Large tower railroad transportation system and method
AssigneeTransportation Technology Services, Inc.
InventorsScott C. Landrum, Eric B. Thompson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for transporting a tower on deck of a railcar includes a locating assembly, with a key assembly fixed to the deck and disengageably coupled to a foot-stop assembly fixed to the tower adjacent to a first end, for locating the tower above the deck, and a saddle assembly and a saddle spacer disposed between the saddle assembly and the tower, where the saddles spacer conforms to the shaped of the elongated portion of the tower, and supports the tower above the deck.
Claims18
A system for transporting tower sections having various circumferences, including a first tower section having a smaller circumference than a second tower section having a larger circumference, wherein each tower section has a first end and an elongated portion, on a railcar having a deck for carrying a load, the system comprising:
- a locating assembly, including a key assembly and a foot-stop assembly, said key assembly adapted to be rigidly fixed to the railcar deck and disengageably coupled to said foot-stop assembly, said foot-stop assembly adapted to be fixed to the first tower adjacent to the first end, said locating assembly configured to locate the first tower above the deck of the railcar;
- a first saddle assembly having a base configured to rest upon the deck of the railcar at a second location along the elongated portion of the first tower section, and a saddle that conforms to the shape of the larger circumference of the second tower section, and
- a spacer assembly, for disposition between said saddle of said first saddle assembly and the first tower section, and having a saddle rest that conforms to the shaped of said saddle, and a spacer saddle that conforms to the shape of the smaller circumference of the first tower section at said second location.
A method for transporting a tower, having a first end and an elongated portion, on a railcar having a deck for carrying a load, using a locating assembly including a key assembly and a foot-stop assembly, a saddle assembly having a base and a saddle that conforms to the shape of a large tower, and a spacer assembly having a saddle rest that conforms to the shaped of the saddle and a spacer saddle that conforms to the shape of the elongated portion of the tower, the method comprising the steps of:
- rigidly fixing the key assembly to the railcar deck;
- fixing the foot-stop assembly to the tower adjacent to the first end;
- disengageably coupling the foot-stop assembly to the locating assembly, thereby locating the tower above the deck of the railcar;
- resting the base of the saddle assembly upon the deck of the railcar;
- engaging the saddle rest of the spacer assembly with the saddle of the saddle assembly, and
- aligning the spacer saddle to conformally engage the elongated portion of the tower at a second location, and thereby supporting the tower above the railcar deck.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.