Device and related methods for rail lubricant storage
AssigneeLoram Maintenance of Way, Inc.
InventorVenkat Dyavanapalli
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A disposable lubrication tank liner for a rail lubricating system, including an upper sidewall portion, a lower outlet portion, and an intermediate edge surface. The upper sidewall portion has a plurality of generally vertically disposed walls extending downwardly from an upper flange surface. The vertically disposed walls partially define a reservoir space for holding rail lubricant. The lower outlet portion includes a plurality of angled wall portions converging inwardly to a lower flange surface to further define the reservoir space. Further, the intermediate edge surface connects the upper sidewall portion and the lower outlet portion.
Claims23
A disposable lubrication tank liner for a rail lubricating system, comprising:
- an upper sidewall portion having a plurality of generally vertically disposed walls extending downwardly from an upper flange surface, the vertically disposed walls partially defining a reservoir space for holding rail lubricant, the upper flanged surface having a front flange surface, a rear flange surface and a pair of opposed side flange surfaces, the upper flanged surface defining a top lip surrounding an upper liner opening, the upper liner opening defined between the front flange surface, the rear flange surface and the pair of opposed side flange surfaces;
- a lower outlet portion including a plurality of angled wall portions converging inwardly to a lower flange surface to further define the reservoir space;
- and
- an intermediate edge surface connecting the upper sidewall portion and the lower outlet portion,
- wherein the upper side wall portion, lower outlet portion and intermediate edge are rigidly formed and align with and match an internal reservoir structure defined within a lubrication tank as the disposable lubrication tank liner is inserted into the lubrication tank;
- and
- wherein the top lip is adapted to engage an upper opening of the lubrication tank.
A lubrication tank liner, comprising a corrosion-resistant liner body that covers an interior reservoir of a lubrication tank of a rail lubrication system, the corrosion-resistant liner rigidly fabricated to have vertical walls of rectangular dimensions and angled wall portions of trapezoidal dimensions integrally formed and contoured for conforming engagement with the interior reservoir as the lubrication tank liner is inserted into the interior reservoir, wherein the corrosion-resistant liner is fabricated to define an upper flanged surface at a top of the vertical walls and a lower flanged surface is defined at a bottom of the angled wall portions and wherein both of the upper flanged surface and lower flanged surface include apertures for coupling the upper flanged surface and the lower flanged surface to the interior reservoir of the lubrication tank and said upper flanged surface having a front flange surface, a rear flange surface and a pair of opposed side flange surfaces with an upper liner opening defined between the front flange surface, the rear flange surface and the pair of opposed side flange surfaces.
A method of maintaining a lubrication tank of a rail lubricating system, comprising:
- providing the lubrication tank including an interior reservoir;
- opening the lubrication tank to expose the interior reservoir;
- placing a lubrication tank liner within the interior reservoir, the lubrication tank liner rigidly formed to generally match to the interior reservoir as the lubrication tank liner is placed within the interior reservoir and including an upper sidewall portion and a lower outlet portion including a plurality of angled wall portions converging inwardly, the upper sidewall portion defining an upper flanged surface for engaging the interior reservoir, the upper flanged surface including a plurality of apertures, said upper flanged surface having a front flange surface, a rear flange surface and a pair of opposed side flange surfaces with an upper liner opening defined between the front flange surface, the rear flange surface and the pair of opposed side flange surfaces;
- securing the lubrication tank liner to the lubrication reservoir with a plurality of fasteners, the fasteners being inserted through the plurality of apertures in the upper flanged surface;
- filling the lubrication tank liner through the upper liner opening with lubrication fluid;
- pumping lubrication fluid from the lubrication tank to a lubricant applicator for a railway;
- and
- removing the lubrication tank liner for disposal.
A rail lubrication system, comprising:
- a lubricant applicator located in proximity to a railway;
- a lubricant supply hose fluidly connected to the lubricant applicator;
- and
- a remote lubrication supply including a pump system, control system and a lubrication tank, the lubrication tank having a rigid disposable lubrication tank liner for retaining a lubricant, the rigid disposable lubrication tank liner configured to align with and match an internal reservoir structure defined within a lubrication tank as the rigid disposable lubrication tank liner is inserted into the lubrication tank, the rigid disposable lubrication tank liner further, comprising:
- an upper sidewall portion having a plurality of generally vertically disposed walls extending downwardly from an upper flange surface, the vertically disposed walls partially defining a reservoir space for holding rail lubricant, the upper flange surface including a plurality of upper apertures for coupling the upper flange surface to the lubrication tank, said upper flanged surface having a front flange surface, a rear flange surface and a pair of opposed side flange surfaces with an upper liner opening defined between the front flange surface, the rear flange surface and the pair of opposed side flange surfaces;
- a lower outlet portion including a plurality of angled wall portions converging inwardly to a lower flange surface to further define the reservoir space, the lower flange surface including a plurality of lower apertures for coupling the lower flange surface to the lubrication tank;
- and
- an intermediate edge surface connecting the upper sidewall portion and the lower outlet portion, and
- wherein the lubricant is pumped from the disposable lubrication tank liner to the lubricant applicator with the pumps system as directed by the control system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.