Model railroad car position indicator

• US 5,678,789 A
• Filed: 12/05/1995
• Issued: 10/21/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert B. Pipich
• Original Assignee: Robert B. Pipich
• Inventors: Pipich, Robert B.
• Primary Examiner(s): MORANO IV, SAMUEL J
• Application Number:
  US08/567,472
• Time in Patent Office: 686 Days
• Field of Search: 246/3, 246/4, 246/6, 246/33, 246/62, 246/77, 246/122 R, 246/122 A, 246/178, 246/187, 246/187 B, 246/292, 246/246, 246/247, 246/255, 246/473 A, 104/53, 104/296, 104/298, 104/DIG. 1
• US Class Current: 246/3
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 19/18 Car coupling or uncoupling mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 19/24 Electric toy railways; Systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 19/32 Switches or points; Operating means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 104/01 Toy railroad

Abstract

A model railroad car position indicator includes a sensor receptive to the presence of a model railroad car on a track. Control circuitry determines the location of the car relative to a predetermined position on the track and approves initiation of a model train process if the car is within a range of acceptable positions for initiating the process. A preferred embodiment includes circuitry for determining whether the car velocity is less than a predetermined threshold velocity. In this embodiment, approval of initiation of the model train process is conditioned on both the car position being acceptable and the car velocity being acceptable. An indicator provides feedback to the model train operator for manual initiation of the model train process. Alternatively, the control circuit may automatically initiate the process.

Claims

1. Apparatus for determining if a model railroad car is in an appropriate position on a track for initiating a model train process comprising:

a sensor responsive to the presence of a model railroad car;

control circuitry in communication with the sensor for determining the location of the car relative to a predetermined position on the track and for approving initiation of the process if the car location is within a range of acceptable positions for initiating the process;

the control circuitry including circuitry for determining if the car velocity is less than a predetermined threshold velocity; and

the control circuitry also including circuitry for conditioning approval of initiation of the train process if both the car location is acceptable and the car velocity is acceptable.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a position indicator electrically coupled to the controller for providing feedback to a model train operator of the approval of initiation of the process by the control circuitry.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the feedback is in the form of visual or audio feedback.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the control circuitry further comprises circuitry for determining the direction of travel of the car.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising circuitry for automatically initiating the process in response to approval by the controller circuitry.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said sensor comprises a plurality of sensors spatially disposed to align with a corresponding plurality of car wheels.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the sensor type is selected from the group comprising:

electrical, magnetic, optical, mechanical, and acoustic.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said sensor comprises a conductive contact adapted to communicate electrically with a car wheel, the wheel completing a circuit between the conductive contact and the track as the wheel traverses the conductive contact.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the control circuitry includes circuitry for determining whether the car location is nearly within the range of acceptable positions for initiating the process.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the sensor is responsive to the presence of model car trucks and wherein the control circuitry is adapted for counting the trucks to determine the location of the car.

11. A method for determining if a model railroad car is in an appropriate position for initiating a process comprising the steps of:

determining the location of a model railroad car relative to a predetermined position on a track with a sensor; and

approving initiation of a model train process if the car location is within a range of acceptable positions for initiating the process; and

the step of approving further comprising approving initiation of the process if both the car location is acceptable and the car velocity is acceptable.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of determining if the car velocity is less than a predetermined threshold velocity.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of indicating to an operator of the train, the approval of initiation of the process.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of initiating the process automatically in response to approval thereof.

15. Apparatus for indicating the position of a model railroad car on a track comprising:

a controller;

a velocity sensor responsive to the passage of the car in communication with said controller, said controller adapted to determine if the velocity of said car relative to said velocity sensor is less than a predetermined threshold velocity;

a position sensor in communication with said controller responsive to the presence of the car;

a position indicator in communication with said controller, said position indicator adapted to indicate if said car location is within a range of acceptable positions, said controller enabling said position indicator if said car velocity sensed by said velocity sensor is less than a predetermined threshold velocity.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising a direction sensor responsive to the passage of said car in communication with said controller;

said controller determining the direction of travel of said car.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said velocity sensor comprises two velocity sensors, one velocity sensor for each direction of car travel, either velocity sensor being activated by said controller depending on the direction of car travel, as sensed by said direction sensor.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said position sensor comprises a plurality of sensors spatially disposed to align with a corresponding plurality of car wheels.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said controller determines the position of said car relative to said range of acceptable car positions in response to a plurality of position signals received from said plurality of sensors.