BALLAST CLEANER Russian patent published in 2003 - IPC

FIELD: railway transport; mechanization of maintenance and repair operations. SUBSTANCE: invention is designed for cleaning ballast on track sections. Proposed ballast cleaner contains welded frame mounted on two self-propelled trucks, takeout device, ballast cleaning mechanism with endless gauze tape, conveyor for evacuating litter outside the limits of machine, hopper-distributor and metering device. Ballast cleaning mechanism is made in form of horizontally installed high-speed conveyor and is additionally furnished with agitator installed in parallel with and over high-speed conveyor and is made in form of transporter with two endless pull chains interconnected by crossmembers - fasteners on which round plates are mounted. Said plates are orientated relative to axes of crossmembers-fasteners at angle, plates being installed on adjacent crossmembers-fasteners at the same angle but in opposite direction. Hopper-distributor is made in form of arch under which conveyor is placed which evacuates litter outside the machine limits. EFFECT: improved quality of ballast cleaning, reduced energy consumption at high efficiency. 4 dwg