Machine for clearing railroad flangeways

Abstract

A machine is provided for clearing a rail flangeway, of debris or ice, the machine comprising: a frame; mounting means for mounting the frame on a vehicle, the vehicle for moving the machine across the surface in a direction of travel generally parallel to the length of the flangeway; at least one rotating member mounted on the frame for rotation about an axis generally perpendicular to the direction of travel; drive means in communication with the rotating member to provide rotation; and at least one elongate clearing member mounted on the rotating member, the elongate clearing member being configured to fit inside the subsurface groove; such that, as the vehicle moves the machine across the surface, rotation of the rotating member causes the elongate clearing member to intermittently enter the flangeway to clear it of debris.

1 . A method of clearing debris from a flangeway groove accommodating a running rail of a railroad track, the method comprising: 
 providing a vehicle adapted to travel along the track;    providing a cleaning head comprising a housing, a rotor rotatably mounted in the housing, and at least one cleaning element projecting radially from the rotor;    rotating the rotor about a rotor axis oriented transversely to the flangeway; and    supporting the cleaning head on the vehicle; above the flangeway for movement along the flangeway as the vehicle travels along the track, such that, as the cleaning head moves along the flangeway and the rotor is rotated, each cleaning element sweeps repeatedly along the flangeway groove to clear debris therefrom.    
   
   
       2 . A cleaner for clearing debris from a flangeway groove accommodating a running rail of a railroad track, the cleaner comprising: 
 a vehicle adapted to travel along the track;    a cleaning head comprising: 
 a housing;  
 a rotor mounted in the housing for rotation about a rotor axis transverse to the flangeway, the rotor comprising a hub and a plurality of impellers projecting radially from the hub;  
 at least one cleaning element projecting radially from the rotor;  
 a rotor drive for rotating the rotor about the rotor axis; and  
 a carrier for mounting the cleaning head on the vehicle for supporting the cleaning head above the flangeway for movement along the flangeway as the vehicle travels along the track, such that, as the cleaning head moves along the flangeway and the rotor is rotated, each cleaning element sweeps repeatedly along the groove to clear debris therefrom.  
   
   
   
       3 . A cleaner according to  claim 2  wherein the cleaning elements are mounted on respective ones of the impellers.  
   
   
       4 . A cleaner according to  claim 3  comprising a plurality of cleaning elements mounted on each impeller.  
   
   
       5 . A cleaner according to  claim 2  wherein said at least one cleaning element comprises a plurality of cleaning elements, all of the cleaning elements being arranged for alignment with the flangeway groove.  
   
   
       6 . A cleaner for clearing debris from a flangeway groove accommodating a running rail of a railroad track, the cleaner comprising: 
 a vehicle adapted to travel along the track;    a cleaning head comprising: 
 a housing;  
 a rotor mounted in the housing for rotation about a rotor axis transverse to the flangeway;  
 at least one cleaning element projecting radially from the rotor;  
 a rotor drive for rotating the rotor about the rotor axis; and  
 a carrier for mounting the cleaning head on the vehicle for supporting the cleaning head above the flangeway for movement along the flangeway as the vehicle travels along the track, such that, as the cleaning head moves along the flangeway and the rotor is rotated, each cleaning element sweeps repeatedly along the groove to clear debris therefrom.  
   
   
   
       7 . A cleaner according to  claim 6  wherein the rotor is housed within a shroud, the shroud being mounted on the frame.  
   
   
       8 . A cleaner according to  claim 6  comprising two cleaning heads, spaced apart for cleaning respective ones of two spaced, parallel flangeways.  
   
   
       9 . A cleaner according to  claim 6  further comprising a debris collector for receiving and collecting debris cleared from the flangeway.  
   
   
       10 . A cleaner according to  claim 6  including a support for supporting the cleaning head on a rail extending along the flangeway.  
   
   
       11 . A cleaner according to  claim 6  wherein the carrier comprises means for adjusting the vertical position of the cleaning head on the frame.  
   
   
       12 . A cleaner according to  claim 11  wherein the carrier comprises means for adjusting the position of the cleaning head transversely of the flangeway.  
   
   
       13 . A cleaner according to  claim 11  wherein the support comprises flanged wheels for engaging and following the rail.  
   
   
       14 . A cleaner according to  claim 6  wherein each cleaning head comprises electrical insulation for electrically isolating the rotor.  
   
   
       15 . A cleaner according to  claim 6  wherein the rotor comprises a hub and a plurality of impellers projecting radially from the hub.  
   
   
       16 . A cleaner according to  claim 15  wherein the cleaning elements are mounted on respective ones of the impellers.  
   
   
       17 . A cleaner according to  claim 16  comprising a plurality of cleaning elements mounted on each impeller.  
   
   
       18 . A cleaner according to  claim 6  wherein each cleaning element comprises a twisted wire cable.  
   
   
       19 . A cleaner according to  claim 18  wherein each cleaning element further comprises an elastomeric tube encasing one end of the cable.  
   
   
       20 . A cleaner according to  claim 6  wherein said at least one cleaning element comprises a plurality of cleaning elements, all of the cleaning elements being arranged for alignment with the flangeway groove.