System and method of re-profiling locomotive railcar wheels
AssigneeHJR Equipment Rental, Inc.
InventorHarold F. Ross
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus reconfigures or configures a wheel associated with a train. The apparatus comprises a tool configured to engage the wheel a compound slide system for positioning the cutting tool in at least two axes. The compound slide system is controlled so that the wheel is configured in accordance with a profile. The slide system can be moved mechanically and/or pneumatically and/or can use a mechanical profile. The apparatus can have a low profile and a low weight.
Claims20
An apparatus for profiling a first wheel of a vehicle for riding on a first rail and a second rail, the apparatus comprising:
- a bracket;
- a wedge comprising a base and a top surface, the top surface being acutely angled between 15 and 45 degrees with respect to the base;
- a cutter;
- a positioning system configured to move the cutter relative to the first wheel along at least two axes, the positioning system coupled to the wedge;
- and
- a computer control configured to control the positioning system, wherein the first wheel is free to spin without contact with the apparatus except at the cutter, wherein the computer control, the wedge, the positioning system and the cutter are disposed below a center point of the first wheel and above a bottom of the first rail associated with the first wheel, wherein the bracket is attached to the base configured to attach to the first rail.
A system configured to profile a first wheel of a first pair of wheels mounted on an axle for a train car and disposed on a track with a first rail and a second rail in accordance with an electronically stored profile, wherein the first wheel is raised while allowing one or more second pairs of wheels for the train car to engage the track, the system comprising:
- a bracket;
- a bottom plate disposed parallel to a ground;
- a cutting tool disposed at an angle between 15 and 45 degrees with respect to the bottom plate and disposed above the track and configured to engage the first wheel;
- a positioning system configured to position the cutting tool;
- and
- a control configured to control the positioning system, wherein the positioning system is controlled so that the first wheel is profiled to the electronically stored profile, wherein the bracket is coupled with the bottom plate and configured to attach to the first rail.
An apparatus for profiling a first wheel of a train car for riding on a first rail and a second rail, the apparatus comprising:
- a wedge comprising a base and a top surface, the top surface being angled between 15 and 45 degrees with respect to the base;
- a cutting tool positioned away from a narrower side of the wedge;
- a bracket;
- a positioning system configured to move the cutting tool relative to the first wheel along at least two axes, the positioning system coupled to the wedge;
- and
- a computer control configured to control the positioning system, wherein the first wheel is free to spin without contact with the apparatus except at the cutting tool, wherein the computer control, the wedge, the positioning system and the cutting tool are disposed below a center point of the first wheel and above a bottom of the first rail associated with the first wheel, wherein the bracket is attached to the base configured to attach to the first rail.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.