Patents by Inventor Bernhard Lichtberger

Bernhard Lichtberger has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9957668
    Abstract: A tamping assembly for a track tamping machine has a pair of tamping tools arranged on a carrier (2) so it is vertically adjustable in a tamping assembly frame and is designed as a rocker arm, the lower tamping pick ends (5) of which, which plunge into a ballast bed (4), are drivable in opposite directions using an oscillation drive (6) and can be fed hydraulically toward one another. To increase the stability of the tamping assembly, a hydraulic cylinder (11) and a distance sensor (12) for determining the hydraulic cylinder position are associated with each of the tamping tools (3) of a tamping tool pair, wherein the hydraulic cylinders (11) form the feed drive and also the oscillation drive (6) of the tamping tools (3) and the hydraulic cylinders (11) are activated in dependence on the distance sensor signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: System 7-Railsupport GmbH
    Inventor: Bernhard Lichtberger
  • Publication number: 20170328013
    Abstract: A method and device for compacting the ballast bed of a track, especially in the region of a switch, comprising a switch tamping machine (1), which is fitted with a tamping unit (4), a lifting and lining device (2) comprising at least one pair of roller pincers (6) and at least one lifting hook (7) for lining the track position, and which is guided in a longitudinally displaceable manner on the machine frame (2) in the longitudinal direction of the machine. In order to provide advantageous lining conditions, it is proposed that a switch component measuring system (3), which is provided upstream of the lifting and lining device (2) in the working direction (C), is provided for the position-dependent measurement of the position of the switch components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2015
    Publication date: November 16, 2017
    Inventor: Bernhard Lichtberger
  • Publication number: 20170306568
    Abstract: A method for measuring and displaying the track geometry of a track system uses a track-driveable permanent-way machine, comprising a control measurement system measuring the track position to be corrected before a lifting and lining device, an acceptance measurement system measuring the corrected track position after it, and output units displaying the measured values. The lifting and lining device is controlled depending on the measured values of the control measurement system and the acceptance measurement system to achieve a specified target track geometry. A three-dimensional position image is calculated from the curvature image (k(s)), longitudinal level image (h(s)) and superelevation image (u(s)) of the target track geometry, put into a perspective display, and displayed by the output unit, supplemented by measured error curves for track parameters of track direction, superelevation, twist, and longitudinal level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2015
    Publication date: October 26, 2017
    Inventor: Bernhard Lichtberger
  • Publication number: 20170284033
    Abstract: A tamping assembly for a track tamping machine comprises a carrier guided in a height-adjustable manner with respect to a tamping assembly frame along guides, on which carrier pairs of tamping tools formed as oscillating levers are pivotably mounted, the tamping tools of which can be oppositely driven by an oscillation drive and can be hydraulically adjusted relative to one another, said tamping tools being intended for introduction into a ballast bed. To reduce the number of required drives, several of the tamping tools are combined into tamping units with a compartment between them engaging around a rail and are mechanically connected to each other, and each oscillating lever is associated with a tamping unit and an adjusting drive, wherein the guides, especially the guide rods, act directly on the respective carrier and run in fixed guides of the tamping assembly frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2015
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Inventor: Bernhard LICHTBERGER
  • Publication number: 20170268180
    Abstract: A method for calibrating a device for measuring tracks having a track-driveable track-measuring car with a lifting and lining device and track-position measurement sensors measuring the height, direction and superelevation of the rails of the track using the machine frame as a reference zero line. A lifting and lowering device is associated with the track-measuring car. A calibration device is associated with the machine frame the track-measuring car, for calibrating the sensors, is first lowered from a parking position, in which the track-measuring car is lifted from the track, onto the track or into an intermediate position. Calibration stops are moved by an actuator from an idle position into a calibration position, against which the track-measuring car is subsequently raised and applied. The values of the track-position measurement sensors are read out and stored in the measurement system as calibration values, and the track-measuring car is lowered onto the track.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2015
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventor: Bernhard Lichtberger
  • Patent number: 9631325
    Abstract: A track adjustment system for operating a permanent-way machine (17) which is displaceable on a track system (1) comprises computer-controlled lifting and lining devices adjusting the track position, a control measuring system measuring the track position in the region of the lifting and lining devices (14), an acceptance measuring system measuring the corrected track position, and a tamping unit (24) tamping a ballasted track of the track system (1). For the purpose of achieving an improved track lining result, the amount of the elastic springback (?cw) of the track panel, which is the result of a lining force (F) acting on the track, is calculated and said elastic springback (?cw) is considered in the target value lining specification in such a way that the track is displaced with the lifting and lining devices by the amount of the elastic springback (?cw) beyond the target position (0).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: System 7—Railsupport GmbH
    Inventor: Bernhard Lichtberger
  • Patent number: 9518845
    Abstract: A device is proposed for measuring tracks, in particular for track laying machines, having two outer, one front and one rear, track-traveling measurement carriages (15, 21) and a middle track-traveling measurement carriage (22) arranged in between. To enable advantageous measurements, it is proposed that at least one position encoder (14, 20) pointing toward the middle measurement carriage (22) is associated with each of the outer measurement carriages (15,21), and at least two optical sensors (16, 17), in particular cameras, are arranged on the middle measurement carriage (22) on an optical axis (34) such that at least one optical sensor is oriented toward the rear measurement carriage (15) and at least one other optical sensor is oriented toward the front measurement carriage (21).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: System 7-Railsupport GmbH
    Inventor: Bernhard Lichtberger
  • Patent number: 9469482
    Abstract: An apparatus for conveying material for railway construction comprises a material loading device that is movable on a chassis, in particular a crawler chassis (2) having at least one receiving conveyor belt (17) each for receiving material and having a transfer conveyer belt (9, 12) for transferring material. The transfer conveyer belt (9, 12) is rotatable about a chassis vertical axis using a rotary drive and can be adjusted in height along the chassis vertical axis by using a lifting drive (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: System 7—Railsupport GmbH
    Inventor: Bernhard Lichtberger
  • Publication number: 20160114982
    Abstract: An apparatus for conveying material for railway construction comprising a material loading device which is movable on a chassis, in particular a crawler chassis (2) having at least one receiving conveyor belt (17) each for receiving material and having a transfer conveyor belt (9, 12) for transferring material is described. In order to create advantageous transfer conditions, it is proposed that the transfer conveyor belt (9, 12) is rotatable about a chassis vertical axis by means of a rotary drive and can be adjusted in height along the chassis vertical axis by means of a lifting drive (4).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2015
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Inventor: Bernhard Lichtberger
  • Publication number: 20160052528
    Abstract: A device, proposed for conveying material during track laying, includes material-conveying silo units which can be moved on a track and receive material between side walls which define the silo chamber on a bottom conveyor belt for conveying the material along the bottom. A material-conveying silo includes a plurality of material silo units which are coupled to one another and, in the region of their end faces which face one another, include devices for transferring the material from one material-conveying silo unit to the next material-conveying silo unit. In order to increase the useful volume of the material-conveying silo, the material-conveying silo is of articulated configuration, where the frames of two material-conveying silo units which adjoin one another are supported in an articulated manner on a common running gear, and the silo chamber is of continuous configuration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2014
    Publication date: February 25, 2016
    Inventor: Bernhard Lichtberger
  • Publication number: 20160010287
    Abstract: A tamping assembly for a track tamping machine has a pair of tamping tools arranged on a carrier (2) so it is vertically adjustable in a tamping assembly frame and is designed as a rocker arm, the lower tamping pick ends (5) of which, which plunge into a ballast bed (4), are drivable in opposite directions using an oscillation drive (6) and can be fed hydraulically toward one another. To increase the stability of the tamping assembly, a hydraulic cylinder (11) and a distance sensor (12) for determining the hydraulic cylinder position are associated with each of the tamping tools (3) of a tamping tool pair, wherein the hydraulic cylinders (11) form the feed drive and also the oscillation drive (6) of the tamping tools (3) and the hydraulic cylinders (11) are activated in dependence on the distance sensor signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2014
    Publication date: January 14, 2016
    Applicant: SYSTEM7-RAILSUPPORT GMBH
    Inventor: Bernhard Lichtberger
  • Publication number: 20150377653
    Abstract: A device is proposed for measuring tracks, in particular for track laying machines, having two outer, one front and one rear, track-traveling measurement carriages (15, 21) and a middle track-traveling measurement carriage (22) arranged in between. To enable advantageous measurements, it is proposed that at least one position encoder (14, 20) pointing toward the middle measurement carriage (22) is associated with each of the outer measurement carriages (15, 21), and at least two optical sensors (16, 17), in particular cameras, are arranged on the middle measurement carriage (22) on an optical axis (34) such that at least one optical sensor is oriented toward the rear measurement carriage (15) and at least one other optical sensor is oriented toward the front measurement carriage (21).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2015
    Publication date: December 31, 2015
    Inventor: Bernhard Lichtberger
  • Publication number: 20150368865
    Abstract: A track adjustment system for operating a permanent-way machine (17) which is displaceable on a track system (1) comprises computer-controlled lifting and lining devices adjusting the track position, a control measuring system measuring the track position in the region of the lifting and lining devices (14), an acceptance measuring system measuring the corrected track position, and a tamping unit (24) tamping a ballasted track of the track system (1). For the purpose of achieving an improved track lining result, the amount of the elastic springback (?cw) of the track panel, which is the result of a lining force (F) acting on the track, is calculated and said elastic springback (?cw) is considered in the target value lining specification in such a way that the track is displaced with the lifting and lining devices by the amount of the elastic springback (?cw) beyond the target position (0).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2015
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Inventor: Bernhard Lichtberger
  • Publication number: 20150211192
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided for compacting the ballast bed of a track, comprising a machine frame which is movable on the track with a stabiliser unit which runs on rollers on the track and is equipped with a vibration drive for producing a vibration in a plane parallel to the track. The stabiliser unit is preferably equipped with tension rollers engaging around the rail head. The stabiliser unit is linked in a height-adjustable manner to the machine frame with an adjusting drive and can be moved against the track under load. In order to provide advantageous constructional conditions it is provided that the vibration drive comprises at least one cylinder vibrator which is formed by a hydraulic cylinder and is triggered via a proportional or servo valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2015
    Publication date: July 30, 2015
    Inventors: Bernhard Lichtberger, Hans Joerg Hofer
  • Patent number: 8979083
    Abstract: A welding unit for welding two rails of a track is equipped with clamping jaws intended for lying against a rail web. The clamping jaws each have a sliding surface, which is at a distance from a contact surface in the transverse direction of the rail and is arcuately curved with respect to a cross section extending such that it is normal to a neutral axis of the rails. The jaw mount, intended for fixing the clamping jaw, has a sliding surface, which is curved in a way corresponding to the sliding surface of the clamping jaw, and so the clamping jaw is movable along the sliding surfaces in relation to the jaw mount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Franz Plasser Bahnbaumaschinen-Industriegesellschaft mbH
    Inventors: Josef Theurer, Bernhard Lichtberger, Heinz Mühlleitner
  • Publication number: 20150053502
    Abstract: The invention relates to a noise reduction device (1) for arrangement on a traffic route, comprising at least one wall element (8) having a wall element longitudinal extension (28a), the wall element (8) being disposed on at least one base element (7) having a base element longitudinal extension (12) in the direction of the wall element longitudinal extension (28a), and the base element (7) has a first front face (14) and a second front face (15), and the two front faces (14, 15) extend opposite one another along the base element longitudinal extension (12). The first front face (14) of the base element (7) is provided with a curvature (16) and the second front face (15) of the base element (7) is provided with a second curvature (17) and the two curvatures (16, 17) extend in the direction perpendicular to the base element longitudinal extension (12).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2012
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Applicant: ART ASAMER RUBBER TECHNOLOGY GMBH
    Inventors: Thomas Danner, Bernhard Lichtberger, Erich Mayrhofer
  • Publication number: 20140353393
    Abstract: The invention relates to a noise reduction device (1) for installation on a traffic route, comprising at least one base element (7) and at least one wall element (8), the base element (7) having a top face (9) and a bottom face (15), and the wall element (8) is disposed on the top face (9) of the base element (7). The bottom face (15) of the base element (7) is inclined at an angle (16) relative to the horizontal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2012
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Applicant: ART ASAMER RUBBER TECHNOLOGY GMBH
    Inventors: Thomas Danner, Bernhard Lichtberger, Erich Mayrhofer
  • Patent number: 8735761
    Abstract: A welding unit for welding rails of a track includes two unit bodies that can be moved in relation to each other by displacement cylinders along unit guides running parallel to the rails. The displacement cylinders are connected both to pull rods and to a crossbeam. Thus a simple design having high tensile forces is possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Franz Plasser Bahnbaumaschinen- Industriegesellschaft mbH
    Inventors: Josef Theurer, Bernhard Lichtberger, Heinz Mühlleitner
  • Patent number: 8186070
    Abstract: For the controlled lowering of a track, a longitudinal inclination of the track is determined at a rear tracing point of a measuring system and stored. For a length reaching back at least 10 meters, a current vertical profile is formed, and a rear compensation straight line is calculated which is superimposed upon the vertical profile and renders a target track position. The rear tracing point is guided by calculation along the rear compensation straight line, so that a compensation value for the position of the measuring chord ensues at a middle tracing point positioned between the rear tracing point and a front tracing point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Franz Plasser Bahnbaumaschinen-Industriegesellschaft M.B.H.
    Inventors: Josef Theurer, Bernhard Lichtberger
  • Publication number: 20120025436
    Abstract: A welding unit for welding two rails of a track is equipped with clamping jaws intended for lying against a rail web. The clamping jaws each have a sliding surface, which is at a distance from a contact surface in the transverse direction of the rail and is arcuately curved with respect to a cross section extending such that it is normal to a neutral axis of the rails. The jaw mount, intended for fixing the clamping jaw, has a sliding surface, which is curved in a way corresponding to the sliding surface of the clamping jaw, and so the clamping jaw is movable along the sliding surfaces in relation to the jaw mount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2009
    Publication date: February 2, 2012
    Inventors: Josef Theurer, Bernhard Lichtberger, Heinz Mühlleitner