A railway rail induction-welding device is provided which includes a device support and a railway rail alignment means for aligning opposing railway rails in three mutually perpendicular directions, the railway rail alignment means being supported by the device support. The railway rail alignment means includes first and second railway-rail clamping elements to horizontally and longitudinally align the opposing railway rails when gripped by the first and second railway-rail clamping elements, with at least one of the first and second railway-rail clamping elements being movably supported by the device support, and a vertical lifting means for moving each railway-rail clamping element vertically to align the opposing railway rails. A railway rail clamping and lifting module, a vehicle a railway rail induction-welding device, and a method of inductively welding opposing railway rails together are also provided.

A Mobile Electric Flash-Butt (EFB) Welding apparatus that incorporates an automated geometry system which creates field/mobile EFB welds with proper vertical alignment, within a definable distance. The system has a first pair of adjustable reference points on a left side of a mobile welding apparatus. The system has a second pair of adjustable reference points on the right side of the welding apparatus. The system has a first lifting mechanism positioned between the first pair of adjustable reference points and a second lifting mechanism positioned between the second pair of adjustable reference points. The welding line is positioned between the first and second pair of adjustable reference points and is the location of the weld. The system allows for comparatively shorter inserts than previously utilized.

A method of forming a fused rail assembly in which one or more heating elements are positioned in a gap between first and second end faces of aligned first and second rails. The end faces are covered by a non-oxidizing atmosphere, and the heating elements are energized, to heat portions of the first and second rails to a predetermined hot working temperature. While one or more of the first end faces is moving transversely relative to center lines of the rails, and while the heated portions are at the predetermined hot working temperature, the first and second end faces are engaged with each other, to fuse together, forming the fused rail assembly. The transverse motion of the first end face or the second end face or both may commence before or after the first and second end faces are engaged.

A post-heating treatment device includes a detecting device for a height variation of a surface of the rail at every, predetermined pitch along a length direction of the rail, a control unit for defining a position of the rail to be a starting point of the welded section when the height variation detected by the detecting device at every predetermined pitch exceeds a predetermined threshold for the number of a predetermined times consecutively and defining a position of the rail to be an end point of the welded section when the height variation detected by the detecting device at every predetermined pitch is below the predetermined threshold for the number of the predetermined times consecutively, and a heating unit for heat treatment based on a position of the welded section detected by the detecting device. A post-heating treatment method using the post-heating treatment device is provided.

A portable rail weld milling machine apparatus comprises a metal frame that incorporates a motor with a rotary carbide tool that is able to lock to a rail or rails for stability. The apparatus houses the required guides and motors to maneuver the tool on a plurality of axes with computer numerical control (CNC). The CNC programming is able to control the carbide tool such that the welded rail can be milled to proper profile on the entire running surface, including the top, the field side, and the gauge side of the ball of the rail.

A rail welding crucible and cap with burner-ignited reaction starter mix has a cap, an igniter core, and a crucible. The igniter core is a mixture of material that can be ignited by an oxygen/propane gas rail-preheating burner and forms the reaction starter mix for an aluminothermic reaction. The cap is mounted over the crucible and used to hold the igniter core in a desired position. A core-receiving hole traverses through the cap, from a first face to a second face. The igniter core is mounted within the core-receiving hole so that the igniter core can flow into a reaction cavity of the crucible. The reaction cavity is a receptacle within the crucible which serves as a temporary holder for a quantity of rail-bonding material that undergoes the aluminothermic reaction. The quantity of rail-bonding material becomes molten and flow onto the joint once the aluminothermic reaction reaches a desired phase.

A method and related system and apparatus for refurbishing worn rail transit rails to a desired refurbished rail surface profile substantially similar to the surface profile of a newly-manufactured rail, comprising: depositing a first line of fill material along a lower-inside section to be refurbished; in N1 successive iterations thereafter, progressing circumferentially from the lower-inside section to be refurbished to an upper-outside section to be refurbished, depositing an n+1.sup.th line of fill material adjacent an n.sup.th line of fill material wherein the n.sup.th line of fill material substantially provides a flow barrier against the n+1.sup.th line of fill material flowing past the n.sup.th line of fill material.

The present invention relates in particular to a mold (M) for aluminothermic welding of a metal rail (1), which comprises at least two substantially identical pieces or shells (4), configured to be temporarily assembled opposite one another and on either side of said rail (1) to enclose the head (10), web (11) and foot (12) of this rail (1), each piece or shell (4) having an upper opening (43), which opens onto an internal cavity (44) bounded by walls (45, 46, 48) configured to enclose the head (10), the web (11) and the foot (12) of said rail (1), characterized by the fact that said internal cavity (44) comprises a compressible sealing coating (5) only against the walls (451, 46, 48) configured to enclose said web (11), foot (12) and underside of the head (10), with the exception of the rest of the head (10) and the underside of the foot (12).

An apparatus for forming a friction weld, the apparatus comprising: a support arrangement; a holding member, which is supported by the supporting ar-rangement, and which may be driven to rotate with respect thereto, or move with respect thereto along an arcuate path;a consumable element having a first joining face, the consumable element being mounted in a mounting location on the holding member so that the first joining face is exposed, wherein the consumable element is rotatable with respect to the holding member about a first centre of rotation, and wherein when the holding member is driven to rotate or move with respect to the support arrangement, the first centre of rotation travels in an orbital motion with respect to the support arrangement; and at least a first alignment arrangement, positioned to hold a first workpiece in place so that an attachment face of the first workpiece is aligned with the first joining face of the consumable element.

A method for joining materials such as metal alloys that includes a first component, wherein the first component includes a first alloy having a known austenization temperature below which martensite forms when the component is heated and then cooled at a predetermined rate of cooling; a second component, wherein the second component includes a second alloy; and a welding apparatus operative to create a weld between the first and second components without crossing the austenization temperature of the first alloy. The method also includes the steps of validating the characteristics of the weld created between the first and second components in real-time during the welding process; modifying the welding apparatus to prepare the surface of the first component prior to welding to assure proper alignment of the first and second components; and/or physically modifying the second component to enhance the welding characteristics and durability thereof.