Apparatus for tamping ballast on a railroad track

Claim 1

IN APPARATUS FOR TAMPING BALLAST ON BOTH SIDES OF A CROSSTIE OF A RAILROAD TRACK, A VEHICLE HAVING WHEELS FOR RIDING ALONG THE RAILS, A TOOL SUPPORTING FRAME MOUNTED ON SAID VEHCILE AND BEING MOVABLE IN A GENERALLY VERTICAL DIRECTION, SAID SUPPORTING FRAME HAVING A LOWER HEAD PORTION EXTENDING ACROSS SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE WIDTH OF THE CROSSTIE OVER WHICH THE APPARATUS IS POSITIONED, A PAIR OF BALLAST ENGAGING TOOLS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON THE HEAD PORTION FOR PIVOTING IN A VERTICAL PLANE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE RAILS AND ENGAGING BALLAST ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE CROSSTIE, EACH OF THE BALLAST TOOLS BEING PIVOTALLY MOUNTED TO THE HEAD PORTION ADJACENT THE SIDE OF THE CROSSTIE OPPOSITE THE SIDE THEREOF ON WHICH THE TOOL ENGAGES BALLAST IN WORKING POSITION WHEREBY THE TOOLS CROSS EACH OTHER OVER THE CROSSTIE AND TRAVEL THROUGH AN ARC HAVING A RELATIVELY LONG RADIUS, AND MEANS CONNECTED TO THE BALLAST TOOLS TO PIVOT SAID BALLAST TOOLS ABOUT SAID PIVOTAL CONNECTIONS ON THE SUPPORTING FRAME THEREBY TAMPING BALLAST ON BOTH SIDES OF THE CROSSTIE.