Abstract: A universal coupling adapter connectable to either end of a rail-highway vehicle useful in forming trains of rail-highway vehicles for rail transport comprises a bolster connectable with a rail bogie. The bolster has a support member bearing a semi-trailer mount and a connection assembly. The semi-trailer mount is constructed so as to engage and support a rail-highway vehicle. The connection assembly comprises a connecting slot and a connecting link, with the connecting link, in one embodiment, being shiftable between an extended and a retracted position. The connecting link is disposed substantially within the connecting slot in the extended position, and is disposed substantially outside of the connecting slot in the retracted position. The connection assembly is connectable with a corresponding connection assembly disposed on a rail-highway vehicle. The bolster has an assembly for connecting the bolster to one of a rail car and a locomotive.

Abstract: An automatic car coupler control system for a railway train consisting of at least one powered car and at least two nonpowered cars. An electrical switch and a timer carried by the nonpowered car following the powered car is connected to a voltage source located on the powered car. An electrical switch and a timer carried by a subsequent nonpowered car is connected through the electrical switch of the nonpowered car following the powered car. The timers of each of the nonpowered cars is connected to a plurality of electromagnetic valves which pneumatically actuate the head pistons of the couplers when the nonpowered cars meet and which initially pneumatically actuate the head pistons and the head unlocks of the coupler and which subsequently pneumatically activate a latch cylinder on the coupler on the nonpowered car following the powered car when the nonpower cars are uncoupled by actuating the electrical switch on the nonpowered car following the powered car.

Abstract: A horizontally-flexible rail which comprises rail pieces and connecting plates connecting the rail pieces together, the rail pieces being in contact with each other, each connecting plate being fixed to one of adjacent rail pieces, and pivotally connected to the other rail piece, the rail pieces, together with the connecting plates fixed thereto, being capable of horizontal arcing motion relative to adjacent rail pieces, the connecting plates serving to limit the arcing motions to a relatively small range.

Abstract: A latch for a crane travelable along a pair of generally parallel rails and having an overhead frame and a plurality of wheels engaging both of the rails for supporting the crane during its travel on the rails. The latch comprises a latch arm mounted on the crane and having a path of movement substantially in the direction of travel of the crane. The latch arm also includes a transversely projecting hook. A latch block is stationarily mounted and has a lip member projecting into the path of movement of the latch arm. The hook on the latch arm moves with the latch arm into engagement with the lip member and the lip member and hook have an engaged position in which the lip member is positioned between the hook and the crane whereby the crane is held from traveling away from the latch block. The latch may also include a compressible bumper mounted on the crane and engaging the latch block compressively in the direction of the crane travel toward the latch block.

Abstract: An automatic anchor applicator is provided having a frame which mounts a head assembly for vertical movement between a raised travel position and a lowered operative position. The head assembly has an inclined anchor conveyor and a pair of articulated applicator arms for transporting a pair of anchors from a loading station to a position adjacent a rail. Adjuster members are positioned immediately adjacent the pair of anchors at an adjustment station to shift the anchors along the rail into abutting relation with opposite vertical faces of the tie. Relative rotation of the articulated arms resiliently places the positioned anchors into positive engagement with the rail.

Abstract: A railway car body structure has a panel assembly forming at least part of a side, the roof, an end or the floorplate. Each panel has inner and outer spaced metal sheets and a cellular metal core bonded to the sheets and maintaining them spaced apart. To join the panels, a metal connecting member is joined to at least one of the inner and outer sheets by continuous metal-to-metal bonding and has a projection for use in welding the panel to the neighboring panel. The projection extends in the lateral direction of the panel and is of material thicker than the general sheet thickness of the sheets. A frame member of the body structure may be welded to the panels at the joint.

Abstract: A car shaker for use particularly on a rail type hopper car. At least one closure and preferably a plurality thereof is provided to preclude or minimize the amount of dust which results from a dust carrying cargo being discharged. The at least one closure rests on the top of the hopper car to preclude coal dust entering the atmosphere. The car shaker is further provided with an aspiration system to draw away cargo dust which has been wetted by water sprays from a manifold carried on the closures.

Abstract: To couple the initiation and the chronological sequence of a coupling or uncoupling process of a mechanical middle buffer coupling and an electrical cable coupling with a common rotary drive with the smallest amount of control effort possible in a reliable manner, a coupling and uncoupling device has a shaft, which can be driven at right angles to the coupling axis and is fastened non-rotatably on an actuating arm that extends into a guide rail of the cable coupling and is consequently designed as a direct drive member of the cable coupling, wherein an uncoupling lever for the mechanical middle buffer coupling and the actuating arm are positively coupled via the shaft. A switching device for the coupling and uncoupling device with switches and initiating members or control cams controls the initiation and the chronological sequences of the coupling and uncoupling process of the mechanical middle buffer coupling and the electrical cable coupling.

Abstract: A method and a device for monitoring the drive motors for each pair of coaxial wheels of a railway traction system, including cyclically measuring representative quantities of the mechanical torque temporarily developed by the motors, comparing such quantities, and disconnecting both motors from the electric power supply whenever the result of the comparison shows a difference greater than a previously established value. Disclosed also is a method of cyclically memorizing the temporary value of a parameter of each motor, commanding a variation of such parameter by a small pre-established quantity, calculating the value that such controlled parameter should reach as a result of such variation, comparing the result of the calculation with the effective value reached, and disconnecting the power supply to the motor whenever the result of such comparison is not equal to or less than a pre-established quantity.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for guiding a moving body (1) along a tensioned cable (4) attached at intervals to a building facade (3) and at a given distance therefrom. It comprises a pivoting device (7) formed by a pair of stars (8) parallel, coaxial and integral with one another, the points (9) of which face one another, pivoting about an axis perpendicular to the cable axis (4), the axis of the pair of stars (8) being rotationally integral with the structure of the guided moving body (1).

Abstract: A railway truck for a railway vehicle which has steerable axles has axle bearings supported by support pedestals. Each support pedestal is located longitudinally by a flexible bar element which aallows the pedestal sufficient vertical movement to accommodate varying load conditions and also allows rotation about a horizontal axis which is not coincident with the axle bearings but restrains horizontal movement fore and aft of the rotational axis. A steering assembly reacting to relative rotational movements between the truck and the vehicle permits pivoting of the support pedestals about the horizontal axis. The tipping of the pedestal moves the axle bearing in the fore and aft direction which effectively rotates the axle about a vertical axis so as to guide the axle of the railway truck into radial alignment with respect to a curved track. The structure has the effect of an "inverted" pendulum, that is a pendulum with negative restoring force.

Abstract: A slackless drawbar system for a railway car in which there is provided an elastomeric pad that absorbs forces during buffing conditions and helps to maintain the slackless nature of the system. The elastomeric pad absorbs forces during lateral and vertical angling and serves to maintain the slackless nature of the system during these conditions. Preloading of the resilient elastomeric pad is provided by means of an adjustable wedge element, which wedge element is adjustably positionable relative to the elastomeric pad by means of a screw shaft and nut, whereby the initial loading of the pad may be achieved to meet any required operating conditions and to accommodate wear and tear.

Abstract: A gondola car for use with a train of like gondola cars that comprises a body having a floor and two sidewalls, a bridge extension connected to the floor and extending outwardly beyond the two sidewalls, a wall transition member of arcuate shape extending beyond the end of one of the sidewalls, and a pivotal connector positioned adjacent the bridge extension for enabling pivotal movement between the gondola car and an adjacent gondola car. The wall transition member is fastened to one of the sidewalls and is in sliding rotational relation to a arcuate-shaped guide section on an adjacent gondola car. The bridge extension has a curved edge affixed to the bottom edge of the wall transition member. The curved edge has a radius of curvature generally equal to the radius of curvature of the arcuate-shaped of the wall transition member. The floor has a plurality of apertures for receiving a fixed cleat from a tractor/shovel.

Abstract: An electrically driven self-propelled truck having at least one electrically driven wheel guidable along a rail on a floor, an article lift table mounted on the upper side of the truck body, a work space provided around the lift table, and an adjacent truck coupling provided at least one side edge portion of the truck body. At an intersection of truck guide rails on the floor, a rail segment rotating mechanism is provided which has a rail segment for changing the course of the wheel. A truck orientation changing turntable is provided on a floor portion where the orientation of the truck is to be changed.

Abstract: A continuously advancing track maintenance machine for compacting ballast comprises a self-propelled machine frame supported on the track for continuous advancement, a power-driven and vertically adjustable track stabilization assembly mounted on the machine frame and comprising rail engaging roller tools, a drive for spreading the roller tools into engagement with the gage sides of the rails, and vibrating means for imparting oscillations to the roller tools in a direction extending substantially in a horizontal plane transversely to the longitudinal machine frame extension whereby the roller tools engaging the rails transmit the oscillations to the track, a device for measuring the amplitudes of the horizontal oscillations, and a reference system for monitoring the track level between an actual level of the track and a desired level thereof.

Abstract: A points and crossing changer including an elongated frame having a plurality of extendible support members pivotally mounted thereon for horizontal movement about a vertical axis. Each support member includes a downwardly extendible telescoping shaft supported on a lower end by a tracked conveyor pivotally mounted thereon. Mounted to the frame is means for engaging selected sections of track subjacent frame wherein the frame and the selected section of track can be lifted by the telescopic shafts and propelled in an unlimited variety of horizontal directions by the tracked conveyors.

Abstract: A mobile ballast tamping machine comprises a tamping unit associated with, and adjacent, the field side and the gage side of each track rail, the field side and gage side tamping units associated with each rail being adjacent each other in a direction extending transversely to the track and each tamping unit comprising a pair of vibratory tamping tools reciprocable in a direction extending substantially parallel to the track, a vertically adjustable tamping tool carrier supporting the pair of tamping tools, a support frame, vertical guides connected to the support frame and vertically adjustably supporting the tamping tool carrier, the support frame of each field side tamping unit being supported on the support frame of the adjacent gage side tamping unit.

Abstract: A pipe crawler for moving through a pipe in inchworm fashion having front and rear leg assemblies separated by air cylinders to increase and decrease the spacing between assemblies. Each leg of the four legs of an assembly is moved between a wall-engaging, extended position and a retracted position by a separate air cylinder. The air cylinders of the leg assemblies are preferably arranged in pairs of oppositely directed cylinders with no pair lying in the same axial plane as another pair. Therefore, the cylinders can be as long a leg assembly is wide and the crawler can crawl through sections of pipes where the diameter is twice that of other sections. The crawler carries a valving system, a manifold to distribute air supplied by a single umbilical air hose to the various air cylinders in a sequence controlled electrically by a controller.

Abstract: A hopper for a railroad car having a pair of side hopper walls, a pair of end hopper walls, a gate system positioned at a hopper discharge opening, and a crossmember affixed at one end to one of the side hopper walls and affixed at another end to another of the side hopper walls. This crossmember is positioned generally halfway between the end hopper walls. A first support bar is affixed to the side walls in an area between the crossmember and one of the end walls. A second support bar is affixed to the side walls in an area between the crossmember and the other of the end walls. The gate system is a pair of clamshell-type gates that are pivotable about axes parallel to the longitudinal axis of the hopper car. A strut is pivotally mounted to the crossmember and extends downwardly therefrom. This first strut is affixed at one end to one of the clamshell-type gates. A second strut is also pivotally mounted to the crossmember and extends downwardly so as to be affixed to the second clamshell-type gate.

Abstract: An article transporting wheeled cart is reciprocatably moved along a pair of transversely spaced rails by a power transmitting unit detachably mounted between and below the rails and comprising a pair of trolley tracks secured to the upstanding legs of transversely extending longitudinally spaced U-shaped track yokes which have base portions located below the tracks and attached to a fluid pressure cylinder unit longitudinally coextensive with the tracks. A trolley, having a pair of oppositely acting driving dogs engageable with the cart, is supported on the tracks and is connected to a motion transmitter reciprocatably driven by the cylinder unit.