Rail grinding system

A mobile rail grinding system for continuously grinding the running surfaces of a railroad track comprising in combination:

• (a) propulsion and power means movably supported on said track for moving said system along said track and supplying power thereto;
• (b) a plurality of coupled cars coupled to said propulsion and power means, each of said cars comprising a carrier supported by a plurality of flanged wheels engaging both rails of the railroad track, each of said carriers having a plurality of rail grinding units on each side of the carrier and disposed over both running surfaces of the railroad track, each rail grinding unit comprising:
• 1. a support frame mounted on said carrier and extending over the track surface to be ground;
• 2. a housing structure upstandingly supported on said support frame over, and in spaced relation from, the track surface to be ground, said housing structure being adjustably movable on said support frame transverse to said track over a predetermined arc generally centered about said track;
• 3. motor means telescopically disposed and reciprocally movable with respect to said housing structure, said motor means having a rotatable shaft downwardly disposed toward said track;
• 4. a grinding wheel mounted concentrically on said rotatable shaft and having a working surface disposed to contact the running surface of said track when said motor means is gravitationally advanced toward the same;
• and
• 5. a single piston-cylinder assembly controlling the reciprocal movement of said motor means with respect to said housing structure and the force with which the working surface of said grinding wheel contacts the running surface by offsetting gravitational forces, said single piston-cylinder assembly being disposed upwardly of said motor means and operatively affixed to said housing structure and said motor means with the center line of said piston-cylinder assembly aligned with the center of rotation of said motor means and said grinding wheel throughout the reciprocal movement of said motor means;
• said grinding wheel thereby being movable throughout said predetermined arc and reciprocally movable relative to the surface to be ground whereby the working surface of said grinding wheel is contactable with any selected areas of the running surface to be ground.