British Railways Board

John M Waters

A measuring vehicle for roadways comprises a tow vehicle and an instrument carrying vehicle connected for movement to the tow vehicle. The connection between the two vehicles includes a periodically operative lost motion arrangement so that as the tow vehicle moves continuously along the roadway, the instrument carrying vehicle automatically remains stationary periodically. The connection between the tow vehicle and the instrument carrying vehicle advantageously comprises a connecting rod connected at one end to the instrument carrying vehicle and at its other end to an endless belt or chain revolving on guide means such as rollers or sprockets whose rotational speed is proportional to the speed of the tow vehicle.

Measuring vehicles for roadways

A method of re-levelling railway track of the kind having rails fastened to sleepers supported on a ballast bed is disclosed. The method comprises lifting the sleepers off the ballast bed and pneumatically placing ballast stones by an air stream in the gap formed between the underside of a lifted sleeper and the underlying ballast bed using a tool which is driven into the ballast bed adjacent a side face of the sleeper to a depth such that an outlet for the ballast stones propelled by the air stream is provided at the level of the gap. The tool used comprises a spade-like member having a channel along which the air stream and the ballast stones are fed into the gap, the member being disposed so that its channel extends generally downwardly with its mouth facing the sleeper side face and the length of the channel being greater than the depth of the channel. Preferably the length of the channel is such that with the lower end thereof aligned with the gap the channel extends upwardly to a position above the top side of the sleeper.

Maintenance of railway track

An optical system for establishing a reference datum in relation to which operations can be carried out in roadway workings comprises optical devices which define an optical triangle whose plane inclines downwardly towards the plane of the roadway. The inclination of the plane of the optical triangle is adjustable so that a corner of the triangle is set at the level of the roadway as determined by a reflected image of the roadway surface.

Growing community of inventors

Derby, United Kingdom

John M Waters