Car repair apparatus

• US 4,295,427 A
• Filed: 01/09/1980
• Issued: 10/20/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MotivePower Investments Limited (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Morrison-Knudsen Company, Inc., Railcar Maint Company
• Inventors: McKie, Robert T., McCleery, Jerry E., Waterman, Fred W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Paperner, Leslie J.
• Application Number:
  US06/110,568
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 414/354, 414/359, 414/360, 414/361, 414/364, 414/366, 414/371, 414/372, 414/678, 414/771, 414/779, 414/783, 414/786, 104/32 R, 104/32 A, 104/122, 29/401 F, 29/468
• US Class Current: 104/32.1
• CPC Class Codes: B61K 5/00 Apparatus for placing vehicles on the track; Derailers; Lifting or lowering rail vehicle axles or wheels hoisting apparatus B66
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 7/22 with tiltable platforms tilting vehicles for unloading B65G67/34

Abstract

A car repair station is disclosed having sequential way stations along a continuous track for the assemblyline repair of railroad cars, preferably of the Hopper type. The car passes into and under paired gantries at a second way station. These paired gantries are positioned at each end of the car and include a vertically moveable, horizontal lifting beam which moves up and down the gantry. The lifting beams have protruding therefrom a bell crank. When the bell cranks fasten to the coupler pockets and additional fastening is made to other portions of the car body the car is lifted by raising of the lifting beams and rotated about a longitudinal axis which is substantially coincident with its center of gravity. The car trucks are wheeled away through a turntable system, and the car is rotated on its side and lowered to two platforms with the gantry cranes, horizontal lifting beam, and bell cranks releasing the car. The car is then conveyed to a subrepair station on either side of the second way station where repair to the car underbody can be accomplished. Once repaired, the rotating procedure is reversed and the car is placed on refurbished trucks. Upon placement to the refurbished truck, the car is conveyed to a third way station for coupler replacement, draft gear replacement, brake reconnection and safety appliance repair.

Claims

1. A railroad car repair station to lift and rotate a railroad car located at said car repair station comprising in combination:

a track passing longitudinally of said car repair station;

first and second gantries located at each end of said car repair station, at least one of said gantries including means for mounting said gantry for ground supported rolling movement substantially parallel to said track from a position removed from the ends of said car to a position confronted to the ends of said car;

each gantry further including a substantially horizontal beam member attached at least one end to said gantry, said beam having an upward and downward movement on said gantries, said upward movement defining an unobstructed interval between said track and said beam member sufficient to permit the unobstructed passage of said car under said beam on said track, each said horizontal beam including means for grasping said car at an end of a car and means for rotating said car when said car is lifted between said grasping means and beam;

whereby when said car is fastened to said beam and lifted by said beam, said car can be rotated, said means for grasping a car for rotating includes a bell crank mounted for rotation to said horizontal beam and having a male eccentric member for being received by the female coupler concavity of said car.

2. A railroad car repair station to lift and rotate a railroad car located at said car repair station comprising in combination:

a track passing longitudinally of said car repair station;

first and second gantries located at each end of said car repair station, at least one of said gantries including means for mounting said gantry for ground supported rolling movement substantially parallel to said track from a position removed from the ends of said car to a position confronted to the ends of said car;

each gantry further including a substantially horizontal beam member attached at least one end to said gantry, said beam having an upward and downward movement on said gantries, said upward movement defining an unobstructed interval between said track and said beam member sufficient to permit the unobstructed passage of said car under said beam on said track, each said horizontal beam including means for grasping said car at an end of a car and means for rotating said car when said car is lifted between said grasping means and beam;

whereby when said car is fastened to said beam and lifted by said beam, said car can be rotated, and further including first and second tracks passing transversely of said car repair station and crossing said car repair station;

respective first and second platforms mounted to said tracks;

said platforms moveable under said car when lifted by said gantry for receiving and supporting said car and moving said car away from said track passing longitudinally of said car repair station.

3. A process for lifting and rotating a railroad car for repair from its rail trucks on a track comprising the steps of:

providing pair gantries;

providing at least one of said paired gantries with supported movement along the length of said car from the ground;

providing a lifting beam which can be raised and lowered from each said gantry, when lifting beam in the raised position permits the unobstructed passage of said car on said trucks under said beam;

providing means for grasping said car at an end from each lifting beam when confronted to the end of said car;

providing means for rotating said car when lifted by said grasping means to permit simultaneous rotation of said car end on each said lifting beam;

disconnecting the trucks to permit said car to be lifted free of said trucks;

passing said car to a position between said gantries, said car passing under one of said lifting beams;

confronting said gantries to said car ends;

lowering said beams;

attaching said grasping means to each car end;

lifting said car;

rotating said car;

providing at least one moveable platform moveable to a position underlying said car between said gantries; and

placing said car on said platform for movement away from a position between said gantries.