GB866944A - Improvements in and relating to vehicles for detecting levelling faults in railway tracks - Google Patents

Abstract

866,944. Detecting levelling faults in railway tracks. MATERIAL INDUSTRIEL S.A., and CONSTRUCTIONS MECANIQUES S.A. RENENS. June 13, 1958 [June 17, 1957], No. 19029/58. Class 105. Apparatus for detecting levelling faults in railway tracks and distinguishing between faults due to sleepers, improperly supported and deformation levelling faults comprises a carriage supported on the rail at two or more points and of weight to deform on unsupported rail and has pivoted on it a measuring probe which bears on the rail at a distance of two meters from the nearest point of support and which moves up and down relatively to the points of support as the carriage moves over the irregularities in the rail. As shown, an unloaded measuring device in the form of a chariot 15 on wheels 17 and of very light construction so as not to deform the rail locates the unloaded measuring point 1 and is pushed ahead on the track by a loaded vehicle to which it is coupled by rods 14 connected to the chariot and vehicle by universal joint couplings. The rail is loaded at the two points of contact 2, 3 of the vehicle wheels 8, 8a which carry a first chassis 11 not elastically supported and which itself supports elastically as by rubber pads 12, 12a, a second chassis 13. Since the chariot is not suspended elastically on the track, its upper edge 18 is at a fixed distance from the axis 16 of the wheel 17 and constitutes a secondary measuring basis, on which constantly bears a horizontal lever 19 pivoting at 20 on the chassis 11 so as to remain in the plane of the rail. The movement of the other end 21 relative to the chassis 11 is transmitted through a sheathed wire cable system to an inscribing pen 27 adapted to mark an advancing band 26 driven from the chassis wheels 8, 8a. Fig. 6 shows the type of curve inscribed for a fault when the sleeper is not properly supported, and Fig. 10 that for a deformation fault.