Abstract: Apparatus for continuously surveying and aligning railroad track has a measuring system with a leading point and a trailing point, both points being on the track center line. Two tensioned wires extend between these points, respectively, and a common intermediate point also on the track center line. At the trailing point a shadow board is located and this is arranged to interrupt an infrared beam extending between a projector at the leading point and a receiver behind the trailing point. A device measures continuously the angle between the two wires and this value is averaged and then subjected to mathematical manipulation in a computing device to derive an ordinate value for the shadow board which is automatically extended accordingly. The receiver then commands a track correction ram located adjacent the shadow board to move the track radially inwardly or outwardly until alignment between projector, receiver and shadow board causes the receiver to stop the lining action.

Abstract: A railroad track lifting and aligning device mounted for track travel on a longitudinally extending main frame of a track working machine and having a track aligning sub-frame extending transversely of the main frame. Wheels on the sub-frame engage the rails of the track, and rail contacts on the sub-frame engage the inside of each of the rails of the track. A track lifting rail hook guide member is provided for each of the rails of the track mounted for vertical movement on and relative to the sub-frame at each end thereof on vertically extending guide-rods on the sub-frame. A rail hook for externally engaging a rail of the track is provided in each of the guide members, and an apparatus for adjusting the position of a rail hook in its guide member, longitudinally of the sub-frame is provided.

Abstract: There is described a self-propelled railroad track ballast broom machine having a first broom unit operatively mounted at the rear of the machine frame and a second broom unit operatively mounted at the front of the frame. The broom units have substantially cylindrical brooms extending transversely of the railroad track and deflector boxes located forwardly of each of the brooms. The brooms have gaps sufficiently wide, and so spaced apart thereon, as to avoid broom contact with the rail heads in normal tangent track sweeping operations. When the machine enters into track curves, the first broom unit is so far behind the machine rear axle that it is transversely displaced relative to the track center. Compensating transverse movement can be applied to the first broom unit to maintain the broom gaps in line with the rail heads and the ends of the broom in operative engagement with both the track shoulder edges.

Abstract: There is described a vibrating railroad ballast tamping tool head which provides ease of replacement of tamping tools, in the field. The head according to a preferred embodiment has a tamping tool holder mounted centrally on the end of a tool drive shaft, a pair of spaced tamping tool-shank receiving sockets being provided in the holder one on either side of the drive shaft and open to the underside of the holder. A pair of tamping tools each having a lower ballast engaging working face and an upper shank are located by means of tapered bores and key ways within each of the sockets and a tamping tool retaining yoke engages the shanks of both tamping tools underneath the tool holder and locks the tools to the holder by means of a centrally disposed bolt which is received in a blind bolt hole in the holder and draws up to force the tools into the sockets and to lock them therein.

Abstract: A track tamping machine particularly a track tamping, levelling and lining machine is equipped with at least one tamping unit including a carrier which carries tamping tools. The tamping unit is vertically movable on a sub-frame by means of a hydraulic cylinder and is fastened thereto. The sub-frame itself is suspended from the chassis of the tamping machine pivotably like a pendulum. The sub-frame has two guide columns guiding the tool carrier through its vertical motion and, at its lower end guide rollers which revolve on the rail for the purpose of centering the tamping unit. A control cylinder is activated for the purpose of swinging the tamping unit in such a way that while the machine is uniformly moving forward at constant speed, the tamping tools can perform their tamping function at subsequent ties.

Abstract: An improved technique for correcting errors in track, for example errors in alignment and cross-level. A record of the actual geometric condition of a section of track is obtained by running a recording car operating at a predetermined speed and axle loading over the track. A record which may be on magnetic tape is thus obtained for one or more parameters such as alignment. In some cases this record may be used directly to derive electrical error signals which control a track moving device which moves the track in a direction to remove the error. Where the parameter of interest is alignment and the section of track is curved, a desired geometric condition has to be obtained for comparison with the actual geometric condition to derive the electrical error signals. One way of obtaining the desired geometric condition is to process the record to achieve a running average taken over ten or so consecutive sample points.

Abstract: A press, comprising a frame supporting an upper and lower bed for attachment of an upper and lower bolster, the upper and lower bolster each carrying mating halves of a complementary die, and the upper bolster having a knock-out opening therethrough, a hydraulic knock-out means carried by a drive means above the upper bolster that is adjustably electro-mechanically timed to cooperate with pins internal to the upper bolster to eject any work that may have remained in the upper die upon separation of the two mating die halves.

Abstract: A method of re-using wooden railroad ties in which the old spike holes are filled with a high density rigid polyurethane foam injected into the holes. The foam serves as a plug which prevents or retards deterioration of the tie at the hole site primarily by preventing or mitigating ingress of moisture. Additionally, the foam serves to anchor a new spike if by chance the same hole location is used when re-spiking the tie. The foam has good retention properties even if the spike is driven in before the foam has fully set.

Abstract: A railroad tamping machine for tamping adjacent pairs of ties in which the tamping units associated with each of the ties can be moved vertically as a unit or independently of each other and wherein a selected set of tamping units associated with a single tie can be held in an inoperative position while the remaining tamping units work on the associated tie.

Abstract: A system including method and apparatus for conveying and orientating tie plates for use with a railway track renewal or construction machine designed to run along a railway track. The system provides a delivery of tie plates to mechanisms for positioning and laying the plates on new or reconditioned ties adjacent both ends of each tie with the field side of the tie plate facing outwardly. A first longitudinally directed power driven conveyor is located centrally with its inlet end in a gondola car used to store the tie plates. This conveyor is divided along its longitudinal center by a wall to provide a means for conveying two adjacent lines of tie plates. The tie plates are introduced to this first conveyor on both sides of the dividing wall with the plates facing upward and the field end of the plates facing forward. A pair of second longitudinally directed power driven conveyors are located on the track working machine downstream of and outwardly from the first conveyor and at a lower level.

Abstract: A back-gauging system for a shear machine that derives support from the side housings of the machine and is designed with a rotatable movement gauge stop and slideable control guides to enable the gauge stop to be moved above the work plane for shearing work pieces longer than the maximum gauge range, to eliminate excessive force being transmitted to the gauge drive when gauging or shearing and to eliminate wedging of sheared pieces between the knives and the back-gauge stop.

Abstract: A press, comprising a frame supporting an upper and lower bed for attachment of an upper and lower bolster, the upper and lower bolster each carrying mating halves of a complementary die, and the upper bolster having a knock-out opening therethrough, a hydraulic knock-out means carried by a drive means above the upper bolster that is adjustably electro-mechanically timed to cooperate with pins internal to the upper bolster to eject any work that may have remained in the upper die upon separation of the two mating die halves.

Abstract: A device for lifting and/or lining railroad track, which device extends longitudinally of the track and is mounted at one end on a truck carrying track engaging wheels, and the other end is adapted to be connected to a propelling vehicle. Reaction blocks are provided on the beam in the region of the other end, and a track position correcting frame is carried between the reaction blocks and the end mounted on the truck and close to the other beam end. The device provides a lifting and/or aligning attachment for, say a tamping machine, which attachment substantially absorbs all its own lifting and/or lining forces and transmits them to the track rather than to the tamping machine. The device also provides a track position reference means to provide information on the displacement of the lifted and/or aligned track.

Abstract: The invention provides for a stop device positioned on a railroad track shifting machine such as a track lifting and/or tamping machine and a sensor for generating a control signal to terminate or control the shifting action of the machine when the shifting force on the rail exceeds a predetermined value.