In-motion car weighing system

• US 4,134,464 A
• Filed: 06/22/1977
• Issued: 01/16/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mangood Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mangood Corporation
• Inventors: Johnson, Bernard A., Parkinson, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hartary, Joseph W.
• Application Number:
  US05/809,028
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: 177/163, 177/DIG. 8, 177/25, 177/1, 177/3, 177/134, 364/567, 364/436, 246/247, 246/122 R, 246/77
• US Class Current: 177/3
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/047 using electrical weight-sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 177/08 RR motion

Abstract

A system for bidirectional in-motion weighing of freight cars of a train includes a weighbridge, first and second sets of load cells, three wheel sensing devices, a control device, a device initiated by the control device for weighing operations, and a printer for the total car weight. The sets of load cells are mounted to receive the load from opposite ends of the weighbridge. Each set has a rapid change of output voltage when an axle enters or leaves the associated weighbridge end. The weighbridge is located between two spaced, aligned tracks and has a third track. The three tracks provide a path of train travel. Each wheel sensing device has a component to provide a signal when a wheel passes. Two components are mounted beside the first two tracks a predetermined distance from opposite ends of the third track. The third component is located beside one of the three tracks a predetermined distance from one end of the third track. The control device counts axles passing the first or second component, counts axles entering the nearer end of the weighbridge, and determines the number of axles of a car from the first coincident count of axles. The component of the third wheel sensing device senses an axle while passing through a zone and determines a normal print out of freight car weight if there is a coincident presence of an axle within that zone and an axle at the associated end of the weighbridge for all adjacent axles of each truck.

Claims

1. A system for in-motion weighing of freight cars that comprises:

spaced first and second tracks having aligned pairs of rails;

a weighbridge, that is mounted between said first and second tracks and that has a third track, as the platform of said weighbridge, with gaps between the ends of its pair of rails and the rails of said first and second tracks, said first, second and third tracks providing a path of travel for the cars;

first and second sets of load cells, said sets being mounted under said platform on opposite sides of the central transverse plane of said weighbridge and the load cells of each set of load cells being connected to provide an output voltage corresponding to the weight of the load applied to that set of load cells and located to provide a rapid rise of output voltage from said first set of load cells when an axle passes onto the adjacent end of said weighbridge;

wheel sensing means having a component mounted beside one of said rails of said first track and spaced from said first end of said third track of said weighbridge a distance greater than the distance between adjacent axles of a truck of a freight car and a distance less than the distance between the inner axles of trucks of a freight car, said component being constructed to provide a signal at an output in response to a wheel of an axle passing the location of said component;

control means that is connected to said first and second sets of load cells and to said wheel sensing means and that is constructed;

to count the signals from said wheel sensing means as a count of the number of axles of a freight car passing the location of said component of said wheel sensing means;

to count the number of rapid rises of output voltage from said first set of load cells as a count of axles of a freight car passing onto said adjacent end of said weighbridge;

to determine a count representing the total number of axles of the freight car, when the counts of signals from said wheel sensing means and the counts of rapid rises of output voltage from said first set of load cells are in first coincidence;

to determine when the count of the number of rapid rises of output voltage from said first set of load cells is the count representing total number of axles of the freight car;

to restart the count of signals from said wheel sensing means whenever the count of signals from said wheel sensing means is twice its count at the time of the coincidence; and

to restart the count of rapid rises of output voltage from said first set of load cells when its count is twice the count at the time of the coincidence;

means operative in response to said control means;

for axle weighing, after said control means has counted each rapid rise of output voltage from the first set of load cells, to convert the output voltages, from said first and second sets of load cells, for a first predetermined period of time to digital information corresponding to the weight of an axle on the weighbridge and to total the weights of axles, including the weight of the axle that provides the last rapid rise of output voltage from said first set of load cells by which said control means determines that the count of rapid rises is the count representing the total number of axles of the freight car;

or

for truck weighing, after said control means has determined that the count of signals from said wheel sensing means and the count of rapid rises of output voltage from said first set of load cells are in said coincidence, to convert the output voltages from said first and second sets of load cells for a second predetermined period of time to digital information corresponding to the weight of a truck of the freight car on the weighbridge, to repeat the conversion for said second predetermined period of time, after said control means has determined that the count of rapid rises of output voltage is the count representing the total number of axles of the freight car, to digital information that corresponds to the weight of the other truck of the freight car on the weighbridge, and then to total the weights of the two trucks of the freight car;

or

for entire car weighing, after said control means has determined that the count of rises of output voltage from said first set of load cells is the count representing the total number of axles of the freight car, to convert the output voltages from said first and second sets of load cells for a third predetermined period of time to digital information corresponding to the total weight of said freight car; and

print means to print out the total weight of the freight car in response to said control means that provides a signal after the total weight of the freight car has been obtained.

2. The system of claim 1, for use in coupled in-motion weighing of freight cars, to operate even though there has been no coincident count, even though all axles of the first truck of a freight car have passed onto the weighbridge, due to failure of operation of said wheel sensing means, and to return the system to synchronization for the weighing of the next car, said system having said control means further constructed:

to change the count of signals from said wheel sensing means to the count of rapid rises of output voltage from said first set of load cells, when the last axle of the first truck of the freight car has passed off the weighbridge as determined, after an incrementing of a count from an initial value each time there is a rise of output voltage of said first set of load cells and after decrementing a count each time there is a rapid decrease of output voltage from said second set of load cells until that count returns to the initial value;

to determine based on the count of rapid rises of output voltage from said first set of load cells, after said return of said count to its initial value, the count representing the total number of axles of the freight car;

to restart the count of signals from said wheel sensing means after this count equals the count representing the total number of axles of the freight car; and

to restart the count of rapid rises of output voltage from said first set of load cells when this count equals the count representing the total number of axles of the freight car.

3. The system of claim 1 for use in the weighing of railroad vehicles of a train having freight cars and a locomotive, wherein:

said component of said wheel sensing means is spaced from said third track a distance greater than the distance between any adjacent axles of a truck of a locomotive of any train that is to have vehicles of that train weighed by the system.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said system further includes:

another wheel sensing means having a component that provides a signal during the entire time that a wheel of the moving vehicle is passing through a zone at which said component of said another wheel sensing means is located, said component of said another wheel sensing means being located beside one of said first, second or third tracks with the zone spaced from one end of said weighbridge so that, when an axle of a truck of any freight car is at that end of said weighbridge, an adjacent axle of that truck is within said zone, and

wherein said control means is connected to said another wheel sensing means and is further constructed;

to determine for all adjacent axles of a truck of a vehicle whether where is a coincidence of a signal from said another wheel sensing means and a rapid change of output voltage from that set of load cells below that end of the weighbridge that is spaced said distance from said zone; and

to provide said signal, after the total weight of the vehicle has been obtained, for a normal printout of the weight of the vehicle only if said control means has determined that there is said coincidence for all sets of adjacent axles of each truck of the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 4 to operate even if there has been no coincident count, even though all axles of the first truck of a vehicle have passed onto the weighbridge, due to a failure of operation of said first wheel sensing means, and to return the system to synchronization for the weighing of the next vehicle, said system having said control means further constructed:

to change the count of signals from said wheel sensing means to the count of rapid rises of output voltage from said first set of load cells, when the last axle of the first truck of the vehicle has passed off the weighbridge as determined, after an incrementing of a count from an initial value each time there is a rise of output voltage of said first set of load cells and after decrementing a count each time there is a rapid decrease of output voltage from said second set of load cells until that count returns to the initial value;

to determine based on the count of rapid rises of output voltage from said first set of load cells, after said return of said count to its initial value, the count representing the total number of axles of the vehicle;

to restart the count of signals from said wheel sensing means after this count equals the count representing the total number of axles of the vehicle; and

to restart the count of rapid rises of output voltage from said first set of load cells when this count equals the count representing the total number of axles of the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1, for bidirectional in-motion weighing of freight cars, said system further including:

second wheel sensing means having a component mounted beside one of said rails of said second track and spaced from said second end of said third track of said weighbridge a distance greater than the distance between axles of a track of a freight car and the distance less than the distance between the inner axles of the trucks of a freight car, said component being constructed to provide a signal at an output voltage in response to a wheel of an axle passing the location of said component of said second wheel sensing means, and

wherein;

said control means is further constructed;

to count the number of rapid rises of output voltage from said second set of load cells as a count of axles of a freight car passing onto said second end of said third track of said weighbridge;

to determine a count representing the total number of axles of the freight car, when the counts of signals from said second wheel sensing means and the counts of rapid rises of output voltage from said second set of load cells are in first coincidence;

to determine when the count of the number of rapid rises of output voltage from said second set of load cells is the count representing total number of axles of the freight car;

to restart the count of signals from said second wheel sensing means whenever the count of signals from said wheel sensing means is twice its count at the time of the coincidence; and

to restart the count of rapid rises of output voltage from said second set of load cells when its count is twice the count at the time of the coincidence; and

said means operative in response to said control means also;

for axle weighing, after said control means has counted each rapid rise of output voltage from the second set of load cells, to convert the output voltages, from said first and second sets of load cells, for said first predetermined period of time to digital information corresponding to the weight of an axle on the weighbridge and to total the weights of axles, including the weight of the axle that provides the last rapid rise of output voltage from said second set of load cells by which said control means determines that the count of rapid rises is the count representing the total number of axles of the freight car;

or

for truck weighing, after said control means has determined that the count of signals from said wheel sensing means and the count of rapid rises of output voltage from said second set of load cells are in said coincidence, to convert the output voltages from said first and second sets of load cells for said second predetermined period of time to digital information corresponding to the weight of a truck of the freight car on the weighbridge, to repeat the conversion for said second predetermined period of time, after said control means has determined that the count of rapid rises of output voltage is the count representing the total number of axles of the freight car, to digital information that corresponds to the weight of the other truck of the freight car on the weighbridge, and then to total the weights of the two trucks of the freight car;

or

for entire car weighing, after said control means has determined that the count of rises of output voltage from said second set of load cells is the count representing the total number of axles of the freight car, to convert the output voltages from said first and second sets of load cells for said third predetermined period of time to digital information corresponding to the total weight of said freight car.

7. The system of claim 6 for use in the weighing of railroad vehicles of a train having freight cars and a locomotive, wherein:

said component of said first wheel sensing means being spaced from said first end of said third track of said weighbridge a distance greater than the distance between any adjacent axles of a truck of a locomotive of any train that is to have vehicles of that train weighed by the system; and

said component of said second wheel sensing means being spaced from said second end of said third track of said weighbridge a distance greater than the distance between any adjacent axles of a truck of a locomotive of any train that is to have vehicles of that train weighed by the system.

8. The system of claim 7 to operate even if there has been no coincident count, even though all axles of the first truck of a vehicle have passed into the weighbridge, due to a failure of operation of said first wheel sensing means or said second wheel sensing means, dependent upon the direction of movement of the train for the weighing of its vehicles, and to return the system to synchronization for the weighing of the next vehicle of the train, said system having said control means further constructed:

to change the count of signals from said wheel sensing means to the count of rapid rises of output voltage from said first set of load cells, when the last axle of the first truck of the vehicle has passed off the weighbridge as determined, after an incrementing of a count from an initial value each time there is a rise of output voltage of said first set of load cells and after decrementing a count each time there is a rapid decrease of output voltage from said second set of load cells until that count returns to the initial value;

to determine based on the count of rapid rises of output voltage from said first set of load cells, after said return of said count to its initial value, the count representing the total number of axles of the vehicle;

to restart the count of signals from said wheel sensing means after this count equals the count representing the total number of axles of the vehicle; and

to restart the count of rapid rises of output voltage from said first set of load cells when this count equals the count representing the total number of axles of the vehicle.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein:

said control means and said means operating in response to said control means comprise;

a microprocessor including a CPU, PROMs, RAMs, a bus having a data channel with input/output data lines and an address channel with address lines, and first through fifth interfaces, said CPU being connected to the said data channel, said PROMs, RAMs and said first, third and fifth interfaces being connected to said data channel and said address channel, and said third and fourth interfaces being connected to said address channel, said wheel sensing means being connected to said first interface that passes a signal, if provided by said wheel sensing means, to said data channel when said first interface is addressed;

a high-speed multi-bit A/D converter having a number of data outputs connected to said second interface to provide digital information to said data channel when said second interface is addressed, an analog voltage input, and a trigger input that is connected to said third interface to receive a trigger signal from said address channel when said third interface is addressed; and

a multiplexer having an analog voltage output connected to said analog voltage input of said A/D converter, a first analog voltage input connected to said first set of load cells to receive an analog voltage from said first set of load cells, a second analog voltage input connected to said second set of load cells, and a set of inputs connected to said fourth interface to selectively connect said first or second sets of load cells to said A/D converter, dependent upon the digital information provided to said set of inputs of said multiplexer when said address channel provides digital information to address said fourth interface and the digital information for said set of inputs of said multiplexer,

said microprocessor being constructed to provide at least 30 cycles of operation per second and during each cycle;

to place on said address channel digital information that addresses said third interface and provides via said third interface, when addressed, a signal to said trigger input of said A/D converter, said trigger signal at its leading edge providing a resetting of said number of data outputs and at its trailing edge initiating a conversion for a period of time of the analog voltage from said first set of load cells via said multiplexer to digital information at said number of outputs of said A/D converter and thus to said second interface;

to place on said address channel, after said period of time of operation of said converter, an address to said second interface to place on said data channel the digital information from said A/D converter and to store in first and second address locations of said RAMs that digital information representing the weight on said weighbridge imparted to said first set of load cells;

to place on said address channel digital information that addresses said fourth interface and provides by said fourth interface, when addressed, digital information to said set of inputs of said multiplexer to connect said second set of load cells to said A/D converter;

to place on said address channel digital information that addresses said third interface and provides via said third interface, when addressed, a signal to said trigger input of said A/D converter, said trigger signal at its leading edge providing a resetting of said number of data outputs and at its trailing edge initiating a conversion for a period of time an analog voltage from second set of load cells via said multiplexer to digital information at said number of outputs of said A/D converter and thus to said second interface;

to place on said address channel, after said period of time of operation of said converter, an address to said second interface to place on said data channel the digital information from said A/D converter and to store in a third location of said RAMs that digital information representing the weight on said weighbridge imparted to said second set of load cells and to add to said second address location that digital information so that said second address location then contains digital information representing the weight on said weighbridge due to said first and second sets of load cells; and

to place on said address channel digital information that addresses said first interface to pass to said data channel a signal, if present from said wheel sensing means, that is used by said microprocessor to enter a count of one axle of a freight car passing the location of said component of said wheel sensing means, and said microprocessor, in accordance with the program of said PROMs, providing various logical decisions for each cycle based on said stored digital information from said first and second sets of load cells and said stored signal, if any, from said wheel sensing means and for a number of cycles during the period of time, beginning when the first axle of a freight car enters the location of said wheel sensing means and until after the last axle of the freight car has passed onto said weighbridge and that last axle, the second truck of said freight car or the entire car has been weighed so that said microprocessor performs the stated functions of said control means and the stated operation of said means operated in response to said control means and then transfers the total weight, as digital information, of the freight car to said print means.

12. The system of claim 11 for use in the weighing of railroad vehicles as a train having freight cars and a locomotive, wherein:

said component of said wheel sensing means is spaced from said third track a distance greater than the distance between any adjacent axles of a truck of a locomotive of any train that is to have vehicles of that train weighed by the system;

said system further includes another wheel sensing means having a component that provides a signal during the entire time that a wheel of the moving vehicle is passing through a zone at which said component of said another wheel sensing means is located, said component of said another wheel sensing means being located beside one of said first, second or third tracks with the zone spaced from one end of said weighbridge so that, when an axle of a truck of any freight car is at that end of said weighbridge, an adjacent axle of that truck is within said zone, and said another wheel sensing means being connected to said first interface that passes a signal, if provided by said another wheel sensing means, to a different line of said data channel than that to which said first wheel sensing means is passing, when said first interface is addressed; and

said microprocessor is further constructed;

to transfer during each cycle, at the time of operation of said A/D converter for a conversion of analog voltage from said first set of load cells the digital information in said first location of the RAMs from the previous cycle to a fourth location of the RAMs and at the operation of said A/D converter for a conversion of the output of voltage from said second set of load cells the digital information in said second and third locations of the RAMs from the previous cycle to fifth and sixth locations of the RAMs;

to compare before the completion of a cycle the newly entered digital information in said first through third locations with the digital information transferred during that cycle to said fourth through sixth locations, respectively;

to determine, during each cycle, from the comparison of the digital information between said first and fourth locations, if there has been a rapid change of output voltage of said first set of load cells that indicates wheels on an axle passed on to said first end of said third track of said weighbridge after the last cycle;

to determine, during each cycle, from a comparison of the digital information between said third and sixth locations, if there has been a rapid change of output voltage of said second set of load cells that indicates wheels on an axle has passed off the other end of said third track of said weighbridge after the last cycle;

to set a first bit in a seventh location of the RAMs when, during a cycle, from the comparison of the digital information between said first and fourth locations or said third and sixth locations, it is determined that there has been a rapid change of output voltage of that set of load cells that are located adjacent to that end of said weighbridge that is said distance from said zone of said another wheel sensing means, said bit being reset in a subsequent cycle during which there is a determination that the wheel of an axle is no longer at that location;

to transfer said signal on said line of said data channel to set a first bit of a first register of a set of three registers at an eighth location of said RAMs when an axle enters said zone and in the next cycle to set a first bit of the second register at said eighth location, if said first bit of said first register is set, and to reset said first bit of said first register, and then set said bit of said first register if, during that next cycle, said axle is still within said zone and in the following cycle to set said first bit of said second register and said first bit of said third register at said eighth location, if said first bit of said first and second registers, respectively, are set and to reset said first bit of said first register, that is then set if said axle is still within said zone, said microprocessor being programmed to set a bit in a fourth register if said first bits of said three registers at said eighth location are all set, said bit of said fourth register being reset by the next cycle so that said bit of said fourth register, while set, provides an indication that an axle is being detected in said zone;

to examine, during each cycle, said first bit at said seventh location and, if said first bit in said seventh location is set and said bit of said fourth register at said eight location is not set, to set a bit in a ninth location;

to reset said first bit of said ninth location if, in a subsequent cycle after said first bit of said ninth location is set, said first bit of said seventh location and said fourth bit of said eighth location are, when examined at the same time, both set, that is the coincident condition in which adjacent axles have their wheels at the same time at the location of said zone and a location relative to that end of the weighbridge that provides weight to that set of load cells having said rapid change of output voltage to set said fourth bit of said eighth location, said condition being present for all adjacent axles of freight cars so that a normal printout of the total weight of that vehicle is permitted;

to examine said fourth bit of said eighth location, during each cycle, if said first bit of said seventh location is not set;

to examine said first bit of said ninth location, if said fourth bit in said eighth location is not set; and

to examine then said first bit of said ninth location and if it is set to set a second bit of said ninth location that remains set until after the completion of the weighing of the vehicle, said second bit of said ninth location inhibiting a normal printout or providing a printout indicating that the vehicle is a locomotive because not all adjacent axles of both trucks provided a coincidence of a set of said fourth bit of said eighth location and said first bit of said seventh location to reset said first bit of said ninth location.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said microprocessor is constructed to provide at least about 60 cycles of operation per second.

14. The system of claim 11, for bidirectional in-motion weighing of railroad vehicles of a train, including freight cars and a locomotive wherein:

said microprocessor is constructed to provide at least about 60 cycles of operation per second; and

said component of said wheel sensing means is spaced from said third track a distance greater than the distance between any adjacent axles of a truck of a locomotive of any train that is to have vehicles of that train weighed by the system,

said system further including;

second wheel sensing means having a component mounted beside one of said rails of said second track and spaced from said second end of said third track of said weighbridge a distance equal to that of the spacing between said first wheel sensing means and said first end of said third track of said weighbridge, and

wherein;

said microprocessor is further constructed;

to transfer during each cycle, at the time of operation of said A/D converter for a conversion of analog voltage from said first set of load cells the digital information in said first location of the RAMs from the previous cycle to a fourth location of the RAMs and at the operation of said A/D converter for a conversion of the output of voltage from said second set of load cells the digital information in said second and third locations of the RAMs from the previous cycle to fifth and sixth locations of the RAMs;

to compare before the completion of a cycle the newly entered digital information in said first through third locations with the digital information transferred during that cycle to said fourth through sixth locations, respectively;

to determine, during each cycle, from the comparison of the digital information between said first and fourth locations, if there has been a rapid increase of output voltage of said first set of load cells that indicates wheels on an axle passed on to said first end of said third track of said weighbridge after the last cycle;

to inhibit the transfer of digital information from said first location to said fourth location for the next two cycles after a cycle determines that there has been a rapid increase of output voltage, in order to compare the newly entered digital information in said first location during each of these two cycles with the digital information maintained in said fourth location for a determination that rapid increase of output voltage continued and, if so, there is a more positive indication that an axle has passed on to said first end of said third track of said weighbridge;

to increment a first axle-on count register in said RAMs whenever said three cycles of comparisons of digital information in said first and fourth locations provide said positive indication that an axle is on said first end of said third track of said weighbridge, said first axle-on count register providing said count of axles entering that end of the weighbridge;

to determine, during each cycle, from a comparison of the digital information between said third and sixth locations, if there has been a rapid increase of output voltage of said second set of load cells that indicates wheels on an axle has passed on to the other end of said third track of said weighbridge after the last cycle;

to inhibit the transfer of digital information from said third location to said sixth location for the next two cycles, after a cycle determines that there has been a rapid increase of output voltage, in order to compare the newly entered digital information in said third location during each of these two cycles with the digital information maintained in said fifth location, for a determination that the rapid increase of output voltage continued and, if so, there is a more positive indication that an axle has passed on to said second end of said third track of said weighbridge; and

to increment a second axle-on count register in said RAMs whenever said three cycles of comparisons of digital information in said third and fifth locations provide said positive indication that an axle is on said second end of said third track of said weighbridge, said second axle-on count register providing said count of axles entering that end of the weighbridge.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein:

said system further includes another wheel sensing means having a component that provides a signal during the entire time that a wheel of the moving vehicle is passing through a zone at which said component of said another wheel sensing means is located, said component of said another wheel sensing means being located beside one of said first, second or third tracks with the zone spaced from one end of said weighbridge so that, when an axle of a truck of any freight car is at that end of said weighbridge, an adjacent axle of that truck is within said zone, and said another wheel sensing means being connected to said first interface that passes a signal, if provided by said another wheel sensing means, to a different line of said data channel than that to which said first wheel sensing means is passing, when said first interface is addressed; and

said microprocessor is further constructed;

to inhibit the transfer of digital information from said first location to said fourth location for the next two cycles after a cycle determines that there has been a rapid increase of output voltage in order to compare the newly entered digital information in said first location during each of these two cycles with the digital information maintained in said fourth location for a determination that rapid increase of output voltage continued and, if so, there is a more positive indication that an axle has passed on to said first end of said third track of said weighbridge;

to set a first on-axle bit in a seventh location of the RAMs when, during a cycle, from the comparison of the digital information between said first and fourth locations it is determined that there has been a rapid increase of output voltage of that set of load cells that are located adjacent to said first end of said weighbridge, said first on-axle bit being reset in a subsequent cycle during which there is a determination that the wheel of an axle is no longer at that location;

to inhibit the transfer of digital information from said first location to said fourth location for the next two cycles after a cycle determines that there has been a rapid decrease of output voltage, in order to compare the newly entered digital information in said first location during each of these two cycles with the digital information maintained in said fourth location for a determination that the rapid decrease of output voltage continued and, if so, there is a more positive indication that an axle has passed off said first end of said third track of said weighbridge;

to set a first off-axle bit in said seventh location of the RAMs when, during a cycle, from the comparison of the digital information between said first and fourth locations it is determined that there has been a rapid decrease of output voltage of that set of load cells that are located adjacent to said first end of said weighbridge, said first off-axle bit being reset in a subsequent cycle during which there is a determination that the wheel of an axle is no longer at that location;

to inhibit the transfer of digital information from said third location to said sixth location for the next two cycles after a cycle determines that there has been a rapid increase of output voltage in order to compare the newly entered digital information in said third location during each of these two cycles with the digital information maintained in said sixth location for a determination that rapid increase of output voltage continued and, if so, there is a more positive indication that an axle has passed on to said second end of said third track of said weighbridge;

to set a second on-axle bit in said seventh location of the RAMs when, during a cycle, from the comparison of the digital information between said third and sixth locations it is determined that there has been a rapid increase of output voltage of that set of load cells that are located adjacent to said second end of said weighbridge, said second on-axle bit being reset in a subsequent cycle during which there is a determination that the wheel of an axle is no longer at that location;

to inhibit the transfer of digital information from said third location to said sixth location for the next two cycles after a cycle determines that there has been a rapid decrease of output voltage, in order to compare the newly entered digital information in said third location during each of these two cycles with the digital information maintained in said sixth location for a determination that the rapid decrease of output voltage continued and, if so, there is a more positive indication that an axle has passed off said second end of said third track of said weighbridge;

to set a second off-axle bit in said seventh location of the RAMs when, during a cycle, from the comparison of the digital information between said third and sixth locations it is determined that there has been a rapid decrease of output voltage of that set of load cells that are located adjacent to said second end of said weighbridge, said second off-axle bit being reset in a subsequent cycle during which there is a determination that the wheel of an axle is no longer at that location;

to determine, during each cycle, if said zone is located beside said first track or said third track and spaced said distance from said first end of said weighbridge, when said first on-axle bit in said seventh location is set, whether an adjacent axle at that time is at the zone of said another wheel sensing means, that occurs as a coincidence of presence of adjacent axles of a truck such as those of a freight car, each of said determinations of coincidence resetting a bit in another location of said RAMS that is set by an axle before each determination for a vehicle so that there will be the normal print out provided this coincidence occurs for all adjacent axles of each truck of the vehicle;

to determine, during each cycle, if said zone is located beside said second track or said third track and spaced said distance from said second end of said weighbridge, when said second on-axle bit in said seventh location is set, whether an adjacent axle at that time is at the zone of said another wheel sensing means, that occurs as a coincidence of presence of adjacent axles of a truck such as those of a freight car, each of said determinations of coincidence resetting said bit in another location of said RAMs that is set by an axle before each determination for a vehicle so that there will be the normal print out provided this coincidence occurs for all adjacent axles of a truck of the vehicle;

to determine, during each cycle, if said zone is located beside said first track or said third track and spaced said distance from said first end of said weighbridge, when said first off-axle bit in said seventh location is set, whether an adjacent axle at that time is at the zone of said another wheel sensing means, that occurs as a coincidence of presence of adjacent axles of a truck such as those of a freight car, each of said determinations of coincidence resetting a bit in another location of said RAMs that is set by an axle before each determination for a vehicle so that there will be the normal print out provided this coincidence occurs for all adjacent axles of a truck of the vehicle; and

to determine, during each cycle, if said zone is located beside said second track or said third track and spaced said distance from said second end of said weighbridge, when said second off-axle bit in said seventh location is set, whether an adjacent axle at that time is at the zone of said another wheel sensing means, that occurs as a coincidence of presence of adjacent axles of a truck such as those of a freight car, each of said determinations of coincidence resetting said bit in another location of said RAMs that is set by an axle before each determination for a vehicle so that there will be the normal print out provided this coincidence occurs for all adjacent axles of a truck of the vehicle.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said bit in said another location is set during a cycle in which there is set one of said on-axle bits and said off-axle bits in said seventh location, that has been set by an axle passing on to or off said weighbridge, dependent upon the location of said another wheel sensing means and said train direction of travel, if there is no signal, at that time during the cycle, that another axle is at said zone, said microprocessor being further constructed and programmed:

to set a bit in an eighth location, if during each of three successive cycles, said another wheel sensing menas provides a signal that a wheel of an axle is at said zone and to reset said bit in said eighth location during the next cycle; and

to set, during a cycle, a bit in a flag register of said microprocessor, if said bit in said another location is set and if, due to lack of said coincidence by adjacent axles of a truck of a vehicle, the appropriate one of said axle bits in said seventh location is set,

said bit in said flag register being used, when set, to inhibit a print out of the weight of the vehicle or to print out the weight with an indicia that the vehicle is a locomotive.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein said microprocessor is constructed to provide a normal print out only if said coincidence of all adjacent axles of a truck occurs for both trucks of the vehicle.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein said microprocessor is constructed to provide at least about 60 cycles of operation per second.

19. The system of claim 15 in which said microprocessor is further constructed:

to increment an axle-on-weighbridge count register each time that said first on-axle bit or said second on-axle bit in said seventh location is set and to decrement said axle-on-weighbridge count register each time that said first off-axle bit or said second off-axle bit in said seventh location is set; and

to delay each weighing of an axle of a vehicle, for axle weighing, when an axle enters said weighbridge, if the count of said axle-on-weighbridge count register is not one, until there is a count of one;

or

to delay each weighing of a truck of a vehicle, for truck weighing, when the last axle of a truck enters said weighbridge, if the count of said axle-on-weighbridge count register is not equal to one-half of the count determined as the number of axles of said vehicle, until the count of said axle-on-weighbridge count register is equal to one-half of said number of axles of said vehicle;

or

to delay the weighing, for entire vehicle weighing, when the last axle of the vehicle enters said weighbridge, if the count of said axle-on-weighbridge count register is not the count determined as the number of axles of said vehicle, until said count of said axle-on-weighbridge count register equals said number of axles of said vehicle,

so that a weighing operation is not performed until only the axle or axles to be weighed are on said weighbridge.

20. The system of claim 14 to operate even if there has been no coincident count, even though all axles of the first truck of a vehicle have passed on to the weighbridge, due to a failure of operation of said first wheel sensing means or said second wheel sensing means, dependent upon the direction of movement of the train for the weighing of its vehicles, and to return the system to synchronization for the weighing of the next vehicle of the train, said system having said microprocessor being further constructed:

to determine from the output voltages of said first and second sets of load cells that, during a cycle, there is no load on said weighbridge when the last axle of the first truck of the vehicle has moved off said weighbridge; and

to set the count stored in said microprocessor of axles of a vehicle, that have passed said component of said first wheel sensing means or said second wheel sensing means, dependent upon the direction of travel of the vehicle, to the count of axles, of the vehicle that have passed on to said weighbridge, at the time of said determination that there is said no load on said first and second sets of load cells.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein said microprocessor is constructed to provide at least 60 cycles of operation per second.

9. A system for bidirectional in-motion weighing of railroad vehicles of a train having freight cars and a locomotive that comprises:

spaced first and second tracks having aligned pairs of rails;

a weighbridge, that is mounted between said first and second tracks and that has a third track, as the platform of said weighbridge, with gaps between the ends of its pair of rails and the rails of said first and second tracks, said first, second and third tracks providing a path of travel for the cars;

first and second sets of load cells, said sets being mounted under said platform on opposite sides of the central transverse plane of said weighbridge and the load cells of each set of load cells being connected to provide an output voltage corresponding to the weight of the load applied to that set of load cells and located to provide a rapid rise of output voltage from said first set of load cells when an axle passes onto the adjacent end of said weighbridge;

first wheel sensing means having a component mounted beside one of said rails of said first track and spaced from said end of said third track of said weighbridge a distance greater than the distance between adjacent axles of a truck of a freight car and the distance between any adjacent axles of a truck of a locomotive of any train that is to have vehicles of that train weighed by the system and a distance less than the distance between the inner axles of trucks of a freight car, said component being constructed to provide a signal at an output in response to a wheel of an axle passing the location of said component;

second wheel sensing means having a component mounted beside one of said rails of said second track and spaced from said second end of said third track of said weighbridge a distance greater than the distance between axles of a track of a freight car and the distance between any adjacent axles of a truck of a locomotive of any train that is to have vehicles of that train weighed by the system and the distance less than the distance between the inner axles of the trucks of a freight car, said component being constructed to provide a signal at an output voltage in response to a wheel of an axle passing the location of said component of said second wheel sensing means;

another wheel sensing means having a component that provides a signal during the entire time that a wheel of the moving vehicle is passing through a zone at which said component of said another wheel sensing means is located, said component of said another wheel sensing means being located at a zone that is at a distance from one of said first and second tracks or said third track relative to one end of said weighbridge so that, when an axle of a truck of any freight car is at that end of said weighbridge, an adjacent axle of that truck is within said zone;

controls means that is connected to said first and second sets of load cells and to said first, second and another wheel sensing means and that is constructed;

to count the signals from said first or second wheel sensing means, dependent upon the direction of train travel, as a count of the number of axles of a vehicle passing the location of said component of that wheel sensing means that is receiving said signals;

to count the number of rapid rises of output voltage from that set of load cells, adjacent to that wheel sensing means of said first and second sensing means that is counting said axles, as a count of axles of a vehicle passing on to that end of said weighbridge after passing said that wheel sensing means that is counting axles;

to determine a count representing the total number of axles of the vehicle, when the counts of signals from said that wheel sensing means, that is counting axles, and the counts of rapid rises of output voltage from that set of load cells, that is providing said number of rapid rises of output voltage, are in first coincidence;

to determine when the count of the number of rapid rises of output voltage from that set of load cells is the count representing the total number of axles of the vehicle;

to restart the count of signals from that sensing means whenever the count of signals from said that wheel sensing means is twice its count at the time of coincidence;

to restart the count of rapid rises of output voltage from that set of load cells when it count is twice the count at the time of the coincidence; and

to determine for all adjacent axles of a truck of a vehicle whether there is a coincidence of a signal from said another wheel sensing means and a rapid change of output voltage from that set of load cells that are at the end of the weighbridge that is said distance from said zone at which said another wheel sensing means is located;

means operative in response to said control means;

for axle weighing, after said control means has counted each rapid rise of output voltage from said that set of load cells, to convert the output voltages, from said first and second sets of load cells, for a first predetermined period of time to digital information corresponding to the weight of an axle on the weighbridge and to total the weights of axles, including the weight of the axle that provides the last rapid rise of output volgage from said that set of load cells by which said control means determines that the count of rapid rises is the count representing the total number of axles of the vehicle;

or

for truck weighing, after said control means has determined that the count of signals from said wheel sensing means and the count of rapid rises of output voltage from said that set of load cells are in said coincidence, to convert the output voltages from said first and second sets of load cells for a second predetermined period of time to digital information corresponding to the weight of a truck of the vehicle on the weighbridge, to repeat the conversion for said second predetermined period of time, after said control means has determined that the count of rapid rises of output voltage is the count representing the total number of axles of the vehicle, to digital information that corresponds to the weight of the other truck of the vehicle on the weighbridge, and then to total the weights of the two trucks of the vehicle;

or

for entire car weighing, after said control means has determined that the count of rises of output voltage from said that set of load cells is the count representing the total number of axles of the vehicle, to convert the output voltages from said first and second sets of load cells for a third predetermined period of time to digital information corresponding to the total weight of said vehicle; and

print means to print out the total weight of the vehicle in response to said control means that provides a signal after the total weight of the vehicle has been obtained, said control means being constructed also;

to provide said signal, after the total weight of the vehicle has been obtained, for a normal print out of the weight of the vehicle only if said control means has determined that there is said coincidence for all sets of adjacent axles of a truck of the vehicle.

10. The system of claim 9 to operate even if there has been no coincident count, even though all axles of the first truck of a vehicle have passed into the weighbridge, due to a failure of operation of said first wheel sensing means or said second wheel sensing means, dependent upon the direction of movement of the train for the weighing of its vehicles, and to return the system to synchronization for the weighing of the next vehicle of the train, said system having said control means further constructed:

to change the count of signals from said wheel sensing means to the count of rapid rises of output voltage from said first set of load cells, when the last axle of the first truck of the vehicle has passed off the weighbridge as determined, after an incrementing of a count from an initial value each time there is a rise of output voltage of said first set of load cells and after decrementing a count each time there is a rapid decrease of output voltage from said second set of load cells until that count returns to the initial value;

to determine based on the count of rapid rises of output voltage from said first set of load cells, after said return of said count to its initial value, the count representing the total number of axles of the vehicle;

to restart the count of signals from said wheel sensing means after this count equals the count representing the total number of axles of the vehicle; and

to restart the count of rapid rises of output voltage from said first set of load cells when this count equals the count representing the total number of axles of the vehicle.

22. In a system for in-motion weighing of freight cars having spaced first and second track sections and a weighbridge with a track section that is mounted between said first and second track sections, and first and second sets of load cells, said sets being mounted under said weighbridge on opposite sides of the central transverse vertical plane of said weighbridge and the load cells of each set of load cells being connected to provide an output voltage corresponding to the weight of the load applied to that set of load cells when an axle is on said weighbridge:

means for axle, truck or entire car weighing including, in combination;

wheel sensing means mounted beside said first track section and spaced from the adjacent end of said weighbridge a distance greater than the distance between adjacent axles of a truck of a freight car and a distance less than the distance between the inner axles of trucks of a freight car, for providing a signal in response to a wheel of an axle passing said wheel sensing means,

control means that is connected to said first and second sets of load cells and to said wheel sensing means, including;

first means for counting the signals from said wheel sensing means as a count of the number of axles of a freight car passing said wheel sensing means;

second means responsive to the output voltages from said first set of load cells for counting axles of a freight car passing on to said adjacent end of said weighbridge; and

means for determining a first coincident count between said first and second counting means;

for axle weighing, means operative in response to the output voltage of said first set of load cells when an axle enters the weighbridge from said first track section for initiating a weighing operation utilizing the output of both of said sets of load cells, and means for accumulating the weights of successive weighing operations for a number of axles equal to twice said first coincident count for a total car weights;

or for truck weighing, means operative in response to said first coincident count to initiate a first weighing operation utilizing the output of both of said sets of load cells, for initiating a second weighing operation when the count of said second counting means is twice the coincident count, and for accumulating the weight of said first and second weighing operations for a total car weight;

or

for entire car weighing, means operative in response to said second counting means when its count equals twice said first coincident count for initiating a weighing operation utilizing the output of both of said sets of load cells for a total weight; and

means for recording the total weight of the freight car in response to said control means.

23. In a system for in-motion weighing of freight cars of a train having a locomotive, said system having spaced first and second track sections and a weighbridge with a track section that is mounted between said first and second track sections, the combination comprising:

first and second sets of load cells, said sets being mounted under said weighbridge on opposite sides of the central transverse vertical plane of said weighbridge and the load cells of each set being connected to provide an output voltage representing the weight of the load applied to that set when an axle passes on to said weighbridge;

means responsive to the output voltages from said first set of load cells for detecting and providing signals representing axles passing on to the adjacent end of said weighbridge in one direction of train movement or passing off said adjacent end of said weighbridge in the other direction of train movement;

wheel sensing means located adjacent one of said track sections to sense a wheel on an axle passing through a zone, that is spaced from said adjacent end of said weighbridge a distance, so that the distance from at least one point in the zone to said adjacent end of said weighbridge is equal to the spacing of all adjacent axles of a truck of each freight car of the train but the distance from no point in the zone to said adjacent end of said weighbridge is equal to the distance between at least one set of adjacent axles of a truck of a locomotive, for sensing and providing signals representing passing wheels;

means utilizing the output voltages from both sets of load cells for performing weighing operations to obtain separately the total weight of freight cars and locomotives of a train passing over said weighbridge in either direction;

means for recording said total weight; and

means for comparing a first signal from said axle detection means and a second signal from said wheel sensing means and operative in either direction of train movement for controlling the operation of said weight recording means to record the total weights of freight cars responsive to coincidence between said first and second signals and, selectively, to record or not record the total weights of locomotives responsive to lack of coincidence between said first and second signals.

24. A system for in-motion weighing of freight cars that comprises:

spaced first and second tracks having aligned pairs of rails;

a weighbridge, that is mounted between said first and second tracks and that has a third track, as the platform of said weighbridge, with gaps between the ends of its pair of rails and the rails of said first and second tracks, said first, second and third tracks providing a path of travel for the cars;

first and second sets of load cells, said sets being mounted under said platform on opposite sides of the central transverse plane of said weighbridge and the load cells of each set of load cells being connected to provide an output voltage corresponding to the weight of the load applied to that set of load cells and loacated to provide a rapid change of output voltage from said first set of load cells when an axle passes onto the adjacent end of said weighbridge;

wheel sensing means having a component mounted beside one of said rails of said first track and spaced from said first end of said third track of said weighbridge a distance greater than the distance between adjacent axles of a truck of a freight car and a distance less than the distance between the inner axles of trucks of a freight car, said component being constructed to provide a signal at an output in response to a wheel of an axle passing the location of said component;

control means that is connected to said first and second sets of load cells and to said wheel sensing means and that is constructed;

to count the signals from said wheel sensing means as axles pass the location of said component of said wheel sensing means;

to count each rapid change of output voltage from said first set of load cells as axles of the same freight car pass onto said adjacent end of said weighbridge;

to determine, as a first concident count, the number of axles of the first truck of that freight car when the count of signals from said wheel sensing means and the count of rapid changes of output voltage from said first set of load cells are equal;

to determine, from said first coincident count and from subsequent signals from said wheel sensing means, when the last axle of the second truck of the freight car is passing said location of said component of said wheel sensing means;

to determine, from said first coincident count and from subcounts of rapid change of output voltage from said first set of load cells, when the last axle of the second truck of that freight car has passed onto said adjacent end of said weighbridge;

to restart the count of signals from said wheel sensing means whenever it is determined that said last axle is passing said location of said component of said wheel sensing means; and

to restart the count of rapid changes of output voltage from said first set of load cells whenever it is determined that said last axle has passed onto said adjacent end of said weighbridge;

means operative in response to said control means;

for axle weighing, each time said control means has counted a rapid change of output voltage from said first set of load cells, to convert the output voltages, from said first and second sets of load cells, for a first predetermined period of time to digital information corresponding to the weight of an axle of a freight car on the weighbridge and to total the weights of axles, including the weight of the last axle, of that freight car;

or

for truck weighing, after said control means has determined said first coincident count for a freight car, to convert the output voltages from said first and second sets of load cells for a second predetermined period of time to digital information corresponding to the weight of said first truck of that freight car on the weighbridge, to repeat the conversion for said second predetermined period of time, after said control means has determined that said last axle has passed onto said adjacent end of said weighbridge, to digital information that corresponds to the weight of said second truck of that freight car on the weighbridge, and then to total the weights of the two trucks of that freight car;

or

for entire car weighing, after said control means has determined that said last axle of said second truck of a freight car has passed onto said adjacent end of said weighbridge, to convert the output voltages from said first and second sets of load cells for a third predetermined period of time to digital information corresponding to the total weight of that freight car; and

print means to print out the total weight of the freight car in response to said control means that provides a signal after the total weight of the freight car has been obtained.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein said construction of said control means to count each rapid change of said output voltage is constructed to count each rapid rise of said output voltage from said first set of load cells.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein said system further includes:

another wheel sensing means having a component that provides a signal during the entire time that a wheel of the moving vehicle is passing through a zone at which said component of said another wheel sensing means is located, said component of said another wheel sensing means being located beside one of said first, second or third tracks with the zone spaced from one end of said weighbridge so that, when an axle of a truck of any freight car is at that end of said weighbridge, an adjacent axle of that truck is within said zone, and

wherein said control means is connected to said another wheel sensing means and is further contructed;

to determine for all adjacent axles of a truck of a vehicle whether there is a coincidence of a signal from said another wheel sensing means and said change of output voltage from that set of load cells below that end of the weighbridge that is spaced said distance from said zone; and

to provide said signal, after the total weight of the vehicle has been obtained, for a normal printout of the weight of the vehicle only if said control means has determined that there is said coincidence for all sets of adjacent axles of each truck of the vehicle.

27. In a system for in-motion weighing of freight cars moving along a track having a track section on a weighbridge, said system having first and second sets of load cells mounted on said weighbridge at the entrance and exit portions of said weighbridge, that provide a rapid change of voltage signals when an axle enters and leaves, respectively, said weighbridge and that have their voltage signals used for a weighing operation while a predetermined number of axles are on said weighbridge, the improvement by additionally including:

wheel sensing means at said track upstream from said weighbridge a predetermined distance;

first data storage register means, connected to said wheel sensing means, for storing electrical signals representing axles detected by said wheel sensing means;

second data storage register means, connected to said first set of load cells, for storing electrical signals, each representing a rapid change of voltage signal from said first set of load cells when an axle enters said weighbridge;

total data storage register means, connected to both sets of load cells, for storing digital information representing the voltage signals from both sets of load cells for the number of weighing operations required to weigh one of said freight cars; and

control logic means connected to said wheel sensing means, to said first and second data storage register means, and to said total data storage register means, for effectuating said storage operations of said electrical signals from said wheel sensing means and from said first set of load cells and of said digital information based on voltage signals from both of said sets of load cells, for comparing stored electrical signals in said first and second data storage register means to provide a digital signal based upon their relative signal status, and for comparing said digital signal with electrical signals in said second data storage means to initiate a transfer of digital information from said total data storage register means after completion of the weighing operations required to weigh said freight car.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein said first and second data storage register means comprise first and second counting means, respectively, and said control logic means provides a comparison of the count in said first counting means with the count in said second counting means to determine the digital count representing the number of axles of a truck of the freight car being weighed, said digital count being compared with said count in said second counting means to provide, after a predetermined relationship, said initiation of the transfer of digital information from said total data storage register means after completion of the weighing operations required to weigh said freight car.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein said second data storage register means stores electrical signals, each representing a rapid rise of voltage signal from said first set of load cells when an axle enters said weighbridge.

30. In a system for in-motion weighing of freight cars of a train having a locomotive and moving along a track having a track section on a weighbridge, said system having first and second sets of load cells mounted on said weighbridge at the entrance and exit portions of said weighbridge, that provide a rapid change of voltage signals when an axle enters and leaves, respectively, said weighbridge and that have their voltage signals used for a weighing operation while a predetermined number of axles are on said weighbridge, the improvement by additionally including:

wheel sensing means located adjacent one end of said weighbridge and adjacent one of said first and second sets of load cells to sense a wheel on an axle passing through a zone, that is spaced from said adjacent end of said weighbridge a distance, so that the distance from at least one point in the zone to said adjacent end of said weighbridge is equal to the spacing of all adjacent axles of a truck of each freight car of the train but the distance from no point in the zone to said adjacent end of said weighbridge is equal to the distance between at least one set of adjacent axles of a truck of a locomotive, for sensing and providing signals representing passing wheels;

means connected to said adjacent set of load cells for detecting and providing signals representing axles passing on to or off said adjacent end of said weighbridge; and

means for comparing a first signal from said axle-detecting means, connected to said first set of load cells, and a second signal from said wheel sensing means and operative in either direction of train movement for controlling the operation of recording a total vehicle weight so that there will be a recording in response to coincidence between said first and second signal for all adjacent axles of each truck of a freight car and, selectively, a recording or no recording for a locomotive in response to lack of coincidence between said first and second signals.

31. In a system for in-motion weighing of freight cars moving along a track having a track section on a weighbridge, said system having first and second sets of load cells mounted on said weighbridge at the entrance and exit portions of said weighbridge, that provide a rapid change of voltage signals when an axle enters and leaves, respectively, said weighbridge and that have their voltage signals used for a weighing operation while a predetermined number of axles are on said weighbridge, the improvement by additionally including:

wheel sensing means at said track upstream from said weighbridge a predetermined distance for detecting axles;

means connected to said first set of load cells to detect each axle entering said weighbridge based on a rapid change of voltage signal from said first set of load cells; and

means connected to both sets of load cells to perform a weighing operation based on the voltage signals from both sets of load cells.

32. The system of claim 31 and further including:

means connected to said wheel sensing means and to said means for detecting said rapid changes of voltage signals from said first set of load cells for determining the number of axles of a truck of the freight car having its axles detected.

33. The system of claim 32 and still further including:

means connected to said axle-number-detecting means and to said means for detecting said rapid changes of voltage signals to determine at least when the last weighing operation performed for a freight car by said means connected to both sets of load cells is performed.

34. The system of claim 31 wherein said means connected to said first set of load cells to detect each axle entering said weighbridge provides each detection based on three consecutive samples of rapid rise of voltage signal from said first set of load cells.