Machine For Working On Rail Fastening Elements

Abstract

The toolholder of a machine for working on track spikes or bolts is floatingly mounted on its carriage so that the tool can resiliently move into a perfectly centered position in respect of the spike or bolt on which it works.

Description

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to improvements in a machine for working on track rail fastening elements, which is mounted for mobility on the track in the direction of track elongation.

Conventional machines of this type comprise a tool carriage, a tool for working on the rail fastening elements which is vertically adjustable mounted on the carriage, a toolholder wherein the tool is mounted, and a guide for the tool holder mounted on the carriage. The toolholder and guide cooperate to maintain the tool at a distance from an associated rail which is secured by the track rail fastening element on which the tool is to work.

When the toolholder is in fixed relationship to the guide which is moved along the associated rail, the constant distance of the tool from the rail during the entire work along a track section causes considerable difficulties and reduces efficiency because the distance of the rail fastening elements from the rail is not constant. The spacings vary somewhat, which makes proper centering of the tool in respect of successive spikes or bolts along a track section impossible when the tool's position in respect of the rail is fixed. This difficulty is compounded in machines operating with pairs or groups of tools for simultaneously working on a plurality of spikes or bolts. Nor can this difficulty be successfully overcome in such machines merely by providing means on the tools, such as cup-shaped elements conically outwardly tapering, for engaging the heads of the fastening elements upon vertical adjustment of the tool into contact with the selected fastening element, the engagement automatically centering the tool in respect of the selected fastening element only if the basic position of the tool is in sufficient vertical alignment with the fastening element.

It is the primary object of this invention to overcome this disadvantage, which object is accomplished by elastically yielding bearing means interconnecting the tool holder and the guide for permitting resilient movement of the tool holder in respect of the guide at least in a direction transverse to the direction of track elongation.

Thus, every tool is elastically yieldably mounted at least in this transverse direction and the alignment of the tool with the fastening element will be automatically corrected upon engagement of the tool centering or engaging element with the fastening element on contact therewith.

The guide for the tool in respect of the associated rail on whose fastening element the tool is to work may assume various forms. For instance, it may be a housing fixedly mounted on the tool carriage, and the carriage may be laterally pressed into engagement with the associated rail so as to form the tool guide. It is also possible to mount a rail sensing element on the tool carriage which cooperates with the toolholder guide. The rail sensing element is elastically yieldably connected to the carriage and is arranged to press the toolholder guide yieldingly against the associated rail. The guide itself may be of elastic material and/or it may be yieldably mounted on the carriage. Also, an elastically yieldable rail sensing element may cooperate directly with the toolholder to constitute a guide therefor.

It will be advantageous to fix the toolholder at the beginning of the work along a selected track section in a basic position determined by the general location of the rail fastening elements on which the tool is to work. For this purpose, it is preferred to make at least the lateral position of the guide and the carriage, and/or the carriage and the associated rail, and/or the toolholder and the guide relative to each other adjustable. The relative position of the toolholder may be changed, for instance, by adjusting the bias of the springs, or exchanging the springs, which elastically yieldably mount the toolholder in respect of the guide.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING

The above and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent in the following detailed description of now preferred embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein

FIG. 1 is a side view, taken along line I--I of FIG. 2, of a car of a track renewal apparatus incorporating an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view, on an enlarged scale, of the machine mounted on the car;

FIG. 4 is a section along line IV--IV of FIG. 3;

FIGS. 4a and 4b show schematically two modifications of the yieldable mounting of the tool holder, in horizontal section;

FIG. 5 is a section along V--V of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a vertical section along line VI--VI of FIG. 7 of another embodiment of a machine;

FIG. 7 is a horizontal section of the machine of FIG. 6;

FIGS. 7a and 7b show other modifications of the resilient mounting of the tool holder;

FIG. 8 is a vertical section along line VIII--VIII of FIG. 9 of still another embodiment of a machine;

FIG. 9 is a horizontal section along line VIII--VIII of FIG. 8; and

FIG. 10 illustrates another detail of a machine similar to that of FIG. 3, in side view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the drawing, wherein like reference numerals designate like parts operating in a like manner in all figures, FIGS. 1 and 2 show a car frame 1 having a loading and transport platform and a carriage 10 for a track working tool mounted on the car frame underneath the platform. In the illustrated embodiments of the invention, the tool is used in the type of track renewal apparatus more fully described and claimed in our copending application Ser. No. 849,406, filed Aug. 12, 1969, under the title "Mobile Track Maintenance Apparatus." The car frame has swivel trucks 2, 2 for mobility on track rails 3, 3 which rest on ties 4.

As more fully described and claimed in our copending application filed on even date under the title "Mobile Track Working Apparatus," Ser. No. 865,929, two operating stations with control panels 6 are fixedly mounted underneath the platform on the car frame to permit an operator in each station or cabin to actuate the operation of an associated tool to be described hereinafter.

A separate tool is associated with each track rail and each tool is mounted for movement in the direction of track elongation on guide rail means 8 and is glidable therealong by chain drive 9, the carriage 10 of the tool being vertically adjustably so that it may be lifted off the track in case of obstructions, all as described in our application filed on even date. As also fully explained therein, the tool is within sight of the operator in cabin 5, and each tool associated with a respective rail is independently movable in the direction of track elongation and transversely thereof for ready use in track curves. As also indicated in the application filed on even date, it may be possible to provide a single operating station for both tools and/or to provide a single laterally movable tool for work on both rails.

The track working tool particularly described herein is a power-driven wrench for driving rail fastening bolts but it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it could be a spike driver or puller where spikes are used instead of bolts to fasten the rails to the ties. The tool may also be an oiler for track fastening elements or a tie drill, a tie placer or the like.

One embodiment of a power-driven wrench mounted in accordance with the present invention will now be described in conjunction with FIGS. 3 to 5. The underside of the car frame platform carries a pair of guide rails 8, 8 vertically above each rail and extending in the direction of track elongation, each pair of guide rails supporting an elongated tool carrier plate 12 on rollers 13, 13 journaled in a pair of lateral rims extending from each plate 12 and engaging the rails. The carrier plate is movable along the guide rails by means of chain drive 9 in either direction. It supports a pivotal arm 16 whose one end is mounted on the carrier plate by means of pivot bolt 14 and whose other end carries rollers 17 running in an arcuate guide 18. The arm 16 is laterally pivotal by pressure fluid drive 15 schematically shown in FIG. 4.

A vertical guide column 19 projects downwardly from carrier arm 16 and has a pair of studs 19' to which the tool carriage 10 is glidably attached. A pressure fluid drive 20 is mounted on the guide column 19 and has one end connected to the carriage 10 for vertically moving the carriage, the carriage also being pivotal in a horizontal plane about the guide column so that the tool may be adjusted to an oblique position of a tie.

The tool carriage 10 runs on the track rails 3 by means of rimmed rollers 21 which serve to guide the tool along the rail, the lateral pivoting of carrier arm 16 serving to press the tool carriage 10 either against the inner or the outer edge of the rail head, preferably against the inner rail head edge. To avoid obstructions, the entire carriage with its rollers may be lifted off the track along column 19 by means of pressure fluid drive 20.

A guide housing 23 on carriage 10 encloses two tool holders 22 mounted in the housing side by side for operation on either side of the rail 3. Each toolholder carries on top a tool drive motor 22' and a downwardly extending tool 27. Yielding, resilient or elastic bearings elastically support the tool holders with their tools in the housing and in relation to each other so that the tools may be in at least approximate registration of alignment with the rail fastening element 25 on which work is to be done. In the illustrated embodiment, the tool is a power-driven wrench and the rail fastening element is a rail bolt to be fastened or loosened by the wrench.

The toolholder bearings illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 5 are coil springs 24 mounted between the walls of housing 23 and the toolholders as well as between the toolholders. The elasticity or resilience of the coil springs may be adjusted by set screws acting on the springs. In the modification of FIG. 4a, the bearings consist of elastic inserts 24', for instance of rubber, arranged between the tool holders as well as between a respective toolholder and an adjacent wall of housing 23. Another and functionally equivalent modification of an elastic bearing is shown in FIG. 4b where pressure fluid operated cylinders 24" are mounted between the tool holders and a respective toolholder and an adjacent wall.

The above-described elastic bearings for the toolholders 22 extend transversely of the track to permit resilient movement of the toolholders in this direction. However, it may be useful to impart such resilient movement to the toolholders also in the direction of track elongation, for which purpose additional elastic or yielding bearings for the toolholders may extend in the latter direction. Such additional bearings are illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 in the form of coil springs 26 mounted between the front wall of housing 23 and the toolholders 22.

If desired, the coil spring bearings may be readily exchanged for springs of different resiliency and/or length to change the basic position of the toolholders in the housing.

The shaft of wrench 27 is rotatable by motor 22' in either direction to operate the wrench when it engages bolt head 25. This wrench shaft is vertically movable in the toolholder by means of the pressure fluid drive 20 also used to move the tool carriage 10 vertically. For this purpose, the free outer end of the piston rod of drive 20 is linked to two-armed levers 28 which act upon the rotatable wrench shafts, which are vertically movably mounted in the toolholders 22, against the pressure of compression springs 29.

The shaft of tool 27 ends in a cup-shaped head which tapers conically outwardly towards the bolt head so that, when the tool is lowered into operating position, the tool head will be automatically centered on the bolt head in view of the elastic mounting of the toolholder which will readily yield in all directions as the tool head seeks secure engagement with the bolt head.

In addition, a pair of stops are mounted on carriage 10 alongside the rail 3, the stop illustrated in FIG. 3 being a two-armed lever 32 which is pivoted to the carriage at 31 for movement in a vertical plane parallel to the track. The stops may be reciprocated in this plane by a pressure fluid drive 30 so that the lower end of the stop levers engage a part of the rail fastening, for instance the tie plate or the rail bolt or spike, when the machine advances during the track work, to the left in the drawing. In this manner, the tool carriage will be held in fixed position during tool operation without interfering with the continuous forward movement of the car frame 1 since the tool carriage is movable in respect to the car frame in the direction of track elongation. While the car frame continuously advances with the train which is used to renew the track, the tool carriage may be periodically stopped to enable the tool to do its work, and is then more rapidly moved forwardly on the car frame by its chain drive to the next working station. The stop levers 32 position the tool carriage 10 so that the tools will be in approximate vertical alignment with the rail fastening elements on which they are to work, whereupon the tools are lowered and automatically centered on the rail fastening elements due to the elastic mounting of the toolholders.

The position of the stops 32 in the direction of track elongation is adjustable, for instance by changing the effective length of the piston rod of the drive 30, so that the stops may engage selected parts of the rail fastening. Such adjustment may be effected, for example, by using a telescoping piston rod whose length is adjustable.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7, the tool holders 22 are separately and independently mounted in the housing 23 on a pair of guide columns 19', 19'. Each toolholder has its own elastic bearing 24 so that each toolholder is laterally yieldingly positioned between the sidewalls of the housing 23. There is no elastic connection between the toolholders, as in the previously described embodiments. The coil springs 24 bear against exchangeable setscrews mounted in the housing sidewall opposite to the sidewall wherein the springs are mounted so that the resiliency of the tool holder bearings may be varied at will. This makes it possible accurately to adjust the position of the tool 27 in relation to the rail fastening means on which it is to work.

As shown in FIG. 6, the tool carriage housing 23 may also carry a vertically adjustable jack shoe serving to press down and fixedly hold a tie 4 during the operation of the tool 27 on the rail fastening element 25. The illustrated jack includes a pressure fluid operated cylinder 34 and a piston rod 33.

Modifications of elastic bearings for tool holders 22 are shown in FIGS. 7a and 7b. In the modification of FIG. 7a, the toolholder 22 is carried by a pair of leaf springs 24a. In FIG. 7b, an annular bearing of elastic material, such as rubber, holds the toolholder in yielding relationship to the walls of housing 23.

FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate the use of the present invention in relation to a machine which comprises a carriage frame 35 running on the track rails 3, 3 by means of wheels 35'. A central drive 36 is connected to gear boxes 37 positioned on the carriage frame vertically above rails 3 for operating the tools associated with each rail.

The toolholders 38 are universally yieldably mounted on carriage frame 35, the tool shafts 39 extending from the tool holders into gear boxes 37 for rotation by common drive 36. A common tool carrier constituted by a crossbeam 40 extends transversely of the track over both rails, the common tool carrier being yieldingly suspended on the carriage frame 35 by means of springs 35'. The tool carrier defines slots 41 extending in a direction transversely of the track and each receiving a pair of the toolholders 38 which are vertically adjusted with the common tool carrier 40. Elastic toolholder bearing 42, illustrated as coil springs, mount the toolholders in the slots 41 so that the same are yieldingly positioned in a direction transverse to the track.

A common, transversely extending guide piece 43 is mounted in vertical alignment with each rail for each pair of tools associated with a respective rail 3. A bolt 44 projects from each toolholder 38 into a horizontal slot in the guide piece 43. The bolts carry nuts 45 which may be tightened so that each toolholder may be fixed in a desired lateral position in respect to the associated rail after the bolt has been moved in the horizontal slot of the guide piece.

The lateral position of the guide piece 43 in respect of rail 3 is controlled by rail sensing rod 46 whose upper end is linked to carriage frame 35 and whose lower end yieldingly engages the inner edge of the rail head, as best seen in FIG. 8, under the bias of spring 47 connecting an intermediate point on the rod to the carriage frame. If desired, the carriage frame may have a seat 48 for an operator. To enable the tools to be properly positioned in respect to the rail fastening elements in track curves, the common tool carrier 40 is rotatably journaled on a vertical support column 49 so that the tool carrier may be rotated into desired operating positions of the tools.

In this machine, it is possible to impart to the toolholders a desired basic position in which the location of at least one of the toolholders 38 is determined by fixing its bolt 44 in the slot of associated guide piece 43. However, each toolholder remains yieldingly mounted since it is elastically held in bearing slots 41, on the one hand, and the stop rod 46 for the guide piece 43 also is laterally yieldable under the bias of spring 47.

The tool carriage 10 of FIG. 10 is generally similar to that of FIGS. 3 to 5 but the vertical adjustment of tools 27 is controlled by a stop lever 50. The illustrated position is the initial position of tool 27 before its head engages the head of the rail fastening element. When it is desired to move the tool into its operating position, wherein the tool head engages the head of the fastening element, the tool is lowered by distance x by means of drive 20 in the manner fully described in connection with FIGS. 3 to 5. After the work of the tool has been completed, the piston of drive 20 is raised to lift the tool until the stud 51 on the lower end of the piston rod of drive 20 engages a cooperating recess in stop lever 50. This is repeated after each tool operation.

However, when it is desired to lift the carriage 10 itself, the stop lever 50 is pivoted out of the illustrated operating position to the right, as seen in the drawing, by means of pressure fluid drive 52. With the stop lever out of the path of stud 51, the latter is free to move on to engage the carriage housing 23 so that the drive 20 will lift the housing and the carriage 10, which is fixedly connected thereto, off the track.

It will be understood that the principles of this invention are applicable to large mobile machines with a plurality of track working tools as well as manually operable, small track maintenance implements. Numerous constructive modifications may occur to those skilled in the art, and it may be possible to use magnetic means for guiding the tools or their carriers along the rails, such magnetic means also serving for automatically centering the tools on the parts on which they are to work.

Claims

We claim:

1. A machine for working on track rail fastening elements and mounted for mobility on the track in the direction of track elongation, comprising

1. a tool carriage,

2. a tool for working on the rail fastening elements, the tool being vertically adjustably mounted on the carriage,

3. a tool holder wherein the tool is mounted,

4. a guide for the toolholder mounted on the carriage,

a. the toolholder and guide cooperating to maintain the tool at a distance from an associated one of the track rails which is secured by the track rail fastening elements on which the tool is to work,

5. an elastically yielding bearing means interconnecting the toolholder and the guide for permitting resilient movement of the toolholder in respect of the guide at least in a direction transverse to the direction of track elongation, and

6. means on the tool for engaging a selected one of the rail fastening elements upon vertical adjustment of the tool into contact with the selected rail fastening element, the engagement automatically centering the tool in respect of the selected fastening element.

2. The machine of claim 1, wherein the guide for the toolholder is a laterally adjustable frame elastically yieldably supporting the toolholder and has a rail sensing element engageable with the associated rail, and means is provided for laterally pressing the rail sensing element into engagement with the associated rail.

3. The machine of claim 2, wherein the guide is fixedly mounted on the carriage and said rail sensing element is constituted by rimmed rollers mounting the carriage on the associated rail.

4. The machine of claim 2, wherein the rail sensing element is mounted on the tool carriage and is connected with the toolholder guide frame, the rail sensing element being a pivotal lever extending substantially vertically to the track plane and having a free end arranged to be pressed against the associated rail.

5. The machine of claim 1, wherein the elastically yieldable bearing means is an adjustable spring means, and means is provided for adjusting the bias of the spring means.

6. The machine of claim 5, wherein the spring means includes coil springs mounted between the guide and the toolholder.

7. The machine of claim 5, wherein the spring means includes leaf springs mounting the toolholder on the guide.

8. The machine of claim 1, wherein the elastically yieldable bearing means includes elastic inserts mounted between the guide and the toolholder.

9. The machine of claim 1, wherein the elastically yieldable bearing means includes pressure fluid operated inserts between the guide and the toolholder.

10. The machine of claim 1, further comprising a stop means mounted on the tool carriage for pivotal movement in a vertical plane parallel to the track, and said stop means being arranged on the carriage for cooperation and engagement with a part of the track to position the tool carriage in the direction of track elongation upon engagement of the stop means with the track part.

11. The machine of claim 1, further comprising a vertically adjustable jack shoe on the guide engaging and pressing down a tie whereto the rail fastening element to be worked on fastens the associated rail.