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US 6,668,730 B2Granted
Indexer carriage chain tension and dog control system
AssigneeCalbrandt, Inc.
InventorBradley J. Goldbeck
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A reversing chain-operated, dual carriage train indexer is provided with a chain tension control that acts directly on the chain and a retraction-biased, two-position carriage connection cylinder in conjunction with a spring biased linkage system allows indexer operation in either direction with dogs up or down in dual force ranges controlled by the chain tension control.
Claims15
A reversing railway car indexer for engaging and moving one or more railway cars to a desired location comprising:
- (a) a pair of consecutive, oppositely disposed dog carriages, each carrying an operable car-engaging dog and each having an inward facing and an outward facing end;
- (b) an extensible connecting cylinder for connecting said inward facing ends and controlling a gap therebetween;
- (c) a continuous drive chain connecting said outward facing ends;
- (d) a mechanized drive chain tension control system for continuously controlling drive chain tension;
- and
- (e) a drive system for reversibly moving said drive chain.
3 more elements
A method of operating a chain-operated railway car indexer including the steps of:
- (a) maintaining chain tension control by utilizing a device which operates directly on the chain;
- (b) utilizing said chain tension control to control deployment of pair of car-engaging dogs by controlling the gap between a pair of consecutive, oppositely disposed dog carriages, each carrying an operable car-engaging dog, said car-engaging dogs being connected to one another by a common linkage which operates said car-engaging dogs in unison based on said gap such that when said gap is increased, said car-engaging dogs deploy and when said gap is decreased, said car-engaging dogs retract.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.