GB906007A - Improvements in or relating to the maintenance of railway tracks - Google Patents

Abstract

906,007. Re-laying railway tracks. MANNIX CO. Ltd. Jan. 5, 1961, No. 501/61. Class 104(2). In conjunction with a railroad ballast handling under-track device and conveyer for moving loose ties transversely to the track there is provided guides for guiding a loose tie rearwardly from the rear of the under-track device on to the conveyer at an increasing rate of rearward travel relative to the device at least over the latter part of such travel. In the arrangement shown in Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 6, the under-track or plough device 33 comprises a main plate 34 to the underside of which is secured a downwardlyprojecting bar 35 extending rearwardly from the centre of the front edge of the plate 34. Curved steel mole boards 36, 37, 38 and 39 provided on the under-side of the plate 34 extend rearwardly to each side of the bar 35. A similar pair of rearwardly-extending mole boards 40, 41 are provided one on each side and on the under-side at the forward end of the plate 34. Each mole board is provided with a scraper plate such as 42, 43 or 44 shown in Fig. 4. Wing members 45, 46, 47 and 48, fitted into slots 49, 50, 51 and 52 at each edge of the plough form outwardly-projecting extensions of their respective scraper blades. The plough 33 is towed by cables 64, 65 connected to towing ears 62, 63 secured to the forward edge of the plate 34. Projecting forwardly of the plough 33 are beams 53, 54 which support the leading nose portions 55, 56 of a pair of spaced upper runners 57, 58 which extend the full length of the plough and support the under surfaces of the sleepers 60 secured to the rail 61. The conveyer or sleeper ejection device consist of a flat metal base 10, having an upturned rim 11 extending around its periphery, which slides on the rail ballast. Mounted on the plate 10 by means of lugs 12 is the ejector frame 13 which supports an upper plate 14 through which, at spaced intervals, project the surfaces of freelyrotatable rollers 15 which support the upper span of a run of an endless conveyer belt 16 that extends around a free-running pulley 17 to return along the under-side of the frame 13 on rollers 18 and passing over idling pulleys 19, 20 and a roller 21 driven by a chain through a clutch from an engine 22 such as a gasolene engine. The conveyer mechanism is connected to the rear end of the runners 57, 58 by a pair of towing arms 24 pivotally secured to the frame 13. Each arm 24 is formed with a portion 26 which slopes gently downwards from the end of the runners 57, 58 to a second portion 27 which is more steeply sloped towards the conveyer belt 16 so as to quickly deposit a loose sleeper 601 on to the belt 16 which belt 16 quickly moves a deposited sleeper 60<SP>1</SP> to one side of the track. Alternatively a fast moving conveyer can be used to accelerate the rearward travel of the sleeper 60<SP>1</SP> on to the conveyer belt 16, in which case the arms 24 would not be provided with differently inclined portions. A sleeper removal mechanism 70 may be provided at the rear end on each side of the plough 33. The sleeper removal mechanism 70, Fig. 11, comprises a hollow post 71 engaged over a vertical stud 72, Figs. 3 and 4, so as to freely pivot thereabout unless locked in position by a bolt 74. A sleeve 75 is mounted on the post 71 and can be locked in one of a number of positions by bolts 76 engaging holes 77 in the post 71. A beam 78 secured at one end to a sleeve 75 carries at its free end an hydraulically-operated double-acting cylinder 80 fed through fluid lines 81, 82. A piston 84, operating in the cylinder 80, terminates in a hammer head 85 which applies a number of successive blows to a sleeper 60, when the piston is caused to oscillate continuously when actuated by a valve 83, to force a sleeper away from the rail. In a modification, Figs. 12 and 13 (not shown), the endless belt conveyer is replaced by a series of rollers driven by an hydraulic motor and gearing and connected to the rear end of the plough 33 by chains. The peripheries of the rollers are provided with projecting spines to facilitate gripping of the loose sleeper. In this modification, arms 24 are not used and the ends of the runners 57, 58 adjacent the conveyer are sharply downwardly inclined to facilitate the rearward projection of a loose sleeper on to the conveyer. U.S.A. Specification 2,921,390 is referred to.