Mobile machine for removing surface irregularities from a rail head of a railroad track

A mobile rail planing machine mounted on a railroad track for continuous movement in an operating direction, the track including two rails each having a rail head defining a gage side, a field side and a running surface, the gage and field sides extending from the running surface to a lower edge of the rail head, the machine being arranged for continuously removing such surface irregularities as ripples, corrugations and overflow metal during the continuous movement and comprising

• (a) a frame running on the track on undercarriages having flanged wheels engaging the gage and field sides in a zone adjacent the running surface,
• (b) a rail planing tool mounting linked to the machine frame in association with each rail,
• (1) the mountings being in substantial alignment in a direction extending transversely to the rails,
• (c) transversely extending spacing members linking the mountings to each other,
• (d) hydraulic drives for continuously adjusting the spacing members and the mountings linked thereto to the track gage,
• (e) hydraulic drive means for vertically adjusting the mountings relative to the running surface of the rail head of the associated rail and for pressing the mountings thereagainst,
• (f) guide roller means for vertically and laterally guiding the mountings along th rail heads of the associated rails, the guide roller means including
• (1) two guide rollers laterally guiding each mounting without play along a selected one of the sides of the rail head of the associated rail and engaging the selected rail head side in a region extending from the lower edge to below the zone adjacent the running surface, and
• (2) a plurality of additional guide rollers vertically guiding each mounting along the running surface of the rail head of the associated rail, the additional guide rollers engaging the running surface and each having an axis extending substantially parallel to the track plane,
• (g) a tool head including a tool holder, the tool head being mounted centrally between the guide rollers and for displacement in relation to the mounting in planes parallel to the track plane and to a vertical plane passing through the associated rail and the tool holder including clamping means,
• (h) further hydraulic drives connected to each tool head for displacing the same in said planes,
• (i) a rail planing tool replaceably mounted in the clamping means of the tool holder, thetool holder detachably carrying
• (1) a cutting blade having a cutting edge for planing chips or shavings off the rail head to obtain a selected rail head configuration, and
• (j) means for removing the chips or shavings.