Patent GB-939680-A (GB)
Title: A combined rail and tie raising and ballast tamping machine
Inventor: KELLER RALPH E
IPC: E01B29/04
Filed: 1961-07-20
Abstract: 939,680. Railway tamping and levelling devices. JACKSON VIBRATORS Inc. July 20, 1961, No. 26307/61. Classes 104 (2) and 105. A combined rail and tie raising and ballast tamping machine comprises a carriage 4, Fig. 1, adapted to run on the rails 3 of a track, a pair of hydraulic jacks 22, 24 mounted on the carriage and fitted with a ballast engaging foot 27, Figs. 1, 4, a pair of railengaging hooks 28, and a pair of tie-engaging hooks 45, power means operative to move both sets of hooks from their rail and tieengaging positions, Figs. 1, 4, to their disengaged positions, Fig. 2, ballast tamping units with blades 69 adapted to tamp the ballast under a tie 2 held by the hooks 45. The machine is powered by an engine 13 which drives an hydraulic pump 14, supplying the hydraulic cylinders on the machine and also an hydraulic motor (not shown), which serves to move the machine along the track to a desired position, in which it may be held by application of a brake 11. The carriage frame has uprights 17 braced by inclined members 19 which carry a fixed cross-head 18. Operation of the rail-engaging hooks 28, Fig. 4. These are pivotally mounted at 281 on hanger links comprising sections 29, 30 and an adjustable turnbuckle 31. The upper ends of the links are pivotally connected by pins 23 to brackets 21 on the cross-head 18, and the lower ends of the links are slidably supported in guides 33. The hooks 28 are operated through angled levers 34, pivoted on the machine frame at 35, links 37, 38, 39, and arms 40 on a rockshaft 41, which is rotated by movement of the plunger 43 of an hydraulic cylinder 44. Operation of the tie-engaging hooks, 45.- These are pivotally mounted at the ends of a cross-member 47 which is vertically reciprocable by actuation of hydraulic cylinders 53 acting through links 56. When the cross-member 47 is lowered it rests on the rails 3 on rubber pads 52, and actuation of two hydraulic cylinders 48 acting through links 50 causes the hooks 45 to engage the ends of a rail tie 2. Tamping units, Figs. 1, 2. The tamping blades 67 are fixed to supports 70, secured to the ends of leaf springs 76, and the supports 70 are vibrated by a vibrating motor 71. Straps 77, 78 limit the movement of the tamping units, each of which is mounted on an arm 64 of a cross-member 65, which is reciprocable on the uprights 17 by actuation of hydraulic cylinders 67, the upper ends of which are secured to brackets 20 on the cross-head 18. In its raised position the cross-member 65 may be secured to a fixed hanger 80 by a pin 81, Figs. 1, 2. Hydraulic jacks and levelling means.-The jacks 24 are separately controllable to enable one rail to be raised to a greater extent than the other. The plungers 22 of the jacks are connected to the brackets 21, Fig. 4, and their cylinders are connected to the ballast engaging foot 27. This ensures that ballast grit does not enter the jacks during tamping. Rail-engaging gauge members 61 are connected together by a cross-bar 84, and through stirrup-shaped sight gauges 83 to vertically guided rods 62, carrying at their upper ends calibrated gauge members 85 which may be clamped to one of each end of a cross member 60. If it is desired to set one rail at a higher level than the other, then the members 85 may be clamped at different positions, Fig. 4. The rail jacks are operated to set the cross-member 60 level, as indicated by a bubble 80, Fig. 1, when the two rails will be at their desired levels. The sight gauges 83 may be used to vertically align the rail with other fixed points on the track. The rail-engaging members 61 are raised with the rail hooks by chains 112, Fig. 1, 2, secured to the levers 34. Operation.-When the carriage has been positioned with its hooks 45 opposite the ends of a rail tie 2 a foot pedal 100, Fig. 1, is operated and this actuates the hydraulic cylinders 53 to lower the cross-member 47 on to the rails. The jacks 24 are then actuated, and as they move from the position shown in Fig. 2, to that shown in Fig. 4, the stem 97 of a valve 94 moves to open the valve and this moves the hooks 28, 45 to their rail and tie-engaging positions respectively. When the rails and ties have been raised to the correct positions as shown by the gauges, the tamping units are lowered by actuation of the cylinders 67, and the ballast is tamped to support the rail tie. The parts are then returned to their original positions and the carriage moved to engage the next tie 2. A pressure-reducing valve is fitted in the return hydraulic circuit of each of the jacks 24, to prevent damage to the machine, if the foot 27 should engage an obstruction as it is raised. Means (not shown) may be provided for removing the carriage from the track and replacing it thereon and all the rail-engaging parts, including the carriage wheels 5, 6 may be electrically insulated, so as not to interfere with any electrical signal system.