Patents by Inventor Mark E. Kane

Mark E. Kane 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: 6588966
    Abstract: A mount base has two movable arms with jaws mounted thereon for engaging the coupler head surface adjacent and interior of the relief or core holes formed in the head. The arms are operated upwardly and downwardly via a pair of scissor links that are opened and closed by way of a threaded rod mounted between the mount base and a link carrier that moves forwardly to open the jaws for engaging the holes and rearwardly to close the jaws for disengaging from the coupler head. The device is designed to engage either of two pairs of the vertically disposed spaced holes. The mount base is adapted to carry signaling and monitoring equipment that is required on the last car of a railroad train.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2003
    Assignee: Quantum Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark E. Kane, James F. Shockley, James F. Brady
  • Publication number: 20020162928
    Abstract: A mount base has two movable arms with jaws mounted thereon for engaging the coupler head surface adjacent and interior of the relief or core holes formed in the head. The arms are operated upwardly and downwardly via a pair of scissor links that are opened and closed by way of a threaded rod mounted between the mount base and a link carrier that moves forwardly to open the jaws for engaging the holes and rearwardly to close the jaws for disengaging from the coupler head. The device is designed to engage either of two pairs of the vertically disposed spaced holes. The mount base is adapted to carry signaling and monitoring equipment that is required on the last car of a railroad train.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2002
    Publication date: November 7, 2002
    Inventors: Mark E. Kane, James F. Shockley, James F. Brady
  • Patent number: 6112142
    Abstract: A signal comparator receives switch-created signals from two stations manned by an engineer and a trainman in a locomotive and compares the signals for a match. The signals are an implementation and acknowledgement of wayside signals. One station is used to acknowledge a signal and unless a match is determined by the other operator entering the same acknowledgement within a preset time interval the system will automatically stop the train. Alarm functions and speed monitoring functions based on matched station signals are also provided. The system is automatically activated anytime a switch is operated or the speed of the train exceeds 15 mph. Signal matching is also required at period time intervals. If such acknowledgement is not forthcoming, the system assumes crew incapacitation and will automatically stop the train.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2000
    Assignee: Quantum Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: James F. Shockley, Mark E. Kane
  • Patent number: 5173681
    Abstract: A visual warning system for a locomotive includes a light signal unit mounted on the body of a locomotive which is connected to a control module which provides for both manual and automatic energization of the lights. In the automatic mode, the lights are enabled at or above a predetermined speed and disabled when the locomotive is below the given speed. The light energization works in conjunction with other warning systems, particularly a locomotive horn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1992
    Assignee: Quantum Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: James F. Schockley, Mark E. Kane
  • Patent number: 4885689
    Abstract: A telemetry receiver which is capable of automatically recognizing certain incompatible code formats and correctly decoding received data from a remotely located telemetry transmitter is disclosed. The specific embodiment is an end of train receiver mounted in the cab of a locomotive which receives encoded transmissions, including encoded brake pipe pressure data, a transmitter mounted on the last car of a train. The receiver permits telemetry equipment to be "mixed-and-matched"; that is, the receiver in the locomotive will respond to the transmissions of a telemetry transmitter attached to the last car of the train no matter what the vendor source. The telemetry receiver is provided with a microprocessor which analyzes the received transmission. The microprocessor is programmed to recognize certain known transmission protocols and formats and then invoke the correct routine for decoding the received data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1987
    Date of Patent: December 5, 1989
    Assignee: Pulse Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark E. Kane, James F. Shockley, Henry H. Eck