Patents Examined by Robert J McGarry, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11524709
    Abstract: The electric vehicle can include: a payload interface, a payload suspension, a chassis, a set of bumpers, a sensor suite, a controller, a chassis suspension, and an electric powertrain. The electric vehicle 100 can optionally include a payload adapter, a power source, a cooling subsystem, and/or any other suitable components. The electric vehicle functions to structurally support a payload, such as a cargo container (e.g., intermodal container, ISO container, etc.), and/or to facilitate transportation of a payload via railway infrastructure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: Parallel Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Soule, John Howard, Benjamin Stuart Stabler
  • Patent number: 11524583
    Abstract: A system for electrically connecting a vehicle to track electrodes, the system comprising vehicle electrodes configured to be electrically connected with a respective one of the track electrodes; actuators operatively connecting the vehicle electrodes to a structure of the vehicle for displacement of the vehicle electrodes relative to the structure of the vehicle, the actuators operable to vary distances between the vehicle electrodes and the track electrodes; sensors operatively mounted to one of the vehicle or track electrodes, the sensors detecting variations in the distances; and a controller operatively connected to the actuators for actuating the actuators as a function of the variations in the distances detected by the sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: TRANSPOD INC.
    Inventor: Ryan Janzen
  • Patent number: 11492022
    Abstract: A sand spreading system for a rail vehicle with driveable and/or brakeable rail wheels. The sand spreading system includes a sand box for storing spreading sand, a sand staircase which is fastened to the sand box for the compressed-air-controlled metering of the output of spreading sand, and a sand outlet tube which is connected to the sand staircase via a sand hose and opens in front of a rail wheel. By a heating device for generating a hot air flow passing through the spreading sand being integrated in the sand staircase, the spreading sand can be kept dry and pourable even in the wet and frost, and therefore the function of the sand staircase and hence the effective operation of the rail vehicle are assured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Siemens Mobility GmbH
    Inventors: Hans-Joachim Gronau, Wilfried Stelzle
  • Patent number: 11458340
    Abstract: A locomotive-mounted power battery pack fire safety control system includes a power battery pack, a power battery management system main controller, a rolling stock microcomputer system and a rolling stock display screen. The power battery pack is an enclosed installation isolated from external air. An inert gas injection pipe, a smoke detector and a temperature detector are arranged at the top end inside the power battery pack. An inert gas storage device is arranged outside the power battery pack. The inert gas storage device is connected with the inert gas injection pipe. A pressure detector and an inert gas injection control switch are arranged in turn on a pipeline through which the inert gas storage device discharges an inert gas to the power battery pack. The pressure detector and the inert gas injection control switch are connected with the rolling stock microcomputer system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: CRRC ZIYANG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: YuFa Meng, DingKang Ye, PingHua Wang
  • Patent number: 11459000
    Abstract: A deflector for use with railcars and containers. The deflector may be used to retrofit railcars and other container to reduce aerodynamic drag. The deflector may be collapsible for use with stacked containers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Deflect LLC
    Inventors: Spencer Wheatley Maynes, Wayne Kennedy, Ren Hansen, Kevin Anthony Golsch
  • Patent number: 11433926
    Abstract: A travelling apparatus, including: a rail; at least one vehicle, for travelling in a direction being along the rail; and a holding structure, for holding a user to stand on the at least one vehicle, with one foot in front of another along the travelling direction, thereby forces produced by the travelling, are applied on one side of the user in relation to the other, thus being safe to the user, thereby diminishing width of the rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Inventors: Daniel Zaytun, Aviel Zaytun
  • Patent number: 11427233
    Abstract: A particularly flexible method for automatically calibrating a wheel sensor includes using the wheel sensor to determine that a calibration must be carried out. The wheel sensor determines a point in time suitable for carrying out the calibration and the calibration itself is carried out by the wheel sensor at the determined point in time. A wheel sensor for carrying out the method is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Siemens Mobility GmbH
    Inventors: Klaus Heinrich, Carsten Heise, Lutz-Helge Radwan, Eric Nannen
  • Patent number: 11427164
    Abstract: A system for cleaning tires of a vehicle traveling along a longitudinal direction over the system includes modular tire cleaning units with debris removal elements. Each unit includes debris removal elements, such as a first chain assembly supported between supports and over a substrate and extending substantially transverse to the longitudinal direction, the first chain assembly defining a first tire track. A second chain assembly is supported between second sets of supports and over the substrate and extending substantially transverse to the longitudinal direction, the second chain assembly defining a second tire track parallel and spaced apart from the first tire channel. The system may include a second modular tire cleaning unit with longitudinally extending chains and/or a trough holding water and/or sprayers at the side of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Inventor: Michael J Davis
  • Patent number: 11383742
    Abstract: A crossing gate mechanism includes a swingable gate arm, a rotatable gate arm shaft fixed to the gate arm, and an electronic sensor assembly coupled to the gate arm shaft. Rotation of the gate arm shaft corresponds with swinging of the gate arm. The electronic sensor assembly senses an angular position of the gate arm shaft and transmits a position signal corresponding thereto. The electronic sensor assembly includes a driving element that is attached to the gate arm shaft to rotate therewith. the electronic sensor assembly also includes a driven element that is driven by the driving element such that rotation of the gate arm shaft causes the driven element to rotate. The electronic sensor assembly is configured to generate the position signal based on a position of the gate arm shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: C.D.L. Electric Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Marco Antonio Ibarra, Devin Steven Sage, Michael Carmen Lawson
  • Patent number: 11359335
    Abstract: Apparatus, devices, assemblies, systems and methods of using w spring clips over spikes for holding railroad tie spikes down to wood and concrete railroad ties and hold the spike heads to the rails. A first embodiment can use rail tie plates with box holders for holding end portions of a w shaped spring steel clip to press against cap heads of railroad tie spikes. A second embodiment can use a rail tie plates with vertical supports for horizontal bars over heads of railroad tie spikes. A third embodiment can use rail tie plates with vertical studs and upper threaded ends with flat plates attached by nuts over heads of rail road tie spikes, and with cotter pins locking the nuts in place. Additional embodiments include metal structures fastened, welded and/or forged to tie plates for allowing w shaped spring clips with mid portions that hold down heads on spikes to prevent the spikes from coming out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Inventor: Paul M. Janson
  • Patent number: 11345100
    Abstract: A railroad crosstie (tie) may be fabricated from a composite material including a fiber reinforced polymer shell manufactured by pultrusion or other process, and filled by a suitable material, typically selected from expanded elastomeric polymer (such as polyurethane resin or other polymer), concrete, lightweight concrete formed by conventional aggregate, sand, cement, water, and an ultra light filler such as natural materials, sawdust, beads of expanded polymer such as expanded polystyrene, microspheres of glass or plastic, a recycled wooden tie in conjunction with any of the above, or the like. Fasteners may be driven such as spikes, threaded, such as screws, lag screws, spreading screws, rivets, or the like into apertures, pilot holes, or directly into fill absent apertures therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Inventors: Michael A. Hawkins, Michael L. Hawkins
  • Patent number: 11332020
    Abstract: The invention provides in some aspects a transport system comprising a guideway with a plurality of propulsion coils disposed along a region in which one or more vehicles are to be propelled. One or more vehicles are disposed on the guideway, each including a magnetic flux source. The guideway has one or more running surfaces that support the vehicles and along which they roll or slide. Each vehicle can have a septum portion of narrowed cross-section that is coupled to one or more body portions of the vehicle. The guideway includes a diverge region that has a flipper and an extension of the running surface at a vertex of the diverge. The flipper initiates switching of vehicle direction at a diverge by exerting a laterally directed force thereon. The extension continues switching of vehicle direction at the diverge by contacting the septum. Still other aspects of the invention provide a transport system, e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: MagneMotion, Inc.
    Inventors: Nathanael N. King, Brian M. Perreault, Tracy M. Clark, Richard D. Thornton, Jason Young, Michael W. Bottasso, Jesse Mendenhall
  • Patent number: 11318967
    Abstract: The application relates to a crash system for the head module of a rail vehicle, said head module being detachably fixed to the front face of a subsequent railcar unit without additional underframe. The crash system has a crash conduction element that carries a crash box at its front end and the back end of which is fixed to the underframe support of the subsequent railcar unit. In the event of a crash, crash forces are thus absorbed by the underframe of the subsequent railcar unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignees: CRRC QINGDAO SIFANG CO., LTD., CG RAIL—CHINESISCH-DEUTSCHES FORSCHUNGS—UND ENTWICKLUNGSZENTRUM FÜR BAHN—UND VERKEHRSTECHNIK DRESDEN GMBH
    Inventors: Sansan Ding, Honglei Tian, Peng Lin, Junshuang Cai, Qing Xu, Letian Teng, Dawei Ruan, Chongcheng Zhong, Werner Hufenbach, Andreas Ulbricht
  • Patent number: 11312400
    Abstract: The disclosure discloses a coupler assembly and a straddle type rail train with the same. The coupler assembly includes a mounting base, a buffering mechanism, a folding mechanism, and a coupler head, one end of the buffering mechanism is interconnected movably with the mounting base, the other end of the buffering mechanism is provided with a pull rod, the pull rod is provided with a limiting portion, one end of the folding mechanism is interconnected movably with the pull rod, the folding mechanism is provided with a locking part, the locking part movably cooperates with the limiting portion to lock or release the pull rod, and the pull rod is fixed at a stretching position when the limiting portion is locked by the locking part, and is movable between a folding position and the stretching position when the limiting portion is released by the locking part; and one end of the coupler head is interconnected with the other end of the folding mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: BYD COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventors: Zhihong Xiao, Daolin Li, Zhicheng Tan
  • Patent number: 11285979
    Abstract: A mechanism for use in a railway switch machine includes an elongate contact body having a housing formed from a non-conductive material, a plurality of electrical contact rails disposed in or on the contact body, and a contact block slidably coupled to the contact body such that the contact block can generally freely slide along the contact body. The contact block has a plurality of moveable contacts positioned thereon facing the contact body and is structured to engage a point detector bar of the railway switch machine. The contact block is moveable along the contact body from among: a first position in which a first and second rail of the plurality of contact rails are electrically connected and a third and fourth rail of the plurality of contact rails are electrically connected, and a second position in which only the second and third rails are electrically connected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: HITACHI RAIL STS USA, INC.
    Inventors: Brian C. Berke, Frank Durkac, William J. Moltz
  • Patent number: 11255054
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a device for building a new ballastway for an at least single-track rail line (100, 101) when there is initially no existing track. The new ballastway should have at least one PS layer (2) and one ballast layer (3), and the PS layer (2) is built up on a subgrade (1) and the ballast layer (3) is built up on the PS layer (2) in a continuous working process in a working direction (A). The PS layer (2) is built up by a PS layer-producing unit (20) (PSL unit), and the ballast layer (3) is built up by a ballast bed-producing unit (30), which is operated at a predefined distance behind the PSL unit (20) in relation to the working direction (A) and is equipped with a chain track or caterpillar track (31) for driving on the PS layer (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Zürcher Holding GmbH
    Inventor: Ralf Zürcher
  • Patent number: 11247703
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a bogie assembly and a straddle-type monorail vehicle with the same. The bogie assembly comprises: a bogie frame; an electric assembly which is mounted on the bogie frame and comprises a traction motor, a gear reducer and a planetary wheel-side reducer, wherein the traction motor is connected with an input shaft of the gear reducer, and an output shaft of the gear reducer is connected with an input end of the planetary wheel-side reducer; and a running wheel which is mounted on the bogie frame, wherein an output end of the planetary wheel-side reducer is connected with a hub of the running wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: BYD COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventors: Daolin Li, Zhicheng Tan
  • Patent number: 11186300
    Abstract: Provided are a collision energy absorption structure and a rail vehicle having the same. The collision energy absorption structure includes: a primary energy absorption structure, connected to a chassis boundary beam of a vehicle, the primary energy absorption structure having at least two spaced energy absorption cavities; an end energy absorption structure, the lower end of the end energy absorption structure being connected to the primary energy absorption structure; and a roof structure, the upper end of the end energy absorption structure being connected to the roof structure. The technical solution provided by the present invention can meet requirements of more complex road conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: CRRC QINGDAO SIFANG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Haiyang Yu, Yuwen Liu, Aiqin Tian, Honglei Tian, Yangyang Yu
  • Patent number: 11084509
    Abstract: This railway vehicle is provided with: a bracket including a contact surface which is in contact with a second surface of a second plate member, and also including a recess which is provided in a portion facing an uneven surface; and a dynamic vibration absorber including a damper section which is located on the side opposite the contact surface and which is affixed to the bracket, and also including a weight section which is disposed on the side opposite the side to which the bracket is provided and which is disposed on the damper section. The bracket is separated from the uneven surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES ENGINEERING, LTD.
    Inventors: Katsuya Kuroki, Akihisa Kawauchi, Hiroyuki Kono, Takeshi Kora, Yoshinori Mitsui, Eigo Hayashi