Auto-Rack Vehicle Restraint Using Co-Acting Diamond Chocks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle restraints for auto-rack railroad cars fail to adequately secure vehicles, leading to potential damage during transportation due to movement and contact with other vehicles or car components, especially for vehicles with unique body profiles or air dams, resulting in costly repairs and delayed delivery for manufacturers and customers.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle restraint apparatus using co-acting wheel chocks, including an active chock and an anchor chock, positioned on both sides of each wheel to securely engage the tire, providing a smaller footprint and greater strength-to-size ratio, reducing movement and minimizing damage risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If known commercially available restraint systems with straps draped around tires are used, then vehicles can be secured during normal transport, but vehicles can still move or walk out during sudden stoppages, deceleration, or coupling actions
Solution Approach 1:
The restraint system is divided into two independent wheel chocks (active chock and anchor chock) positioned on opposite sides of the wheel. Each chock independently engages the wheel, providing distributed security rather than relying on a single strap system. This segmentation ensures that even if one chock fails to engage properly, the other maintains vehicle security.
Solution Approach 2:
The wheel chocks are designed to preemptively prevent vehicle movement by engaging the wheel before motion can occur. The chocks create preliminary resistance against forces that would cause the vehicle to walk out, including sudden stoppages, deceleration, and coupling jolts, rather than attempting to stop movement after it begins.
2Reliability
If vehicle restraints are positioned closer to the wheel to improve security, then better restraint is achieved, but the risk of engaging and damaging the fender, molding, or trim increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel chocks engage the wheel from a lateral dimension rather than from the front or rear. By positioning chocks on the sides of the wheel and engaging horizontally, the system achieves effective restraint without extending forward or backward where it could contact the fender, molding, or trim. This dimensional change in engagement approach eliminates the damage risk while maintaining security.
3Strength
If larger restraint components are used to increase strength, then better securing capability is achieved, but the footprint increases and may interfere with vehicle components
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel chocks utilize optimized geometric parameters and material properties to achieve high strength-to-size ratios. The chock bodies are designed with specific angular configurations and wall thicknesses that maximize structural strength while minimizing overall dimensions. This parameter optimization allows the chocks to provide robust restraint capability within a compact footprint that does not interfere with surrounding vehicle components.
4Reliability
If complex restraint mechanisms are used to improve security, then better vehicle securing is achieved, but installation and removal become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel chocks are designed as self-contained units that automatically engage and secure the wheel upon placement. The chock bodies with their specific geometric configurations self-align and self-engage with the wheel without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms or multiple installation steps. This self-service design simplifies operation while maintaining reliable vehicle security.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle restraint system for an auto-rack railroad car which includes an active chock and an anchor chock configured to co-act to secure a vehicle in the auto-rack railroad car. In various embodiments, each chock has a chock body including a substantially diamond shaped elongated tube which includes four integrally connected elongated walls. In various embodiments, for each chock, various components of that chock extend substantially along longitudinal axis that lie in the same or substantially the same vertical plane as the apex and trough of the substantially diamond shaped elongated tube of the chock body. The active and anchor chocks: (a) have a lower height than known commercially available vehicle restraints; (b) have a smaller width than known commercially available vehicle restraints; (c) position the strap and the torque tube closer to the tire of the wheel than any known commercially available vehicle restraints; (d) take up a smaller area of each safe zone adjacent to the wheel than known commercially available vehicle restraints; (e) provide a greater strength to size ratio than known commercially available vehicle restraints; and (f) are easy to operate, install, and remove.