Patent US1309897A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US3641618A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3641618A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Automatic rail cleaner
Assignee: KLENCO CORP
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Filing: 1970-03-11
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Granted: 1972-02-15
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Expires: 1990-03-11
Abstract
Abstract An automatic cleaner for rails in provision companies and the like. A carriage has a motor-driven trolley wheel riding upon the top of the rail. A frame, suspended from the carriage, carries a brush-driving motor having an upright motor shaft with a rotary brush at the upper end thereof for cleaning one side of the rail. A shaft parallel to the motor shaft is operatively connected thereto as by gears, and has a rotary brush at its upper end for cleaning the other side of the rail. The upper portions of the motor shaft and parallel shaft are flexible and are connected to solenoids which are energized whenever the brush shafts approach one of the shaft hangers, so as to flex the upper end of one shaft enough to pass the brush thereon around the rail hanger and the upper end of the other shaft enough to pass the brush thereon around the boltheads connecting the rail to the hanger. A third vertical shaft parallel to the motor shaft has a rotary brush at its upper end and is located forwardly of the motor shaft and connected thereto as by pulleys and belt. A fourth brush, depending from the carriage, passes between each hanger and the adjacent side of the rail to clean the same. A vacuum cleaner device of conventional construction is mounted on the carriage for picking up dust and dirt removed from the rail by the brushes.
Inventors
- 👤 George E Rainey
- 👤 Donald H Heidmeyer
- 👤 Donald E Davis
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 12:32
CPC Classifications
E; E01; E01H; E01H8/00; E01H8/10; E01H8/105
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
82 words
An automatic rail cleaner comprising a carriage for riding upon the top of a rail, power means for moving said carriage upon the rail, rotary brushes upon said carriage for contacting opposite sides of the rail as the carriage is moved along the rail, individual rotary shafts on opposite sides of the rail upon which each of said brushes are mounted for axial rotation, power means for rotating said shafts, and means for moving said shafts toward and away from said rail.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
82 words
An automatic rail cleaner comprising a carriage for riding upon the top of a rail, power means for moving said carriage upon the rail, rotary brushes upon said carriage for contacting opposite sides of the rail as the carriage is moved along the rail, individual rotary shafts on opposite sides of the rail upon which each of said brushes are mounted for axial rotation, power means for rotating said shafts, and means for moving said shafts toward and away from said rail.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
80 words
An automatic rail cleaner comprising a carriage for riding upon the top of a rail suspended upon hangers, power means for moving said carriage upon the rail, brushes upon said carriage for contacting opposite sides of tHe rail as the carriage is moved along the rail, a rotary shaft having a flexible portion upon which the brush upon one side of the rail is mounted, and means for moving said brush upon said one side of the rail transversely outward.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
80 words
An automatic rail cleaner comprising a carriage for riding upon the top of a rail suspended upon hangers, power means for moving said carriage upon the rail, brushes upon said carriage for contacting opposite sides of tHe rail as the carriage is moved along the rail, a rotary shaft having a flexible portion upon which the brush upon one side of the rail is mounted, and means for moving said brush upon said one side of the rail transversely outward.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
40 words
An automatic rail cleaner as defined in claim 2 in which the means for moving said brush upon one side of the rail is a solenoid, the armature of which is operatively connected to the flexible portion of said shaft.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
42 words
An automatic rail cleaner as defined in claim 3 in which there is a normally open limit switch upon the carriage located in the electric circuit to the solenoid, said limit switch being adapted to be closed by contact with each hanger.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
100 words
An automatic rail cleaner comprising a carriage for riding upon the top of a rail suspended upon hangers, said hangers being located on one side of the rail, bolts connecting the rail to the hangers, the heads of the bolts being located on the other side of the rail, rotary shafts upon the carriage, a portion of each shaft being flexible, brushes upon said shafts for contacting each side of the rail, means for moving the brush on one side of the rail transversely outward, and means for moving the brush on the other side of the rail transversely outward.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
100 words
An automatic rail cleaner comprising a carriage for riding upon the top of a rail suspended upon hangers, said hangers being located on one side of the rail, bolts connecting the rail to the hangers, the heads of the bolts being located on the other side of the rail, rotary shafts upon the carriage, a portion of each shaft being flexible, brushes upon said shafts for contacting each side of the rail, means for moving the brush on one side of the rail transversely outward, and means for moving the brush on the other side of the rail transversely outward.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
43 words
An automatic rail cleaner as defined in claim 5 in which the means for moving each of said brushes transversely outward around the hangers and boltheads is a solenoid, the armature of which is connected to the flexible portion of the corresponding shaft.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
91 words
An automatic rail cleaner comprising a carriage for riding upon the top of a rail suspended upon hangers, each hanger being spaced from the adjacent side of the rail, power means for moving said carriage upon the rails, brushes upon said carriage for contacting opposite sides of the rail as the carriage is moved along the rail, means for moving the brush on one side of the rail transversely outward, and a brush depending from the carriage and adapted to pass between each hanger and the adjacent side of the rail.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
91 words
An automatic rail cleaner comprising a carriage for riding upon the top of a rail suspended upon hangers, each hanger being spaced from the adjacent side of the rail, power means for moving said carriage upon the rails, brushes upon said carriage for contacting opposite sides of the rail as the carriage is moved along the rail, means for moving the brush on one side of the rail transversely outward, and a brush depending from the carriage and adapted to pass between each hanger and the adjacent side of the rail.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
31 words
An automatic rail cleaner as defined in claim 7 in which said depending brush has a flexible shaft that will allow the brush to give way and clean behind each hanger.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
116 words
An automatic rail cleaner comprising a carriage for riding upon the top of a rail, power means for moving said carriage upon the rail, rotary brushes upon said carriage for contacting opposite sides of the rail as the carriage is moved along the rail, a motor operatively connected to said brushes, one of the brushes being mounted upon the motor shaft, a shaft parallel to the motor shaft, belt and pulley means connecting said second-named shaft to the motor shaft, a flexible shaft located parallel to and in front of the motor shaft, belt and pulley means connecting said flexible shaft to the motor shaft, and a rotary brush upon the end of said flexible shaft.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
116 words
An automatic rail cleaner comprising a carriage for riding upon the top of a rail, power means for moving said carriage upon the rail, rotary brushes upon said carriage for contacting opposite sides of the rail as the carriage is moved along the rail, a motor operatively connected to said brushes, one of the brushes being mounted upon the motor shaft, a shaft parallel to the motor shaft, belt and pulley means connecting said second-named shaft to the motor shaft, a flexible shaft located parallel to and in front of the motor shaft, belt and pulley means connecting said flexible shaft to the motor shaft, and a rotary brush upon the end of said flexible shaft.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
179 words
An automatic rail cleaner comprising a carriage for riding upon the top of a rail suspended upon hangers, said hangers being located upon one side of the rail, bolts connecting the rail to the hangers, the heads of the bolts being located on the other side of the rail, power means for moving said carriage upon the rail, brushes upon said carriage for contacting opposite sides of the rail as the carriage is moved along the rail, means for moving the brush on said one side of the rail transversely outward around each hanger, the brush on said other side of the rail being mounted upon a rotary shaft a portion of which is flexible, and means for moving said last-named brush outward away from the boltheads, said means comprising an electric circuit, a solenoid in said circuit, the armature of said solenoid being operatively connected to the flexible portion of said rotary shaft, and a normally open limit switch mounted upon the carriage and located in said circuit and adapted to be closed by contact with a bolthead.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
179 words
An automatic rail cleaner comprising a carriage for riding upon the top of a rail suspended upon hangers, said hangers being located upon one side of the rail, bolts connecting the rail to the hangers, the heads of the bolts being located on the other side of the rail, power means for moving said carriage upon the rail, brushes upon said carriage for contacting opposite sides of the rail as the carriage is moved along the rail, means for moving the brush on said one side of the rail transversely outward around each hanger, the brush on said other side of the rail being mounted upon a rotary shaft a portion of which is flexible, and means for moving said last-named brush outward away from the boltheads, said means comprising an electric circuit, a solenoid in said circuit, the armature of said solenoid being operatively connected to the flexible portion of said rotary shaft, and a normally open limit switch mounted upon the carriage and located in said circuit and adapted to be closed by contact with a bolthead.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
114 words
An automatic rail cleaner comprising a carriage for riding upon the top of a rail, power means for moving said caRriage upon the rail, said power means comprising an electric motor, an electric circuit to said motor, a limit switch in said circuit carried at the forward end of said carriage and normally held closed by contact with the top of the rail, said limit switch being arranged to automatically open if it encounters a break in the rail so as to open the circuit to said motor and stop movement of the carriage, and brushes upon said carriage for contacting opposite sides of the rail as the carriage is moved along the rail.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
114 words
An automatic rail cleaner comprising a carriage for riding upon the top of a rail, power means for moving said caRriage upon the rail, said power means comprising an electric motor, an electric circuit to said motor, a limit switch in said circuit carried at the forward end of said carriage and normally held closed by contact with the top of the rail, said limit switch being arranged to automatically open if it encounters a break in the rail so as to open the circuit to said motor and stop movement of the carriage, and brushes upon said carriage for contacting opposite sides of the rail as the carriage is moved along the rail.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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US1563550A
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-02-14 | 1975-08-16 | 1976-02-15 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-02-14 | 1979-08-16 | 1980-02-15 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-02-14 | 1983-08-16 | 1984-02-15 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |