Segmented railway regulator blade

A blade segment is provided for use on a railway regulator wing, and includes a blade body having a front surface, a top surface, a bottom surface, a first side edge and a second side edge, the blade body having at least one mounting aperture. Each of the first and second side edges having an irregular configuration such that adjacent segments tightly and nestingly engage each other along complementary side edges as they are mounted upon the railway regulator wing.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates generally to railroad right of way maintenance machinery, and specifically to machinery used for forming and/or shaping rail track ballast in conjunction with railroad track repair, replacement or reconditioning.

Crushed rock rail ballast forms the support bed into which rail ties are inserted for receiving tie plates, spikes or other fasteners, and ultimately rail track. Ballast supports the weight of loaded trains, and also is sufficiently porous to remove standing water from the typically wooden ties. Also, the ballast provides the ability to maintain a constant rail/ground displacement or grading over varying terrain and soil conditions.

During railway maintenance operations, including but not limited to tie replacement, rail replacement or the like, the ballast becomes disrupted and must be reshaped. The optimal shape of rail ballast is a generally level upper surface in which the ties are embedded, and a pair of gradually sloping sides which flare out from ends of the rail ties at a specified angle or angular range which is generally constant across the railroad industry. However, depending on the application and available space, the angle of the ballast may vary.

To achieve the desired angular slope, self-propelled ballast regulators are employed, which feature at least one articulated, fluid-powered arm having at least one blade-like wing attached. Similar in function to a highway snowplow, the wing is oriented at a desired angle and is pushed by the ballast regulator through the ballast as the regulator moves along the track. To maximize the reuse of ballast stones dislodged during the regulation of the ballast, it is typical for a wing to include an outer door to be provided with laterally oriented template doors. The template doors are pivotally connected to side edges of the outer door, and through the use of fluid-powered cylinders, the position of the template doors relative to the outer door can be adjusted to form “C-”, “U-” or similarly shaped configurations to retain a supply of disrupted ballast as the regulator moves along the track. In this way, there is sufficient ballast to fill in any depressions encountered to maintain a uniform slope. A suitable arrangement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,883,436, incorporated by reference.

In addition, an inner door is positioned generally parallel to the track between the outer door and template doors and the track to prevent ballast stones from falling on the rails or damaging the regulator itself during operational speeds in the range of 10-25 mph. Both the template door assembly and the inner door are typically mounted upon a boom which is pivotally joined to the regulator machine and is held in operational position by at least one fluid-powered cylinder.

Conventional ballast regulator wings are often provided with removable blades mounted along their lower edges, which are subject to the most rigorous exposure to the rail ballast. Conventional blades are fastened to the wing using threaded fasteners such as nuts and bolts. These fasteners are often worn during the regulating operation, since the ballast is very abrasive. Such blades require replacement since the blades themselves are subject to the same abrasive forces. Thus, replacing the blades is a tedious operation. Also, since the blades are often relatively heavy and elongate in shape, they are difficult to remove single-handedly by railway maintenance personnel.

Thus, there is a need for a rail regulator blade which is more readily replaced on the regulator wing.

SUMMARY

The above-identified need is met by the present segmented railway regulator blade, which is provided in relatively shorter segments, each individually mounted to the regulator wing. In this manner, the bulk and weight of conventional blades are overcome, allowing single-handed replacement by railroad maintenance personnel. Also, since each segment of the present blade only extends along a portion of the wing, only blade portions actually requiring replacement need to be removed. Thus, there is less waste of material when using the present blades.

In addition, the present blades have irregular side edges each configured for tightly and positively engaging adjacent segments. This positive engagement is achieved in one embodiment by an alternating laterally extending lug and recess configuration. The lug is received in a corresponding recess of an adjacent segment, and the recess receives the laterally extending lug of the adjacent segment. The irregular edges are dimensioned so that there is a tight fit between adjacent segments that prevents vertical misalignment of the segments on the wing. In addition, the tight engagement of the segments prevents stray ballast particles from becoming lodged in the gap between the segments. Ballast particles have been known to cause misalignment and breakage of conventional blade components, due in part to crevices or clearances created by conventional regulator blades, and also by the speed at which regulators travel along the track.

Another feature of the present regulator blades is that they are reversible upon the wing, thus providing two wear surfaces to the user. Also, the irregular edge surfaces are configured to maintain the positive engagement with the adjacent blade segment, even if only one segment is inverted. The present blade segments are optionally provided with wear-resistant hard facing to reduce abrasive wear, and the facing is deposited along upper and lower edges. Thus, by inverting the segment, a worn edge is replaceable with an unworn edge, provided that the segment had not been previously inverted.

More specifically, a blade segment is provided for use on a railway regulator wing, and includes a blade body having a front surface, a top surface, a bottom surface, a first side edge and a second side edge, the blade body having at least one mounting aperture. Each of the first and second side edges has an irregular surface configuration such that adjacent segments tightly and nestingly engage each other along complementary side edges as they are mounted upon the railway regulator wing.

In another embodiment, a replacement blade for a railway regulator wing is provided, the blade includes a plurality of blade segments mountable adjacent each other along a longitudinal axis of the wing, each segment having a body with a blade body having a front surface, a top surface, a bottom surface, a first side edge and a second side edge. Each blade body has at least one mounting aperture, and each of the first and second side edges has an irregular surface configuration such that adjacent segments tightly and nestingly engage each other along complementary side edges as they are mounted upon a railway regulator wing. In addition, each side edge has a lug extending laterally beyond the edge and a recess extending inwardly from the edge.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now toFIG. 1, a railroad ballast regulator, generally designated10, is shown disposed on a railroad track12having a pair of rails14mounted on tie plates16which are attached to typically wooden ties18by fasteners20such as rail spikes, lag screws or the like. The ties18are supported by particulate ballast22, which is typically made of crushed rock.

The regulator10is preferably self-propelled through a power source24such as a diesel engine, but it is also contemplated that the machine could be towed along the track12. An operator's cab26includes a control panel and other operator inputs (not shown) which are used to control the movement of the regulator10along the track12, as well as the ballast regulating functions which will be described below. A broom27is preferably disposed at a rear of the regulator10for sweeping stray ballast22from the tops of the ties18. Each of two sides28of the regulator10is preferably provided with a rail ballast wing assembly, generally designated30, for regulating or shaping the ballast22on that side of the track12, although a regulator with one wing assembly30is contemplated. Since both wing assemblies30are substantially identical, only one will be described below.

The rail ballast wing assembly30includes a main support boom32operating about a transverse pivot axis. The boom32is pivotally secured to the side28of the regulator10so that the elevation of the boom relative to the regulator may be adjusted. As is known in the art, a fluid power cylinder34secured to an outer end36of the boom32regulates the degree of pivoting/angle of elevation of the boom32. As is seen inFIG. 1, a preferred angle of elevation is approximately 110-140 degrees from vertical, so that a desired angle of slope of the ballast22is obtained. The angular orientation may vary to suit the application.

In the present application, it is to be understood that the regulator10may operate in either forward or reverse directions on the track12. For clarity, the terms “front” and “rear” will refer to the orientation of the following components when the regulator10travels in the direction of the arrow “T” inFIG. 1. Also, each regulator wing assembly30includes at least one wing38equipped with the present replaceable segmented blade40. As seen, the blade40is mounted along a lower edge42of the wing38(best seen inFIG. 5), as is known in the art. This is the region of the wing38that is exposed to the most ballast-generated erosion.

Referring now toFIGS. 2-4, the present regulator blade40features a segmented construction in which adjacent segments are closely fitted to each other using an irregular side edge surface construction. The irregular surface construction enhances the nesting of adjacent segments, and prevents relative vertical movement of adjacent segments. In addition, the segments are constructed and arranged so that a relatively small clearance is created in the nested adjacent irregular edges once they are mounted to the wing38. In this manner, stray ballast particles are prevented from becoming lodged between the segments as the regulator10travels along the track12during operation.

More specifically, a blade segment44is provided for use on a railway regulator wing38and includes a blade body46having a front surface,48a top surface50, a bottom surface52, a first side edge54and a second side edge56. It will be understood that the top and bottom surfaces50,52are interchangeable depending on the orientation of the segment44on the wing38, and also that the first and second side edges54,56are also similarly interchangeable depending on the orientation of the segment44. In addition, the blade body46has at least one mounting aperture58. In the preferred embodiment, there are vertically spaced pairs of apertures58, the pairs being spaced along a longitudinal axis “X” of the segment44.

A significant feature of the present segment44is that each of the side edges54,56have an irregular surface configuration constructed and arranged such that adjacent segments tightly and nestingly engage each other along complementary side edges as they are mounted upon the railway regulator wing38. As best seen inFIGS. 2 and 4, the irregular configuration on each side edge54,56includes a lug60extending beyond the edge, and a recess62extending inwardly from the edge in the opposite direction from the lug. In addition the lug60is located vertically adjacent the recess62. Included on the lug60are a first lug surface64, a second lug surface66extending normally to the surface64, and a third lug surface68being in vertically spaced, parallel orientation to the first lug surface64. Radiused corners connecting each of the surfaces64,66,68facilitate sliding reciprocal engagement of adjacent segments during installation and replacement. It will be seen that the third lug surface68is shared between the lug60and the recess62.

As seen inFIGS. 2 and 4, when viewing the front surface48of the segment44in one orientation, the first side edge54has the lug60located vertically above the recess62, and the second edge56has the lug located vertically below the recess. Also, a recess end70is linearly displaced from the corresponding side edge54,56the same distance “D” as the second lug surface66, in the opposite direction. While other distances “D” are contemplated, in one embodiment, the lug60and the recess62each extend approximately in the range of 0.4-0.6 inch from the corresponding edge54,56. In addition, in one embodiment, the recess end70extends approximately 0.6 to 0.8 inch.

Another feature of the present segment44is that the arrangement of the lug60and the recess62on the first side edge54is vertically opposite that of the lug and the recess on the second side edge56. Thus, the segment44is rotatable about an axis “Y” (FIG. 3) transverse to the axis “X” and is still nestingly engageable with adjacent segments.

Referring now toFIGS. 5-8, various mounting arrangements are shown for the present segment44as it is mounted upon a wing38. The number of the segments44attached to a wing38will depend on the length of the wing. Also, the length of each segment44along the longitudinal axis “X” will vary to suit the application. In some cases, a larger number of shorter segments44is preferred over a reduced number of relatively longer segments.

Also, as seen inFIGS. 5 and 6, the vertical pairs of mounting apertures58are evenly spaced along the axis “X” in the segment44ainFIG. 6, however the pairs are unevenly spaced along the axis in the segment44binFIG. 5. It is contemplated that this axial spacing may vary to suit the situation. Another feature of the present segment44is that a coating of hard facing72is deposited along at least one of the top and bottom surfaces50,52. It is preferred that both surfaces50,52have the hard facing72so that once the segment44is reversed, a worn surface can be replaced with a relatively new surface, thus extending the working life of the segment.

Referring again toFIG. 6, a plurality of the blade segments44a,44c,44d, and44eare shown mounted adjacent each other along a longitudinal axis of the wing,38. Each segment44has the body46as described above, and each blade body has at least one mounting aperture58; as well as the lug60and recess62structure ofFIGS. 2 and 4. In the assembly ofFIG. 6, the lug60and the recess62each extend approximately in the range of 0.4-0.6 inch from the corresponding side edge54,56, and a gap72is defined between adjacent segments in the range of 0.003 inch. It is contemplated that the size of the gap72may vary to suit the application, as long as the gap is relatively small to prevent ballast particles from becoming trapped between adjacent segments44.