Patent ID: 9132841
Filing Date: 2015-09-15
Classification: B61C

Abstract:
1. A rail car moving apparatus detachably mountable to a railcar wheel-and-truck assembly, said wheel-and-truck assembly comprising a plurality of railcar wheels, said wheels having inward-facing surfaces facing each other and outwardly facing surfaces facing journal bearings, and a pair of wheel-and-truck assembly axles, said railcar moving apparatus comprising: a railcar drive assembly, said railcar drive assembly comprising two drive assembly motor mechanisms, each said drive assembly motor mechanism comprising: a hydraulic motor affixed to said motor mount and positioned such that the motor mechanism housing faces an outside surface of the motor mount, said hydraulic motor configured to provide a rotational drive force, said hydraulic motor comprising a hydraulic motor drive shaft, said hydraulic motor drive shaft having an axis of rotation parallel to and spaced apart from the axis of rotation of one of the wheel-and-truck assembly axles, said hydraulic motor drive shaft extending in the direction of, and spaced apart from the axle; a first gear configured for receiving the rotational drive force from the hydraulic motor drive shaft, said first gear provided at a side facing the outward-facing surface of the motor mechanism housing and positioned in a plane that is normal to the axis of rotation of the wheel-and-truck assembly axle; a second gear affixed to the wheel-and-truck assembly axle, said second gear configured for receiving the rotational drive force from the first gear, said second gear configured for transmitting said rotational drive force to the wheel-and-truck assembly axle, said second gear positioned in a plane that is normal to the axis of rotation of the wheel-and-truck assembly axle; and said upper adapter and lower adapter detachably mounted to an end of the wheel-and-truck axle for securing the railcar drive assembly to the wheel-and-truck assembly; whereby when the rotational drive force is transferred from the hydraulic motor drive shaft to the wheel-and-truck assembly axle via the first and second gears, the rotational drive force rotates the wheel-and-truck assembly axle, which in turn moves the railcar linearly along a railroad track.