GATE MONITORING SYSTEM

• US 20140034785A1
• Filed: 10/03/2013
• Published: 02/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Railway Equipment Company Inc.
• Original Assignee: Railway Equipment Company Inc.
• Inventors: Honeck, Randall G., Gabel, Craig P., Phelps, Greggory C., Fox, David K.
• Granted Patent: US 9,205,852 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 246/125
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 29/08 Operation of gates; Combined operation of gates and signals
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 29/30 Supervision, e.g. monitoring arrangements

Abstract

A monitoring system and method is provided for monitoring the lighting and the gate arm position at a railroad crossing.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring a crossing arm comprising:

connecting a position sensor to a distal end of the crossing arm;

powering the position sensor with one or more wires that power LED lights on the crossing arm; and

configuring the position sensor to send current pulses through the wires that correspond to the position of the crossing arm.

2. The method of claim 5, wherein the position sensor is configured to send pulses at a first frequency when the arm is in the raised position, and send pulses at a second frequency when the arm is in the lowered position.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the position sensor is configured to not send pulses when the crossing arm is between the raised and lowered positions.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the lowered position corresponds to a first range in the angle of the crossing arm relative to the horizontal, and the raised position corresponds to a second range in the angle of the crossing arm relative to the horizontal.