US2924030A

US2924030A - Ballast remover

Info

Publication number: US2924030A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1960-02-09
Anticipated expiration: 1977-02-09

Description

Feb. 9, 1960 D. v. PEDIGO 2,924,030

BALLAST REMOVER Filed June 12, 1957 o r 2,924,030 P tented F'eb".- 9, 1

BALLAST REMOVER Dossie V. Pedigo, Sweetwater, Tex.

Application June 12, 1957, Serial No. 665,310

3 Claims. (Cl. 37-104) My invention relates to a ballast remover, sometimes called a cribbing machine, for use in removing all or part of the ballast between the ties on a railroad right of way so that the ballast may be cleaned and repacked I am aware that many machines have been built for this purpose, but such are generally massive and expensive to build, and contemplate the removal and reconditioning of all of the ballast, and therefore find their use in a set up where there is a considerable length of track on which all of the ballast must be reconditioned.

The object of my invention is to provide a light inexpensive machine mounted on a railroad truck which can readily be lifted off the track and therefore will not require a train conductor when it is used on a main line of railroad, and which may be used to advantage by a small working gang to repair a short length of track. Such machine comprises a digging wheel driven by a motor which is reversible as to its direction which wheel may readily be changed over from a position inside the rail to a position outside the rail and rotated in the direction to move the ballast away from the rail. The entire machine which rests on the truck may be reversed thereon so that the digging wheel may operate both inside and outside of the other rail. The ballast is thus removed from under both rails and the grade of the rails may be corrected and the ballast restored to its place.

With this and other objects in view my invention resides in the particular construction and arrangement of parts herein fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring now to the drawing, which is a part of this specification, and in which like characters indicate like parts:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of my ballast remover with the digging wheel on the outside of the rail;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of same;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of my machine with the digging wheel on the inside of the rail; and

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of my machine in the position shown in Fig. l and Fig. 2.

The rails 11 and 12 are fastened to the ties between and under which lies the ballast to be removed and cleaned. On these rails 11 and 12 roll the two car wheels with axles 13 for the railroad truck. These car wheel axles 13 are connected by parallel beams 40 into which may fit the beam supports 14 of the table 15. This fit may be loose so that the table 15 with its beam supports 14 attached may be lifted off and reversed in direction and replaced.

Midway of the table 15 the base board 16 rests flat on top thereof. At each of its forward and rear edges, the baseboard 16 has attached thereto upstanding cleats 17 and 18, each cleat provided with a series of holes bored through it into which fit the hinge pins 21 and 22. These pins pass through and are held by the

brackets

19 and 20 each of which is fastened to the board 16. Each of the hinge pins 21 and 22 is L-shaped, having a handle at its outer end at right angles to the axis. The

holes in the cleats 17 and 18 are so set that the base board-16 may project to one side over the table 15, and when the board 16 is reversed the board 16 may project a like distance over the other edge of the table 15.

On the board 16 is mounted a motor 38 with its axis in line with the line of the rails 11 and 12. This motor is preferably a gasoline engine and is reversible so that it will move in either direction of rotation. Its weight makes it unnecessary to make any other provision for holding the baseboard 16 down on the table 15. On the side that extends outwardly over the rail 12 the board 16 has an indented cut out portion leaving a wide tongue forward-and a narrow tongue at the rear. On the narrow tongue is mounted one pedestal 24, and on the wide tongue two pedestals 24 near the outer edge of the board 16, all said pedestals 24 aligning and each holding a bearing in which turns the drive shaft 26.

On the drive shaft 26 between the two forward pedestals 24 is fastenedthe pulley 27 driven by a belt 28 from the pulley 39 on the motor 38. Also on the shaft 26 back of the intermediate bearing 25 are mounted the

tilt bars

35 and 36 and 36 joined at their upper ends by the handle 37, each tilt bar having a hole through which the shaft 26 passes, the tilt bars being swingable on the shaft 26.

These

tilt bars

35 and 36 are connected at their lower ends by an axle 33 journaled in each of the bars. On this axle 33 is mounted a pulley 31 driven by a belt 32 from an aligning pulley 29 fastened on the drive shaft 26. Fastened to the axle 33 parallel to the pulley 31 is the digging wheel 34 carrying on its circumference the digging blades 30. The digging wheel 34 will be rotated in counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2 and in clockwise direction when inside of the rail 12, in either case it will move the ballast away from the rail.

The cutout in the base board 16 provides space for the swinging of the

tilt bars

35 and 36 on which the wheel 34 is supported. These

tilt bars

35 and 36 swinging on the drive shaft 26 will bring the digging wheel 34 into contact with the ballast to excavate it as deep as it is necessary to go.

I have shown in the drawing the operation of the digging wheel 34 both inside and outside of the rail 12. It will however be necessary to arrange the ballast remover so that it can operate both inside and outside of the rail 11. To accomplish this the baseboard 16 can be reversed, or the table 15 can be reversed on the beam supports 14, or the entire railroad truck with its axles 13 can be reversed, whichever is found most convenient.

The ballast remover when so reversed will operate the digging wheel 34 both inside and outside of the rail 11 in either case moving the ballast away from the rail 11. It is not necessary to disturb the ballast in the middle of the track, but a trench is thus dug under each rail. When the ballast is tamped back into place each rail may be brought back to proper grade and the repair is thus completed.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a ballast remover, a table movable along the track, a board mounted above said table movable transversely to said track, brackets mounted on said table one on each side of said board, upstanding cleats fastened on each side of said board, each cleat provided with a series of holes spaced apart, pins passing one through each of said brackets to fit in one of said holes, a motor mounted on said board, a drive shaft mounted on said board near its outer edge, a pair of tilt bars each turnable on 'said shaft and extending radially therefrom, said board provided with an inwardly extending cutout to permit the swinging of said tilt bars inward from vertical position,

an: axle held by said til tbars near their end remote from said drive shaft, a digging wheel mounted on said axle, and means connecting said motor to said drive shaft and the latter to said axle.

2. In a ballast remover, the mechanism specified in claim 1, said motor being reversible and operating in either direction of rotation.

3. In a ballast remover, a table movable along the track, a board resting above said table movable transversely to said track, brackets mounted on said table on each side of said board, upstanding cleats fastenedon each side of said board, each cleat provided with a series of holes spaced apart, pins passing through each of said brackets to fit each in one of said holes, said board being reversible with respect to said brackets so that it may extend outwardly beyond said table in either direction, a motor mounted on said board, a. drive shaft mounted on said board near its outer edge, a pair oftilt bars each turnable on said shaft and extending radially therefrom, said board provided with an inwardly extending cutout to permit the swinging of said tilt bars inward from vertical position, an axle held by said tilt bars near their end remote from said drive shaft, a digging wheel mounted on saidaxle, and means connecting said motor to said drive shaft and the latter to 10 said axle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS