Railcar weighing system with offset sensor

• US 8,969,745 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2012
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Startrak Information Technologies LLC (ORBCOMM Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Startrak Information Technologies LLC (ORBCOMM Incorporated)
• Inventors: Slifkin, Timothy P., Perten, Herbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Gibson, Randy W
• Application Number:
  US13/417,788
• Publication Number:
  US 20120228038A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• Field of Search: 177/136, 177/137, 177/163, 177/211, 702/174
• US Class Current: 177/163
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/042 having electrical weight-sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/01 Testing or calibrating of weighing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/3735 using a digital network

Abstract

One or more sensors mounted on a railcar sense the effect of weight of the railcar and transmit the data, for example via a communication link, to a user for storage and feedback where needed. In one embodiment the sensors are mounted on one or more rail trucks that carry the car body.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a railcar body weight sensor mounted on a flexible load bearing member of a railcar body or a truck arrangement of a railcar;

a transmitter coupled to said sensor for transmitting a signal representing the output of said sensor; and

a database comprising sensor readings for a series of repeatedly added known incremental weights to a car body;

wherein;

the railcar has a support pad between a car body and said truck arrangement;

said car body rests on said support pad and is horizontally swivelable about an axis through the support pad;

said sensor is a stress/strain gauge mounted on one of said flexible members outside of said support pad that measures stress/strain based on the deformation of the flexible member upon which it is mounted and located exclusively a) offset from the axis, and b) on one side of the axis; and

said sensor output indicates a load within the railcar body utilizing data within the database.

2. A system as in claim 1, wherein:

said flexible load bearing member comprises a flexible component that flexes in response to the weight of the car body; and

said sensor is mounted on said component and produces an output in response to the flexure of said component as a measure of the weight of the car body.

3. system as in claim 2, wherein the sensor is one of a longitudinal strain gage and a longitudinally extending vibrating wire sensor to capture flexing of said component.

4. A system as in claim 1, wherein:

a temperature detector mounted on said member and coupled to said transmitter measures the temperature; and

said transmitter adjusts the signal representing the output of said sensor on the basis of the output of the temperature detector.

5. A system as in claim 1, wherein:

a temperature detector mounted on said member and coupled to said transmitter measures the temperature;

said transmitter adjusts the signal representing the output of said sensor on the basis of the output of the temperature detector, and based on at least one of a current temperature, rate of change of temperature, and rate of change of rate of change of temperature.

6. A system as in claim 1, wherein said sensor is arranged to be user movable while the car body rests on said support pad of said truck arrangement.

7. A system as in claim 1, wherein said transmitter is part of a wireless network for communicating data from various sensors to a central processor on a railcar platform.

8. A system as in claim 1, wherein said sensor includes a pair of mounting brackets and a longitudinal vibrating sensing component.

9. A system as in claim 1, wherein said sensor includes a pair of mounting brackets and one of a non-stressed load measuring device, a stress measuring device, and a strain measuring device.

10. A system as in claim 1, wherein said sensor is mounted on said member at one end of the railcar for measuring the entire weight of the car.

11. A system as in claim 1, wherein said transmitter transmits data at regular intervals.

12. A system as in claim 1, wherein said sensor is in the form of a longitudinal element.

13. A system as in claim 1, wherein said sensor has two ends.

14. A system as in claim 1, wherein a communications link communicatively coupled to the transmitter communicates the signal from said transmitter to a central office.

15. A system as in claim 1, wherein said sensor is in the form of a longitudinal element having two ends, so that flexing of the member on which the sensor is mounted changes the length of the sensor.

16. A system as in claim 1, wherein:

said railcar includes said truck arrangement as a first truck arrangement with first coaxial wheels, and further includes a second truck arrangement having second coaxial wheels,

the system further comprising at least one of said car body and said second truck arrangement having a further flexible member subject to stress and strain,

said first and second truck arrangements being spaced longitudinally along said rail car body, the system further comprising second car-body weight sensor mounted on said further flexible member.

17. A system as in claim 1, wherein said sensor is one of a plurality of sensors mounted on a plurality of flexible members.

18. A system as in claim 1, wherein said flexible member on which said sensor is mounted is exposed for mounting or removal while said rail car rests on said truck arrangement.

19. A system as in claim 1, wherein said sensor is removably mounted on said railcar while said car body rests on said truck arrangement.