Robotic railroad accident prevention vehicle and associated system elements

• US 5,429,329 A
• Filed: 01/31/1994
• Issued: 07/04/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Charles C. Wallace, Charles P. Swanson
• Original Assignee: Charles C. Wallace, Charles P. Swanson
• Inventors: Wallace, Charles C., Swanson, Charles P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Oberleitner, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MORANO IV, SAMUEL J
• Application Number:
  US08/188,884
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• Field of Search: 246/120, 246/121, 246/125, 246/126, 246/166, 246/182 R, 246/182 B, 246/187 R, 246/187 C, 246/202, 246/473.1, 340/902, 340/436, 340/438, 340/501, 340/669, 73/587, 73/602
• US Class Current: 246/166
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 2205/04 Satellite based navigation systems, e.g. global positioning system [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/041 Obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/047 Track or rail movements
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/34 for indicating the distance between vehicles or trains by the transmission of signals therebetween
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 3/06 with compression ignition compression ignition engines using air or gas for blowing fuel into compressed air in cylinder F02B13/02

Abstract

A robotic vehicle (10) is shown with conventional train flanged wheels (11) riding upon common railroad tracks (12). The body (13) of the vehicle encloses a conventional diesel electric power unit (14) with speed characteristics comparable to the train it precedes. The power unit (14) is controlled by a computer program, but has remote control override provisions in the software as directed by the engineer in the locomotive cab following the robotic vehicle (RV). The RV (10) has a television camera (15) viewing the track ahead and a transmitter (16) for sending the video signal to the locomotive cab'"'"'s TV monitor (17)/video cassette recorder (18). The range and power of the electromagnetic wave exchange directly between the RV and cab will be low power broadcasts and signal frequencies as assigned by the FCC. The RV has safety sensors as described in the detailed description which display warnings in the locomotive cab for the engineer to apply the train'"'"'s brakes in time, thus preventing an accident, since the distance between the train and the RV is approximately 1 to 2 miles.

Claims

1. A railway safety signalling system, comprising:

a self-propelled locomotive vehicle for traversing a railway track,

a self-propelled robotic vehicle for also traversing the track, said robotic vehicle maintaining a predetermined distance from said locomotive vehicle at selected locations along the track, said robotic vehicle comprising sensor means and trigger means operatively connected to control means on the robotic vehicle, said sensor means including an accelerometer for sensing impact with an obstacle, and a video camera means for relaying video pictures from the robotic vehicle to the locomotive vehicle, and

a signal means located adjacent a highway crossing of the track, said signal means comprising a light means controlled by a timer means, wherein upon actuation of said trigger means by a member located in the track, said control means initiates activation of said light means for a predetermined time period controlled by said timer means.

5. A railway system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sensor means further comprises a vehicle outline sensor, said vehicle outline sensor including a rod pivotally connected to the robotic vehicle and operatively connected to a switch means, wherein impact with an object by said rod activates said switch means for alerting said control means and said locomotive vehicle of a possible path obstruction.

2. A railway system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said sensor means further comprises a sound detecting device, said sound detecting device including a fixed center housing surrounded by a liquid medium which is sealed with respect to a roller casing rotatably connected to said housing by bearings.

3. A railyway system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said locomotive vehicle includes display means for displaying braking warning signals in response to impact signals transmitted to said locomotive vehicle from said robotic vehicle in response to a sensed impact from said accelerometer.

4. A railway system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said display means further includes a video display for displaying said video pictures, and a video recorder for recording said video pictures.