Apparatus and method for refinishing the end surface of a railroad axle

Claim 2

A grinding apparatus for the on site refinishing of a scored end surface of an axle in a bearing-axle assembly of the type wherein lateral shifting of the axle with respect to the bearing is restrained by the use of a thrust block contained in a journal box having a housing which includes an access opening which surrounds said axle end surface to be refinished, said axle end surface being generally perpendicular to the axis of said axle, said apparatus comprising: a frame; means for detachably connecting said frame to said journal box housing adjacent said access opening; support means mounted to said frame; and, a grinding tool mounted to said support means, said grinding tool including a working face which is generally perpendicular to the axis of said axle and which is engageable with said axle end surface for abrasively refinishing the same, said frame also including a skirt portion within which the working face of said grinding tool is located.

Claim 3

The grinding apparatus of claim 1 wherein said grinding tool comprises a grinding wheel which is rotatably driven by an air motor.

Claim 4

The grinding apparatus of claim 1 wherein said support means includes a shaft member having a centering head at one end thereof which is adapted to be received within a center hole in the end surface of said axle.

Claim 5

The grinding apparatus of claim 3 wherein said grinding tool is rotatable about the axis of said shaft member.

Claim 6

The grinding apparatus of claim 4 wherein said means for detachably connecting said frame to said journal box housing includes alignment means which enables axially concentric alignment of said shaft member with said axle, whereby rotation of said grinding tool about the axis of said shaft member with the working face thereof traveling only in a plane which is normal to the axis of said axle is achieved.

Claim 7

A grinding appratus and axle-bearing assembly of the type wherein the axle is axially restrained from lateral movement by a thrust block positioned within a journal box without the necessity of removing such axle from the journal box, said axle including an end surface generally perpendicular to the axis of said axle which becomes scored in use and which is to be refinished by said grinding apparatus, said apparatus comprising, a frame, means for detachably connecting said frame to the journal box, support means mounted to said frame, and a grinding tool mounted to said support means, said grinding tool including a working face generally perpendicular to the axis of said axle and engageable with the end surface of the axle to abrasively contact such end surface and thereby achieve the desired refinishing of said axle surface.

Claim 8

A grinding appratus and axle-bearing assembly of the type wherein the axle is axially restrained from lateral movement by a thrust block positioned within a journal box without the necessity of removing such axle from the journal box, said axle including an end surface generally perpendicular to the axis of said axle which becomes scored in use and which is to be refinished by said grinding apparatus, said apparatus comprising, a frame, means for detachably connecting said frame to the journal box, support means mounted to said frame, and a grinding tool mounted to said support means, said grinding tool including a working face generally perpendicular to the axis of said axle and engageable with the end surface of the axle to abrasively contact such end surface and thereby achieve the desired refinishing of said axle surface.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the support means comprises a shaft which is rotatably mounted to the frame member.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the frame includes adjusting means for aligning the central axis of the frame with the central axis of the axle so that the working face of the grinding tool will abrasively contact the end surface of the axle in a plane substantially normal to the central axis of the axle and thereby achieve the refinishing by reestablishing a substantially planar surface essentially normal to the central axis of the axle.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the frame includes feed adjusting means for regulating the engagement of the working face of the grinding tool with the axle end surface.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the support means comprises a shaft which includes an elongated column rotatably supported by the frame and centrally positioned within said frame, the central axis of said column being substantially co-extensive with the central axis of the frame.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the column of the shaft includes a centering face at one end thereof which is shaped for receipt into and within a center hole in the end surface of the axle to supportively align the central axis of the column with the central axis of the axle during the refinishing operation.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the grinding tool is mounted upon the shaft member and includes power means for driving the working face of the grinding tool in abrasive contact with the end surface of the axle to achieve the desired refinishing.

Claim 15

A grinding apparatus for refinishing the end surface of a railroad axle which has become scored while in restraining contact with a thrust block located within a journal box without the necessity of removing such axle from the journal box, said end surface being generally perpendicular to the axis of said axle, said apparatus comprising, in combination, a frame detachably connectable to the journal box, a shaft rotatably supported by the frame, said shaft including an elongated column generally centrally positioned within the frame with the central axis of the column being generally co-extensive with the central axis of the frame, said frame including adjusting means for substantially aligning the central axis of the frame with the axis of rotation of the axle, a grinding tool mounted upon the column of the shaft and including a grinding rool having a working face generally perpendicular to the axis of said axle and engageable with the end surface, said frame further including feed adjusting means for regulating the engagement of the grinding rool with the end surface, whereby as the column of the shaft is rotated about its axis the grinding tool, while in abrasive contact with the end surface, will circularly travel about the rotational axis of the shaft and over the entire planar end surface of the axle and thereby achieve the desired resurfacing of the axle end surface by re-establishing a substantially smooth planar surface which is essentially normal to the axis of rotation of the axle, said frame also including opposed first and second support plates rigidly interconnected to each other by tie rods extending therebetween, said first support plate including a flange portion which extends radially inwardly into a skirt portion which in turn is adapted to extend into the journal box in surrounding relationship to the end surface of the axle, said flange portion including connecting means for detachably connecting the frame to the journal box.

Claim 16

A grinding apparatus for refinishing the end surface of a railroad axle which has become scored while in restraining contact with a thrust block located within a journal box without the necessity of removing such axle from the journal box, said end surface being generally perpendicular to the axis of said axle, said apparatus comprising, in combination, a frame detachably connectable to the journal box, a shaft rotatably supported by the frame, said shaft including an elongated column generally centrally positioned within the frame with the central axis of the column being generally co-extensive with the central axis of the frame, said frame including adjusting means for substantially aligning the central axis of the frame with the axis of rotation of the axle, a grinding tool mounted upon the column of the shaft and including a grinding rool having a working face generally perpendicular to the axis of said axle and engageable with the end surface, said frame further including feed adjusting means for regulating the engagement of the grinding rool with the end surface, whereby as the column of the shaft is rotated about its axis the grinding tool, while in abrasive contact with the end surface, will circularly travel about the rotational axis of the shaft and over the entire planar end surface of the axle and thereby achieve the desired resurfacing of the axle end surface by re-establishing a substantially smooth planar surface which is essentially normal to the axis of rotation of the axle, said frame also including opposed first and second support plates rigidly interconnected to each other by tie rods extending therebetween, said first support plate including a flange portion which extends radially inwardly into a skirt portion which in turn is adapted to extend into the journal box in surrounding relationship to the end surface of the axle, said flange portion including connecting means for detachably connecting the frame to the journal box.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the column of the shaft includes a centering head at one end thereof which is adapted for receipt and engagement within a center hole in the end surface of the axle, said centering head thereby providing bearing alignment of the central axis of the column with the central axis of the axle during refinishing.

Claim 18

The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said grinding tool includes an air motor operatively connected to said grinding element for driving said grinding element when it is in abrasive contact with the axle end surface.

Claim 19

The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the connecting means include mounting bolts positioned through the flange portion in registry with bolt holes for the cover plate of the journal box.

Claim 20

The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the centering head is axially outwardly spring biased, whereby when said frame is connected to the journal box sufficient frictional force is created to assure a positive bearing engagement and bearing alignment of the centering head within the axle center hole.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the centering head is rotatably mounted within the column, whereby said column can be freely rotated while the centering head is maintained substantially stationary within the center hole of the axle end surface.

Claim 22

The apparatus of claim 16 wherein adjusting means are mounted to the first support plate which include at least one externally threaded screw member extending within and through a threaded opening in said first support plate at the same position that one of said mounting bolts passes therethrough for engagement with the journal box, said screw member having a hollow core and a shoulder portion at one end thereof, said shoulder portion being sized to engage with a head portion on said mounting bolt and to thereby limit further passage of said mounting bolt through said hollow core, whereby the spacial distance of said shoulder portion from said first support plate can be selectively adjusted by rotating said screw member within said threaded opening until the desired spacial distance between said shoulder portion from said support plate is achieved.

Claim 23

The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said feed adjusting means is operatively associated with said second support plate, said means including an adjusting feed screw threadedly mounted within a collar portion of said second support plate for axially moving said shaft with respect to said first and second support plates.

Claim 24

The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said column includes a locking collar slidably mounted on the column by means of a mating pin projection extending radially inwardly from said collar and into a bayonet slot in the column, whereby said locking collar upon upward and circumferential twisting rotation will pressure engage the adjusting feed screw and the column together and any axial movement of the adjusting feed screw will produce a corresponding movement of the column.

Claim 25

The appratus of claim 13 wherein the diameter of the skirt portion of the first support plate exceeds the diameter of the axle so that when the frame member is connected to the journal box the skirt portion will extend inwardly over the end surface of the axle, the terminus of such skirt section having a seal ring positioned thereon, such ring extending radially inwardly from such terminus and having an inside diameter less than the diameter of the axle so that as the frame member is connected the ring will stretch over and compression fit securely and circumferentially around the axle at a point inwardly from the end of the axle and thereby prevent any passage of abrasive particles created by the grinding inwardly beyond such point and into contact with the bearing assembly of the journal box.

Claim 26

The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the grinding element is a grinding wheel, the diameter of such wheel being substantially equal to the distance between the edge of the axle and the rim of the axle center hole, whereby as the column is rotated about its central axis with respect to the stationary frame the grinding wheel driven by driving means carried on the column will abrasively refinish the entire planar end surface of the axle.

Claim 27

The apparatus of claim 15 wherein an air conduit for supplying pressurized air to the air motor is provided within the column of the shaft and in fluid communication with an air valve for regulating the air flow to the air motor from an external pressurized air source.

Claim 28

The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said skirt portion includes sealing means engageable with the railroad axle.