Railways – Track layers – Tie replacer
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-09
2001-04-03
Morano, S. Joseph (Department: 3617)
Railways
Track layers
Tie replacer
C104S002000, C037S104000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06209462
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a machine comprising a machine frame supported on undercarriages adapted to support the machine frame on a track comprised of rails fastened to ties defining cribs therebetween, and a ballast scarifying device for removing ballast from a respective one of the cribs between the rails.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,345 discloses a tie exchange machine in which a ballast scarifying device is arranged to remove ballast from a crib adjacent the tie to be exchanged. The ballast scarifying device is comprised of four ballast clearing plates spaced from each other in a direction extending transversely to the machine frame. Pairs of the ballast clearing plates may be independently displaced in a transverse direction towards a respective one of the track shoulders. This transverse displacement will remove the ballast from the crib towards the track shoulders.
French patent No. 2,588,023 and German patent No. 1,116,257 disclose machines with endless bucket chains for clearing ballast from a track bed. The bucket chain is lowered into the ballast between the track rails to excavate the ballast and convey it upwards to a conveyor band. Before the bucket chain is immersed in the ballast, the track ties must be removed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,611,541 discloses a ballast cleaning machine in which an endless ballast excavating chain is mounted between two tie exchange devices to remove the entire ballast of the track bed and to convey it to a cleaning screen.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,513,452 also deals with an installation for the rehabilitation of a ballast bed. A first ballast excavating device is arranged at the front of the installation for receiving clean ballast deposited on the track, and this clean ballast is conveyed behind a second ballast excavating device which clears the dirty ballast to expose the subgrade. The dirty ballast is cleaned and returned to the exposed subgrade where the clean ballast conveyed from the first ballast excavating device is used to supplement the cleaned ballast.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the primary object of this invention to improve a machine of the first described type so that a tie exchange operation may be facilitated with a better ballast scarifying device.
In such a machine, this object is accomplished according to the invention with a ballast scarifying device comprising a revolvable endless excavating chain vertically adjustably mounted on the machine frame for removing ballast from a respective one of the cribs between the rails, a drive for revolving the endless excavating chain, and a displacement drive for vertically adjusting the endless excavating chain. The endless excavating chain has a lowermost ballast receiving part being immersible in ballast in the crib between the rails upon vertical adjustment of the endless excavating chain.
Such an excavating chain makes it possible to clear substantially all the ballast in the crib between the rails. Moreover, it has the advantage to enable the cleared ballast to be completely removed from the track by the chain for immediate storage. Therefore, a new tie may be readily inserted without any obstacles in its way, and the full tie inserting movement under the second rail in the inserting direction is not hindered by jammed ballast.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3850251 (1974-11-01), Plasser et al.
patent: 4611541 (1986-09-01), Theurer
patent: 5094018 (1992-03-01), Theurer et al.
patent: 5125345 (1992-06-01), Theurer et al.
patent: 5513452 (1996-05-01), Theurer et al.
patent: 1 116 257 (1961-11-01), None
patent: 2 588 023 (1987-04-01), None
Collard & Roe P.C.
Franz Plasser Bahn-baumaschinen-Industriegesellschaft m.b.H.
Morano S. Joseph
Wright Andrew D.
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