Impedance heating for railroad track switch
First Claim
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1. A heating system for heating a movable structure section of a railroad track, said system comprising:
- a power source for providing electrical power;
at least a first heater assembly associated with a railroad tie for placement beneath and interconnection with a track rail, wherein said heater assembly is substantially contained within a spatial envelope of said railroad tie;
an electrical interface for applying an electric potential across said heater assembly sufficient to induce a current in said heater assembly; and
control means for coupling said electrical interface to said power source such that said heater assembly controllably heats said section of railroad track.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A heating system for railroad switches or other movable railroad structures that substantially eliminates protruding heater elements that may be damaged. The heater elements may cast into, enclosed within or received within recesses of a tie (including a metal or concrete tie), rail or other component. In one implementation, inductive heating is used to directly heat the rail, tie or other structure.
230 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A heating system for heating a movable structure section of a railroad track, said system comprising:
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a power source for providing electrical power;
at least a first heater assembly associated with a railroad tie for placement beneath and interconnection with a track rail, wherein said heater assembly is substantially contained within a spatial envelope of said railroad tie;
an electrical interface for applying an electric potential across said heater assembly sufficient to induce a current in said heater assembly; and
control means for coupling said electrical interface to said power source such that said heater assembly controllably heats said section of railroad track. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An impedance heating system that utilizes a metallic tie for heating a section of railroad track, wherein said tie is placed beneath and interconnected with said section of railroad track:
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a power source for providing electrical power;
a first electrical conductor, interconnected to a first point on said metallic tie;
a second electrical conductor, interconnected to a second point on said metallic tie, wherein a portion of said second electrical conductor is disposed in an adjacent electrically insulated relationship with a surface of said metallic tie between said first and second connection points; and
control means for coupling said electrical conductors to said power source such that an electrical circuit is formed through said metallic tie for controllably heating said section of railroad track. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. An impedance heating system that utilizes the track rail for heating a section of railroad track, said system comprising:
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a power source for providing electrical power;
a first electrical lead, interconnected to a first point on said track rail;
a second electrical lead, interconnected to a second point on said track rail, wherein a portion of said second electrical lead is disposed in an adjacent electrically insulated relationship with a surface of said track rail between said first and second points; and
control means for coupling said electrical leads to said power source such that an electrical current flows through said track rail between said first and second points for controllably heating said section of railroad track. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. A heating system for heating a movable structure section of a railroad track, said system comprising:
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a power source for providing electrical power;
at least a first heater assembly associated with a railroad structure, wherein said heater assembly has a heater structure that is substantially contained within a spatial envelope of said railroad structure such that said railroad structure is substantially free from protrusions therefrom associated with said heater structure;
an electrical interface for applying an electric potential across said heater assembly sufficient to induce a current in said heater assembly;
a control means for coupling said electrical interface to said power source such that said heater assembly controllably heats said section of railroad track, wherein said section of railroad track rail is electrically isolated from connecting portions of track rails; and
a parallel path interconnecting said connecting portions of track rails for carrying communication signals within said track rails such that any interference from said heater assembly is by-passed.
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Specification