Trackmobile LLC

Richard L Lich

Robert E Evans

Robert L Siewert

Randal L Atchley

Henry L Merchant

A coupling mechanism for use on a railcar moving vehicle designed to couple with European-type railway cars having an end sill at each end of the car which supports a centrally disposed draft hook and a pair of buffers mounted one at each end of the end sill, the coupling mechanism including a casting which moves laterally on a plurality of rollers, a crossbar or lifting beam carried on the end of the casting and pivotal relative thereto about a vertical axis, a pair of lifting forks carried on the respective ends of the crossbar, and a pair of buffer plates carried at opposite ends of the crossbar and positioned to push against corresponding buffers on a railway car. The coupling mechanism also includes a sensing device which controls lateral movement of the casting during a pushing or pulling operation in accordance with relative lateral movement of the railcar end sill and buffers.

Coupling means for railcar moving vehicles

A railcar moving vehicle having a hydraulic system for raising the vehicle coupler while coupled to a railroad car or the like to transfer weight from the railcar to the vehicle. By this invention, fluid pressure in the hydraulic power line is sensed, to monitor an increase in the fluid pressure as the hydraulic system raises the vehicle coupler while coupled to a railcar. Then, when a substantial termination of the increase in fluid pressure is sensed as the hydraulic coupler is raised, an indicator signals the occurrence of this event, typically by automatically terminating the hydraulic raising of the vehicle coupler. Thus, weight may be transferred without overraising the railcar, without the need for estimating the weight of the railcar prior to the weight transfer process.

Railcar moving vehicle having monitored weight transfer process

A railcar moving vehicle having rail wheels for operating on railroad track and having retractable road wheels for operating on road, the vehicle having a main frame and a pivotable frame which is connected to the main frame by a longitudinal pivot, there being mounted on the pivotable frame one rail wheel axle, a pair of driven road wheels, and hydraulic cylinders for raising and lowering the driven road wheels between inoperative and operative positions, whereby both the driven road wheels as well as the rail wheels are capable of oscillating or pivoting action to maintain equal wheel loadings on both the rail wheels and the road wheels.

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Newnan, GA, United States of America

Richard L Lich