System for removing and refitting rigid covers on bulk-carrying railway wagons

Abstract

A system for removing and refitting rigid covers on rail wagons including a rubber tyred gantry crane with a laterally moving trolley from which a spreader for attaching to a cover is attached via skewed cables to reduce sway and rotation. The spreader engages the covers via electromagnets and moves the covers to hinge on a side lip of the wagon for loading. The cover is replaced by the reverse procedure. Optionally the electromagnets are used to activate a latching mechanism for securing the covers.

1 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A method for removing a rigid cover from a rail wagon, comprising steps of:
 detecting a presence of a rail wagon;   longitudinally aligning a gantry with the rail wagon by aligning one or more magnets fitted to the gantry with one or more magnetically susceptible pads fitted to a cover for the rail wagon;   matching a speed of the gantry to a speed of the rail wagon;   laterally aligning the one or more magnets with the one or more magnetically susceptible pads;   lowering the one or more magnets to engage the one or more magnetically susceptible pads;   raising the one or more magnets, thereby raising the one or more magnetically susceptible pads, and thereby raising the cover;   moving the cover laterally;   lowering the cover so that a first side skirt of the cover engages with a side of the rail wagon;   pivoting the cover about the side of the rail wagon until a second side skirt of the cover comes into contact with the side of the rail wagon; and   disengaging the one or more magnets from the one or more magnetically susceptible pads.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising the step of:
 unlatching the cover from the rail wagon before raising the cover.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the unlatching is accomplished by:
 engaging the one or more magnets with the one or more magnetically susceptible pads.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising the step of:
 attaching the one or more magnets to a spreader.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 attaching the spreader to the gantry via skewed cables.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the detecting is accomplished by:
 reading a radio frequency (RF) transponder fitted to the rail wagon.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 determining a position of each of the one or more magnetically susceptible pads on the rail wagon using data from the RF transponder.