Railway car retarder system
US5676337A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 6, 1995 |
| Grant date | Oct 14, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 6, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB61L17/02
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A railway car retarder mechanism that employs linear electromagnetic induction to precisely accelerate or decelerate a railcar. The retarder mechanism includes a plurality of linear induction stators having a spaced plurality of primary inductors, a controllable power source electrically connected with selected ones of the primary inductors, a controller for controlling the electric current transmitted to the respective primary inductors by the controllable power source, and a sensor for sensing selected railcar parameters and transmitting those parameters to the controller, so that the speed-corrective forces applied by the retarder are proportional to these parameters. The controller regulates the magnetomotive force which is imparted upon a selected one of a plurality of railcar wheel sets, and is connected with each controllable power source. In some embodiments, the sensor include at least a portion of fiber-optic cable, which cable can be disposed proximate to a predetermined length of track rail.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.