Locator for rail aligning device

Claim 1

In a rail alignment machine of the type having rail locators for correctly positioning normally horizontal rail sections in horizontal and vertical planes respectively to effect end-to-end alignment of the sections, an improved horizontal locator including: a generally horizontal support bar; a spaced apart pair of rail contact elements pivotally mounted on said bar for swinging movement about the longitudinal axis thereof; at least one of said elements also being shiftably supported on the bar for reciprocation along the longitudinal axis thereof; each of said contact elements comprising: an elongate arm extending generally perpendicularly of said bar, and having a pivoted end attached to the bar and a free end remote therefrom; a fixed reference surface formed in said arm adjacent said free end, said reference surface being adapted to engage the running surface of a rail head from above; a pair of opposed, reciprocable, counteracting side-contact members mounted on said arm for co-operatively clamping said rail head on opposite sides thereof; said side-contact members being offset from the plane of said reference surface a predetermined distance such that the sides of said rail are contacted by said member only at points remote from said running surface when the latter is contacted by said reference surface.