Patents Examined by Zachary L Kuhfuss
  • Patent number: 10864923
    Abstract: A single pole aerial tramway apparatus carries multiple cycles in an upright position along the path of overhead cables from an aerial tramway. A single, bowed pole supports a multi-cycle support assembly on which multiple cycles are mounted. The bowed pole has a medial region that arcs distally from the cycles, so as to create additional space for loading and carrying the cycles. A bracket forms a junction point that detachably connects a pole cable end of the bowed pole to a cable extension member from the cable. The bracket may be hinged to enable the pole to sway to reduce mechanical stress. A multi-cycle support assembly attaches to the pole cycle end. A primary stabilization bar and a secondary stabilization bar carry and balance the multi-cycle support assembly. Cycle racks set on the stabilization bars receive the cycles in a front tire depression and a rear tire brace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Inventor: Kelly J. Deason
  • Patent number: 10858017
    Abstract: A method of controlling a vehicle to soft-land at a target destination includes: determining a terminal set, which is a set of system states of the vehicle under which the vehicle will converge to a target set under constant zero control input; determining a sequence of polytopes, each polytope being an approximation of a backward reachable set of system states of the vehicle; and controlling the vehicle to reach the destination based on the determined polytopes. The method may be performed by one or more controllers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Inventor: Donglei Fan
  • Patent number: 10858019
    Abstract: A device attached to a railcar of a train is provided. The device comprises a radio frequency (RF) transceiver to transmit and receive a RF signal. The device includes a RF modem configured to convert the received RF signal into a low frequency (LF) analog signal. The device includes a digital signal processor to process the LF signal. The digital signal processor includes a phase detector, a loop filter, and a digitally controlled oscillator. The phase detector compares the LF signal and a reference signal to generate an error signal. The phase detector also determines a state of the digital signal processor, the state being one of a lock state or an out of lock state. Further, the phase detector detects an event that the RF signal is lost and generate a loss signal. The loop filter filters the error signal and generates an error control signal. The digitally controlled oscillator generates the reference signal based on the error control signal, the state, and the loss signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Progress Rail Services Corporation
    Inventor: George E. Toth
  • Patent number: 10858015
    Abstract: A rail vehicle includes a car body having both a passenger space and a stowage space that is provided with a controller and at least one station for accommodating light electric vehicles. The stations have a chassis, a holding structure, a locking mechanism, and a power outlet. The holding structure can hold the light electric vehicle stationary. The locking mechanism can retain the light electric vehicle in the holding structure. The power outlet can deliver electrical power to a battery of the light electric vehicle when the light electric vehicle is secured in the holding structure and connected to the power outlet. The power outlet can be connected to an electrical power network of the rail vehicle. The controller can selectively send a release signal to the locking mechanism, so as to release the locking mechanism, and to selectively operate the power outlet so as to deliver the electrical power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Bombardier Transportation GmbH
    Inventor: Benoît Lery
  • Patent number: 10843095
    Abstract: A kit for assembling a modular toy race track. The kit includes at least one generally U-shaped straight-track segment formed of folded paperboard, at least one generally U-shaped curved-track segment formed of molded plastic and at least one track connections formed of molded plastic for interconnecting a pair of track segments to form a raceway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Inventor: Steven Paperno
  • Patent number: 10843716
    Abstract: A distributed interlocking device, architecture and process are disclosed, and are based on segregating vital logic for a signal installation by type of signal equipment. A plurality of intelligent signal devices is disclosed, wherein each intelligent signal device is used to control a basic signal unit. A signal unit includes a set of signal apparatuses that are geographically and logically interrelated. An intelligent signal device receives data related to the states of other signal devices, determines and controls its own operational states, and communicates its own operational states to other devices. A generic intelligent signal device is also disclosed. Further, a plurality of new concepts, and signal control functions are provided, and include a vital change management process, and a failure recovery scheme based on dynamic reconfiguration of home and distant control functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: Siemens Mobility, Inc.
    Inventor: Nabil Ghaly
  • Patent number: 10836408
    Abstract: A vehicle having a wagon body which is supported on at least one running gear, wherein the wagon body defines a vehicle longitudinal direction, a vehicle transverse direction and a vehicle height direction. The wagon body has a body section and an adjacent head section. The head section has an outer skin and a flow separation unit for reducing sensitivity of the vehicle to crosswind. The flow separation unit comprises a roof-like protrusion formed by the outer skin. The roof-like protrusion has a first roof section, a second roof section, and a ridge section forming a transition between the first roof section and the second roof section. The first roof section and the second roof section run inclined to one another such that, the ridge section forms a flow separation edge for the air flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Bambardier Transportation GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Schober, Alexander Orellano, Andreas Tietze, Marco Weise, Stefan Steilen
  • Patent number: 10836410
    Abstract: A carbody of a railcar includes: an underframe; a first member provided at one of vertical sides of a vertical center of the underframe, supported by the underframe, and absorbing collision energy; a second member provided at the other vertical side of the vertical center of the underframe, supported by the underframe, and contacting an obstacle when the first member is compressed by collision with the obstacle. In a case where the second member receives a reaction force from the obstacle when the first member is compressed by the collision with the obstacle, the second member transfers to the underframe a moment load that is opposite in a rotational direction to a moment load transferred to the underframe by the first member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Sano, Naoaki Kawakami, Naohiro Yoshida, Shinichiro Hata, Seiichiro Yagi, Masayuki Tomizawa
  • Patent number: 10836414
    Abstract: An information sharing system derives from a roadway vehicles management system position-related data of a roadway vehicle along a road and determines a roadway vehicle timing at or during which the roadway vehicle is estimated to arrive at or cross a railway crossing. The information sharing system further derives from a railway vehicles management system position-related data of a railway vehicle along the railway and determines a railway vehicle timing at or during which the railway vehicle is estimated to arrive at or have passed the railway crossing. The information sharing system determines, based on comparing a roadway vehicle time window to a railway vehicle time window, that the roadway vehicle time window and the railway vehicle time window at least partly overlap. The information sharing system provides information associated with the overlap to the roadway vehicle or the railway vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: VOLVO CAR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Erik Israelsson, Johannes Ohlin, Sebastian Thelen
  • Patent number: 10829131
    Abstract: A device for locking a pivotal protective device, such as a safety bracket or a weather protection hood, of a chair for a chairlift. The device has interacting projections, one of which is connected to a frame of the chair and the other of which is connected to the protective device. At least one of the projections is resiliently mounted, and the projections are equipped with sliding surfaces which produce a deformation of the resilient bracket after a defined force has been applied to the safety bracket and allow the projections to slide past one another in both directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: Innova Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Sutterluety, Dominik Fink
  • Patent number: 10822004
    Abstract: A data transmission device has an elongated hollow profile with a hollow space extending in a longitudinal direction of the hollow profile, with the hollow profile having a longitudinal slot extending in the longitudinal direction for a transmission unit which moves relative to the hollow space at least in the longitudinal direction and which extends at least partially into the longitudinal slot. At least one sealing element extending along the hollow profile for sealing off at least one portion of the hollow space is provided. A conductor rail system includes a conductor rail for supplying at least one electrical load with electrical power, which load can be moved in the longitudinal direction along the conductor rail, with at least one conductor strand extending in the longitudinal direction with an electrically conducting conductor profile for contacting a sliding contact of the load and with at least one data transmission device extending in the longitudinal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: CONDUCTIX-WAMPFLER GMBH
    Inventor: Michael Eckle
  • Patent number: 10822002
    Abstract: A rail vehicle includes an airbag assembly having a housing, an airbag, a lid, at least one vessel and an aesthetic body panel. The airbag assembly is installed at an end of the rail vehicle. The airbag is placed inside the housing and the lid closes the housing. The lid is attached to the airbag so that it is located at a bottom portion of the airbag when the airbag is fully deployed. The lid and the aesthetic body panel, distant by a gap when the airbag is stored, are provided with compatible connecting interfaces so that the aesthetic body panel attaches to the lid through interconnection of the connecting interfaces upon inflation of the airbag with the pressurized fluid. The aesthetic body panel protect the inflated airbag from wear against the ground on which the rail vehicle travels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: Bombardier Transportation GmbH
    Inventors: Landri Fel, Markus Baumgartner
  • Patent number: 10822210
    Abstract: The invention relates to a rail vehicle (1) having a machine frame (2) supported on on-track undercarriages (4), on both sides of which are arranged—in the longitudinal direction (3) of the rail vehicle—crane rails (8) for a mobile gantry crane (11). In this, for lifting or lowering of the gantry crane (11), a crane rail section (12) of the respective crane rail (8) is arranged to be vertically adjustable by a drive (18). In this manner, contrary to the prior art, a higher gantry crane (11) can be used without violating a given clearance profile during transfer travel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: Plasser & Theurer Export von Bahnbaumaschinen Gesellschaft m.b.H.
    Inventors: Patrick Hoetzendorfer, Manfred Brunninger
  • Patent number: 10822005
    Abstract: An improved switch point machine is provided which can seal out water, even if the machine itself becomes submerged. The operating rod and the point indicating rod that extend out of the switch box housing should be ground round and have a smooth surface for an improved seal. Those rods are preferably chrome plated. Dynamic hydraulic seals can be used to seal out moisture. Internal components, within the switch box housing, should also be sealed to be water resistant in the event water does enter the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: Twinco Manufacturing Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Walter W. Weiss, John Schatz
  • Patent number: 10807478
    Abstract: A system and method in at least one embodiment provides magnetic levitation to a vehicle above and/or partially about a rail or track using a flux field generator having a plurality of members having mated waveform patterns. In a further embodiment, the magnetic levitation also uses a distribution system. In a further embodiment, the plurality of members forms a disk-pack turbine. In a further embodiment, the flux field generator is not vehicle based.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: QWTIP LLC
    Inventors: Whitaker Ben Irvin, Sr., George Allan Metzenthin
  • Patent number: 10808363
    Abstract: A maintenance vehicle has a vehicle frame, supported on on-track undercarriages, on which are arranged two side walls extending in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle and adjustable with respect to one another and relative to the vehicle frame in a transverse direction of the vehicle by way of drives. The vehicle is equipped with at least one load crane which is displaceable on a crane guide that extends in the transverse direction of the vehicle. The crane guide, designed to be elongatable in the transverse direction of the vehicle, is connected at each end to a side wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: Robel Bahnbaumaschinen GmbH
    Inventor: Peter Hechenberger
  • Patent number: 10799804
    Abstract: The invention relates to a roller coaster vehicle guided along a rail structure extending in a two- or three-dimensional plane and having at least one passenger seat (3), which is fastened to a chassis (2) guided on the rail structure, wherein the passenger seat (3) is fastened to the chassis (2) by way of an axis of rotation (16, 17) extending in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and the rotation of the passenger seat (3) can be influenced manually during the ride of the roller coaster vehicle. According to the invention, a rotation about the axis of rotation (16, 17) can be influenced by the force of an airflow along adjustable air guiding wings (18, 19) on the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Inventors: Willy Walser, Roman Rothe
  • Patent number: 10787771
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a rail vehicle having a track stabilization unit for use in stabilizing rails into ballast. The rail vehicle comprises a frame and a track stabilization unit coupled to the frame. The track stabilization unit includes a base and a plurality of wheels disposed about the base. The wheels are configured to bias against rails of a railroad track. At least one of the wheels is coupled to a motor through a drive shaft such that rotation of the drive shaft drives rotation of the wheel. Related methods are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: HARSCO TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: Victor Vargas, Syed Reza Sami, Eric Carter
  • Patent number: 10786971
    Abstract: A plastic article is recited having a plastic shell including walls defining a cavity. Within the cavity is an in-situ foam core including expanded polymer beads. A layer of the expanded polymer beads includes a layer of distorted beads adjacent to the walls. The in-situ foam core has a thermal bond to the walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Inventor: Richard W. Roberts
  • Patent number: 10781557
    Abstract: A railway tie being constructed of an engineered cementitious composite (ECC) material having: (1) a minimum of 2% tensile ductility of ECC, (2) complete absence of alkali-silica reaction (ASR), (3) high fatigue resistance of ECC at least five times that of normal concrete, (4) self-healing ability of ECC requiring only water and air, and (5) customization of ECC for lower stiffness in the tie (60% that of normal concrete) and higher abrasion resistance in the seat (three times that of normal concrete).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
    Inventors: Victor C. Li, Emily Herbert