US3392678A

US3392678A - Mobile track tamper

Info

Publication number: US3392678A
Application number: US540082A
Authority: US
Inventors: Plasser Franz; Theurer Josef
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1965-04-07
Filing date: 1966-04-04
Publication date: 1968-07-16
Anticipated expiration: 1985-07-16
Also published as: GB1139982A; AT280332B; CH472542A; DE1534088B2; DE1534088A1

Description

July 16, 1968 F, PLASSER ET AL MOB ILE TRACK TAMPER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 4, 1966 IN'VENTORS FR mz L. ss? :raggi: -ruuf Kuj (4M July 16, 1968 PLASSER ETAL MOBILE TRACK TAMPER Filed April 4, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 'lll/',

United States Patent O 3,392,678 MOBILE TRACK TAMPER Franz Plasser and Josef Theurer, both of Johannesgasse 3, Vienna, Austria Filed Apr. 4, 1966, Ser. No. 540,082 Claims priority, application Austria, Apr. 7, 1965, A 3,214/ 65 4 Claims. (Cl. 104--12) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A mobile track tamper designed especialy for grading tracks at switch rails, wherein the tamping tool assembly is mounted on an averhanging forward portion of the frame and a track lifting means is also mounted on this frame portion. The track lifting means includes a rail Agripping jaw operable to subtend a track rail in the range of the ballast space to lbe tamped, or a pair of such jaws operable independent of each other for gripping the rail.

mounted on the frame, and a track lifting means mounted on the frame. The tamping tool assembly is designed to tamp the ballast underneath the graded ties so as to X the graded track in position, and the well known and preferred assembly illustrated herein includes a pair of vibratory tools spaced from each other in the direction of alongation of the track and opposing tools of each pair being arranged for immersion in a ballast space adjacent a selected tie to be tamped. Upon vertical adjustment of the tamping tool assembly and vibration and reciprocation of the opposing tools in the direction of the track elongation, the ballast underneath the selected tie is compacted between the tools.

In conventional track grading machines of this type, such as disclosed, for instance, in our U.S. Patents Nos. 3,136,065, 3,149,578, 3,153,390 and 3,192,870, the frame comprises a forward portion overhanging the ballast space whereinto the tamping tools are immersed forwardly of the front wheels, and the tamping tool assembly and the track lifting means are mounted on the forward frame portion, In these known machines, the track lifting means is arranged at a distance from the tamping tool assembly, usually at the front end of the frame, so that the track grade at the point of lifting actually differs from that at the point of tamping. This difference increases with the spacing of lifting from tamping means so that the track must be lifted higher than the desired grade at which the selected tie is to be xed. This obviously entails inaccuracies in the grading operation,

The above and other disadvantages are overcome in accordance with the present invention by arranging the track gripping part of the track lifting means so as to grip the track in the range of the ballast space whereinto one of the tampng tools is immersed.

The objects, advantages and various features of this invention will be more fully understood in connection with the following detailed description of one embodiment thereof, chosen by way of example and illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein FIG. l is a schematic side view of a track grading machine according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged elevational view of a preferred track gripping part shown engaging a track switch; and

3,392,678 Patented July 16, 1968 FIG. 3 is a similar elevational view showing the same track gripping part engaging a straight track rail.

As will be obvious from the following description, the illustrated machine is adapted for grading track switching points, which is a particularly advantageous application of the invention.

Since the illustrated track grading machine is more or less conventional, except for the particular arrangement of the track lifting means, many features of the machine, as far as shown at all, have Abeen indicated and will be described only schematically. Thus, the ballast 4 supports track ties 3 on which rest the

track rails

2, 2, as well as the switch rails 2.1, 22 (see FIG. 2). The tamper frame 1 is mounted on front and rear wheels for mobility on the track, the wheels running on the track rails of a previously graded track section.

A tamping tool assembly 5 is vertically adjustably mounted on a forward portion of the tamper frame overhanging the ballast spaces adjacent selected tie 3' to be tamped forwardly of the front wheels. The structure and operation of the tamping tool assembly may be entirely conventional.

The apparatus indicating the grade track also may be conventional and that illustrated herein includes the usual front bogie 7 running on the track ahead of the tamper and carrying a rst end point 8 of a reference line 9 eX- tending to a second end point 10 which is xed in relation to the previously graded track section. These end points may be constituted by a sender and receiver, respectively, of a visible or invisible beam of radiant energy, which beam constitutes the reference line. In the preferred embodiment illustrated herein, the track grading indicating apparatus includes two grade measuring elements, each constituted by a rod vertically movably mounted in the frame and having one end resting on a rail 2 so as to move up with the rail when the latter is lifted. The first grade measuring rod 13 is mounted forwardly of and adjacent the track gripping part 18 and the second grade measuring rod 13' is mounted rearwardly of and adjacent the tamping tool assembly 5. A rod 12 is linked to the

measuring rods

13, 13 for movement therewith and the rod 12 carries a stop or target board 11 mounted for cooperation with the reference line 9. When the rail 2 has been lifted sufficiently for the measuring rods 13, `13' to position the rod 12 so that stop 11 contacts the reference line 9, the desired track grade at selected tie 3 has been attained and lifting is discontinued.

According to the invention, the means for lifting the track to the desired grade at the point of tamping, where- ICC by the track is accurately fixed in the graded position, is

positioned immediately adjacent the tamping tool assembly, with the track gripping part arranged to grip the track in the range of the ballast space 19 adjacent the tie 3 to be tamped. The illustrated track lifting means includes a carrier arm 17 extending in the direction of elongation of the track and pivoted at one end to frame 1. A motor means for raising and lowering the carrier arm about the pivoted end engages the other end of the` carrier arm, the illustrated motor means being a hydraulic motor 16 lwhose cylinder is mounted o n the overhanging frame portion and whose piston rod is attached to the other end of the carrier arm. In this manner, the carrier arm may be pivoted in a plane extending in the direction of track elongation.

The preferred track gripping part, which is attached to the pivotal carrier arm near the end of the arm remote from its pivoting fulcrum, is shown in detail in FIGS. 2 and 3. It includes a pair of track gripping jaws 17', 17 which hold rail engaging clamps 18', 18 designed to engage the widened base 22 of the rails. A hydraulic motor 23 interconnects the upper ends of the gripping jaws, with its cylinder linked to one jaw and piston rod linked to the other jaw, for pivoting the track gripping jaws in the transverse plane perpendicular to the direction of track elongation, in which the jaws are positioned, into and out of gripping engagement with the track. This illustrated structure is particularly simple in construction and operation.

While the gripping part has been shown to be positioned in the range of ballast space 19, a similar effect could obviously be achieved by positioning it between the pair of opposing tamping tools 14 of the tamping tool assembly or in the range of the ballast space 19. However, the -illusrated positioning of the track gripping part is particularly advantageous because it constitutes the best possible distribution of forces on the carrier arm and, furthermore, since it is mounted between the operators station of the track grading machine and the tamping tool assembly, it makes accurate visual control by the operator possible. Thus, the operator may carefully control the tamping and lifting operations from control panel 6 in a manner known per se and forming no part of the present invention.

As indicated more particularly in FIG. 2, the track lifting means of the present invention is particularly useful for lifting the track at a switch point and, generally, for grading track sections where rails run into each other and various irregularities are encountered. For this purpose, track tampers for such work have made use of special tamping tool assemblies. These assemblies include opposing tamping tools whose upper parts are associated with conventional means for vibrating and reciprocating the same in the direction of track elongation. The lower parts of the tools, which carry the ballast picks, are pivotally mounted on the upper parts, hydraulic motors 24 being associated with the lower parts to enable them to be pivoted about fulcrum 15 out of the range of the track in a plane transverse and perpendicular to the reciprocating direction of the opposing tools.

Also, the entire track gripping part is mounted on the carrier arm 17 for pivoting into an operating position adjacent the track and out of the operating position in a plane extending in the direction of track elongation, the illustrated mounting arrangement including a bearing axle 4rotatably journaled in the carrier arm.

The operation of the illustrated machine will be partly obvious from the above description and will be summarized hereinbelow in connection With a preferred embodiment of the grading method:

As the tamper advances along a track section to be graded from tie to tie in a conventional manner, the track gripping part is pivoted into its operation position adjacent the track. When the machine is stopped at a tie to be tamped, the tamping tool assembly is lowered into the tamping position with the lower parts of the tamping tools immersed in ballast spaces 19 and 19. Simultaneously, and at the beginning of the lowering of the tamping tools, the carrier arm 17 of the track lifting means is lowered while the gripping jaws 17' are kept in open position. As the track gripping part reaches a position wherein the

track gripping clamps

18 and 18 are capable of engaging the widened base of the `rails 2, the clamps are closed to grip the rails and carrier arm 17 is pivoted upwardly to lift the track to the desired grade. The tamping tools immersed in the ballast are now operated to tamp the ballast underneath the tie and thus to fix the same in the graded position. After tamping and simultaneously with the raising of the tamping tool assembly, the carrier arm is upwardly pivoted, with the gripping jaws opened so as to be disengaged from the track rails.

When a track section at a switch point is to be graded, as shown in FIG. 2, one of the gripping jaws 18 progressively engages the

switch rails

21, 22 while the other gripping jaw 18 engages rail 2. In this manner, the machine may be used for continuous grading of straight track sections interrupted by switch points and/ or other obstructions.

To enable the track gripping part to be positioned within the range of a ballast space between two ties, which must also accommodate a tamping tool immersed therein, it is necessary to make the track gripping clamps 18', 18 narrow. Of course, these clamps need not necessarily take the illustrated form of hooks but could be rollers or other suitable rail engaging elements.

While the invention has been described and illustrated in connection wtih one embodiment thereof, it will be understood that many structural modifications and variations may readily occur to those skilled in the art, particularly after benefiting from the present teaching, without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. A mobile track tamper for tamping the ballast supporting track ties, comprising (1) a frame mounted on front and rear wheels for mobility on the track and comprising a forward portion overhanging said ballast space forwardly of said front wheels,

(2) a tamping tool assembly vertically adjustably mounted on the forward frame portion and including a tamping tool having a lower part whose end is arranged for immersion in said ballast space upon vertical adjustment of the tamping tool assembly,

(3) a track lifting means mounted on the forward frame portion, the track lifting means including a pair of rail gripping jaws operable to subtend a Vrespective rail of the track in the range of said ballast space, said track gripping jaws being positioned in a plane transverse and perpendicular to the direction of elongation of the track,

(4) means for pivot-ing each of the track gripping jaws independently in said transverse plane into and out of gripping engagement with the track, and

(5 an operators station arranged on said forward frame portion, the rail gripping jaws being mounted between the tamping tool assembly and the operators station.

2. The mobile track tamper of claim 1, wherein the tamping tool includes an upper part, and further including means for vibrating and reciprocating the upper part in the direction of elongation of the track, and means for pivotally mounting the lower tool part on the upper tool part whereby the lower tamping tool part may be pivoted out of the range of the track.

3. The mobile track tamper of claim 1, wherein the track lifting means includes a carrier arm extending in the direction of elongation of the track and pivoted at one end to the forward frame portion, and a motor means for raising and lowering the carrier arm about the pivoted end, the track gripping jaws being attached to the carrier arm.

4. The mobile track tamper of claim 1, further comprising means for pivoting the track gripping jaws into an operating position adjacent the track and out of said operating position in a plane extending in the d-irection of elongation of the track.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,986,100 5/1961 Kershaw 104-12 3,149,578 9/1964 Plasser et al. 104-12 3,153,390 10/1964 Plasser et al. 104-7 3,177,813 4/1965 Stewart 104-12 3,192,871 7/1965 Krause 104-7 3,301,198 1/1967 Bick 104-7 ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

R. A. BERTSCH, Assistant Examiner.