Shoulder tamping lifting jack

Abstract

A method and apparatus for aligning track and compacting ballast therebetween. A pair of shoes contoured to fit the shoulder of the ballast is placed in contact with the shoulder whereby each shoe is located on the outside of a respective one of the rails and extends in a longitudinal direction along the shoulder. A vibration device is used to fluidize portions of the ballast beneath each of the shoes and between each shoe and the ends of the adjacent ties. A lifting jack is articulately connected to each shoe and the two jacks apply a lifting force to the rails substantially equal to the weight of the track by means of laterally and vertically adjustable clamps adapted to grasp each of the rails. A lateral force is then applied to the rails by means of the clamps to displace the track in a substantially horizontal position through said fluidized ballast. The shoes have an appropriate surface area whereby the applied forces per unit area on the shoes are of a magnitude to substantially prevent vertical and lateral movement of the shoes in the ballast during the vibration and aligning operation.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.