Stoneblower having adjustable workheads and improved blowing tubes

A stoneblower comprising:

• a superstructure adapted to travel along a railroad track;
• a workhead carried on said superstructure;
• a blowing tube carried on said workhead;
• said workhead including pivot means for permitting said blowing tube to pivot along a horizontal axis generally transverse to the longitudinal direction of the railroad track, whereby said blowing tube is tilted about said horizontal axis between a first tilt angle and a second tilt angle as said blowing tube engages a tie in the track.

A stoneblower comprising:.

• a superstructure adapted to travel along a railroad track;
• a workhead carried on said superstructure;
• at least two blowing tubes carried on said workhead, said workhead having a yaw angle and a means for permitting said workhead to pivot about a generally vertical axis to vary said yaw angle, whereby said workhead can pivot so that said blowing tubes can both engage even a skewed tie in the track, said workhead including a pivot frame pivotally secured to a vertical carriage, said workhead further including a resilient means for biasing said pivot frame in a first yaw angle;
• said workhead including pivot means for permitting said blowing tubes to pivot along an axis generally transverse to the longitudinal direction of the railroad track, whereby said blowing tubes may be tilted between a first tilt angle and a second tilt angle as said blowing tubes engages a tie in the track.

A method of stoneblowing additional ballast under the ties of a railroad track, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a stoneblower workhead having a blowing tube pivotable about a horizontal axis generally perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the track;
• biasing the blowing tube about said axis toward a first position;
• moving the stoneblower workhead longitudinally along the track until the blowing tube engages a tie and pivots away from the first position against the bias;
• detecting such pivoting of the blowing tube;
• and
• stopping the stoneblower workhead in response to said detecting and working the track at the tie.

A stoneblower comprising:

• a superstructure adapted to travel along a railroad track;
• a workhead carried on said superstructure;
• a pair of blowing tubes carried on said workhead, said blowing tubes being spaced from one another in a direction generally perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the track, said blowing tubes having a yaw angle;
• pivot means for permitting said tubes to pivot in tandem about a generally vertical axis to vary said yaw angle, whereby said blowing tubes may pivot in tandem about a skewed tie in the track;
• and
• a resilient means for biasing said blowing tubes toward a first yaw angle.

A railroad track stoneblower comprising:

• a superstructure adapted to travel on a railroad track;
• a workhead supported by said superstructure;
• a blowing tube supported by said workhead for vertical reciprocable movement with respect to the track;
• pivot means for permitting said blowing tube to pivot about a generally horizontal axis generally perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the track between first and second positions corresponding to first and second angles;
• and
• motive means for positively shifting said blowing tube about said pivot means between said first and second positions, whereby said blowing tubes can be oriented to be generally parallel to tie faces inclined at the first and second angles.

A workhead for a railroad track maintenance vehicle, comprising:

• a first carriage adapted to mount to the track maintenance vehicle;
• a second carriage pivotally secured to said first carriage;
• at least one blowing tube carried by said second carriage;
• said second carriage having a horizontal axis of rotation extending substantially transversely to a longitudinal extent of the railroad track whereby said blowing tube is tilted about said horizontal axis between a first tilt angle and a second tilt angle to adapt to different angled tie surfaces.

A workhead for a railroad track maintenance vehicle, comprising:

• a first carriage adapted to mount to the track maintenance vehicle;
• a second carriage pivotally secured to said first carriage;
• at least one blowing tube carried by said second carriage;
• said second carriage having a transverse axis of rotation whereby said blowing tube may be tilted between a first tilt angle and a second tilt angle;
• a tilt means for selectively moving said second carriage between said first and second tilt angles with respect to said first carriage;
• and
• a third carriage pivotally secured to said second carriage, said third carriage having a vertical axis of rotation whereby said blowing tube may be yawed between a first yaw angle and a second yaw angle.

A method of stoneblowing railroad track comprising the steps of:

• providing a blowing tube mounted on a support structure for pivotal movement about a generally horizontal axis extending generally transverse to the longitudinal direction of the railroad track;
• orienting the blowing tube with a pre-tilt;
• moving the blowing tube toward a tie in the track until the tube engages the face of the tie and pivots a predetermined distance from the pre-tilt under the force of the tube engaging the tie;
• and
• blowing ballast stone under the tie.