Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
S~
The present invention relates to improvements in a mobile
machine mounted on a track for advancement therealong for remov-
ing surface irregularities from the faces of the rail heads,
which comprises a machine frame and at least one pair of tool
carriers substantially transversely aligned with respect to the
track an a respective one of the tool carriers being associated
with a respective one of the rails, each of the tool carriers
being vertically adjustably mounted on the machine and arranged
for guidance along the respective rail in a vertical and lateral
direction, and at least one metal removing tool carried by each
of the tool carriers.
U.S. patent No. 2,779,141, dated January 29, 1957, discloseq
a mobile rail grinding machine wherein two wheeled truc~s are
mounted between the two undercarriages supporting the machine
frame on the track. Each truck carries three separate, vertically
adjustable grinder heads each of which comprises a grinding disc
fixed to a drive shaft. Despite a complex, multi-part control for
driving the disc, the metal removal obtained in each operating
pass is so small that numerous passes by the machine are required
to obtaln the desired grinding result.
In the rail grinding machine disclosed in U.S. patent No.
3,738,066, dated June 12, 1973, a plurality of grinding stones
are mounted on a runner and are pulled along the running face of
the rail heads by the advancement of the machine along the track.
ThiS~ too, requires a number of passes to achieve a smooth rail
head. A similar machine is disclosed in German patent No.
1,021,7~6, published December 27, 1957. Economically acceptable
removal or surface irregularities from rail heads cannot be ob-
tained with these machines.
U.S. patent ~o. 3,707,808, dated January 2, 1973, discloses
a mobile rail grinder with two grinding modules 15 running on
flanged wheels on the track rails and being transversely aligned.
--1--
l~Z~57~3
The two modules are connected together by rods through ball joints
to facilitate negotiation of curves. Tool carriers carrying grind-
ing stones are mounted on each grinding module.
German patent No. 536, 557, published October 23, 1931, dis-
closes a rail grinding car on which a pair of grinding tools is
mounted for grinding a respective track rail, the two grinding
tools being interconnected by transversely extending links which
enable the grinding tools to be repositioned with respect to the
rail heads at selected angles.
Austrian patent No. 221, 131, published May 10, 1962, dis-
closes a rail grinding machine wherein abrasive bands are pressed
` into contact with the running faces of the rail heads and the
slides carrying the abrasive bands are interconnected by jacks
for changing the transverse distance between the slides.
In our copending Canadian patent No. 1,095,250, granted
February 10, 1981, we have disclosed a mobile rail grinding
machine which comprises a machine frame mounted on the rails
of a track for continuously moving in the direction of, and
along, the track, two pairs of tool carrier frames vertically
adjustably mounted on the machine frame successively in the track
direction and associated with the rails, a group of elongated
whetstones mounted on the carrier frames for vertical adjustment
to press the whetstones against surface areas of the rails to
grind off surface irregularities, and a common drive connected to
the pairs of carrier frames for imparting thereto reciprocatory
movements in opposite senses in the track direction, which is a
working movement additional to that imparted to it simultaneously
by the movement of the machine frame. The tool carrier frames
of each pair may be interconnected by a hydraulic jack whose
ends are pvioted to the carrier frames. This arrangement has
multiplied the grinding efficiency during a single pass of the
machine. The entire disclosure of this application is incorporated
herein by way of reference.
B -2-
l~Z5S''~
It is the primary object of this invention to improve mobile
machine for removing surface irregularities from the faces of
rail heads in a manner designed to increase the efficiency of
their operation, particularly in cuLving track sections.
In accordance with the invention, this object is accomplished
in a mobile machine of the first-indicated type with independently,
vertically adjustable tool carriers arranged for independent move-
ment and at least one spacing member extending and adjustable trans-
versely to the track between the tool carriers of each pair, a
pivot connecting respective ends of the spacing member to the res-
pective tool carriers, the pivots extending vertically to a plane
defined by the track.
Such a machine operates readily in tangent track as well as
in curves and can be used universally under various conditions of
wear of the rail heads to take into account different require-
ments of railroads. The pivotal connection of the spacing member
to the tool carriers of each pair makes it possible to guide the
tool carriers associated with the left and right rails accurately
and clearance-free along a lateral side face of the rail heads
while maintaining full relative movement of the carriers so that
each tool carrier is guided along the respective rail in a ver-
tical and lateral direction. In this manner, the operating pos-
itions of the metal removing tools on the carriers and their cor-
responding operating characteristics remain substantially unchanged
throughout the advancement of the machine, even in sharp track
curves. This makes it possible to operate even along very curvy
track sections without interruption.
The above and other objects, advantages and features of the
invention will become more apparent from the following detailed de-
scription of a now preferred embodiment thereof, taken in conjunc-
tion with the accompanying schematic drawing wherein
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the mobile machine,
FIG. 2 is a schematic top view illustrating the arrange-
112SS~73
ment of the tool carrlers,
FIG. 3 is an erllarged sectional view along line III-III
of FIG. 4, showing a detail of one of the sets of tool carriers,
EIG. 4 is a partial side elevational view thereof,
FIG. 5 is a top view, partly in section, of the detail
illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, and
FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of a rail and the oper-
ation of the machine in relation thereto.
Referring now to the drawing and first to FIGS. 1 and 2,
there is shown a mobile machine 1 comprising machine frame 3
comprising two undercarriages 2, 2 supporting the machine frame
for-advancement of machine 1 along the track in an operating
direction indicated by arrow 13 or a reverse direction indi-
cated by arrow 14. Couplings 4 at respective ends of machine
frame 3 enable the machine to be incorporated as a car in a work
train. Closed housing 5 is mounted on the machine frame and
includes operator's cab 7, a power plant 6 being arranged in the
housing to supply power to the operating tools and mechanisms
of the machine, including its drive 9 connected to the power
plant by transmission 8 to make the machine self-propelled.
~he machine moves on track 12 comprising two rails 10 and 11
each including rail head 38 having running face 36, lateral in-
side face 37 and lateral outside face 65, as shown in FIG. 6.
In the illustrated embodiment, three sets 15, 16 and 17
of different metal removing devices are mounted on machine
frame 3 for removing surface irregularities from the faces of
the rail heads. Each set comprises at least one pair of tool
carxiers substantially transversely aligned with respect to the
track and a respective ones of the tool carriers being assoc-
iated with a respective rail 10 and 11. Each of the toolcarriers is vertically adjustably mounted on machine frame 3
and is arranged for guidance along ~he respective rail in a
, . " , ~ . . . .. .. ,, ... ~ . .... . . . .. . .. . .
~12~;S73
vertical and lateral direction. At least one metal removing
tool is carried by each tool carrier.
The illustrated means for vertically adjustably mounting
each tool carrier on machine frame 3 comprises at least two
fluid-pressure operated jacks 19, which are preferably opera-
ted by pneumatic pressure to adjust the tool carriers verti-
cally and to bias the tool carriers under the fluid pressure
against the respective rails. Universal joints connect the
jacks to the machine frame and to the tool carriers. Such a
mounting for tool carriers has been disclosed in our above-
mentioned copending patent and assures a substantially con-
stant definable load on the tool carriers in tangent and
curved track sections without in any way interfering with
the free movement of the tool carriers in relation to their
associated rails and their clearance-free guidance therealong.
The first set 15 includes a pair of tool carriers 18
each carrying metal cutting tools 28 engageable with running
face 36 of rail heads 38. Two flanged wheels 20 at respec-
tive ends of tool carriers 18 mount the tool carriers sub-
stantially without play with respect to running surface 38
and inside face 37 of the rail heads. The flanged wheels
are mounted on the free ends of pivotal arms 21 for adjust-
ing the height of the wheels, a stop 22 cooperating with
the pivotal arms to maintain them in a selected annular
position. Connecting rod 23 links the rear end of each
tool carrier 18 to journal box 24 of front undercarriage
2 so that the tool carriers advance along the track with
the machine. A succession of three cutter heads 26 are
mounted on each tool carrier and each cutter head carries
four detachably ~iol~ted cutting tools 28 shaped like planing knives. As
B -5-
l~ZS57~3
shown in FIG. 6, cutting edges 29 of the cutting tools are
arranged to engage the running faces of the rail head and ex-
tend substantially parallel to base plane 30 of rail base 31,
preferably at an acute angle in relation to a plane perpen-
dicular to the track.
The second set 16 includes two pairs of tool carriers
32 each carrying metal grinding tools 33 arranged to be
pressed against running faces 36 and preferably against a
portion of lateral inside faces 37 of rail heads 38, as shown
by cross section 39 of the grinding tools in FIG. 6. Tool
carriers 32 also have flanged wheels 20 mounted on pivotal
arms 21 in the same manner as tool carriers 18. A succession
of three grinding tools æe mounted on each carrier 32, each
grinding tool 33 being comprised of holder 34 for whetstone 35
mounted detachably in the holder. The whetstones are de-
signed to smooth the running and lateral inside faces of the
rail heads after cutting tools 28 have removed surface ir-
regularities, such as corrugations and the like from the
running faces of the rail heads. Profile 39 of the grinding
tools may take any shape to obtain the desired shaping of
the rail head, such as disclosed, for example, in U.S. patent
No. 4,050,196, dated September 27, 1977.
Crank drive means illustrated as common drive 40 is con-
nected to the pairs of tool carriers 32 of second set 16 and
imparts there to reciprocatory working movements in opposite
directions along the rails, as indicated by arrows 41. The
common crank drive is comprised of crankshaft 43 mounted on
machine frame 3 and rotated by motor 42, the crankshaft being
connected to two roc~ing levers 45 associated with each rail
for rocking the levers back and forth, a respective push rod
B
llZSiS73
46 connecting each of the tool carriers to one of the rocking
levers to produce the reciprocatory working movements of tool
carriers 32, which arrangement is more fully described and
illustrated in our first-mentioned patent application.
The third set 17 includes a pair of tool carriers 47 and
metal shearing tools 53 carried by the tool carriers for en-
gagement with lateral outside faces 65 of the rail heads.
In accordance with the present invention, at least one
spacing member 25 extends and is adjustable transversely to
track 12 between tool carriers 18, 32 and 47 of each pair. A
pivot connects respective ends of spacing members 25 to the
respective tool carriers for free movement of the tool car-
riers with respect to the spacing members along the rails
with which they are associated. This arrangement permits
the simultaneous or selective use of cutting, grinding and
shearing tools in the shaping and smoothing of rail heads
as the machine advances along the track, particularly the
successive coarse and fine machining of rail head surfaces
with the use of the cutting and shearing tools in a first
pass in the direction of arrow 13 and the subsequent smoothing
of the machined rail head surfaces with the grinding tools in a
reverse pass in the direction of arrow 14. This operation is
very economical because the speed best suited to the respec-
tive work can be maintained during each pass of the machine
along the track section and high working speeds may be obtained
while protecting the operating life of the metal removing tools
to the utmost. Equipping the machine with the third set pro-
viding metal shearing tools makes it possible to meet the
- requirement of some railroads for not only re~oving surface
irregularities from the rail heads due to wear but also to
remove the bulges created at the lateral faces of the
rail heads by the wheels of the trains rolling over the
rails. This is particularly advantageous if previously laid
--7--
B
l~S573
rails are re-used because when such rails are re-laid at oppo-
site sides of the track, they will thus have a machined sur~
face in contact with the ~langed train wheels.
As more clearly shown in FIC. 3, pairs o~ guide rollers
49, 51 on tool carriers 47 of third set 17 respectively engage
running faces 36 and lateral outside faces 65 of rail heads 38
for clearance-free guidance of the tool carriers along rails 10
and 11. Guide rollers 49 are rotatable about horizontal axles
48 extending transversely to the track and guide rollers 51 are
rotatable about vertical axles 50. Connecting rod 52 links the
forward end of each tool carrier 47 to the i~urnal box of rear
undercarriage 2 so that the tool carriers advance with the
machine.
s~ e r~ e/!~
B Spacing members 25 include adjustment drives forAlongit~d-
inall~ adjusting the spacing members, the illustrated adjustment
drives being fluid-pressure operated jacks. The adjustment
drives for the spacing members between tool carriers 18 and 32
are operable in one direction, ie. fluid pressure is applied to
the jacks so as to press flanged wheels 20 against inside faces
37 of the rail heads, while the adjustment drives for the spac-
ing members between tool carriers 47 are operable in the oppo-
site direction, ie. fluid pressure is applied to the jacks so
as to press guide rollers 51 against outside faces 65 of the
rail heads (see FIG. 3).
Asshown in FIG. 1, second set 16 of tamping tool carriers
32 is mounted on machine frame 3 between underCarriages 2 while
the pairs of tool carriers 18 and 47 of the first and third sets
15 and 17 are mounted on end portions of the machine frame over-
hanging the undercarriages.
The above-described arrangement of the adjustment drives
for the spacing members assures a clearance-free guidance of all
the tool carriers along the rails, regardless of the track guage
--8--
~Z~5~
and changes therein. Care must be taken that guide rollers 51
are arranged so that they pressa~ainst the lower portions of
outside faces 65 which are not deformed so as to assure an accur-
ate reference for shearing tools 53 and to avoid the possibility
that these tools are so positioned as to copy the existing bulges
created by the cold deformation of the rail heads by the wheels
of passing trains. The illustrated arrangement of the three
successive sets 15, 16 and 17 of different metal removing tools
makes full and space-saving use of all the room available below
the machine frame, thus reducing the length of the machine. At
the same time, all the tool carriers are independently guided
along the rails and move only slightly relative to machine frame
3, even in sharp curves. This produces very favorable conditions
for transmitting drive, load, tensile and pressure forces from
the machine frame to the tool carriers.
As best shown in FIG. 4, tool carriers 47 of third set 17
carry two metal shearing tools 53 spaced from each other in the
direction of the rails, each shearing knife 53 being detachably
and adjustably mounted on holders 55 by a pair of set screws 54.
In this manner, the shearing tools are adjustable for different
cutting depths with respect to the rails, their cutting edges 56
extending substantially parallel to vertical plane of symmetry
57 of the rails, as shown in FIG. 6 and the shearing tools
themselves extending obliquely relative to a plane defined by
the track and enclosing an acute angle therewith. Distributing
the shearing forces over more than one tool not only increases
the operating life of the shearing tools but also improves the
quality of shearing.
As illustrated in FIG. 5, in a preferred embodiment, spac-
ing members 25 for tool carriers 47 each comprises housing 58
extending transversely to track 12 and connecting rod 62 axially
movably and pivotally mounted in the housing. Housing 58 is
~LZSS73
pivotally connected to one of the tool carriers at pivot 59
to enable the housing to pivot about vertical axis 60 and rod
62 i5 pivotally connected to the other tool carrier in the same
manner. Self-aligning bearing means consisting of pivotal bear-
ings 61 pivotally guide and support connecting rod 62 in housing
58. The adjustment drive for the spacing members comprises cyl-
inder 63 and a piston rod slidable therein, the cylinder being
linked to the housing and the piston rod being linked to the
connecting rod. By supplying pressure fluid to the piston in
the direction of arrow 64, guide rollers 51 are moved into
clearance-free engagement with outside face 65 of rails 10 and
11, as ~own in FIG. 3.
In this arrangement, the spacing member constitutes the
guide part for the longtiduinally adjustable spacing of the two
; opposite tool carriers while the adjustment drive does not have
to absorb any of the guide forces. The pivotal mounting of con-
necting rod 62 in housing 58 of the spacing member makes it pos-
sible for the spacing member to be tilted so that the two oppo-
site tool carriers may be positionally adjusted in track super-
elevations where one rail is higher than the other.
FIG. 6 shows an end view of a conventional rail in new
condition, in full lines. As the rail becomes progressively worn
by a succession of trains rolling thereover, the rail head is
deformed in a manner generally indicated by the broken lines in-
dicating depressions, corrugations or like surface irregularities
in running face 36 and bulges 66 and 67 at the lateral faces 37
and 65 of rail head 38. All of these surface irregularities are
removed by operation of the three sets of metal removing tools
provided on th~ machine, as hereinabove described.
At the beginning of the operation, the track section is
first subjected to coarse machining. For this purpose, jacks 19
are actuated to lower tool carriers 18 and 47, and the adjust-
--10--
i~;Z557~
~ v~crJe~
ment drives are actuated to adjust spacing members 25~ }_
-itY~vQ~ ntil flanged wheels 20 and guide roller~ 49, 51
are in clearance-free engagement with rails 10 and 11. A~ter
the cutting depth of tools 28 and 53 has been suita~ly adjusted,
fluid pressure is applied to jacks 19 until a des:ired vertical
pressure has been applied to the tool carriers to press the
tools into engagement with the rail heads.
With tools 28 and 53 thus in working positlon and wit~
tool carriers 32 remaining in their raised or inoperative pos-
~10 ition, drive 9 is actuated to advance m chine 1 continuouslyalong track 12 ~n the direction of arrow 13 at a speed of about
4 to 6 km~h. During this pass, undulations and other ir~egularit-
ies are coarsely removed from running face 36 of rail heads 38
~y cutking tools 28 while shearing knives 53 simultaneous1y r~-
move bulges 66 *xom lateral outside faces 65. At the end of the
track section on which work is to be done, machine 1 is stopped,
the adjustment drives are actuated to d1sengage the flanges
wheels and guide rollers from the rails and jacks~19 are actuated
to raise the tool carriers to~ their inoperative positions. Tool
carriers 32 are now lowered and their flanged wheels are brought
:
into engagement with the rails. With the grinding tools pressed
against the rail heads, mokor 42 is actuated to impart recip- ;
rocatory movements to the tool carriers w~ile the operating dir-
ection of machine 1 is reversed (see arrow 14), the machine being
advanced at a reduced speed of about 1 km~h to grind the rail
head faces smooth, the grinding stones with their profiles 39
also removing at least part of bulges 67 on the inside face of
the rail heads.
If desired, this smoothing operation may be *ollowed by a
subsequent grinding pass to increase the smoothness of the rail
head surfaces, the en~ire operation being very effective in pro-
ducing high-quality surfacing o~ the rail heads while assuring
.~_
S7~
a most econo~ical production. If desired, all three sets of
metal removing tools may be operated at the same time in a
single operating pass while each set may be operated singly,
if conditions warrant.
