Patents Assigned to Progress Rail Services Corp.
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Patent number: 8474730Abstract: A track system for a railway system includes a base plate configured to be supported on a railroad tie. The system also includes a drive rail and a guard rail. The drive rail includes a head portion, a web portion, and a base portion. The head portion is configured such that wheels of a train car used in the railway system roll thereon. The web portion connects the head portion and the base portion. The base portion is supported on the base plate. The guardrail includes a head portion, a web portion, and a base portion. The head portion of the guardrail is configured to contact the wheels to prevent the wheels from slipping off the drive rail. The web portion of the guardrail connects the head portion of the guardrail and the base portion of the guardrail. The base portion of the guardrail is retained in a support on the base plate.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2011Date of Patent: July 2, 2013Assignee: Progress Rail Services CorpInventors: Brian Frank Weaver, Brian Alvin Laws, Robert C. Roberts
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Patent number: 8430363Abstract: A system (10) for sensing a condition of a rail vehicle undercarriage component (e.g., 18) includes a sensor (e.g., 12) comprising an array of infrared sensing elements (29). Each of the elements may be aimed at a different region of a target area (e.g., 32) of a rail vehicle undercarriage component to generate respective scanning waveform signature data corresponding to each different region. The sensor may be oriented so that at least one of the elements receives unobstructed infrared emissions (e.g., 33) from the undercarriage component of a rail vehicle passing the sensor. The system also includes a memory (42) for storing characteristic waveform signature data corresponding to known undercarriage components.Type: GrantFiled: October 18, 2005Date of Patent: April 30, 2013Assignee: Progress Rail Services CorpInventors: Peter Hesser, Thomas Strecker, Miles Metschke, Thomas Shanahan, Daniel Kurt Stevens, Mathias Hartmann
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Patent number: 8418970Abstract: A swing nose crossing has the swing nose housed in an insert component which itself is mounted within the wing rails of the swing nose crossing. The cradle provides the lateral faces against which the swing nose abuts.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 2009Date of Patent: April 16, 2013Assignee: Progress Rail Services CorpInventor: Andrew Raymond Foan
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Patent number: 8365673Abstract: A machine for collecting tie plates strewn along a rail bed includes a frame adapted for travel along a railroad in a forward direction. A pickup drum having magnetic properties is rotatably supported by the frame and extends over a bed portion of the railroad. A top drum is mounted at a location that is higher and forward of the pickup drum and rotates parallel to the pickup drum. An endless conveyor circulates around the pickup and top drums, and a separation drum is disposed between the pickup drum and the top drum along an ascending portion of the endless conveyor. The separation drum includes a magnetized rim that can lift ferrous objects but not tie plates from the endless conveyor.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2009Date of Patent: February 5, 2013Assignee: Progress Rail Services CorpInventors: Mark Plyler, Andy Loftis, Dennis Grantham, Gary Gibson
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Patent number: 8310176Abstract: A method of propelling a mobile machine is disclosed. The mobile machine may have a plurality of DC traction motors, including a first DC traction motor and a second DC traction motor. The method may include driving a first traction device with the first DC traction motor, the first DC traction motor including a first field coil and a first armature electrically connected in series. The method may also include driving a second DC traction device with the second DC traction motor electrically connected in series with the first DC traction motor, the second DC traction motor including a second field coil and a second armature electrically connected in series. Additionally, the method may include, in response to slippage of the first traction device, bypassing at least a portion of electric current flowing through the first field coil around the first armature. The method may also include directing at least a portion of the bypassed electric current through the second field coil and the second armature.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2009Date of Patent: November 13, 2012Assignee: Progress Rail Services CorpInventor: Walter E. Earleson
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Patent number: 8305567Abstract: A rail sensing and analysis system utilizes a laser sensor 105, 107 to detect displacement of a rail 102, 104 resulting from loads imposed by a passing rail vehicle. Vertical and/or lateral displacements/loads may be sensed. Signatures in the resulting signals are indicative of useful information about the rail vehicle; such as wheel condition, bearing condition, truck condition, degree of bogie hunting, total load, load distribution, etc. The ratio of Lateral over Vertical force (L/V) may be used as an evaluation criterion.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2005Date of Patent: November 6, 2012Assignee: Progress Rail Services CorpInventors: Peter Hesser, Joseph Forrest Noffsinger, Thomas Michael Shanahan
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Patent number: 8280675Abstract: A method for inspecting a rail vehicle includes receiving signals representative of temperatures of a wheel of the rail vehicle and generating a sensed wheel temperature profile of the wheel based on the signals. At least a portion of the sensed wheel temperature profile is representative of the temperatures of the wheel. The method also includes identifying waveform attributes in the sensed wheel temperature profile and designating the sensed wheel temperature profile as at least one of a typical wheel profile and an atypical wheel profile based on the waveform attributes in the sensed wheel temperature profile.Type: GrantFiled: August 4, 2009Date of Patent: October 2, 2012Assignee: Progress Rail Services CorpInventors: Benjamin Paul Church, Donald Arndt
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Patent number: 8240256Abstract: A rail car with a double longitudinal tub floor. The car may comprise a car body supported on a frame, the principal element of the frame being a longitudinal center sill assembly. The frame is in turn supported on a pair of wheel trucks. The car body includes a pair of generally vertical end wall assemblies joined to a pair of generally vertical side assemblies. The box is closed on the bottom by a floor assembly. The floor assembly includes a pair of longitudinal tubs. The longitudinal tubs are divided into tub segments and supported by cross-bearer assemblies. The cross-bearer assemblies are joined to the center sill assembly. The longitudinal tubs are supported primarily by the center sill assembly, both directly by joining each tub's lateral inboard edge to the center sill, and indirectly by joining the tub's chord end edges to the cross-bearer assemblies. Diagonal braces may be attached to the cross bearer assemblies and the side assemblies to help prevent bowing of the sides.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2009Date of Patent: August 14, 2012Assignee: Progress Rail Services CorpInventor: Bryan M. Nutt
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Patent number: 8196521Abstract: A power module for a locomotive is disclosed. The power module may have a frame including a plurality of lifting elements. The plurality of lifting elements may include at least one fork lifting element and at least one frame lifting eye. The power module may further have a generator set supported by the frame.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2008Date of Patent: June 12, 2012Assignee: Progress Rail Services CorpInventors: Jeffrey Holt Wright, Matthew George Holl, Matthew James Bartusek, Suraaj Pal Bhatia
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Patent number: 8176854Abstract: A roof structure for a power module of a locomotive is disclosed. The roof structure may have an upper roof layer and at least a portion of the upper roof layer may have a first set of cooling passages. The roof structure may further have a lower roof layer at least partially positioned below the upper roof layer and at least a portion of the lower roof layer may have a second set of cooling passages. Each of the cooling passages of the first set of cooling passages may not overlap a cooling passage of second set of cooling passages.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2008Date of Patent: May 15, 2012Assignee: Progress Rail Services CorpInventors: Geary Walter Smith, Jr., Timothy Scott McChesney, Edwin Ray Winter, Jay Dee Schmechel
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Patent number: 8157220Abstract: Hot rail car bearings or wheels are identified by sensing an infrared radiation from the hot surface and determining whether features of the sensed signals are indicative of hot rail car surfaces. The features may include the signals themselves, with distances or correlations being established between the signals and signals of known hot bearings or wheels. The features may be analyzed in a feature or decision space, with boundaries being established that identify hot bearings or wheels, or that establish false positive features or noise. The identification may also be implemented as a matched filter.Type: GrantFiled: May 16, 2008Date of Patent: April 17, 2012Assignee: Progress Rail Services CorpInventors: Pierino Gianni Bonanni, Harry Kirk Mathews, Jr., John Erik Hershey, Brock Estel Osborn
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Patent number: 8160832Abstract: An apparatus and methods for identifying a defect and/or an operating characteristic of a system being monitored (and/or one or more of the system's components) are described. In an embodiment, orthogonally related data monitored by two or more detectors may be fused to determine whether a component of a system is defective and/or malfunctioning. Additionally or alternatively, data from a first detector may be determined to be accurate using non-orthogonally related data outputted by a second detector. Both types of determinations may be made with minimal or no false indications, which lowers the cost of operating the system being monitored. Embodiments of the invention may also be configured to forecast and/or prevent accidents and/or damage to the system being monitored by predicting whether a defect and/or a malfunction will occur.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 2010Date of Patent: April 17, 2012Assignee: Progress Rail Services CorpInventors: Huageng Luo, Michael Richard Durling, Andrew Lawrence Ruggiero, Zongqi Sun, Harry Kirk Mathews, Jr., Robert William Tait, Benjamin Paul Church, Thomas Anthony Tougas
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Patent number: 8112237Abstract: A method for identifying a location of a wheel of a rail vehicle includes producing a first signal representative of a potential difference between leads electrically coupled with a wheel gate transducer and modifying the first signal that is received over a first channel to produce a second signal over a second channel, where the second signal differs from the first signal. The method further includes monitoring the first and second signals over the first and second channels to identify the location of the wheel relative to the wheel gate transducer.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2009Date of Patent: February 7, 2012Assignee: Progress Rail Services Corp.Inventor: Mark Bartonek
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Patent number: 8082852Abstract: A machine for automatically orienting railroad tie plates includes a sensing region having at least one optical sensor adapted to sense a physical feature of a tie plate. An electronic controller is connected to the optical sensor and is disposed to receive a sensor signal indicative of the physical feature of the tie plate when the tie plate is in the sensing region. The electronic controller further determines an orientation of the tie plate based on the sensor signal, compares it to one or more predetermined or possible orientations, and provides a command to at least one actuator adapted to perform at least one tie plate orientation operation to change the orientation of the tie plate based on the comparison of the orientation of the plate with the predetermined orientation.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2009Date of Patent: December 27, 2011Assignee: Progress Rail Services CorpInventors: Mark Plyler, Andy Loftis, John Cook, Dennis Grantham, Michael Adams
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Patent number: 8006942Abstract: A system for detecting a moving hot bearing or wheel of a rail car is provided. The system includes a first comparator to receive input signals representative of radiation emitted by the moving hot rail car bearing or wheel, and to compare the input signals to a threshold value. The system further includes a counter for counting incidents of the input signals exceeding the threshold value and a second comparator to compare a number of incidents of the input signals exceeding the threshold value to a count threshold as an indication of detection of a hot rail car bearing or wheel.Type: GrantFiled: May 16, 2008Date of Patent: August 30, 2011Assignee: Progress Rail Services CorpInventors: Harry Kirk Mathews, Jr., John Erik Hershey, Pierino Gianni Bonanni, Benjamin Paul Church, Brock Estel Osborn
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Patent number: 8001907Abstract: An easer rail is mated with the uncut web of a fixed running rail to form a more rigid thermal expansion joint between the fixed rail and a moveable rail. The easer rail has an extension that protrudes into the uncut web the fixed rail. The easer rail extension is machined to be complementary in shape to the uncut web and fits tightly against the flange, the underside of the head, and the base of the uncut web of the fixed rail. Bolt holes are provided through the extension and the easer rail, its extension, and the fixed rail to form multiple bolt joints. The bolted extension not only lengthens the easer rail but locks it in place between the head and base of the fixed rail to provide additional rigidity.Type: GrantFiled: July 8, 2008Date of Patent: August 23, 2011Assignee: Progress Rail Services CorpInventor: Russell R. Hein
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Patent number: 7959112Abstract: A system for detecting and classifying a wheel of a rail vehicle traveling on a railway track includes a plurality of wheel detectors coupled to one rail of the railway track and configured to detect presence of the wheel and to generate signals representative thereof. A processing system is coupled to the wheel detectors and configured to receive and process the signals. The processing system is configured to classify the wheel based on a speed independent classification value calculated based on the signals from the wheel detectors.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2006Date of Patent: June 14, 2011Assignee: Progress Rail Services CorpInventors: Arvind Kumar Tiwari, Ramasamy Anbarasu, Ramesh Bhat, Somakumar Ramachandrapanicker, Vageesh Kubatoor Patil, Carlo Becheri, Stefano Orlandi, Fabio Biondi, Lorenzo Chiosi
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Patent number: 7952306Abstract: A method of operating a power system is provided. The method may include running one or more of a plurality of generator units that each include a power source, a first electric generator, and a second electric generator. Additionally, the method may include supplying electricity from one or more of the first electric generators of the one or more running generator units to a first set of one or more electric power loads. The method may also include supplying electricity from one or more of the second electric generators of the one or more running generator units to a second set of one or more electric power loads.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 2007Date of Patent: May 31, 2011Assignee: Progress Rail Services CorpInventors: Jeffrey Holt Wright, Roy Christopher Fonseca
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Patent number: 7946537Abstract: A system for detecting a moving hot bearing or wheel is provided. The system includes a summer for combining an input signal representative of radiation emitted by the moving hot rail car bearing with a feedback signal. The system also includes an integrator to accumulate an error resulting from the combination of the input signal and the feedback signal. The system further includes a feedback loop to feedback output of the integrator to the summer.Type: GrantFiled: May 16, 2008Date of Patent: May 24, 2011Assignee: Progress Rail Services CorpInventors: Harry Kirk Mathews, Jr., Pierino Gianni Bonanni, Benjamin Paul Church, John Erik Hershey, Brock Estel Osborn, Wolfgang Daum
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Patent number: 7898194Abstract: A power system having a DC electric motor is disclosed. The DC electric motor may include an armature and a field coil electrically connected in series with the armature, the field coil having an input and an output. The power system may also include an additional electrical path. Additionally, the power system may include one or more current-control elements that control one or more aspects of electrical activity in the additional electrical path, which may include, when inductance of the field coil generates a higher voltage at the output than at the input in response to a decrease in electric current through the field coil, allowing electric current to flow from the output, through the additional electrical path, to the input without flowing through the armature.Type: GrantFiled: April 15, 2008Date of Patent: March 1, 2011Assignee: Progress Rail Services CorpInventor: Walter Earle Earleson