Rail brake system for Hirail vehicles and other rail vehicles and rail equipment
OwnerJohn Gibel, Daniel Spaulding +1inventors
InventorsJohn Gibel, Daniel Spaulding, Karsten Farley
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A rail brake system that may be attached to the undercarriage of a hirail vehicle or other rail vehicle or rail equipment and that includes one or more braking calipers that can be deployed downwardly and used to releasably clamp the heads of one or more rails of a railroad track in order to dynamically brake or statically secure the vehicle or equipment in place in relation to the railroad tracks on which the vehicle or equipment is positioned.
Claims21
A rail brake system that may be mounted to the underside or undercarriage of a rail vehicle or rail equipment, wherein the rail brake system is comprised of:
- a frame attachment assembly that may be used to attach the rail brake system to a rail vehicle or rail equipment wherein each such frame attachment assembly has a frame attachment plate for attachment to the underside or undercarriage of the vehicle or equipment, a first linkage and a second linkage that are cash pivotably attached at their upper ends to the frame attachment plate, and a linkage actuator for actuation of upward or downward pivoting motion by the first linkage and second linkage in relation to the attachment plate, and wherein the first linkage and second linkage each have an elongate structure with a longitudinal axis, and the longitudinal axes of the two linkages remain substantially parallel to each other at all times, including while undergoing pivoting movement;
- a carrier platform assembly that is comprised of a frame that is pivotably attached to the lower ends of the first linkage and second linkage such that the carrier platform may be moved upward or downward in relation to the frame attachment plate by the concurrent upward or downward pivoting motion of the first linkage and second linkage, and wherein the carrier platform is further comprised of a first braking caliper, wherein the first braking caliper includes a caliper actuator and a pair of brake shoes, with each brake shoe having a lower end comprised of a surface that may be used for frictional contact with a lateral side surface of a rail head;
- wherein the carrier platform may be pivotably moved upwards or downwards in relation to the rail head by means of the pivotable first linkage and second linkage;
- wherein when the carrier platform is brought into close proximity to the rail head such that the rail head is between the lower ends of the brake shoes, the caliper actuator may be used to force the lower ends of the brake shoes toward each other in order to releasably clamp the lateral side surfaces of the rail head.
A rail brake system that may be mounted to a rail vehicle or rail equipment comprised of:
- frame attachment means for attaching the rail brake system to the vehicle or equipment;
- pivoting actuation means and pivoting connection means that pivotably connect the two braking calipers to the vehicle attachment means, wherein the pivoting actuation means and pivoting connection means allow for the braking calipers to be pivoted either upwardly toward the frame attachment means or pivoted downwardly away from said frame attachment means toward a railroad track positioned below the vehicle or equipment;
- a first braking caliper comprised of caliper actuating means connecting two brake shoes at their top ends wherein the caliper actuating means allow for the lower ends of the brake shoes to be biased toward each other in order to releasably clamp onto a rail head of the railroad track for dynamic braking or statically securing the vehicle or equipment in relation to the track.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.