Patent ID: 6536354
Filing Date: 2003-03-25
Classification: E01B

Abstract:
A railway tie bed scarifier, the railway having a pair of substantially parallel rails defining a distance therebetween, a plurality of ties under and substantially perpendicular to said rails, and ballast surrounding said ties, said scarifier comprising:a carriage movable between a raised position and a lowered position, said carriage being dimensioned and configured for mounting on a tie insertion/removal vehicle, said carriage further comprising a positioning arm having at least one fixed length support member and at least one adjustable length guide member corresponding to and substantially parallel to the fixed length member, the support member and guide member each having a first end pivotally secured to the carriage, and a second end opposite said carriage, with the second end being dimensioned and configured for mounting on a tie insertion/removal vehicle, said carriage further including means for moving said carriage between a lowered position and a raised position, said means being dimensioned and configured for connection between said positioning arm and a vehicle; and at least two tines slidably secured to said carriage, reciprocable parallel to said ties between a retracted position wherein said carriage may be raised and lowered without interference between said scarifier and the rails, and an extended position wherein each of said at least two tines extends under one of the rails, said tines being dimensioned and configured to create a channel within said ballast sufficiently wide to permit insertion of a tie into said channel when said tines are reciprocated within said ballast.