System for monitoring railroad cars

• US 8,060,264 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2007
• Issued: 11/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salco Products Inc. (Stone Canyon Industries LLC)
• Original Assignee: Salco Products Inc. (Stone Canyon Industries LLC)
• Inventors: Degutis, Alex V., Oestermeyer, David A., Gubricky, Peter, Ryan, Michael S., Borowski, Andy, Strand, Clayton, McLaughlin, James M., Borowski, William R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell; James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marc; McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US11/734,859
• Publication Number:
  US 20080252515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,677 Days
• Field of Search: 701/19, 340/168, 342/357.01, 188/1.11, 220/314, 220/324, 220/367.1, 220/371, 220/374, 220/372, 220/378, 292/256.5, 292/259.R, 292/100.02, 292/257, 414/203, 414/303, 414/329, 414/389, 162/35, 162/31, 277/637, 52/45, 492/31
• US Class Current: 701/19
• CPC Class Codes: B61D 17/16 Hatches in roofs
• CPC Class Codes: B61D 5/08 Covers or access openings; Arrangements thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2590/0083 Computer or electronic system, e.g. GPS systems
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/10 Manholes; Inspection openings; Covers therefor safety features B65D90/22; covers or similar closure members, for pressure vessels in general F16J13/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/22 Safety features floating covers B65D88/34; arrangements of indicating or measuring devices B65D90/48; fire-fighting A62C
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/32 Arrangements for preventing, or minimising the effect of, excessive or insufficient pressure valves per se F16K
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18513 Transmission in a satellite or space-based system
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 30/00 Transportation of goods or passengers via railways, e.g. energy recovery or reducing air resistance
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/225 Cam-operating means

Abstract

A system for monitoring railroad cars comprising a hatch cover assembly including a cover body, a sensor, a wireless transmitter for transmitting data received from the sensor, a wireless receiver for receiving the data from the wireless transmitter, and a satellite transmitter for transmitting the data to a satellite. The wireless receiver and the satellite transmitter are attached to the hatch cover assembly. In one embodiment, the sensor is a pressure sensor having a sensing unit situated in the plenum of a vented hatch cover. In another embodiment, the sensor is an air flow sensor having a sensing unit situated in the plenum of a vented hatch cover. In another embodiment, the sensor is a chain tension sensor attached to a handbrake chain. In another embodiment, the sensor is a hatch cover position attached to the hatch cover assembly.

Claims

1. A hatch cover for a railroad car comprising;

a hatch cover assembly including a cover body;

a wireless receiver for receiving data from a wireless transmitter;

a satellite transmitter for transmitting said data to a satellite; and

wherein said wireless receiver and said satellite transmitter are attached to said hatch cover assembly.

2. The hatch cover for a railroad car as claimed in claim 1 wherein said cover body has a plurality of walls defining an air intake passage and an air discharge passage, said hatch cover assembly further includes a discharge filter element disposed over said air discharge passage, said discharge filter element defines a pocket, said wireless receiver and said satellite transmitter are situated in said pocket.

3. The hatch cover for a railroad car as claimed in claim 2 wherein said discharge filter element defines an opening to said pocket, said opening is directed towards said cover body.

4. The hatch cover for a railroad car as claimed in claim 2 wherein said discharge filter element has a frame;

said frame includes an outer annular disk portion, a narrow beam portion and a broad beam portion connected to the disk portion;

said broad beam portion includes a container defining said pocket.

5. The hatch cover for a railroad car as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a battery situated in said pocket defined in said discharge filter element.

6. The hatch cover for a railroad car as claimed in claim 5 wherein said battery is a rechargeable battery.

7. The hatch cover for a railroad car as claimed in claim 6 further comprising a solar panel attached to said cover body of said hatch cover assembly for charging said rechargeable battery.

8. The hatch cover for a railroad car as claimed in claim 7 further comprising a wire electrically connecting said solar panel to said rechargeable battery, said cover body defines a hole at a bottom surface of the cover body, said wire routed through said hole.

9. The hatch cover for a railroad car as claimed in claim 1 wherein said wireless receiver and said satellite transmitter are overmolded by said cover body.

10. The hatch cover for a railroad car as claimed in claim 9 wherein said wireless receiver and said satellite transmitter are encased by a heat insulating material.

11. The hatch cover for a railroad car as claimed in claim 10 wherein said heat insulating material is a foamed material.

12. The hatch cover for a railroad car as claimed in claim 1 wherein said cover includes a wireless transmitter and cover body has a plurality of walls defining an air intake passage, an air discharge passage and a plenum extending from said intake passage to said air discharge passage;

said system further comprising a pressure sensor having a sensing unit situated in said plenum, said wireless transmitter for transmitting data from said pressure sensor to said wireless receiver.

13. The hatch cover for a railroad car as claimed in claim 1 wherein said cover includes a wireless transmitter and cover body has a plurality of walls defining an air intake passage, an air discharge passage and a plenum extending from said intake passage to said air discharge passage;

said system further comprising an air flow sensor having a sensing unit situated in said plenum, said wireless transmitter configured to transmit data from said air flow sensor to said wireless receiver.

14. The hatch cover for a railroad car as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a sensor attached to said hatch cover, and a wireless transmitter configured to transmit information from said sensor to said wireless receiver.

15. The hatch cover for a railroad car as claimed in claim 14 wherein said sensor is a pressure sensor having a sensing unit situated in a plenum of a vented hatch cover.

16. The hatch cover for a railroad car as claimed in claim 15 wherein said pressure sensor is a diaphragm pressure sensor.

17. The hatch cover for a railroad car as claimed in claim 14 wherein said sensor is an air velocity sensor having a sensing unit situated in a plenum of a vented hatch cover.

18. The hatch cover for a railroad car as claimed in claim 17 wherein said air velocity sensor is a rotating vane anemometer.

19. The hatch cover for a railroad car as claimed in claim 14 wherein said sensor is hatch cover position sensor attached to a hatch cover.

20. The hatch cover for a railroad car as claimed in claim 19 further comprising a magnet mounted on the railroad car and wherein said hatch cover position sensor is a proximity switch.