Patent Publication Number: US-9896812-B2

Title: Mounting device for a debris deflector

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
     This application claims priority to the Provisional Application No. 62/003,523 filed on May 27, 2014 entitled “Mounting Device For a Debris Deflector,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Debris deflectors have been routinely used in front of the locomotives to remove debris such as snow, tree branches, and the like from the train tracks that obstruct or affect the safe operation of the train. Current methods and devices to mount debris deflectors on to locomotive are cumbersome when it comes to safety, operation, control, ease of attachment and removal and convenience. Further, the attachment of debris deflectors need to be tailored for each type of locomotive, and depend on the type and shape of the locomotive. Such methods are not economical and are time consuming. Thus, there is a great need in the rail-road industry for devices to mount debris deflectors with ease, and methods to attach and remove debris deflectors. 
     SUMMARY 
     Disclosed herein are methods and devices to attach a debris deflector to a transportation vehicle. In one embodiment, a mounting device for mounting a debris deflector on a transportation vehicle includes at least one longitudinal member having a proximal end and a distal end, a first base plate having an upper surface and a lower surface, the lower surface attached to the proximal end of the longitudinal member, and the upper surface attached to understructure of the transportation vehicle. The device further includes a second base plate having an upper surface and a lower surface, and the upper surface attached to the distal end of the longitudinal member. Further, the second base plate has an extended surface away from a region attached to the longitudinal member, and the extended surface is attached to the debris deflector. 
     In another embodiment, a method of attaching a debris deflector to a transportation vehicle involves providing a mounting device comprising at least one longitudinal member having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end connected to a lower surface of a first base plate, and the distal end connected to an upper surface of a second base plate. The method further involves connecting an upper surface of the first base plate to an understructure of a transportation vehicle by one or more attachment elements, and connecting the second base plate to the debris deflector by one or more attachment elements. 
     In an additional embodiment, a kit for mounting a debris deflector to a transportation vehicle includes a mounting device comprising at least one longitudinal member having a proximal end and a distal end, and the proximal end rigidly connected to a lower surface of a first base plate, and the distal end rigidly connected to an upper surface of a second base plate. The kit further includes a plurality of mounting devices, a plurality of attachment elements, and a plurality of debris deflectors. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         FIG. 1  depicts a pair of mounting devices with a debris deflector attached to the front end of a light rail according to an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  depicts a single mounting device, and the attachments of the longitudinal member to the first and second base plates. 
         FIG. 3  depicts the first base plate assembly attached to the understructure of the light rail according to an embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  is a back view showing a pair of mounting devices supporting a debris deflector according to an embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  is a back view showing a pair of mounting devices supporting a debris deflector according to an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a pair of mounting devices with a debris deflector attached to front end of a light rail. As shown in  FIG. 2 , each mounting device includes a longitudinal member  101  attached to a first base plate  102  at the proximal or top end, and a second base plate  103  at the distal or bottom end. The longitudinal member can be of any shape, such as rod shape, cylindrical, square, hexagonal, and the like, and is generally made of a solid metal, such as steel, iron, or any other rigid metal. In other embodiments, the longitudinal member may be a hollow metal cylinder or a metal pipe. An exemplary cylindrical longitudinal member  101  is shown in  FIG. 2 . The cylindrical member may have a diameter of about 2 inches to about 12 inches, and a length of about 1 foot to about 6 feet. The length of the longitudinal member may vary depending on the ground clearance between the undersurface of the light rail and the tracks. The longitudinal member  101  is generally perpendicular to the tracks when mounted on the light rail, but in some embodiments, may also be inclined at an angle. Further, the longitudinal member may provide rigidity and strength to support the debris deflector, and to withstand the impact when the debris deflector comes in contact with debris. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the proximal end of the longitudinal member  101  is attached to lower surface of the first base plate  102 . The first base plate  102  is generally made of solid metal, such as steel, and may have a thickness of about 0.5 inch to about 6 inches. The first base plate may be of any shape, such as a square, a rectangle, circular, a triangle, and the like, and is intended to attach the longitudinal member to the understructure of the light rail. The lower surface of the first base plate  102  is generally attached to the longitudinal member  101  rigidly by welding. In some embodiments, other attachment elements, such as anchoring screws, clamps, bolts, rivets, pins, nuts, or any combination thereof may be used. The upper surface of the first base plate  102  is attached to the understructure of the light rail, for example an anti-climber plate, by one or more attachment elements. The attachment elements may be anchoring screws, clamps, bolts, rivets, pins, nuts, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the first base plate may also be welded rigidly to the understructure of the light rail. 
     The first base plate assembly attached to the understructure of a light rail is illustrated in  FIG. 3 . In some embodiments, the upper surface of the first base plate  102  is attached to the understructure of the transportation vehicle by one or more attachment elements. The understructure of the transportation vehicle may be the underside of the frame or the structure of the vehicle. Non-limiting examples of vehicle understructure may be rail understructure, such as anti-climber plate, undercarriage crossmember, long member, and the like. A preferred embodiment may be anti-climber plate  104 . In other embodiments, the anti-climber plate may be present at front end, rear end, or both ends of the transportation vehicle and the mounting device may present at one or both ends of the transportation vehicle. The first base plate  102  may be made of any solid metal, such as steel, iron, and the like. The first base plate  102  may have a thickness of about 0.5 inch to about 6 inches and may be of any shape, such as a square, a rectangle, a triangle, and the like. The first base plate assembly may further include a polymer material  105  between the first base plate  102  and the anti-climber plate  104 . The polymer material may act as a vibration damping material and cushion the vehicle or light rail from any impact, thereby preventing further damage to the vehicle. Non-limiting examples of the polymer material may be a polyether, a polyester, a polycarbonate, a polycaprolactone, a polyacrylic, a polystyrene, a polyamide, a polyurethane, a polyolefin, a poly(etherether-ketone), a perfluoroalkoxy polymer or any combination thereof. Other polymeric materials that may be used are vinyl chloride resins, vinylidene chloride resins, vinyl chloride-vinylidene chloride copolymers, polyethylene resins, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymers, and the like. The thickness of the polymer material may be from about 0.25 inch to about 3 inches. In some embodiments, a plurality of polymer material  105  may be present ( FIG. 2 ). 
     The attachment element connecting the first base plate  102  to the anti-climber plate  104  may be welding, anchoring screws, clamps, bolts, rivets, pins, nuts, or any combination thereof. An example attachment element may be a bolt  106 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . For example, a bolt (without a head) may be welded on to the anti-climber plate. The polymer material  105  and the first base plate  102  may be threaded through the bolt with the help of a groove  108 . The groove  108  may run through the polymer material  105  and the first base plate  102 . The polymer material and the first base plate may be secured by a nut  106 A. The bolt may further include a steel mounting washer  107 . A thread-lock sealant may be used to secure the bolt into the groove  108 . In some embodiments, a plurality of bolts  106  may be welded to the anti-climber plate, and the first base plate  102  may be attached. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the upper surface of the second base plate  103  is attached to distal end of the longitudinal member  101 . The second base plate  103  is generally made of solid metal, such as steel, and may have a thickness of about 0.5 inch to about 6 inches. The second base plate may be of any shape, such as a square, a rectangle, circular, a triangle, and the like. The upper surface of the second base plate  103  is generally attached to the longitudinal member rigidly by welding. In some embodiments, other attachment elements, such as anchoring screws, clamps, bolts, rivets, pins, nuts, or any combination thereof may be used. Further, the second base plate may have an extended surface  109  that extends away from the region attached to the longitudinal member. The extended surface  109  may support the debris deflector  113 . In some embodiments, the extended surface  109  of the second base plate may include brackets  110  to support the debris deflector  113 . The brackets may be secured to the extended surface  109  by one or more attachment elements, such as bolts  112 . However, any attachment element, such as angled brackets, bolts, clamps, and the like may be used. Further, a polymer material  111  may be present between the bracket  110  and the extended surface  109  of the second base plate. The polymer material  111  may be any polymer material described herein and may act as a vibration damping material. Further, in the event the debris deflector  113  comes in contact with harder or heavier objects, such as rocks, the bracket  110  or the attachment elements  112  may break-off or give away from the mounting device and buffer the energy of impact. 
     The second base plate  103  may be further reinforced by additional attachments to the understructure of the light rail, such as one or more connecting members  115  as shown in  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 4 , and  FIG. 5 . The connecting member  115  may hold the second base plate  103  and the mounting device in place and prevent oscillations. The connecting member  115  may be flexible, such as a tensionable cord member and may be attached to the second base plate by attachment element, such as a bolt  114  ( FIG. 2 ). 
     In some embodiments, the debris deflector may be supported by one or more mounting devices. For example, a pair of mounting devices may support the debris deflector, as shown in  FIG. 1 . A pair of mounting devices may be connected to the anti-climber plate present at the front end of the light rail. Further, the debris deflector may be in any shape, such as a v-shaped structure, a cylindrical tube, a vertical flap, an arc-shaped structure, or a wedge-shaped structure. An exemplary debris deflector  113  as shown in  FIG. 5  may be cylindrical in shape. The connecting members  115  may connect the second base plate  103  and the rear end of the debris deflector  117 , and may prevent the debris deflector from oscillations. In some embodiments, the connecting members may cross over each other and are connected to the opposite side of the debris deflector, as shown in  FIG. 5 . The debris deflector  113  may be a single piece or contiguous pieces joined by attachment elements, such as screws  116 . In the event of damage to the debris deflector itself, a debris deflector assembled from contiguous pieces will allow convenient and economical replacement of just the damaged piece instead of the entire deflector. 
     The debris deflector  113  in  FIG. 1  may further comprise upward extensions  113 A and downward extensions  113 B. These upward extensions and downward extensions may be made of any polymeric material, such as polyurethane. The flexible nature of polyurethane will make the deflectors absorb and dampen the shocks from potential impacts and thereby further protect the main body of the transportation vehicle. Thus they reduce the amount of energy of impact that is transferred directly to the occupants of the transportation vehicle. Further, upward extensions  113 A and downward extensions  113 B may be a continuous piece or may be joined from contiguous pieces. Further, individual pieces may be replaced if damaged. 
     The distance between the debris deflector and the ground (ground clearance) may be adjusted by the thickness of the bracket  110 . For example, a thicker bracket will increase the ground clearance of the debris deflector. A thinner bracket will decrease the ground clearance of the debris deflector. Further, the ground clearance can also be adjusted by varying the length of the downward extensions  113 B of the debris deflector  113 . 
     Further, the debris deflector may extends substantially full width of the front end or the back end of the transportation vehicle, such as light rail. When assembled, the mounting device may hold the debris deflector vertically in the front or rear end of the transportation vehicle. Although the figures and other embodiments in this disclosure refer to light rail, the mounting device described herein may be assembled on any transportation vehicle, such as a freight train, a locomotive, an army vehicle, or a road transportation vehicle. Further, the debris deflector described herein may be used to remove debris from tracks, such as snow, tree branches, shopping carts, tires, rocks, dead animals, and the like. 
     It will be appreciated that the understructure of trains varies considerably for different classes of trains. As such, the mounting device attached to the understructure according to the present invention may vary considerably for different classes of trains. Furthermore, the size and arrangement of the deflectors themselves may also vary for different classes of trains. The mounting device may allow the entirety or parts of the deflector to retain rigidity or allow flexibility. Further, the mounting device may help to fasten or remove the debris deflector from the transportation vehicle with ease. The mounting device described herein allows to attach the debris deflector to the train without interfering with the coupler of the train or light rail. For example, the debris deflector need not be removed for coupling two adjacent passenger cars or for coupling an engine and a passenger car. 
     Also disclosed herein are methods to attach a debris deflector to a transportation vehicle. In some embodiments, the method includes providing a mounting device having at least one longitudinal member  101  with a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal end of the longitudinal member is attached to a lower surface of a first base plate  102 , and the distal end attached to an upper surface of a second base plate  103 . Further, the method includes attaching the upper surface of the first base plate to an understructure  104  of a transportation vehicle by one or more attachment elements, and attaching the second base plate  103  to the debris deflector  113  by one or more attachment elements. In some embodiments, the second base plate may have an extended surface  109  that extends away from the region attached to the longitudinal member. The extended surface  109  may support the debris deflector  113 . 
     Also disclosed herein is a kit for mounting a debris deflector to a transportation vehicle. The kit may include a mounting device having a longitudinal member  101  with a proximal end and a distal end, and the proximal end rigidly connected to the lower surface of a first base plate  102 , and the distal end rigidly connected to the upper surface of a second base plate  103 . The kit may further contain a plurality of attachment elements. These attachment elements may be used to attach the upper surface of the first base plate to an underside of a transportation vehicle  104 . The attachment elements may further be used to connect the debris deflector  113  to the extended surface  109  of second base plate  103 . The kit may further contain instructions for attaching the mounting device and the debris deflector to the transportation vehicle. 
     The mounting device described herein may act as an intermediary between the debris deflector and the train, and may decrease the impact on the body of the train by providing additional rigidity to the debris deflector. Further, the mounting device described herein may reduce the costs associated with assembling and mounting debris deflectors on to various types of locomotives without altering the shape or size of the debris deflectors. The mounting device may allow easy and quick removal of the debris deflector from the locomotive when a large debris is stuck between the debris deflector and the tracks. 
     While preferred embodiments have been shown and described, various modifications and substitutions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the method and device. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the present method and device has been described by way of illustration and not limitation.