Railway ballast excavator having inclined portion

Abstract

A railway ballast excavating apparatus comprising a guide frame having an endless excavating chain mounted thereon, the guide frame having a first portion for insertion beneath the railway tracks and a second portion parallel and inclined with respect to the first portion, the first portion for excavating ballast and the second portion for elevating the excavated ballast in order to deposit the excavated ballast in a pile adjacent the railway tracks. The apparatus is powered by a rubber-wheeled motive vehicle and can be advantageously lifted from the railway tracks in the event of an oncoming train.

1 . An excavating apparatus for excavating ballast material from beneath a railway track and for elevating the excavated ballast material, the apparatus comprising: 
 a) a frame having a set of railway wheels thereunder; and,    b) an excavating unit laterally adjacent the frame, the excavating unit comprising an endless excavating chain mounted on a guide frame having a first portion and a second portion parallel to and inclined from the first portion, the second portion having an inclination angle relative to the first portion, the second portion for elevating and depositing excavated ballast in a pile adjacent the railway track.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the frame comprises a horizontal slide oriented transversely to the railway track and wherein the excavating unit is mounted to the horizontal slide.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the excavating unit comprises a vertical slide permitting vertical movement of the guide frame.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the excavating unit comprises a knuckle comprising a vertical pivot axis, the knuckle operable to pivot the guide frame about the vertical pivot axis.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the guide frame comprises a plurality of debris clearing holes for reducing debris accumulation within the guide frame.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the frame further comprises a connection means for releasable connection with a motive vehicle.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the connection means comprises a cradle for receiving an articulated arm of the motive vehicle  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the cradle engages with an excavating bucket attached to the articulated arm and causes longitudinal movement of the apparatus along the track in response to movement of the motive vehicle along the track.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the frame further comprises a connection means for releasable connection with a motive vehicle and wherein the excavating unit comprises a hydraulic motor for driving the excavating chain, the hydraulic motor releasably connected to a source of fluid power on the motive vehicle, the excavating unit powered solely using the source of fluid power on the motive vehicle.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus has a total weight less than or equal to 11,000 lbs.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the second portion of the guide frame is inclined with respect to the first portion of the guide frame by an inclination angle of from 10 to 45 degrees.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the second portion of the guide frame is inclined with respect to the first portion of the guide frame by an inclination angle of from 15 to 30 degrees.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the second portion of the guide frame is inclined with respect to the first portion of the guide frame by an inclination angle of from 20 to 23 degrees.  
   
   
       14 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the second portion of the guide frame is inclined with respect to the first portion of the guide frame by an inclination angle of about 22 degrees.  
   
   
       15 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the excavating chain comprises a plurality of excavating links, each excavating link having a first and second pair of vertically spaced apart horizontal joining plates, each pair of spaced apart joining plates comprising concentrically aligned through-holes, the excavating chain further comprising a joining link interspersed between each excavating link, each joining link comprising a spherical bearing at each end thereof located between the spaced apart joining plates, each spherical bearing having an aperture concentrically aligned with the through-holes for receiving a pin connecting the excavating link with the joining link, each pin having a vertical axis about which the excavating link is permitted to rotate relative to the joining link, each spherical bearing permitting angular deflection of the vertical axis in response to movement of the bearing from the first portion of the guide frame to the second portion of the guide frame.  
   
   
       16 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the excavating chain comprises a plurality of excavating links, each excavating link having an outwardly projecting excavating lug having an inclined row of vertically and horizontally spaded apart excavating teeth, each inclined row having a row angle with respect to the direction of movement of the excavating chain.  
   
   
       17 . The apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein the row angle is from 10 to 45 degrees.  
   
   
       18 . A system for excavating ballast material from beneath a railway track comprising: 
 a) a motive vehicle comprising a rubber-wheeled excavator having a set of selectively deployable railway wheels and an articulated arm;    b) an excavating apparatus comprising a frame having a set of railway wheels thereunder and comprising a connection means for releasable connection with the articulated arm of the motive vehicle, the excavating apparatus further comprising an excavating unit laterally adjacent the frame, the excavating unit comprising an endless excavating chain mounted on a guide frame having a first portion and a second portion parallel to and inclined from the first portion, the second portion having an inclination angle relative to the first portion, the second portion for elevating and depositing excavated ballast in a pile adjacent the railway track; and,    c) wherein the motive vehicle is operable to move the excavating apparatus longitudinally along the track, to lift the excavating apparatus from the track and deposit the excavating apparatus adjacent the track, and to drive off of the track by selectively raising the railway wheels.    
   
   
       19 . A method of excavating ballast material from beneath a railway track comprising: 
 a) providing an excavating apparatus comprising a laterally adjustable excavating unit comprising an endless excavating chain mounted on a guide frame having a first portion and a second portion parallel to and inclined from the first portion, the second portion having an inclination angle relative to the first portion;    b) transversely positioning the first portion of the excavating unit at a first operative position beneath the track; and,    c) operating the excavating unit to remove ballast material from beneath the track using the first portion, to elevate the ballast material using the second portion, and to deposit the ballast material in a first pile adjacent the railway track.    
   
   
       20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the method further comprises transversely positioning the first portion of the excavating unit at a second operative position beneath the track then operating the excavating unit both to remove remaining ballast material from beneath the track and to deposit the remaining ballast material in a second pile adjacent the first pile.