Rail re-profiling method and apparatus

A method of milling at least a portion of a profile on a railway rail in situ, the method comprising:

• rotating a milling cutter about a rotation axis, the milling cutter comprising
• a cutter body having a diameter between 4 inches and 16 inches and including a cutter face, and
• a plurality of cutting inserts mounted around a periphery of the cutter face, each of the plurality of cutting inserts comprising a cutting edge, each cutting edge including two ends, wherein as the milling cutter rotates about the rotation axis the ends of the cutting edges define a circular ring comprising an inner radius, defined by inner ends of the cutting edges, and an outer radius, defined by outer ends of the cutting edges;
• milling a facet of the profile on the railway rail in situ with the cutting edges as the milling cutter rotates about the rotation axis while controlling the depth of cut of the cutting inserts, wherein the facet comprises a width of 0.12 to 1.12 inches, wherein a distance between the rotation axis and a closer edge of the facet is less than a distance from the rotation axis to the inner radius of the circular ring, and wherein the rotation axis is offset from the facet being milled on the railway rail by the cutting inserts;
• traversing the railway rail in situ with the milling cutter while milling the railway rail;
• controlling the depth of cut of the cutting inserts to a depth no more than 0.040 inches;
• and
• controlling the speed of traverse of the milling cutter along the railway rail.

A method of milling at least a portion of a profile on a railway rail in situ, the method comprising:

• rotating a first milling cutter about a first rotation axis;
• rotating a second milling cutter about a second rotation axis that differs from the first rotation axis;
• wherein each of the first and second milling cutters comprises
• a cutter body including a cutter face, and
• a plurality of cutting inserts mounted around a periphery of the cutter face, each of the plurality of cutting inserts comprising a cutting edge, each cutting edge including two ends, wherein as each milling cutter rotates about its respective rotation axis the ends of the cutting edges of the respective milling cutter define a circular ring comprising an inner radius, defined by inner ends of the cutting edges, and an outer radius, defined by outer ends of the cutting edges;
• milling a first facet of the profile on the railway rail in situ with the cutting edges of the first milling cutter as the first milling cutter rotates about the first rotation axis while controlling a depth of cut of the cutting inserts of the first milling cutter, wherein a distance between the first rotation axis and a closer edge of the first facet is less than a distance from the first rotation axis to the inner radius of the circular ring formed by the first milling cutter, and wherein the first rotation axis is offset from the first facet being milled on the railway rail by the cutting inserts of the first milling cutter;
• milling a second facet of the profile on the railway rail in situ with the cutting edges of the second milling cutter as the second milling cutter rotates about the second rotation axis while controlling a depth of cut of the cutting inserts of the second milling cutter, wherein a distance between the second rotation axis and a closer edge of the second facet is less than a distance from the second rotation axis to the inner radius of the circular ring formed by the second milling cutter, wherein the second rotation axis is offset from the second facet being milled on the railway rail by the cutting inserts of the second milling cutter, and wherein cutting edges of the first and second milling cutters rotate in different predetermined planes, each predetermined plane corresponding to at least a portion of the rail profile;
• traversing the railway rail in situ with the first and second milling cutters while milling the railway rail;
• and
• controlling the speed of traverse of the first and second milling cutters along the railway rail.