# US 5,342,159 A · Access and support apparatus for loading and unloading gondola cars

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- Number: US 5,342,159 A
- Document ID: US5342159A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/188,392
- Filed: 1993-09-07
- Granted: 1994-08-30
- Earliest claimed: 1991-04-01
- Inventors: Bobby G. Warren, Jr.; James D. Davis
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5342159A

## CPC

- B65G 67/10: using conveyors covering the whole length of vehicle trains
- B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D)

## Abstract

An access and support apparatus for loading and unloading gondola railroad cars using a crane-type crawler, which system includes a trailer-mounted ramp for disposition in close proximity to a gondola railroad car and multiple pallets adapted for spanning the top width of the gondola railroad car and supporting tile crane-type crawler. The crane-type crawler is unloaded from the trailer and traverses the ramp to the pallets. In a first preferred embodiment the pallets are characterized by fixed pallets having no adjustable feature. In a second preferred embodiment the pallets are adjustable to accommodate a characteristic bulge in the center of the gondola railroad cars for a higher degree of safety. The pallets are typically sequentially moved from the rear to the front of the crane-type crawler as the crawler loads or unloads tile gondola railroad cars and traverses the length of the cars.

## Claims

### Claim 1

In an open top gondola railroad car and a crane-type crawler having parallel tracks and an electromagnet for unloading the open top gondola railroad car, the improvement comprising fixed pallet for positioning on the top edges of upwardly-extending sides defining the open top of the gondola railroad car and supporting the crane-type crawler, said fixed pallet comprising a frame characterized by a pair of spaced spanning members, at least two-cross members connecting said spanning members in spaced relationship and a flat top plate spanning said frame substantially equidistant from the ends of said spanning members, for supporting the crane-type crawler, a pair of guides upward-standing from said top plate in spaced relationship for guiding the tracks of the crane-type crawler over said fixed pallet and a web radius provided in said guides for accommodating said electromagnet.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The fixed pallet of claim 1 further comprising a pair of channel-shaped cross-braces connecting said spanning members in spaced relationship, for stiffening said frame.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The fixed pallet of claim 2 further comprising end gussets connecting said spanning members and said cross-members, respectfully, for further stiffening said frame.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The fixed pallet of claim 3 further comprising lifting lugs provided on said spanning members for lifting and handling said fixed pallet.