Low maintenance balanced fueling crane, sealed counterbalance therefor, fuel drip collector and environmental drain therefor

• US 6,732,770 B1
• Filed: 04/21/2003
• Issued: 05/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: New York Air Brake LLC (Estate of Heinz Hermann Thiele)
• Original Assignee: Joseph M. Nusbaumer, Ronald Woods
• Inventors: Woods, Ronald, Nusbaumer, Joseph M.
• Primary Examiner(s): MAUST, TIMOTHY LEWIS
• Application Number:
  US10/419,587
• Time in Patent Office: 386 Days
• Field of Search: 141/83, 141/86-88, 141/94-96, 141/98, 141/192, 141/250, 141/279, 141/284, 141/387, 141/391, 137/615, 239/103, 239/104, 239/124, 239/127, 239/722, 239/751
• US Class Current: 141/98
• CPC Class Codes: B61K 11/00 Serving peculiar to locomotives, e.g. filling with, or emptying of, water, sand, or the like at the depots lifting or lowering axles or wheels B61K5/00; filling stations for steam or pneumatic accumulator locomotives B61C8/00; water or fuel supply fittings on locomotives B61C17/02; refuelling locomotives with solid fuels B65G67/18; washing or cleaning boilers F28G
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8807 Articulated or swinging flow conduit

Abstract

A fueling crane comprises an extensible boom rotatably associated with a pedestal wherein the extensible boom has a first end rotatably affixed to a fuel inlet pipe mounted on the pedestal and a second end terminating in a fueling nozzle. The extensible boom has at least one elbow joint between the first end and the second end wherein the elbow joint permits the fueling crane to provide fuel to any vehicle spaced from the pedestal within a given radius. The extensible boom is generally disposed in an upright manner wherein the elbow joint is spaced horizontally from but substantially directly above the pedestal and the second end is substantially adjacent the first end when the extensible boom is in a storage position. The improved extensible boom has means for returning the fueling nozzle to the storage position with the fueling nozzle disposed directly over a fuel drip collector thus providing for an environmentally secure fueling station.

Claims

1. In a fueling crane comprising an extensible boom rotatably associated with a pedestal, said extensible boom having a first end mounted upon a boom mount wherein said boom mount is rotatably affixed to a fuel inlet pipe mounted on said pedestal, said extensible boom having a second end terminating in a fueling nozzle, said extensible boom having at least one elbow joint between said first end and said second end, said elbow joint permitting said fueling crane to provide fuel to a vehicle spaced from said pedestal, said extensible boom generally disposed in an upright manner wherein said second end is substantially adjacent said first end when said extensible boom is in a storage position, the improvement wherein said extensible boom has means for returning said nozzle to said storage position, means for collecting fuel dripping from said fueling nozzle, means for transferring collected fuel from said means for collecting, means for monitoring pressure within said fueling crane, means for relieving pressure in said fuel inlet pipe wherein said means for returning and said means for collecting are carried on a frame work rotatable with said extensible boom and wherein said means for returning automatically returns said nozzle to said storage position with said nozzle disposed directly over said means for collecting upon release of said nozzle by an operator thereof.

2. A fueling crane as in claim 1 wherein said means for returning comprises at least one sealed hydraulic cylinder containing a return spring therein.

3. A fueling crane as in claim 2 wherein said hydraulic cylinder is swingably mounted upon said frame work.

4. A fueling crane as in claim 3 wherein said hydraulic cylinder has a piston rod extending from one end thereof.

5. A fueling crane as in claim 4 wherein said piston rod has a means for adjusting associated therewith.

6. A fueling crane as in claim 1 wherein said means for returning comprises a pair of sealed hydraulic cylinders spaced apart and swingably mounted to a common yoke, each said hydraulic cylinder containing a return spring therein and wherein a piston rod of one of said hydraulic cylinders is joined at an open end thereof to a piston rod of the other of said hydraulic cylinders with a common link pin adjustably affixed to each of said hydraulic cylinders.

7. A fueling crane as in claim 6 wherein each said piston rod has a means for adjusting associated therewith.

8. A fueling crane as in claim 7 wherein said means for adjusting of said one said piston rod is positively engaged with said means for adjusting on another said piston rod.

9. A fueling crane having a defined service life comprises a rotatable fueling assembly, a fuel inlet pipe and a pedestal, said rotatable fueling assembly comprising an outer half of a rotatable union, a substantially vertical Tee, a boom mount, an extensible boom, a nozzle guard, a dripping pan, a counterbalance assembly, a flexible hose section and a fueling nozzle, said fuel inlet pipe comprising an upright supply pipe having an inner half of a rotatable union affixed to the upper end thereof, a fuel shutoff valve affixed to the lower end thereof a collector drain collar disposed around said upright supply pipe, said drain collar affixed to a drain piping extending therefrom to a storage tank disposed remote from said fueling station, a means for monitoring pressure within said fuel inlet pipe, a means for relieving pressure from within said fueling crane, said means for relieving pressure connected to said drain piping wherein said fuel inlet pipe is rigidly affixed to said pedestal, said rotatable fueling assembly rotatably mounted upon said upper end of said fuel inlet pipe with said inner half of said rotatable union thereof inserted into and sealingly joined to said outer rotatable union of said rotatable fueling assembly, said counterbalance assembly comprising a sealed hydraulic cylinder swingingly mounted upon a support extending from a frame work of said rotatable fueling assembly, said sealed hydraulic cylinder having a return spring internally disposed around a piston rod of said hydraulic cylinder, said return spring resting on the top surface of a piston affixed to one end of said piston rod and moveable therewith, the other end of said return spring abutting against the internal surface of a first closure of said hydraulic cylinder, said piston having a foot valve disposed on the bottom surface thereof, said foot valve allowing substantially free flow of a thermally stable fluid contained within said hydraulic cylinder from a position above said piston to a position below said piston while said fueling boom is extended to a fueling position but restricting flow of said fluid from a position below said piston to a position above said piston when said return spring returns said fueling boom to said storage position, wherein said fueling crane is removed from service at the end of said defined service life and rebuilt for additional service.

10. An environmentally secure fueling station comprising an extensible fueling boom, a means for returning, a means for collecting, a means for transferring, a means for monitoring and a means for relieving, said means for returning adapted to return said boom to said means for collecting, said means for collecting capturing fuel dripping from a nozzle affixed to an open end of said fueling boom, said means for monitoring adapted to monitor the pressure within said fueling boom, said means for relieving adapted to automatically relieve pressure buildup from within said fueling boom, said means for transferring moving fuel from said means for collecting and said means for relieving to a storage tank.

11. An environmentally secure fueling station as in claim 10 wherein said means for returning, said means for returning and said means for collecting are carried on a frame work and rotatably mounted upon a fuel inlet pipe associated with a pedestal mount.

12. An environmentally secure fueling station as in claim 11 wherein said means for returning further comprises a means for dampening and a means for adjusting.

13. An environmentally secure fueling station as in claim 12 wherein said means for returning comprises at least one hydraulic cylinder swingingly mounted upon said frame work.

14. An environmentally secure fueling station as in claim 13 wherein said at least one hydraulic cylinder has a return spring disposed internally thereof, said return spring disposed around a piston rod of said hydraulic cylinder wherein one end of said return spring rests upon the top of a piston secured to one end of said piston rod and the other end of said return spring rests against the internal surface of a first closure end of said hydraulic cylinder.

15. An environmentally secure fueling station as in claim 14 wherein said means for dampening comprises a foot valve disposed in the bottom surface of said piston, said foot valve allowing rapid flow of fluid from said volume of said cylinder above said top of said piston through said piston to a portion of said cylinder below said piston as said piston moves from a position proximate the internal surface of a second closure end of said hydraulic cylinder but restricts flow through said piston as said piston moves toward said internal surface of said second closure end of said cylinder.

16. An environmentally secure fueling station as in claim 13 wherein said means for adjusting comprises an adjusting screw disposed in an open end of a piston rod extending through a first closure end of said hydraulic cylinder.

17. An environmentally secure fueling station as in claim 16 wherein said adjusting screw bears against a link disposed through a slot in said end of said piston rod, said link associated with extensible fueling boom.

18. An environmentally secure fueling station as in claim 17 wherein said link extends between the piston rods of two hydraulic cylinders spaced apart on and carried by said frame work.

19. An environmentally secure fueling station as in claim 18 wherein said means for adjusting further comprises a positive drive between said adjusting screw on one said piston rod to said adjusting screw on the other said piston rod.