Patents by Inventor Pat Bramlett

Pat Bramlett 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: 10427697
    Abstract: A rail vehicle including a wheel assembly having wheels configured to traverse rails of a railroad track, a controller having a processor in communication with the wheel assembly, and a non-transitory computer readable medium, disposed on the vehicle, and containing instructions, which, cause the following steps in real-time as the vehicle traverses the rails: determine a rail pressure of the wheels on the rails, determine a degree of curvature of the rails as the vehicle moves along the railroad track, determine a minimum rail pressure of the wheels on the rails based on the degree of curvature, determine if the rail pressure is equal to or greater than the minimum rail pressure and adjust the rail pressure of the wheels on the rails to be the minimum rail pressure when the rail pressure is less than the minimum rail pressure to maintain stability of the vehicle on the railroad track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: NORDCO INC.
    Inventor: Pat Bramlett
  • Publication number: 20190009805
    Abstract: A rail vehicle including a wheel assembly having wheels configured to traverse rails of a railroad track, a controller having a processor in communication with the wheel assembly, and a non-transitory computer readable medium, disposed on the vehicle, and containing instructions, which, cause the following steps in real-time as the vehicle traverses the rails: determine a rail pressure of the wheels on the rails, determine a degree of curvature of the rails as the vehicle moves along the railroad track, determine a minimum rail pressure of the wheels on the rails based on the degree of curvature, determine if the rail pressure is equal to or greater than the minimum rail pressure and adjust the rail pressure of the wheels on the rails to be the minimum rail pressure when the rail pressure is less than the minimum rail pressure to maintain stability of the vehicle on the railroad track.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 4, 2017
    Publication date: January 10, 2019
    Inventor: Pat Bramlett
  • Patent number: 9200420
    Abstract: A railcar mover is provided that is configured for use on a railroad track and has a frame, a plurality of traction wheels, and a traction enhancing system. Included in the traction enhancing system is an air nozzle associated with at least one of the traction wheels, mounted directly or indirectly relative to the frame so that an outlet of the air nozzle is directed at a corresponding rail of the railroad track for emitting high pressure air for removing at least one of unwanted debris and moisture. In addition, a scraper blade is associated with the nozzle and mounted relative to the nozzle so that the scraper blade contacts debris on the track before the high pressure air, in a direction of travel of the mover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Nordco Inc.
    Inventor: Pat Bramlett
  • Publication number: 20150053109
    Abstract: A railcar mover is provided that is configured for use on a railroad track and has a frame, a plurality of traction wheels, and a traction enhancing system. Included in the traction enhancing system is an air nozzle associated with at least one of the traction wheels, mounted directly or indirectly relative to the frame so that an outlet of the air nozzle is directed at a corresponding rail of the railroad track for emitting high pressure air for removing at least one of unwanted debris and moisture. In addition, a scraper blade is associated with the nozzle and mounted relative to the nozzle so that the scraper blade contacts debris on the track before the high pressure air, in a direction of travel of the mover.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2013
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Applicant: NORDCO INC.
    Inventor: Pat Bramlett