BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The appended claims particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter of this invention. The various objects, advantages and novel features of this invention will be more fully apparent from a reading of the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, and in which:
FIG. 1 is a partial cutaway side elevational view of a glyde-rail apparatus according to the present invention showing rail wheels lowered on a railroad track.
FIG. 2 is a partial cutaway side elevational view of a glyde-rail apparatus according to the present invention showing rail wheels raised above a railroad track.
FIG. 3 is a top view of a front swing arm assembly of the glyde-rail apparatus.
FIG. 4 is a top view of a back swing arm assembly of the glyde-rail apparatus.
FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of an excavator track having rubber covering attached over the track.
FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of a body mount to which a front or rear swing arm assembly is attached.
FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of a front swing arm assembly mounted between the tracks of an excavator.
DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENT
Referring to FIG. 1, a partial cutaway side elevational view of a glyde-rail apparatus 10 attached to an excavator 12 is shown according to the present invention. The glyde-rail apparatus 10 comprises a front swing arm assembly 14 which removably attaches to a first end of the excavator 12 and a back swing arm assembly 16 which removably attaches to a second end of the excavator 12. A track 20 (FIG. 5) of the excavator comprises non-metallic cover 22 such as hard rubber or the track 20 may be made of a non-metallic material such as hard rubber.
The front swing arm assembly 14 comprises a pair of rail wheels 24, 25 shown in contact with the railroad track 18. The back end swing arm assembly comprises a pair of rail wheels 80, 81 shown in contact with the railroad track 18. When the excavator 12 comprises the glyde-rail apparatus 10 including the track 20 with non-metal covers, the front end swing arm assembly 14, and the back end swing arm assembly 16, the excavator 12 is able to mount a railroad track 18 at any point along the track, demount from the railroad track 18 at any point along the track, and travel along the railroad track 18 to perform various work activities. A boom support 13 extending outward from the front end of the excavator 13 may have various work equipment attached to a boom arm which connects to the boom support 13. One important and useful machine tool, for use with the excavator 12, when the glyde-rail apparatus 10 is attached, is a mower used for vegetation control along the railroad track 18. The glyde-rail apparatus 10, although shown in FIG. 1 attached to an excavator 12, may be used on other vehicles such as a dump truck with rubber tracks.
Referring to FIG. 2, a side partial cutaway elevational view of the glyde-rail apparatus 10 attached to the excavator 12 is shown with the front and back rail wheels 24, 25 and 80, 81 raised above the railroad track 18. When the rail wheels 24, 25 and 80, 81 are in the raised position, the excavator track 20 can rotate ninety (90) degrees to be perpendicular to the railroad track 18, and demount from the railroad track 18 at any reasonable point without the excavator 12 having to travel along the railroad track 18 to a distant location where the top of the track is level with a road.
Referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 3, and FIG. 7, FIG. 3 is a top view of the front swing arm assembly 14 comprising the front rail wheels 24, 25 attached to each end of an axle 26, and FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of the swing arm assembly 14 attached to the excavator 12. Extending from two points along the axle 26 are a pair of spaced-apart swing arms 30 and 32. Each one of lower cylinder mounts 38, 40 attaches to one of the swing arms 30, 32 respectively. Two lower cylinder mounts 38, 40 are provided, and one end of two hydro-power unit cylinders 34, 36 connects to one of the cylinder mounts 38, 40 respectively and the other end connects to one of a pair of body mounts 42, 44 (see FIG. 6). The pair of body mounts 42, 44 are welded to a lower frame portion of the excavator 12. A top portion 42a of body mount 42 is U-shaped having holes for receiving a pin 46 which passes through a hole in an end of a piston arm 50 of hydro-power unit cylinder 34. The pin size for the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 6 is 2.5 inches in diameter which is determined by the size and total weight of the carrier or excavator 12 with a tool attached to a boom support 13. A top portion 44a of body mount 44 is U-shaped having holes for receiving a pin 48 (typically 2.5 inches in diameter) which passes through a hole in an end of a piston arm 52 of hydro-power unit cylinder 36. A lower portion 42b of body mount 42 comprises spaced-apart flanges having holes for securing an end of the swing arm assembly 30 with a pin (typically 2.5 inches in diameter), and likewise, a lower portion 44b (FIG. 6) of body mount 44 comprises a flange having holes for securing an end of the swing arm assembly 32 with a pin (typically 2.5 inches in diameter). The spacing between the swing arms 30, 32 is determined by the distance between the tracks 20 of the excavator 12. Two parallel tubes 54, 56 are mounted between and within the swing arms 30, 32 to provide support for the swing arms 30, 32, and a 0.75 inch thick plate 56 is attached in the space between the swing arms 30, 32 and the parallel tubes 54, 56. The plate 56 serves as a shelf for holding a battery 58, a hydraulic pump power pack 60 including a hydraulic tank 62, a motor 64, and two switches 70, 72 located on the side of the hydraulic tank 62 that controls the swing arm assemblies 14, 16 moving up and down. Hydraulic lines 66a, 66b, 66c and 68a, 68b and 68c extend from the hydraulic pump power pack 60 to the hydro-cylinders 34, 36, and hydraulic line 70 extends to the hydro-cylinders 89, 90 on the back swing arm assembly 16. The glyde-rail apparatus 10 does not connect to the hydraulics of the excavator 12. The width of the axle 26 with the rail wheels 24, 25 on each end is of course determined by the width of the railroad track 18. The glyde-rail apparatus 10 is self-powered by the battery 58 and the hydraulic pump power pack 60.
Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 4, FIG. 4 is a top view of the back swing arm assembly 16 comprising the back rail wheels 80, 81 attached at each end of an axle 82. Extending from two points along the axle 82 are a pair of spaced apart swing arms 84, 86. Two lower cylinder mounts 92, 94 are provided, and each one of the lower cylinder mounts 92, 94 attaches to one of the swing arms 84, 86 respectively. One end of two hydro-power unit cylinders 88, 90 connects to one of the lower cylinder mounts 92, 94, respectively, and the other end connects one of a pair of body mounts 96, 98. The pair of body mounts 96, 98 are welded to a lower frame portion of a carrier or the excavator 12. A top portion 96a of body mount 96 is U-shaped having holes for receiving a pin 100 (typically 2.5 inches in diameter) which passes through a hole in an end of a piston arm 104 of the hydro-power unit cylinder 88. A top portion 98a (not shown) of body mount 98 is U-shaped having holes for receiving a pin 102 (typically 2.5 inches in diameter) which passes through a hole in an end of a piston arm 106 of hydro-power unit cylinder 90. A lower portion 98b of body mount 98 comprises a flange having holes for securing an end of the swing arm 86 with a pin similar to pin 102. The spacing between the swing arms 84, 86 is determined by the distance between the tracks 20 of the excavator 12. Two parallel tubes 108, 110 are mounted between and within the swing arms 84, 86 to provide support for swing arms 84, 86. A hydraulic line 70 from the hydraulic pump power pack 60 located in the front swing arm assembly 14 feeds hydraulic lines 70a, 70b, 70c which connect to hydraulic lines 110a, 110b and 110c which feed hydraulic cylinders 88, 90.
Referring to FIG. 5, a partial perspective view of one of the excavator's track 20 is shown having a hard rubber covering 22 attached over the metal track. Mounting bolts 23 are provided between each rib 21 of the track 20. Also, the track 20 or the ribs 21 of the track 20 may be made of rubber or some other material that will not damage the railroad tracks 18. The track 20 of the excavator is covered with rubber to prevent damage to the railroad tracks.
The hydro-power unit cylinders 34, 36 and 88, 90 may be embodied by Model No. 067839-755261 (BM07-25-001), manufactured by Parker Hannifix of Cleveland, Ohio. The hydraulic pump power pack 60 may be embodied by Model No. 2622960027 (G03G), manufactured by Mason Dynamics of Grand Rapids, Minn. The battery 58 may be embodied by a heavy-duty 31 Series 12 V Battery.
This invention has been disclosed in terms of a certain embodiment. It will be apparent that many modifications can be made to the disclosed apparatus without departing from the invention. Therefore, it is the intent of the appended claims to cover all such variations and modifications as come within the true spirit and scope of this invention.
Patent Application
20080053332
