Mobile ballast cleaning apparatus

A mobile ballast cleaning apparatus mounted for mobility in an operating direction on a track supported on ballast, which comprises

• (a) a first work vehicle having a front undercarriage and a rear undercarriage mounting the vehicle on the track
• (1) a track lifting device mounted on the first work vehicle between the undercarriages, and
• (2) a vertically adjustable ballast excavating and conveying chain mounted on the first work vehicle at a ballast excavating site between the undercarriage adjacent the track lifting device,
• (b) a second work vehicle preceding the first work vehicle in the operating direction and having a front undercarriage and a rear undercarriage mounting the vehicle on the track,
• (1) a ballast screening installation mounted substantially centrally on the second work vehicle for separating waste from cleaned ballast, and
• (2) a waste conveyor means mounted on the second work vehicle for removing the waste,
• (c) a conveyor means for conveying the excavated ballast from the ballast excavating and conveying chain to the ballast screening installation,
• (d) a cleaned ballast conveying and redistributing installation including a conveyor band mounted on the second work vehicle for receiving the cleaned ballast from the ballast screening installation, a first cleaned ballast conveying and redistributing means arranged to convey the cleaned ballast to an output end adjacent a first ballast redistributing outlet immediately rearwardly of the ballast excavating site, a second cleaned ballast conveying and redistributing means having an input end adjacent the output end of the first ballast conveying and redistributing means and leading to a second ballast redistributing outlet arranged rearwardly of the rear undercarriage of the first work vehicle, and a third cleaned ballast conveying and redistribution means arranged to convey any excess cleaned ballast to a predetermined distribution outlet,
• (e) a ballast flow deflector mounted between the output end of the first cleaned ballast conveying and redistributing means and the input end of the second cleaned ballast conveying and redistributing means, and
• (f) a drive for selectively positioning the ballast flow deflector for directing the cleaned ballast solely to the first outlet for continuously forming a first layer of cleaned ballast as the mobile apparatus advances in the operating direction, solely to the second outlet for forming a second layer of cleaned ballast over the first layer, and into both outlets for simultaneously forming the first and second layers of cleaned ballast.