US3722423A

US3722423A - Mobile ballast treating and rail fastening element engaging tool unit

Info

Publication number: US3722423A
Application number: US00096706A
Authority: US
Inventors: F Plasser; J Theurer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Franz Plasser Bahnbaumaschinen Industrie GmbH
Priority date: 1969-12-17
Filing date: 1970-12-10
Publication date: 1973-03-27
Anticipated expiration: 1990-03-27
Also published as: JPS5033573B1; GB1346579A; YU34442B; DE2056273B2; HU168543B; ES386572A1; RO58899A; YU284370A; ZA708359B; FR2072851A5; AT313958B; CA926200A; CH532688A; DE2056273A1

Abstract

A mobile track working unit comprises a ballast plow and a tool for connecting or disconnecting ferrous rail fastening elements attaching the rails to the ties.

Description

United States Patent Plasser et a1. 1 1 Mar. 27, 1973 [54] MOBILE BALLAST TREATING AND RAIL FASTENING ELEIVIENT [56] References Cited ENGAGING TOOL UNIT UNITED STATES PATENTS [76] Inventors: Franz Plasser; Josef Theurer, both of Johannesgrasse 3 Vienna 1, Aw 2,997,001 8/1961 Scheuchzer 104 2 tria 3,286,648 11/1966 Brosnan ..104/2 3,610,158 10/1971 Eidemanis ..104/17 R [22] Filed: Dec. 10, 1970 Prima Examiner-Gera1d M. Forlenza 21 A 1.N.:96706 1 pp 0 Assistant Examiner-Richard A. Bertsch Attorney-Kurt Kelman [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Dec. 17, 1969 Austria ..11757 [57] ABSTRACT A mobile track working unit comprises a ballast plow [52] US. Cl. ..104/ 17 R, 37/104 and a f connecting or disconnecting ferrous rail [51 lift. Cl ..E01b 27/00, E011) 29/28 fastening elements attaching the rails to the flea [58] Field of Search .....104/1, 2, 17; 173/57; 37/104,

37/105; 227/156 11 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures MOBILE BALLAST TREATING AND RAIL FASTENING ELEMENT ENGAGING TOOL UNIT The present invention relates to mobile track working apparatus arranged to move on the track in a selected working direction, and more'particularly to an apparatus for plowing the ballast and simultaneously working on the ferrous rail fastening elements attaching the two rails of the track to a succession of ties resting on the ballast.

In our U. S. applications Ser. Nos. 865,886 now U.S. Pat. No. 3,628,461 and 865,929, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,604,358 both filed Oct. 13, 1969, we have proposed incorporating working tools for rail fastening elements in a track renewal apparatus which continuously advances while removing an old track and laying a new track, as disclosed, for instance, in our U. S. Pat. No. 3,330,219, dated July 11, 1967, and No. 3,521,565, dated July 21, 1970, or our U. S. application Ser. No. 849,406, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,604,358 filed Aug. 12, 1969. In our U. S. application Ser. No. 74,716, filed Sept. 23, 1970, entitled Method and Apparatus for the Continuous Replacement of an Old Track by a New Track," we have disclosed the incorporation of a ballast treating means in such a track renewal apparatus. Such a track renewal apparatus works like a moving conveyor band and leaves between the respective points where the old track is picked up and the new track is laid a trackless ballast bed which must be evened before the new track is laid.

Even this automated and continuous track renewal operation takes a relatively long time so that regular train service on the track section is severely impaired. Therefore, it often becomes necessary to run trains over the newly laid track even before it has been fully completed, i.e., before the ballast has been tamped so as to fix the track in its desired position. This, of course, means that the maximum speed of a train moving over such a track section must be curtailed to meet safety requirements, such slow train movements interfering with the over-all train service.

It is accordingly the primary object of this invention to provide a mobile apparatus which is capable of finishing a newly laid track so that it is goodand safe enough for trains to run over it at relatively high speeds.

The above and other objects and advantages are accomplished in accordance with the invention with an apparatus which comprises a mobile unit including a ballast plow means and tool means for working on the rail fastening elements. The ballast plow means and the tool means are mounted on a common car frame for common movement in the working direction. Such a mobile unit provides a novel and technologically valuable combination of two fundamentally different track maintenance means.

During a track renewal operation of the above-indicated type, the ballast is evened in the trackless section intermediate the old and new tracks, and the excess ballast resulting from the ballast smoothing is moved laterally, preferably to be used in filling the cribs of the newly laid track. By using the apparatus of the present invention in such an operation, the rails of the new track are fastened onits ties at the same time that the ballast bed for the new track is prepared, including the ballast preparation at the ends of the ties laterally of the track, which considerably increases the resistance to any lateral track deformation due, for instance, to temperature influences on new railswhich are not fixed in position. In this manner, the newly laid track is firmly secured in a single stage of operation and is ready to receive traffic at relatively high speed.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of this invention, the plow means comprises a pair of vertically adjustable plows associated with a respective rail. Each plow had adjustable plowshares operable over the ballast bed between the rails and laterally adjacent the rails. The tool means comprises tools for connecting and disconnecting the rail fastening elements of the respective rails, and a drive motor means is provided for the operation of the tools. The plows and tools are mounted on and underneath the common car frame between the front and rear running gears thereof.

With such a plow arrangement, it is possible simultaneously to fill the track cribs with ballast and to finish the lateral strips of the ballast bed adjacent the track so that the newly laid track has a high stability immediately after being laid while, at the same time, being prepared for the subsequent tamping operation, at which time the rail fastening means are tightened and sufficient ballast must be present at the points of intersection between the rails and the: ties to enable an effective ballast tamping operation to be performed.

According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, means is provided for propelling the unit in the selected working direction, as well as control means for synchronizing the movement of the unit along the track with the operation of the plow and tool means. Hydraulic drive means for this purpose are preferred.

In this manner, the apparatus may be used independently in any type of track renewal or track laying operation.

If the plow means according to another feature of this invention is selectively adjustable for plowing the ballast in the selected working direction, the unit may be used independently or in tandem with tamping or ballast cleaning machines, the tool means for disconnecting or connecting the rail fastening elements being spaced fromthe plow means in the selected direction and being positioned in front or rearwardly thereof in dependence on this direction. This makes the unit readily adaptable for all types of track maintenance work, such astrack laying or tamping. t

The above and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of a now preferred embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a mobile track working apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a transverse cross section of the apparatus along line 11-11 of FIG. 1, showing two different The mobile track working apparatus comprises a car frame I which has front and rear running gears 2 and 3 moving the car frame on the track rails in a selected working direction indicated by arrow 6. The car frame 1 of the apparatus has a platform supporting new ties 4 for the new track to be laid, and is coupled to other working

cars

1, 1", respectively, forming part of a track renewal train such as disclosed and claimed, for instance, in the U. S. Pat. and patent applications mentioned hereinabove. In such a track renewal system, the car platform may also support the old rails 5 which have been picked up and removed from the ballast bed by a forward section of the track renewal train (not shown), the newly laid track extending behind the illustrated apparatus in a direction opposite to that of arrow 6. Thus, the apparatus runs on a just laid track section (indicated in the right half of FIG. 1) wherein the new ties 4 have been laid on a leveled portion of the ballast bed and the fastening elements are being connected to secure the rails 7, 7' to ties 4. FIG. 3 clearly illustrates the excess ballast 8 accumulated along the lateral strips of the ballast bed adjacent the tie ends during leveling of the ballast before the track is actually laid.

An operating and control stand 9 is arranged under the platform of the car frame 1 for visual observation of the working tool 13 and the plow means 14, as indicated by the eye and sight lines, so that an operator placed on the stand may actuate the same under visual observation. The control panel 10 is placed in front of the operator and includes conventional control means for synchronizing the operation of the plow and tool, the control panel being connected to a hydraulic drive 11 by control lines 12.

As best shown in FIG. 2, the ballast plow means 14 comprises a pair of plows 14', 14" associated respectively with rails 7, 7'. Each plow is supported on the car frame 1 by a hydraulic motor 15for vertical adjustment in relation to the ballast bed. Furthermore, each plow has plowshares 16' 17' (and 16", 17") which are pivotal parallel to the plane of the track, the plowshare 16' (16") working on the ballast bed between the rails while the plowshare 17' (17'') works on the longitudinal ballast bed strip extending laterally of the track rails, i.e., along the edge of the ballast bed or between two tracks. The latter plowshare may be further adjusted in a plane extending transversely of and vertically to the track plane so that the plowshare'may contact obliquely extending portions of the ballast bed (as shown at 17" in FIG. 2).

A center plate 18' (18") bridges the associated rail and has a cut-out 19 receiving the rail, a roller 20 being mounted in the cut-out to guide the center plate on the rail, and the two plowshares of the plow being hinged to the center plate for pivotal adjustment in relation thereto.

The plowshares I7, 17" have two mutually adjustable plowshare parts to enable the same to be adjusted in accordance with the desired ballast bed profile, as clearly shown in FIG. 2. The outer part of the plowshares 17, 17' may be vertically adjusted by a roller guide 21 at least by the height of a tie and may be adjusted in the direction of track elongation by drive 32.

Each plow is suspended by a parallelogram linkage 22 which is connected to a hydraulic motor 23 to adjust the plow in the direction of track elongation The plowshares are pivotal over a relatively large are so that they may work in both directions indicated by arrows 24, 25.

In the illustrated embodiment, the ferrous fastening elements for the rails include threaded bolts and/or nuts so that the tool means 13 is constituted by

wrenches

27, 27 arranged to tighten the bolts or nuts, the illustrated tool being a twin wrench designed to work on two adjacent ties simultaneously. Obviously, if spikes were used, the wrenches would be replaced by spike drivers. The tool holders 28, 28' are adjustable in the direction of track elongation to keep the wrenches properly positioned. The tool means 13 is mounted on a carriage 29 which is vertically adjustably mounted on the car frame. The carriage is also longitudinally adjustable by means of chain drive 30 and may also be transversely adjustable for working in track curves by means of rollers 31 supported in transverse guides.

All the working parts of the apparatus are mounted underneath the car frame platform and may be visually observed from stand 9 where the control panel 10 is located for operation of the common drive 11 which actuates the

drives

15, 23, 32 and 30 for the plows and wrenches, the control panel including control means 34 for actuating selected operations of the working parts.

The apparatus provides a plow and a working tool for each rail, and these working parts are longitudinally adjustable in relation to each other as well as in relation to the car frame by being mounted in longitudinally extending guides 33 on the car frame platform.

The wrenches 13 are arranged forwardly of the plows 14 in the working direction so secure the rails to the ties while the apparatus advances in the direction of arrow 6. During the work time of the wrenches, the operation temporarily holds the wrenches in position while the car frame moves relatively thereto, which is possible by the gliding engagement of the wrench carriage in guide 30. Proper operation of the controls enables the operator to synchronize all movements and working phases so that the rail is successively fastened to the ties as the apparatus advances. Meanwhile, the excess ballast 8' is engaged by the rearwardly arranged plow means and the outer plowshares thereof level this excess ballast and move it inwardly into the cribs of the newly laid track as well as adjacent to the ends of the ties. The inner plowshare simultaneously level the central portion of the ballast bed so that the entire bed is shaped to its desired profile.

In this condition, the newly laid track is well prepared for a subsequent ballast tamping operation which is preceded by a further tightening of the rail fastening means and during which the ballast in the cribs is tamped under the ties, particularly at the points of intersection of the ties and the rails. The newly laid track is also well prepared for any subsequent lining operation since the ballast at the tie ends well fixes the track in its lateral position, which may then be further reinforced by tamping at the tie ends.

The apparatus also is very useful when used in conjunction with ballast cleaning machines. When the ballast of an existing track is cleaned, the track is lifted by gripping the rails, which subjects the rail fastening means to great stresses. With the apparatus of the invention, it is then possible to level the cleaned and replaced ballast and to tighten the rail fastening means.

Many modifications of specific ballast plow means and rail fastening working tools may be used in conjunction with the apparatus of the present invention, as will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Also, the apparatus may be self-propelled or form paft of a train, These and other obvious variations are within the scope of this invention which is defined by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A mobile track working apparatus arranged to move on the track in a selected working direction, the track comprising a succession of ties, two rails and ferrous rail fastening elements attaching the rails to the ties, the apparatus comprising a mobile unit including a ballast plow means and tool means forworkingon the rail fastening elements, and a central control means for actuating the plow and tool means and for adjusting their relative distance to each other.

2. The mobile track working apparatus of claim 1, wherein the unit comprises a common car frame whereon the ballast plow means and the tool means are mounted for common movement in the working direction, the car frame having a front and a rear running gear.

3. The mobile track working apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plow means comprises a pair of vertically adjustable plows associated with a respective one of the rails, and the tool means comprises tools for connecting or disconnecting the rail fastening elements of the respective rails, the plows and the tool means being mounted on and underneath the car frame between the running gears.

4. The mobile track working apparatus of claim 3, wherein the plows have adjustable plowshares.

5. The mobile track working apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a drive motor means for the work- 10 8. The mobile track working apparatus of claim 7,

wherein a plow having adjustable plowshares and a tool for connecting or disconnecting the rail fastening elements are associated with each rail, and further comprising a common guide rail for the plow and tool associated with each rail, the guide rail extending in the direction of track elongation and being mounted on the underside of the car frame for longitudinally adjustably supporting the plow and the tool for adjustment of the distance between the plow and tool as well as adjustment thereof in respect of the car frame in said direction.

9. The mobile track working apparatus of claim 8, wherein the tool is a double wrench for working on the fastening elements of two adjacent. ties simultaneously.

10. The mobile track working apparatus of claim 1,

further comprising means for propelling the unit in the selected working direction, and control means for synchronizing the movement of the unit along the track with the operation of the plow and tool means.

11. The mobile track working apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the plow means is selectively adjustable for plowing the ballast in the selected working direction, the tool means being spaced from the plow means in said direction and being positioned in front or rearwardly of the plow means in dependence on said direction.

Claims

1. A mobile track working apparatus arranged to move on the track in a selected working direction, the track comprising a succession of ties, two rails and ferrous rail fastening elements attaching the rails to the ties, the apparatus comprising a mobile unit including a ballast plow means and tool means for working on the rail fastening elements, and a central control means for actuating the plow and tool means and for adjusting their relative distance to each other.

5. The mobile track working apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a drive motor means for the working tools.

6. The mobile track working apparatus of claim 3, wherein the plow means and the tools means are transversely and longitudinally adjustably mounted on and in relation to the car frame.

7. The mobile track working apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a common operating stand for the plow and tool means, the central control means being arranged at the operating stand.

8. The mobile track working apparatus of claim 7, wherein a plow having adjustable plowshares and a tool for connecting or disconnecting the rail fastening elements are associated with each rail, and further comprising a common guide rail for the plow and tool associated with each rail, the guide rail extending in the direction of track elongation and being mounted on the underside of the car frame for longitudinally adjustably supporting the plow and the tool for adjustment of the distance between the plow and tool as well as adjustment thereof in respect of the car frame in said direction.

9. The mobile track working apparatus of claim 8, wherein the tool is a double wrench for working on the fastening elements of two adjacent ties simultaneously.

10. The mobile track working apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for propelling the unit in the selected working direction, and control means for synchronizing the movement of the unit along the track with the operation of the plow and tool means.

11. The mobile track working apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plow means is selectively adjustable for plowing the ballast in the selected working direction, the tool means being spaced from the plow means in said direction and being positioned in front or rearwardly of the plow means in dependence on said direction.