Tamping unit

A tamping unit for a track working machine mounted for mobility on a track comprised of two rails fastened to a succession of ties resting on ballast, which comprises

• (a) a vertically adjustable tamping tool means carrier,
• (b) a pair of vibratory tamping tool means arranged to straddle a respective one of the ties and mounted on the carrier for reciprocation in a direction towards and away from the one tie, each of the tamping tool means on each rail side including
• (1) a tamping tool means holder constituted by a pivotal lever, the tamping tool means holder having an upper end and a lower end, and the holder being pivotal in said direction about a fulcrum extending perpendicularly to said direction intermediate the tamping tool holder ends,
• (2) a power drive connected to the tamping tool means holder for pivoting the holder in said direction,
• (3) two side-by-side tamping picks mounted on the lower tamping tool means holder end adjacent each side of a respective one of the rails for immersion in the ballast upon vertical adjustment of the tamping tool means carrier, a first one of the tamping picks on each side of the one rail being closer to the one rail than the other tamping pick and the two tamping picks on each side being mounted for independent pivoting in a plane extending perpendicularly to the direction of reciprocation between an operating position wherein the picks extend substantially vertically for immersion in the ballast and an inoperative position wherein the picks extend substantially horizontally above the track, and
• (4) separate power drives for pivoting the two tamping picks on each side independently of each other.