US3334593A - Track grading method and arrangement - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 8, 1967 F. PLASSER ETAL TRACK GRADING METHOD AND ARRANGEMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 16, 1966 Aeegr Aug. 8. 1967 nhusssn ETAL 3,334

TRACK GRADING METHOD AND ARRANGEMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 16. 1966 U I l m W v A 4 T v. 1

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United States Patent 3,334,593 TRACK GRADING METHOD AND ARRANGEMENT Franz Plasser and Josef Theurer, both of Johannesgasse 3, Vienna I, Austria Filed June 16, 1966, Ser. No. 558,092 Claims priority, application Austria, June 18, 1965,

Claims. (Cl. 104-7) The present invention relates to improvements in grading a track in relation to a reference line which is established from a previously graded track section to a track section to be graded, and which extends with a front end to a front station, this reference line being adjustable in relation to a longer control reference line extending with a front end to a stationary observation station remote from the front station.

As is known, track grading by means of two reference lines of different length produces a very smooth track grade over long distances, and prevents relative short successive track sections graded in relation to the short reference line to abut at angles. This is avoided by ad justing the height of the front end of the shorter reference line in relation to a control line which is much longer and whose front end lies in a track section to be corrected and which is remote from the front station of the shorter reference line, thus adjusting the position of the shorter reference line in relation to a long track section and producing smooth abutments of adjacent track sections being graded in relation to the shorter reference line.

Conventionally, the longer control line is constituted by a sight line established from a telescope at the stationary observation station towards a point, such as a horizontal marker on a spot board, fixed in relation to the previously graded track section on which the wheels of the track grading and tamping machine stand. A front bogie runs ahead of the machine and carries the front station of the shorter reference line, and the vertical distance of the front station from the track rail is constantly controlled and adjusted by an operator at the observation station according to the present invention, while the front bogie moves towards the observation station. Thus, the front end of the shorter reference line may be constantly adjusted in height if the front bogie travels over a low or high point of the track section to be graded.

Tracking grading systems of this general type make use of high points in the track section to be graded, where the front bogie is stationed so that the track grading machine 'may grade the track while advancing from a previously graded track section to this high point over the track section to be graded. For reasons of economy and also to assure a continuously smooth grade over long distances, it is desirable for these track sections to be of substantially equal length. However, it happens occasionally that a high point in the track section .to be graded is reached by the front bogie relatively close to the track grading machine. At such a false high point, a deviation from the grade will be encountered and it is one of the objects of the present invention to enable an operator at the stationary observation station to become instantly aware of such a false high point, and to adjust the height of the front end of the shorter reference line at such a point so that, over a long track section, the grade will become quite smooth.

The above and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent in the following detailed description of one preferred embodiment, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein 3,334,593 Patented Aug. 8, 1967 FIG. 1 is a side view of a track grading arrangement according to this inventon;

FIG. 2 is a top view of this arrangement, as indicated by arrow II in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates the operation of this arrangement in grading a track section;

FIG. 4 is a schematic front view of the track grading and tamping machine used in the arrangement of the invention, on an enlarged scale; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic front view of the front bogie used in this arrangement, on the same scale.

Referring now to the drawing and first to FIGS. 1 and 2, a generally conventional mobile track grading and tamping machine N is shown arranged for movement on track G over a track section to be graded. The track tamping and grading machine includes a frame 1 mounted on wheels 2 running on a previously graded track section immediately adjacent the track section to be graded. As is well know, such a machine includes pairs of recipro eating and vertically movable tamping tools 4, which fix the track in the graded position after it has been lifted to the desired grade by a track lifting mechanism 5 mounted on the machine frame. The lifting stroke is determined by a stop 6 which is mounted at a fixed distance from each track rail and cooperates with a reference line 7 spaced from each track rail by distance A.

The reference lines may be constituted in a preferred embodiment by a beam of electromagnetic waves, such as a light ray, and in a manner well known per se, the lifting of the track by hydraulically operated mechanism 5 may be discontinued when the stop 6 interrupts the light ray.

Each reference beam 7 runs from a rear station 8, which is mounted at fixed distance A above the previous ly graded track section, to a front station 9 mounted on the front bogie. If a beam is used as the reference line, either one of the stations may be constituted by a beam sender while the other station is a beam receiver. All of the above structures and their operations being well known, a further description thereof is not required for those skilled in the art to enable them to understand the same.

As appears most clearly from FIGS. 4 and 5, the front stations 9 of the reference lines 7 are mounted on the front bogie for vertical movement thereon, scales 9' being hung from each station to make it possible to read the vertical position of the stations above the track. A spot board 10 is arranged at a fixed distance a from each stop 6, the spot boards being preferably mounted on a carrier arm extending downwardly from each stop. Each spot board may be sub-divided by a horizontal line into a white and a black half, and the dividing line of the spot boards forms the back end of a second reference line which is much longer than the lines 7. The front end of the longer reference line 11 is constituted by a surveying instrument, such as a telescope 12, which is vertically adjustably mounted on a portable or mobile support 13.

The front stations 9 of the shorter reference lines 7 are mounted on a carrier 20 which is supported for vertical movement in relation to bogie 14 by means of a vertical rod 20 which glides in guide 20". A scale 15 is provided on the vertical rod in fixed spatial relationship to the front stations 9, and the rod forms part of a hydraulic motor 21 which may be operated by remote control by an operator at the observation station 12, 13 to raise or lower the front stations of shorter reference lines 7. The front bogie 14 may be self-propelled, for instance by means of a motor which may be operated by remote control.

For purposes of making the arrangement useful for grading superelevated track curve sections, each front station 9 is individually vertically movable on the carrier 20 by means of hand wheels 18, their position being determinable by reading scales 19 associated with each front station. In this way, one rail may be lifted higher than the other rail of the track.

A fixed marker 15' is mounted on the front bogie in association with vertically movable scale 15. Fixed marker 15 has a contact 22 and movable scale 15 has a contact 22, the two contacts forming a switch in an actuating circuit operating a signal. The signal may be audible or visible, for instance, the preferred signal being a warning lamp 17 which lights up when the two contacts engage, i.e. when the zero marker scale 15 is below marker 15', which indicates the distance of the front stations of shorter reference lines 7 from the track. In other words, if the carrier 20 with the front ends of the reference lines 7, i.e. stations 9, is lowered until the zero-marker of the scale 15 is lower than the marker 15, the switch 22, 22' closes the actuating circuit, lamp 17 lights up and an operator at telescope 12 is advised that the front bogie stands on a high point on track section G in relation to a plane E defined by the previously graded track section underneath the wheels of tamping and grading machine N and the track point on which the operator at the surveying instrument 12 stands (see FIG. 3).

The operation of the grading arrangement will be partly obvious from the above description and will hereinafter be summarized for'a more complete understanding:

After the grading operation at one track section determined by the length of the shorter reference line 7 has been terminated, and it is desired to grade an adjacent track section between the previously graded section and the remotely placed surveying instrument 12, the operator at the surveying instrument moves self-propelled front bogie 14 by remote control slowly into the adjacent track section to be graded. While he moves the bogie, he carefully watches through the telescope that the predetermined markers on pendulum scales 9' are in constant horizontal alignment with the horizontal sub-dividing line of the associated spot boards 10 so that the front stations 9 properly position the shorter reference lines 7. Since the track section over which the front bogie is moved is ungraded, this requires a constant control and adjustment of vertically movable carrier 20 by means of remote-controlled hydraulic motor 21. As soon as this constant vertical movement of the carrier 241 with its scale causes the zero marker of the scale to be positioned below the marker 15', warning lamp 17 lights up, the operator being thus informed of a high point of the track section even if he is fully occupied with watching the spot board 11 through telescope 12. An audible signal may have the same effect.

As soon as the front bogie has reached such a high point, the operator will immediately stop the bogie there. If this point is relatively close to the machine N, i.e. close to the previously graded track section, it must be considered a false high point. In this case, it is not recommended to adjust the longer reference line 11 to this false high point because this would require an exaggerated vertical adjustment of the longer reference line. Rather, it will be advisable in this case to raise the carrier 20 sufficiently on the front bogie to bring the marker 15 into alignment with the zero marker of movable scale 15. The short track section between the previously graded section and the false high point is then graded in relation to the thus corrected shorter reference lines 7.

On the other hand, if the high point indicated to the operator by the warning signal on the front bogie is relatively far removed from the machine N, the front end of the longer reference line 11, i.e. the telescope 12, may be vertically moved on support 13 until the telescope, the zero markers of the scales 9' and the horizontal dividing lines of spot boards 10 are in alignment when the carrier 1 20 with the front stations 9 of the shorter reference lines 7 has been vertically adjusted so that the marker 15 and the zero marker of scale 15 are in alignment and the latter zero marker is not below marker 15.

The vertical position of telescope 12 in relation to track G may vary within predetermined limits. The vertical distance I] of the telescope from the track should be about b=A-a but, depending on local variations in the position of the surveying station in the ungraded track section, this distance may vary within practical limits.

Determination as to whether a high point in an ungraded track section is a false point and/ or what specific alignment operations to carry out is within the choice of the operator who will be guided by experience in track maintenance operations of this type and the local necessities. The important feature of the present invention resides in enabling the operator to be instantly warned of a high point so that he may take the proper steps. Obviously, the arrangement is also operable with systems using a single reference over one track rail.

Many modifications and variations will readily occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. A method of grading a track rail in relation to a reference line extending vertically above the track rail, comprising the steps of (1) establishing a first reference line from a previously graded track section to a track section to be graded and extending with a front end to a front station,

(2) establishing a second and longer reference line in said track section to be graded and extending with a front end to a stationary observation station remote from said front station,

( 3) moving the front station with the front end of the first reference line towards the stationary observation station,

(a) the previously graded track section and the observation station determining a plane, and

(4) vertically moving at least one of said front ends of the reference lines vertically upwardly when the front station has reached a high point in said track section to be graded, which is above said plane.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the vertical distance of the front station from the track rail is constantly controlled and adjusted in dependence of the vertical distance of the front end of the longer reference line at the observation station while the front station is moved towards the observation station.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the longer reference line is a sight line established from the observation station towards a point fixed in relation to the previously grade track section, and the vertical distance of the front station is constantly controlled and adjusted in dependence of the sight line by an operator at the observation station.

4. A track-grading arrangement for grading a track rail, comprising (1) a track grading machine with wheels movable on a previously graded track section,

(2) a front bogie movable on an adjacent track section to be graded,

(3) a first reference line extending from the track grading machine to a front station on the front bogie,

(4) a second and longer reference line in said track section to be graded and extending with a front end to a stationary observation station remote from the front station,

(a) the previously graded track section and the observation station determining a plane, and

(5) a warning signaling device operative when the front station has reached a high point in the track section to be graded, which is above said plane.

5. The track grading arrangement of claim 4, further comprising means for vertically moving the front station on the front bogie, and the warning signaling device is mounted on the front hogie.

6. The track grading arrangement of claim 5, wherein the vertical moving means includes a front station carrier vertically movably mounted on the front bogie, a scale and an associated marker making the vertical position of the front station carrier determinable, one of the scale and the marker being movable with the carrier and the other one being fixed in relation to the front bogie.

7. The track grading arrangement of claim 6, further comprising contacts connected to the scale and to the marker respectively, and electrical actuating circuit for actuating the warning signaling device, and said contacts forming a switch in said circuit for closing the same, the contacts being so positioned that the switch is closed when a zero marker on the scale is below the said marker.

8. The track grading arrangement of claim 7, wherein the warning signaling device is a lamp which lights up when the circuit is closed by said switch.

9. The track grading arrangement of claim 4, further comprising a fixed stop on the track grading machine arranged to cooperate with the first reference line, a spot board in fixed spatial relationship to said stop, a horizontal marker on said spot board, and a telescope at said stationary observation station, the second and longer reference line being constituted by a sight line extending from the telescope to the horizontal marker on the spot board.

10. The track grading arrangement of claim 9, wherein the spot board is mounted on the track grading machine below the stop.

No references cited.

ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner. R. A. BERTSCH, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A METHOD OF GRADING A TRACK RAIL IN REALTION TO A REFERENCE LINE EXTENDING VERTICALLY ABOVE THE TRACK RAIL, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF (1) ESTABLISHING A FIRST REFERENCE LINE FROM A PREVIOUSLY GRADED TRACK SECTION TO A TRACK SECTION TO BE GRADED AND EXTENDING WITH A FRONT END TO A FRONT STATION, (2) ESTABLISHING A SECOND AND LONGER REFERENCE LINE IN SAID TRACK SECTION TO BE GRADED AND EXTENDING WITH A FRONT END TO A STATIONARY OBSERVATION STATION REMOTE FROM SAID FRONT STATION, (3) MOVING THE FRONT STATION WITH THE FRONT END OF THE FIRST REFERENCE LINE TOWARDS THE STATIONARY OBSERVATION STATION, (A) THE PREVIOUSLY GRADED TRACK SECTION AND THE OBSERVATION STATION DETERMINING A PLANE, AND (4) VERTICALLY MOVING AT LEAST ONE OF SAID FRONT ENDS OF THE REFERENCE LINES VERTICALLY UPWARDLY WHEN THE FRONT STATION HAS REACHED A HIGH POINT IN SAID TRACK SECTION TO BE GRADED, WHICH IS ABOVE SAID PLANE.

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