Apparatus and method for ballast replacement

(19)

(11)

EP 1 275 781 A3

(12)	EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88)	Date of publication A3:
	28.01.2004 Bulletin 2004/05

(43)	Date of publication A2:
	15.01.2003 Bulletin 2003/03

(21)	Application number: 02254787.1

(22)	Date of filing: 09.07.2002

(51)	International Patent Classification (IPC)⁷: E01B 27/10

(84)	Designated Contracting States:
	AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE SK TR
	Designated Extension States:
	AL LT LV MK RO SI

(30)

Priority:

11.07.2001 GB 0116889

(71)	Applicant: GT Railway Maintenance Ltd
	Bristol BS1 6QF (GB)

(72)	Inventor:
	Bailey, Ian Wallace Rees, The threshing barn Stroud, Gloucestershire GL5 5PW - GB (GB)

(74)	Representative: Kinton, Colin David
	Barker Brettell 138 Hagley Road, Edgbaston Birmingham B16 9PW Birmingham B16 9PW (GB)

(54)	Apparatus and method for ballast replacement

(57) The present invention provides apparatus for the continuous replacement of ballast material beneath a railway track comprising rails (10A, 10B), mounted on sleepers (11A, 11B). The apparatus comprises: (a) means to cut an elongate trench (12) adjacent one rail (10B) of the track and extending in a direction substantially parallel to said rail; (b) means (13) to remove ballast material from beneath one or more of the sleepers (11B) and to convey said ballast material to a collector means (14) located in said trench; (c) collector means (14) to collect said removed ballast material and to deposit it on a conveying means (15); (d) means (15) to convey the deposited collected ballast material to a disposal means; and (e) means to replace the removed ballast with fresh ballast; wherein at least said means (b) and (c) are in operative association with each other.

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