Abstract: A method and system for identifying or determining degradation in performance of an engine cooling subsystem having an electric motor for powering a fan in a locomotive is provided. The method allows for monitoring a signal indicative of an electrical imbalance in one or more phases in the fan motor of the cooling subsystem, and for adjusting the value of the monitored signal for deviations from an estimated nominal phase signal value due to predetermined external variables so as to generate an adjusted phase signal value. The method further allows for comparing the value of the adjusted phase signal value against the nominal phase signal value to determine the performance of the cooling subsystem.

Abstract: A removable cover for a wheelchair tire. The cover is used to protect against the spread of contamination by the wheelchair tire. The cover may be formed of an elastic material or may have bands of elastic material attached along opposed edges to facilitate the installation of the cover over the tire and to hold the cover against the tire. The cover may be stored on the wheelchair during periods of movement over a contaminated surface, and then installed over the tire prior to moving onto a clean surface. The cover may be periodically washed to maintain its cleanliness or may be made from a disposable material.

Abstract: A process and system for developing an algorithm for predicting failures in a system, such as a locomotive, having a plurality of subsystems is provided. The process allows for conducting a failure mode analysis for a respective subsystem so as to identify target failure modes of the subsystem and/or collecting expert data relative to the respective subsystem. The process includes a step for identifying, based on the identified failure modes and/or the collected expert data, one or more signals to be monitored for measuring performance of the respective subsystem. A generating step allows for generating, based on the monitored signals, a predicting signal indicative of the presence of the identified target failure modes in the respective subsystem.

Abstract: A golf club, such as a driver, includes a head designed for reducing spin imparted to a golf ball struck by the club head. The club head has a face portion for contacting a golf ball that is formed of a relatively hard material having a generally slippery characteristic. The golf ball slips on the face portion when a plane of the face portion at a point of contact between the ball and face portion is not generally normal to a direction of travel of the club head. The slippery characteristic may be obtained by forming the face of the club head from a sintered material impregnated with a lubricant such as PTFE. The club head may also include a plastic insert with a self-lubricating filler.

Abstract: A compact disc has an image embossed thereon and has a rectangular planar body. The compact disc stores information relating to the image and is used as a trading card. The compact disc is smaller than standard compact discs; therefore the compact disc has two ridges on the bottom surface for alignment of the compact disc with an inner circular rim of a disc tray. A docking collar is mounted to the bottom surface of the compact disc between a spindle hole and the ridges.

Abstract: A method of cooling a locomotive engine wherein the temperature of the coolant flowing into the engine is controlled in response to the temperature of the lube oil flowing out of the engine so that the difference between these two temperatures is limited to a predetermined value in order to limit the differential expansion between parts within the engine. The predetermined value may be a function of the lube oil temperature, and it may have an absolute maximum value. In the event that the temperature difference exceeds a predetermined value, the power output of the engine may be reduced as a function of the length of time that the temperature difference limit has been exceeded. The rate of change in coolant temperature may be limited during periods of decreasing lube oil temperature in order to limit the duty cycle demand on coolant system components.

Abstract: A connection of a tube to a machine includes a plurality of rolled grooves in a region of contact between the collet of a compression fitting and the tube. The grooves reduce the occurrence of fretting of the tube surface while a region of residual compressive stress formed in the tube proximate the bottom of each groove by the rolling process serves to counteract the stress concentration created by the grooves. In one embodiment a single groove formed in a thread pattern extends from above collet to within the area of contact.

Abstract: A circuit for determining connection status of a phone line shared by multiple telecommunications devices, such as modems and phones, is provided. The phone line includes respective tip and ring lines. The circuit comprises a first transistor stage coupled to receive a signal indicative of a voltage difference between the respective tip and ring lines. The first transistor stage is configured to supply an output signal having a predetermined time response. The circuit further comprises a second transistor stage coupled to the first transistor stage and configured to supply an output signal having a slow time response relative to the output signal from the first transistor stage.

Abstract: An assembly and method for attaching insulation material includes a frame member having a generally vertically-extending flange. A clip has a pair of resilient grabbing members that define an aperture for receiving the flange. A plate member extends generally perpendicular relative to the grabbing members. The plate member includes an opening. A pin having a sharp end extends through the opening in the plate member. A set of washers is connected to the pin to retain insulation material pierced by the pin and to retain the pin in the opening in the plate member.

Abstract: A fuel filter drain system continuously pumps filtered and water from a locomotive diesel engine fuel filter. A ball valve disposed along the drain line between the fuel filter and the fuel tank is modified to include a ball valve that is approximately 0.031 inches in diameter or sufficiently small to purge the fuel and water, and also maintain fuel pressure within acceptable limits.

Abstract: A waterfall apparatus comprising a water confining base, said base including a bottom and a plurality of upwardly extending side walls connected to said bottom; a water inlet connected to said base for providing a path of travel for water entering said base; a water outlet connected to said base, said water outlet including an upper lip connected to at least a first one of said plurality of side walls and extending outwardly therefrom, and a lower lip spaced apart from said upper lip, connected to at least to a second one of said plurality of side walls, and extending outwardly therefrom so that water positioned within said base flows between said upper and lower lips and outwardly and downwardly therefrom; a water flow guiding arm connected to said base and extending downwardly at a predetermined angle therefrom into the inner confines of said base to provide a water flow path of travel from said water inlet, around said guiding arm and from said water outlet, the predetermined angle being less than 90 degre

Abstract: A fiber-optic switch based on a unique retro-reflection scheme is used to create a 2×2 switch having two fiber-optic circulators and two polarization rotation devices. Passive and active noise filtering techniques maintain the high performance of the switch even when the polarization rotation devices have poor performance. The switch also has the advantage of zero relative time delay between two channels for any of two switch settings making it appropriate for cascading switching stages. The preferred embodiment of the 2×2 optical switch also has a simple design in terms of alignment since only two optical fibers need to be aligned with each other. The switch is also scalable to form N 2×2 optical switch modules for use in add/drop, N-wavelength, multiple fiber-optic networks where its novel retro-reflective characteristic allows the use of half of the required wavelength multiplexers/demultiplexers in the system compared to a transmissive switch add/drop filter.

Abstract: A method and system for predicting failures in a power resistive grid in a vehicle, e.g., a locomotive, are provided. The method allows for monitoring one or more signals indicative of an estimated grid resistance value. The method farther allows for adjusting the value of the estimated grid resistance relative to a nominal grid resistance value. A comparing step allows for comparing the adjusted value of the grid resistance against the nominal grid resistance value to determine the performance of the respective resistive grid.

Abstract: A method and system for detecting and correcting a Hot Manifold condition that occurs in turbocharged diesel engines where intake air used for combustion exceeds an acceptable operating temperature where sensors monitor conditions indicative of the Hot Manifold condition and power level reduction, speed control limits, varying coolant system operations, and cycling flow valves are controlled by a processor to correct the Hot Manifold condition.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a system and method for analyzing fault log data from a malfunctioning machine. The system comprises a processor for receiving new fault log data comprising a plurality of faults from the malfunctioning machine and selecting a plurality of distinct faults from the new fault log data. The processor generates at least one distinct fault cluster from the selected plurality of distinct faults. Thereafter, the processor predicts at least one repair for at least one distinct fault cluster using a plurality of predetermined weighted repair and distinct fault cluster combinations.

Abstract: A method and system for managing communication of electronic data between a diagnostic service center and a plurality of machines generally remote relative to each other is provided. The electronic data is made up of respective machine data from selected machines. The machine data is used for detecting the presence of respective malfunctions which, if left uncorrected, would likely result in respective mission failures of the selected machines. The method allows for storing in a database a list of respective cases to be processed. The method further allows for assigning to each case a respective download priority. A determining step allows for determining each case to be populated next with new machine data based at least upon the assigned download priority. Respective executing steps allow for executing a download of the new machine data, and for executing predetermined analysis on the downloaded data for detecting the presence of respective malfunctions in the selected machines.

Abstract: A method for analyzing fault log data and snapshot operational parameter data from a machine undergoing diagnostics is provided. A receiving step allows for receiving fault log data comprising a plurality of faults from the machine. Respective executing steps allow for executing a set of noise-reduction filters upon the received fault log data to generate noise-reduced fault log data, and for executing a set of candidate snapshot anomalies upon the noise-reduced data to generate data predictive of malfunctions of the machine.

Abstract: An automatic oil filter replacement assembly for a locomotive including a plurality of oil filters mounted within a cartridge. The filters are mounted within the chamber. An indexing plate, mounted to the cartridge, has a single portal for alignment within a selected chamber and filter. The operating system of the locomotive is adapted so an operator may remotely rotate the indexing plate a given distance after certain set parameters have been reached, so a clean filter, or filters, replace exhausted filters.