Patents Assigned to Rails Company
  • Patent number: 9834939
    Abstract: A portable safety rail system includes one or more railings inserted into one or more stackable rail bases. Each rail base can include a plurality of apertures for receiving end rail posts of railings through a raised hub defining an open region between the bottom of the hub and the surface on which the rail base rests. Each end rail post can have a stop flange that engages an upper surface of the hub when inserted therein and an aperture through the end portion that extends into the open region beneath the hub for receiving a pin to lock the post while allowing rotation of the post. The system can also include toe boards that are attached to railings with a mount having an aperture through which railings are extended, allowing the toe boards to also be rotated to be aligned with railings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Safety Rail Company, LLC
    Inventor: Bradley E. Deering
  • Patent number: 9828008
    Abstract: A railroad car draft gear is provided which includes a housing. The housing is a unitary structure, having an open end and a closed end. Compressible spring elements are located inside the housing, with an end of the spring element located against the interior side of the closed end. A friction assembly is also located within the housing, near the open end. The friction assembly provides energy absorption during compression cycles. The spring element restores the friction assembly to its fully extended position after a compression event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Amsted Rail Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Scott A. Keener
  • Patent number: 9725102
    Abstract: Braking systems for railway cars are provided. A braking system defines a longitudinal axis, and includes a first brake assembly, a second brake assembly, and an actuator operable to generate a linear force, the actuator disposed proximate the second brake assembly. The braking system further includes a movable rod and a fixed rod extending between the first brake assembly and the second brake assembly. In some embodiments, the braking system further includes a lever and a slack adjuster disposed proximate the first brake assembly, the slack adjuster connected to the first brake assembly and the lever and operable to adjust a distance along the longitudinal axis between a reference point of the first brake assembly and a pivot point of the lever. In some embodiments, the braking system includes a strut connected to the second brake assembly, the actuator, fixed rod and movable rod connected to the strut.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Amsted Rail Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Jonathan Sunde
  • Patent number: 9707978
    Abstract: A stabilized railway car truck consists of two side frames and a bolster. The bolster has laterally opposite ends, each end extending into and supported within a side frame opening on a spring group. The stabilized railway car truck also includes a transom extending into, and supported within, a side frame opening. The spring group is supported at each transom end. Each side frame includes an integrally cast transom bearing over which a transom support bearing is fitted. The pivotal decoupling of the side frame and transom eliminates track displacement irregularities from reacting at the bolster and into the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Amsted Rail Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Doug Kessinger, Shawn Peetz
  • Patent number: 9700934
    Abstract: A cast steel railway wheel includes a hub that has an axial bore. A rim is concentric with the bore. A plate extends substantially radially from the hub to the rim. The plate has a front face and a rear face. The plate has a plurality of spokes that extend between the hub and the rim. Adjacent spokes have different thicknesses defined between the front face and the rear face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Amsted Rail Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Jon Schumacher
  • Patent number: 9663124
    Abstract: Railcar monitoring utilizes instrumented, flexible pads supported within the truck pedestal jaws on the bearing adapters. The pads contain sensors for monitoring temperature pressure, shifting loads, truck hunting and the like and have circuitry for processing information received from the sensors and for processing and reporting departures of performance variables to a remote source. The system cyclically activates polling each pad on a car and communicates signals of critical departures and car identity to a remote source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Amsted Rail Company, Inc.
    Inventors: William LeFebvre, Michael J. McCann
  • Patent number: 9663092
    Abstract: A device for monitoring the status of a railcar handbrake having a hand operated handle, which device has a load bearing member configured to be inserted in the linkage of a railcar handbrake system so that the force applied to the brake system passes through the load bearing member. A strain gauge mounted on the load bearing member measures the strain. The information from the strain gauge is indicative of the force applied by the handbrake to the brake and is used to determine the status of the handbrake. Means for determining motion of the railcar is also provided. In one form, if it is determined that the brake is on and the railcar is in motion, information, such as an alarm, is transmitted. A system and method of monitoring a railcar handbrake are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Amsted Rail Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Martin, Jeevan Robinson, Wayne Murphy
  • Patent number: 9555818
    Abstract: An improved leaf spring side bearing assembly for railway freight cars is provided that achieves improved tracking and curving by the limitation of rock of the railway freight car. The side bearing comprises a base with two raised end sections. A leaf spring assembly is provided on the base that extends to the underside and support channel of the freight car. A top wear plate and a bottom travel stop are also included with the leaf spring side bearing assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: Amsted Rail Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Wike, Zachary Harris
  • Publication number: 20170021847
    Abstract: A rail yard management system and method that takes advantage of infrastructure installed in rail yards and on train consists to allow the management of the assembly, disassembly and validation of train consists in the rail yard. A train management system and method is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2014
    Publication date: January 26, 2017
    Applicant: Amsted Rail Company, Inc.
    Inventors: William LeFebvre, Matthew Bonnes, Darren Dragish, Andrew Martin
  • Publication number: 20160325767
    Abstract: A system for monitoring railcar and tram consist operational parameters and detecting anomalies in the operation and condition thereof using sensors to feed data to a distributive complex event processing engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2014
    Publication date: November 10, 2016
    Applicant: Amsted Rail Company, Inc.
    Inventors: William LeFebvre, Andrew Martin, Francis James COOPER, Rachel W. ADAMEC
  • Publication number: 20160272228
    Abstract: A rail yard management system that takes advantage of infrastructure installed in rail yards and on railcars to allow the management of the railcars within a rail yard. The invention is also applicable to yard management for vehicles other than railcars.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2016
    Publication date: September 22, 2016
    Applicant: Amsted Rail Company, Inc.
    Inventors: William LeFebvre, Matthew Bonnes, Darren Dragish, Andrew Martin
  • Patent number: 9446774
    Abstract: A three piece railway freight truck is comprised of two laterally spaced side frames between which a bolster extends. Suspension load springs support the bolster, and control springs support friction shoes. Both variations of friction shoes have gaps that will allow lateral movement of the friction shoes across the bolster or the friction shoes across the side frame. The lateral movement is accomplished by having a low friction material pad between the bolster and the friction shoe or a low friction material pad between the friction shoe and a wear plate that bears on the side frame. The low friction material with low siding resistance allows lateral displacement energy to be dissipated over the lateral decoupling clearance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Amsted Rail Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Paul Steven Wike
  • Patent number: 9376832
    Abstract: A portable safety rail system includes one or more railings inserted into one or more stackable rail bases. Each rail base can include a plurality of apertures for receiving end rail posts of railings through a raised hub defining an open region between the bottom of the hub and the surface on which the rail base rests. Each end rail post can have a stop flange that engages an upper surface of the hub when inserted therein and an aperture through the end portion that extends into the open region beneath the hub for receiving a pin to lock the post while allowing rotation of the post. The system can also include toe boards that are attached to railings with a mount having an aperture through which railings are extended, allowing the toe boards to also be rotated to be aligned with railings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Safety Rail Company, LLC
    Inventor: Bradley E. Deering
  • Patent number: 9212489
    Abstract: A guard assembly for a skylight. The assembly includes rails positioned on opposing sides of a skylight frame, connected by tension members that act to pull the rails laterally toward each other, causing the rails to clamp onto the skylight frame. The assembly can be coupled to the skylight without need for penetration fasteners that can cause the skylight to leak. The rails and tension members can be custom sized to proper dimension at a work site. In one embodiment, the guard assembly includes modular reinforcement components that spread out local clamping forces over a large area to mitigate the generation of yield and creep stresses that would otherwise cause the guard assembly to loosen over time. The guard assembly includes a guard structure that extends over the skylight and, in various embodiments, can be readily removed from the guard assembly for servicing of the skylight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Safety Rail Company, LLC
    Inventor: Craig Erickson
  • Patent number: 9150226
    Abstract: Mounting rings and methods for mounting structures to shafts are provided. The rings and methods may be used to mount other rings or housings to a shaft. The rings are characterized by having flexible inner diameters that can deflect under a radial load. The radial deflection of the inner diameter permits the rings to deflect and engage an outer diameter of a shaft. The engagement of the rings with a shaft provides at least some resistance to movement, for example, rotation and/or axial displacement, of the shaft relative to the ring and structure. In one aspect, the ring has a closed, hollow, construction, for example, a circular, oval, or polygonal closed, hollow construction. The ring may include a plurality of indentations, such as slots, on the inside diameter of the ring that may relieve at least some of the circumferential stress in the ring. Methods for using the rings to mount a structure to a shaft are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: Amsted Rail Company, Inc.
    Inventors: John E. Rode, Sean E. Strait
  • Publication number: 20150219487
    Abstract: A railcar weight sensing system is provided. The system includes at least one transducer positioned on a railway car bolster or sideframe. Signals from the transducer are transmitted to a receiver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2014
    Publication date: August 6, 2015
    Applicant: Amstead Rail Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Dan Maraini
  • Patent number: 9026281
    Abstract: A device for monitoring the status of a railcar handbrake having a hand operated handle, which device has a load bearing member configured to be inserted in the linkage of a railcar handbrake system so that the force applied to the brake system passes through the load bearing member. A strain gauge mounted on the load bearing member measures the strain. The information from the strain gauge is indicative of the force applied by the handbrake to the brake and is used to determine the status of the handbrake. Means for determining motion of the railcar is also provided. In one form, if it is determined that the brake is on and the railcar is in motion, information, such as an alarm, is transmitted. A system and method of monitoring a railcar handbrake are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Amstead Rail Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne Murphy, Andrew Martin, Jeevan Robinson
  • Patent number: 8991318
    Abstract: A stabilized railway car truck consists of two side frames and a holster. The bolster has laterally opposite ends, each end extending into and supported within a side frame opening on a spring group. The stabilized railway car truck also includes a transom extending into, and supported within, a side frame opening. The spring group is supported at each transom end. Each side frame has a pedestal opening at each end that receive a rotating lug to accept a elastomeric steering pad and bearing adapter. The attachment of the side frames and transom is a rigid pivotal connection. Friction shoes between the side frames and bolster provide damping of an initial low to a high rate friction once engaged. The pivotal decoupling of the side frame and transom, and the lateral movement of the friction shoes to the bolster, eliminates track displacement irregularities from reacting at the bolster and into the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: AMSTED Rail Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Steven Wike, Aleynikov Igor Arkadyevich
  • Patent number: 8944340
    Abstract: A mounting plate fixed to a longitudinally extending rail is secured by a plurality of bolts in a substrate. The mounting plate is formed at each bolt with an array of ridges. An adjuster plate formed with a vertically throughgoing transversely elongated slot through which the respective bolt extends has a lower face formed with an array of downwardly projecting generally complementary to the ridges of the mounting plate and an upper face formed with a central recessed seat defined between two longitudinally extending and parallel edges at a predetermined transverse spacing. A gauge plate formed with two parallel outer edges spaced apart by a distance substantially equal to the transverse spacing of the seat edges and with an eccentric circular hole of a diameter substantially equal to an outer diameter of the shank of the respective bolt that extends vertically through the circular hole fits in the seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Amsted Rail Company, Inc
    Inventor: Edward Constantine
  • Patent number: D805213
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Safety Rail Company, LLC
    Inventor: Bradley E. Deering