This invention relates to the field of material handling and more particularly to apparatus to lift, remove, store and replace rail car lids.
Railroad cars such as gondolas that carry various size metal coils are covered with one or two metal lids. The top of some cars reach five and half feet from the railroad track. The top of the load lifting attachment (handle) on the top of the lids may be fourteen to fifteen feet above ground. In the normal operation of loading rails cars with large metal coils which can weigh fifteen to twenty-two tons, a crane is used, usually with a four legged bridle, to remove the lids from the rail cars. These lids are then placed far enough from the crane so coils can be delivered within reach of the crane to load the rail car. The crane operator can not do this unassisted. To attach the bridle, a man must climb onto the lid, which is inherently dangerous since these lids do not provide catwalks. This rigging is time consuming and labor intensive as well.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide apparatus that will safely and economically permit removal of the lids without rigging a crane for this purpose. Furthermore, rail yards in which this type of work is carried out have many fork lift trucks which are adapted to transport, lift and lower loads, ordinarily on skids or pallets, in the course of loading and unloading such heavy materiel as metal coils.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an accessory to such a fork lift truck that will permit the operator to engage, lift, transport and lower to temporary storage a rail car lid without the intervention of anyone other than the fork lift operator or use of any other piece of material handling apparatus.
A still further object of the invention is to provide an accessory that will not require any modification of the fork lift truck such as removal or replacement of the forks in order to engage in rail car lid lifting.
The invention which solves the objects stated above is an adjunct to an industrial fork lift truck comprising a boom adapted to engage all common forms of railcar lid handles and of adequate strength and length mounted on a frame of adequate height that has a palette-like base adapted for handling by a fork lift truck. It comprises a base configured as a palette adapted for fork truck handling, a frame mounted thereto, and a boom mounted to the frame at one end of the boom and having generally at the other end at least one fitting for engaging a lid handle wherein the assembly of said boom, frame and base freely stands on the base when not in use thereby providing convenient means for removing storing and replacing rail car lids and for storing the lifter itself while the fork truck is otherwise engaged.
In another embodiment for use with a ram truck that handles coils of sheet metal, the palette-like base carries a collar extending through the base through which the ram of the truck can be passed. Locking means are provided. This preferred embodiment is configured so that it can be handled by a fork truck as well as a ram truck.
a, 5b, 5c, 5d are partial perspective views of typical car lid handles.
The railcar lid remover or lifter 10 of the invention, as seen in
Mounted on base 12 is frame 14, also of sufficient strength to withstand the forces of compression, bending and twisting encountered in service. It is high enough so that boom 16 which is mounted to frame 14 can be lifted by a fork truck 20 within the limits of its vertical lift distance to a level clearing the top of a lidded railcar standing on the tracks. Boom 16 is long enough to permit reaching the centerline of a railcar 17 when the fork truck has approached relatively close to the side of the car but not so long that an overturning moment is created in use or when the device is standing alone in storage. Stay 18 and standoff 19 may be provided to minimize boom bending when a lid is picked up. Safety strap 22 is provided so that the operator of the fork can insure that the lid remover remains in place on the forks when in use especially during transport without a load. This is a strong, flexible strap, cable or chain, attached to the frame at one end and of sufficient length to wrap around a part of the fork truck and, at the other end, terminated in a loop, or some equivalent for fastening the truck and frame together. It readily is released when the operator drops the lid lifter 10 for storage and returns the fork truck 20 to other activities.
Lifter 10 is shown in
For lids having handles of the type shown in
A preferred lid remover has the following dimensions:
Base 12 is 9 inches high by 5 foot 8 inches on a side and fabricated from ⅝th inch steel plate. Two opposing sides are fabricated 8 inch by 6 and ½ inch by ½ inch I-beams with one side cut away. The remaining flange is welded in place on the underside of the base with the flange facing in. Two facing plates, with 7 inch high by 9 inch cutouts (“pockets”) for entry of the forks, are welded one inch from the end of the base to the underside and each is braced by two one inch thick triangular steel gussets.
Frame 14 comprises two 8 inch by 8 inch by ⅜ inch box tubes 15 and 13 that are 7 feet long and welded to base 12 slightly in from opposite ends along the centerline between the cutouts. Welded on top of the two box tubes, is boom 16 which is fabricated from a modified 8 inch by 6 and ½ inch by ½ inch I-beam with ½ inch plates for the sides as shown in
In use, car 17 is spotted. An operator drives fork truck 20 to where lid lifter 10 stands in storage, adjusts the height of the forks 36, aims and drives the forks into engagement in the base 12 which is then lifted slightly for transport after safety strap 22 is fastened to the fork truck 20. The operator approaches the side of rail car 17 and aims boom 16 into handle 28 by lifting and/or tilting the lift mechanism of the truck and driving the truck forward. A further slight lift engages saddle fitting 30′ with handle 28. Additional lifting raises lid 26 away from car 17 and the fork truck 20 with its load can be backed out of the way. Car 17 can then be emptied as is customary using a crane while lid 26 is held with the fork truck or stored on the ground. When the car 17 is empty, lid 26 then can be returned and lowered into position there. The fork truck operator then can disengage boom 16 from lid 26 and back away. At will, lid lifter 10 can be stored by transporting it to a selected spot, lowering it to the ground and pulling out the fork or ram.
In yards handling coils of metal, it is common to use ram trucks. These are fork truck with the fork assembly unfastened and replaced by a moldboard 106 onto which a length of heavy pipe has been mounted to act as a “ram” 104. The operator simply runs this ram 104 into the core of a coil to lift and transport it.
Details of preferred component-structures are shown in the figures. These are designer choices and other configurations and materials of construction could be used to perform the illustrated and described functions within the strength and geometric limitations imposed by the intended service.
This application claims benefit of provisional application No. 60/226,512 filed Aug. 21, 2000.
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1055989 | Jun 1979 | CA |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20020021957 A1 | Feb 2002 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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60226512 | Aug 2000 | US |