Lifter assembly and system for removing highway or railway bridges

A system for removing or replacing highway or railway bridges comprising:

• a pair of lifter assemblies with each of said lifter assembly including a base having a top surface for receiving a bridge span and a bottom surface disposed opposite of said top surface;
• a pair of connectors attached to said base spaced from one another and extending outwardly from said bottom surface of said base;
• each of said connectors including at least one rail wheel rotatably attached to said connector for moving said base along a railway;
• said base including a plurality of traveling wheels rotatably attached to said base for transporting said base along the highway;
• a post attached to said base and extending outwardly from said top surface of said base to a distal end;
• an arm disposed on said distal end of said post rotatably attached to said post and extending radially outwardly from said post parallel to said base to a terminal end with said arm being rotatable about said post;
• a support movably attached to said arm and extending outwardly from said arm to a support end for engaging a bridge support;
• a trolley slidably disposed on said arm and movable along said arm between said terminal end and said post;
• and
• said terminal end of said arm of one of said lift assemblies being connected via a releasable connection to said terminal end of said arm of another one of said lift assemblies joining said lift assemblies to one another for moving the bridge span and allow the lift assemblies to operate as a gantry.

A lifter assembly for removing or replacing highway or railway bridges:

• a base of generally H-shape having a first member and a second member disposed parallel and spaced to one another and an intermediate member extending perpendicularly between said first member and said second member to connect said first member and said second member for receiving a bridge span;
• said base having a top surface for receiving the bridge span and a bottom surface disposed opposite of said top surface;
• said first member and said second member each including at least one connector attached to said base and extending outwardly from said bottom surface of said base;
• a plurality of rail wheels rotatably attached to said at least one connector for moving engaging a railway and move said base along said railway;
• said at least one connector including a pair of connectors each having a generally T-shape spaced from one another and attached to said base and extending outwardly from said base;
• said plurality of rail wheels including a pair of rail wheels rotatably attached to said at least one connector for engaging the railway;
• said first member and said second member each including a pair of traveling wheels rotatably attached to said first member and said second member of said base for transporting said base along the highway;
• a post attached said first member of said base and extending outwardly from said top surface of said base in a perpendicular relationship with said top surface of said base to a distal end;
• an arm having disposed on said distal end of said post rotatably attached to said post and extending radially outwardly from said post parallel to said base to a terminal end spaced from said post with said arm being rotatable about said post;
• said arm having a top and a bottom and including a pair of top rails and a pair of bottom rails with said pair of top rails being disposed at said top and extending perpendicularly outwardly from said arm and away from one another and said pair of bottom rails being disposed at said bottom spaced from said pair of top rails and extending outwardly from said arm and away from one another;
• said arm being telescopic and longitudinally extendable to a length exceeding a width of the railway bridge to be replace or removed;
• a support attached to said pair of bottom rails of said arm and extending outwardly from said arm to a support end for engaging a bridge support;
• a trolley slidably disposed on said pair of top rails of said arm and movable along said arm between said terminal end and said post;
• said trolley including a winch attached to said trolley for movement with said trolley to engage the bridge span;
• a platform of generally rectangular shape attached to said post spaced from said base and extending radially outward from said post;
• an actuator disposed on said platform and connected to said trolley and said winch for moving said trolley along said arm and said winch to engage a bridge span;
• said actuator including a generator disposed on said platform for supplying power to the actuator;
• said actuator including an engine disposed on said platform electrically connected to said generator for receiving power from said generator and connected to said trolley and said winch;
• said actuator including a controller disposed on said platform and electrically connected to said engine and said generator for controlling said engine and said generator;
• and
• each of said traveling wheels including a leg pivotably attached to said base and extending between said base and said traveling wheel to connect said traveling wheel to said base and move said traveling wheel between a transport position and a storage position with said transport position being defined as said traveling wheel and said leg being perpendicular to said first member and said second member and said storage position being defined as said traveling wheel and said leg being parallel to said first member;
• said leg including an extension member extending outwardly from said leg parallel to said connectors and rotatably attached to said traveling wheel with said extension member being extendable in a direction perpendicular to said leg for raising and lowering the pair of traveling wheels to adjust a height of said base;
• said first member and said second member each including a pair of fins spaced from one another and extending outwardly from said base to receive said leg between said pair of fins;
• a fastener extending through said pair of fins to secure said leg to said pair of fins of said base and allow said leg to pivot between said transport position and said storage position.