Self-regulating, axle-mounted electrical generation device

• US 6,474,832 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2000
• Issued: 11/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wayne H. Murray
• Original Assignee: Wayne H. Murray
• Inventors: Murray, Wayne H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zeade, Bertrand
• Application Number:
  US09/735,789
• Publication Number:
  US 20010000305A1
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• Field of Search: 362/192, 362/478, 362/193, 362/500, 310/67.A, 310/75.C, 310/67.R, 340/901, 340/936, 340/941, 340/440, 116/30, 116/62.1, 116/56
• US Class Current: 362/192
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/326 on or for wheels

Abstract

A rail-car status-indicating assembly is provided for mounting to the axles of railcars. A solenoid and a magnet are part of the assembly installed each to one of a non-rotating structure and a rotating structure which co-rotates with the axle so that each time the solenoid enters the magnets field a current is induced. Preferably, a housing forms the rotating structure for protecting the inductive components. A bearing and pendulum are mounted within the housing to form a non-rotating structure. Magnetically induced co-rotation is eliminated by mounting of the electrical components to an offset pivoted structure. One form of low-power status device is light emitting diodes, electrically connected to the solenoid for repeated emission of light visible to oncoming motorists. Other embodiments include use of low power temperature sensors and the use of LEDs to transmit two or more status condition or via RF transceivers. Alternatively, the housing forms the non-rotating pendulum structure and the axle rotates a rotary member bearing one of either the solenoid or magnet.

Claims

1. A rail-car status-indicating assembly which mounts to the rotating axle of a railcar comprising:

a rotating structure mounted to the axis of the rail-car axle;

a non-rotating structure connected with a first bearing to the rotating structure about the axis of rotation of the rail-car axle, the non-rotating structure having an offset mass connected to and depending radially therefrom, gravity acting on the offset mass to resist co-rotation of the non-rotating and rotating structures;

an arm, pivotally connected to the non-rotating mounting structure at a position offset from the axis of rotation of the axle, and extending radially to a bottom end, the bottom end of the arm having a shorter arc of rotation than the rotating structure;

a magnet and a solenoid mounted to one of either the arm'"'"'s bottom end or the rotating structure and arranged so that the solenoid repeatedly passes through the magnetic field of the magnet as the axle rotates, inducing electrical energy in the solenoid; and

a low-power status-indicating device connected electrically to the solenoid so that the induced electrical energy causes the low-power status-indicating device to operate.

2. The rail-car status-indicating assembly as described in claim 1 further comprising a housing forming a chamber which excludes contaminants, the magnet and solenoid being mounted to their respective rotating or non-rotating structure so as to be housed protectively within the chamber.

3. The rail-car status-indicating assembly as described in claim 2 wherein:

(a) the housing forms the rotating structure and the magnet is mounted thereto;

(b) the solenoid is mounted to the arm'"'"'s bottom end so that the housing and the magnet rotate repeatedly past the substantially non-rotating solenoid for inducing electrical energy.

4. The rail-car status indicating assembly as described in claim 1 wherein a counterweight depends slidably from the non-rotating mounting structure and is elastically biased towards the axis.

5. The rail-car status-indicating assembly as described in claim 3 wherein the low-power status device is a light-emitting device connected electrically to the solenoid so that the induced electrical energy causes the light-emitting device to emit visible light.

6. The rail-car status-indicating assembly as described in claim 5 wherein the housing has a translucent lens for passing light so that the emitted light is visible from outside the housing.

7. The rail-car status-indicating assembly as described in claim 6 wherein the light emitting device is one or more light emitting diodes electrically connected to the solenoid.

8. The rail-car status-indicating assembly as described in claim 3 wherein the housing and bearing means are mounted rotatably to the axle by passing a bolt through the bearing means and threading it into the axis of the axle.

9. The rail-car status-indicating assembly as described in claim 3 wherein the housing and bearing means are mounted rotatably to the axle by passing a bolt through the bearing means and threading it into a bracket, the bracket being mounted to the axle.

10. The rail-car status-indicating assembly as described in claim 2 wherein:

(a) the housing forms the rotating structure and the solenoid is mounted thereto;

(b) the magnet is mounted to the first end of the arm so that the housing and the solenoid rotate repeatedly past the substantially non-rotating magnet for inducing electrical energy.

11. The rail-car status-indicating assembly as described in claim 10 wherein the light emitting device is mounted to the housing so that the emitted light is visible from outside the housing.

12. The rail-car status-indicating assembly as described in claim 2 wherein

(a) the housing forms the non-rotating structure and is offset weighted for forming a pendulum, and the magnet is mounted thereto;

(b) the solenoid is mounted to the rotating structure so that the solenoid is repeatedly rotated past the substantially non-rotating magnet for inducing electrical energy.

13. The rail-car status-indicating assembly as described in claim 12 wherein the housing has a translucent lens for passing light so that the emitted light is visible from outside the housing.

14. The rail-car status-indicating assembly as described in claim 2 wherein:

(a) the housing forms the non-rotating structure and is offset weighted for forming the pendulum, the solenoid being mounted thereto;

(b) the magnet is mounted to the rotating structure so that the magnet is repeatedly rotated past the substantially non-rotating solenoid for inducing electrical energy.

15. The rail-car status-indicating assembly as described in claim 14 wherein the light emitting device is mounted to the housing so that the emitted light is visible from outside the housing.

16. A system for determining the status of a rail-car comprising:

an onboard low power generator having a rotating structure mounted to the axis of a railcar axle and a non-rotating structure, bearing means for rotatably supporting the non-rotating structure from the rotating structure, a pendulum connected to and extending radially from the non-rotating structure, gravity acting on the pendulum to prevent substantial rotation thereof and a magnet and a solenoid mounted to one of either the rotating or the non-rotating structures and arranged so that the solenoid repeatedly passes through the magnetic field of the magnet as the axle rotates, inducing electrical energy in the solenoid;

an onboard sensor for determining and emitting a signal characteristic of the railcar;

a low-power status-indicating device providing at least two status indications, the device being connected electrically to the solenoid so that the induced electrical energy causes the low-power status-indicating device to indicate the status of the railcar characteristic;

means for transmitting the device status; and

means for receiving the device status.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the low-power status-indicating device is a light emitting device and at least one of the two status indications is emission of light from the device.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the low-power status-indicating device is a light emitting device and at least two of the status indications is two different colors of light from the device.

19. The system of claim 18 further comprising light sensing means for receiving the device'"'"'s status.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the light sensing means is incorporated in a hot box detector.

21. The system of claim 16 wherein the low-power status-indicating device is a RF transmitter.

22. The system of claim 21 further comprising a battery having a long shelf life which is actuated only upon actuation of the RF transmitter.

23. The system of claim 22 further comprising RF receiving means for receiving the device'"'"'s status.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the RF receiving means is incorporated in a hot box detector.

25. A rail-car status-indicating assembly which mounts to the rotating axle of a railcar comprising:

a rotating structure mounted to the axis of the railcar axle;

a non-rotating structure;

bearing means for rotatably supporting the non-rotating structure from the rotating structure;

offset mass connected to and depending radially from the non-rotating structure, gravity acting on the offset mass to resist substantial rotation thereof;

a magnet and a solenoid each mounted to one of either the rotating or the non-rotating structures and arranged so that the solenoid repeatedly passes through the magnetic field of the magnet as the axle rotates, repeatedly and periodically inducing electrical energy in the solenoid; and

a light-emitting device connected electrically to the solenoid so that the induced electrical energy causes the light-emitting device to emit visible light.

26. The rail-car status-indicating assembly as described in claim 25 further comprising a housing forming a chamber which excludes contaminants, the magnet and solenoid being mounted to their respective rotating or non-rotating structure so as to be housed protectively within the chamber.