John F Stubbs

US Patent:

47607971, Aug 2, 1988

Filed:

Feb 20, 1985

Appl. No.:

6/703567

Inventors:

John L. Stubbs - Charlotte NC
Wesley H. Patton - Atlanta GA
Jeffrey L. Thompson - Lawrenceville GA

Assignee:

Southern Railway Company - Atlanta GA

International Classification:

E01B 2716
B61L 322

US Classification:

104 12

Abstract:

Apparatus for detecting at least one metallic object in a series of metallic objects lying along a path in a repetitive pattern by a metallic detector mounted on a vehicle movable along the path with the movement of the vehicle controlled by the detector to position the vehicle over a detected metallic object and blocking detection of a previously detected object subsequent to the detection of the previously detected metallic object to prevent erroneous metallic object detections, and further controlled to initiate different travel modes of movement including a fast mode to move the vehicle in a forward direction along the path at an optimum speed and controlling deceleration of the vehicle for accurately positioning it at a detected one of the metallic objects. The apparatus has particular application to the tamping of crossties on railway tracks and includes programs for controlling the movement of the vehicle and the tamping operation.

US Patent:

45342962, Aug 13, 1985

Filed:

Apr 29, 1983

Appl. No.:

6/490025

Inventors:

John L. Stubbs - Charlotte NC
Carl B. Loflin - Denver NC

Assignee:

Southern Railway Company - Washington DC

International Classification:

E01B 3300
E01B 3302

US Classification:

104 8

Abstract:

A track gauger includes a vertically movable gauger frame having a pair of fixed rail gauge bars extending between the rails upon a lowering of the frame. The gauger frame lies crosswise relative to the frame of a rail vehicle on which it is mounted, and outer edges of the bars are spaced apart in this crosswise direction a fixed distance for establishing a predetermined rail gauge distance. Pivotable rail gauge levers on the gauger frame engage the rails for gauging them at such predetermined distance upon engagement between the rails and the outer edges of the gauge bars. A track pre-gauger is mounted on the front end of the vehicle frame for pre-gauging the rails at such predetermined rail gauge distance.