Apparatus for enabling an excavator to mount, demount and travel on railroad tracks

Abstract

A glyde-rail apparatus removably attached to a carrier such as an excavator to enable the excavator to mount and demount at any point along a railroad track and to travel along the railroad track without damaging the railroad track. A non-metallic cover attaches to the track of the excavator. A front swing arm assembly and a back swing arm assembly attach to ends of the excavator. A first pair of hydraulic cylinders on the front swing arm assembly and a second pair of hydraulic cylinders on the back swing arm assembly enable rail wheels to be raised or lowered. An operator of the carrier controls the raising and lowering of the front swing arm assembly and the back swing arm assembly from within a cab of the carrier by a combination of hydraulic controls in the carrier and the glyde-rail apparatus.

1 . An apparatus for attaching to a carrier comprising:
 a front swing arm assembly attached to a first end of said carrier having a first pair of rail wheels extending in front of said first end;   a back swing arm assembly attached to a second end of said carrier having a second pair of rail wheels extending in front of said second end;   hydraulic means for raising and lowering said first pair of rail wheels and said second pair of rail wheels; and   said hydraulic means comprises a combination of first hydraulic means provided by said carrier and second hydraulic means provided by said apparatus to operate under control of said first hydraulic means.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 1  wherein said apparatus operates under control of an operator positioned within a cab area of said carrier. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 1  wherein said first hydraulic means provided in said carrier comprises:
 a pilot pump and a main pump;   a pilot manifold coupled to said pilot pump;   a main/auxiliary valve coupled to said main pump; and   an auxiliary pilot valve coupled to said main/auxiliary pump for controlling oil flow to said front swing arm assembly and said back swing arm assembly in accordance with an operator's activation of said auxiliary pilot valve.   
   
   
       4 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 3  wherein said apparatus comprises switch means in a cab of said carrier for generating a signal coupled to a travel solenoid of said pilot manifold for activating a pilot control B line for controlling said back swing arm assembly. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 1  wherein said second hydraulic means provided by said apparatus comprises:
 a diverter valve coupled to said main/auxiliary valve and controlled by a pilot line from a pilot manifold of said first hydraulic means;   a first lock check valve coupled between said diverter valve and a first pair of cylinders of said front swing arm assembly; and   a second lock check valve coupled between said diverter valve and a second pair of cylinders of said back swing arm assembly.   
   
   
       6 . A method of providing a carrier with glyde-rail apparatus to enable the carrier to mount and demount at any location along a railroad track and travel on the railroad track, said method comprising the steps of:
 providing a carrier including an excavator having a track;   attaching a front swing arm assembly to a first end of said carrier having a front pair of rail wheels extending in front of said first end;   attaching a back swing arm assembly to a second end of said carrier having a second pair of rail wheels extending in front of said second end; and   providing hydraulic means of said carrier and hydraulic means of said glyde-rail apparatus which in combination enable an operator in a cab of said carrier to control the mounting and demounting of said carrier at any location along said railroad track.   
   
   
       7 . The method as recited in  claim 6  wherein said step of providing a carrier including an excavator having a track comprises the step of covering said track with a non-metallic material. 
   
   
       8 . The method as recited in  claim 6  wherein said step of providing hydraulic means of said carrier and hydraulic means of said glyde-rail apparatus which in combination enable an operator in a cab of said carrier to control the mounting and demounting of said carrier at any location along said railroad track comprises the steps of:
 providing a pilot pump and a main pump;   coupling a pilot manifold to said pilot pump;   coupling a main/auxiliary valve to said main pump;   providing an auxiliary pilot valve for controlling said main/auxiliary valve in response to an activation of said auxiliary pilot valve by an operator in said cab;   providing a swivel between said carrier and said glyde-rail apparatus for passing hydraulic lines to and from said carrier and said glyde-rail apparatus; and   providing a diverter valve for said glyde-rail apparatus coupled to said main/auxiliary valve and a first lock check valve on said front swing assembly and a second lock check valve on said back swing arm assembly for controlling the raising and lowering of said first pair of rail wheels and said second pair of rail wheels.   
   
   
       9 . The method as recited in  claim 8  wherein said method comprises the step of activating a travel switch in said cab which is connected to a solenoid on said pilot manifold for controlling the raising and lowering of said back swing arm assembly. 
   
   
       10 . The method as recited in  claim 8  wherein said method comprises the step of providing a first pair of hydraulic cylinders on said front swing arm assembly which are coupled to said first lock check valve. 
   
   
       11 . The method as recited in  claim 8  wherein said method comprises the step of providing a second pair of hydraulic cylinders on said back swing arm assembly which are coupled to said second lock check valve. 
   
   
       12 . The method as recited in  claim 8  wherein said diverter valve comprises a pair of two position, three way diverter valves.