Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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RETAINER FOR A F7~ANGE OIhER
This is a divisional application of Canadian
Patent Application No. 2,205,278 filed May 13, 1997.
The present invention is directed to methods and
apparatus for continuously applying lubricant, and more
particularly, to lubrication systems employing a tube for
application of lubricant to the area of flange contact
between a wheel and the rail.
The subject matter of this divisional application
is directed to a tube retainer for securement to a rail
base.
The subject matter of the parent application was
restricted to the applicator (tube) for applying lubricant
to a rail/wheel interface of a railroad wheel and rail and a
method of applying lubricant to a railroad rail. However,
it should be understood that the expression "the invention"
and the like as used herein encompass the subject matter of
both the parent and this divisional application.
Background of the Invention
Prior art devices are known that apply a lubricant
to the wheel/rail interface from the track wayside, and are
commonly called "flange oilers". Typically, flange oilers
are provided near curves or other sections of track where
the metal-to-metal contact forces between the wheel and the
rail increase dramatically. By providing lubrication, wear
phenomena such as spalling are prevented and the life of the
railcar wheels is generally improved, as is the life of the
track. Rolling friction is also lessened, thereby
increasing fuel efficiency. There are therefore a number of
benefits to providing flange oilers.
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Numerous types of these wayside wheel/rail
lubricators have been proposed and/or are in use. Two
particular types of flange oilers are well known. The first
is illustrated in FIG. 6, and is a manifold 50 that is
between 9-18 inches long that is affixed to a section of
rail. The mounting of the oiler may require a section 52 of
the gauge face of the rail that is as long as the manifold
be ground away. The device is connected to a pump (not
illustrated) that forces lubricant to the top surface of the
manifold, providing a film that is picked up by the railcar
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wheel. A second type of device, not illustrated, is a
plunger or hydraulic cylinder that is placed adjacent the
track. When the train rolls over the end of the plunger,
power is supplied to the lubrication system.
Other designs are also known. For example, U.S.
Patent No. 2,098,791 -- Perazzoli which discloses a rail
lubricator that uses a bent piece of tubing inserted into a
small hole drilled in the rail. U.S. Patent No. 3,059,274 -
- Soule, Jr. discloses a tubing system for applying oil to
the top of the rail, but discloses that the lubricant should
be sprayed in an arc over the top of the rail. U.S. Patent
No. 4,334,596 -- Lounsberry, Jr. also discloses a flange
oiler that uses a tubing system. Finally, U.S. Patent No.
4,346,785 -- Frank discloses a flange oiler that uses a
tubing system terminated by a complex nozzle arrangement
that is bolted to the sides of the rail.
However, all of these prior art implementations
suffer from a number of problems. First, they are not
necessarily interchangeable from rail section to rail
section and use a complex assembly of-parts, thereby
requiring complicated tools and gauges to perform
adjustments. The prior art systems also usually require
expensive disassembly or change out of the entire applicator
assembly if the applicator is damaged. Second, because of
wear of the rail head section in curves, the prior art
systems are very difficult, if not impossible to install and
maintain on curved railroad track. Additionally, the prior
art devices make precise application of lubricant at the
contact patch corner of the rail impossible without
extensive in-situ modification of the existing rail section
and also interfere with application of effective
contamination containment devices located between the rails,
such as absorbent pads or troughs. A related problem is
that the prior art systems are prone to plugging with
traction sand and require removal from the rail and complete
disassembly for proper cleaning. Finally, the prior art
systems typically attach the lubricating device using
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fasteners that are prone to loosening in the high vibration
rail environment.
Summary of the Invention
It has now been found that the shortcomings of the
prior art can be overcome by a system that provides a
malleable tube capable of receiving a lubricant under
pressure at its lower end and discharging the lubricant at
its upper end at the precise location of the contact patch
of the wheel/rail interface. The tube is most preferably
l0 affixed to the rail with a spring tube retainer that is
easily driven onto the rail base, and that has barbs to hold
it securely onto the rail without damage to the rail base.
The tube is preferably manufactured of material that is both
suitable for being moved or adjusted by hand and, at the
same time, strong enough to withstand the lubricant
pressures. The tube is shaped to keep clear of the area
where it is likely to be damaged by passing train wheels or
dragging materials. The tube shape also allows easy
adjustment by bending the tube by hand, without the use of
tools. A tube assembly can thus be used with any size rail
section. This permits the flange oiler of the present
invention to be located in curved railroad track, unlike
prior art.
In one preferred embodiment, the upper section of
the tube is flattened to form a dispensing tip and to
protect it from contact with the passing wheels. On worn
rail sections, the rail head can be relieved in the vicinity
of the tube with a die grinder to enhance this protection.
Additionally, damage to the dispensing tip.can be repaired
by inserting a slim tool such as a screwdriver into the
dispensing tip of the tube to restore its opening to the
proper size. As the dispensing tip wears, it can be bent
easily by hand to restore its height. These features
represent a significant decrease in the time and the cost
required for applicator maintenance.
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The present invention thus provides a device
preferably formed from soft copper tubing, about ~ inch
diameter, which is bent and formed to conform to the rail
section. The ends of each branch are flattened to form a
"nozzle" that is at the level of the top of the rail. The
notches in the rail are preferably only about one inch long
and do not need to be precisely machined. Most preferably,
a "clip" similar to those used to hold down signal wires is
provided to secure the tubing in place. The tubing passes
through the hole in the clip and is most preferably soldered
in place. The advantage of using clips in accordance with
the present invention is that they are held by friction and
require no machining or tooling for installation. Thus, the
entire device can be relocated as the railroad maintenance
dictates, when the track layout is changed, or the track
itself is replaced.
According to one aspect of the invention of the
parent application, there is provided an applicator for
applying lubricant to a wheel/rail interface of a railroad
wheel and a rail, the rail having a top that intersects with
a web, the applicator comprising a malleable tube having a
distal end formed into a lubricant dispensing tip, the
malleable tube being for disposing against a side of the
web, and the distal end being for disposing on a side of the
rail top.
According to another aspect of the invention of
the parent application, there is provided a method of
applying lubricant to a railroad rail having a web that
intersects with a top of the rail comprising the steps of:
forming a relief section in a side of the rail top;
conforming a malleable tube having a dispensing tip to a
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portion of the side surface of the rail that is underneath
the top surface of the rail; positioning the dispensing tip
within said relief section and adjacent the top surface of
the rail so that the tip lies at approximately the
intersection of the side portion and the top surface;
affixing the malleable tube to the rail; and connecting the
malleable tube to a source of lubricant.
According to one aspect of the invention of the
present divisional application, there is provided a U-shaped
spring tube retainer comprising barbs on a top flange and a
bottom flange for securement to a rail base.
Brief Description of the Drawings
FIG. 1 is a broken away perspective view showing
general location of the components of a preferred embodiment
of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a side elevation view showing location
of a single applicator tube;
FIG. 3 is a rail cross section view taken along
lines 3-3 in FIG. 2, showing location of wheel/rail contact
patch and location of lubricant application;
FIG. 4 is a top view showing gage corner relief
used in certain embodiments of the present invention;
FIG. 5A-5C are, respectively, a perspective view,
a top view, and a side view of a spring tube retainer made
in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a broken-away perspective view, similar
to FIG. l, illustrating a prior art flange oiler.
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Description of the Invention
Referring now to FIG. 1 the overall arrangement of
a preferred embodiment of the present invention is
illustrated in a perspective view. A typical rail section
IO is~shown.and those~of skill in the art will understand
that the surrounding environment, including the rail bed,
rail ties and the like. is not illustrated.- Additionally,
although. flange oilers ma$e in accordance with the gresen~~
invention can~be'instalhed at curved rail sections; a
.straight'~section is illustrated~for purposes of clarity.
The rail 10 consists, of a base 24, a web 15,' and head-16. ~ r
The tube 11 is appropriately attached to the,tube retainer
12,' and the tube retainer 12 is~in turn attached to. the base
24, as explained in further detail below. The tube 11 has .
whatever appropriate bends facilitate interchangeability
between rail sections, ease of application,.~and ease of
adjustment; an adjustment loop 25 is preferably formed by
the bending of the tube as shown. While orily~one tube is
shown, it should be understood that.~a plurality of tubes may'
be used on the same rail to provide~for increased efficiency
of lubricant application., Additi-onally, one or more tubes
may be attached.to the opposing rail at the same track -
location. For the sake of clarity this aspect-of 'this .
embodiment of the present invention is not shows.
~ FIG. 2 illustrates'further details of. the
arrangement of the adjustment loop~25, the dispensing tip
13, and'the lubricant inlet 14. The adjustment loop 25 lies .
against the rail web 15 where the tube is'protected from a
large majority of the hazards presented.during service. The
.30 adjustment loop°25 is formed with a surplus of.material in a
fashion that allows t'he dimension.between the dispensing tip
13 and the tube retainer 12 to be easily changed to adj.ust~
for various rail heights. ~~ .
Further details of the arrangement of the position
of the tube~ll., including the adjustment loop 25, on the
rail web 15 are shown in FIG. 3, which also-shows further
details of the lubricant inlet 14. The lubricant inlet 14
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is preferably flared to provide retention for a hose 17 and
clamp 18 that prevents the hose 17 from accidentally
disconnecting from the tube 11. The dispensing tip 13 is
comprised of a flattened portion of the tube 11, thereby
allowing the passing wheel flanges 26 of a railcar wheel to
bypass the dispensing tip 13 without interference, as
illustrated.
FIG. 4 shows a top view of the dispensing tip 13
and its alignment with the rail head 16. Also shown is the
rail head relief 19 required when the invention is installed
on rail with a worn rail section as frequently exists in
curves. Those of skill in the art will appreciate that the
rail head relief 19 need only provide an appropriate space
for the dispensing tip 13 and need not be precisely machined
to a specific dimension, tolerance or shape.
The details of the spring tube retainer 12 are
shown in FIG. 5. The spring tube retainer 12 is basically a
U-shaped piece of resilient material that has formed in its
middle section a loop 20 for retention of the tube 11. The
tube 11 is secured to the tube retainer by an appropriate
means such as soldering. For ease of fabrication, a similar
loop 27 is formed into the bottom flange 22. The tube
retainer also has formed into its top flange 21 and bottom
flange 22 a plurality of barbs 23 which prevent the spring
tube retainer from becoming loose on the rail base 24.
These barbs have flat rail contacting surfaces 25 that
engages the rail base 24 to prevent damage to the rail base.
In use the spring tube retainer 12 is simply driven over the
rail base 24. The frictional forces created by the
resiliency of the material and the engagement of the barbs
secure the retainer 12 in place without the need for
additional fasteners. Moreover, the resilient frictional
engagement is ideal for resisting vibration-induced
loosening and thus securely retains the flange oiler while
in service.
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Although the invention is shown and described with
preferred embodiments, it is obvious that certain equivalent
modifications will occur to other parties skilled in the art
after reading and understanding the description. The
invention includes all such equivalent modifications and is
limited only by the scope of the following claims.
