Locked-axle wheel cradle, system, and method

Abstract

A crane-less locked axle cradle system configured to lift a rail vehicle wheel off a rail and transport the lifted wheel along a rail is presented. The present disclosure discloses a system that can lift the locked-axle wheel off the rail with no crane thereby allowing the train with a locked axle to be transported off the mainline in a shorter period of time. A cradle system can have two parts (male and female members with wedges and rail wheels) that can be mated with each other around a rail wheel. As the male and female members are pulled together, locked wheel engagers can couple with different portions of the locked-axle wheel, causing the locked-axle wheel to lift off the rail given the gradient of the wedge or rotation of the wheel. In another embodiment, the wheel lifting can be assisted by an air bag, hydraulic cylinder, jack, or other.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wheel cradle, comprising:
 a receiver member having a first wheel engager disposed between a first plate and a second plate;   a connector member having a second wheel engager disposed between a third plate and a fourth plate;   wherein the first wheel engager is in rotatable contact with a first portion of a vehicle wheel and the second wheel engager is in rotatable contact with a second portion of the vehicle wheel to lift the vehicle wheel off a surface.   
     
     
         2 . The wheel cradle of  claim 1 , wherein the first wheel engager and the second wheel engager each include one or more wheels. 
     
     
         3 . The wheel cradle of  claim 1 , further comprising a first dowel disposed through the first wheel engager to facilitate the rotation of the first wheel engager. 
     
     
         4 . The wheel cradle of  claim 1 , further comprising a second dowel disposed through the second wheel engager to facilitate the rotation of the second wheel engager. 
     
     
         5 . The wheel cradle of  claim 1 , wherein the first wheel engager and the second wheel engager rotate to allow the vehicle wheel to rise vertically as the receiver member and the connector member approach each other. 
     
     
         6 . The wheel cradle of  claim 1 , wherein wheel is raised at least a quarter of an inch off the surface. 
     
     
         7 . The wheel cradle of  claim 1 , wherein the surface is a railroad track rail. 
     
     
         8 . The wheel cradle of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second wheel engagers provide a more stable lift, as they exert forces on the vehicle wheel. 
     
     
         9 . The wheel cradle of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second wheel engagers each have a smaller surface area than the vehicle wheel. 
     
     
         10 . The wheel cradle of  claim 1 , wherein the wheel cradle includes a gearbox. 
     
     
         11 . A method of lifting a locked-axle wheel, comprising:
 positioning a receiver member having a first wheel engager disposed between a first plate and a second plate, proximate a first side of a vehicle wheel;   positioning a connector member having a second wheel engager disposed between a third plate and a fourth plate, proximate a second side of the vehicle wheel;   drawing the receiver member and the connector member towards each other such that the first wheel engager is in rotatable contact with a first portion of a vehicle wheel and the second wheel engager is in rotatable contact with a second portion of the vehicle wheel; and   lifting the vehicle wheel off a surface.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising lifting at least a portion of a vehicle structure coupled to the locked-axle wheel via a pressure-controlled lifting device. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first locked-wheel engager and the second locked-wheel engager each include a wheel. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising a first dowel disposed through the first wheel engager to facilitate the rotation of the first wheel engager. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising a second dowel disposed through the second wheel engager to facilitate the rotation of the second wheel engager. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first wheel engager and the second wheel engager rotate to allow the vehicle wheel to rise vertically as the receiver member and the connector member approach each other. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising operating a gearbox to cause a puller to draw the receiver member and connector member towards each other. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein a receiver opening of the receiver member is configured to receive an arm of the connector member to couple the locked-axle wheel cradle around at least a portion of a locked-axle wheel. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the surface is a railroad track rail. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the gearbox includes an adapter configured to couple to a torque-inducing device.