US3427991A - Trackless marshalling trolley - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 1s, 1969 H. CARLSON ETAL 3,427,991

TRACKLES S MARSHALLING TROLLEY Filed Dec. 22, 1966 @0i-QL?, Sie/oh www? United States Patent O 16,768/ 65 U.S. Cl. 104-26 5 Claims lnt. Cl. B61b 13/12; B613' 3/04, 3/12 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A marshalling trolley for railroad yards is provided with wheels at each side for engaging the normal rails, at least one of these wheels being mounted on an arm turnable about a horizontal axis located inwardly from the wheel axis.

The present invention relates to a marshalling trolley running between the rails of a railway track.

Marshalling trolleys are used in marshalling yards for moving railway trucks short distances. It is of considerable importance that the marshalling trolley can pass underneath the railway trucks since this makes it much more useful. Conventional marshalling trolleys run on a special trolley rail laid between the rails of the main track. The trolley rail causes extra costs and may also cause scavenging problems since it is usually placed near the main rails.

The object of the present invention is to elfect a simplifled marshalling trolley requiring no rail of its own but merely supported by the existing main rails. The invention is characterised in that the trolley is provided with wheels adapted to run on the inside of the main rails. Marshalling devices making use of the inside of the main rails as a running track are known per se. In such known marshalling devices, however, auxiliary rails have not been avoided, but narrow trolleys have been arranged to run between the main rails and the auxiliary rail on the foot parts of each of these rails. However, the arrangement does not involve any technical progress over the conventional method described in the second paragraph since there is still an auxiliary rail. Further, with this embodiment a number of secondary problems arise which are difficult to solve.

The marshalling trolley according to the invention has the advantage that the trolley rail is completely eliminated. In this way a considerable decrease in costs is achieved for the marshalling system. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention the wheels of the trolley are mounted at an oblique angle so that they run in the corner between the foot and the central part of the rail. This embodiment makes it possible to use somewhat larger wheels, the diameter of which may exceed the height of the central part of the rail.

Normal railway rails often vary considerably in track Width. It is thus difficult in practice without accurate adjustment of the rails to arrange a trolley to run on the inside of the rails. The part of the rail foot which can be used as a runway is very limited since rail nails or other attachmentmeans take up a considerable part of the foot width. Also a marshalling trolley requires relatively accurate steering in order to operate satisfactorily. According to the invention these problems are solved by having the wheels on one side of the trolley journalled on an arm movable around a substantially horizontal axis, said axis being situated inside the perpendicular to the foot of the rail at the point of contact with the wheel. This embodiment means that an outwardly directed force y 3,427,991 Patented Feb. 18, 1969 component is obtained on the wheels and the wheels are therefore independent of alterations in track width and always run close to the central part of the rail. To ensure that the forces of friction are overcome, the axis of the wheel arm should be situated a considerable distance inside said perpendicular.

A trolley according to the invention can be operated in a manner known per se by being provided with a pulling means to move it along the rails. The trolley can also be provided with a built-in driving mechanism according to the Swedish patent application No. 7,846/65. If the trolley is arranged to be guided by a separate driving rail, the wheels on both sides must be arranged on movable arms as described above.

The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying figure which shows an end view of a trolley according to the invention.

In the figure, 1 and 2 designate the two rails of the main track. The marshalling trolley is designated 3 and is provided with wheels 4 running on the inside of the rails 1 and 2. On one side of the trolley the wheels 4 are attached to an arm 5 movable around an essentially horizontal axis 6. The axis 6 is situated inside the contact point between the wheels 4 and the rail 2. The wheel pressure will therefore try to turn the arm 5 outwards/upwards and in this way a horizontal side force is obtained which presses the wheels against the central part of the rail. The position of the trolley Wheels is thus automatically adapted to alterations occurring in the track width. The wheels 4 situated on one side of the trolley may be attached each to its own arm 5 or to a common arm 5.

For moving the trolley along the tracks 1, 2, pulling means 7 may -be attached at a suitable attachment point 8. It is also feasible to provide a built-in driving means, driving against a central drive rail 9 by a pair of pressure rollers 10 as indicated by dotted lines. In this case the wheels on the left side must also be carried by a turnable arm 5 of the same kind as that on the right side.

In order to keep the track clean the trolley may be provided with various cleaning or scavenging means, not shown, such as brushes or Scrapers. The pulling means to move the trolley may be arranged in a conventional manner.

We claim:

1. A marshalling trolley for running between a pair of rails forming a railway track, said rails having a foot part and a substantially vertical central part having a horizontal top part for receiving vehicle wheels, said trolley being provided with wheels adapted to run on said foot parts at the sides of said rails facing each other.

2. A trolley according to claim 1 in which said wheels are mounted at oblique angles and run on said foot parts of said rails close to said central part.

3. A trolley according to claim 2 in which said wheels on one side of the trolley are carried by an arm turnable around a substantially horizontal axis, said axis being situated between the perpendicular to said foot part of one of said rails at the point of contact with said wheel and the central of the track.

4. A trolley according to claim 3, including a pulling means for moving said trolley along said track.

5. A trolley according to claim 3, provided with a built-in driving mechanism laterally engaging a guide means, the wheels of the trolley being on both sides carried by arms turnable around substantially horizontal axes, said axes being situated between the perpendiculars to the foot of each of the rails at the point of contact with said wheels.

(References on following page) 3 4 References Cited ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENTS D. F. WORTH, Assistant Examiner.

1,390,891 9/1921 Edwards 104-244 2,977,892 4/1961 Ihmig 104-26 US- C1' X-R- 3,194,176 7/1965 Garbers 104--26 5 104-162

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