Rail vehicle based deployable gage restraint measurement system
First Claim
1. A deployable gage restraint measurement system, comprising:
- a measurement axle assembly having a measurement-axle axis therethrough;
a cross member;
a support frame pivotally coupled to the cross member;
a load cylinder pivotally coupled to the support frame;
a swing arm pivotally coupled to (i) the load cylinder about a first axis of the swing arm, (ii) the support frame about a second axis of the swing arm, and (iii) the measurement axle assembly about a third axis of the swing arm;
an anti-rotational arm pivotally coupled to (i) the support frame and (ii) the measurement axle assembly, the anti-rotation arm being configured to prevent rotation of a body of the measurement axle assembly about the measurement-axle axis; and
a mounting block coupled to the body of the measurement axle assembly, the mounting block including a clevis and a pin for pivotally coupling the anti-rotation arm to the body of the measurement axle assembly.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A deployable gage restraint measurement system includes a measurement axle assembly, a cross member, first and second support frames, first and second load cylinders, first and second swing arms, and an anti-rotation arm. The first and the second support frames are each pivotally coupled to the cross member. The first load cylinder is pivotally coupled to the first support frame and the second load cylinder is pivotally coupled to the second support frame. The first swing arm is pivotally coupled to (i) the first load cylinder about a first axis of the first swing arm, (ii) the first support frame about a second axis of the first swing arm, and (iii) the measurement axle assembly about a third axis of the first swing arm. The anti-rotational arm is pivotally coupled to (i) the first support frame and (ii) the measurement axle assembly.
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Citations
51 Claims
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1. A deployable gage restraint measurement system, comprising:
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a measurement axle assembly having a measurement-axle axis therethrough; a cross member; a support frame pivotally coupled to the cross member; a load cylinder pivotally coupled to the support frame; a swing arm pivotally coupled to (i) the load cylinder about a first axis of the swing arm, (ii) the support frame about a second axis of the swing arm, and (iii) the measurement axle assembly about a third axis of the swing arm; an anti-rotational arm pivotally coupled to (i) the support frame and (ii) the measurement axle assembly, the anti-rotation arm being configured to prevent rotation of a body of the measurement axle assembly about the measurement-axle axis; and a mounting block coupled to the body of the measurement axle assembly, the mounting block including a clevis and a pin for pivotally coupling the anti-rotation arm to the body of the measurement axle assembly. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A deployable gage restraint measurement system, comprising:
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a measurement axle assembly having a measurement-axle axis therethrough; a cross member; a support frame pivotally coupled to the cross member; a load cylinder pivotally coupled to the support frame; a swing arm pivotally coupled to (i) the load cylinder about a first axis of the swing arm, (ii) the support frame about a second axis of the swing arm, and (iii) the measurement axle assembly about a third axis of the swing arm, the swing arm being pivotally coupled to the support frame at a central portion of the swing arm; and an anti-rotational arm pivotally coupled to (i) the support frame and (ii) the measurement axle assembly. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6)
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7. A deployable gage restraint measurement system of claim comprising:
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a measurement axle assembly having a measurement-axle axis therethrough; a cross member; a support frame pivotally coupled to the cross member; a load cylinder pivotally coupled to the support frame; a swing arm pivotally coupled to (i) the load cylinder about a first axis of the swing arm, (ii) the support frame about a second axis of the swing arm, and (iii) the measurement axle assembly about a third axis of the swing arm; and an anti-rotational arm pivotally coupled to (i) the support frame and (ii) the measurement axle assembly, a length of the anti-rotational arm being about equal to a distance between the second axis and the third axis. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. A deployable gage restraint measurement system, comprising;
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a measurement axle assembly having a measurement-axle axis therethrough; a cross member; a support frame pivotally coupled to the cross member; a load cylinder pivotally coupled to the support frame; a swing arm pivotally coupled to (i) the load cylinder about a first axis of the swing arm, (ii) the support frame about a second axis of the swing arm, and (iii) the measurement axle assembly about a third axis of the swing arm; an anti-rotational arm pivotally coupled to (i) the support frame and (ii) the measurement axle assembly; and a self-centering assembly extending from the cross member and being configured to engage the support frame to aid in maintaining rotational position of the support frame during deployment of the measurement axle assembly on a track having cross level. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A deployable gage restraint measurement system, comprising:
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a cross member; a first support frame pivotally coupled to the cross member; a second support frame pivotally coupled to the cross member; a measurement axle assembly coupled to the first and the second support frames; and a self-centering assembly extending from the cross member and being configured to engage the first and the second support frames to aid in maintaining rotational positions of the first and the second support frames during deployment of the measurement axle assembly on a track having cross level. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. A deployable gage restraint measurement system, comprising:
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a measurement axle assembly including a body, a first axle extending from the body in a first direction, a second axle extending from the body in an opposing second direction, a first wheel coupled to the first axle such that the first wheel is rotatable about a measurement-axle axis, and a second wheel coupled to the second axle such that the second wheel is rotatable about the measurement-axle axis; a cross member; a first support frame coupled to the cross member such that the first support frame is rotatable about a first vertical axis; a first vertical load cylinder having a first end and an opposing second end, the first end of the first load cylinder being pivotally coupled to the first support frame; a first swing arm having a first end and an opposing second end, the first end of the first swing arm including a spherical bearing attached to the first axle, the opposing second end of the first swing arm being pivotally coupled to the opposing second end of the first vertical load cylinder, the first swing arm being pivotally coupled to the first support frame at a portion of the first swing arm between the first end and the opposing second end of the first swing arm; and an anti-rotational arm pivotally coupled to the first support frame and pivotally coupled to the measurement axle assembly such that rotation of the body of the measurement axle assembly about the measurement-axle axis is prevented. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A deployable gage restraint measurement system, comprising:
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a measurement axle assembly including a body, a first axle extending from the body in a first direction, a second axle extending from the body in an opposing second direction, a first wheel coupled to the first axle such that the first wheel is rotatable about a measurement-axle axis, and a second wheel coupled to the second axle such that the second wheel is rotatable about the measurement-axle axis; a cross member; a first support frame coupled to the cross member such that the first support frame is rotatable about a first vertical axis; a second support frame coupled to the cross member such that the second support frame is rotatable about a second vertical axis spaced from the first vertical axis; a first vertical load cylinder having a first end and an opposing second end, the first end of the first load cylinder being pivotally coupled to the first support frame; a first swing arm having a first end and an opposing second end, the first end of the first swing arm including a spherical bearing attached to the first axle, the opposing second end of the first swing arm being pivotally coupled to the opposing second end of the first vertical load cylinder, the first swing arm being pivotally coupled to the first support frame at a portion of the first swing arm between the first end and the opposing second end of the first swing arm; and a self-centering assembly coupled to the cross member, the self-centering assembly being configured to engage the first and the second support frames to aid in maintaining (i) a rotational position of the first support frame about the first vertical axis and (ii) a rotational position of the second support frame about the second vertical axis during deployment of the measurement axle assembly on a track having cross level. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A deployable gage restraint measurement system for use in measuring a gage of a track having two generally parallel rails, the system comprising:
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a cross member configured to couple the deployable gage restraint measurement system to a vehicle; a measurement axle assembly including a body, a first axle extending from the body in a first direction, a second axle extending from the body in an opposing second direction, a first wheel coupled to the first axle such that the first wheel is rotatable about a measurement-axle axis, and a second wheel coupled to the second axle such that the second wheel is rotatable about the measurement-axle axis; a first support frame coupled to the cross member such that the first support frame is rotatable about a first vertical axis; a first vertical load cylinder having a first end and an opposing second end, the first end of the first load cylinder being pivotally coupled to the first support frame; a first swing arm having a first end and an opposing second end, the first end of the first swing arm including a first spherical bearing attached to the first axle, the opposing second end of the first swing arm being pivotally coupled to the opposing second end of the first vertical load cylinder, the first swing arm being pivotally coupled to the first support frame at a portion of the first swing arm between the first end and the opposing second end of the first swing arm; an anti-rotational arm pivotally coupled to the first support frame and pivotally coupled to the measurement axle assembly such that rotation of the body of the measurement axle assembly about the measurement-axle axis is prevented; a second support frame coupled to the cross member such that the second support frame is rotatable about a second vertical axis; a second vertical load cylinder having a first end and an opposing second end, the first end of the second load cylinder being pivotally coupled to the second support frame; and a second swing arm having a first end and an opposing second end, the first end of the second swing arm including a second spherical bearing attached to the second axle, the opposing second end of the second swing arm being pivotally coupled to the opposing second end of the second vertical load cylinder, the second swing arm being pivotally coupled to the second support frame at a portion of the second swing arm between the first end and the opposing second end of the second swing arm, wherein an extension of the first and the second vertical load cylinders causes the first and the second swing arms to pivot relative to the first and the second support frames in a first rotational direction, thereby deploying the measurement axle assembly onto the track. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51)
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Specification