Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A flexible wedge for use under the die of a press to compensate for deflection of the die when force is exerted against it, the wedge being elongated and tapering across its width and having graded flexibility along its length with the portions nearer the ends of the wedge being more flexible in order for the wedge to deflect as a uniformly load beam when a concentrated force is applied at its center to position it under a die.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A car on tracks behind the knives of a shear machine, has a section for receiving product cuttings when the car occupies one position on the tracks, and means are provided for receiving scrap cuttings when the car is moved to another position, the car being capable of additional movement on the tracks to a position to the rear of the machine for convenient disposal of cuttings carried by it. Work support carried by the car, supports work prior to shearing and, when possessed of magnetic qualities, will magnetically grip the work and enable adjustment thereof for shearing, by movement of the car. In lieu of magnet work supports, roller supports may be provided, and such roller supports may be power driven.

Abstract: A system for orientating a railway spike of the type having a head provided with a lip which projects at one location from the head. It is important to ensure that the lip is aligned in a predetermined angular position so that when the spike is driven in a tie by means of an automatic spike driver the lip will overlie the rail flange. The system involves a holding device, such as an electromagnet for holding a spike and a drive motor rotating the holding device and spike until a light path defined between a stationary source and detector is interrupted by the lip of the spike and at which point the drive motor is deenergized, in addition, a switch indicating a complete 90.degree. rotation of the spike is also activated so that one of the flat faces of the square section shank will face the rail.

Abstract: A railroad tamping machine for tamping adjacent pairs of ties in which a pair of workheads each including a pair of 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. In one embodiment, provision is made for adjustment of the pair of workheads laterally and longitudinally relative to the track direction to accommodate irregular rail and tie spacing as well as rail curvature such as that encountered in switch areas.

Abstract: An electromechanical device for sensing the center line of a track is disclosed. The track center line is previously marked out by a line of nails protruding upwardly from the ties and the center line follower is moved by engagement with the rails to right or left to derive an appropriate electrical signal causing operation of a ram carrying the center line follower in a direction to cancel the signal. A track operating device, such as a magnetic wheel for picking up tie plates from track that is being renewed, is disposed over each rail location and the top track operating devices are moved laterally conjointly with the center line follower thus to maintain the track operating devices at the correct lateral locations.

Abstract: A machine for removing old rails and replacing them with new rails is constituted by an adzing station where the surfaces of the old ties are adzed after removing the old rails and tie plates. The adzing station has two adzers spaced laterally on either side of the center of the machine for adzing laterally spaced locations at which new tie plates and rails have to be laid. The adzers are mounted, respectively, on two frames which can move together laterally with respect to a third frame in response to a center line follower so that the adzers are always located at the correct lateral position even on curved track. The third frame is attached to the main frame of the machine and it can be pivoted selectively about two spaced lateral locations adjacent to where the adzers are mounted in response to control signals from an inclinometer mounted on the pivotal frame and control signals from a superelevation device measuring the superelevation of the track.

Abstract: There is described a railroad ballast plow comprising a four element plow member of substantially X-shaped configuration mounted on subframes on a track travelling vehicle so that it can be moved vertically into and out of engagement with the ballast. The elements are disposed such that the intersection point of the X is central of the track and the elements are positioned in pairs on the sub-frames so as to provide a leading and a trailing plow element on each side of the machine. Each plow element has, at an end adjacent the intersection point of the X, a ballast passing gate hinged adjacent and along an upper edge of its respective plow member for rotation between open and closed position. Each ballast passing gate is individually operated by a remote controlled hydraulic piston and cylinder arrangement located between a gate and its respective sub-frame.

Abstract: A railroad ballast plowing machine is provided with a side plow which comprises a pair of plow devices mounted one on each side of the machine in a parallel upright position so that a rectangular main plow board of each plow device extends longitudinally of the track. A first wing is pivotally connected to a leading edge of each plow board and a rear wing is pivotally attached to a trailing edge of each plow board. Each of the first wings includes an inner and an outer flap which is independently rotatable about a substantially vertical hinge line at the leading edge of each plow board. Each of these rear wings includes an inner and outer flap which is independently rotatable about a substantially vertical hinge line at the trailing edge of each plow board. Suitable devices are provided for rotating the flaps. Ballast passing gates are provided in the main plow board adjacent their leading and trailing edges at the bottom of each plow board.

Abstract: There is disclosed a mobile machine for plowing railroad ballast. Mounted centrally of the machine between the front and rear axles thereof and beneath the main chassis of the machine are a pair of plow blades. The plow blades are each mounted on an individual sub-frame which is capable of being raised and lowered so that each plow blade may be brought into engagement with the ballast and lifted therefrom for track travel. Each plow blade carries a rail embracing tunnel. A pivotal connection including a parallelogram linkage connects both tunnel and plow blade to their respective sub-frames such that the blades can be moved through a wide arc in a vertical plane, their tunnels being capable of spanning the rails in each position adopted by the plow blades.

Abstract: In a rail changing machine which removes old rails, prepares the surfaces of the old ties and lays down new rail, a tie plate pick-up device is arranged to pick up the old tie plates and convey them selectively to a trailing car or to a tie plate positioning and dropping device where they are re-laid on the prepared ties. In the event that the old tie plates are not recycled new tie plates are conveyed to the tie plate dropping device. Permanent magnetic pick-up wheels are used and an electromagnetic tie plate holder is used at the dropping station. Problems of lateral alignment at both the pick-up and drop stations and tie plate orientation and longitudinal alignment with the ties at the drop station are overcome using novel mechanisms.

Abstract: A technique for heat treating the upper surface of the head of an in situ rail is disclosed. A car carrying an induction heater followed by an air quencher and then an air and water quencher is passed along the track. In this way the upper surface of the rail head passes through successive stages of heating from ambient temperature, austenization, hardening, tempering and cooling to ambient temperature thus bringing about desired hardening of the rail head. The tendency of the rail to bend concave upwardly due to this heat treatment is counteracted by applying an upward mechanical force to the rail to tend to bend the rail in the opposite direction i.e. concave downwardly. The mechanical force is applied by a lifting mechanism carried on the rail car, the lifting mechanism progressively bending the rail simultaneously with the heat treatment.