Weighing device

• US 4,632,197 A
• Filed: 06/18/1985
• Issued: 12/30/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Michael J. Karpa
• Original Assignee: Michael J. Karpa
• Inventors: Karpa, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): MILLER JR, GEORGE
• Application Number:
  US06/746,087
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• Field of Search: 177/163, 177/DIG. 8
• US Class Current: 177/163
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/04 for weighing railway vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 177/08 RR motion

Abstract

The present invention provides a device for weighing rail guided vehicles. The device has at least one moveable truck support element and in the preferred embodiment has both a stationary platform and a moveable truck support assembly. The vehicle to be weighed may be placed on the device by either pulling or pushing. The vehicle to be weighed may approach the weighing device in either direction. Each end of the vehicle is weighed on separate weighing elements and the weight on each element is summed, preferably electronically to yield the overall vehicle weight. Typically one end of the vehicle is weighed on a stationary platform and one end is weighed on a moveable assembly.

Claims

1. A device for weighing rail guided vehicles which comprises:

(a) at least one moveable weighing assembly comprised of one or more moveable carriages, each carriage having wheel supporting stirrups thereon, said stirrups positioned in internal alignment with a pair of originating rails to receive the flanges of a pair of oppositely aligned wheels from a rail guided vehicle on said originating rails and transfer the weight of said vehicle from said originating rails to said stirrups,

(b) said carriages having a means for securing or capturing said pair of oppositely aligned vehicle wheels thereon,

(c) said carriages being moveable after said securing or capturing to adjust said moveable assembly to the distance between the wheels of the vehicle being weighed,

(d) means for determining the weight on said stirrups of said moveable carriage, and

(e) means for transferring the weight of said vehicle from said stirrups back to said originating rails.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said moveable carriages move on a pair of independent secondary rails positioned within the space between said originating rails.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said secondary rails are elevated along their middle portion a sufficient height to raise a pair of oppositely aligned vehicle wheels positioned on said carriage above and free of said originating rails.

4. The device of claim 2 wherein said secondary rails are maintained substantially level and said originating rails are lowered an amount sufficient to transfer the weight of oppositely aligned vehicle wheels positioned on said carriage from said originating rails to secondary rails.

5. A device for weighing rail guided vehicles which comprises:

(a) a stationary weighing platform comprised of a plurality of separate rail support sections, said support sections aligned with a pair of originating rails to receive thereon the wheels from one end of a rail guided vehicle positioned on said originating rails, means to determine the weight of the portion of said vehicle resting on said support sections,

(b) a moveable weighing assembly comprised on one or more moveable carriages, each carriage positioned to receive thereon a pair of wheels of a rail guided vehicle, means for transferring the weight of said wheels from said pair of originating rails to said carriages, means for securing or capturing said wheels on said carriages, means for determining the weight on said carriages, means for transferring the weight of said vehicle from said carriages back to said originating rails, and

(c) means for totalling the weight on said rail support sections and on said moveable carriages.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein said moveable carriages move on a pair of independent secondary rails positioned within the space between said originating rails.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein said secondary rails are elevated along their middle portion a sufficient height to raise the vehicle wheels on said carriages above said originating rails.

8. The device of claim 6 wherein said secondary rails are maintained substantially level and said originating rails are lowered on amount sufficient to transfer the weight of oppositely aligned vehicle wheels positioned on said carriage from said originating rails to secondary rails.