US2672694A

US2672694A - Apparatus for checking the gauge of railway tracks

Info

Publication number: US2672694A
Application number: US265384A
Authority: US
Inventors: Bienfait Louis Abeylard Jean; Dupuich Guy Leon
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1951-01-19
Filing date: 1952-01-08
Publication date: 1954-03-23
Anticipated expiration: 1971-03-23

Description

March 23, 1954 L. A. J. BIENFAITETALV 2,672,694

APPARATUS FOR CHECKING THE GAUGE OF RAILWAY TRACKS Filed Jan. 8, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 23, 1954 A. J. BIENFAIT ETAL 2, 72

APPARATUS FOR CHECKING THE GAUGE 0F RAILWAY TRACKS Filed Jan. 8, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.5 29 a O I \6 2e 5 24 I i 32 25 a 17 y --4 301 a k 5 1 a I 0 1/\ o a] O O O k 2'9 0 1 f INVE'IVTOR au/dfifit' Patented Mar. 23, 1954 APPARATUS FOR CHE 1. i OF RAILWA Louis Abeylard Jean Bi Guy Lon Dupuich, Gar

CKIN G THE GAUGE Y TRACKS enfait, Eaubonne, and e de Serqueux, France Application January 8, 1952, Serial No. 265,384

Claims priority, t Januar application France y 19, 1951 6 Claims. (Cl. 33146) The present invention relates to apparatus for checking the gauge of a railway, track continuously along saidtrack.

Its object is to provide an apparatus of this kind which is better adapted to meet the requirements of practice than those as 'l'nay exist at the present time.

It consists essentially in a frame movable along the track, for instance by rolling thereon, and provided with means for" constantly indicating both the valuesof the distance between the inside edges of the rails measured respectively at two points along the track located at a fixed or substantially fixed distance from each other and the difference between the'two gauge values thus measured. A

other features of our invention will become apparent inthe course -of the following detailed description of some embodiments thereof with reference with the accompanying drawings, given 1.

merely by way of example, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagramm'aticplan view of an apparatu mad according to anembodiment of our invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view corresponding to another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of a detail of Fig.1; c v

Figs. 4 and 5 show, in plan view, additional features of an apparatus accordin to our invention;

Fig. 6 shows a modification ofthe apparatus ofFig.1. a

It should first bereminded that the gauge of a railway track, Lethe distance between the inside edges of the rails thereof, must comply with two essential conditions, to wit: (a) this distance must remain within limits fixed by regulations; (b) its longitudinal variation (i. e. the difierence between the values of said distance measured at two points located at agiven distance from each other along the track) must also remain within given limits. y y

It is therefore necessary to measure, all along the track the values of this distance and its 1ongitudinal variation so that, if in some part of the track, they are beyond the limits above referred to, this track may be adjusted to make the necessary corrections. Of course the adjustments must be reducedto aminimum. l t y a The apparatus according teour invention, as illustrated by Figs. 1 and '2,includes alight car or lorry l rolling on rails Z and 3 and guided along the inneredges of these rails by. means of

rollers

4, 5, 6 vgaudy-l having flr e llf axes substantially perpendicular to the axis of the track and slldable in slideways l0 and H carried by frame I and themselves perpendicular to said axis of the track. Springs I2 and I3 interposed between said rods 8 cables I 4 and I6 passing through flexible sheaths l5 and I1 respectively, each of these sheaths havmg both of its ends fixed to frame I so as to act each rod 8 or 9 are direct on) by the portions of each cable M or :2 adgacent to the corresponding spring Ida or Two

pointers

24 and 25 pivoted at 26 to frame I are driven respectively by cables l4 and I 6. u are respectively fixed to said pointers at points thereof relatively and ear s l so pointers moving along two scaes Land 2] re spectively. The track width or gauge at the level of rollers 46 is read on scale width at the level of rollers 5-1 is read on scale 2!. As for the difference between these values of the width, it is read on a system or lines 22 each of which indicating a given value of this difference and being marked by the point of intersectiqnzepf pointers l8 and 19-.

The operation of the apparatus is very simple; The car [is moved along the track, for instance in the direction of the arrows of Figs. 1;and 2.,. 'Ih us theoperator immediately sees whet rt au e limits gthis gauge being constantly marked on scale .or2 o a, 4 n

. At hess m st e, t onsit a ia io is read on scale 22 or 28, to make sure that it remains within the given limits.

In therelatively rare case where the first cont n .ir l t nsutoth vv lu f th gauge) is not complied with, the operator marks on the rails or th r ee er w he. se i s h r adjustments adiuet tntafia indicate b h po of the nter o e err s n ne ;s l V I .thesm ch mqreir g t caserwher e th ir t. e n'di qn. c mp ie wi bu t the are to be rnade and the numerical values of these ee ii thenvmator ma k t e t n her diu tm nt inee fi r and he nu ric l values of these adjustments in accordance with the ince i ns..z e 9n teele- 01 8.- 1.. l

1 1st ead we e e. value 92th? t sh gauge .0; 'W hic esmi h re d i n isuthet th fl e wdine H n should not exceed, in absolute value,

tudi al on V betweenlevels 5-1 and i-6,

scale ass 7 if V "is negative, cg-:V-i-t "'rb sd'm'jip, replacing vb it's developed "value "1. e. sp re-en, an adjustment "of the width 20 and the remains within the desired a i s m i t' 1 e lrea "is adjusted so which corresponds to the value pf '01 is made of the track at level 5-1 is necessary if the absolute value of c1-(ez-ei) is higher than t, and this adjustment must be In order to avoid having to make calculations, it is advantageous to make use of a table such as shown by Fig. l, which is preferably carried by'frarne l. In this table, the lines correspond to different values of ez-e1, to wit 3, -2, '1, 0, +1, +2, +3, and the columns correspond to different values of c1, to wit '-3, 2, '-l Opt-1, +2, +3. The value of adjustment be to be made at level 5-1 is given at the intersection of the line corresponding to the value of e2-e1 read on scale 22 or 28, and of the column corresponding to the value Of the adjustment found necessary at level i -6. For this table, the value of t 1. Fig. 5 shows a device to be mounted on frame I, to give without calculation the value of 02 as a function of 92-61 and 01; The apparatus includes a plate 29, bearing graduations e'o'rre sponding to different values of '01; A sliding plate 30 bears, opposite the 'a'bo've'irientio'ned gradfl'atio'ns, other graduatiori's corresponding to different variations of 62-6'1. The values of "02 are read on a third line of 'gradu'ations "marked on plate 29 under plate 30, through an aperture 3| provided in said plate 3d. The known values of c; and e'zei are placed opposite each other by sliding plate 30 and the corresponding value of 02 is read through aperture 3|. In the example shown by the drawing, 't' is equal to '1.

Fig. 6 (which shows the same general arrangement as Fig. l) discloses a device according to our invention for giving the value of ca corresponding to a point of the "track. This device is arranged tqcooper'ate with the two

pointers

24 and 25 pivoted on frame '1 as above described with reference to Fig. 1. On the pivot 253 of these pointers there is mountedafsector 32 bearing two scales or rows 'of gradiiatibns C1 'and'Cz, the graduations C1 being provided along the circular edge of the sector, which is adjacent to scale 21, above described. The other graduations C2 are marked along a circular arc', as shown at 33. Pointer 24 is provided with an aperture 31 through which 'one graduation of 33 is visible. As above described, the angular distance between the ends of pointers "2'4 and 25 is automatically proportional to eze1. "Therefore, everything takes place "as if the end of pointer 25 marked, on an imaginary scale rigid "with pointer 24 and having zero at "the "end sector at ofsaid pointer "24, the value "of e'g-'-e1.

that the graduation of 's'c'ale'C1 to coincide with the end of pointer 25. Consequently, the value read on scaleCz throughthe hole 3;! of pointer 24 is the desired value of 02.

Of course, scale C2 in Figs. '5 and 6 -depends upon the va'lue of-t. It will be noted that whent is equal to 1, scale "C2; every "graduation-of which isequfal (linearly or angularly) to every gradua- "t1on-ofscales'C1 and e2- -81, includesfinits-central part, three g'r'adua'tions -marked zero (-i. "e. one central zero graduation and one on-either sidelthereof). If '15 were equal 'to 2, scale'Czwould include, in its central 'pa'rt, five -graduations 'r'narked em-15s; one censuses-graduation and *twdoneither's'ide thereof. Ift wereequal to fi all the number of zero graduations would be 7 (3+1+3) and so on.

When the apparatus is not used to measure adjustments 02 but merely to ascertain whether such adjustments will be necessary, i. e. to know whether 62-81 is always within limits t and +t, sector 32 is not required and may be retracted or removed.

In a general manner, while we have, in the above description, disclosed what we deem tobe practical and efiicient embodiments of our invention, it should be well understood that we do not wish to be limited thereto as there might be changes made in the arrangement, disposition and form 01 the parts without departing from the principle of the present invention as comprehended within the scope of the accompanying claims.

What we claim is:

1.. An apparatus for checking the gauge of a railway track which comprises, in combination, a

frame movable along said track, and means car- 2. An railway track which comprises, in combination,

displacements. 3. An apparatus for checking the gauge of a railway track which comprises, in combination, a

of said movable rollers relatively to said frame, amplifying and the difference and being mounted to run along the inner edges of the rails of the track respectively, one roller of each pair being movable toward and away respective displacements.

An apparatus for checking the gauge of a railway track which comprises, in combination, a frame rollers carried by having diflerent centers, two levers for carrying said movable rollers pivoted to said frame aboutsaid centers, two pointers rigid rollers relatively to said frame.

6. An apparatus according to claim 4 further including a sector movable circular scale concentric with the first and.

adapted to cooperate with one said pointers. LOUIS ABEYLARD JEAN BIENF'AIT. GUY LEON DUPUICH. References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,110,894 Cauthorn Sept. 15, 1914 2,042,614 Mauzln June 2, 1936 2,507,896 Frank May 16. 1950