Apparatus for heating rails during the laying down thereof

PCT No. PCT/EP95/03227 Sec. 371 Date Apr. 18, 1996 Sec. 102(e) Date Apr. 18, 1996 PCT Filed Aug. 14, 1995 PCT Pub. No. WO96/06981 PCT Pub. Date Mar. 7, 1996An apparatus for heating railway rails during the laying down thereof, which comprises: a group (1-5) generating a direct current, mounted on a railway car (A); a pair of first contact vices (7) carried by this railway car (A), connected to the output of the generator group (1-5) and suitable for being tightened each one on a first end of the two rails (R) forming the railway track section to be heated; a trolley (B) provided with a similar pair of second contact vices (13), connected to one another and suitable for being tightened on a second end, opposite the first end, of the two rails (R) forming the railway track section to be heated; and means (8-12) for controlling the electric power delivered by the generator group (1-5) in order to produce in the considered railway track section a heating up to a prefixed temperature. Preferably, the group (1-5) generating direct current comprises (1), an alternator (2) moved by the motor (1), a transformer (4) for the current delivered by the alternator (2) and a power rectifier bridge (5) arranged for converting the alternating current coming from the transformer (4) into a direct current to be supplied to the first contact vices (7).