Excavator blade for replacing railroad sleepers

A blade for use with an excavator having a mobile, power-operated, articulated arm and hydraulic means acting in conjunction with the articulated arm, the blade having particular utility in replacing sleepers secured in the foundation ballast of a railroad track, comprising:

• a plate including a primary working surface and a reverse surface, said plate having a width at least equal to the width of said replacing sleepers and a depth substantially greater than the distance from the top of the track to the bottom of the foundation, said plate having a pair of recesses symmetrically spaced across the width of one edge thereof, the recesses having a center distance corresponding to the gauge of the track, a width for clearance of the track and a depth at least as large as the sum of the construction height of the rail of the track and the sleeper, said one edge constituting the working edge of the plate;
• wearing steel means mounted on said working edge of the plate;
• first lug means mounted on said plate proximate the edge opposite said working edge and adjacent said working surface for rotatably securing said blade to said articulated arm;
• second lug means aligned with said first lug means and spaced therefrom for securing said blade to the hydraulic means for swinging the blade;
• said first and second lug means cooperating respectively with said articulated arm and said hydraulic means at least for actuating the blade for displacing the ballast and replacing the same ballast of said foundation during replacing of said sleepers, and
• a pair of flanged wheel means mounted on the reverse surface of the plate for supporting one end of said excavator through said articulated arm and for guiding said excavator along said track.