AU626590B2 - Rail fastener application - Google Patents

Description

FORM COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (Original) Class Int. Class Application Number: pj 0937 Lodged: 13.10.1988 Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: P..a Published: Priority: Related Art: P P 0 P Name of Applicant: MCKAY AUSTRALIA LIMITED 0 Address of Applicant: 44-80 Hampstead Road, Maidstone, Victoria P P Actual Inventor: RICHARD WILLIAM MARTIN o o Address for Service: WATERMARK PATENT TRADEMARK ATTORNEYS, QUEEN STREET, MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, 3000 Complete Specification for the invention entitled: RAIL FASTENER APPLICATOR The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us.

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_r I -2- RAIL FASTENER APPLICATOR This invention relates to improvements in rail fastener applicators.

In particular it applies to applicators applying fasteners at right angles to the rail. An applicator of this type is described in U.S. Patent 4,484,463 (equivalent to AU 548030). That applicator was particularly useful in laying new rail and applied four fasteners to two rails at a time.

This invention is concerned with a smaller applicator for ise on a single rail. Such an applicator needs to be manually moveable by an operator and to be reasonably 15 compact and light.

o. 15 To this end the present invention in one aspect provides a rail fastener applicator for use with rail fasteners which are applied horizontally in a direction at right angles to the longitudinal dimensions of the rail comprising: eor0 20 a carrier frame mounted for movement along a rail; a pair of opposed applicator arms pivoted intermediate their ends at spaced positions spanning o° ~said rail; :each applicator arm having an abutment face adjacent its lower end adapted to contact a rail fastener; and o o omeans connected to the upper end of each applicator arm adapted to move said pair of applicator arms in unison either away from each other or toward each other.

This arrangement differs from the arrangement of U.S.

Patent 4,494,463 where the arms had a common pivot point at their upper ends and the hydraulic means moving the arms in unison was located intermediate the ends of the arms. In the present invention the arrangement of the arms provides a more compact and lighter construction.

1i "1i 3 In another aspect of this invention there is provided a rail applicator comprising a frame with wheels mounted for movement along a rail, said frame being rotatable in a vertical plane about a pivot point from a position in which the applicator can be moved along the rail so that the fastener applicator arms are clear of the rail to a position where the applicator arms are contactable with the fasteners to apply the rail fasteners to the rail, and dual height adjustment and brake means attached to said frame and adapted to engage the wheels or the rail when said frame is °in the fastener application position.

This arrangement provides a unique solution to the o 00 problem encountered in a light weight machine of adjusting "15 the height of the applicator arms to accommodate varying 0 rail sizes and to provide a means of holding the applicator frame in position during the operation of applying the fasteners to the rail.

It is preferred that the applicator of this invention :20 includes an hydraulic power circuit for moving the oo applicator arms. By locating this appropriately on the 00 frame in relation to the pivoting point of the frame, it is 0::o 0relatively easy for an operator to tilt the frame up while S: pushing the applicator along the rail and to lower the frame to engage the brake onto the wheel or the rail to hold the GO 0 00. applicator in position with the applicator arms at the r correct height.

So A preferred embodiment of this invention will now be described in telation to the drawings in which figure 1 is a view from the operator's end of the applicator and a rail figure 2 is a side view of the applicator on the up position, figure 3 is a side view in the down position and figure 4 is a detailed view of the height adjuster brake.

The rail applicator 1 comprises a frame 2 mounted on a wheeled bogey 3 and pivoted about point 4 for vertical movement.

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4 -4- Pivot point 4 is part of a yoke which is pivoted axis the wheeled bogie 3. This permits the frame 2 to be rotatable through 1800 to allow the machine to be worked in the opposite direction of travel.

The wheels are mounted on the rail 5 and the whole is stabilized by the arm 24 which extends across to the second rail 6. The stabilizer arm 24 is socketed into bogie 3 and is rotatable to permit the applicator to be tilted from the vertical to cater for different angles of rail tilt.

The rail fastener system which holds the rail 5 to o e' the rail tie 7 is preferably of the kind described in Australian Patent Applications 37379/78, 47/881/79, 54004/79 B% and 60581/79. The support shoulders 8 are embedded in the 15 concrete rail tie 7. Rail fasteners 9 are located in the shoulders 8 prior to being pushed on to the flange of rail (figure The insulators 10 are shown lying between the flange of rail 5 and the shoulders 8. The fasteners 9 when applied lie on the insulators 10 to bear down on the rail :20 flange and hold the rail 5 in position.

o 0 The applicator 1 includes a pair of applicator arms 12 and 13 each carrying an abutment face 14 at their lower o" o end. The arms 12 and 13 are pivoted at points 16 and 17 on i the cross piece 15 which is mounted on the frame 2.

25 An hydraulic ram 18 is mounted between the upper ends of the applicator arms 12 and 13 and attached tc them at points 19 and 20. The arms 12 and 13 thus move in unison to apply the fasteners 9 simultaneously.

The hydraulic control valves 21 of the hydraulic pump 22 are connected by a series of lines 23 to each other and the ram 19. Location of the controls 21 and the pump 22 is selected to provide easy movement of the frame 2 about the j pivot 4 to and from the positions shown in figures 2 and 3.

The controls 21 and pump 22 and the ram 18 are all conventional.

10 ft fr 4 a iii *04 0r 0c 00 00 0 5 The brake and height adjustment mechanism comprises a brake pad 25 secured to a bolt 26 mounted in the frame 2 adjacent one of the wheels 27 of bogey 3. The threaded nut 28 with its attached lever 29 enables the length of the bolt 26 extending below frame 2 to be adjusted with the consequential result of adjusting the height of the frame 2 and the applicator faces 14 relative to the rail In operation the operator holds the handle bar portion 30 of frame 2 and pushes the applicator along the rail to the next rail seat. By lowering the frame to the position of figure 3 the brake pad 25 engages wheel 27 and stops further movement of the applicator.

The abutment faces 14 are now located in position and operation of the control lever 31 actuates the hydraulic mechanism and ram 18 to move the arms 12 and 13 in unison so that the abutment faces 14 push the fasteners 9 onto the flange of rail The applicator of this invention can be used to fasten rails in either track laying or repair work.

From the above it can be seen that this invention does provide a simple and compact fastener applicator.

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Claims (2)

1. 3. An applicator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said carrier frame is pivotted about an horizontal axis at right angles to the rail to enable the abutment faces on the applicator arms to be raised clear of said rail.
2. 4. An applicator as claimed in clair 3, which incorporates a brake element engageable with one of the rail wheels on said carrier frame said element being adjustable to allow adjustment of the height of the abutment faces relative to the rail. i I 1 7 mounted for movement along a rail, said frame b rotatable in a vertical plane about a piv oint from a position in which the applicator ca moved along the rail so that the fastener applicat -rms are clear of the rail to a position where the icator arms are contactable with the fasteners to y the rail fasteners to the rail, and dual height ustment and brake means attached to said frame adapted to engage the wheels or the rail when said f«ii z f n e DATED this 28th day of July, 1989 McKAY AUSTRALIA LIMITED -o WATERMARK PATENT TRADEMARK ATTORNEYS, 50 Queen Street S e MELBOURNE. VIC. 3000 AUSTRALIA DBM:LN (6.34) VU 0 DBM:LN (6.34) t i. L i L _i_