Method for loading and unloading railroad cars

A method of loading and unloading an open top railroad car comprising:

• (a) providing a mobile powered apparatus having front and rear wheels movable over ground surface and including power actuated boom structures pivotally mounted at respective front and rear ends of said mobile apparatus wherein the front boom structure is of a length to reach below the ground surface and above the railroad car side walls and end walls when the mobile apparatus is positioned on the ground and has a free end with a supportive foot member connected thereto which has free ends with lateral movement limiting members extended normally therefrom, and wherein the rear boom structure is articulated and of a combined length to reach the ground when the mobile apparatus is positioned on the upper surfaces of the side walls of the railroad car and said rear boom structure has respective arm lengths with a material engaging device pivotally mounted on a free end thereof and cooperative therewith, and including power actuated, outwardly swingable, outrigger arms connected to the rear end of the apparatus which has respective supportive foot members connected to free ends thereof with lateral movement limiting members extended therefrom;
• (b) moving said mobile apparatus over the ground surface and positioning same adjacent one end of an open top railroad car;
• (c) raising said front boom structure;
• (d) engaging the front boom structure foot member with the upper surfaces of the side walls of said railroad car,
• (e) folding said rear boom structure and said material engaging device;
• (f) engaging the material engaging device upon the ground surface at a point longitudinally aligned with and adjacent to the mobile apparatus rear end with said material engaging device folded relative to said rear boom structure free end and toward said mobile apparatus rear end;
• (g) coordinatingly operating said front and rear boom structures and unfolding said rear boom in engagement with the ground surface while operating said front boom to press downwardly upon the upper surfaces of the railroad car side walls and thereby raise the mobile apparatus from the ground and above the walls of the railroad car and support said apparatus front end on the railroad car upper surfaces by engagement of the front supportive foot with same;
• (h) unfolding said rear boom structure and said material engaging device in engagement with the ground and moving said mobile apparatus forwardly toward said railroad car and over the adjacent end wall thereof with said rear wheels forwardly of said end wall;
• (i) moving said outrigger arms outwardly of the mobile apparatus rear wheels and downwardly to engage said outrigger arms supportive foot members with the upper surfaces of said side walls and engaging said lateral movement limiting members with said side walls to support said mobile apparatus rear end upon the upper surfaces of the side walls of the railroad car;
• (j) repositioning said rear boom structure closer to the end wall of the railroad car;
• (k) engaging the material engaging device upon the ground surface;
• (l) unfolding the rear boom structure in engagement with the ground surface and moving said mobile apparatus along the side wall upper surfaces of said railroad car;
• (m) repositioning said rear boom structure within the railroad car and engaging a bottom interior surface of said railroad car with said material engaging device;
• (n) unfolding the rear boom structure in engagement with the bottom interior surface and moving said mobile apparatus along the length of said railroad car;
• and
• (o) operating the articulated rear boom structure and material engaging device to engage and discharge material contained within said railroad car and swing said rear boom to one side of the railroad and engage and discharge materials on the ground surface alongside said railroad car.

A method of loading and unloading an open top railroad car having spaced, parallel side walls with an upper surface and opposite side surfaces comprising:

• (a) providing a mobile powered apparatus having front and rear wheels movable over ground surface and including power actuated boom structures pivotally mounted at respective front and rear ends of said mobile apparatus wherein the front boom structure is of a length to reach below the ground surface and above the railroad car upper surface when the mobile apparatus is positioned on the ground and has a free end with a supportive foot member connected thereto of a length to extend across said car and having surfaces engageable with said side wall upper surface and including lateral movement limiting arm members extending therefrom and engageable with side surfaces of the side walls and wherein the rear boom structure is articulated and of a combined length to reach the ground when said mobile apparatus is positioned on said car upper surface and said rear boom structure has respective arm lengths with a material engaging device pivotally mounted on a free end thereof and cooperative therewith, and a rear end of the mobile apparatus including outwardly swingable power actuated outrigger arms with respective supportive foot members connected thereto;
• (b) moving said mobile apparatus over the ground surface and positioning same adjacent one end of an open top railroad car;
• (c) raising said front boom structure;
• (d) engaging the front boom structure foot member with the upper surface and positioning said lateral movement limiting arm members adjacent the opposite side surfaces of said railroad car;
• (e) folding said rear boom structure;
• (f) engaging said material engaging device upon the ground surface longitudinally aligned with and adjacent the apparatus rear end;
• (g) coordinatingly operating said front and rear boom structures and unfolding said rear boom structures in engagement with said front boom structure and said front supportive foot upon the railroad car upper surface to raise the mobile apparatus from the ground surface and above the upper surface of said railroad car and support said apparatus front end on the railroad car upper surface by engagement of said front supportive foot with same;
• (h) further unfolding said rear boom structure in engagement with the ground surface and moving said mobile apparatus forwardly toward said railroad car and supporting said apparatus rear end on the upper surface thereof by engaging the outrigger arms supportive foot members on the railroad car upper surface;
• (i) moving said mobile apparatus along the upper surface of said railroad car;
• and
• (j) operating said articulated rear boom structure and material engaging device to engage and disengage material relative to said railroad car and swing said material to the ground surface alongside said railroad car.