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US 12,435,474 B2Granted
Auto stow wings
AssigneeProgress Rail Services Corporation
InventorsGary K. Gibson, II, Michael D. Adams, Alston H. Pike
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Automated storage is provide for a ballast wing mounted on a regulator frame of a ballast regulator machine. A machine controller may detect actuation of a wing activation switch and, in response, actuate a wing lift cylinder connected between the regulator frame and a wing arm to dispose the wing arm within a predetermined safe zone, actuate a wing pivot cylinder to rotate a wing frame to a wing frame stored position, actuate a wing extension cylinder to retract the wing arm extension to a retracted position within the wing arm, and actuate the wing lift cylinder to rotate the ballast wing to a stored position adjacent the regulator frame.
Claims17
A ballast regulator machine comprising:
- a regulator frame;
- a ballast wing comprising:
- a wing arm pivotally mounted to the regulator frame,
- a wing arm extension movably mounted to the wing arm for extension away from and retraction toward the regulator frame,
- a wing frame pivotally mounted to an end of the wing arm extension opposite the regulator frame,
- a wing lift cylinder having a wing lift cylinder actuator and connected between the regulator frame and the wing arm,
- a wing pivot cylinder having a wing pivot cylinder actuator and connected between the wing arm extension and the wing frame, and
- a wing extension cylinder having a wing extension cylinder actuator and connected between the wing arm and the wing arm extension,
- a wing activation switch;
- a machine controller operatively connected to the wing lift cylinder actuator, the wing pivot cylinder actuator, the wing extension cylinder actuator and the wing activation switch, wherein the machine controller is programmed to:
- detect actuation of the wing activation switch,
- actuate the wing lift cylinder actuator to cause the wing lift cylinder to dispose the wing arm within a predetermined safe zone in response to detecting actuation of the wing activation switch,
- actuate the wing pivot cylinder actuator to cause the wing lift cylinder to rotate the wing frame to a wing frame stored position after the wing arm is within the predetermined safe zone,
- actuate the wing extension cylinder actuator to cause the wing extension cylinder to retract the wing arm extension to a retracted position after the wing frame is in the wing frame stored position, and
- actuate the wing lift cylinder actuator to cause the wing lift cylinder to rotate the ballast wing to a stored position adjacent the regulator frame after the wing arm extension is in the retracted position;
- a wing lock mounted on the regulator frame and having a wing lock actuator operative connected to the machine controller, wherein the machine controller is programmed to actuate the wing lock actuator to cause the wing lock to engage the ballast wing after the ballast wing is rotated to the stored position.
13 more elements
A method for automated storage of a ballast wing of a ballast regulator machine, wherein the ballast regulator machine includes a regulator frame, and wherein the ballast wing includes a wing arm pivotally mounted to the regulator frame, a wing arm extension movably mounted to the wing arm for extension away from and retraction toward the regulator frame, and a wing frame pivotally mounted to an end of the wing arm extension opposite the regulator frame, the method for automated storage comprising:
- detecting, by a machine controller of the ballast regulator machine, actuation of a wing activation switch;
- actuating, by the machine controller, a wing lift cylinder connected between the regulator frame and the wing arm to dispose the wing arm within a predetermined safe zone in response to detecting actuation of the wing activation switch;
- actuating, by the machine controller, a wing pivot cylinder connected between the wing arm extension and the wing frame to rotate the wing frame to a wing frame stored position after the wing arm is within the predetermined safe zone;
- actuating, by the machine controller, a wing extension cylinder connected between the wing arm and the wing arm extension to retract the wing arm extension to a retracted position after the wing frame is in the wing frame stored position;
- and
- actuating, by the machine controller, the wing lift cylinder to rotate the ballast wing to a stored position adjacent the regulator frame after the wing arm extension is in the retracted position,
- wherein the ballast wing includes a template assembly pivotally mounted to the wing frame and rotatable between a template closed position with the template assembly disposed adjacent the wing frame and a template open position with the template assembly disposed remote from the wing frame, and where the method for automated storage comprises actuating, by the machine controller, a template open/close cylinder connected between the template assembly and the wing frame to rotate the template assembly to the template closed position after the wing arm is positioned within the predetermined safe zone and before the wing frame is rotated to the wing frame stored position.
4 more elements
A ballast regulator machine comprising:
- a regulator frame;
- a ballast wing comprising:
- a wing arm pivotally mounted to the regulator frame,
- a wing arm extension movably mounted to the wing arm for extension away from and retraction toward the regulator frame,
- a wing frame pivotally mounted to an end of the wing arm extension opposite the regulator frame,
- a wing lift cylinder having a wing lift cylinder actuator and a wing lift cylinder position sensor, and connected between the regulator frame and the wing arm,
- a wing pivot cylinder having a wing pivot cylinder actuator and a wing pivot cylinder position sensor, and connected between the wing arm extension and the wing frame, and
- a wing extension cylinder having a wing extension cylinder actuator and a wing extension cylinder position sensor, and connected between the wing arm and the wing arm extension,
- a wing activation switch;
- and
- a machine controller operatively connected to the wing lift cylinder actuator, the wing lift cylinder position sensor, the wing pivot cylinder actuator, the wing pivot cylinder position sensor, the wing extension cylinder actuator, the wing extension cylinder position sensor and the wing activation switch, wherein the machine controller is programmed to:
- detect actuation of the wing activation switch,
- actuate the wing lift cylinder actuator to cause the wing lift cylinder to dispose the wing arm within a predetermined safe zone as indicated by the wing lift cylinder position sensor in response to detecting actuation of the wing activation switch,
- actuate the wing pivot cylinder actuator to cause the wing lift cylinder to rotate the wing frame to a wing frame stored position as indicated by the wing pivot cylinder position sensor after the wing arm is within the predetermined safe zone,
- actuate the wing extension cylinder actuator to cause the wing extension cylinder to retract the wing arm extension to a retracted position as indicated by the wing extension cylinder position sensor after the wing frame is in the wing frame stored position, and
- actuate the wing lift cylinder actuator to cause the wing lift cylinder to rotate the ballast wing to a stored position adjacent the regulator frame as indicated by the wing lift cylinder position sensor after the wing arm extension is in the retracted position, wherein the wing lift cylinder position sensor comprises a linear position sensor that transmits sensor signals indicating an absolute linear position of the wing lift cylinder.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.