Method and apparatus for re-railing a de-railed railroad car

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6463860
  • Patent Number
    6,463,860
  • Date Filed
    Monday, August 13, 2001
    23 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, October 15, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Morano; S. Joseph
    • Jules; Frantz F.
    Agents
    • Burns, Doane, Swecker & Mathis, LLP
Abstract
A de-railed railroad car is replaced onto a track by removing a knuckle from a coupler of the derailed railroad car and replacing it with an adapter member. The adapter member is attached to the coupler by the same pivot pin that held the knuckle. By then raising the adapter, the wheels of the de-railed railroad car can be lifted. By then moving the adapter horizontally, the wheels can be placed over the track, so that when the adapter is subsequently lowered, the wheels will be placed onto the track.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




The present application relates to a re-railer apparatus for placing de-railed railroad cars back onto a track.




The accidental de-railing of railroad cars during normal movement of the cars at a railroad yard and the like is not uncommon. When this occurs, it has been heretofore necessary to dispatch to the derailing site a track-mounted crane car which is able to re-rail the car by picking-up the de-railed end(s) of the car and returning it to the track. Such crane cars are quite costly, as a result of which there are only a limited number of such crane cars available. Hence, the crane car may not be located near the de-railing site, so a considerable delay could occur before the crane car arrives. Also, the cost of the services of such a crane car is normally quite high.




In U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,264 there is disclosed a re-railing unit for re-railing a de-railed car. The disclosure of that patent is incorporated by reference herein. The re-railing unit disclosed in that patent is depicted in accompanying

FIGS. 13 and 14

. The unit


8


is adapted to be attached to a mobile vehicle, such as a conventional front end loader (not shown) which transports the unit to and from a de-railing site. The unit comprises a base


10


having longitudinally spaced ends that carry respective ground supports


12


. A support plate


14


is mounted on the base for longitudinal sliding movement relative thereto (to the right and left in FIG.


13


). A lifting arm


16


is mounted on the support plate and includes a contacting structure in the form of a pair of hook-shaped lugs


18




20


configured to grip the underside of certain types of drawhead


19


projecting from the end of a conventional railroad car. A pair of hydraulic rams


22


are mounted on the support plate and are operably connected to the lifting arm for raising the lifting arm and an end of the rail car. Another hydraulic ram (not shown) is provided for sliding the support plate


14


generally horizontally relative to the base for repositioning the wheels of the raised rail car over the rails of a track, whereupon the rams


22


are retracted to lower the wheels onto the track rails.




While functioning successfully to re-rail railroad cars, room for improvement remains, because certain types of rail car drawbars are not susceptible of being reliably raised by the hook-shaped lugs


78


,


80


.




Therefore, it would be desirable to enable the apparatus described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,264 to reliably lift a greater number of drawbar types.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The present invention relates to a method of re-railing a de-railed railroad car. The method includes the steps of:




A) positioning in front of the de-railed railroad car a re-railing unit comprising:




(i) a base having longitudinally spaced ends,




(ii) a support plate mounted on the base for longitudinal sliding movement thereon,




(iii) a lifting mechanism mounted on the support plate,




(iv) a lifting arm suspended at its upper end from the lifting mechanism and being raisable by the lifting mechanism, the lifting arm having a first engagement structure, and




(v) a sliding mechanism for sliding the support plate longitudinally across said base;




B) removing a knuckle from a body of a coupler of the de-railed rail car by removing a pivot pin which pivotably connects the knuckle to the body;




C) inserting into the body an adapter member and connecting the adapter member to the body by inserting a pivot pin through the body and the adapter member, the adapter member having a second engagement structure engageable by the first engagement structure;




D) actuating the sliding mechanism to position the lifting arm beneath the adapter member;




E) actuating the lifting mechanism to raise the lifting arm such that the first engagement structure engages the second engagement structure and the rail car;




F) actuating the sliding mechanism to position de-railed wheels of the rail car over the rails from which they are de-railed; and




G) actuating the lifting mechanism to lower the wheels onto the rails.




Another aspect of the present invention relates to an apparatus for re-railing a de-railed railroad car. The apparatus includes an adapter member adapted to be mounted to a railroad car coupler. The adapter member comprises an ear adapted to be inserted between upper and lower flanges of the coupler. The ear including a vertical hole at one end thereof. The hole is adapted to receive a pivot pin for connecting the ear to the upper and lower flanges. The adapter also includes a leg disposed at an end of the adapter opposite the ear for engaging an underside of the coupler. The apparatus also includes a re-railer unit which comprises a base having longitudinally spaced ends and connecting arms releasably connectable to a vehicle. Hydraulic ground support members are carried adjacent respective ends of the base and include vertically adjustable elements. A support plate is mounted on the base for longitudinal sliding movement thereon. A pair of upright hydraulic lifting rams extend upwardly from the support plate. A lifting arm is suspended at its upper end from the lifting rams and is disposed between the lifting rams. A lower end of the lifting arm carries an engagement structure adapted to engage the adapter member. The lifting arm and the drawhead are raisable in response to extension of the lifting rams. A power actuator is connected between the base and the support plate for sliding the support plate longitudinally across the base to reposition wheels of the raised railroad car over the track from which it has become de-railed so that the wheels can be lowered onto the track by the lifting rams.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




The objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals designate like elements, and in which:





FIG. 1

is a side elevational view of a conventional coupler for a railroad car, with a knuckle portion of the coupler removed;





FIG. 2

a front elevational view of

FIG. 1

;





FIG. 3

is a top view of

FIG. 1

;





FIG. 4

is a side elevational view of an adapter according to the present invention;





FIG. 5

is a rear view taken in the direction of arrow V in

FIG. 4

;





FIG. 6

is a top plan view of the adapter taken in the direction of the arrow VI in

FIG. 4

;




FIG


7


is a side elevational view of the adapter from a side opposite that of

FIG. 4

;





FIG. 8

is a front elevational view of the adapter taken in the direction of the arrow VIII in

FIG. 7

;





FIG. 9

is a view similar to

FIG. 4

showing the adapter mounted in the coupler of

FIG. 1

;





FIG. 10

is a view similar to

FIG. 7

showing the adapter mounted in the coupler;





FIG. 11

is view similar to

FIG. 9

after the lifting arm of a re-railing unit is moved interposition;





FIG. 12

is a view similar to

FIG. 10

after the lifting arm has been moved into position:





FIG. 13

is a front elevational view of a re-railer unit according to the present invention a lifting arm thereof in a lowered position;





FIG. 14

is a view similar to

FIG. 13

after the lifting arm has raised the wheels of the car;











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION




Depicted in

FIGS. 1-3

is a conventional coupler


30


of a railway car with a knuckle thereof removed. That is, a knuckle is typically pivotably mounted at one of its ends by a pivot pin


32


which is mounted in upper and lower flanges


31




a


,


31




b


. The knuckle is adapted to pivot open to enable a knuckle of an adjacent railway car to be received in the coupler. Then when both knuckles close, the coupling of the two cars is effected.




If the railway car having the coupler


30


is de-railed, then, according to the present invention, the knuckle is removed and the car is re-railed by attaching to a body


34


of the coupler


30


an adapter


40


depicted in

FIGS. 4-8

. The adapter is formed of metal (e.g. cast steel or iron) and includes an ear


42


having a vertical hole


44


extending therethrough. The adapter is lifted by hand, or by a crane attached to a lifting bracket


44


of the adapter, and maneuvered in a generally horizontal direction D (see

FIG. 9

) to position the ear


42


between the upper and lower flanges


31




a


,


31




b


of the coupler, such that the hole


44


is aligned with holes


35




a


,


36




a


formed in the flanges


31




a


,


31




b


respectively. The pivot pin


32


is then inserted through the holes


35




a


,


44


,


36




a


, and the adapter is swung about the axis of the pin


32


to position a front protuberance


46


of the adapter within a recess


37


of the coupler (see FIG.


9


). Simultaneously, a leg


48


of the adapter is brought into




If the railway car having the coupler


30


is de-railed, then, according to the present invention, the knuckle is removed and the car is re-railed by attaching to a body


34


of the coupler


30


an adapter


40


depicted in

FIGS. 4-8

. The adapter is formed of metal (e.g. cast steel or iron) and includes an ear


42


having a vertical hole


44


extending therethrough. The adapter is lifted by hand, or by a crane attached to a lifting bracket


44


of the adapter, and maneuvered in a generally horizontal direction D (see

FIG. 9

) to position the ear


42


between the upper and lower flanges


31




a


,


31




b


of the coupler, such that the hole


44


is aligned with holes


35




a


,


36




a


formed in the flanges


31




a


,


31




b


respectively. The pivot pin


32


is then inserted through the holes


35




a


,


44


,


36




a


, and the adapter is swung about the axis of the pin


32


to position a front protuberance


46


of the adapter within a recess


37


of the coupler (see FIG.


9


). Simultaneously, a leg


48


of the adapter is brought into underlying relationship with a portion


38


of the couple (see FIG.


7


and


10


).




It will be appreciated that if the adapter


40


is then raised, the coupler


30


will also be raised. The raising of the adapter is performed by the re-railing unit


8


described earlier in connection with

FIGS. 1 and 2

. That is, the support plate


14


is slid along the base


10


to bring the lifting arm


16


into alignment with a recess


50


of the adapter formed between a pair of side plates


52


,


53


(see FIG.


5


). Then, the re-railing unit is advanced (e.g., by means of the vehicle carrying the unit) so that the lifting arm


16


enters the recess


50


, thereby positioning the lugs


18


,


20


beneath respective ones of the side portions


52


,


53


(see

FIGS. 5

,


11


and


12


). By then actuating the rams


22


the lifting arm


16


is raised, along with the coupler


30


, in order to raise the end of the respective railway car. Then, the support plate


14


is slid along the base to displace the coupler and the front end of the railway car over the tracks. Then, the lifting arm


16


is lowered to enable the wheels of the car to rest upon the tracks, i.e., to become re-railed.




The leg


48


is removably attachable to a portion


49


of the adapter by a plurality of bolts


54


, so that the leg


48


can be removed and replaced by a differently configured leg which can engage beneath a differently shaped coupler. If necessary, shims can be placed between the leg


48


and the portion


49


to extend the leg


48


outwardly.




It will be appreciated that the leg


48


and the bolts


54


are the only removable parts of the adapter


40


.




The adapter


40


enables the unit


10


to exert lifting forces on more types of railcar couplers than was previously possible.




Although the present invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that additions, deletions, modifications, and substitutions not specifically described may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.



Claims
  • 1. A method of re-railing a de-railed railroad car which has been de-railed from rails, comprising the steps of:A) positioning in front of the de-railed railroad car a re-railing unit comprising: (i) a base having longitudinally spaced ends, (ii) a support plate mounted on the base for longitudinal sliding movement thereon, (iii) a lifting mechanism mounted on the support plate, (iv) a lifting arm suspended at its upper end from the lifting mechanism and being raisable by the lifting mechanism, the lifting arm having an engagement structure, and (v) a sliding mechanism for sliding the support plate longitudinally across said base; B) removing a knuckle from a body of a coupler of the de-railed railroad car by removing from upper and lower spaced-apart flanges of the body a pivot pin which pivotably connects the knuckle to the body; C) inserting into the body an adapter member in a generally horizontal direction and connecting the adapter member to the body by inserting a pivot pin through the body and upper and lower flanges and through an ear of the adapter member which is positioned between the upper and lower flanges, the adapter member being engageable by the engagement structure; D) actuating the sliding mechanism to position the lifting arm adjacent the adapter member; E) actuating the lifting mechanism to raise the lifting arm such that the engagement structure engages the adapter and raises the railroad car; F) actuating the sliding mechanism to position de-railed wheels of the railroad car over the rails from which they are de-railed; and G) actuating the lifting mechanism to lower the wheels onto the rails.
  • 2. The method according to claim 1 wherein step C further includes causing a front protuberance of the adapter member to be positioned within a recess of the coupler and a leg of the adapter member to be positioned beneath the coupler.
US Referenced Citations (4)
Number Name Date Kind
4113114 Pounds Sep 1978 A
5203264 Sodder, Jr. Apr 1993 A
5325791 Atchley et al. Jul 1994 A
5435450 Delcambre Jul 1995 A