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US3645209A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Tie indexers

Assignee: TAMPER Inc
•
Filing: 1970-10-02
•
Granted: 1972-02-29
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Expires: 1990-10-02
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Abstract

Abstract A tie-indexing device suitable for use on tamping machines, which projects beneath the machine and is biased downwardly into the ballast by hydraulic pressure so that the indexer plows through the ballast. A profiled edge is provided on a ballastengaging shoe at the bottom of the indexer such that as the machine moves forward and the indexer plows through the ballast the profiled edge engages a tie and climbs up and over the tie against the biasing action of the hydraulic pressure. An indexing finger is pivotally mounted on the side of the shoe and projects beneath the bottom profiled edge such that on encountering the edge of a tie during forward motion of the vehicle the indexer is pivoted and trips a switch which provides a command signal to terminate the forward travel of the workhead. The fact that the profiled edge will have climbed on to the tie insures that the finger is always encountered at a uniform position from its pivot point resulting in a uniform distance of travel of the workhead prior to tripping the switch. This insures that the workhead will be stopped at a uniform distance from the edge of the tie regardless of the vertical height of that tie on the roadbed.

Inventors

  • 👤 Helmuth Rolf Erich Vo Beckmann

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-30 22:05
CPC Classifications
E; E01; E01B; E01B29/00; E01B29/24; E01B27/00; E01B27/12; E01B27/13; E01B27/16

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim 114 words
A railway tie indexing device for locating a trade maintenance workhead, mounted on a vehicle chassis for movement along the track, above a work station; comprising a ballastengaging shoe mounted for movement with said workhead; means for operatively resiliently biasing said shoe downwardly into the ballast; a profiled lower edge on said shoe adapted to ride up and over a tie encountered in its path of movement along the track, against the action of said biasing means; a loaded indexing finger mounted on said shoe for movement relative thereto and projecting beneath said lower edge; and switch means actuated by the movement of the finger relative to the shoe, to terminate workhead forward movement.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 114 words
A railway tie indexing device for locating a trade maintenance workhead, mounted on a vehicle chassis for movement along the track, above a work station; comprising a ballastengaging shoe mounted for movement with said workhead; means for operatively resiliently biasing said shoe downwardly into the ballast; a profiled lower edge on said shoe adapted to ride up and over a tie encountered in its path of movement along the track, against the action of said biasing means; a loaded indexing finger mounted on said shoe for movement relative thereto and projecting beneath said lower edge; and switch means actuated by the movement of the finger relative to the shoe, to terminate workhead forward movement.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 22 words
A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the loaded indexing finger is spring loaded for movement through railway trAck ballast.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 46 words
A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the shoe is mounted on a cylinder of a piston and cylinder device, the piston of which is fixed relative to said chassis, the shoe being vertically reciprocable on said cylinder in guides fixed to said chassis.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 38 words
A device as claimed in claim 3 in which the resilient biasing of the shoe into engagement with the ballast is achieved by a source of hydraulic pressure, including an accumulator, acting on said piston and cylinder device.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 117 words
A railway tie indexing device for locating a track maintenance workhead, mounted on a vehicle chassis for movement along the track, above a work station; comprising a ballast engaging shoe mounted for movement with said workhead; means for operatively resiliently biasing said shoe downwardly into the ballast; a profiled lower edge on said shoe adapted to ride up and over a tie encountered in its path of movement along the track, against the action of said biasing means; a loaded indexing finger pivotally mounted on said shoe for pivotal movement thereon and relative thereto, said finger projecting beneath said lower edge; and switch means actuated by the pivotal movement of the finger to terminate workhead forward movement.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 117 words
A railway tie indexing device for locating a track maintenance workhead, mounted on a vehicle chassis for movement along the track, above a work station; comprising a ballast engaging shoe mounted for movement with said workhead; means for operatively resiliently biasing said shoe downwardly into the ballast; a profiled lower edge on said shoe adapted to ride up and over a tie encountered in its path of movement along the track, against the action of said biasing means; a loaded indexing finger pivotally mounted on said shoe for pivotal movement thereon and relative thereto, said finger projecting beneath said lower edge; and switch means actuated by the pivotal movement of the finger to terminate workhead forward movement.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 27 words
A device as claimed in claim 2 in which the pivotal movement of the finger moves a cam which trips the switch means fixed to the shoe.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3177813A Cited
US3299833A Cited
US3230895A Cited
US3504635A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1975-02-28 1975-08-30 1976-02-29 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1979-02-28 1979-08-30 1980-02-29 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1983-02-28 1983-08-30 1984-02-29 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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