US3240162A - Tie ax with tie puller arrangement - Google Patents

Description

March 15, 1966 R. J. Foxx 3,240,162

TIE AX WITH TIE FULLER ARRANGEMENT Filed Deo. 51, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet l 1N VENTOR March 15, 1966 R. J. Foxx 3,240,162

TIE AX WITH TIE PULLER ARRANGEMENT Filed Dec. 3l, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR March 15, 1966 R. J. Foxx 3,240,162

TIE AX WITH TIE PULLER ARRANGEMENT Filed Dec. 3l, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR March 15, 1966 R` 1, Foxx 3,240,162

TIE AX WITH TIE FULLER ARRANGEMENT Filed DEC. 31, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 /j/////j////// ////////////!/y// INVENTOR March 15, 1966 R, J, Foxx 3,240,162

TIE AX WITH TIE FULLER ARRANGEMENT Filed Dec. 3l, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VEN TOR.

United States Patent O 3,240,162 TIE AX WITH TIE FULLER ARRANGEMENT Robert J. Foxx, Greenfield, Wis., assignor to Nordberg Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Dec. 31, 1962, Ser. No. 248,438 3 Claims. (CL 1114-9) This invention relates to a combination tie cutter and tie remover and is particularly directed to means for removing severed tie sections from beneath the rails of a railroad track.

A primary purpose of the invention is a device for grabbing and pulling severed tie sections from beneath the rails of `a railroad track.

Another purpose is a combination tie cutter and tie remover, both hydraulically operated.

Another purpose is a vehicle adapted to move along the rails of a railroad track and having means thereon for chopping up selected ties 'and for removing the tie pieces from beneath the rails.

Another purpose is a hydraulic system for operating a tie puller of 4the type described.

Other purposes will appear in the ensuing specication, drawings and claims.

The invention is illustrated diagrammatically in the following drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view 0f a self-propelled machine of the vtype described,

FIGURE 2 is a front view, on an enlarged scale, showing a device for pulling the tie from beneath the rails,

FIGURE 3 is a side view of the device shown in FIG- URE 2,

FIGURE 4 is a liront View, similar to FIGURE 2, showing the device after the tie has been removed from the rails, and

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic illustration of a hydraulic system for operating the device shown.

In FIGURE l, the railroad track may include rails and suitable spaced cross ties 12. The rails are held `to the ties by suitable spikes and tie plates 14. Positioned for movement on the rails is a self-.propelled device which may include a frame indicated generally at 16 mounted on suitable railroad wheels 1S. The frame 16 may include a pair of sideframe members 20 which are held together by suitable cross bars or the like 22.

Mounted on the frame 16 are Ia pair of spaced upright guide rails 24, there being one set of guide rails for each side of the frame. The guide rails may take yany form, and as shown herein, are large diameter tubes or the like. Spaced generally parallel support bars 26 may connect corresponding guide rails, and in fact the guide rails and support b-ars may be formed of a single member.

Mounted for vertical reciprocation between each pair of guide rails is a weighted blade indicated generally at 28. The blade may include a lower knife portion 30 and an upper weight 32 which is bolted or otherwise suitably secured to the blade. The guide rails 24 position the blade for reciprocation toward and away from the tie to be cut. As shown herein, the support structure for the blades is rigid and both of the blades lare positioned to cut the `same tie at points generally adjacent and inside each of the rails. The invention should not be limited to the particular structure shown, as in some applications it may be Adesirable to have an arrangement whereby the blades are swiveled to cut switch ties or other rail arrangements in which the ties are skewed and not perpendicular to the rails.

Mounted on the 4front of the frame 16 is a motor and pump combination 34 which may be used to drive the vehicle and which supplies hydraulic iluid to a pair of 3,249,152 Patented Mar. 15, 1966 ICC rams 36 mounted on the upper support structure. The pump may be connected to the rams by any suitable conduit or the like. Each of the weighted blades 28 is moved by a cable 38 which runs over a pulley or the like 40 mounted on a cross bar 42. Each cable 38, after passing around the pulley 40, runs down and Aaround the outside pulley 44 of a pulley arrangement 46 positioned at the bottom of each of the rams 36. From -the outside pulley 44 each cable 38 runs up and around a second pulley 48 which is mounted on top of the framework made up of the cross members 42 and the support members 26. From pulley 48 each cable 38 runs down and around the inside pulley 5G of the pulley arrangement 46 and .then up to the framework where each cable is suitably secured. All of the above discussed details may be found in application Serial No. 161,546, led December 22, 1961, now Patent Number 3,128,808 issued April 14, 1964, in the name of Weltzin B. Blix, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention.

The pulley and cable arrangement shown will move the weighted blades in an upward direction when the ram is extended downward. 'Ihe blades are released for a substantially free drop toward the tie by rapidly draining the uid from the rams 36.

The rear of the frame may mount a suitable seat 52 and controls 54 positioned for easy access by the operator.

Mounted along each side of the frame 16 and generally in alignment with the blades are means for removing severed tie sections from beneath the rails. A subframework for mounting each tie puller may include a side plate 56 suitably secured to a block or the like 58 which in turn is attached t0 the side of a frame member 20. A top plate 60 may be attached to an upper support block 62 which in turn is suitably attached to the top of the frame 20. Bot-h 4the plates 56 fand 60 may be bolted or otherwise suitably secured to the support blocks.

Extending upwardly from the top plate 60 are a pair of spaced support arms 64 which pivotally mount a piston and cylinder assembly indicated generally at 66 at their upper end. The piston and cylinder assembly 66 is pivotally mounted at its lower end to a framework indicated generally at 68 which includes the means for clamping the tie to be removed.

A plurality of bearing members 70 extend outwardly from the plate 56 yand there may be suitable -gussets or the like 72 for support. A shaft 73 may be mounted in the bearing members with the shaft in Iturn mounting framework 68 for pivotal movement on plate 56.

The framework 68 includes a pair of spaced side plates 74 mounted on shaft 73 and a center plate 76 having a pair of arms 78 which form the pivotal connection with the .piston and cylinder assembly 66.

A pair of spaced rods 79 and 80 extend between the side plates '74 and slidably mount a pair of jaw members or clamping elements 82. Each of the jaw members has lower clamping portions 84, the front edges of which, as shown in FIGURES 2 vand 4, are formed into a generally thin edge 86 so that the jaws may be pivotally moved down into the ballast adjacent the tie. The sides of the clamping portions may be somewhat inwardly slanted, as indicated at 88 and illustrated in FIGURE 3.

Attached to the outside of each of the side plates 74 is a piston and cylinder assembly indicated at 90. Each of the piston and cylinder assemblies has piston rods 92 extending inwardly and fixed to the jaw members 82. The piston and cylinder assemblies are effective to slidably move the jaw members toward and away from the tie to be removed. Each of the jaw members has an internal bore 94 for receiving the piston rods 92 and the diameters of the bores 94 are slightly larger than the diameters of the piston rods. lIn this way, no radial force will be applied to the piston and cylinder assemblies 90 during the clamping operation.

The hydraulic system for operating the tie puller may be connected into the hydraulic system for operating the blades 30. In addition, the vehicle may be driven by a hydraulic motor. Although the invention has been de-f scribed as being hydraulically operated, it should be realized that the pistons may also be pneumatically operated.

The hydraulic system for the tie puller only is shown in FIGURE 5. A line 96 brings suitably hydraulic presl sure to a control valve 98 having a manual actuating handle 100. Lines 102 and '104 run from the control valve 98 to the piston and cylinder assemblies 90. Line 102 brings pressure to one side of the piston and cylinder assemblies to move the jaws to the outward or released position and line '104 brings pressure to the opposite side of the cylinders to move the jaws to the inward or clamping position. Attached to line 102 is a line 106 running to a pressure sequence valve 110. From the the valve 110 a line 112 connects to one side of the piston and cylinder assembly 66. Line 104 opens into a line 114 which connects to a second pressure sequence valve 116. From valve 116 a line 118 connects to the opposite side of the piston and cylinder assembly 66.

In operation, assuming that the assembly has been moved down over the tieto be removed, and the jaws are in the outward position, valve 100 is operated such that pressure will flow through line 104. The piston and cylinder assemblies 90 will move the jaws inward to clamp the tie section to be removed. Once the pressure in line 104 reaches a predetermined level, for example 1,000 p.s.i., indicating that suitable pressure has been applied to the jaws to` rigidly hold the tie, pressure sequence valve 1'16 will open and pressure will flow through line 118 to move the piston yof piston `and cylinder assembly `66 in an upward direction. This will pivot the assembly upward and pull the tie out from under the rails. The tie and clamping jaws will not be pivoted upward until suitable clamping pressure has been applied by the jaws. Once this clamping pressure has been applied, then the piston and cylinder assembly 66 is effective to move the jaws and tie `out from under the rails. As press-ure increases to the required pressure for removing the tie, the same pressure increase is realized in the clamps, thus insuring a positive clamp on the tie.

Release pressure may be applied through line 102 to release the jaws. The tie will be released when it has been completely removed `from beneath the rails. After the jaws have lbeen opened sufliciently to release the tie by operation of handle 100, the machine may then be moved to the next tie. After the tie has been chopped, handle 100 may be operated to fully open the clamps which is followed by the opening of sequence valve 110 and lowering of the clamping assembly down in position to grab a tie section. This insures the clamps being open to accept the tie to -be removed.

The use, operation and function of the invention are as follows:

The machine disclosed is designed to run on a section of railroad track and to destroy worn out ties beneath the rails. As is conventional, before the ties are chopped, it is preferred that the spikes be removed, although it is not necessary to remove the tie plates. Once the blades are positioned over the tie to be cut, they may 'be dropped, either simultaneously or independently, and they may be dropped any number of times, as what is important is to destroy or cut the tie. Preferably the blades are positioned to chop inside of each of the rails and to chop the tie into three separate pieces.

After the tie has been chopped into pieces, it is de1 sirable to remove the tie by the same machine, thus completing removal of the tie in one operation. The hydraulic system `for operating the tie puller may be tied in with the hydraulic system for operating the blades and a single operator may control the entire apparatus from one position. The clamping jaws will be moved inwardly to cl-amp the tie to be removed. Once the jaws are tight on the tie section, the piston and cylinder assembly 66 will then automatically pivot the jaw assembly and the severed tie section upwardly to draw or pull the severed tie section from beneath the rails.

Although not shown, there are preferably tie pullers on each side of the apparatus. These devices may simultaneously operate to pull tie sections or they may be operated singly. Either form is satisfactory.

Although the invention has been described as utilizing a single hydraulic system for operating both the blades and the tie puller, this is not necessary. One system may be hydraulic and the other pneumatic, or both could be pneumatic. In the form shown it is preferred to use the hollow `interiors of the frame member 20 as a hydraulic reservoir.

It is advantageous to keep the blades and their associated weights in the down position when extracting tie ends to prevent the machine from being derailed. The blades will -butt against the center tiesection to hold the machine in position during extraction.

By using a pair of clamping rams and associated jaws, it is not necessary to center the jaws over atie. The rams may move individually or one may remain stationary and the other ram may provide the clamping.

In the use of the device it will be understood that the individual movement of the rams permits two tie ends to be removed simultaneously, but also permits the separate removal of one tie end if its removal takes longer than the other. Thus the user has complete flexibility in the tie-end removal. The simultaneous removal of both ends is preferable, as limiting or preventing unequal side thrust. It is preferred, during the removal of the tie ends, to maintain the blades in the cut. As above mentioned, not only will the blades hold the machine in position during tie-end extraction; they largely limit side thrust against the rails, which prevents track misalignment. Since at the time of the tie-end removal the spikes have generally been removed, the tie end slides out relatively leasily from below the rail. The removal of all spikes 1s preferred. There is little, if any, misaligning side thrust against the rail or rails, since the side thrust is substantially taken up by the penetration of the blades about the central tie section and into the ballast. When both tie ends are removed at once misaligning side thrust is practically eliminated.

The invention should not -be limited to a combination tie puller and tie chopper. It is also practical to have the tie puller on a separate machine.

Whereas the preferred form of the invention has been shown and described herein, it should be realized that there are many modifications, substitutions and alterat1ons thereto within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a rail mounted machine for removing the severed sections of railroad ties from beneath the rails, a frame, Wheels on the frame vfor moving it along the rails of a railroad track, a support pivotally attached to a side of the frame, a pair of non-rotatable jaws mounted on said support and slideable toward and away from a severed tie section positioned beneath a rail, a pair of piston and cylinder assemblies mounted on said support, with each assembly being operatively connected to one of said jaws for moving said jaws into a position to securely clamp a severed tie section, and a piston and cylinder assembly mounted on the frame and pivotally attached to said support for swinging said support, clamped slideable jaws.

and the piston and cylinder assemblies operatively attached thereto to a substantial angle to the horizontal to move the severed tie section in an upward and outward arc until the tie section is removed from beneath the rail and is disposed fat a substantial angle to the horizontal.

2. The structure of claim 1 further characterized in" that said piston and cylinder assemblies are hydraulically operated, and means for automatically operating the piston and cylinder assembly pivoting said support as soon as said jaws are in rm engagement with a tie section.

3. The structure of claim 2 further characterized by a pressure sequence valve for automatically operating the piston and cylinder assembly pivoting said support after a predetermined pressure has been applied by said yaws.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 984,412 2/1911 Andrews 11M- 193.2 1,041,014 10/1912 Busbey 144-1932 1,186,002 6/1916 Jones 104--9 Robb P14-133.6

Ruggeri 254-43 Neils 144-31 Nylund 144-310 Woolery 144-133.6 Williams 104-9 Busch et al 14A-3.4

Perazzoli 104-9 Stewart 104-9 l ROBERT C. RIORDON, Primary Examiner.

LESTER M. swrNGLE, WILLIAM W. DYER, JR.,

Examiners.

Claims (1)

1. IN A RAIL MOUNTED MACHINE FOR REMOVING THE SEVERED SECTIONS OF RAILROAD TIES FROM BENEATH THE RAILS, A FRAME, WHEELS ON THE FRAME FOR MOVING IT ALONG THE RAILS OF A RAILROAD TRACK, A SUPPORT PIVOTALLY ATTACHED TO A SIDE OF THE FRAME, A PAIR OF NON-ROTATABLE JAWS MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT AND SLIDEABLE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM A SEVERED TIE SECTION POSITIONED BENEATH A RAIL, A PAIR OF PISTON AND CYLINDER ASSEMBLIES MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT, WITH EACH ASEMBLY BEING OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO ONE OF SAID JAWS FOR MOVING SAID JAWS INTO A POSITION TO SECURELY CLAMP A SEVERED TIE SECTION, AND A PISTON AND CYLINDER ASSEMBLY MOUNTED ON THE FRAME AND PIVOTALLY ATTACHED TO SAID SUPPORT FOR SWINGING SAID SUPPORT, CLAMPED SLIDEABLE JAWS AND THE PISTON AND CYLINDER ASSEMBLIES OPERATIVELY ATTACHED THERETO TO A SUBSTANTIAL ANGLE TO THE HORIZONTAL TO MOVE THE SEVERED TIE SECTION IN AN UPWARD AND OUTWARD ARC UNTIL THE TIE SECTION IS REMOVED FROM BENEATH THE RAIL AND IS DISPOSED AT A SUBSTANTIAL ANGLE TO THE HORIZONTAL.

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