Mobile rail contouring machine

Claim 2

A mobile rail contouring machine mounted on a railroad track for continuous movement in an operating direction, the track including two rails each having a rail head defining a gage side, a field side and a running surface, the gage and field sides extending from the running surface to a lower edge of the rail head, the machine being arranged for continuously removing such running surface irregularities as ripples, corrugations and overflow metal during the continuous movement and comprising (a) a frame running on the track on undercarriages having flanged wheels engaging the gage and field sides in a zone adjacent the running surface, (b) a rail contouring tool mounting linked to the frame, (c) a drive means for vertically adjusting the mounting relative to the running surface of the rail head of one of the rails and for pressing the mounting thereagainst, (d) guide roller means for vertically and laterally guiding the mounting along said rail head without play, the guide roller means including (1) a guide roller laterally guiding the mounting along a selected one of the sides of the rail head and engaging the selected rail head side in a region extending from the lower edge to below the zone adjacent the running surface, and (2) two additional guide rollers vertically guiding the mounting along the running surface of said rail head, the additional guide rollers engaging the running surface and each having an axis extending substantially parallel to the track plane, (e) a rail contouring tool head including a tool holder, the tool head being mounted on the mounting for displacement in relation thereto and the tool holder including clamping means, and (f) a rail contouring cutting tool replaceably mounted in the clamping means of the tool holder, the tool holder detachably carrying (1) a cutting blade having a cutting edge for planing a selected profile of the rail head.

Claim 3

The mobile rail contouring machine of claim 1, wherein the two additional guide rollers are spaced apart in the direction of the track, a respective one of the guide rollers being associated with each one of the additional guide rollers, the guide rollers cooperating to constitute a rigid reference for planing the overflow metal at a side of said rail head opposite the selected side, and the rail contouring tool head being mounted on the mounting substantially centrally between the two additional guide rollers.

Claim 4

The mobile rail contouring machine of claim 2, wherein a respective pair of the guide rollers is associated with each additional guide roller, one of the guide rollers of each pair being arranged for laterally guiding the mounting along a respective one of the rail head sides.

Claim 5

The mobile rail contouring machine of claim 2 or 3, comprising further additional guide rollers spaced from each one of the additional guide rollers and including two outermost further additional guide rollers, the further additional guide rollers being mounted for selected positioning retracted from, and in engagement with, the running surface, the guide rollers cooperating in the engaged position to constitute an elongated rigid reference for planing ripples or corrugations.

Claim 6

The mobile rail contouring machine of claim 1 or 2, wherein the tool holder is symmetrically constructed with respect to a plane extending vertically to the track and perpendicularly to the rail whereby a respective one of the tools may be operative in a respective operating direction of the machine.

Claim 7

The mobile rail contouring machine of claim 1 or 2, wherein the tool holder has a guide, the tool has a part replaceably received by the guide, and clamping means holds the tool part attached to the guide.

Claim 8

The mobile rail contouring machine of claim 6, wherein the guide is a recess defined in the tool holder and extending in the direction of the track.

Claim 9

The mobile rail contouring machine of claim 7, wherein the recess is of dove-tailed cross section.

Claim 10

The mobile rail contouring machine of claim 1 or 2, wherein a single one of the mountings is linked to the machine frame in association with each rail, a single one of the tool heads is arranged on each mounting and a single one of the tools carrying a single one of the cutting blades is mounted in each tool holder, the mountings are in substantial alignment in a direction extending transversely to the rails, and further comprising transversely extending spacing members continuously adjustable to the track gage and linking the mountings to each other.

Claim 11

The mobile rail contouring machine of claim 9, comprising universal joints linking the spacing members to the mountings.

Claim 12

A train of three mobile rail contouring machines of claim 9, the machines being coupled together for common continuous movement, the rail contouring tool of each machine carrying a different one of the cutting blades respectively designed for contouring the rail head or planing corrugations in a single pass of the train.

Claim 13

The train of claim 11, further comprising adjustable stop means on each one of the machines for limiting the displacement of the tool head in a vertical direction whereby the cutting depth of each one of the cutting blades may be adjusted.

Claim 14

The mobile rail contouring machine of claim 1 or 2, comprising a plurality of the mountings linked to the machine frame in association with each rail, respective pairs of the mountings being in substantial alignment in a direction extending transversely to the rails, and transversely extending spacing members continuously adjustable to the track gage and linking the mountings of each pair to each other.

Claim 15

The mobile rail contouring machine of claim 13, further comprising adjustable stop means on each one of the mountings for limiting the displacement of the tool heads in a vertical direction whereby the cutting depth of each one of the cutting blades may be adjusted.

Claim 16

The mobile rail contouring machine of claim 13, wherein the rail contouring tools of each pair of mountings carry different ones of the cutting blades respectively designed for contouring the rail heads or planing corrugations in a single pass of the machine.

Claim 17

The mobile rail contouring machine of claim 1 or 2, further comprising a central power plant and a control mounted on the frame for remote control of the drive means for vertically adjusting the mounting.

Claim 18

The mobile rail contouring machine of claim 16, further comprising further drive means for displacing the tool head in relation to the mounting and for laterally pressing the mounting against the rail head, the central power plant and the control being arranged for remote control of the further drive means.

Claim 19

The mobile rail contouring machine of claim 17, wherein the central power plant includes a hydraulic fluid sump, the drive means are cylinder-piston motors and hydraulic fluid conduits connect the sump to the respective motor cylinders, the control being arranged in the conduits between the sump and the motors.

Claim 20

A mobile rail planing machine mounted on a railroad track for continuous movement in an operating direction, the track including two rails each having a rail head defining a gage side, a field side and a running surface, the gage and field sides extending from the running surface to a lower edge of the rail head, the machine being arranged for continuously removing such surface irregularities as ripples, corrugations and overflow metal during the continous movement and comprising (a) a frame running on the track on undercarriages having flanged wheels engaging the gage and field sides in a zone adjacent the running surface, (b) a rail planing tool mounting linked to the machine in association with each rail, (1) the mountings being in substantial alignment in a direction extending transversely to the rails, (c) transversely extending spacing members linking the mountings to each other, (d) hydraulic drives for continuously adjusting the spacing members and the mountings linked thereto the track, (e) hydraulic drive means for vertically adjusting the mountings relative to the running surface of the rail head of the associated rail and for pressing the mountings thereagainst, (f) guide roller means for vertically and laterally guiding the mountings along the rail heads of the associated rails, the guide roller means including (1) two guide rollers laterally guiding each mounting without play along a selected one of the sides of the rail head of the associated rail and engaging the selected rail head side in a region extending from the lower edge to below the zone adjacent the running surface, and (2) a plurality of additional guide rollers vertically guiding each mounting along the running surface of the rail head of the associated rail, the additional guide rollers engaging the running surface and each having an axle extending substantially parallel to the track plane, (g) a tool head including a tool holder, the tool head being mounted centrally between the guide rollers and for displacement in relation to the mounting in planes parallel to the track plane and to a vertical plane passing through the associated rail and the tool holder including clamping means, (h) further hydraulic drives connected to each tool head for displacing the same in said planes, (i) a rail planing tool replaceably mounted in the clamping means of the tool holder, the tool holder detachably carrying (1) a cutting blade having a cutting edge for planing a selected profile of the rail head.

Claim 21

A mobile rail planing machine mounted on a railroad track for continuous movement in an operating direction, the track including two rails each having a rail head defining a gage side, a field side and a running surface, the gage and field sides extending from the running surface to a lower edge of the rail head, the machine being arranged for continuously removing such surface irregularities as ripples, corrugations and overflow metal during the continous movement and comprising (a) a frame running on the track on undercarriages having flanged wheels engaging the gage and field sides in a zone adjacent the running surface, (b) a rail planing tool mounting linked to the machine in association with each rail, (1) the mountings being in substantial alignment in a direction extending transversely to the rails, (c) transversely extending spacing members linking the mountings to each other, (d) hydraulic drives for continuously adjusting the spacing members and the mountings linked thereto the track, (e) hydraulic drive means for vertically adjusting the mountings relative to the running surface of the rail head of the associated rail and for pressing the mountings thereagainst, (f) guide roller means for vertically and laterally guiding the mountings along the rail heads of the associated rails, the guide roller means including (1) two guide rollers laterally guiding each mounting without play along a selected one of the sides of the rail head of the associated rail and engaging the selected rail head side in a region extending from the lower edge to below the zone adjacent the running surface, and (2) a plurality of additional guide rollers vertically guiding each mounting along the running surface of the rail head of the associated rail, the additional guide rollers engaging the running surface and each having an axle extending substantially parallel to the track plane, (g) a tool head including a tool holder, the tool head being mounted centrally between the guide rollers and for displacement in relation to the mounting in planes parallel to the track plane and to a vertical plane passing through the associated rail and the tool holder including clamping means, (h) further hydraulic drives connected to each tool head for displacing the same in said planes, (i) a rail planing tool replaceably mounted in the clamping means of the tool holder, the tool holder detachably carrying (1) a cutting blade having a cutting edge for planing a selected profile of the rail head.