Patent GB-1137640-A (GB)
Title: Rail grinder
IPC: E01B31/17
Filed: 1966-10-05
Abstract: 1,137,640. Rail grinders. FRANK SPENO RAILROAD BALLAST CLEANING CO. Inc. 5 Oct., 1966 [14 Oct., 1965], No. 44499/66. Heading B3D. A rail grinder comprises: (a) a plurality of grinder heads arranged for vertical movement relative to each other, (b) constant rate counterbalancing means for supporting a predetermined portion only of the weight of each said grinder head, and (c) variable rate counterbalancing means arranged to oppose with progressively increasing force vertical movement of any one of said heads relative to the others. A vehicle V, having flanged wheels 10 by which it is supported and guided for movement along the railroad track, comprises an upper pair of laterally opposed beams 12 and a lower pair of laterally opposed beams 13. Each vertically opposed pair of beams is connected by vertical members 17 and reinforcing webs 18, 19. The upper beams 12 are connected by cross-members 20 and reinforcing webs 21. Cross-bars 15 connected to the undersides of the lower beams 13 project outwardly and have slides 24 adjustably secured thereon, carrying bearings 23 receiving trunnions 22 on cradles 16. There is a gang of three grinder heads G on each side of the vehicle V, each head comprising an electric motor 26 having secured to its shaft 27 a grinding wheel 28. Cylinders 30 fixed to the motor 26 contain pistons the rods 29 of which are secured to the cradle 16. Fluid is supplied to the cylinders 30 at a constant, preferably regulable, pressure to partially counterbalance the weight of the head; the grinder heads in each gang may have their respective counterbalancing means individually adjusted such as to uniformly load their respective motors despite differences in the characteristics of the respective grinding wheels. For grinding the tread surface the motor shaft 27 is vertical. For grinding a side face, cradle 16 is adjusted to the desired angle about the trunnions. For securing the cradle in the desired position it has arms 31 adjustably connected by bolts 32 to quadrant plates 33 carried by the slides 24. To prevent the grinding wheels descending into depressions of greater length than they can span, means are provided for discontinuing the grinding action of each grinding wheel consequent upon its movement below a position of horizontal alignment with the other grinding wheels of its gang. The means consist of a rod 36 affixed to each motor 26 and extending through an opening in an equalizing bar 35; a spring 34 is located between the bar 35 and nuts 38 on the rod 36, the nuts being adjusted to cause the grinder heads all to be jointly supported at a common level. The bar 35 has stub shafts 35a journalled by bearings 39 in cross-heads 40 vertically movable in guide channels 42 in laterally adjustable slides 41. Each cross-head 40 is floatingly supported between upper and lower springs 44, 45, encircling guide rods 46 projecting through slots in plates 47a, 48a which guide the slide 41; the slide is secured in laterally adjusted position by tightening nuts 46b on the ends of the rods 46. The vehicle may be self-propelled or may be coupled to other grinding vehicles and propelled by a separate small locomotive.