Method and system for retreading track wheel

• US 8,177,115 B1
• Filed: 03/11/2011
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Craig Mercier
• Original Assignee: Craig Mercier
• Inventors: Mercier, Craig
• Primary Examiner(s): STONER, KILEY SHAWN
• Application Number:
  US13/046,524
• Time in Patent Office: 431 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 228/119
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/26 Railway- or like rails
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 31/02 relating to soldering or welding dip or wave soldering in the manufacture of printed circuits H05K3/34
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/044 Built-up welding on three-dimensional surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/186 making use of a consumable electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 6/00 Restoring or reconditioning objects straightening or restoring form of sheet metal, metal rods, metal tubes, metal profiles, or specific articles made therefrom B21D1/00, B21D3/00; repairing defective or damaged objects by casting techniques B22D19/10

Abstract

A wheel resurfacing method and system for resurfacing a worn track wheel to its original profile are disclosed. The system comprises a support for maintaining the worn railway wheel, a welding device, a controller, and a surface processing device. The worn railway wheel'"'"'s circumferential surface defining a flange and a tread surface is reconstituted using a welding material. The welding device and the worn railway wheel rotate one relative to the other at a predetermined rate to adaptively aggregate annular welding beads along the circumferential surface to form a curvilinear profile slanted away from the flange. A surface processing device is then applied to the welded layer to form a substantially uniform surface to reconstitute the worn railway wheel to its original profile.

Claims

1. A method for resurfacing a worn railway wheel substantially to an original profile, comprising the steps of:

supporting the worn railway wheel and a welding device, whereby the worn railway wheel and the welding device rotate one relative to the other at a predetermined rate;

adaptively aggregating annular beads formed from a welding material along a circumferential surface of the worn railway wheel to form a welded layer, the circumferential surface having a flange and a tread surface, whereby the welded layer forms a curvilinear profile tapered away from the flange; and

surface processing the welded layer to form a substantially uniform surface to substantially reconstitute the worn railway wheel to the original profile;

wherein the worn railway wheel is mechanically disturbed to form a plurality of transverse grooves on the circumferential surface before the step of adaptively aggregating the annular beads.

2. The method for resurfacing the worn railway wheel of claim 1, further comprising the step of preheating the worn railway wheel to a predetermined temperature before the step of adaptively aggregating the annular beads.

3. The method for resurfacing the worn railway wheel of claim 1, further comprising the steps of determining a metallurgical composition of the worn railway wheel and imaging the worn railway wheel for detecting internal faults therein before the step of adaptively aggregating the annular beads.

4. The method for resurfacing the worn railway wheel of claim 1, whereby the worn railway wheel is pre-conditioned before the step of adaptively aggregating the annular beads, the pre-conditioning including grinding and cleaning the worn railway wheel.

5. The method for resurfacing the worn railway wheel of claim 1, whereby the worn railway wheel thermally decompressed after weld-processing for progressively controlled cooling.