Patents Examined by Zachary L Kuhfuss
  • Patent number: 11254338
    Abstract: A system comprises a first sensor on a first end of a vehicle and an on-board controller coupled to the first sensor. The first sensor is configured to detect a radio frequency (RF) signature of a marker along a guideway. The first sensor is a radar detection device. The on-board controller is configured to determine a first position of the vehicle on the guideway or a first distance from the position of the vehicle to a stopping location along the guideway based on at least the RF signature received from the first sensor. The marker is a metasurface plate comprising a first diffused element, a first retroreflector element, a first absorbing element and a second diffused element between the first retroreflector element and the first absorbing element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: THALES CANADA INC.
    Inventors: Alon Green, Walter Kinio, Peter Timmermans
  • Patent number: 11248349
    Abstract: A pad for a railway rail fastening assembly, the pad being configured for placement between a rail and an underlying foundation, such as slab track or a sleeper, wherein a cross-section of the pad comprises: a second resilient layer configured to face a railway rail; an intermediate rigid layer; and a first resilient layer configured to face an underlying foundation. The rigid layer is provided between and is integrally formed with the first and second resilient layers. An edge of the pad comprises at least one ear that extends beyond a central region of the pad, the rigid layer extending into the ear with the ear being configured to resist rail roll.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Pandrol Limited
    Inventors: Stephen John Cox, Robert John Hamilton
  • Patent number: 11245350
    Abstract: An electrical machine has a braking element and a release device. A rotor of the electrical machine includes the braking element and release device. The electrical machine is located, for example, in a rail vehicle. In order to brake the rotor of the electrical machine in the event of an error in the drive train, an overload torque is generated by the electrical machine. An overload clutch is triggered by the overload torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: Siemens Mobility GmbH
    Inventors: Christoph Adam, Olaf Budig, Hartmut Frank, Andre Jansen, Olaf Koerner
  • Patent number: 11235947
    Abstract: The proposed line guiding system for at least one heavy and/or rigid line, for example a power cable for shore-side power supply for a ship (alternative maritime power), has a winding device which is rotatable about an axis of rotation for coiling and uncoiling the line and a rotary guide for the line from a first point to a relatively rotatable second point. The rotary guide has a helical guiding course having first helical layers, in which the line is wound about the axis of rotation, and second helical layers, in which the line is wound in the opposite direction. A return curve connects the two helical layers. According to the invention, the rotary guide has a tubular support sleeve which is coaxial with respect to the axis of rotation and serves to support the helical layers radially outwards or radially inwards. Furthermore, a rotary decoupling structure is provided, by which helical layers supported on the support sleeve are decoupled from the winding device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: IGUS GMBH
    Inventor: Georg Theiss
  • Patent number: 11236470
    Abstract: The invention relates to supporting a switch rail of a switch having a projecting leaf spring which can be pretensioned to the switch rail and on which the switch rail is displaceably arranged. Low friction and easy adaptation to the mounting position is possible in that the leaf spring is adjustably arranged in its longitudinal direction in a guide body which can be fastened to the stock rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: WIELAND AUSTRIA GES.M.B.H.
    Inventors: Georg Reiser, Rudolf Reiser, Michael Kainz, Robert Kollouch
  • Patent number: 11230304
    Abstract: A device has a rod (8) mounted in an articulated support (1), suitable for cutting with a cutting tool, the articulated support (1) comprising a body (3) with an internal spherical surface (5), in which a movable external spherical surface (4) of an inner ring (2) is embedded. In addition, the inner ring (2) of the articulated support (1) has at least one cutting knife (10, 10a) designed to cut the outer layer of the rod (8).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: AXTONE SPOLKA AKCYJNA
    Inventors: Jan Kochmanski, Jan Kukulski, Leszek Wasilewski, Grzegorz Zurawski
  • Patent number: 11230813
    Abstract: A track system for transporting people and goods with two support rails plus a side stabilizer mechanism associated with one or both rails. The side stabilizer is employed to provide lateral stability and keep a vehicle's rail wheels on the support rails. The side stabilizer may be a protruding bar or a recessed groove. This track system enables vehicles to change support rails at a junction with stationary non-switching rails. Rail wheels roll over the support rails and support the weight of the vehicle while on the rails. Interior side rollers contact the interior of the bar side stabilizer and maintain the vehicle's rail wheels centered over the support rails. Exterior side rollers contact an exterior of one of the bar side stabilizers and forces the vehicle to stay on the current track or to change to a different track. Recessed grooves and dual-flange wheels can alternately provide side stabilization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Inventor: Thomas Holtzman Williams
  • Patent number: 11225758
    Abstract: Systems and methods for automatically offloading railroad ties from a railroad car are described. A system embodiment includes, but is not limited to, a support platform including a support surface to support railroad ties in a vertical stack configuration; a support structure to hold the railroad ties stacked in the vertical stack configuration in a magazine during transit, the support structure defining a gap; a gate transitionable between a closed configuration and an open configuration, wherein the closed configuration blocks at least a portion of the gap, and wherein the open configuration permits passage of the railroad ties through the gap; and a lift structure including at least one member transitionable between a lowered configuration and a raised configuration, wherein the raised configuration positions the member above the support surface to raise an end of the railroad ties to offload the vertical stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: Union Pacific Railroad Company
    Inventors: Eric John Gehringer, Brian L. Davis
  • Patent number: 11214285
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a track switching apparatus for rail trolleys. It comprises at least one linear track, a curved track connected to the at least one linear track, at least one switching region formed at a connection region of the linear track and the curved track, and at least one switching unit disposed in the at least one switching region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: Tien Heng Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Te-Yi Chiu
  • Patent number: 11208121
    Abstract: A modern scenic passenger railcar system is disclosed. The railcar system incorporates design and safety features of modern freightcars and modern passenger scenic railway cars. The railcar system incorporates a center beam with a square cross section as well as specialized crash posts with its frame. This results in enhanced safety and crashworthiness. The railcar system also incorporates cross members for absorbing and distributing shock and mechanical stress on the railcar system during use, by withstanding torsion and shear forces on the frame. This results in improved mechanical integrity of the frame and the railcar system overall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Crossroads Railcar Services, Inc
    Inventor: Steve Richards
  • Patent number: 11208119
    Abstract: Disclosed is a guide module and a driving device having the guide module. The driving device includes a moving unit mounted on a pinion interacting with a rack and moving with the pinion along a trajectory of the rack, and a guide module arranged at at least any one side of the rack, connected to the moving unit, and guiding a movement of the moving unit that moves with the pinion along the trajectory of the rack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: SEJIN-IGB CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Sun Ho Lim
  • Patent number: 11207605
    Abstract: A mechanical assemblage similar to a traditional zipline, where a wheeled cart travels with the assistance of gravity along a guide cable strung between two points. However, this new system allows the cart to travel further, along multiple segments of guide cable and track, connected to each other by an unique attachment system which allows the cart to travel unabated, from cable to track and back to cable, by allowing the mounting attachments for the track segments to pass through an opening in the side of the cart and then close the opening to make it impossible for the guide cable to escape the cart, while riding on the guide cable. This is the most compact, simple and highly functional solution yet presented for genuine cable and track zipline system able to function with only the potential energy of gravity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Inventor: Christopher Michael Flynn
  • Patent number: 11208123
    Abstract: Disclosed is a frame for a bogie, comprising two side beams parallel to each other and a transverse beam connected to the middles of the side beams, wherein the middle of the transverse beam is provided with a traction pin hole, and an upper surface of the transverse beam is provided with a plurality of mounting seats for mounting a secondary suspension. The frame of the present invention is provided with a traction pin hole at the center of the transverse beam so that the transverse beam is connected to the bolster so as to bear a traction force, and a plurality of mounting seats for mounting the secondary suspension are arranged on an upper surface of the transverse beam, so that the secondary suspension can bear a rotation movement between the bogie and the vehicle body to improve curve passing capability of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: CRRC TANGSHAN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Lixin Zhang, Chengwei Qin, Dehua Li, Shun Cao, Jingwei Chen
  • Patent number: 11208127
    Abstract: An example automated locomotive spotting system includes a locomotive having a tractive effort mechanism for moving the locomotive along a track, and a locomotive controller configured to control the tractive effort mechanism to move the locomotive along the track. The locomotive controller includes an odometer configured to monitor a distance traversed by the locomotive along the track. The locomotive controller is configured to receive a requested spotting distance value, and initiate movement of the locomotive along the track via the tractive effort mechanism. The locomotive controller is also configured to monitor, by the odometer, the distance traversed by the locomotive along the track, and inhibit movement of the locomotive in response to the monitored odometer distance indicating the locomotive has traversed the requested spotting distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Cattron North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeremy Jovenall
  • Patent number: 11203366
    Abstract: A track switch that comprises track rails of basic (2), (3), straight, (4), (5) and lateral (6), (7) directions fastened on a slab track (1); sliding switch rails (8); (9) and point rails (10), (11) that are rigidly fastened to the slab track (1) by means of mounting means (12). The point rails and switch rails form points. The track switch comprises also a shift mechanism with a drive (14) and an axis (15), whereto sliding locks (16), (17) are connected. The point rails (10), (11) and the switch rails (8), (9) are connected with each other by means of units. Each of the units is a guide (18) that is rigidly fastened to the point rail, a wedge (19) that is rigidly fastened to the switch rail (8), (9), a cleat wedge (20) placed in the guides that is capable of moving longitudinally and fastened with its both ends to point rods (21) of the wedge (see FIGS. 1 and 4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Inventor: Temur Maisuradze
  • Patent number: 11199523
    Abstract: A method for monitoring a pantograph. The method includes acquiring an impulse response of the pantograph, extracting a natural frequency and a damping coefficient of the pantograph from the impulse response, obtaining a similarity factor of a plurality of similarity factors, and detecting a fault in the pantograph from the plurality of fault types based on the plurality of the similarity factors. Acquiring an impulse response of the pantograph includes generating the impulse response by tapping the head of the pantograph and recording the impulse response utilizing a recording equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: PISHRO EBTEKAR DANESH COMPANY (PED.CO)
    Inventors: Farzad Vesali, Amir Bashari, Mina Kolagar
  • Patent number: 11198458
    Abstract: A speed control device that controls a speed of a train using a tacho-generator includes a calculating unit that calculates, when a pulse count signal obtained by conversion from an AC voltage signal that is outputted from the tacho-generator and corresponds to a rotating speed of a wheel of the train cannot be detected, a first speed using notch information, route data, and car characteristic data and calculates, when the pulse count signal can be detected, a second speed using the pulse count signal. The speed control device includes a position calculating unit that calculates a position of the train using the speed calculated by the calculating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Makoto Tokumaru, Satoshi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 11198452
    Abstract: A chassis for a rail vehicle, in particular with inboard wheel sets, with at least one transmission, at least one transversely mounted drive motor and at least one chassis frame, wherein the chassis frame includes at least one crossmember and at least a first longitudinal carrier and a second longitudinal carrier, where at least a first elastic bearing, a second elastic bearing and a third elastic bearing are arranged between the drive motor and the chassis frame, and where in each case one of the elastic bearings is arranged on at least one of the longitudinal carriers in order to provide advantageous construction conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: SIEMENS MOBILITY AUSTRIA GMBH
    Inventors: Marko Falkenstein, Christian Kueter, Klaus Montesi-Heimerl, Martin Teichmann, Gerhard Weilguni, Stefan Zierler, Xabier Gonzalez Larrache, Radovan Seifried
  • Patent number: 11198457
    Abstract: A friction assist side bearing assembly for a truck assembly of a rail vehicle includes a first friction member, a second friction member that opposes the first friction member, and a cap coupled to the first friction member and the second friction member. The cap is configured to contact a portion of a car body coupled to the truck assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Amsted Rail Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Steven Wike, Igor Aleynikov, Jared Doerr, Tom Petrunich
  • Patent number: 11192724
    Abstract: An inclined shaft continuous feeding system for solid backfilling materials includes a surface loading system, an inclined shaft transportation system, and a downhole unloading system. The inclined shaft transportation system is arranged between the surface loading system and the underground unloading system. The inclined shaft transportation system includes a bottom unloading dumper, support guide wheels, a guide rail, a drive wheel, a reverse wheel, and a traction steel wire rope configured between the drive wheel and the reverse wheel. The present invention can realize a steady, continuous and efficient transportation of the solid backfilling materials from the surface to down hole. Moreover, the material transportation system does not wear easily, has long service life and low material transportation cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Inventor: Xiexing Miao