Patent ID: 6832559
Filing Date: 2004-12-21
Classification: E01B

Abstract:
Roller rail clamp apparatus for use with track comprising a pair of parallel rails, said apparatus comprising:parallel pairs of spaced-apart lift roller assemblies mounted to a support for positioning a pair of assemblies for clamping to one of the rails of said track, each said lift roller assembly comprising at least one pair of rollers, wherein each roller of the pair of rollers rotates on an axis in an essentially vertical plane adjacent one of the rails and said rollers are on opposite sides of one of the rails when the lift roller assemblies are clamped thereto with the head of said rail releasably retained between said rollers; means for adjustably connecting said apparatus to a carrier thereof; a lift mechanism for adjusting the vertical position of said support relative to said carrier of said apparatus; and a tilt mechanism for applying torque about a horizontal axis to linkage between members of the pair of lift roller assemblies for transferring load bearing from one said lift roller assembly to the other said lift roller assembly wherein load transfer from the load-bearing lift roller assembly occurs after opening and subsequent closing of the other one of the lift roller assemblies.