Patents Examined by Glenn B. Foster
  • Patent number: 4637578
    Abstract: A railroad frog has either a cast or rail-built point, resting on a baseplate which is fastened to ties. A pair of heel rails are attached to the point, to the ties and to traffic rails. A pair of movable wing rails extend from the toe of the frog to a location adjacent the point of the frog. At the frog point an open wing rail forms a flangeway with the point, while the other, closed wing rail cooperates with the point to form a continuous tread surface through the frog. The wing rails are alternately thrown between the open and closed positions by an actuator. A series of stops define the open wing rail position and act to hold down the open wing rail. The wing rails have hinges which allow them to move. The wing rails have a full rail base at the hinges. Adaptor plates allow use of the frog on concrete ties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1983
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1987
    Assignee: Abex Corporation
    Inventor: Earl E. Frank
  • Patent number: 4637316
    Abstract: A simplified and reliable apparatus for positioning rail cars at a loading or unloading station is disclosed. A rail car movement carriage traverses carriage guide rails anchored to cross-ties between the rail car rails. The carriage includes an onboard hydraulic system in which a single power cylinder activates crossed pivotally connected rail car axle engaging arms in a precision mode. The carriage also mounts a transverse support arm on one end of which is carried a limit switch and limit switch actuator which responds to contact with the flanges of rail car wheels during reverse travel of the carriage to count wheels and thereby establish a proper starting point for the forward movement of the carriage and activation of the car axle engaging arms. The other end of the carriage mounted cross arm is attached to a foldable feed tray which receives and stabilizes an electrical cable supplying power to a motor and valve of the hydraulic system on the carriage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1987
    Inventor: Curtis E. Carroll
  • Patent number: 4637319
    Abstract: A railway vehicle truck friction shoe pocket including a sloped wedge wall and longitudinally spaced depending walls of which at least one of the inner planar faces is provided with one or more relieved sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1987
    Assignee: Amsted Industries Incorporated
    Inventors: Charles Moehling, James A. Henkel
  • Patent number: 4637579
    Abstract: A railroad switch mechanism wherein the switch points of a track switch are moved between normal and release positions by a switch machine connected to the switch points by throw rod, lock rod and detector rod assemblies which are adjusted to have predetermined lengths. The lock or detector rod assemblies have couplings which enable temporary disconnection from the switch points when testing to verify whether the operation of the switch to normal and reverse positions is within an allowable range of variations with respect to the stock rails with which the track switch is associated without affecting the adjustment of the length of the assemblies and requiring long and costly readjustment after the completion of testing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1987
    Assignee: General Signal Corporation
    Inventor: Russell M. Hartung
  • Patent number: 4635561
    Abstract: A cabin of an aerial cableway having a generally square shape and at least a door opening on the whole lateral wall. The door comprises two panels adapted to abut one another for closing the door opening and to move symmetrically away along a curved path towards the open position. In the open position each panel covers one half face of the end wall. An actuating mechanism includes link rods secured to the roof and to the floor of the cabin for guiding and moving symmetrically the door panels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 13, 1987
    Assignee: Sigma Plastique and Pomagalski S.A.
    Inventor: Francis Tauzin
  • Patent number: 4635559
    Abstract: A pipeline monorail comprising a pipeline provided with at least one outwardly extending flange extending the length of the pipeline; two carriages, longitudinally spaced on the pipeline, each carriage having wheels operable to frictionally engage the flange of the pipeline for guidance, the wheels of at least one of the carriages being driven by a power source for propelling the carriages which carry and are connected by a load carrier, preferably including a boom. The boom is adapted to carry pipe sections and is longitudinally moveable relative to the carriages for suspending the pipe sections forwardly of the existing end of the pipeline and is operable to lower or raise the pipe section for attachment to the existing pipeline for construction of the pipeline. Each section so attached is also provided with a flange. Pedestals are used to support the pipeline where required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 13, 1987
    Inventor: Warren B. Nelson
  • Patent number: 4635846
    Abstract: A rail-support insulating device for electrically insulating rapid transit system rail apparatus from the rail support structure is described. The device includes a layer of electrically non-conductive material forming a boot that encloses the base of the rail where the rail passes over its support. This insulating boot extends upwardly on opposite sides of the rail web and outwardly therefrom to form long surface electrical creepage paths between the rail and the rail support that provide electrical isolation even when the entire assembly of rail, boot and rail support is wet with electrolyte.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 13, 1987
    Assignee: San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District
    Inventor: Peter L. Todd
  • Patent number: 4636119
    Abstract: An all purpose railroad car for transporting trailers and containers, having an elongated frame adapted to be supported by wheel trucks, combined hitch and container bolster means adjacent one end of the car frame for selectively receiving and releasably retaining a trailer king pin and one end of a container, and means spaced from the combined hitch and container bolster means for selectively receiving and supporting the wheels of a trailer and the other end of a container. The car may be a light-weight skeletal frame including an elongated center sill, wheel trucks at opposite ends of the center sill supporting said center sill, each wheel truck including a single axle. Cushioning means may be provided between the combined hitch and container bolster means and the frame operable to oppose longitudinal movement of the lading relative to the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 13, 1987
    Assignee: Trailer Train Company
    Inventor: Boris S. Terlecky
  • Patent number: 4634881
    Abstract: An apparatus including a source for producing a concentrated light beam, such as a laser, a background spaced from the source against which the light beam is directed, and a transport arrangement for moving translucent bodies, such as French cut potatoes, through the light beam. Another light source illuminates the background independently of the concentrated light beam. A receiver receives light reflected from the background and from translucent bodies moving through the light beam, as well as from the independent light source illuminating the background. The receiver produces an output signal which changes when an impurity enters the concentrated light beam, and this changed signal is used to operate a device which removes the impurity from the remainder of the translucent bodies. The light beam may be scanned across a plurality of rows of moving bodies by directing the beam at a rapidly rotating multifaceted mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 6, 1987
    Assignee: Supernova Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Leo Billion
  • Patent number: 4633787
    Abstract: A light weight, aerodynamically efficient gondola car for hauling bulk cargo, such as coal, ores and grains, has a cargo carrying structure formed of welded aluminum. A side sill member formed of extruded aluminum has side and bottom connective portions which are continuously welded to the sides and bottom respectively, and a strength portion which remains substantially unwelded in assembly to thereby retain its full strength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 6, 1987
    Assignee: Pullman Standard Inc.
    Inventors: Phillip G. Przybylinski, Donald C. Bodinger
  • Patent number: 4632307
    Abstract: An arrangement for fastening rails to sleepers includes guide plates (10) disposed to the sides of each rail and elastic clips (20), which may be pressed onto the respective guide plate (10) and onto the foot of the rail by means of bolts (30) anchored in the sleepers, the guide plates (10) having on their upper side in the installed position a rib (13) extending parallel to the rail, on which a part (21) of the elastic clip may be brought to seat as a boundary for the stress path.In order that the guide plates (10), when made also from plastics, may safely carry without damage the forces exercised by the clips (20), even when there has been an excessive torque on the bolts (30), each rib (13) of the guide plate (10) has a reinforcement (14) in the seating region of the clip (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 30, 1986
    Assignee: Vossloh - Werke GmbH
    Inventor: Friedhelm Weber
  • Patent number: 4630547
    Abstract: A railway car underframe includes a center sill having a central section and opposite end sections. The sill includes spaced vertical walls, and upper and lower walls which are slotted in registry the length of the central section, and which form in cross section a spaced I-beam construction. The construction provides a sill having high torsional flexibility which is necessary to accommodate the railway car to track conditions tending to derail the car when single axle suspensions with two wheels are utilized. The sill also includes a separator in the form of a channel which includes flanges at its sides which are secured to the vertical walls of the sill. The separator extends substantially the length of the slots and is effective to resist lateral forces tending to buckle or permanently deform the sill during operation, while not adversely affecting the high torsional flexibility which is required in the sill structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 23, 1986
    Assignee: Pullman Standard Inc.
    Inventors: Phillip G. Przybylinski, John H. Spence
  • Patent number: 4630772
    Abstract: An improved insulating plate for an insulated rail joint includes a main plate portion made of a thermo-plastic resin, thick portions formed on the main plate portion at its side face contacting a joint plate, and planar heater elements embedded in the thick portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 23, 1986
    Assignees: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Japanese National Railways
    Inventors: Kainen Watanabe, Hiroto Yasuhara, Toru Sugiyama, Keiji Shimizu, Yoshihiro Murata
  • Patent number: 4630543
    Abstract: Motion is imparted to a car (12) by a cable (10) that runs along the length of a guideway (14) in sheaves (22). To accommodate directional changes in the guideway (14), the sheaves (22) are oriented in a range of configurations, including orientations (22C, 22D) above the cable (10). A guiderail (30) is located high on a side of the guideway (14) and imparts guidance to the car (12) via a rail follower (38) on the car. A cable clamp (54) attaches the car (12) to the cable (10) and displaces the cable (10) a large amount from the sheaves (22) to avoid impingement of the clamp (54) and sheaves (22). The cable clamp (54) is disposed so as to occupy the area defined by the rail follower (38). Cable supports (56,56), disposed forward and rearward of the cable clamp (54) displace the cable (10) by a small amount from the sheaves (22) and replace the cable (10) onto the sheaves (22). The cable supports (56,56) are disposed so as to occupy the area defined by the cable as displaced (55) by the cable clamp (54).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1983
    Date of Patent: December 23, 1986
    Assignee: Otis Elevator Company
    Inventor: Norman McQueen
  • Patent number: 4630548
    Abstract: A railway car underframe includes a center sill having a central section and opposite end sections. The sill includes spaced vertical walls, and upper and lower walls which are slotted in registry the length of the central section, and which form in cross section a spaced I-beam construction. The construction provides a sill having high torsional flexibility which is necessary to accommodate the railway car to track conditions tending to derail the car when single axle suspensions with two wheels are utilized. The sill also includes a separator in the form of a channel which includes flanges at its sides which are secured to the vertical walls of the sill. The separator extends substantially the length of the slots and is effective to resist lateral forces tending to buckle during operation while not adversely affecting the high torsional flexibility which is required in the sill structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1983
    Date of Patent: December 23, 1986
    Assignee: Pullman Standard Inc.
    Inventors: Henry K. Wiger, Phillip G. Przybylinski
  • Patent number: 4630546
    Abstract: A railway car underframe includes a centersill having a central section and opposite end sections. The sill includes spaced vertical walls, and upper and lower walls which are slotted and in registry the length of the central section, and which form in cross section a spaced I-beam construction. The construction provides a sill having high torsional flexibility which is necessary to accommodate the railway car to track conditions tending to derail the car when single axle trucks with two wheels are utilized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1983
    Date of Patent: December 23, 1986
    Assignee: Pullman Standard Inc.
    Inventors: Henry K. Wiger, Manfred Katz
  • Patent number: 4627540
    Abstract: In an automatic mail processing apparatus, a mail reject mechanism is disposed between a reading and sorting unit and labeling unit. The mail reject mechanism includes a reject member movable between a first position outside of a convey unit and a second position inside of the convey unit and a pneumatic cylinder for normally holding the reject member in the first position and being adapted, when the sorting data stored in a memory relating to a mail stack brought in an opposite position to the reject member is not appropriate to the mail stack, to move the reject member from the first position to the second position for removal of the mail stack from the convey unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1983
    Date of Patent: December 9, 1986
    Assignee: Tokyo Shibaura Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazuo Takeda
  • Patent number: 4625652
    Abstract: A two-axled central support bogie for railway and tramway vehicles with two or more articulated bodies includes two cross members carrying the wheels, and a central longitudinal structure the ends of which bear on two air springs carried by respective central platforms formed by the cross members. The central structure carries means for its articulated connection with the articulation ends of the vehicle bodies, and the bogie also includes tie means for connecting the central structure with one of the cross members to prevent movements in a longitudinal direction and lateral resistance means for limiting movement in a transverse direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1985
    Date of Patent: December 2, 1986
    Assignee: Fiat Ferroviaria Savigliano S.p.A.
    Inventors: PierAntonio Losa, Augusto Tabbia
  • Patent number: 4626154
    Abstract: A trailer hitch for securing trailers to a platform or deck of a railway flat car comprises an upright pedestal pivotally connected so that it and a fifth wheel plate can be attached to the kingpin of a trailer. The hitch includes a diagonal assembly pivotally connected to the pedestal and being rockable therewith. The diagonal assembly comprises diagonally extending outer thrust members and a central thrust member. A pair of laterally spaced upright support plates are rigidly connectd to the platform or deck. The outer thrust members support in spaced relation a plurality of resilient members on their inner surfaces. The resilient members are also connected to the support plates. Other similar resilient members are connected to the inner surfaces of the upright support plates and these are also connected to the central thrust member thereby providing a completely cushioned trailer hitch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1983
    Date of Patent: December 2, 1986
    Assignee: Pullman Standard Inc.
    Inventors: Harold E. Hesch, Michael W. Diluigi
  • Patent number: 4624428
    Abstract: A railroad spring frog assembly for trackwork installations includes a rigid rail and a flexible spring wing rail. The flexible spring wing rail is rigidly affixed between one end which engages a wing point rail and the other end which connects to a closure rail at the toe end of the frog support means. When a rail car enters the frog and a wheel flange engages the spring wing rail to pass between it and the long point rail the spring wing rail bends away from the long point rail to define a flangeway therebetweeen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 25, 1986
    Assignee: Abex Corporation
    Inventor: Earl E. Frank