GB372198A - A rail cleaning and lubricating apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

372,198. Cleaning and lubricating rails. ISABELLA, G. B., 8, Via Cournour, Turin, Italy. Aug. 19, 1931, No. 23406. Convention date, Aug. 21, 1930. [Class 103 (iii).] In a combined cleaning and lubricating apparatus for tramway and like rails, brush devices 28, 29 for cleaning and a wick 27 for lubricating each rail are carried at the ends of V-shaped supporting frames 2, 21 freely mounted on a vertically movable operating shaft 9 which, when lowered by levers 12, is rotated from the vehicle axle 16 by friction wheels 11 and transmits rotation by free-wheels 3 and chains to the brushes 28, 29 and by a free-wheel 22 to the lubricating device. When the shaft 9 rotates, the friction between each frame and the shaft slightly rotates the frame until either the lubricating or the cleaning end, depending on the direction of rotation of the shaft, contacts with the rail. The lubricating device comprises a receptacle 1 containing stirring arms 18 fixed to a vertical shaft 17 driven through a crank shaft 21 and worm gearing from the wheel 22, the crank shaft 21 also operating a double-acting pump 24 to force lubricant through a hose 25 to the wick 27. The levers 12 may be controlled by the driver, or automatically, for operating the lubricating apparatus, by the coupling-bar of a trailer vehicle when taking curves. The brushes 29 rotate in the opposite direction to the road wheels and include two components, a narrow brush 30, Fig. 3, clamped between the discs 32, 321 which partly enter the rail groove to guide the brush 30, and a wider brush 31 for the tread. Each brush comprises a box 33, Fig. 5, having a central square hole 34 with cylindrical rollers 35 on its edges to facilitate axial movement of the brushes against the action of return springs 39, 39<1>, Fig. 3, and bundles of wires 37 fitted on pins 36 secured in the box and extending through circumferential holes. When wear takes place the longer wires may be substituted for the shorter ones. A combined cleaning and lubricating device may be mounted on each axle of the vehicle.