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US 2019/0283784 A1Published application
System for removing and refitting rigid covers on bulk-carrying railway wagons
AssigneeWagoncovers Pty Limited
InventorRobert MASTERMAN
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for removing and refitting rigid covers on rail wagons including a rubber tyred gantry crane with a laterally moving trolley from which a spreader for attaching to a cover is attached via skewed cables to reduce sway and rotation. The spreader engages the covers via electromagnets and moves the covers to hinge on a side lip of the wagon for loading. The cover is replaced by the reverse procedure. Optionally the electromagnets are used to activate a latching mechanism for securing the covers.
Claims8
1-15. (canceled)
A method for removing a rigid cover from a rail wagon, comprising steps of:
- detecting a presence of a rail wagon;
- longitudinally aligning a gantry with the rail wagon by aligning one or more magnets fitted to the gantry with one or more magnetically susceptible pads fitted to a cover for the rail wagon;
- matching a speed of the gantry to a speed of the rail wagon;
- laterally aligning the one or more magnets with the one or more magnetically susceptible pads;
- lowering the one or more magnets to engage the one or more magnetically susceptible pads;
- raising the one or more magnets, thereby raising the one or more magnetically susceptible pads, and thereby raising the cover;
- moving the cover laterally;
- lowering the cover so that a first side skirt of the cover engages with a side of the rail wagon;
- pivoting the cover about the side of the rail wagon until a second side skirt of the cover comes into contact with the side of the rail wagon;
- and
- disengaging the one or more magnets from the one or more magnetically susceptible pads.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.