US Patent Issued to Soterran Group on Dec. 2 for "Dual ballast cribber" (Nebraska Inventor)

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Dec. 2 -- United States Patent no. 12,486,621, issued on Dec. 2, was assigned to Soterran Group LLC (Dakota Dunes, S.D.).

"Dual ballast cribber" was invented by Michael A. Rau (Omaha, Neb.).

According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A dual ballast cribber for on-rail operation for preventing and removing cemented ballast with minimal site preparation can include a central frame, a plurality of wheels, a first pivot arm, a second pivot arm, a first cribber bucket, a second cribber bucket, a first clamp, a second clamp, and a hydraulic system. The dual ballast cribber may perform a digging cycle in 2 minutes or less. Preferably the digging cycle is performed in 45 seconds or less."

The pat...