GB2176138A - Drilling jig - Google Patents

Abstract

The jig 10 is attachable to a railway line rail 12 and can hold and urge the drill 28 to cut a hole in the web of the rail. The jig 10 is of low profile and need not be removed for a train to pass. The jig has a clamp 14 and an adjustable cross-piece 80 for extending over adjacent railway sleepers. The drill 28 has a neck supported by a height adjustable collar 64. The drill is fed by a hand-driven screw 38 bearing against a plate 40 with notches at different heights to accommodate drill height adjustment. Feed can be by hydraulic ram. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Drilling jig The present invention relates to drilling jigs and more particularly to jigs for drilling holes in railway line rails.

Railway line rails are normally of I section and the web of the rail is offairlythick steel. Typically the width of the web may be from one half of an inch (12.5 mm) to an inch (25 mm). The known method for drilling such rails in situ is by an electric drill powered from a portable electrical generator, the electric drill being hand held and force being applied by hand or by for example guiding the drill by hand and using one or more crowbars as leverage. Considerable force is required to force the drill bit (usually of half inch (12.5mm) diameter) through theweb. In certain circumstances where points are concerned it may be necessary to drill through two rails side by side and it is virtually impossibleto drill neat holes through both of the rails.Afurther problem lies in the necessity to disengage the drill from the rail if a train needs to pass overthe rail. Thus on re-insertion ofthe drill bitthere is a tendency to drill at a different angle causing an oval holeto be produced.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a drilling jig fora railway line rail which can beclamped to the rail, which can hoid a suitable drill in a fixed relationship with respect to the rail and which does not need to be removed to allow the passage of a train on the rail be drilled.

The present invention provides a drilling jig for railway line rails including clamp meansforattach mentto a rail to be driiled, support meansfora drill, the support means being slidable with respect to the clamp means and being capable of supporting and urging the drill towards the rail to drill a hole in the rail.

Preferably the support means is adjustable in height relative to the clamp means to enable holes to be drilled ata plurality of heights in a rail.

Preferably the clamp means includes an adjustmentto allowtheclampto be attached to rails of various sizes.

In a first preferred embodiment the support means includes means for urging the drilltowardsthe rail, which urging means comprises a lead screw arrangement. In a second preferred embodiment the urging means comprises a hydraulic ram arrangement.

The jig preferably includes a cross memberfor resting on the railway sleepers when in use, the cross member being adjustable with respect to the clamp means. The cross member also preferablycomprises at least one adjusting means to enable the cross member to be adjustable in height with respect to the sleepers.

The support means preferably includes a plate for aftachmentto the drill, the plate being provided with a plurality ofindentsfordrilling holesinthe rails ata corresponding plurality of positions.

Embodiments ofthe present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 7 shows in side elevation a drilling jig for drilling holes in railway line rails orsimilaraccording to the present invention; Figure2showsthe drilling jig of Figure 1 in plan view; Figure 3 shows a first plate for attachment to the drill in Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4shows a second alternative design of plate for attachmentto the drill in Figures 1 and 2; and Figure 5shows an adjustable portion of the support means allowing holes to be drilled at various heights.

With reference now to Figures 1 and 2the drilling jig 10its shown attached to a railway line rail hereinafter referred to as a rail 12 of I section. The drilling jig is particularly designed for use with rails but could be used to drill holes in for example I, H orTsection girders.

The jig includes a clamp section 14comprising a hook member 16 and a clamp member 18 which can be urged against the hook member 16to clamp across the rail 12 by means of a clamp bolt 20. The clamp member 16 is slidable in a slot 22 (see Figure 2) so as to be adjustable for various widths of the rail flange 24.

The hook member 16 is extended as shown to form a base member 26 on which a drill 28 is supported by means of upright members 30,32. The member 30 comprises an upright pillar 34 which istappd at 36 and through which a lead screw 38 passes. The lead screw 38 co-operates with a plate 40, preferably steel, and is provided with a handle 42 for urging the drill 28 towards the rail 12. The member 30 may be positioned at a plurality of locations along base member 26 by selection of one of holes 44,46,48 (shown dotted) for insertion of a clamping bolt 50. The member 30 is provided with flanges 52,54 which cooperate with the edges of base member 26 to align the lead screw 38 with the member 26.

The drill 28 which may be electric or pneumatic is provided with a drill bit 60. The drill which is ofstan- dard size and design will have an end section 62 normally of circular cross-section. This section is enclosed by a collar 64forming part of support member 32, the collar 64 being shaped to conform to the shape of end section 62. In this embodiment therefore the collar 64 is an annular ring as shown in FigureS. The annular ring is supported by a rod 66which is screw threaded at 68 and is adjustable within a box section member 70. The box section member70 encloses with a minimum sliding clearance the base member 26 and the screw threaded portion 68 is able to move along the base member 26 in slot 22. Alocknut72and washer74 may be provided as shown in FigureS.

Across member 80 is attached to the base member 26 by bolts 82,84 which pass through slots 86,88 in the cross member such thatthe cross member is adjustable with respecttothe base memberto allow adjustable feet 90,92 to rest on respective railway sleepers 94,96. The adjustablefeet90, 92 therefore compensate for any heightvariations between the sleepers 94,96 and the bolts 82,84 allow the jig to be positioned at any desired position between the sleepers.

The plate 40 is shown in greater detail in Figures 3 and 4. In Figure 3a the lead screw side of plate 40 includes three indents 100,102, 104. The tapered end of lead screw 38 may be positioned in anyofthese indents to select the height ofthe hole to be drilled in relationtothebasemember26.

The opposite face of plate 40 is provided with four pegs 106, 108, 110, 112 which co-operate with four moulded slots on drill 28to hold the plate 40 in a fixed non-rotatable-relationshipwith drill 28. The plate40 may be of any other shape with pins providedto co-operate with a different moulded design ofthe backofa drill 28. Such a design is shown in Figure3b in which three pins 114,116,1 l8areprovided in a triangulararrangementforco-operationwith adiffe rent design of drill 28..ln Figure 4a the plate 40 is shown provided with six holes 120 -- 130 to allowsix selected height positions.

In operation clamp member 18 is slid back along slot22 and hook member 16 is slid underandfitted onto thefarflange of rail 12. Clamp member18 slid up to the near flange and tightened. Cross member 80 is adjusted by bolts 82,84 until height adjustment members 90,92 are above respective sleepers 96,94.

Height adjustment members 90,92 are adjusted pre ferably until base member 26 is horizontal.

The height ofthe hole to be drilled in rail 12 isthen selected.- It should be noted thatfor most rail fittings the hole heights are standard, only three heights being normally selectable. Rod 66 is then rotated in box section member 70 until the desired centre height is reached. Plate 40 is placed onto drill 28 and the appropriate hole 100,102, 104 is selected for place ment of lead screw 38. The drill section 62 is then inserted through annulus 64 and the drill held by turning lead screw 38 by handle.42 until the dri!l and drill bit are effectively clamped between the plate 40 and rail 12.The drilling operation can then commence by an operator holding the drill against rotation with handle 150 and operating the drill using switch 152 situated on handle 152. With the operatorsfree hand the handle 42 can be progressivelyturned to force the drill bitthrough the rib of rail 12.

An importantfeature ofthe jig 10 isthat even when fitted with the drill 28 the apparatus is relatively low profile with no clamp on top ofthe rail 12. Thus on sight of an approaching train the operator can switch pff the drill 28 and retire to a safe distance. The train can pass over the rail 12 with the.drill 28 still in posi tion.It may be possible, should safety regulations al[ow,forthe drilling operation to be continued dur- ing passageofthetrain over rail 12. Howevereven though drilling may be ceased to allow passage ofthe train thejig will be firmly fixed to the rail 12 and when drilling is recommenced the drill will still be in the same position and the hole drilled will be satisfactory.

If required the drilling operation can be carried out remotely by preventing the drill 28 from rotating for example by allowing itshandle 150 to bear onto the base member 26 and by using a hydralic ram in piace of lead screw 38. Both drill and hydraulic ram could be operated from a distance. Thus the drill could be used, once ciamped in position to-drili holes in rails in hazardous locations withoutdanger of injuryto the operator

Claims (9)

1. A drilling jig for railway line rails including clamp meansforattachmentto a rail to be drilled, support means for a drill, the support means being slidablewith respect to the clamp means and being capable of supporting and urging the drilltowardsthe rail to drill a hole in the rail.

2. A drilling jig as claimed in Claim 1 in which the support means is adjustable in heightrelativetothe clamp means to enable holes to be drilled ata plural ityofheightsinarail.

3. A drilling jig as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2in which the clamp means includes an adjustmentto allow the clamp to be attached to rails ofvarious sizes.

4. Adrillingjig as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3 in which the support means includes means for uring the drill towards the rail, which urging means comprises a lead screw arrangement.

5. A drilling jig as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3 in which the urging means comprises a hydraulic ram arrangement.

6. A drilling jig as claimed in anyone of Claims 1 to 5 including a cross memberfor resting on the railway sleepers when in use,thecross member being adjustable with respect to the clamp means.

7. A drilling jig as claimed in Claim 6 in which the cross member comprises atleastone adjusting means to enable the cross member to be adjustable in height with respect to the sleepers.

8. A drilling jig as claimed in any one ofClaims 1 to 7 in which the support means includes a plate for attachmenttothe drill, the plate being prnvided with a pluralityofindentsfordrilling holes inthe rails ata corresponding pluarlity of positions.

9. A drilling jig substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.