GB1282031A - Railway rail handling apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

1282031 Roller conveyers CANRON Ltd- CANRON LIMITEE 8 Aug 1969 [8 Aug 1968] 39891/69 Heading B8A [Also in Division E1] In laying or taking up lengths of railway rail, the rails R are advanced longitudinally by at least one apparatus 20 mounted on a track-borne vehicle, each apparatus comprising opposed pairs of wheels 40, 41 and 42, 43 for engaging the rail base flange and the rail head, respectively, at points spaced along the rail, the rail flange wheels 40, 41 and rail head wheels 42, 43 being mounted for rotation about parallel axes on lower and upper frame members 30, 31 respectively, the frame members 30, 31 being rockably mounted about axes 32, 39 to accommodate rail flexure, the wheels being driven to advance the rail and the nip between the wheels being adjustable by a gripping means acting on the frame members 30, 31. As shown, the gripping means comprises an hydraulic ram 38 acting on the free end of a lever arm which is pivoted at 37 and rockably carries at its centre the upper frame member 31. The wheels 40-43 are secured to respective gear-wheels which are engaged in pairs by pinions 54, 74 driven by respective hydraulic or electric motors mounted on the frame members 30, 31. In the case of hydraulic motors, the pressure fluid circuit may include a flow divider to ensure equal rates of flow to the two motors and thereby equal speeds of the rail head wheels and rail flange wheels. The rail head wheels 42, 43 may have guide flanges, and friction with the rail may be promoted by sanding. The apparatus 20 may instead be used in a fixed position in a rail maintenance shop.