Moving platform on rail vehicle
AssigneeHarsco Technologies LLC
InventorsAnthony P. Delucia, Robert S. Miller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rail vehicle having a single frame assembly and a movable platform coupled thereto is provided. The rail vehicle indexes, i.e. advances intermittently, along railroad rails. The movable platform advances in a single direction at a generally steady speed as the rail vehicle indexes along a railroad. The platform is the floor of, or a base for, a cabin preferably having a seat, roof support, and controls for the operator. The platform rides longitudinally with the machine on rollers or slides, thus separating the operator and controls from the rest of the machine. Thus, while the rail vehicle moves in an abrupt stop-and-go manner, the platform and the operator move generally consistently in a single direction.
Claims19
A rail vehicle structured to travel over a railroad, said rail vehicle comprising:
- an elongated single rail vehicle frame assembly having a plurality of rigid members and a plurality of wheels structured to engage a pair of railroad tracks;
- and
- a movable platform assembly movably coupled to said frame assembly, said movable platform assembly having a platform, said platform structured to move longitudinally relative to said rail vehicle frame assembly at a generally constant speed relative to a fixed location;
- wherein as said vehicle frame assembly moves forward, said platform moves rearwardly at a speed slightly slower than the speed of the rail vehicle frame assembly moving forward.
A rail vehicle structured to travel over a railroad, said rail vehicle comprising:
- a single frame assembly having a plurality of rigid members and a plurality of wheels structured to engage a pair of railroad rails;
- a propulsion device coupled to said frame assembly and structured to move said frame assembly over said railroad tracks;
- a navigation system structured to control the propulsion device and the motion of the frame assembly;
- a moveable platform assembly having a platform movably coupled to said frame assembly;
- and
- said movable platform assembly structured to move said platform longitudinally relative to said rail vehicle frame assembly so that as said frame assembly moves forward, said platform moves rearwardly at a speed slightly slower than the speed of the frame assembly moving forward, wherein said platform moves at a generally constant speed relative to a fixed location.
A method of working on a railroad using a rail vehicle structured to intermittently advance along a pair of rails, said rail vehicle having a single frame assembly with a plurality of rigid members and a plurality of wheels structured to engage a pair of railroad tracks, a propulsion device coupled to said frame assembly and structured to move said frame assembly over said railroad rails, a navigation system structured to control the propulsion device and the motion of the frame assembly, a moveable platform assembly movably coupled to said frame assembly, and, said movable platform assembly structured to move relative to said frame assembly, said platform structured to move longitudinally relative to said rail vehicle frame at a generally constant speed relative to a fixed location, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) when said vehicle moves forward, moving said platform rearwardly at a speed slightly slower than the speed of the rail vehicle moving forward;
- b) when said rail vehicle stops, moving said platform forwardly;
- c) repeating steps (a) and (b);
- whereby said platform moves at a generally constant speed relative to a fixed location.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.