Field-portable hole broaching machines and methods for using the same

A broaching system for forming holes through a web of a railroad rail comprising:

• a mounting and alignment system comprising:
• a rail shoe having an aperture and configured to engage a web of a railroad rail;
• a first adapter plate coupled to the rail shoe and having an aperture in substantial coaxial alignment with the rail shoe aperture;
• and
• a clamping assembly for clamping the rail shoe and the first adapter plate to the railroad rail;
• and
• a field-portable broaching machine comprising:
• a second adapter plate configured to engage with the first adapter plate, the second adapter plate having an aperture for substantial coaxial alignment with the first adapter plate aperture when the first and second adapter plates are engaged;
• a tube having a first end coupled to the second adapter plate and a wall defining an interior passageway substantially coaxially aligned with the aperture through the second adapter plate;
• a puller head for releasably coupling to an end of a broach and configured to travel along a portion of the interior passageway of the tube;
• an acme screw coupled to the puller head for linearly moving the puller head along a portion of the interior passageway of the tube;
• and
• a gearbox assembly coupled to a second end of the tube and the acme screw for translating an applied rotational force into linear motion of the acme crew and the puller head assembly such that a broach coupled to the puller head linearly travels through the apertures through the rail shoe and the first and second adapter plates and a pilot hole formed through the railroad rail.

A method of forming a hole through a web of a section of railroad rail comprising:

• clamping a first adapter plate supported by a rail shoe to a selected portion of a section of railroad rail, an aperture of the first adapter plate being substantially in coaxial alignment with an aperture of the rail shoe;
• drilling a pilot hole through a selected point on the second of rail, the pilot hole substantially in coaxial alignment with the apertures of the first adapter plate and the rail shoe;
• mating the first adapter plate with a second adapter plate such that an aperture of the second adapter plate is substantially in coaxial alignment with the aperture of the first adapter plate, the second adapter plate supporting a broaching machine, the broaching machine including a lockable puller head for releasably receiving an end of a broach, an acme screw for linearly moving the pulling assembly, and a gearbox assembly for translating an applied rotational force into linear motion of the acme screw;
• moving the pulling head assembly to a position proximate the pilot hole through the rail;
• unlocking the pulling head for receiving the end of the broach;
• inserting the end of the broach through the pilot hole and the apertures of the rail shoe and the first and second adapter plates and into engagement with the puller head;
• locking the pulling head to retain the end of the broach;
• and
• applying a rotational force to the gearbox assembly to pull a plurality of teeth on the broach through the pilot hole.