GB829831A - Improvements relating to measuring devices for railway tracks - Google Patents

Abstract

829,831. Rail gauges. ELLIOTT BROS. (LONDON) Ltd. Sept. 12, 1957 [Sept. 18, 1956], No. 28558/56. Class 106 (2). Apparatus for gauging railway track comprises a measuring probe 10 carried on a car 13 movable along the track and held in contact with the inner side face of one of the running rails, the path of the probe 10 being controlled by a guide probe 14 which is arranged in staggered relationship with respect to the measuring probe 10 and is engaged by the outer side face of a guard or check rail 23 associated with the other running rail. The probes 10, 14 are carried on rods 11, 15 slidable in bearings 12, 16 fixed to the car 13 and the rods 11, 15 are pivoted to a lever 17 pivoted at 18 to the car 13. The probe 10 is biased outwardly by a spring 19 and normally contacts a rail such as 22, but is guided over gaps and other hazards by the probe 14 engaging a guard rail such as 23. The degree of staggering of the probes 10, 14 is chosen to avoid the fouling of all known hazards and the connection of the rods 11, 15 to a suitable lever 17 compensates on curves for placing the probes off the central transverse axis of the car 13. The movement of the probe 10 relative to the car is applied to a transducer 21 to provide a proportional electric signal and variations may be recorded. In a practical embodiment, Fig. 3, two measuring probes 25, 26 and their respective guide-probes 27, 28 may be carried by vertical rods extending downwards from hydraulic jacks for lifting and lowering them, the jacks being slidably mounted on transverse rods 31, 33. The jacks carrying the probes 25, 27 are connected to a lever 46 by links 45, 50 and those carrying the probes 26, 28 to a lever 53 by similar links. The levers 46, 53 are pivoted at 47 and can be moved inwards by hydraulic jacks 52, 54 against the action of springs 51. To enable the guide probes 27, 28 to move inwards too they are each connected to the other lever 53, 46 by links 55 and the links 50, 55 are given a degree of lost motion by their telescopic construction, the links 50 also having springs 56 tending to shorten them within limits imposed by the links 55. The horizontal rods 31, 33 and two others disposed vertically above them are secured in plates 35, 36 attached to the car frame by lugs 38, 39, 42 pivotally received in brackets 40, 41 and 43 to prevent twisting of the car frame from distorting the rod assembly. The provision of a guide probe enables the usual three-foot shoe to be replaced by one of three inches, thus making the probe sensitive to small variations.