Abstract: A process for producing a coupler and an improved coupler are provided. The process produces a coupler by constructing a mold that is a replica of the coupler and is constructed from a plurality of mold components that are selected and assembled to form a mold having the shape of the coupler. The mold components may include a front mold component section that forms the head of the coupler, a rear mold component section that forms the shank of the coupler, and, optionally one or more shelf components forming a shelf of the coupler. The front, rear and shank mold components may themselves be made from a plurality of mold components that are assembled together. The mold is formed from a consumable material, coating with a heat resistant material so that the assembled mold components are within a mold volume, and molten metal is added to the mold volume.

Abstract: A knuckle thrower for a railway coupler assembly, the thrower having a knuckle actuating leg, a leg lock seat, an upper pivot structure, a lower trunnion, and stress relief feature for relieving stresses imparted on the thrower, which, according to some embodiments may include a recess provided in the perimeter wall thereof, and one or more supporting ribs.

Abstract: A railcar coupler having a head portion extending from a shank portion, the coupler head portion is configured to couple to a first coupler knuckle for coupling the railcar coupler to a second railcar coupler of an adjacent railcar. The coupler has weight reduction features that also are configured to provide strength to the coupler when handling forceloads. The coupler may have a head with a front face with bores provided in the front face a cavity extending through the coupler, a guard arm with cavities formed therein, and a shank having a plurality of longitudinal cavities and adjacent ribs separating the cavities. Preferred embodiments may be constructed from an austempered metal.

Abstract: Lightweight yokes are provided. According to some embodiments, the basic overall appearance of the yoke may be maintained, but the actual material of which it is constructed is changed. According to other embodiments, the yoke is provided with an improved lightweight construction, and, yet other embodiments the yoke may be provided with an improved construction and formed from a preferred material. Yokes may be constructed from cast austempered ductile iron; whereas cast iron has a density, 0.26 lbs/in?3, which is approximately 8% less than steel, 0.283 lbs/in?3, thereby allowing for a reduction in weight over steel. A suitable austempering process is used to produce the austempered metal yoke. Yokes have improved configurations which may require less metal to produce the yoke. Both, the lightweight material and improvements in configuration of the yoke structure may combine to provide a lighter weight yoke.

Abstract: E-type and F-type yokes improve the ability of the yokes to be constructed having lighter weight yet function to handle loads from car coupling assembly components, such as, for example, a coupler mounted on the yoke. The E-type and F-type yokes have straps and openings provided in the straps, and are constructed from austempered ductile iron. Embodiments may be constructed with a tail or butt portion that includes sloped walls that form cavities in the butt portion of the yoke, where a supporting structure spans between the yoke rear wall and the draft gear seat wall.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide for an overall object mode that allows for a single message object to represent multiple messaging formats. A general message object is populated with fields for multiple available messaging formats, which can be appropriately filled with information with fields for both versions 1.1 and 1.2. Depending on which version is being used or desired, the appropriate fields can be populated when creating an instance of the message object. The other fields that do not correspond to that version, however, are left blank.

Abstract: Embodiments herein prevent or mitigate attacks on inverse query engines by providing safe mode routines that allow for the acceptance of third party messages and/or query expressions, as well as prevent trusted sources from accidental attacks. The mitigations fall into two categories: compile-time and runtime. Compile-time mitigations prevent query expressions from being accepted and compiled that are susceptible to known attacks. For example, the complexity of query expressions may be limited to functions with linear runtimes; constant memory usage; or ones that do not create large strings. Further, language constructs for the criteria in the query expression may not allow for nested predicates complexities. Runtime mitigations, on the other hand, monitor the data size and processing lengths of messages against the various query expressions. If these runtime quotas are exceeded, an exception or other violation indication may be thrown (e.g., abort), deeming the evaluation as under attack.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide a user with the ability to vary the encoding of a message object rather than being bound to a specific one, e.g., the text encoding for SOAP messaging. Accordingly, a message encoding factory is provided that is responsible for mapping a message object (e.g., SOAP Infoset) into raw octets suitable for wire transmission. By encapsulating the notion of a message encoder factory abstractly, embodiments allow users to vary the encoding of an Infoset without varying the programming model (or any other aspect of the system that uses message). In other words, embodiments herein separate the transport (e.g., TCP, HTTP, etc.) from the encoding, which allows users to use any number of encoding mechanisms—even their own proprietary ones.

Abstract: A header-to-bit conversion table is provided that includes a list of address headers for registered endpoints. Assigned to each address header within the list is a bit placement within a string of bits. As messages are received, select headers within a message are compared with the address headers within the list. Each intersection or match for headers sets a bit true within a bit array for the message corresponding to the bit assignment for the header within the header-to-bit conversion table. Such array may then be compared with bit masks for each endpoint, wherein those bits set true within the bit masks represent those headers needed to satisfy the criteria for a particular endpoint. If a match is found, the message (or portion(s) thereof) may be sent to the particular endpoint for processing.

Abstract: Example embodiments provide a high performance navigator configured to lightly touch on the elements or input of a message, without necessarily having to build an entire tree structure for each input within the message. In addition, as portions of the inputs are identified as requiring further details, only those stub nodes representing that particular input will be created; thus avoiding the setup cost associated with loading an entire tree. Other example embodiments also provide for other optimizations such as reducing the class types of node allocations needed for navigating a particular message. For instance, a single class is defined that holds enough fields to store all of the information needed for numerous input nodes. Further, these common node structures can simultaneously generate as an array that further allows for more efficient navigation of the inputs.

Abstract: Embodiments provide for select indexing, which uses an array to simultaneously construct output sets for instructions that operate on input nodesets with common axes. During evaluation of a message against an instruction tree, when a branching node with a large “splay” is iterated over, rather than iterating over an input nodeset with a common axis once per branch, the select indexing described herein iterates over the nodeset once in total. More specifically, the select index data structure includes an array of empty node sets for instructions that both, branch from a branching node, and evaluate input nodes that share a common axis. Identifiers for the input nodeset are compared to indices within the select index, and matches for the input nodes are added to the corresponding nodeset for the appropriate instruction. The results of the evaluation may then be passed to the branches of the select instructions for further processing.

Abstract: A method for processing XML documents in a computer-based system includes associating each of a plurality of information items with a corresponding one of a plurality of binary-data units and providing a XML document associated with a XML information set comprising one or more of the plurality of information items. The method includes serializing the XML document into a binary XML format, or de-serializing the XML document from the binary XML format. Serializing includes translating the one or more information items of the XML information set into their corresponding one or more binary-data units. De-serializing includes translating one or more binary-data units of the binary XML format into their corresponding one or more information items. A computer readable medium is encoded with a program for execution on at least one processor. The program, when executed on the at least one processor, can perform the method for processing XML documents.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide for an overall object mode that allows for a single message object to represent multiple messaging formats. A general message object is populated with fields for multiple available messaging formats, which can be appropriately filled with information with fields for both versions 1.1 and 1.2. Depending on which version is being used or desired, the appropriate fields can be populated when creating an instance of the message object. The other fields that do not correspond to that version, however, are left blank.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide a user with the ability to vary the encoding of a message object rather than being bound to a specific one, e.g., the text encoding for SOAP messaging. Accordingly, a message encoding factory is provided that is responsible for mapping a message object (e.g., SOAP Infoset) into raw octets suitable for wire transmission. By encapsulating the notion of a message encoder factory abstractly, embodiments allow users to vary the encoding of an Infoset without varying the programming model (or any other aspect of the system that uses message). In other words, embodiments herein separate the transport (e.g., TCP, HTTP, etc.) from the encoding, which allows users to use any number of encoding mechanisms-even their own proprietary ones.

Abstract: Example embodiments provide a high performance navigator configured to lightly touch on the elements or input of a message, without necessarily having to build an entire tree structure for each input within the message. In addition, as portions of the inputs are identified as requiring further details, only those stub nodes representing that particular input will be created; thus avoiding the setup cost associated with loading an entire tree. Other example embodiments also provide for other optimizations such as reducing the class types of node allocations needed for navigating a particular message. For instance, a single class is defined that holds enough fields to store all of the information needed for numerous input nodes. Further, these common node structures can simultaneously generate as an array that further allows for more efficient navigation of the inputs.

Abstract: In an inverse query environment, exemplary embodiments describe a set of shortcut keys that can be used to augment common query functions making it easier for developers to write query expressions. Further, these shortcut keys can be used to more efficiently execute equivalent functionality of the common query expressions, without evaluating large query strings against the message. In addition, embodiments described herein allow for automatic versioning of query functions, allowing for more maintainability of query expression sets. For example, a custom query library is provided with information about standard query functions based on industry wisdom of those functions most commonly referenced and/or versioned. Developers can use abbreviated query function shortcut keys in executing equivalent functionality of the lengthier string values for common query functions.

Abstract: Provided herein are optimizations for an instruction tree of an inverse query engine. Secondary sub-expression elimination trees are provided, which are data structures configured to include nodes that allow for temporary variables that hold processing context or state for idempotent fragments of query expression(s). As such, when sub-paths for a query expression are processed against a message, the processing context may be stored within nodes of one or more sub-expression elimination trees. The next time this same fragment is processed, regardless of where it appears within the instruction tree, the data structure is accessed to identify and retrieve the state information such that the idempotent fragment is only calculated or evaluated once.

Abstract: A header-to-bit conversion table is provided that includes a list of address headers for registered endpoints. Assigned to each address header within the list is a bit placement within a string of bits. As messages are received, select headers within a message are compared with the address headers within the list. Each intersection or match for headers sets a bit true within a bit array for the message corresponding to the bit assignment for the header within the header-to-bit conversion table. Such array may then be compared with bit masks for each endpoint, wherein those bits set true within the bit masks represent those headers needed to satisfy the criteria for a particular endpoint. If a match is found, the message (or portion(s) thereof) may be sent to the particular endpoint for processing.

Abstract: Embodiments provide for select indexing, which uses an array to simultaneously construct output sets for instructions that operate on input nodesets with common axes. During evaluation of a message against an instruction tree, when a branching node with a large “splay” is iterated over, rather than iterating over an input nodeset with a common axis once per branch, the select indexing described herein iterates over the nodeset once in total. More specifically, the select index data structure includes an array of empty node sets for instructions that both, branch from a branching node, and evaluate input nodes that share a common axis. Identifiers for the input nodeset are compared to indices within the select index, and matches for the input nodes are added to the corresponding nodeset for the appropriate instruction. The results of the evaluation may then be passed to the branches of the select instructions for further processing.

Abstract: Embodiments herein prevent or mitigate attacks on inverse query engines by providing safe mode routines that allow for the acceptance of third party messages and/or query expressions, as well as prevent trusted sources from accidental attacks. The mitigations fall into two categories: compile-time and runtime. Compile-time mitigations prevent query expressions from being accepted and compiled that are susceptible to known attacks. For example, the complexity of query expressions may be limited to functions with linear runtimes; constant memory usage; or ones that do not create large strings. Further, language constructs for the criteria in the query expression may not allow for nested predicates complexities. Runtime mitigations, on the other hand, monitor the data size and processing lengths of messages against the various query expressions. If these runtime quotas are exceeded, an exception or other violation indication may be thrown (e.g., abort), deeming the evaluation as under attack.