Claims
- 1. A grinding machine for grinding a railhead surface of a rail, the rail having a gage side and a field side, the railhead surface presenting a generally curved surface extending between a point of intersection with a gage side surface and a point of intersection with a field side surface, comprising:
- at least a first substantially cylindrical grinding stone having an outer cylindrical circumference and an inner cylindrical circumference defined about a grinding stone center axis, the grinding stone being disposable on the gage side of the rail having a grinding surface for being selectively contactable with at least a first portion of the railhead surface, the grinding surface of the grinding stone acting to affect surface characteristics of the railhead surface when in rotational contact with the railhead surface, the grinding surface being defined between the inner cylindrical circumference and outer cylindrical circumference, the grinding stone being advanced along the grinding stone center axis to engage the railhead surface, the grinding stone center axis being offset with respect to the rail such that an extension of the grinding stone center axis does not intersect the rail; and
- at least a second substantially cylindrical grinding stone having an outer cylindrical circumference and an inner cylindrical circumference defined about a grinding stone center axis, the grinding stone being disposable on the field side of the rail having a grinding surface for being selectively contactable with at least a second portion of the railhead surface, the grinding surface of the grinding stone acting to affect surface characteristics of the railhead surface when in rotational contact with the railhead surface, the grinding surface being defined between the inner cylindrical circumference and the outer cylindrical circumference, the grinding stone being advanced along the grinding stone center axis to engage the railhead surface, the grinding stone center axis being offset with respect to the rail such that an extension of the grinding stone center axis does not intersect the rail.
- 2. The grinding machine of claim 1 wherein the at least a first and second grinding stones act cooperatively to affect the surface characteristics of substantially the entire railhead surface.
- 3. The grinding machine of claim 1 wherein the first portion of the railhead surface contacted by the first grinding stone overlaps the second portion of the railhead surface contacted by the second grinding stone.
- 4. The grinding machine of claim 1 wherein the first grinding stone is selectively disposable at an included angle defined between a line substantially vertically orthogonal with respect to a longitudinal axis of the rail and a center axis of the grinding stone of between 15 degrees and 45 degrees.
- 5. The grinding machine of claim 4 wherein the first grinding stone is selectively disposable at an included angle defined between a line substantially vertically orthogonal with respect to a longitudinal axis of the rail and a center axis of the grinding stone of substantially 30 degrees.
- 6. The grinding machine of claim 1 wherein the second grinding stone is selectively disposable at an included angle defined between a line substantially vertically orthogonal with respect to a longitudinal axis of the rail and a center axis of the grinding stone of between 10 degrees and 45 degrees.
- 7. The grinding machine of claim 6 wherein the second grinding stone is selectively disposable at an included angle defined between a line substantially vertically orthogonal with respect to a longitudinal axis of the rail and a center axis of the grinding stone of substantially 22 degrees.
- 8. The grinding machine of claim 1 wherein the first and second grinding stones are formed substantially identically, the grinding stones having abrasive material, the abrasive material having a first side surface and an opposed second side surface, the first and second sides surfaces being joined by a circumferential surface, the circumferential surface being transversely disposed with respect to at least the first side surface, the abrasive material presenting a bevelled grinding surface extending from a substantially circular locus of points on the second side surface to a substantially circumferential locus of points on the circumferential surface.
- 9. The grinding machine of claim 8 wherein the grinding stone circumferential locus of points on the grinding stone circumferential surface is less distant from the first side surface than the circular locus of points on the second side surface.
- 10. The grinding machine of claim 8 wherein the grinding surface of the first and second grinding stones is radiused, presenting a concave surface.
- 11. The grinding machine of claim 10 wherein the grinding stone concave grinding surface is defined by a segment of an arc having a radius of from five to ten inches.
- 12. The grinding machine of claim 11 wherein the concave grinding surface is defined by a segment of an arc having a radius of substantially 7.75 inches.
- 13. The grinding machine of claim 1 wherein the first and second grinding stones are rotated at relatively high speed when grinding the railhead surface.
- 14. The grinding machine of claim 13 wherein the first and second grinding stones are rotated at substantially 3500 revolutions per minute when grinding the railhead surface.
- 15. A method of offset grinding a railhead surface of a rail, the rail having a gage side and a field side, the railhead surface presenting a generally curved surface extending between a point of intersection with a gage side surface and a point of intersection with a field side surface, comprising the steps of:
- disposing a first substantially cylindrical grinding stone having an outer cylindrical circumference and an inner cylindrical circumference defined about a grinding stone center axis on the gage side of the rail, the grinding stone having a grinding surface for contacting at least a first portion of the railhead;
- rotating the first grinding stone;
- advancing the grinding stone along the grinding stone center axis to engage the railhead surface the grinding stone center axis being offset with respect to the rail such that an extension of the grinding stone center axis does not intersect the rail;
- disposing a second substantially cylindrical grinding stone having an outer cylindrical circumference and an inner cylindrical circumference defined about a grinding stone center axis on the field side of the rail, the grinding stone having a grinding surface for contacting at least a second portion of the railhead;
- rotating the second grinding stone; and
- advancing the grinding stone along the grinding stone center axis to engage the railhead surface, the grinding stone center axis being offset with respect to the rail such that an extension of the grinding stone center axis does not intersect the rail.
- 16. The method of claim 15 including the step of the first and second grinding stones acting cooperatively to affect the surface characteristics of substantially the entire railhead surface.
- 17. The method of claim 15 including the step of the first portion of the railhead surface contacted by the first grinding stone overlapping the second portion of the railhead surface contacted by the second grinding stone.
- 18. The method of claim 15 including the step of selectively disposing the first grinding stone at an included angle defined between a line substantially vertically orthogonal with respect to a longitudinal axis of the rail and a center axis of the grinding stone of between 15 degrees and 45 degrees.
- 19. The method of claim 15 including the step of selectively disposing the first grinding stone at an included angle defined between a line substantially vertically orthogonal with respect to a longitudinal axis of the rail and a center axis of the grinding stone of substantially 30 degrees.
- 20. The method of claim 15 including the step of selectively disposing the second grinding stone at an included angle defined between a line substantially vertically orthogonal with respect to a longitudinal axis of the rail and a center axis of the grinding stone of between 10 degrees and 45 degrees.
- 21. The method of claim 20 including the step of selectively disposing the second grinding stone at an included angle defined between a line substantially vertically orthogonal with respect to a longitudinal axis of the rail and a center axis of the grinding stone of substantially 22 degrees.
- 22. The method of claim 15 including the step of forming the first and second grinding stones substantially identically, the grinding stones having abrasive material, the abrasive material having a first side surface and an opposed second side surface, the first and second sides surfaces being joined by a circumferential surface, the circumferential surface being transversely disposed with respect to at least the first side surface, the abrasive material presenting a bevelled grinding surface extending from a substantially circular locus of points on the second side surface to a substantially circumferential locus of points on the circumferential surface.
- 23. The method of claim 22 including the step of radiusing the grinding surface of the first and second grinding stones, the radiused grinding surface presenting a concave surface.
- 24. The method of claim 22 including the step of radiusing the grinding surface of the first and second grinding stones with a radius of from five to ten inches.
- 25. The method of claim 24 including the step of forming the grinding surface of the first and second grinding stones to define the concave grinding surface by a segment of an arc having a radius of substantially 7.75 inches.
- 26. The method of claim 24 including the step of rotating the first and second grinding stones at relatively high speed when grinding the railhead surface.
- 27. The method of claim 26 including the step of rotating the first and second grinding stones at substantially 3500 revolutions per minute when grinding the railhead surface.
RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/078,116, filed Mar. 16, 1998.
US Referenced Citations (11)
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