Turntable assembly for physical distribution, transportation, and warehousing of railcars

Abstract

Disclosed is a turntable assembly adapted to be concentrically positioned among a plurality of radially aligned pairs of outer railways for reducing rail car dwell time, physical distribution, transportation, and efficiently handling railway railcars in rail yards. The turntable assembly comprises a fixed mounted platform having a central railway in the form of a plurality of perpendicular crossing railway tracks, an azimuthally rotatable annular frame circumscribing the rotatably mounted platform and having a spaced plurality of radially disposed intermediate railways segregated into aligned pairs for selectively aligning with different pairs of outer railways and perpendicularly crossing railways tracks. The turntable assembly allows placing of multiple railcars on turntables simply by repositioning the turntables to accept new railcars without removing existing railcars and capable of acting as a bypass for traffic on the feeder track.

1 . A turntable assembly for moving railcars adapted to be concentrically positioned among a plurality of radially aligned pairs of outer railways, comprising: 
 a fixed mounted platform having a central railway in the form of a plurality of perpendicularly crossing railway tracks; and    an azimuthally rotatable annular frame with inner and outer ends having a spaced plurality of radially disposed intermediate railways segregated into aligned pairs for selectively aligning with different pairs of said outer railways at the outer ends and aligning with at least one of said perpendicular crossing railway tracks at the inner ends; said azimuthally rotatable annular frame concentrically circumscribing said rotatably mounted platform.    
   
   
       2 . The turntable assembly for moving railcars as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the center platform is not less than 200 feet in diameter.  
   
   
       3 . The turntable assembly for moving railcars as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the center platform is non movable, said platform further is comprised of a frame of I-beams in a 4 cross track diamond configuration.  
   
   
       4 . The turntable assembly for moving railcars as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the annular frame is about 200 feet internal diameter at the inner end and about 400 feet external diameter at the outer end.  
   
   
       5 . The turntable assembly for moving railcars as claimed in claim wherein said railway tracks are atop I-beams.  
   
   
       6 . The turntable assembly for moving railcars as claimed in  claim 5  wherein said mounting may be in the form of welding, supporting struts, by an overlying or underlying panel or the like thereby providing structural connection between said I-beams.  
   
   
       7 . The turntable assembly for moving railcars as claimed in  claim 5  wherein said I-beam is arranged in the form of a group of concentric regular polygons.  
   
   
       8 . The turntable assembly for moving railcars as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said annular frame also comprises I-beams providing primary support structure to said frame.  
   
   
       9 . The turntable assembly for moving railcars as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a plurality of circuitous channels bedded below said annular frame at its perimeter and throughout entire base area;    at least a guide member depending from said annular frame and projecting into said circuitous channel for guiding said annular frame.    
   
   
       10 . The turntable assembly for moving railcars as claimed in  claim 7  wherein said guide member is a concrete guide member that provides circuitous channels for the rail bed.  
   
   
       11 . The turntable assembly for moving railcars as claimed in  claim 7  wherein said guiding member/s is comprised of hi-strength concrete (6000 p.s.i) designed for Cooper E-80 loading plus 60% impact.  
   
   
       12 . The turntable assembly for moving railcars as claimed in  claim 7  wherein said guiding member is pie shaped and placed at 110 ft. and 490 ft radius respectively.  
   
   
       13 . An azimuthally rotatable annular frame for a turntable assembly having a rotatably mounted platform with railway tracks, adapted to be concentrically positioned among a plurality of radially aligned pairs of outer railways, having a spaded plurality of radially disposed intermediate railways segregated into aligned pairs for selectively aligning with different pairs of said outer railways and at least one of said railway tracks, said azimuthally rotatable annular frame concentrically circumscribing said fixed mounted platform and provides for moving railcars efficiently thereby reducing railcar dwell time.