Patent ID: 7707943
Filing Date: 2010-05-04
Classification: E01B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. Rail unloading apparatus for operation on a railway having a railway bed and tracks on the bed, and on a roadway for transport, comprising: a self-propelled vehicle having a frame with opposite sides; a plurality of wheel assemblies on said frame including tires for supporting the vehicle on the roadway; a plurality of railway wheels on said frame applicable to the tracks to support the vehicle thereon, said wheels being movable between a raised position wherein said wheels are above the roadway when said vehicle travels thereon supported by said tires, and a lowered position wherein said wheels are applied to the tracks to support said vehicle thereon with said tires above the railway bed; a rail threading mechanism on said frame through which a rail may be threaded for unloading the rail onto the railway bed, said threading mechanism being movable on said frame between an extended position wherein said threading mechanism projects beyond a side of the frame a selected distance for unloading of rails, and a retracted position wherein said threading mechanism is retracted to extend sidewardly less than said selected distance to exhibit a sideward profile sufficiently narrow for travel along said roadway; an arm assembly carrying said threading mechanism, said arm assembly being connected with said frame for rotational movement about a substantially vertical rotational axis to allow movement of said threading mechanism between said extended position and said retracted position; said threading mechanism comprising, a rail feed device on said frame operable to feed the rail into said threading mechanism.