Method and machine for replacing damaged rail sections of a track
AssigneeFranz Plasser Bahnbaumaschinen-Industriegesellschaft
InventorJosef Theurer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a method for efficiently removing a great number of damaged rail sections, after a first separating cut, the severed free rail ends are gripped by a rail pulling device connecting the rail ends to one another, and are pulled towards one another. The pulling force required for the pulling-together as well a current rail temperature are registered for calculation of that length of a replacement rail which is required for producing a desired rail tension. A second separating cut is carried out—with corresponding path measurement—spaced at a distance from the first separating cut as calculated on the basis of the selected length of the replacement rail.
Claims12
A method of replacing a damaged rail section of a welded rail of a track, the method which comprises:
- a) cutting through a rail to form a first separating cut and two rail ends spaced by a rail gap, gripping the two rail ends with a rail pulling device, and pulling the rail ends towards one another with a pulling force f for closing the rail gap;
- b) measuring the pulling force f required for pulling the rail ends together and measuring a current rail temperature, and calculating therefrom a length of a replacement rail required for producing a desired rail tension after welding the replacement rail into the track;
- c) cutting through the rail to form a second separating cut at a measured distance from said first separating cut derived in the calculating step on the basis of the selected length of the replacement rail and welding the replacement rail into the track at the locations of the first and second separating cuts.
A machine for preparation of a rail weld, comprising:
- a machine frame and on-track undercarriages supporting said machine frame on a track;
- a rail storage facility for storing a plurality of replacement rails;
- a crane jib assembly with drives for vertically and rotatably adjusting a crane jib for gripping and unloading a replacement rail;
- a vertically adjustable rail cutting saw adjustably mounted on a saw guide extending in a longitudinal direction of said machine frame;
- a rail pulling device mounted on said machine frame and having two mutually spaced-apart pairs of rail clamps configured for gripping and pulling together two rail ends;
- and
- a pair of lifting rams mounted to said machine frame in immediate proximity to a respective on-track undercarriage, said lifting rams being configured to be lowered for placement upon a track, and for lifting the proximate said on-track undercarriage from the track.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.