Portable Rail Clamp Assembly for No-Modification Track Mounting
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The installation and removal of structures for monitoring and operating railroads or railyards often require costly civil construction and modifications to existing infrastructure, which can be difficult due to permission and ownership issues.
Innovation Solution
A portable rail clamp mount assembly that can be installed on existing tracks without any modification to the existing rail infrastructure, allowing quick and easy installation and uninstallation, without requiring trenching or other modifications to the existing railyard.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If permanent structures are installed to monitor and operate railroads, then the railroad can operate safely and efficiently, but costly civil construction and modifications to existing infrastructure are required
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting system is divided into separate modular components: base components that attach to the rail, vertical components that provide support, and equipment components that can be mounted. This segmentation allows each component to be independently manufactured, installed, and removed without affecting the others, eliminating the need for permanent civil construction while maintaining structural integrity for safe railroad operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from static permanent structures to dynamic removable structures. The base components with ties can be selectively attached to and removed from the rail using selective detachable connections, allowing the mounting system to adapt to different operational needs without permanent infrastructure modification, thereby reducing installation and removal costs.
2Reliability
If permanent structures are installed to monitor and operate railroads, then the railroad can operate safely and efficiently, but meaningful modifications to the existing rail infrastructure are required
Solution Approach 1:
The base components are designed with universal attachment capability to work with standard railroad rails through the tie engagement system. The horizontal base components can be positioned beneath various rail types and configurations, providing a universal mounting solution that does not require rail modification while ensuring safe operation across different railroad infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The tie acts as an intermediary element between the base frame and the rail. Instead of directly modifying the rail to attach mounting structures, the tie engages the outside edge of the rail and provides a connection interface for the base frame, thereby mounting equipment without meaningful modifications to the existing rail infrastructure.
3Stability of the object's composition
If structures are installed using traditional methods, then stable mounting is achieved, but difficult permission and ownership issues arise
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts the mounting function from permanent civil construction and relocates it to removable base components that attach to the rail. This separation allows the mounting structure to be installed and removed without permanent infrastructure changes, simplifying permission and ownership issues while maintaining mounting stability through the engineered base component and vertical component assembly.
Data Source
AI summary
A portable rail clamp mount assembly configured to be installed on a railway without requiring any modification to the existing rail infrastructure is described herein. In various embodiments, the rail clamp mount assembly may comprise a set of one or more horizontal base components removably attachable to and positioned beneath a set of tracks of a railway and at least one vertical component attached to the set of one or more horizontal base components and configured to support railway equipment positioned proximate to the railway. For example, the railway equipment may include one or more devices for operating a railroad or railyard. Each of the set of one or more horizontal base components may include at least one tie configured to engage an outside edge of the set of tracks when attached to the set of tracks.