Automated High Speed, Low Water Consumption Insulator Cleaner

This Phase II proposal develops a novel third rail insulator cleaner called the Vohrtex based.on the successfully completed Phase I project that developed the low water consumption, quick cleaning tool, the “Spin Wedge.” The Vohrtex slides on the third rail and is attached to a service vehicle that rides on the track. The Vohrtex has a pair of arms, which hang down on opposite sides of the third rail. An L-shaped tool holder is attached, at its elbow, to the bottom of each arm so that it can pivot in a horizontal plane. A Spin Wedge is attached to each arm of the L-shape. As the service vehicle and Vohrtex move forward, each L-shape toggles around the insulator. Each Spin Wedge cleans over one full quadrant of the surface. Since there are 4 Spin Wedges 90º apart in operation, they will clean the outside surface of the insulator all the way round as shown at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=_2561731158828783392 As the rotational inertia of the Spin Wedges is very small, they can swivel very quickly and the Vohrtex can operate at very high speed.