US3429277A - Ballast tamping assembly - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 25, las@ F. PLASSER ETAL BALLAST TAMPING ASSEMBLY Filed Aug. 1, 1967 Shee'rl of 2 E 1&.E l

PRIOR ART Aewr Feb. 25, i969 F. PLAssER ETAL.

BALLAST TAMPING ASSEMBLY Sheet Filed Aug. 1, 1967 INVENTORS, @MAIL ms T032? THQ/Q AGM United States Patent i 3,429,277 BALLAST TAMPING ASSEMBLY Franz Plasser and Josef Theurer, both of .Iohannesgasse 3, Vienna, Austria Filed Aug. 1, 1967, ser. No. 657,616 Claims priority, application Austria, Aug. 5, 1966,

A 7,543/66 U.S. Cl. 104-12 Int. Cl. E01b 27/20 7 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE Background and summary of the invention The present invention relates to improvements in track ballast tamping assemblies wherein pairs of opposing tamping tools are mounted on a common cam shaft for vibration.

In conventional assemblies of this type, the tamping tools of each such pair are linked to a respective one of a pair of carrier arms extending in opposite directions from the cam shaft, and are arranged for reciprocation towads and away from each other in the direction of elongation of the track. Each arm has an inner end constituting a means for mounting the arm on the cam shaft for vibration of the arm upon rotation of the shaft, the mounting means of one arm being adjacent to the mounting means of the other arm in the axial direction of the shaft. In this Way, the planes defined by the carrier arm mounting means are adjacent each other. Thus, the forces exerted on the shaft by the tamping tools upon reciprocation of the tools extend in spaced planes perpendicular to the cam shaft, thus imparting a bending moment to the cam shaft.

It is the primary object of this invention to overcome this disadvantage and thus to eliminate any torque applied to the cam shaft during the tamping stroke of the opposing tamping tools.

This and other objects are accomplished in accordance with the invention by so constructing the mounting means of the carrier arms that their planes of symmetry extending perpendicularly to the cam shaft extend in a common plane.

In a specic embodiment, the inner end of one of the carrier arms is forked to define the plane of symmetry between the forks of the inner end, and the inner end of the other arm extends in the plane of symmetry between the forks.

The arrangement is particularly useful in recently developed tamping tool assemblies with two pairs of opposing tamping tools, which are adjacent each other in the direction of track elongation. In such assemblies, each of the adjacent pairs of tools is arranged for reciprocation towards and away from each other. One of the tools of each pair is linked to a respective one of the outer ends of the carrier arms, and the other one of the tools of each pair is linked to a respective one of the carrier arms intermediate its ends.

Brief description of drawing The above and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will be more fully understood by reference to the following detailed description of now pre- 3,4292?? Patented Feb. 25, 1969 ferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the drawing wherein FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of one embodiment of a ballast tamping assembly according to this invention;

FIG. 2 is a. transverse section, taken in the horizontal plane passing through the cam shaft along line II-II of FIG. 1, of a conventional carrier arm mounting;

FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2, showing an embodiment of the carrier arm mounting according to the invention;

FIG. 4 is a side View of another embodiment of a ballast tampin-g assembly; and

FIG. 5 is a section along line V-V of FIG. 4 showing a carrier farm mounting similar to that of FIG. 3.

Detailed descriptiony The tamping tool assembly schematically shown in FIG. 1 is generally conventional, except for the features more specifically described in connection with FIGS. 2 and 3, and may take the specific form more fully described and illustrated in our U.S. Patent No. 3,000,327, dated Sept. 19, 1961, for example. For simplicitys sake, the mounting of the tamping tool assembly on the tamping tool carrier of a track tamper and t-he hydraulic reciprocating drive for the opposing tools has not been shown, such features being well known and found, for instance, in our prior patent which also fully describes the tamping operation.

The assembly comprises a common cam shaft 1 extending transversely of the direction of elongation of the track and rotatable by a suitable drive (not shown). A pair of carrier arms 2, 3 extend in opposite directions from the cam shaft in the direction of the track elongation. Each carrier arm has an outer end to which a respective one of the tamping tools 5, S is linked by respective pivot 4, 4. Each tamping tool has a pivot 8 intermediate its ends, at which point the reciprocating mechanism (not shown) for the pair of opposing tools is linked to the tools. In this manner, operation of the reciprocating mechanism and rotation of the cam shaft 1 will impart :a vibratory motion to the tamping tools and simultaneously move them together or apart, the approachin'g movement causing any ballast between the tamping tools to be compacted in a well known manner.

The inner end 2', 3 of each carrier arm constitutes a means mounting the respective :arm on cam shaft 1 for vibration of the arm upon rotation of the cam shaft in a manner more clearly shown in FIG. 2. The mounting ends 2', 3 of the carrier arms are adjacent each other in the axial direction of the shaft 1 .and the carrier arms are accordingly cranked to place the outer ends in the same vertical plane perpendicular to the cam shaft. As shown by arrows P and P", the forces transmitted to shaft 1 by the carrier arm ends 2', 3 are yspaced apart on each side of the plane of symmetry lso that two forces are transmitted to the shaft, which impart a bending moment thereto.

According to the invention, as exemplified in the embodiment of FIG. 3, the planes of symmetry of the carrier arm mounting ends 2a' and 3a', which extend perpendicularly to the cam shaft 1, extend in a common plane so that the force P exerted by the arms on the shaft operates in a single plane. In the illustrated embodiment, the inner end 3a of the other carrier arm 3a is forked to define the plane of symmetry between the forks of the inner end, and the inner end 2a' of the other :carrier arm 2a' extends in this plane of symmetry between the forks. Bending moments and torque exerted upon the shaft are thus reduced to a minimum.

FIG. 4 shows a tamping tool assembly as more fully described and claimed in our U.S. patent application Ser. No. 643,972, filed June 6, 1967. This assembly comprises vibratory shaft 1a supported on tamping tool carrier 9. Carrier arms 2b, 3b extend from the vibratory shaft in diametrically opposite directions, the full mounting of the assembly on a mobile track tamper moving on the track not being illustrated because it is well known and has also been fully described and illustrated in our copending Patent No. 3,357,366, liled Feb. 17, 1966.

In this embodiment, the track tamping tool assembly comprises two pairs of tamping tools, each pair designed to tamp a tie positioned therebetween. As is also conventional, the tamping tools comprise pivotal levers 5a, Sa and 5', 5', respectively, which are pivotally secured intermediate their ends to fulcrums 8', 8' and 12, 12, respectively. Fixed fulcrums 12, 12 are pivotally secured to each lever 5', 5 of the adjacent tamping tools of the adjacent pairs of the tools, and the means for elfectuating the reciprocation of the adjacent tools consists of hydraulic motors 13 whose piston rods are respectively linked to each of the upper ends 14 of the adjacent tamping tools for moving the upper tool ends in the direction of elongation of the track.

As shown, the cylinders of the hydraulic motors 13 are linked to the outer ends of the carrier arms 2b, 3b at pivots 15, 15 so that the vibration of the arms is transmitted to the tamping tools via their reciprocating devices.

Fulcrums 8 of the tamping tool levers 5a, which support the tamping tool jaw mounts 6 with their tamping jaws 7, are mounted for movement in the direction of track elongation and are secured to slidable supports 8a mounted on support rails 11 carried by brackets 10 in tamping tool carrier 9, all in a manner well known per se. As also fully described in our copending Patent No. 3,357,366, the tamping tool reciprocating device includes piston rod 8" attached to the slidable supports and gliding in a stationary cylinder positioned centrally of the adjacent pairs of tools.

The tamping tool jaw mounts 6', 6 of the adjacent tamping tools are cranked in the manner more fully described and claimed in our copending application Ser. No. 643,972.

The arrangement of the inner carrier arm mounting ends 2b and 3b' is the same as described in connection with FIG. 3, as shown in FIG. 5.

While a specific embodiment of the carrier arm mounting on the cam shaft has been described and illustrated, it will be understood that many modifications and variations may occur to those skilled in the art, particularly after beneiitting from the present teaching, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. An assembly for tamping ballast comprising (l) a cam shaft;

(2) a pair of carrier arms extending in opposite directions from the cam shaft,

(a) each of said arms having an outer end and an inner end constituting a means mounting the arm on the cam shaft for vibration of the arm upon rotation of the cam shaft, and

(b) each arm mounting means having a plane of symmetry extending perpendicularly to the cam shaft, the planes of symmetry of said arm mounting means extending in a common plane; and

(3) a tamping tool linked to each one of the outer ends of the carrier arms,

(c) the pair of tamping tools being arranged for reciprocation towards and away from each other. 2. The ballast tamping assembly of claim 1, wherein said common plane defines a plane of symmetry of the 5 carrier arms.

3. An assembly for tamping ballast comprising (l) a cam shaft;

(2) a pair of carrier arms extending in opposite directions from the cam shaft,

(a) each of said arms having an outer end and an inner end constituting a means mounting the arm on the cam shaft for vibration of the arm upon rotation of the cam shaft, and

(b) each arm mounting means having a plane of symmetry extending perpendicularly to the cam shaft, the planes of symmetry of said arm mounting means extending in a common plane; and

(3) two pairs of opposing tamping tools,

(c) each of said pairs of tamping tools being arranged for reciprocation towards and away from each other, and

(d) one of the tamping tools of each pair being linked to a respective one of the outer ends of the carrier arms, and the other one of the tamping tools of each pair being linked to a respective one of the carrier arms intermediate its ends.

4. The ballast tamping assembly of claim 3, wherein the inner end of one of said carrier arms is forked t0 define said plane of symmetry between the forks of the inner end, and the inner end of the other carrier arm extends in said plane of symmetry between the forks.

S. The ballast tamping assembly of claim 3, wherein said common plane defines a plane of symmetry of the carrier arms.

6. An assembly for tamping ballast comprising (l) a cam shaft;

(2) a pair of carrier arms extending in opposite directions from the cam shaft,

(a) each or" said arms having an outer end and an inner end constituting a means mounting the arm on the cam shaft for vibration of the arm upon rotation of the cam shaft,

(b) the inner end of one of said carrier arms being forked to define a plane of symmetry extending perpendicularly to the cam shaft between the forks of the inner end, and

(c) the inner end of the other carrier arm extending in said plane of symmetry between the forks; and

(3) a tamping tool linked to each one of the outer ends of the carrier arms,

(c) the pair of tamping tools being arranged for reciprocation towards and away from each other.

55 7. The ballast tamping assembly of claim 6, wherein said common plane defines a plane of symmetry of the carrier arms.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1961 Plasser et al 1011-12 1/1962 Plasser et al 104-12

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