Railcar-moving vehicle with load-shifting device
OwnerCharles Jacobinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A railcar-moving vehicle comprises a modified semi tractor with retractable railroad wheels and an air bag suspension system. A load-shifting device is pivotally disposed rearward on the vehicle frame, and includes a lifting coupler configured to couple to a coupler of a railcar. A coupler airbag is disposed below the lifting coupler, and configured to inflate with compressed air concurrently with the air bag suspension system, so as to simultaneously apply upward force upon the coupler of the railcar and downward force on the drive wheels, which directly contact the rails, so as to transfer a portion of the weight of the railcar to the drive wheels of the railcar-moving vehicle. The railcar-moving vehicle is capable of extended operation at highway speeds both on and off rails.
Claims23
A railcar-moving vehicle comprising:
- a modified semi-tractor, selectively reconfigurable for operation either on or off rails, having rubber-tired drive wheels configured to contact the rails;
- a load-shifting device, rearwardly disposed on the modified semi-tractor, having a raised position and a lowered position, and including rearward rail wheels configured to contact the rails when in the lowered position;
- a lifting coupler, moveably attached to the load-shifting device above the rearward rail wheels, configured to couple to a coupler of a railcar;
- and
- an air bag suspension system, including air bags configured to support the modified semi-tractor above the drive wheels, and a coupler airbag disposed below the lifting coupler, configured to apply an upward force upon the lifting coupler when inflated with compressed air, so as to transfer a portion of weight of the coupled railcar to the drive wheels of the railcar-moving vehicle.
A load-shifting device for shifting a portion of weight of a railcar to a railcar-moving vehicle having a vehicle frame, rubber-tired wheels for driving on a roadway, including drive wheels, and retractable railroad wheels configured to guide and support the vehicle on rails, the rubber-tired drive wheels being rearwardly disposed on the vehicle frame and configured to contact the rails, and having an air bag suspension system supporting the vehicle frame above the drive wheels, the load-shifting device comprising:
- a moveable frame, pivotally disposed on a rearward extremity of the vehicle frame, having a raised position and a lowered position, configured to be substantially rigidly fixed with respect to the vehicle frame when in the lowered position;
- rearward rail wheels disposed on the moveable frame, configured to contact the rails rearwardly of the drive wheels when the moveable frame is in the lowered position;
- a lifting coupler, attached to the moveable frame above the rearward rail wheels, configured to couple to a coupler of a railcar;
- and
- a coupler airbag, disposed below the lifting coupler, configured to inflate with compressed air concurrently with the air bag suspension system, such that the coupler air bag and air bag suspension system simultaneously apply upward force upon the coupler of a coupled railcar and downward force on the drive wheels, so as to transfer a portion of weight of the railcar to the drive wheels of the railcar-moving vehicle.
A method of shifting a portion of weight of a railcar to a railcar-moving vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a railcar-moving vehicle comprising a modified semi tractor, having a frame, rubber-tired wheels for driving on a roadway, including drive wheels, and retractable railroad wheels configured to guide and support the vehicle on rails, including rearward railroad wheels, the rubber-tired drive wheels being rearwardly disposed on the frame and configured to contact the rails, and having an air bag suspension system supporting the frame above the drive wheels, a load-shifting device, pivotally disposed on the frame rearwardly of the drive wheels, having a raised position and a lowered position, the rearward rail wheels being disposed on the load-shifting device and configured to contact the rails when the load-shifting device is in the lowered position, the load-shifting device being configured to be substantially rigidly fixed with respect to the frame when in the lowered position, a lifting coupler, moveably attached to the load-shifting device above the rearward rail wheels, configured to couple to a coupler of a railcar;
- and a coupler airbag, disposed below the lifting coupler;
- b) coupling the lifting coupler to a coupler of the railcar;
- and
- c) simultaneously inflating the coupler airbag and the air bag suspension system with compressed air, so as to apply upward force upon the coupler of the railcar and downward force on the drive wheels, and thereby transfer a portion of the weight of the railcar to the drive wheels of the railcar-moving vehicle so as to increase traction of the drive wheels on the rails.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.