can cater for rails of different height. The structure 34 can be swung upwardly to the right, and subsequently in the reverse direction, by a piston-and-cylinder device (not shown) of which the piston rod is pivotally connected to the structure 34, whereas the cylinder is pivotally connected to the chassis 24. There is a corresponding arrangement on the other side of the trolley.

In addition to all the features described in Application No. 7924987 Serial No.

2027778, including parts for driving rail clips parallel to the rails into and/or out of rail-fastening positions on the railway track, the illustrated device has a support structure 40 which, when the trolley is running along the railway track, is in a raised position, as shown in Fig. 1. The support structure 40 comprises a circular plate 41 and a vertical column 42 projecting upwardly from its centre.By a hydraulically operated piston-andcylinder device, not shown, the support structure can be lowered so that the plate 41 stands centrally on one of the sleepers and then, with the grippers 10 and 10A gripping the rails, the same piston-and-cylinder device can be operated to lift the trolley, and with it the rails, so that the rails no longer lie on the sleepers, as shown in Fig. 2, the trolley and part of the weight of the rails being supported by the support structure 40. Whilst the rails are raised, the above-mentioned pads can be removed from under them and, if desired, replaced by new ones.

When the trolley has been raised as described above whilst the grippers 10 and 1 0A are not gripping the rails, and the structures 34 are in their raised positions, the trolley can be turned through 90 about the vertical axis of the column 42, such is the connection between the column 42 and the trolley, so that the trolley can run off the railway track on to a short cross-line, for example whilst a train passes on the railway track. The trolley can also be turned through 180 so that it can then travel in the opposite direction without the operator using reverse gear, if the trolley has a reverse gear.

1. A device suitable for use in raising railway rails comprising a trolley constructed to run on at least one of the two rails of a railway track and carrying a support structure, rail-engaging means and operating means capable of lowering the support structure on to the railway track and then raising the trolley, so that it is supported by the support structure, whilst said rail-engaging means is in engagement with at least one rail of the railway track, whereby this rail or both rails is or are raised.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Raising railway rails According to the invention, there is provided a device suitable for use in raising railway rails comprising a trolley constructed to run on at least one of the two rails of a railway track and carrying a support structure, rail-engaging means and operating means capable of lowering the support structure on to the railway track and then raising the trolley, so that it is supported by the support structure, whilst said rail-engaging means is in engagement with at least one rail of the railway track, whereby this rail or both rails is or are raised. The device is preferably constructed to run on both rails of a railway track, in which case the support structure is preferably confined, when lowered, to the area between the rails. Thus it may stand on one or more railway sleepers, on ballast between sleepers or on a continuous slab extending along the railway track. The support structure may be so constructed that when it is supporting the raised trolley the latter can readily be turned about a vertical axis, preferably through 180 so that the trolley can then travel in the opposite direction along the track. An example according to the invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a rear view of a device suitable for use in raising railway rails, standing on two rails of a railway track which lie on railway sleepers, and Figure 2 shows a side view of the same device, with the rails lifted so that they no longer lie on the sleepers. The device shown in the drawings is exactly as described in detail and shown in the drawings of our British co-pending Patent Application No. 7924987 Serial No 2027778. Thus it comprises a trolley having a front wheel 1 and a rear wheel 2, which run on one rail 3 of a railway track, and a further front wheel and a further rear wheel 2A which run on the other rail 3A of the railway track. The rails are laid across concrete railway sleepers 4 on which lie pads (not shown) of electrically insulating material, upon which the rails lie. Grippers 10 and 10A actuated by hydraulically operated piston-and-cylinder devices can grip the webs of the rails 3 and 3A and the grippers 10 are carried on a structure 34 which is pivotally connected to the lower ends of arms 22 and 23, the upper ends of which are pivotally connected to the chassis 24 of the trolley. The four pivot axes are all parallel to one another and they intersect an imaginary plane, which is perpendicular to all of them, at four points 25 to 28 which lie at the corners of a parallelogram, as shown in Fig. 2, in which the parts 34 and 22 to 24 are also diagrammatically illustrated. By swinging the structure 34 upwardly and to the right, the grippers 10 are raised without their orientation being changed. In this way one can cater for rails of different height. The structure 34 can be swung upwardly to the right, and subsequently in the reverse direction, by a piston-and-cylinder device (not shown) of which the piston rod is pivotally connected to the structure 34, whereas the cylinder is pivotally connected to the chassis 24. There is a corresponding arrangement on the other side of the trolley. In addition to all the features described in Application No. 7924987 Serial No. 2027778, including parts for driving rail clips parallel to the rails into and/or out of rail-fastening positions on the railway track, the illustrated device has a support structure 40 which, when the trolley is running along the railway track, is in a raised position, as shown in Fig. 1. The support structure 40 comprises a circular plate 41 and a vertical column 42 projecting upwardly from its centre.By a hydraulically operated piston-andcylinder device, not shown, the support structure can be lowered so that the plate 41 stands centrally on one of the sleepers and then, with the grippers 10 and 10A gripping the rails, the same piston-and-cylinder device can be operated to lift the trolley, and with it the rails, so that the rails no longer lie on the sleepers, as shown in Fig. 2, the trolley and part of the weight of the rails being supported by the support structure 40. Whilst the rails are raised, the above-mentioned pads can be removed from under them and, if desired, replaced by new ones. When the trolley has been raised as described above whilst the grippers 10 and 1 0A are not gripping the rails, and the structures 34 are in their raised positions, the trolley can be turned through 90 about the vertical axis of the column 42, such is the connection between the column 42 and the trolley, so that the trolley can run off the railway track on to a short cross-line, for example whilst a train passes on the railway track. The trolley can also be turned through 180 so that it can then travel in the opposite direction without the operator using reverse gear, if the trolley has a reverse gear. CLAIMS

2. A device according to claim 1 which is constructed to run on both rails of a railway track and in which the support structure is lowered on to the railway track between the rails and is so constructed that when it is supporting the raised trolley the latter can be turned about a vertical axis.

3. A device according to claim 2 in which the raised trolley can be turned through 180 about the vertical axis.

4. A device according to claim 2 or 3 in which the support structure comprises a circular plate with a vertical column projecting upwardly from its centre.

5. A device according to any preceding claim in which the rail-engaging means are hydraulically-operated grippers which grip the web(s) of the rail(s).

6. A device according to any preceding claim in which the rail-engaging means for one rail are mounted on a structure to which first and second swinging parts are pivotally connected, the first and second swinging parts also being pivotally connected to the trolley, the pivot axes of these four pivotal connections all being parallel and being such as to intersect an imaginary plane, perpendicular to the axes, at points which lie at the corners of a parallelogram, whereby when the first and second swinging parts are swung about the axes of their pivotal connections to the trolley said rail gripping means is raised or lowered so that it can be adjusted to the desired height.

7. A device according to any preceding claim having means for driving rail clips parallel to the rails into and/or out of rail-fastening positions on the railway track.

8. A device suitable for use in raising railway rails, substantially as described above with reference to the accompanying drawings.