Canron, Inc.

Graystone Corporation

Franz Allmer

Robert A Weber

In a track maintenance vehicle, a cross tie exchanging mechanism is mounted on the vehicle comprising jaws which grip the end of the cross tie to be removed and operate to pull the cross tie from the road bed laterally from beneath the track rail and also operate to push a new cross tie laterally beneath the rails into the road bed. Rail clamps are provided to grip each rail at two spaced positions along each track rail to prevent the track rail from flexing when the track rail is unfastened from the cross tie to be removed. The rail clamps are also used to lift the track rails clear of the cross ties prior to operation of the tie exchanging mechanism to remove and replace a cross tie. A beam member supports the rail clamp so that the rails are laterally stabilized when lifted. The beam member is continuously laterally positioned independent of the lateral moveent of the vehicle by a guide member relative to the rails when the rail clamp is not engaged with the rails.

Method and apparatus for exchanging railway cross ties with rail

A compact bidirectionally operative tie exchanging apparatus includes an extensible telescoping beam assembly carried in a support cradle mounted on the underside of a railway maintenance car. The beam assembly includes an inner and an outer beam telescopically received within one another with hydraulically actuated tie clamping arms mounted on the opposite, remote ends of the beam assembly. A push/pull hydraulic cylinder has its ram and its cylinder connected, respectively, to the inner and outer beams. Hydraulically actuated locking pins mounted on the support cradle are selectively actuatable to lock either the inner beam or the outer beam to its respective support cradle. When the inner beam is locked to its support cradle and the push/pull hydraulic cylinder actuated, the unlocked outer beam can be extended and retracted to remove and replace railway ties from one side of the rail bed and, when the outer beam is locked to its support cradle and the push/pull hydraulic cylinder actuated, the unlocked inner beam can be extended and retracted from the other side of the rail bed. The rail tie exchanger is advantageously compact, simple to operate, and can be used with equal facility for removing rail ties from one side of a rail bed or the other.

Compact bidirectionally operative tie exchanging apparatus

A compact bidirectionally operative tie exchanging apparatus includes an extensible telescoping beam assembly carried in a support cradle mounted on the underside of a railway maintenance car. In a first embodiment, the beam assembly includes an inner and an outer beam telescopically received within one another with hydraulically actuated tie clamping arms mounted on the opposite, remote ends of the beams assembly. A push/pull hydraulic cylinder has its ram and its cylinder connected, respectively, to the inner and outer beams. Hydraulically actuated locking pins mounted on the support cradle are selectively actuatable to lock either the inner beam or the outer beam to its respective support cradle. When the inner beam is locked to its support cradle and the push/pull hydraulic cylinder actuated, the unlocked outer beam can be extended and retracted to remove and replace railway ties from one side of the rail bed and, when the outer beam is locked to its support cradle and the push/pull hydraulic cylinder actuated, the unlocked inner beam can be extended and retracted from the other side of the rail bed. In another embodiment, the tie exchanging apparatus is mounted on a turret to permit controlled rotation about the vertical axis. The rail tie exchanger is advantageously compact, simple to operate, and can be used with equal facility for removing rail ties from one side of a rail bed or the other.

Bidirectionally operative tie exchanging apparatus

In a track tamping machine, opposed pivotally mounted tamping arms are oscillated by respective single acting hydraulic cylinders controlled by one or more hydraulic duplex rotary distributing valves. Fluid supply and return lines for each piston assembly are connected to a source of pressurized hydraulic fluid by way of a respective rotary valve. Each valve has a stationary ported shell which receives a rotary cylindrical spool having a pair of axially displaced supply and return throughports which alternately register with supply and return line ports in the shell to open and close the connections between the oscillating cylinder and the supply and return lines. Such oscillating cylinders are useful in controlling the vibration of the tamper arms in a track tamper unit. Accordingly, this disclosure particularly relates to a unitary, hinged, pivotable unit, to which such a tamping unit is secured, which hinged unit is readily adapted for conversion of an existing track tamper to incorporate the oscillatory drive features described above. The oscillating cylinder is located adjacent a squeeze cylinder and the cylinder pair is secured to an end of each of the tamping arms and to a support member of the tamping unit. The tamping unit is attached to and vertically movable relative to the hinged unit which in turn is laterally movable relative to a rail when secured to the tamping machine. Thus, the tamping tool is controlled as to its depth of penetration, throw of oscillation, and outward to inward movement. Alternate embodiments and features are also disclosed.

Track tamper with hingeable unitary pivotable tamping unit

Opposed pivotally mounted tamper arms are oscillated by respective single-acting hyraulic piston assemblies controlled by separate hydraulic duplex rotary distributing valves. Fluid supply and return lines for each piston assembly are connected to a source of pressurized hydraulic fluid via the respective rotary valve. Each valve has a stationary ported shell which receives a rotary cylindrical spool having a pair of axially displaced supply and return throughports which alternately register with supply and return line ports in the shell to open and close the connections between the respective piston assembly and the supply and return lines. While the rotary valves are preferably driven by a common drive unit, the relative phase of the oscillations of the arms can be determined by rotationally offsetting one of the spools with respect to the other by the desired phase angle.

Vibratory drive mechanism

Opposed pivotally mounted tamper arms are oscillated by respective single-acting hydraulic piston assemblies controlled by separate hydraulic duplex rotary distributing valves. Fluid supply and return lines for each piston assembly are connected to a source of pressurized hydraulic fluid via the respective rotary valve. Each valve has a stationary ported shell which receives a rotary cylindrical spool having a pair of axially displaced supply and return throughports which alternately register with supply and return line ports in the shell to open and close the connections between the respective piston assembly and the supply and return lines. While the rotary valves are preferably driven by a common drive unit, the relative phase of the oscillations of the arms can be determined by rotationally offsetting one of the spools with respect to the other by the desired phase angle.

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Sophia, NC, United States of America

Franz Allmer