Patent ID: 7025240

Claim:
A railroad rail breaking apparatus for breaking rails of the type having an integrally-formed wearing flange, rail web and base flange, and comprising: (a) a first member having a first jaw on a first end thereof, the first jaw including a first hardened rail breaking insert mounted thereon for engaging a first side of the wearing flange; (b) a second member pivotally mounted for movement about a pivot axis, the second member including a second jaw having a second hardened rail breaking insert thereon for engaging a second side of the wearing flange opposite the first side of the wearing flange, the first and second inserts being shaped and adapted to receive only a single rail in an orientation for engagement of only the wearing flange of the single rail without engagement with the rail web and base flange; (c) the second jaw being movable about the first pivot axis relative to the first jaw between a relatively open, wearing flange receiving position and a rail breaking position in which the first rail breaking insert of the first jaw and the second rail breaking insert of the second jaw hold the wearing flange in a wear breaking position by cooperation of the first and second members; (d) power means mounted for cooperation with the first and second members for moving the first and second jaws relative to each other; and (e) wherein as the first and second jaws move from the wearing flange receiving position to the wearing flange breaking position, the wearing flange, rail web and base flange of the rail are broken by a breaking force supplied by the power means only to the wearing flange.