Lubrication – Rail or rail vehicle wheel lubricator
Patent
1995-10-26
1998-11-03
Denion, Thomas E.
Lubrication
Rail or rail vehicle wheel lubricator
184 621, B61K 300
Patent
active
058295526
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method, device and composition intended for use in the maintenance of track equipment. The invention is more particularly applicable in the domain of railway track equipment, and more particularly still, of switches or points.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is known that railway track equipment requires relatively frequent maintenance operations, consisting in particular in coating the track equipment or depositing thereon a certain quantity of products presenting lubrifying, anti-rust and weather-proofing properties.
These products or compositions are, in known manner, in the form of a relatively viscous, even very viscous or even consistent paste, transported in recipients and applied on the appropriate parts of the track equipment with the aid of a tool such as a trowel, a supple metal spatula or a brush.
This prior-art modus operandi presents numerous drawbacks.
In the first place, the nature of the product used, and more particularly its high viscosity, combined with the tools employed, obliges the operators to work either on their knees or with their legs straight and their back bent down towards the ground. It will be readily understood that such postures are extremely tiring and toilsome.
In the second place, the known techniques of application of such maintenance products are extremely long. In fact, by way of example, the maintenance of a simple switch requires 45 minutes for two persons. This relatively long duration, multiplied by the number of switches to be maintained, if only on a station site, involves immobilizing a large number of persons for extremely long periods, incompatible with economic imperatives. This is all the more true as an extra person is generally necessary to ensure safety of the team effecting the maintenance operations.
In the third place, the known products, apart from their relative difficulty of application, as mentioned above, are not satisfactory from the standpoint of maintenance and keeping in repair. In the case of switches, it is known that the mobile part thereof moves on a bearing. The known products, taking into account their high viscosity and their nature, applied on the bearing and the mobile part, do not perform their role of lubricant for the following reason. During manoeuvre of the switches, the mobile part passes from a first extreme position to a second extreme position and, on doing so, provokes an effect of sweeping the bearing and more precisely an effect of the "windscreen wiper" type which in fact ends in wiping to some extent the bearing and therefore removing the lubricating product. This in itself already goes against the purpose aimed at. This sweeping or wind-screen wiper effect presents another extremely damaging consequence, namely that the product is pushed towards the extreme positions of the mobile part of the switches and it accumulates at the extreme positions. The accumulated product, subjected to bad weather, finishes by hardening. The hardened product cannot be evacuated in these positions and this results in a blocking of the mobile part after some manoeuvres of the switches as the hardened accumulated product forms a stop which limits the movement of the mobile part of the switches. This is extremely detrimental per se as the mobile part is supposed to present a given clearance. A smaller clearance risks endangering the functioning of the device and therefore the trains likely to pass over the switches. This limited clearance of the mobile part of the switches raises another major difficulty. The mobile part of the track equipment is generally driven in motion by an electric motor. This latter is switched on remotely and is maintained in operation until the mobile part of the switches has passed over the stroke corresponding to the normal clearance of the mobile part. Now, the accumulated product, after some manoeuvres, as described hereinabove, forms an accumulation preventing the mobile part of the switches from continuing its stroke. The maximum stroke not having b
REFERENCES:
patent: 3838646 (1974-10-01), Smith et al.
patent: 3883439 (1975-05-01), Bergeron
patent: 3987869 (1976-10-01), Bowers
patent: 4262776 (1981-04-01), Wilson, et al.
patent: 4327144 (1982-04-01), Wintringham
patent: 4520901 (1985-06-01), Borup et al.
patent: 4754848 (1988-07-01), Azzopard et al.
patent: 5247957 (1993-09-01), Weisse
patent: 5251725 (1993-10-01), Barrett, Jr.
patent: 5318711 (1994-06-01), Evans et al.
Denion Thomas E.
Societe Industrielle De Produits Speciaux S.I.P.S.
LandOfFree
Method, device and composition for use in the maintenance of tra does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method, device and composition for use in the maintenance of tra, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method, device and composition for use in the maintenance of tra will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-680865