Track strength testing vehicle with a loaded gage axle and loaded gage axle apparatus
AssigneeHolland Company
InventorsRobert V. Norby, Stefan T. Pendrick
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A motor vehicle body is adapted for use on railroad tracks by being elevated by "high rail" unit steel wheels, but with the motive force being supplied by the vehicle's road wheels, a loaded gage axle assembly having vertical loads imposed by hydraulic rams, and horizontal loads being supplied by horizontal rams through split axles and steel wheels to the railroad tracks is calibrated to measure track strength and adapted to be operatively connected to electronic data recording and comparing apparatus.
Claims11
A road motor vehicle for testing railroad track strength having a first set of road wheels and a second set of road wheels adapted for use on railroad tracks by being elevated by extendible rail contacting wheels comprising:
- supplying the motive force for the vehicle through at least one set of the vehicle's road wheels;
- positioning between said sets of road wheels a loaded gage axle assembly for measuring track strength by measuring side loads applied to the tracks;
- imposing vertical loads on said loaded gage axle assembly by a vertical hydraulic ram;
- supplying horizontal loads through said gage axle assembly with a horizontal ram through a split axle and flanged wheels to the railroad tracks;
- said gage axle assembly being calibrated to measure track strength by measuring movement of said flanged wheels;
- said horizontal ram being operatively connected to a transducer and said transducer being operatively connected to electronic data recording and comparing apparatus whereby said track strength is analyzed.
A loaded gage axle assembly for measuring the strength of railroad tracks comprising:
- a gage axle assembly mountable to a frame of a vehicle, the vehicle being adapted to move on railroad tracks;
- a horizontal housing containing a split axle slidably therein;
- a vertical load assembly having a first end mounted to the vehicle by a frame and a second end opposite said first end, said vertical load assembly carrying said horizontal housing permitting vertical movement thereof;
- a horizontally slidable interconnection between said horizontal housing and said vertical load assembly said interconnection being located at said second end of said vertical load assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.