FIELD

The present subject matter relates to tools for spacing adjacent railroad cars from each other. The present disclosure has particular applicability to tools and techniques for quickly spacing adjacent railcars from each other with a predetermined gap between them.

BACKGROUND

Railcars sometimes need to be spaced relative to each other and/or positioned relative to stationary objects with some precision in a rail yard. For example, a railcar may need to be properly positioned for tippling to unload bulk materials. Most relevant for the present disclosure, adjacent railcars must sometimes be spaced a predetermined distance from each other to receive a “bridge plate” inserted between them. The bridge plate is then used for loading and unloading cargo, such as automobiles, along the length of the train. The disclosed embodiments herein improve upon conventional railcar spacing tools and techniques.

Conventional spacing or positioning devices include those that position an entire train by pushing or chocking cars at both ends of the train, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,508,180 and Published International Application WO 200136244. Other devices include movable wheel chocks mounted in the ground that either stop an individual car of a train at a particular place, or move a stopped car a small amount to position the car and/or the train, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,038,927, 8,485,107, and 4,080,904.

Still other conventional devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,038,927 include a carriage that rides on rails next to a train and has an arm that extends between two cars to engage the coupler. The train is then moved by motion of the carriage. Another type of conventional positioning device is disclosed in European Patent EP 1081010, wherein hydraulic or electric cylinder(s) are mounted to two adjacent cars extending between the cars, for fine positioning.

Most conventional spacing or positioning devices are not designed to reliably provide a fixed critical spacing between railcars. Those that are capable of so doing, such as disclosed in European Patent EP 1081010, are complex and expensive, requiring multiple cylinders to be permanently mounted to the railcars to be spaced. They also present a danger to workers to the extent they require workers to be positioned between railcars during the spacing process.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure provides a railcar spacing tool that addresses the aforementioned needs. The disclosed railcar spacing tool is for quickly spacing adjacent adjoined railcars from each other with a predetermined gap in between. One advantage of doing so is to enable a standard sized bridge plate to be placed over the junction between the railcars. Cargo such as automobiles can then be easily moved from one railcar to another to facilitate loading and unloading.

Embodiments include a railcar spacing tool for spacing a pair of adjacent adjoined railcars apart from each other a predetermined distance. The spacing tool comprises a cylinder having a body, a piston extendible from the body, a first bracket attached to a distal end of the body, and a second bracket attached to a distal end of the piston. The piston is extendible from the body such that a total length of the cylinder is adjustable from less than the predetermined distance to the predetermined distance, and the first and second brackets are for contacting respective frames of the adjoined adjacent railcars to be spaced from each other. When the piston is extended from the body such that the total length is less than the predetermined distance and the first and second brackets are disposed between the respective frames of the adjacent railcars, the cylinder is for extending the piston until the first and second brackets contact the respective frames of the adjoined adjacent railcars, and for further extending the piston to move the adjacent railcars relative to each other until the total length of the cylinder is the predetermined distance. The railcar spacing tool further comprises a cylinder support frame having a first end attachable to the body of the cylinder, and a second end movably attachable to a support vehicle such that the cylinder support frame is movable from a retracted position where the first end is proximal the support vehicle, to an extended position where the first and second brackets are disposed between the respective frames of the pair of adjoined adjacent railcars.

Embodiments further include a method for spacing a pair of adjacent adjoined railcars apart from each other a predetermined distance. The method comprises providing a spacing tool including a cylinder having a body, a piston extendible from the body, a first bracket attached to a distal end of the body, and a second bracket attached to a distal end of the piston. The piston is extendible from the body such that a total length of the cylinder is adjustable from less than the predetermined distance to the predetermined distance, and the first and second brackets being for contacting respective frames of the pair of adjoined adjacent railcars to be spaced from each other. The method further comprises positioning the pair of adjoined adjacent railcars such that a distance between their respective frames is less than or equal to the predetermined distance; positioning the spacing tool such that the first and second brackets are disposed between and contact the respective frames of the pair of adjoined adjacent railcars; extending the piston from the body of the cylinder as needed to move the adjacent railcars relative to each other until the total length of the cylinder is the predetermined distance, thereby spacing the respective frames of the pair of adjoined adjacent railcars from each other by the predetermined distance; applying brakes of the pair of adjoined adjacent railcars to preserve the spacing between the railcars; and removing the spacing tool from between the respective frames of the pair of adjoined adjacent railcars.

Objects and advantages of embodiments of the disclosed subject matter will become apparent from the following description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Additionally the different configurations discussed in the sections below may be performed in a different order or simultaneously with each other.

