Apparatus for loading and unloading railway cars

Abstract

A crane is mounted on a platform having ground engaging legs adapted to support the platform in an elevated position straddling railroad tracks so that a railway car to be loaded or unloaded is adapted to be moved beneath the platform. The legs are adapted to be displaced between raised and lowered positions relative to the platform and are in the lowered positions thereof when the platform is so ground supported. When a railway car has been moved beneath the platform, the legs are displaced toward their raised positions whereby the platform is lowered onto the car to rest on the top edges of the side walls thereof. The platform carries clamping arrangements for releasably gripping the side walls of the car when the platform is supported thereon, and the crane is operable with the platform supported on the car to achieve the loading and/or unloading thereof. The legs are also mounted on the platform for pivotal movement to horizontal positions parallel to the platform to facilitate transporting the apparatus on a flat bed railway car. A grapple assembly is provided for the crane which enables use of the apparatus to achieve a unique method of loading railway ties in a gondola car.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.