Grease Guide
A trough for use on wiping bar assembly of a rail lubrication system, wherein the wiping bar assembly includes a manifold body and a flow passageway having an exit end at least partially defined in the manifold body. The trough includes a body having a first section and a second section extending away from the first section, wherein the first section of the body is positioned adjacent the exit end, and wherein a mat is provided within the trough.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/902,538, filed Feb. 21, 2007, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for applying lubricant to a rail of a railroad track and, more particularly, to a lubricant distribution bar or wiping bar applicator for mounting on a railroad rail for application of lubricant thereto.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the operation of railroads, it has long been the practice to apply lubricant or friction modifying materials onto railroad rails, such as to the top of the rails or sides of the rails at curves, turnouts, switches, and in some cases, thee sections of the track immediately before a switch, and periodically spaced along the length of the track. Such lubricants and friction modifying materials, such as grease, can either reduce or increase the friction where necessary, to improve train performance and reduce wear on both the railroad rails and the train wheels. Reference may be made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,348,120 and 5,394,958 which are hereby incorporated by reference, for a dissertation on rail lubrication and disclosure of rail lubrication systems and applicator bars (oftentimes referred to as “wiping bars”) used therein. Oftentimes with these rail lubrication systems, substantial amounts of lubricant is wasted by dripping or falling along the sides of the railroad rail thus reducing the efficiency of the lubricant transfer to the train wheels. In some prior art rail lubrication systems, a trough is typically used in conjunction with a wiping bar in order to catch the excess lubricant and to redistribute the lubricant back onto a flange of a train wheel as the wheel passes over the trough. These troughs, which are typically made of steel, fill up with grease forming a puddle thereon such that when a wheel flange passes over the trough, grease is transferred to the wheel flange. Oftentimes, the puddle of grease in the trough is splashed out when a deep wheel flange due to wearing of a train wheel passes over the trough thus reducing the effectiveness of the trough. Furthermore, because of these deep wheel flanges, the trough is typically positioned lower on the railroad rail to avoid damage to the trough from a deep wheel flange of a worn wheel passing thereon. However, because of the lower position of the trough, a normal wheel flange of a train wheel either passes above the grease or barely contacts the grease in the trough such that the transfer of grease to a normal wheel flange becomes ineffective.
It is therefore desirable to overcome the above mentioned deficiency associated with a typical trough by providing a mat thereon for reducing the waste of lubricant and for increasing the efficiency of lubricant transfer to the railroad rails.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention is directed to a trough for use on a wiping bar assembly of a rail lubrication system, wherein the wiping bar assembly includes a manifold body and a flow passageway having an exit end at least partially defined in the manifold body. The trough includes a body having a first section and a second section extending away from the first section, wherein the first section of the body is positioned adjacent the exit end, and wherein a mat is provided within the trough.
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In operation, friction modifying material passes adjacent the blade 52 onto the gage face 21. Excess lubricant material then flows into the trough 60 as designated by arrow X shown in
This invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. Obvious modifications and alterations will occur to others upon reading and understanding the preceding detailed description. It is intended that the invention be construed as including all such modifications and alterations.
Claims
1. A trough for use on a wiping bar assembly of a rail lubrication system, wherein the wiping bar assembly includes a manifold body and a flow passageway having an exit end at least partially defined in the manifold body, said trough comprising a body having a first section and a second section extending away from said first section, said first section of said body positioned adjacent the exit end, wherein a mat is provided within said trough.
2. The trough as claimed in claim 1, wherein a downwardly extending flange is attached to said first section of said body of said trough, and wherein said flange is adapted to attach to the wiping bar assembly.
3. The trough as claimed in claim 1, wherein said trough is positioned adjacent the exit end of the wiping bar assembly such that said mat is adapted to coact with a wheel flange of a train.
4. The trough as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first section and said second section of said body of said trough define an angle.
5. The trough as claimed in claim 4, wherein said mat substantially conforms to the angle of said first section and said second section of said body of said trough.
6. The trough as claimed in claim 4, wherein said first section and said second section of said body of said trough are angled such that excess lubricant material can flow back toward the exit end of the manifold body.
7. The trough as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mat is made of a fibrous material.
8. The trough as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mat is made of a flexible material.
9. The trough as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mat comprises a base and a plurality of longitudinally extending fingers axially extending from said base, and wherein said fingers are adapted to coact with a wheel flange of a train.
10. The trough as claimed in claim 9, wherein said base and said fingers of said mat are made of a unitary piece of elastomeric material.
11. The trough as claimed in claim 9, wherein said base is made of a flat piece of elastomeric material.
12. The trough as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mat having a first end and a second end further defines an upwardly extending flap extending from said first end toward a head of a railroad rail adjacent the exit end, whereby said flap is adapted to coact with a portion of a side surface of a wheel flange of a train.
13. The trough as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mat having a first end and a second end further defines a seal flap extending from said first end toward the exit end, wherein said seal flap is positioned below the exit end and is biased against the wiping bar assembly, and wherein said seal flap acts as a seal to prevent excess lubricant material from flowing underneath said mat and onto said trough thereby wasting the lubricant material.
14. The trough as claimed in claim 13, wherein the mat having a first end and a second end further defines an upwardly extending flap extending from said first end toward a head of a railroad rail adjacent the exit end, whereby said flap is adapted to coact with a portion of a side surface of a wheel flange of a train.
15. The trough as claimed in claim 12, wherein said flap and said base are integrally formed.
16. The trough as claimed in claim 14, wherein said seal flap and said flap are integrally formed.
17. An applicator bar for applying lubricant material to a head of a rail, comprising:
- a manifold body;
- a flow passageway at least partially defined in said manifold body for the material to flow through, the flow passageway defining an exit end; and
- a trough coacting with said manifold body and positioned adjacent the exit end for catching the overflow of material, wherein a mat is provided within said trough such that a flange of a train wheel passing on said mat receives material thereon.
18. The applicator bar as claimed in claim 17, wherein the exit end is partially defined by an elongated distribution blade for directing the material to a surface of the rail.
19. The applicator bar as claimed in claim 17, wherein said mat is made of a fibrous material.
20. The applicator bar as claimed in claim 17, wherein said mat is made of a flexible material.
21. The applicator bar as claimed in claim 17, wherein said mat is made of a resilient polymeric material comprising a plurality of non-uniform loops intertwined together thereby forming voids therein adapted to absorb lubricant material.
22. A rail lubrication distribution system comprising:
- a first railroad rail;
- a second railroad rail spaced apart from said first railroad rail;
- a first wiping bar assembly affixed to said first railroad rail;
- a second wiping bar assembly affixed to said second railroad rail; and
- a flow divider in fluid communication with said first wiping bar assembly and said second wiping bar assembly, wherein each of said wiping bar assemblies comprises a trough having a mat provided thereon for catching the overflow of lubricant material, wherein the lubricant material retained on the mat coacts with a flange of a train wheel.
23. A method of increasing the efficiency of lubricant transfer to a wheel flange of a train wheel using a wiping bar assembly of a rail lubrication system, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a trough attached to the wiping bar assembly, wherein an exit end is defined in the wiping bar assembly for depositing lubricant material to a head of a rail, the trough positioned adjacent the exit end for catching the overflow of lubricant material, wherein a mat is provided within the trough, said mat adapted to coact with a wheel flange of a train wheel passing thereon;
- supplying lubricant material to a head of a rail via the wiping bar assembly, wherein excess lubricant material then flows onto the mat provided within the trough; and
- redepositing the excess lubricant material onto a wheel flange of a train wheel passing on the mat.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 21, 2008
Publication Date: Sep 18, 2008
Inventors: Steven D. Singleton (Sarver, PA), W. Thomas Urmson (Valencia, PA), Charles Henry Schnorr (Pittsburgh, PA), Ward T. Powell (Pittsburgh, PA), Charles A. Petrie (Warren, OH)
Application Number: 12/034,871
International Classification: B61K 3/00 (20060101);