Patent ID: 8662375

Claim:
A method for resurfacing a worn railway wheel substantially to an original profile, comprising the steps of: supporting the worn railway wheel and a welding device, whereby the worn railway wheel and the welding device rotate one relative to the other at a predetermined rate; selectively actuating the welding device and concurrently adjusting axial and radial displacement relative to a wheel center between the welding device and the railway wheel, the welding device being thereby controlled to adaptively aggregate a plurality of annular beads formed from a welding material radially and axially displaced along a circumferential surface of the worn railway wheel having a curved profile and form a welded layer of varied thickness thereon, the circumferential surface defining at least a flange and a tread surface, each annular bead extending to substantially encircle a portion of the circumferential surface, whereby the welded layer forms a curvilinear profile tapered along the circumferential surface; and, surface processing the welded layer to define a substantially smooth surface contour and thereby substantially reconstitute the worn railway wheel to the original profile.