How to change bogies at a turntable station

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a method, apparatus, and system for replacing a drive assembly in a turntable-type loading station. The system includes a structural column, a track formed on an upper surface of the structural column, a turntable, and a bogie assembly removably coupled to the underside of the turntable, the bogie assembly including a wheeled drive assembly, a swap rail attached to a radial side of the structural column, and a translating cartridge movably attached to the swap rail in a usable orientation. The translating cartridge is configured to move along the radial side of the structural column via the swap rail while in the usable orientation to an unloading position below the bogie assembly, and to pivot from the usable orientation to a correct functional orientation to couple with and decouple the wheeled drive assembly from the bogie assembly.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63 / 047,149, filed July 1, 2020, entitled "METHOD OF BOGIE REPLACEMENT FOR TURNTABLE STATION," and U.S. Utility Model Application Serial No. 17 / 362,769, filed June 29, 2021, entitled "METHOD OF BOGIE REPLACEMENT FOR TURNTABLE STATION," the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference for all applicable purposes as if fully set forth in their entirety below.

[0002] The technology described below relates generally to turntable loading stations for loading and unloading passengers onto and from ride systems, and more particularly to systems and methods for efficiently removing a non-operating drive assembly of a turntable loading station and installing a functioning replacement. [Background technology]

[0003] Amusement parks attract hundreds of millions of visitors each year. Amusement park operators have developed various types of systems and methods for loading and unloading passengers onto and from attractions / rides to help visitors enjoy a particular attraction or ride. In one example, a turntable loading station can be used for loading / unloading passengers. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In many cases, a turntable loading station for a ride system may be required to be continuously operational for a large portion of the day (e.g., 16 hours per day), 365 days a year. A turntable loading station may be driven by one or more drive assemblies, each having various combinations of motors, gearboxes, brakes, etc. While drive assemblies can be highly reliable, they will fail at some point during their service life. When a failure occurs, station operators would benefit from an efficient method for replacing a drive assembly with minimal impact on operation time. Current methods are overly manual and require cumbersome intermediary clamping of the assembly to adjacent station structure. Therefore, a system and method are needed for quickly and safely removing a non-functioning drive assembly and installing a functioning replacement. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The following presents a summary of one or more aspects of the present disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding of such aspects. This summary is not an extensive overview of all possible features of the disclosure, and is not intended to identify key or essential elements of all aspects of the disclosure or to delineate the scope of some or all aspects of the disclosure. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more aspects of the disclosure in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

[0006] Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a method, apparatus, and system for replacing a drive assembly in a turntable-type loading station. The system includes a structural support column, a track formed on an upper surface of the structural support column, a movable turntable structure, and a first bogie assembly removably coupled to a lower surface of the movable turntable structure, the first bogie assembly including a first wheeled drive assembly configured to drive wheels to roll on the track. The system further includes a swap rail attached to a radial side of the structural support column, and a first translating cartridge movably attached to the swap rail in a usable orientation. The first translating cartridge is configured to move, while in the usable orientation, via the swap rails along the radial side of the structural column to a teardown position below a first bogie assembly coupled to the moveable turntable structure, and pivot from the usable orientation to the correct functional orientation to couple to the first wheeled drive assembly and decouple the first wheeled drive assembly from the first bogie assembly, or to decouple the first bogie assembly including the first wheeled drive assembly coupled to the first translating cartridge from the moveable turntable structure. The first translating cartridge can also be configured to move into a position to couple to the wheeled drive assembly, decouple and move the wheeled drive assembly from the moveable turntable structure, pivot from the correct functional orientation to the usable orientation, and move, while in the usable orientation, via the swap rails along the radial side of the structural column from a teardown position to a teardown position. Other aspects, embodiments, and features are also claimed and described.

[0007] One example discloses a system for replacing a drive assembly of a turntable-type loading station, the system including a structural column, a track formed on an upper surface of the structural column, a movable turntable structure, a first bogie assembly removably coupled to an underside of the movable turntable structure including a first wheeled drive assembly configured to drive wheels to roll on the track, a swap rail attached to a radial side of the structural column, and a first translating cartridge movably mounted to the swap rail in a usable orientation, the first translating cartridge configured to pivot from the usable orientation to a correct functional orientation to couple to the first wheeled drive assembly and to decouple the first wheeled drive assembly coupled to the first translating cartridge from the first bogie assembly or to decouple the first bogie assembly including the first wheeled drive assembly coupled to the first translating cartridge from the movable turntable structure. the first wheeled drive assembly is moved (e.g., moving the first wheeled drive assembly away from the movable turntable structure and reorienting the first wheeled drive assembly to a usable orientation), and the system further includes a second translating cartridge movably mounted in the usable orientation on the swap rail, the second translating cartridge being coupled to the second wheeled drive assembly (hot spare), or a second bogie bogie assembly including the second wheeled drive assembly, and configured to pivot (or reorient) from the usable orientation to a correct functional orientation while coupled to the second wheeled drive assembly, or the second bogie bogie assembly including the second wheeled drive assembly, and couple the second wheeled drive assembly to the first bogie bogie assembly, or couple the second bogie bogie assembly including the second wheeled drive assembly to the underside of the movable turntable structure.

[0008] In one example, a method for replacing a drive assembly in a turntable loading station is disclosed. The method includes identifying for replacement (e.g., via a manual method or an automatic method, including a method based on testing a sensor) a first bogie assembly removably coupled to an underside of a moveable turntable structure, the first bogie assembly including a first wheeled drive assembly configured to drive wheels to roll on tracks formed on an upper surface of the structural column; moving the first translating cartridge along a radial side of the structural column to an unloaded position below the first bogie assembly coupled to the moveable turntable structure while the first translating cartridge is in a usable orientation; pivoting the first translating cartridge from the usable orientation to a correct functional orientation; coupling the first translating cartridge to the first wheeled drive assembly while the first translating cartridge is in the correct functional orientation; decoupling the first wheeled drive assembly coupled to the first translating cartridge from the first bogie assembly or replacing the first bogie assembly including the first wheeled drive assembly coupled to the first translating cartridge. decoupling the second translating cartridge from the moveable turntable structure; while a second translating cartridge coupled to the second wheeled drive assembly, or a second bogie bogie assembly including the second wheeled drive assembly, is in a usable orientation, moving the second translating cartridge along a radial side of the structural support to a loaded position below the first bogie bogie assembly decoupled from the first wheeled drive assembly, or below a position on the moveable turntable structure where the first bogie bogie assembly including the first wheeled drive assembly is decoupled from the moveable turntable structure; while the second translating cartridge is coupled to the second wheeled drive assembly, or a second bogie bogie assembly including the second wheeled drive assembly, pivoting the second translating cartridge from the usable orientation to a correct functional orientation; and coupling the second wheeled drive assembly to the first bogie bogie assembly, or coupling the second bogie bogie assembly including the second wheeled drive assembly to the underside of the moveable turntable structure.

[0009] In one example, a method for replacing a drive assembly in a turntable loading station is disclosed, the method including: identifying for replacement a drive assembly removably coupled to a bogie assembly on a moveable turntable structure and configured to drive wheels to roll on tracks formed on an upper surface of a structural column; moving and coupling a translating cartridge to the drive assembly while the translating cartridge is in a correct functional orientation; decoupling the drive assembly coupled to the translating cartridge from the bogie assembly; moving the translating cartridge together with the drive assembly away from the moveable turntable structure to pivot the translating cartridge to a usable configuration; and, while the translating cartridge is in the usable orientation, The method includes moving the translating cartridge from an unloaded position to a disassembled position along the radial side of the structural column; moving the second translating cartridge along the radial side of the structural column to a loaded position below a non-driving bogie assembly below the movable turntable structure while the second translating cartridge coupled to the second drive assembly (hot spare) is in a usable orientation; pivoting the second translating cartridge from the usable orientation to a correct functional orientation while the second translating cartridge is coupled to the second drive assembly; and attaching the second drive assembly to the bogie assembly.

[0010] One example discloses a turntable loading station including a structural column, a track formed on an upper surface of the structural column, a movable turntable structure, and a first bogie assembly removably coupled to a lower surface of the movable turntable structure, the first bogie assembly including a first wheeled drive assembly configured to drive wheels to roll on the track, the movable turntable structure rotating about an axis as the wheels roll on the track, the turntable loading station further including a swap rail attached to a radial side of the structural column, and a first translating cartridge movably attached to the swap rail in a usable orientation, the first translating cartridge in the usable orientation and configured to move via the swap rails along the radial side of the structural support to an unloading position below a first bogie bogie assembly coupled to the moveable turntable structure, pivot from a usable orientation to a correct functional orientation to couple to the first wheeled drive assembly, decouple the first wheeled drive assembly coupled to the first translating cartridge from the first bogie bogie assembly, or decouple the first bogie bogie assembly including the first wheeled drive assembly coupled to the first translating cartridge from the moveable turntable structure, and pivot from the correct functional orientation to a usable orientation while coupled to the first wheeled drive assembly.The turntable loading station further includes a second translating cartridge movably mounted on the swap rail in a usable orientation, the second translating cartridge being coupled to the second wheeled drive assembly, or a second bogie truck assembly including the second wheeled drive assembly, and while in the usable orientation, moving along a radial side of the structural support to a loading position below the first bogie truck assembly decoupled from the first wheeled drive assembly, or below a position of the moveable turntable structure where the first bogie truck assembly including the first wheeled drive assembly is decoupled from the moveable turntable structure, and coupling the second wheeled drive assembly, or and configured to pivot from the usable orientation to the correct functional orientation while coupled to a second bogie bogie assembly including a second wheeled drive assembly coupled to the first bogie bogie assembly, or a second bogie bogie assembly including a second wheeled drive assembly coupled to the underside of the moveable turntable structure, and to pivot from the correct functional orientation to the usable orientation while decoupled from the second wheeled drive assembly or the second bogie bogie assembly including the second wheeled drive assembly, and while decoupled from the second wheeled drive assembly coupled to the first bogie bogie assembly, or the second wheeled drive assembly coupled to the underside of the moveable turntable structure. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an example turntable loading station, according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a side view of a bogie mounted on a turntable loading station, according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a side view of a bogie mounted on a turntable loading station according to another aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 4]1 illustrates a replacement system for removing a non-functioning drive assembly of a turntable loading station and safely installing a functioning replacement, according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] 5A-5C illustrate example positions / orientations and movements of the exchange system shown in FIG. 4 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 illustrates an example implementation of a switching system according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 illustrates another example implementation of a switching system according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for replacing a drive assembly of a turntable loading station, according to aspects of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The detailed description below, along with the accompanying drawings, is intended as a description of various configurations and is not intended to represent the only configurations in which the concepts described herein may be practiced. The detailed description includes specific details to provide a thorough understanding of various concepts. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these concepts may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and components are shown in block diagram form to avoid obscuring such concepts. While the present application describes aspects and embodiments by illustrating some examples, those skilled in the art will appreciate that further implementations and use cases can be realized in many different arrangements and scenarios. The innovations described herein can be implemented across many different platform types, devices, systems, shapes, sizes, and / or packaging configurations.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary turntable-based loading station 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The station 100 can be used for loading guests / passengers onto (and unloading guests / passengers from) a theme park attraction or ride. In some embodiments, the station 100 can also be used in other applications, such as, for example, a tracked or trackless transport system. The station 100 can include a turntable 102 (e.g., a movable turntable structure) configured to rotate about an axis 120. In some embodiments, a guest / passenger can stand on the turntable 102 and transport the guest / passenger into / out of the attraction / ride as the turntable 102 rotates about the axis 120. In some embodiments, wheels (e.g., passive load wheels) can be attached to a lower center portion of the turntable 102 to facilitate rotation of the turntable 102 about the axis 120.

[0014] The station 100 may further include bogie assemblies 104 (e.g., eight or more bogie assemblies) attached to a lower outer periphery of the turntable 102. Each bogie assembly 104 functions as a chassis or framework supporting a wheel 106. The station 100 may also include a structural pier (or ring) 110 (e.g., a concrete pier / ring) formed around an axle 120 and a track 108 seated on the upper surface of the structural pier 110. Each of the wheels 106 is configured to roll along the track 108. Thus, when the wheels 106 are driven (e.g., via a drive motor) to roll along the track 108, each bogie assembly 104 supporting the respective wheel 106 moves along the track 108 and rotates about the axle 120, which in turn causes the turntable 102 coupled to the bogie assembly 104 to also rotate about the axle 120. When the wheels 106 stop rolling along the track 108 (e.g., via the wheel brakes or the drive motor stopping), each bogie carriage assembly 104 supporting the respective wheel 106 stops rotating about its axis 120, which in turn stops the rotation of the turntable 102 about its axis 120.

[0015] Figure 2 is a side view of a bogie assembly 104 mounted on a turntable loading station 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 is a side view of a bogie assembly 104 mounted on a turntable loading station 100 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] 2 and 3 , the bogie assembly 104 is mounted to the underside of the turntable 102 above the track 108. The bogie assembly 104 may include mechanical fittings and / or support structures configured to adjust the position of the bogie assembly 104 / wheels 106 relative to the track 108 (e.g., toe adjustment). The bogie assembly 104 may further include a drive assembly 202 operatively coupled to (or including) the wheels 106 supported by the bogie assembly 104. The drive assembly 202 may be a combination of various devices / systems configured to generate torque to drive the wheels 106 to roll. For example, the drive assembly 202 may be a combination of at least a motor, a transmission (gearbox), and an axle coupled to the wheels 106. The combination may further include a braking system configured to slow and / or stop the rotation of the wheels. In some embodiments, the drive assembly 202 is electrically powered. For example, a slip ring connected through a central portion of the turntable 102 can provide power to the drive assembly 202. The slip ring can also provide an Ethernet connection that allows the drive assembly 202 to receive input signals from and / or send output signals to a control system.

[0017] As each wheel 106 of the station 100 is driven by the drive assembly 202 to roll along the track 108, the bogie assembly 104 supporting each wheel 106 moves along the track 108 and rotates about its axis 120. The combination of rotating bogie assemblies 104 therefore causes the turntable 102 coupled to the rotating bogie assembly 104 to also rotate about its axis 120. When the rolling of each wheel 106 along the track 108 is stopped via the drive assembly 202, the bogie assembly 104 supporting each wheel 106 stops along the track 108 and also stops rotating about its axis 120. The combination of stopped bogie assemblies 104 therefore also stops the rotation of the turntable 102 coupled to the stopped bogie assembly 104 about its axis 120.

[0018] The axle 120 (see FIG. 1 ) is located at a central portion of the turntable 102. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the axle 120 is located in a direction A relative to the bogie assembly 104. Thus, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 , the bogie assembly 104 can be mounted below the turntable 102 and above the track 108 such that the rear portion 204 of the drive assembly 202 is located closer to the axle 120 (located toward direction A) than the wheels 106. Thus, the wheels 106 are located closer to the outer circumferential surface B of the turntable 102 than the rear portion 204 of the drive assembly 202. In another embodiment shown in FIG. 3 , the bogie assembly 104 can be mounted below the turntable 102 and above the track 108 such that the wheels 106 are located closer to the axle 120 (located toward direction A) than the rear portion 204 of the drive assembly 202. Thus, the rear 204 of the drive assembly 202 is located closer to the outer periphery B of the turntable 102 than the wheels 106 .

[0019] In some aspects, drive assembly 202 may become non-functional during its service life, for example, the motor, gearbox, axles, and / or braking system of drive assembly 202 may become non-functional. Thus, when a failure occurs, station technicians may be required to perform various procedures, which may cause extended downtime of station 100 and / or expose the technicians to a potentially dangerous situation. For example, to replace a non-functional drive assembly, a station technician may need to sequentially secure the drive assembly to a support structure (e.g., using beam clamps), separate the drive assembly from the wheel / bogie assembly, suspend the drive assembly, and lower the non-functional drive assembly to the floor (e.g., with jacks). The station technician can then repeat these steps in reverse to install a functional replacement. Given the weight of the drive assembly (e.g., approximately 2600 pounds) and the height at which the drive assembly is mounted to the turntable loading station (e.g., approximately 12 feet or more above the floor), performing all of the steps necessary to replace a non-working drive assembly exposes the station technician to numerous potentially harmful ergonomic and safety risks. For example, the station technician risks the weight of the drive assembly bearing down on his or her body and / or the risk of falling from the elevated position at which the drive assembly is mounted. Furthermore, performing such sequential manual operations is time-consuming and causes extended downtime of the station 100.

[0020] 4 illustrates a replacement system 400 for quickly removing a non-functioning drive assembly of the turntable loading station 100 and safely installing a functioning replacement, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, the system 400 includes a self-contained drive assembly 402 coupled to the wheels 106. Although not shown, the drive assembly 402 and wheels 106 shown in FIG. 4 are coupled to a bogie assembly 104 (as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3).

[0021] In some embodiments, the drive assembly 402 can be mounted to the turntable-type loading station structure without being coupled to the wheels. For example, the drive assembly 402 can be tangentially mounted to the radially inner surface of the structural support 110 (e.g., when the bogie 104 is mounted so that the rear of the drive assembly is closer to the central axis 120 of the station 100 than the wheels 106, as shown in FIG. 2). Alternatively, the drive assembly 402 can be tangentially mounted to the radially outer surface of the structural support 110 (e.g., when the bogie 104 is mounted so that the wheels 106 are closer to the central axis 120 of the station 100 than the rear of the drive assembly, as shown in FIG. 3). Thus, the drive assembly 402 can be pre-mounted to the station structure as a spare drive assembly ready to replace a functioning drive assembly that may become non-functional.

[0022] System 400 further includes a translating cartridge 404 configured to mount drive assembly 402 to a radially inner / outer surface of structural column 110. Translation cartridge 404 may include an adapter plate 406 removably coupled to an underside of drive assembly 402 and at least one upright bar 412 extending from adapter plate 406 and removably coupled to a side of drive assembly 402. Translation cartridge 404 may further include one or more linear slide rails 408 coupled to the underside of adapter plate 406 and a tipping slide carriage 410 also coupled to the underside of adapter plate 406. The one or more slide rails 408 engage the slide carriage 410 such that when the drive assembly 402 is disengaged from the wheels 106 / bogie assembly 104, the translating cartridge 404 (and the drive assembly 402 coupled to the translating cartridge 404) can pass longitudinally through the slide carriage 410 when pulled away from the wheels 106 (e.g., pulled in direction B shown in FIG. 4 ). In some embodiments, the wheels 106 can remain coupled to the drive assembly 402, such that moving the translating cartridge 404 in direction B (or direction E shown in FIG. 5 ) can pull both the drive assembly 402 and the wheels 106 in such direction. Thus, a jack can be used to increase the space between the track 108 and the turntable 102 (e.g., by about 0.75 inches) to clear the size of the wheels 106 and allow them to move in direction B (or direction E). In one embodiment, slide carriage 410 can be attached (either directly or indirectly via a support member or structure) to the radially inner / outer surface of structural column 110 .

[0023] FIG. 5 illustrates an example position / orientation and movement of the exchange system 400 shown in FIG. 4 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Here, the drive assembly 402 is coupled to the translating cartridge 404. At position 502, the drive assembly 402 is in an upright functional orientation (e.g., horizontal or near-horizontal orientation). In the upright functional orientation, the drive assembly 402 can be coupled to the wheel 106 / bogie assembly 104. For example, if the drive assembly 402 becomes inoperable (e.g., if the motor stops functioning), the drive assembly 402 can be decoupled from the wheel 106 / bogie assembly 104. After decoupling, the drive assembly 402 can be pulled away from the wheel 106 (i.e., pulled in direction B). That is, the drive assembly 402 can be pulled in direction B such that one or more slide rails 408 pass longitudinally through the slide carriage 410 until the drive assembly 402 reaches position 504. At position 504, slide carriage 410 can facilitate tilting of drive assembly 402 downwardly away from wheels 106 (e.g., direction C). As shown in FIG. 5 , drive assembly 402 moves from its correct functional orientation at position 504 (e.g., a horizontal or near-horizontal orientation) to intermediate position 506 before finally reaching a serviceable orientation at position 508 (e.g., a vertical or near-vertical orientation). When drive assembly 402 is in the serviceable orientation at position 508, translation cartridge 404 (loading drive assembly 402) can move radially along the radially inner / outer surfaces of structural column 110, as described below.

[0024] As described above, the drive assembly 402 coupled to the translating cartridge 404 moves from the correct functional orientation (at position 502) to the usable orientation (at position 508). However, in some embodiments, the translating cartridge 404 can move independently from the correct functional orientation (position 502) to the usable orientation (position 508) without being coupled to the drive assembly 402. In other embodiments, the wheel 106 / bogie assembly 104, including the drive assembly 402 coupled to the translating cartridge 404, can move from the correct functional orientation (position 502) to the usable orientation (position 508).

[0025] In a further aspect, the drive assembly 402 and / or the translating cartridge 404 can be moved to start at a usable orientation (position 508) and end at the correct functional orientation (position 502). For example, the drive assembly 402 and / or the translating cartridge 404 may initially be in the usable orientation (position 508). The slide carriage 410 can then facilitate tilting the drive assembly 402 and / or the translating cartridge 404 in an upward, forward direction (e.g., direction D) relative to the wheels 106. The drive assembly 402 and / or the translating cartridge 404 can reach the correct functional orientation at position 504 after moving from the usable orientation at position 508 to the intermediate position 506. Note that as the drive assembly 402 / translating cartridge 404 moves from the intermediate position 506 to the correct functional orientation at position 504, the center of mass of the drive assembly 402 / translating cartridge 404 moves past the pivot position, thereby allowing the drive assembly 402 / translating cartridge 404 to slide toward the wheels 106. At position 504, the drive assembly 402 and / or translating cartridge can be pushed toward the wheels 106 (i.e., pushed in direction E) such that one or more slide rails 408 pass longitudinally through the slide carriages 410 until the drive assembly 402 reaches the correct functional orientation at position 502. At position 502, the drive assembly 402 can be coupled to the wheels 106 / bogie assembly 104.

[0026] As described above, the drive assembly 402 and / or translating cartridge 404 move starting from a usable orientation (at position 508) and ending in the correct functional orientation (at position 502). However, in some embodiments, the wheel 106 / bogie assembly 104, including the drive assembly 402 coupled to the translating cartridge 404, can also move from the usable orientation (position 508) to the correct functional orientation (position 502).

[0027] Figure 6 illustrates an implementation 600 of the switching system 400 according to an aspect of the present disclosure. Figure 7 illustrates another implementation 700 of the switching system 400 according to an aspect of the present disclosure.

[0028] In some embodiments, a swap rail 602 may be bonded onto a radial side of the structural column 110. As shown, the swap rail 602 extends along the radially outer side of the structural column 110. However, in other embodiments, the swap rail 602 may extend along the radially inner side of the structural column 110 (e.g., when the bogie assembly 104 is mounted such that the rear of the drive assembly 402 is closer to the central axis 120 of the station 100 than the wheels 106, as shown in FIG. 2). The translating cartridge 404 may be movably mounted to the swap rail 602. Thus, when the translating cartridge 404 is set in a usable orientation (e.g., position 508 in FIG. 5 ), the translating cartridge 404 can move along the radial side of the structural column 110 by sliding along the swap rail 602.

[0029] In some embodiments, a second translating cartridge 604 (similar to translating cartridge 404 described above) can also be mounted to the swap rail 602. Thus, when the second translating cartridge 604 is set in a usable orientation (e.g., position 508 in FIG. 5 ), it can move along the radial side of the structural column 110 by sliding along the swap rail 602. In some embodiments, the second translating cartridge 604 can be pre-loaded with a functioning drive assembly 606 (a hot spare or replacement unit). In other embodiments, the second translating cartridge 604 can be pre-loaded with a second wheel / bogie assembly including a functioning drive assembly 606.

[0030] In exemplary operation, if the drive assembly 402 is not functioning (e.g., becomes a non-functioning drive assembly) and can no longer roll the wheels 106 to assist in rotating the turntable 102 about the axis 120, an empty translating cartridge 404, configured in a usable orientation, can be moved along the radial side of the structural support 110 via the swap rails 602 to rest below the non-functioning drive assembly 402. Alternatively, the turntable 102 can be rotated to move the non-functioning drive assembly 402 toward the empty translating cartridge 404, such that the wheels 106 / bogie assembly 104 position the non-functioning drive assembly 402 above the empty translating cartridge 404. For example, the control system of the turntable loading station 100 can utilize an encoder and absolute positioning scheme to automatically index the turntable 102 until the non-functioning drive assembly 402 is along the track 108 in an unload position (e.g., above the empty translating cartridge 404).

[0031] Once the non-functioning drive assembly 402 is positioned above the empty translating cartridge 404, the translating cartridge 404 can be tilted in an upward, forward direction (e.g., direction D shown in FIG. 5 ) to reach the correct functional orientation. Once the translating cartridge 404 reaches the correct functional orientation, it can be pushed toward the wheels 106 (e.g., direction E shown in FIG. 5 ) until it is close enough to be coupled to the drive assembly 402. For example, the translating cartridge 404 can be pushed in direction E until the adapter plate 406 and / or one or more upright bars 412 of the translating cartridge 404 can mate with attachment points formed on the underside and / or sides of the drive assembly 402. In another example, the adapter plate 406 and / or one or more upright bars 412 can be coupled to the underside and / or sides of the drive assembly 402 via a vice clamp or strapping mechanism.

[0032] In certain aspects, any of the movements of the translating cartridge described herein can be automated to help minimize the total duration for replacing a non-functioning drive assembly 402 and to enhance safety by minimizing operator / technician exposure to hazards. For example, the control system can mechanically advance the turntable 102 until the non-functioning drive assembly 402 is in an unload position along the track 108, and then automatically position the translating cartridge 404 below the non-functioning drive assembly 402 and / or further position the translating cartridge 404 so that it can be tilted into the correct functional orientation and coupled to the non-functioning drive assembly 402.

[0033] Once the translating cartridge 404 is coupled to the drive assembly 402, the drive assembly 402 can be decoupled from the bogie assembly 104 (e.g., by loosening the fasteners coupling the drive assembly 402 to the bogie assembly 104). Alternatively, once the translating cartridge 404 is coupled to the drive assembly 402, the bogie assembly 104, including the drive assembly 402 coupled to the translating cartridge 404, can be decoupled from the turntable 102. In certain aspects, the translating cartridge 404 coupled to the drive assembly 402 is configured to reduce or eliminate compressive forces between the drive assembly 402 and the bogie assembly 104 (and / or between the bogie assembly 104 and the turntable 102). Thus, once the compressive forces are reduced or eliminated, the drive assembly 402 can be more easily and safely decoupled from the bogie assembly 104 (or the bogie assembly 104 can be decoupled from the turntable 102). The translating cartridge 404 holding the non-functioning drive assembly 402 (or the bogie assembly 104 including the non-functioning drive assembly 402) can then be tilted downward, away (e.g., direction C shown in FIG. 5 ), back to the usable orientation. Once in the usable orientation, the translating cartridge 404 / non-functioning drive assembly 402 can move away from the wheels 106 / bogie assembly 104 (or away from the turntable 102) along the radial side of the structural support 110 (e.g., in direction 610). In one embodiment, to account for the weight of the drive assembly 402 held by the translating cartridge 404, the translating cartridge 404 can be attached to the swap rail 602 via a counterbalance pivot 702. Counterweight pivot 702 can help tilt translating cartridge 404 / drive assembly 402 in an upward, forward direction (direction D shown in FIG. 5) and / or downward, away direction (direction C shown in FIG. 5) by counteracting the weight of drive assembly 402 acting in one direction or another. In some embodiments, counterweight pivot 702 can employ a spring, gas cylinder, or other type of counterweight device.

[0034] After the translating cartridge 404 / non-functioning drive assembly 402 is clear of the wheels 106 / bogie assembly 104 (or from the turntable 102), a second translating cartridge 604 pre-loaded with a functioning drive assembly 606 (hot spare, replacement unit, or second drive assembly) and set in an available position (or pre-loaded with a second bogie assembly including a functioning drive assembly 606) can be moved along the radial side of the structural column 110 (e.g., in direction 612) to come to rest beneath the bogie assembly 104 (or turntable 102). Once the second translating cartridge 604 is positioned beneath the bogie assembly 104 (or turntable 102), the second translating cartridge 604 holding the functioning drive assembly 606 (or holding a second bogie assembly including a functioning drive assembly 606) can be tilted in an upward, forward direction (e.g., direction D shown in FIG. 5 ) until it reaches the correct functional orientation. In one embodiment, the second translating cartridge 604 can be attached to the swap rail 602 via a second counterweight pivot (similar to counterweight pivot 702) to account for the weight of the functioning drive assembly 606 carried by the second translating cartridge 604. The second counterweight pivot can help tilt the second translating cartridge 604 / functioning drive assembly 606 in an upward, forward direction (direction D shown in FIG. 5 ) and / or a downward, away direction (direction C shown in FIG. 5 ) by counteracting the weight of the functioning drive assembly 606 acting in one direction or another.

[0035] Once the second translating cartridge 604 / functional drive assembly 606 reaches the correct functional orientation, it can be pushed toward the bogie assembly 104 (e.g., direction E shown in FIG. 5 ) until the functional drive assembly 606 is close enough to be coupled to the bogie assembly 104. The functional drive assembly 606 can then be coupled to the bogie assembly 104 (e.g., by tightening the fasteners coupling the functional drive assembly 606 to the bogie assembly 104). In certain aspects, the second translating cartridge 604 coupled to the functional drive assembly 606 is configured to increase the compressive force between the functional drive assembly 606 and the bogie assembly 104 (or between the second bogie assembly including the functional drive assembly 606 and the turntable 102) upon installation of the functional drive assembly 606. Thus, the increased compressive force allows for easier and safer coupling of the functional drive assembly 606 to the bogie assembly 104 (or a second bogie assembly including a functional drive assembly 606 to the turntable 102).

[0036] After coupling the functional drive assembly 606 to the bogie truck assembly 104 (or after coupling a second bogie truck assembly including the functional drive assembly 606 to the underside of the turntable 102), the second translating cartridge 604 can be decoupled from the functional drive assembly 606 (or from the second bogie truck assembly including the functional drive assembly 606). For example, the second adapter plate and / or one or more second upright bars of the second translating cartridge can be decoupled from the attachment points on the underside and / or sides of the functional drive assembly 606. The second translating cartridge 604 can then be pulled away in direction B (shown in FIG. 5 ) and tilted downward, away from the bogie truck assembly 104 (e.g., direction C shown in FIG. 5 ), returning it to its usable orientation. Once in its usable orientation, the empty second translating cartridge 604 can be left empty in anticipation of receiving a non-functional drive assembly in the future, or it can be reloaded with a functional drive assembly.

[0037] 8 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process 800 for replacing a drive assembly of a turntable loading station, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In some examples, process 800 may be performed by a control system of the turntable loading station or any suitable device or means that performs the functions or algorithms described below.

[0038] In block 802, the control system identifies for replacement a first bogie assembly (e.g., bogie assembly 104) removably coupled to the underside of a movable turntable structure (e.g., turntable 102). The first bogie assembly includes a first wheeled drive assembly configured to drive wheels (e.g., wheel 106) to roll on tracks (e.g., track 108) formed on the upper surface of a structural support (e.g., support 110). In some embodiments, the first bogie assembly can be identified for replacement via a manual method or an automatic method, including a method based on inspecting sensors. In some embodiments, wheels are coupled to the underside of the movable turntable structure via the first bogie assembly, and the movable turntable structure rotates about an axis (e.g., axis 120) when the first wheeled drive assembly drives the wheels to roll on the tracks.

[0039] In block 804, while the first translating cartridge (e.g., translating cartridge 404) is in a usable orientation (e.g., the orientation at position 508), the control system moves the first translating cartridge (e.g., by sliding it along swap rail 602) along the radial side of the structural support to an unloaded position below a first bogie assembly coupled to the moveable turntable structure. In block 806, the control system can optionally rotate the moveable turntable structure about an axis to move the first bogie assembly to an unloaded position above the first translating cartridge.

[0040] In block 808, the control system pivots the first translating cartridge from the usable orientation to the correct functional orientation (e.g., the orientation at position 502) and couples the first translating cartridge to the first wheeled drive assembly while the first translating cartridge is in the correct functional orientation. The control system then decouples the first wheeled drive assembly coupled to the first translating cartridge from the first bogie assembly, or decouples the first bogie assembly including the first wheeled drive assembly coupled to the first translating cartridge from the moveable turntable structure, and pivots the first translating cartridge from the correct functional orientation to the usable orientation while the first translating cartridge is coupled to the first wheeled drive assembly. In some embodiments, pivoting the first translating cartridge can include counterbalancing (e.g., using counterweight pivot 702) the weight of the first wheeled drive assembly coupled to the first translating cartridge as the first translating cartridge pivots from the correct functional orientation to the usable orientation. The control system can further move the first translating cartridge along the radial side of the structural column to a position away from the unloaded position while the first translating cartridge is in a usable orientation and coupled to the first wheeled drive assembly.

[0041] In block 810, while the second wheeled drive assembly (e.g., second drive assembly 606) or the second translating cartridge (e.g., second translating cartridge 604) coupled to the second bogie truck assembly including the second wheeled drive assembly is in the usable orientation, the control system moves the second translating cartridge (e.g., by sliding it along swap rail 602) along the radial side of the structural support to a loading position below the first bogie truck assembly decoupled from the first wheeled drive assembly or below the position of the moveable turntable structure where the first bogie truck assembly including the first wheeled drive assembly is decoupled from the moveable turntable structure.

[0042] In block 812, the control system pivots the second translating cartridge from the usable orientation to the correct functional orientation to couple the second wheeled drive assembly to the first bogie assembly or couple the second bogie assembly including the second wheeled drive assembly to the underside of the moveable turntable structure, while the second translating cartridge is coupled to the second wheeled drive assembly or the second bogie assembly including the second wheeled drive assembly. In one aspect, pivoting the second translating cartridge includes offsetting (e.g., using a counterweight pivot) the weight of the second wheeled drive assembly coupled to the second translating cartridge as the second translating cartridge pivots from the usable orientation to the correct functional orientation. The control system then decouples the second translating cartridge from the second wheeled drive assembly or a second bogie assembly including the second wheeled drive assembly, and pivots the second translating cartridge from the correct functional orientation to a usable orientation while the second translating cartridge is decoupled from the second wheeled drive assembly coupled to the first bogie assembly or from the second bogie assembly including the second wheeled drive assembly coupled to the underside of the moveable turntable structure. The control system can further move the second translating cartridge along the radial side of the structural support to a position away from the loaded position while the second translating cartridge is in the usable orientation and decoupled from the second drive assembly.

[0043] The word "exemplary" in this disclosure is used to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any implementation or aspect described herein as "exemplary" should not necessarily be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects of the disclosure. Likewise, the term "aspects" does not require that all aspects of the disclosure include the described feature, advantage, or mode of operation. As used herein, the term "coupled" refers to a direct or indirect coupling between two objects. For example, if object A is in physical contact with object B, and object B is in contact with object C, objects A and C can be considered coupled to each other even if they are not in direct physical contact with each other. For example, a first object can be coupled to a second object even if the first object is never in direct physical contact with the second object.

[0044] One or more of the components, steps, features, and / or functions illustrated in Figures 1-8 may be rearranged and / or combined into a single component, step, feature, or function, or embodied in multiple components, steps, or functions. Additional elements, components, steps, and / or functions may be added without departing from the novel features disclosed herein. The apparatus, devices, and / or components illustrated in Figures 1-7 may be configured to perform the methods, features, and / or steps described herein. The novel algorithms described herein may be efficiently implemented in software and / or embedded in hardware.

[0045] It is understood that any specific order or hierarchy of steps in the disclosed methods is an example of a sample process. It is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the method may be rearranged based on design preferences. The accompanying method claims present elements of the various steps in a sample order, and are not intended to be limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented, unless specifically stated in the claims.

[0046] The above description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various embodiments described herein. Various modifications of these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments. Accordingly, the claims are not limited to the embodiments set forth herein but are to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language of the claims. References to elements in the singular are not intended to mean "only one" unless specifically stated otherwise, but rather "one or more." Unless expressly stated otherwise, the term "some" means one or more. References to "at least one of" a list of items refer to any combination of those items (including one element). As an example, "at least one of a, b, or c" is intended to include a, b, c, a and b, b and c, and a, b, and c. All structural and functional equivalents, now known or later known to those skilled in the art, of the elements of the various embodiments described throughout this disclosure are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be publicly available, regardless of whether it is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element is to be construed under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase "means for," or, in the case of a method claim, the phrase "step for." [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 106 Wheels 108 orbit 110 Structural columns 402 Drive Assembly 404 Translational Cartridge 602 Swap Rail 604 Second Translational Cartridge 606 Functioning Drive Assembly 610 directions 612 directions

Claims

1. 1. A system for replacing a drive assembly of a turntable loading station, comprising: Structural supports; a track formed on the top surface of the structural column; A movable turntable structure; a first bogie assembly removably coupled to an underside of the moveable turntable structure, the first bogie assembly including a first wheeled drive assembly configured to drive wheels to roll on the track; a swap rail attached to a radial side of the structural column; a first translating cartridge movably mounted on said swap rail in a usable orientation; the first translating cartridge is configured to pivot from the usable orientation to a correct functional orientation to couple to the first wheeled drive assembly and to decouple the first wheeled drive assembly coupled to the first translating cartridge from the first bogie assembly, or to decouple the first bogie assembly including the first wheeled drive assembly coupled to the first translating cartridge from the moveable turntable structure. system.

2. the first translating cartridge, while in the usable orientation, is configured to move via the swap rail along the radial side of the structural column to an unloaded position below the first bogie assembly coupled to the movable turntable structure; The system of claim 1 .

3. The first translating cartridge comprises: pivoting from the correct functional orientation to the usable orientation while coupled to the first wheeled drive assembly; while in the usable orientation and coupled to the first wheeled drive assembly, moving along the radial side of the structural column via the swap rail to a position away from the unloading position. The system of claim 2 , configured to:

4. The first translating cartridge comprises: an adapter plate removably coupled to an underside of the first wheeled drive assembly; a tilted slide carriage coupled to a lower surface of the adapter plate and configured to pivot the translating cartridge between the usable orientation and the correct functional orientation; one or more slide rails coupled to the underside of the adapter plate; wherein the one or more slide rails include: sliding the first translating cartridge in the correct functional orientation toward the first bogie assembly to couple the adapter plate to the first wheeled drive assembly; sliding the first translating cartridge in the correct functional orientation away from the first bogie assembly when the adapter plate is coupled to the first wheeled drive assembly and the first wheeled drive assembly is decoupled from the first bogie assembly; or the adapter plate is coupled to the first wheeled drive assembly to slide the first translating cartridge in the correct functional orientation away from the movable turntable structure when the first bogie assembly including the first wheeled drive assembly is decoupled from the movable turntable structure; It is configured as follows: The system of claim 1 .

5. a counterweight pivot formed between the first translating cartridge and the swap rail, the counterweight pivot configured to offset a weight of the first wheeled drive assembly coupled to the first translating cartridge when the first translating cartridge pivots between the usable orientation and the correct functional orientation. The system of claim 4.

6. a second translating cartridge movably mounted on the swap rail in the usable orientation, the second translating cartridge coupled to a second wheeled drive assembly or a second bogie assembly including the second wheeled drive assembly; pivoting from the usable orientation to the correct functional orientation while coupled to the second wheeled drive assembly or the second bogie assembly including the second wheeled drive assembly; coupling the second wheeled drive assembly to the first bogie assembly or coupling the second bogie assembly including the second wheeled drive assembly to the underside of the moveable turntable structure; decoupling from the second wheeled drive assembly or the second bogie assembly including the second wheeled drive assembly; pivoting from the correct functional orientation to the usable orientation while being decoupled from the second wheeled drive assembly coupled to the first bogie assembly or while being decoupled from the second bogie assembly including the second wheeled drive assembly coupled to the underside of the moveable turntable structure; It is configured as follows: The system of claim 4.

7. The second translating cartridge includes: a second adapter plate removably coupled to an underside of the second wheeled drive assembly; a second tilted slide carriage coupled to a lower surface of the second adapter plate and configured to pivot the second translating cartridge between the usable orientation and the correct functional orientation; one or more second slide rails coupled to the underside of the second adapter plate; wherein the one or more second slide rails include: while the second adapter plate is coupled to the second wheeled drive assembly, sliding the second translating cartridge in the correct functional orientation to couple the second wheeled drive assembly to the first bogie assembly. while the second adapter plate is coupled to the second wheeled drive assembly, sliding the second translating cartridge in the correct functional orientation to couple the second bogie assembly including the second wheeled drive assembly to the underside of the movable turntable structure. sliding the second translating cartridge in the correct functional orientation away from the first bogie assembly when the second wheeled drive assembly is coupled to the first bogie assembly and the second adapter plate is decoupled from the second wheeled drive assembly; or sliding the second translating cartridge in the correct functional orientation away from the movable turntable structure when the second bogie assembly including the second wheeled drive assembly is coupled to the underside of the movable turntable structure and the second adapter plate is decoupled from the second wheeled drive assembly; It is configured as follows: The system of claim 6.

8. a second counterweight pivot formed between the second translating cartridge and the swap rail, the second counterweight pivot configured to offset a weight of the second wheeled drive assembly coupled to the second translating cartridge when the second translating cartridge pivots between the usable orientation and the correct functional orientation. The system of claim 7.

9. The second translating cartridge includes: while in the usable orientation and coupled to the second wheeled drive assembly, move via the swap rail along the radial side of the structural column to a loading position below the first bogie assembly decoupled from the first wheeled drive assembly or below a position on the moveable turntable structure where the first bogie assembly including the first wheeled drive assembly is decoupled from the moveable turntable structure; while in the usable orientation and decoupled from the second wheeled drive assembly, moving along the radial side of the structural column via the swap rail to a position away from the loading position. The system of claim 7 configured to:

10. the first bogie assembly is configured to couple the wheels to the underside of the moveable turntable structure; the movable turntable structure rotates about the axis as the first bogie assembly moves along the track and rotates about the axis when the first wheeled drive assembly drives the wheels to roll on the track; The system of claim 1 .

11. 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the movable turntable structure is configured to rotate about the axis to move the first bogie assembly to an unloading position above the first translating cartridge.

12. 1. A method for replacing a drive assembly in a turntable loading station, comprising: identifying for replacement a first bogie assembly removably coupled to the underside of the moveable turntable structure, the first bogie assembly including a first wheeled drive assembly configured to drive wheels to roll on tracks formed on the upper surface of the structural support; moving a first translating cartridge along a radial side of the structural column to an unloaded position below the first bogie assembly coupled to the moveable turntable structure while the first translating cartridge is in a usable orientation; pivoting the first translating cartridge from the usable orientation to a correct functional orientation; coupling the first translating cartridge to the first wheeled drive assembly while the first translating cartridge is in the correct functional orientation; decoupling the first wheeled drive assembly coupled to the first translating cartridge from the first bogie assembly, or decoupling the first bogie assembly including the first wheeled drive assembly coupled to the first translating cartridge from the moveable turntable structure; A method comprising:

13. pivoting the first translating cartridge from the correct functional orientation to the usable orientation while the first translating cartridge is coupled to the first wheeled drive assembly; moving the first translating cartridge along the radial side of the structural column to a position away from the unloaded position while the first translating cartridge is in the usable orientation and coupled to the first wheeled drive assembly; The method of claim 12 further comprising:

14. and pivoting the first translating cartridge from the correct functional orientation to the usable orientation includes offsetting a weight of the first wheeled drive assembly coupled to the first translating cartridge as the first translating cartridge pivots from the correct functional orientation to the usable orientation. The method of claim 13.

15. the first bogie assembly is configured to couple the wheels to the underside of the movable turntable structure, and the movable turntable structure rotates about the axis as the first bogie assembly moves along the track and rotates about the axis when the first wheeled drive assembly drives the wheels to roll on the track; The method of claim 12.

16. rotating the movable turntable structure about the axis to move the first bogie assembly to the unload position above the first translating cartridge.

16. The method of claim 15.

17. while a second translating cartridge coupled to a second wheeled drive assembly or a second bogie assembly including the second wheeled drive assembly is in the usable orientation, moving the second translating cartridge along the radial side of the structural support to a loaded position below the first bogie assembly decoupled from the first wheeled drive assembly or below a location on the moveable turntable structure where the first bogie assembly including the first wheeled drive assembly is decoupled from the moveable turntable structure; pivoting the second translating cartridge from the usable orientation to the correct functional orientation while the second translating cartridge is coupled to the second wheeled drive assembly or the second bogie assembly including the second wheeled drive assembly; coupling the second wheeled drive assembly to the first bogie assembly or coupling the second bogie assembly including the second wheeled drive assembly to the underside of the moveable turntable structure; decoupling the second translating cartridge from the second wheeled drive assembly or from the second bogie assembly including the second wheeled drive assembly; pivoting the second translating cartridge from the correct functional orientation to the usable orientation while the second translating cartridge is decoupled from the second wheeled drive assembly coupled to the first bogie assembly or while the second translating cartridge is decoupled from the second bogie assembly including the second wheeled drive assembly coupled to the underside of the moveable turntable structure; The method of claim 12 further comprising:

18. and pivoting the second translating cartridge from the usable orientation to the correct functional orientation includes offsetting a weight of the second wheeled drive assembly coupled to the second translating cartridge as the second translating cartridge pivots from the usable orientation to the correct functional orientation.

18. The method of claim 17.

19. and while the second translating cartridge is in the usable orientation and decoupled from the second wheeled drive assembly, moving the second translating cartridge along the radial side of the structural column to a position away from the loaded position.

18. The method of claim 17.

20. A turntable loading station, comprising: Structural supports; a track formed on the top surface of the structural column; A movable turntable structure; a first bogie assembly removably coupled to an underside of the moveable turntable structure, the first bogie assembly including a first wheeled drive assembly configured to drive wheels to roll on the track; the movable turntable structure rotates about the axis as the first bogie assembly moves along the track and rotates about the axis when the wheels roll on the track, and the turntable loading station comprises: a swap rail attached to a radial side of the structural column; a first translating cartridge movably mounted in a usable orientation on the swap rail; and wherein the first translating cartridge further comprises: while in the usable orientation, moving via the swap rail along the radial side of the structural column to an unloading position below the first bogie assembly coupled to the moveable turntable structure; pivoting from the usable orientation to a correct functional orientation to couple to the first wheeled drive assembly; decoupling the first wheeled drive assembly coupled to the first translating cartridge from the first bogie assembly, or decoupling the first bogie assembly including the first wheeled drive assembly coupled to the first translating cartridge from the moveable turntable structure; pivoting from the correct functional orientation to the usable orientation while coupled to the first wheeled drive assembly; It is configured as follows: Turntable loading station.

21. a second translating cartridge movably mounted on the swap rail in the usable orientation, the second translating cartridge coupled to a second wheeled drive assembly or a second bogie assembly including the second wheeled drive assembly; while in the usable orientation, move along the radial side of the structural column to a loading position below the first bogie assembly decoupled from the first wheeled drive assembly or below a position on the moveable turntable structure where the first bogie assembly including the first wheeled drive assembly is decoupled from the moveable turntable structure; pivoting from the usable orientation to the correct functional orientation while coupled to the second wheeled drive assembly or the second bogie assembly including the second wheeled drive assembly; coupling the second wheeled drive assembly to the first bogie assembly or coupling the second bogie assembly including the second wheeled drive assembly to the underside of the moveable turntable structure; decoupling from the second wheeled drive assembly or the second bogie assembly including the second wheeled drive assembly; pivoting from the correct functional orientation to the usable orientation while decoupled from the second wheeled drive assembly coupled to the first bogie assembly or while decoupled from the second wheeled drive assembly coupled to the underside of the moveable turntable structure; 21. The turntable loading station of claim 20, configured to:

22. A system for replacing a drive assembly of a turntable loading station, comprising: a bogie assembly including wheels and a drive assembly configured to drive the wheels to roll on tracks formed on the top surface of the structure; a translating cartridge movably mounted on a swap rail attached to a side of said structure; the translating cartridge is configured to pivot from a first orientation to a second orientation to couple to the drive assembly and to decouple the drive assembly coupled to the translating cartridge from the bogie assembly. system.

23. the translating cartridge is configured to move along the swap rail to an unloading position below the bogie assembly while in the first orientation; 23. The system of claim 22.

24. The translating cartridge comprises: pivoting from the second orientation to the first orientation while coupled to the drive assembly; moving along the swap rail to a position away from the unload position while in the first orientation and coupled to the drive assembly; 24. The system of claim 23 configured to:

25. The translating cartridge comprises: an adapter plate removably coupled to a lower surface of the drive assembly; a tilting slide carriage coupled to a lower surface of the adapter plate and configured to pivot the translating cartridge between the first orientation and the second orientation; one or more slide rails coupled to the underside of the adapter plate; wherein the one or more slide rails include: sliding the translating cartridge in the second orientation toward the bogie assembly to couple the adapter plate to the drive assembly; the adapter plate is coupled to the drive assembly to slide the translating cartridge in the second orientation away from the bogie assembly when the drive assembly is disengaged from the bogie assembly. It is configured as follows:

23. The system of claim 22.

26. a counterweight pivot formed between the translating cartridge and the swap rail, the counterweight pivot configured to counterbalance a weight of the drive assembly coupled to the translating cartridge when the translating cartridge pivots between the first orientation and the second orientation.

26. The system of claim 25.

27. a second translating cartridge mounted to the swap rail in the first orientation, the second translating cartridge coupled to a second drive assembly; pivoting from the first orientation to the second orientation while coupled to the second drive assembly; coupling the second drive assembly to the bogie assembly; decoupled from the second drive assembly; pivoting from the second orientation to the first orientation while decoupled from the second drive assembly coupled to the bogie assembly; It is configured as follows:

26. The system of claim 25.

28. The second translating cartridge includes: a second adapter plate removably coupled to a lower surface of the second drive assembly; a second tilting slide carriage coupled to a lower surface of the second adapter plate and configured to pivot the second translating cartridge between the first orientation and the second orientation; one or more second slide rails coupled to the underside of the second adapter plate; wherein the one or more second slide rails include: Sliding the second translating cartridge in the second orientation while the second adapter plate is coupled to the second drive assembly to couple the second drive assembly to the bogie assembly; or sliding the second translating cartridge in the second orientation away from the bogie assembly when the second drive assembly is coupled to the bogie assembly and the second adapter plate is disengaged from the second drive assembly; It is configured as follows:

28. The system of claim 27.

29. a second counterweight pivot formed between the second translating cartridge and the swap rail, the second counterweight pivot configured to offset a weight of the second drive assembly coupled to the second translating cartridge when the second translating cartridge pivots between the first orientation and the second orientation.

29. The system of claim 28.

30. The second translating cartridge includes: while in the first orientation and coupled to the second drive assembly, moving along the swap rail to a loading position below the bogie assembly decoupled from the drive assembly; moving along the swap rail to a position away from the loading position while in the first orientation and decoupled from the second drive assembly; 29. The system of claim 28, configured to:

31. A method for replacing a drive assembly in a turntable loading station, comprising: moving a translating cartridge movably mounted on a swap rail attached to a side of a structure while the translating cartridge is in a first orientation along the swap rail to an unloading position below a bogie assembly including wheels and a drive assembly configured to drive the wheels to roll on tracks formed on a top surface of the structure; pivoting the translating cartridge from the first orientation to a second orientation; coupling the translating cartridge to the drive assembly while the translating cartridge is in the second orientation; decoupling the drive assembly coupled to the translating cartridge from the bogie assembly; A method comprising:

32. pivoting the translating cartridge from the second orientation to the first orientation while the translating cartridge is coupled to the drive assembly; moving the translating cartridge along the swap rail to a position away from the unload position while the translating cartridge is in the first orientation and coupled to the drive assembly; 32. The method of claim 31 , further comprising:

33. pivoting the translating cartridge from the second orientation to the first orientation includes counteracting a weight of the drive assembly coupled to the translating cartridge as the translating cartridge pivots from the second orientation to the first orientation.

33. The method of claim 32.

34. moving a second translating cartridge coupled to a second drive assembly along the swap rail to a loaded position below the bogie assembly decoupled from the drive assembly while the second translating cartridge is in the first orientation; pivoting the second translating cartridge from the first orientation to the second orientation while the second translating cartridge is coupled to the second drive assembly; coupling the second drive assembly to the bogie assembly; decoupling the second translating cartridge from the second drive assembly; pivoting the second translating cartridge from the second orientation to the first orientation while the second translating cartridge is decoupled from the second drive assembly coupled to the bogie assembly; 32. The method of claim 31 , further comprising:

35. and pivoting the second translating cartridge from the first orientation to the second orientation includes offsetting a weight of the second drive assembly coupled to the second translating cartridge as the second translating cartridge pivots from the first orientation to the second orientation.

35. The method of claim 34.

36. further comprising, while the second translating cartridge is in the first orientation and decoupled from the second drive assembly, moving the second translating cartridge along the swap rail to a position away from the loaded position.

35. The method of claim 34.

37. A system for replacing a drive assembly of a turntable loading station, comprising: a bogie assembly coupled to the underside of the movable structure and including wheels and a drive assembly configured to drive the wheels to roll on tracks formed on the upper surface of the stationary structure; a translating cartridge movably mounted on a swap rail attached to a side of the stationary structure; the translating cartridge is configured to pivot from a first orientation to a second orientation to couple to the drive assembly and to decouple the bogie assembly, including the drive assembly coupled to the translating cartridge, from the moveable structure. system.

38. the translating cartridge is configured to move along the swap rail to an unloaded position below the bogie assembly coupled to the moveable structure while in the first orientation; 38. The system of claim 37.

39. The translating cartridge comprises: pivoting from the second orientation to the first orientation while coupled to the drive assembly; moving along the swap rail to a position away from the unload position while in the first orientation and coupled to the drive assembly; 39. The system of claim 38 configured to:

40. The translating cartridge comprises: an adapter plate removably coupled to a lower surface of the drive assembly; a tilting slide carriage coupled to a lower surface of the adapter plate and configured to pivot the translating cartridge between the first orientation and the second orientation; one or more slide rails coupled to the underside of the adapter plate; wherein the one or more slide rails include: Sliding the translating cartridge in the second orientation toward the bogie assembly to couple the adapter plate to the drive assembly; or the adapter plate is coupled to the drive assembly to slide the translating cartridge in the second orientation away from the movable structure when the bogie assembly including the drive assembly is decoupled from the movable structure. It is configured as follows:

38. The system of claim 37.

41. the movable structure moves when the drive assembly drives the wheels to roll on the tracks; the movable structure is configured to move the bogie assembly to an unloaded position above the translating cartridge.

38. The system of claim 37.

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