Abstract:
Systems and devices for storing railway surveillance vehicles on trains and placing railway surveillance vehicles onto railway tracks are disclosed. According to certain embodiments, a lift apparatus may be mounted on an engine or car of the train. The lift apparatus is movable between a first position in which the surveillance vehicle can be stored on an end of the train or train engine and a second position in which the surveillance vehicle can be released onto a railway track or retrieved from the railway track. According to other embodiments, a train or train engine may include a train coupling attached to an end thereof and a surveillance vehicle may include a surveillance vehicle coupling arranged to engage the train coupling for storing the surveillance vehicle on the train or train engine and arranged to disengage the train coupling for releasing the surveillance vehicle onto a railway track. The disclosed systems and devices allow efficient storage of surveillance vehicles on trains and allow fast and efficient release of surveillance vehicles from storage on trains, so that the surveillance vehicles can travel ahead of the trains for monitoring railways.

Description:
[0001]     This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 60/668,604, filed on Apr. 6, 2005, and entitled “Lift Apparatus For A Railway Surveillance Vehicle,” the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     In U.S. Pat. No. 6,831,573 discloses surveillance vehicles that proceed along a railway ahead of a train and monitors the railway to prevent the train from encountering hazards on the railway and derailing. In order to promote efficient use of such surveillance vehicles, there remains a need for systems and devices for storing, releasing and retrieving the surveillance vehicles.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0003]     The disclosure relates to systems and devices for storing railway surveillance vehicles on trains, releasing the railway surveillance vehicles on railway tracks and retrieving the railway surveillance vehicles from railway tracks.  
         [0004]     According to certain embodiments, a lift apparatus for a railway surveillance vehicle is disclosed, said lift apparatus being connected to an end of a train or train engine and arranged to secure and release said surveillance vehicle, wherein said lift apparatus is movable between a first position in which said surveillance vehicle can be stored on said end of the train or engine and a second position in which said surveillance vehicle can be released onto railway track or retrieved from said railway track.  
         [0005]     According to other embodiments, a train system comprises:  
         [0006]     a train or train engine;  
         [0007]     at least one surveillance vehicle; and  
         [0008]     at least one lift apparatus connected to an end of said train or train engine and arranged to secure and release said at least one surveillance vehicle, wherein said at least one lift apparatus is movable between a first position in which said at least one surveillance vehicle can be stored on said end of the train or train engine and a second position in which said at least one surveillance vehicle can be released onto a railway track or retrieved from said railway track.  
         [0009]     According to another embodiment, a train system comprises:  
         [0010]     a train or train engine comprising at least one train coupling attached to an end thereof; and  
         [0011]     at least one surveillance vehicle comprising at least one surveillance vehicle coupling attached to an end thereof, wherein said at least one train coupling and said at least one surveillance vehicle coupling are arranged to engage each other for storing said at least one surveillance vehicle on said train or train engine, and wherein said at least one train coupling and said at least one surveillance vehicle coupling are arranged to disengage each other for releasing said at least one surveillance vehicle on a railway track.  
         [0012]     Additional features and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description and drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]      FIG. 1  shows one embodiment of a train system including a train engine, a railway surveillance vehicle and a lift apparatus for storing the surveillance vehicle on the train engine releasing the surveillance vehicle onto a railway track and retrieving the surveillance vehicle from the railway track, wherein the lift apparatus is holding the surveillance vehicle in a storage position on the train engine.  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is another view of the system of  FIG. 1  showing the lift apparatus in the process of placing the surveillance vehicle on the railway track.  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a lift arm support and a forked lift arm of the lift apparatus shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 .  
         [0016]      FIG. 4  shows the system of  FIG. 1  as the surveillance vehicle is placed on the railway track by the lift apparatus.  
         [0017]      FIG. 5  shows the system of  FIG. 1  as the surveillance vehicle has been released from the lift apparatus onto the railway track.  
         [0018]      FIG. 6  shows another embodiment of a train system, wherein a train and a surveillance vehicle include conventional train couplings for storing the surveillance vehicle on the train and releasing the surveillance vehicle on a railway track.  
         [0019]      FIG. 7  shows another embodiment of a train system including a lift apparatus for a railway surveillance vehicle, wherein the lift apparatus is engaged with the surveillance vehicle as the surveillance vehicle rests on the railway track.  
         [0020]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a lift arm support and a forked lift arm of the lift apparatus shown in  FIG. 7 .  
         [0021]      FIG. 9  shows the system of  FIG. 7 , wherein the surveillance vehicle has been released from the lift apparatus onto the railway track. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0022]      FIG. 1  illustrates an end  2  of a train engine  10  with an attached surveillance vehicle  50 . A lift mechanism  20  is mounted on the end  2  of the engine  10 , and is mechanized such that it is capable of lifting the surveillance vehicle  50  from a storage position on the engine  10  and placing it on the railroad track  60 . The lift mechanism is further capable of retrieving the surveillance vehicle  50  from the railroad track  60  and returning the surveillance vehicle  50  to the rest position on the engine  10 . The surveillance vehicle  50  may be similar to the surveillance vehicle disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,831,573, issued Dec. 14, 2004, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.  
         [0023]     With reference to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the lift mechanism  20  includes a first pair of parallel extension arms  22  having first ends  24  attached to an end  2  of the engine  10 , a second pair of parallel extension arms  28  having a first end  27  pivotally connected at a joint  25  to second ends  26  of the first pair of extension arms  22 , an adjustable lift arm support  30  pivotally attached to a second end  29  of the second extension arms  28  at a joint  35 , and a forked lift arm  40  attached to the lift arm support  30 . The lift arm support  30  includes a base portion  32  and an extension portion  34  connected to the base portion  32  by extension cylinders  36 . Referring to  FIG. 3 , the lift arm  40  includes a pair of fork arms  44  extending from a base arm  42  that is rotatably attached to the extension portion  34  of the lift arm support  30 . As indicated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the lift arm  40  is rotatable (W) about its longitudinal axis X.  
         [0024]     As shown in  FIGS. 1, 2  and  4 , the fork arms  44  of lift arm  40  is insertable into lift-tubes  52  on opposing sides of the surveillance vehicle  50  to secure the surveillance vehicle  50  during the processes of lifting and the surveillance vehicle  50  from the track  60  and placing surveillance vehicle  50  on the tracks  60 , and during storage of the surveillance vehicle  50  on the train engine  10 . The surveillance vehicle  50  may include a light  54  which replaces the light on the front of the train engine  10  for night time operation.  
         [0025]     The lift mechanism  20  may include actuators (not shown) may that operate to control the movement of the extension arms  22  and  28  and the lift arm support  30 . Additionally, an actuator (not shown) may be provided in or attached to the mechanism  20  to rotate the base arm  42  of the lift arm  40 . The actuators may be, for example, hydraulic, electric, magnetic or pneumatic devices.  
         [0026]      FIG. 2  illustrates the lift mechanism  20  in the process of removing the surveillance vehicle  50  from its rest position on the train engine  10  and placing it onto the track  60 . The arms  22  and  28  are acted on by a force (hydraulic, electric, magnetic, or pressurized air) from an actuator (not shown) which causes the arms  22  and  28  to extend away from the front of the train engine  10  and pivot about the joint  25 , thereby extending the surveillance vehicle  50  away from the engine  10  and lowering the surveillance vehicle  50  toward the railroad track  60 . The forces are applied along the planes  11  and  12 . As this process occurs, the base arm  42  is rotated (W) by an actuator (not shown) to thereby rotate the lift arm  40  180 degrees about its longitudinal axis X, thereby rotating the surveillance vehicle  50  about its longitudinal axis (not shown) and bringing the wheels  56  and  58  of the surveillance vehicle  50  into position to be placed on the track  60 . A force applied to the lift arm support  30  by another actuator (not shown) causes the lift arm support  30  to pivot downward in direction U about joint  35 , thereby rotating the surveillance vehicle  50  downward and aligning the wheels  56  and  58  with the railway track  60 . The lift arm support  30  utilizes the extension member  34  and a force applied thereto by an actuator (not shown) to make more subtle linear adjustments L to the height of the surveillance vehicle  50  as the wheels  56  and  58  of the surveillance vehicle contact the railroad track  60  and the vehicle  50  is released.  
         [0027]     Release of the surveillance vehicle  50  onto the track  60  is illustrated in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . Viewing  FIGS. 4 and 5 , one can see the relationship of the extension arms  22  and  28  to the end of the train engine  2 , the position of the lift arm support  30  at the end  29  of the second extension arm  28 , the position of the extension cylinders  36  and the extension portion  34  of the lift arm support  30  at the time the surveillance vehicle  50  is placed on the track  60 . After the lift mechanism  20  is fully extended into position to release the vehicle  50  onto the track  60 , the fork arms  44  disengage the lift tubes  52  and the surveillance vehicle  50  is free to proceed on the track  60  in the direction in which the train is heading. Release of the surveillance vehicle  50  may be accomplished by retracting the lift arm  40  away from the surveillance vehicle until the fork arms  44  clear the lift tubes  52  or by advancing the surveillance vehicle along the track  60  away from the train engine  10 .  
         [0028]     To place the surveillance vehicle  50  in a storage position on the end  2  of the train engine  10 , the above process is reversed. More specifically, as the surveillance vehicle  50  comes is resting or traveling on the railroad track  60 , the lift mechanism  20  is extended such that the forked lift arm  40  is lowered to align the fork arms  44  with the lift tubes  52 . The surveillance vehicle  50  is then moved in its reverse direction from a control unit (not shown) in the train engine  10  until the fork arms  44  are received in the lift tubes  52 . The forked lift arm  40  is thereafter angled upward by rotating the lift arm support  30  in the direction opposite the direction U, thereby raising the front wheels  58  of the surveillance vehicle  50  prior to raising the rear wheels  56 . Thereafter, the extension arms  22  and  28  are retracted, and the lift arm support  30  is further rotated in the direction opposite the direction U. Once the surveillance vehicle has sufficiently cleared the tracks  60 , the lift arm  40  may be rotated in the direction W or opposite the direction W until the wheels  56  and  58  of the surveillance vehicle  50  face the end  2  of the train engine  10 . Thereafter, the extension arms  22  and  28  may be further retracted, and the lift arm support  30  may be further rotated, as necessary, in order to place the surveillance vehicle  50  in its rest position on the end  2  of the train engine  10 .  
         [0029]     If the train engine  10  is proceeding along the railroad tracks and is retrieving the surveillance vehicle on the “fly”, the surveillance vehicle  50  may be slowed to allow the fork arms  44  to engage the lift tubes  52 . Thereafter the lift mechanism  20  may lift the surveillance vehicle  50  from the railroad track  60 , and thereafter place the surveillance vehicle  50  in its rest position on the end  2  of the train engine  10 , as described above.  
         [0030]     Two surveillance vehicles  50  with the accompanying lift mechanisms  20  may be provided on each train engine  10  such that one surveillance vehicle  50  is positioned on each end of the train engine  10 . This arrangement will accommodate the use of multiple train engines  10  and multiple train cars, as often is the case, and circumstances in which it would not be practical to turn the train engine  10  around. It is contemplated that all of the surveillance vehicles  50  would be retrieved from the railroad track  60  and placed in their rest positions on the ends of the train engine  10 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , before entering a train yard.  
         [0031]      FIG. 6  illustrates how the surveillance vehicle  50   a  may be attached to an end  2   a  of a commuter train  10   a  utilizing conventional train couplings. As shown in  FIG. 6 , the train  10   a  includes a conventional train coupling  70 . The surveillance vehicle  50   a  includes a conventional coupling  80  designed to engage the train coupling  70 . In a configuration employing two surveillance vehicles, a first surveillance vehicle  50   a  may be attached to the end  2   a  of the train  10   a  and a second surveillance vehicle may be attached to an opposite end (not shown) of the train  10   a  via another coupling  80 . Thus, one of the surveillance vehicles  50   a  can be released on the track  60  in the direction in which the train  10   a  is traveling, while the other surveillance vehicle  50   a  is pulled behind the train  10   a . This configuration would be compatible with a “push-pull” operation as is commonly used in commuter train operations.  
         [0032]      FIG. 7  illustrates another device and method of attaching a surveillance vehicle  50  to a commuter train  10   b . In this instance, the surveillance vehicle  50  is attached to the train  10   a  using a lift mechanism  90  including an adjustable lift arm support  30   a  and a forked lift arm  40   a  attached to the lift arm support  30   a . The lift arm support  30   a  is similar in design and function to the lift arm support  30  shown in the embodiment of  FIGS. 1-5 , except that the lift arm support  30   a  includes a base portion  32   a  attached to the end  2   b  of the train  10   b . The base portion  32  is connected to an extension portion  34  by extension cylinders  36 . The lift arm support extends vertically downward along the end  2   a  of the train.  
         [0033]     As shown in  FIG. 8 , the lift arm  40   a  includes a pair of fork arms  44  extending from a base arm  42   a  that is attached to the extension portion  34  of the lift arm support  30 . The extension cylinders  36  are able to extend and retract vertically (Z) in order to move the forked lift arm  40  up and down. The fork arms  44  can be inserted into the lift tubes  52  as described in the embodiment of  FIGS. 1-5 .  
         [0034]     In order to place the vehicle  50  in its storage position, the lift arm  40   a  is lowered into alignment with the lift tubes  52  of the vehicle  50 . The fork arms  44  are thereafter brought into engagement with the lift tubes  52  by advancing the train  10   b  with respect to the vehicle  50  and/or by reversing the vehicle  50 . The forked lift arm  40   a  is then lifted by the extension cylinders  36 , and the surveillance vehicle  50  is thereby lifted from the track  60  and carried on the end  2   b  of the commuter train  10   b.    
         [0035]     In order to release the surveillance vehicle  50  onto the track  60 , the forked lift arm  40   a  is lowered by the extension cylinders  36  until the surveillance vehicle  50  is placed on the tracks. The surveillance vehicle  50  may then be advanced away from the train  10   b  in order to disengage the fork arms  44  from the lift tubes  52 .  
         [0036]      FIG. 9  illustrates the train  10   b  and surveillance vehicle  50  after the surveillance vehicle  50  has been released from the train  10   b  and is proceeding down the track  60 . A commuter train  10   b  could have a lift mechanism  90  on each end of the commuter train, and each lift mechanism  90  would be capable of retrieving the surveillance vehicle  50 , lifting the surveillance vehicle  50  from the railroad track  60  and placing the surveillance vehicle  50  on the railroad track  60  to release the surveillance vehicle  50 . It is contemplated that the when the lift mechanism  90  is utilized by commuter trains  10   b  using a “push-pull” type of operation, the lift mechanism on one end of the commuter train  10   b  would be attached to the end of a train car (not shown). The arrangement of  FIGS. 7-9  is also compatible with a “push-pull” method of operation, in which a second train  10   b  can be stored at an opposite end (not shown) of the train using a second lift apparatus  30   a  attached thereto.  
         [0037]     It should be understood that the described devices and methods may be embodied in other specific forms or variations without departing from their spirit or essential characteristics. Accordingly, the embodiments described above are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the disclosure being indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be embraced therein.