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US 11,698,054 B2Granted
Apparatuses for wind turbine blade railroad transportation and related systems and methods
AssigneeVestas Wind Systems A/S
InventorsKurt Jensen, Henrik Timm Sørensen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A tip bolster (32) for supporting a wind turbine blade (40) on a railcar (14) includes a clamp (360) including first and second clamp arms (364, 366) having first and second jaws (384, 386), respectively, and supporting a pliable saddle (394) extending therebetween, the pliable saddle (394) being configured to support a portion of the blade (40) interposed between the first and second clamp arms (364, 366) and to conform to an exterior surface thereof.
Claims14
A tip bolster for supporting a wind turbine blade on a railcar, the tip bolster comprising:
- a clamp including first and second clamp arms having first and second jaws, respectively, and supporting a pliable saddle extending therebetween, the pliable saddle being configured to support a portion of the blade interposed between the first and second clamp arms and to conform to an exterior surface thereof;
- and
- a carriage configured to be translatable along the railcar in a longitudinal direction thereof, wherein the clamp is supported by the carriage.
A method of transporting a wind turbine blade, comprising:
- providing a railcar and a tip bolster mounted to the railcar, wherein the tip bolster includes a clamp having first and second clamp arms having first and second jaws, respectively, and a pliable saddle extending therebetween;
- providing a carriage configured to be translatable along the railcar in a longitudinal direction thereof, wherein the clamp is supported by the carriage;
- lowering the blade onto the pliable saddle between the first and second clamp arms;
- and
- supporting the blade on the pliable saddle, including allowing the pliable saddle to conform to an exterior surface of the blade.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.