Wedge driver and method therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11850656-B2
Application number	US-202218065235-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2022
Priority date	Mar 25, 2021
Publication date	Dec 26, 2023
Grant date	Dec 26, 2023

Abstract

A wedge driver and method therefor is presented. A wedge driver can be operably coupled to different ends of a link joiner to drive a wedge therebetween to form a single link. The wedge driver can also drive the wedge out of the link joiner. The present disclosure provides the benefit of allowing the safe and effective removal of the link joiner by preventing violent or forceful decoupling of a link joiner. The wedge driver can include a trunk, a first prong, a second prong, a bolt, and a driver. The driver can be spring enabled, such that the driver can recede into the trunk as the bolt egresses the trunk. A bolt of the wedge driver can push a driver out of the trunk to axially drive the wedge into (or out of) a link joiner without rotating the wedge.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wedge driver, comprising:
a first prong having a first retention member configured to retain at least a first portion of a link joiner;
a second prong having a second retention member configured to retain at least a second portion of a link joiner;
a driver having a first driver end, a second driver end, a driver cap coupled to the first driver end, and an adapter coupled to the second driver end;
a bolt configured to extend the driver at least partially between the first prong and the second prong.

2. The wedge driver of claim 1 , wherein the first and second retention members can be a protrusion or lip configured to retain a link joiner or hammer link.

3. The wedge driver of claim 1 , wherein the first prong is coupled to the second prong via a member.

4. The wedge driver of claim 3 , wherein the member is a trunk having a first trunk end, a second trunk end, and a trunk opening disposed through the trunk from the first trunk end to the second trunk end.

5. The wedge driver of claim 1 , wherein the driver cap prevents the driver from exiting the trunk opening.

6. The wedge driver of claim 1 , wherein the driver includes a channel disposed along at least a portion of the driver.

7. The wedge driver of claim 6 , wherein a set member can engage the channel to prevent the driver from rotating around a longitudinal axis of the driver member.

8. The wedge driver of claim 4 , further comprising a spring disposed around at least a portion of the driver.

9. The wedge driver of claim 8 , wherein the spring pushes the driver cap through the trunk opening toward the first trunk end to retract at least a portion of the driver back into the trunk opening after spring compression.

10. The wedge driver of claim 1 , wherein the wedge driver includes a handle.

11. The wedge driver of claim 1 , wherein a length between the first prong and the second prong is sized to receive a link joiner or hammer link.

12. A method of operating a link wedge, comprising:
receiving a link joiner between a first prong and a second prong of a wedge driver;
positioning a wedge first end in a groove of a driver;
positioning a wedge second end in a wedge opening of the link joiner; and
extending at least a portion of the driver out of the wedge driver to push the wedge into the wedge opening without rotating the wedge.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the wedge driver includes:
a trunk having a first trunk end, a second trunk end, and a trunk opening disposed through the trunk from the first trunk end to the second trunk end.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the wedge driver includes a trunk cap removably coupled to the first end of the trunk, the trunk cap having a threaded bolt opening aligned with the trunk opening and configured to receive the bolt.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the driver includes: a first driver end, a second driver end, a channel disposed along at least a portion of the driver, a driver cap coupled to the first driver end, and an adapter coupled to the second driver end.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein applying torque to a bolt in a first direction extends at least a portion of the driver out of the wedge driver.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the driver cap prevents the driver from exiting the trunk opening through the threaded bolt opening.

18. The method of claim 13 , further comprising applying torque to a bolt in a second direction to allow a spring to retract at least a portion of the driver back into the wedge driver.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the spring pushes the cap through the trunk opening toward the first trunk end to retract at least a portion of the driver back into the trunk opening after spring compression.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein a set member can engage the channel to prevent the driver from rotating around a longitudinal axis of the driver member.

Assignees

• Bnsf Railway Co

Inventors

• Teaford Mike E
• Kimberlin Ryan L
• Valentine Larry C

Classifications

• B25B27/22

  positioning sprocket chains, endless tracks, antiskid chains (tools or implements for repairing chains using metal-working operations B21L21/00) · CPC title

• B60T17/22

  Devices for monitoring or checking brake systems; Signal devices · CPC title

• B61H13/02

  Hand or other personal actuation · CPC title

• B25B27/02 Primary

  for connecting objects by press fit or detaching same {(B25D1/16 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B21L1/00 Primary

  Making chains or chain links by bending workpieces of rod, wire, or strip to form links of oval or other simple shape (B21L3/00, B21L7/00 take precedence) · CPC title