Jump Rail System
OwnerLeo Dutyinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A jump rail system is provided for use with a rail car of the type having a substantially flat, open upper deck surface and a pair of parallel, spaced apart deck rails mounted along a length thereof. For each deck rail, an associated jump rail is mounted for rotational movement in relation to the upper deck surface. Each jump rail has a first end disposed in an end-to-end configuration with a first end of the associated deck rail, and a second end extending beyond a terminus of the length of the upper deck surface. A power source is configured to drive rotation of at least one of the jump rails between first and second positions of the jump rail.
Claims20
A jump rail system for selectively joining and disjoining a first section of railroad track along a first surface with a second section of railroad track along a second surface, the jump rail system comprising:
- a pair of jump rails rotatably mountable at respective first ends thereof to the first surface adjacent the first section of railroad track such that the jump rails are rotatable between a horizontal position, in which the jump rails span between the first and second sections of railroad track, and an inclined position, in which the jump rails are disjoined from the second sections of railroad track;
- and
- at least one power source coupled to the jump rails for effecting controlled rotation of the jump rails between the first and second positions.
A rail car having a length of railroad track comprising first and second parallel base rails mounted along an upper surface thereof, the rail car incorporating a jump rail system for selectively joining and disjoining the base rails with a pair of base rails of an adjacent rail car, the jump rail system comprising:
- a first jump rail rotatably mounted at a first end thereof to the upper surface in an end-to-end configuration with the first base rail;
- a second jump rail rotatably mounted at a first end thereof to the upper surface in an end-to-end configuration with the second base rail;
- and
- a power source coupled to at least one of the first and second jump rails and configured to effect controlled rotation of the jump rails between a first position, in which the jump rails are in parallel alignment with the first and second base rails, and a second position;
- wherein the first and second jump rails each have respective second ends extending beyond an edge of the upper surface.
In a rail car of the type having a substantially flat, open upper deck surface and a pair of parallel, spaced apart deck rails mounted along a length thereof, the improvement comprising:
- for each deck rail, an associated jump rail mounted for rotational movement in relation to the upper deck surface, each jump rail having a first end disposed in an end-to-end configuration with a first end of the associated deck rail, each jump rail having a second end extending beyond a terminus of the length of the upper deck surface;
- and
- a power source configured to drive rotation of at least one of the jump rails between first and second positions of the jump rail.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.