Means for determining roadbed level and super elevation

Claim 1

FOR USE WITH RAILROAD BALLAST TAMPING APPARATUS OF THE TYPE HAVING INDEPENDENTLY OPERABLE TAMPING HEADS MOUNTED OVER EACH RAIL OF THE TRACK FOR MOVEMENT ALONG THE TRACK ON A CARRIAGE AND JACK MEANS FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE BALLAST TO RAISE THE TRACK; SURVEYING APPARATUS COMPRISING A FIXED FREQUENCY HIGH INTENSITY INFRA-RED LIGHT BEAM TRANSMITTER MOUNTED ON A WHEELED CHASSIS FOR MOVEMENT ON THE RAILROAD TRACK INDEPENDENTLY OF THE BALLAST TAMPING APPARATUS AND ADAPTED TO TRANSMIT A FIXED FREQUENCY HIGH INTENSITY INFRA-RED LIGHT BEAM ADJACENT AND ABOVE THE TRACK GRADE RAIL; A BEAM RECEIVER MOUNTED ON THE CARRIAGE FOR MOVEMENT THEREWITH; SENSING MEANS INCLUDING A FRAME HAVING RAIL ENGAGING WHEELS AND AN ADJUSTABLE SHADOW BOARD, SAID SENSING MEANS BEING CONNECTED TO SAID CARRIAGE FOR MOVEMENT THEREWITH AND LOCATED ADJACENT THE RECEIVER BETWEEN SAID TRANSMITTER AND SAID RECEIVER; REMOTE CONTROL MEANS OPERABLE FROM SAID CARRIAGE TO ADJUST THE VERTICAL HEIGHT OF THE SHADOW BOARD RELATIVE TO ITS RAIL ENGAGING WHEELS; MEANS ON SAID CARRIAGE RESPONSIVE TO BEAM RECEPTION BY SAID RECEIVER TO TRANSMIT A COMMAND SIGNAL TO SAID BALLAST TAMPING APPARATUS TO STOP ITS FORWARD MOTION, JACK AND TAMP THE TRACK UNTIL THE SHADOW BOARD ON THE TRACK IS LIFTED TO INTERFERE WITH THE TRANSMITTED BEAM, AND CROSS LEVEL SENSING MEANS ON SAID SHADOW BOARD SENSITIVE TO VARIATIONS IN THE HORIZONTAL PLANE POSITION OF THE OTHER RAIL FROM THE GRADE RAIL ADAPTED TO TRANSMIT A SIGNAL TO CAUSE SAID TAMPING APPARATUS TO JACK AND TAMP THE OTHER RAIL UNTIL A PREDETERMINED RELATIONSHIP IS ESTABLISHED BETWEEN SAID OTHER RAIL AND SAID GRADE RAIL.