Did You Know...
...that one person who claimed to be the inventor of the television is Russian emigre Vladimir Zworykin? In 1929 David Sarnoff, founder of RCA, asked Zworykin what it would take to develop TV for commercial use. He said: a year and a half and $100,000. In reality, it took 20 years and $50 million! Before his death in 1982 at the age of 92, Zworykin said of his invention: "The technique is wonderful. It is beyond my expectations. But the programs! I would never let my children even come close to this thing."
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7211976 | Control and motor arrangement for use in model train A control and motor arrangement in accordance with the present invention includes a motor configured to generate a locomotive force for propelling the model train. The control and motor arrangement further includes a command control interface configured to receive c... | 05/01/2007 |
| 7133272 | Solid-state replacement for locomotive relay A solid-state direct replacement relay assembly, and a method for installing and using it to replace the mechanical-style relays in the electrical cabinets of a locomotive. Solid-state relay components are substituted to upgrade locomotive relay systems, and to impr... | 11/07/2006 |
| 7021589 | Control system for optimizing the operation of two or more locomotives of a consist A system for controlling, a response to an operator, a consist of at least first and second locomotives having discrete operating modes. The system comprises an operator control, a first controller, a second controller, and a communication link. Alternatively, the s... | 04/04/2006 |
| 7021588 | System and method for managing two or more locomotives of a consist The system and method for controlling a consist of at least first and second locomotives having discrete operating modes. The method comprises receiving a control command and determining a power operating mode of the first locomotive and a power operating mode of th... | 04/04/2006 |
| 6763290 | Cab signal quality detecting and reporting system and method A system and method for railroad cab signal quality detection and reporting for use in connection with a railroad cab signaling system in which a status signal is carried on a railroad rail. The status signal has a cab signal parameter that is indicative of a status... | 07/13/2004 |
| 6691957 | Control and method for optimizing the operation of two or more locomotives of a consist A system and method for controlling, a response to an operator, a consist of at least first and second locomotives having discrete operating modes. The system and method comprises an operator control, a first controller, a second controller, and a communi... | 02/17/2004 |
| 6533224 | Power and impedance control methods for model railroads Methods are provided for intelligent power management control of model railroad layouts that employ multiple boosters that can be added in a parallel arrangement to increase the power available to a section of track. Boosters paralleled in this method emp... | 03/18/2003 |
| 6449536 | Remote control system for locomotives A system of controller modules allowing to remotely control a train having a first locomotive and a second locomotive separated from one another by at least one car is provided. The system of controller modules comprises a first controller module associat... | 09/10/2002 |
| 6012681 | Automatic identification of EP brake equipped railcars An automatic identification system having a storage device mounted on the car, which includes the car identification data. A reading device is connected to a local communication node which communicates with the locomotive in a network. The local communica... | 01/11/2000 |
| 6005475 | Communication method and apparatus for conveyor carriages A communication system for a plurality of carriages that travel along a rail. A power cable extends along the rail. The cable is used to convey electric current that drives the movable bodies and is also used to carry information between the carriages. Th... | 12/21/1999 |
| 5530328 | Consist power monitor A consist power monitor provides information to the engineer of a multiple unit consist on the ability of each locomotive to provide traction power and dynamic braking. The consist power monitor is a microprocessor based device which communicates with oth... | 06/25/1996 |
| 5503260 | Conveyor safety assembly The conveyor safety circuit (40) is connected on remotely operated vehicles (12) each having on-board controllers (28) which automatically run along guide rails (18) powered from power rails (20) extending along the guide rails (18). The safety circuit (4... | 04/02/1996 |
| 5383717 | Brake control of helper locomotive A brake control mechanism allows the engineman in a lead locomotive to control the brakes of a helper locomotive and does not require a manual connection of the brake pipe of the train to that of the helper locomotive. The End of Train (EOT) unit is used ... | 01/24/1995 |
| 5366183 | Railway signalling system In a railway signalling system, to achieve inter-vehicle headway spacing for railway vehicles (1) travelling on a track (T), there are a) control of vehicles by fixed block signalling and b) control of vehicles by moving block signalling via communication... | 11/22/1994 |
| 5323098 | Power-charging system for transporter cart A power-charging system for a transporter cart is disclosed. The system includes a power-supplying electrode disposed along and at a predetermined section of a travelling passage along which the transporter cart automatically runs by power from a battery ... | 06/21/1994 |
| 5305693 | System and method for externally controlled spacing of self propelled vehicles along a rail A system and method for movement of self-propelled vehicles in-line along a rail under external control is intended to ensure safe spacing between vehicles to avoid collisions. Each vehicle is driven by its own variable speed motor. The speed of the vehic... | 04/26/1994 |
| 5265832 | Distributed PTU interface system A system for testing a plurality of subsystems in a multi-car train over a train-wide communications network includes at least one master station and a plurality of slave stations interconnected by the train-wide communications network, each station colle... | 11/30/1993 |
| 5242136 | Railway signalling systems A railway signalling system for the detection of a train within a defined section of track by means of track circuit apparatus utilizes the rails within the section as part of the track circuit. The rails are electrically shunted by the wheels and axles o... | 09/07/1993 |
| 5181679 | Railway train speed restriction apparatus Apparatus for use in a train speed control system which meets speed control signals, known as code rate signals, into a track section and restricts the injection of other signals which would allow faster train speeds. The apparatus enables speeds to be re... | 01/26/1993 |
| 5142277 | Multiple device control system A train communication and control system is described having the cars of the train connected by a two-wire train line running continuously from car to car. Any car may be selected to be a master unit. The selection of one car as a master unit disconnects ... | 08/25/1992 |
| 5118055 | Reduced voltage braking system in a linear motor in-track transit system A transit system implementing a reduced voltage braking scheme is provided. The transit system includes a guideway extending between freight loading and freight unloading stations. Freight carrying vehicles are moveable along the guideway between the stat... | 06/02/1992 |
| 5116002 | Stopping zones in a linear motor in-track transit system Stopping zones in a linear motor in-track transit system are provided. The transit system includes a guideway and at least one vehicle moveable along the guideway between freight loading and unloading stations. Stopping zones are designated at certain seg... | 05/26/1992 |
| 5107770 | Conveyor drive system A drive controller for a rail supported conveyor device made up of a plurality of wheel driven support carriages linked together includes a revolution sensor on one of the drive wheels of one of the support carriages, individual torque controllers on each... | 04/28/1992 |
| 5073750 | Remote control apparatus for installation of electrical toy and circuit A remote control device for an installation of electrical toys on a circuit comprises a radio emitter (400) for emitting different radio-electric signals (b) selected by the user and a fixed radio receiver (450) for detecting and transmiting the radio-ele... | 12/17/1991 |
| 5016840 | Method to authorize a head of train unit to transmit emergency commands to its associated rear unit An EOT emergency arming apparatus and method in which an engineer at the HOT operates a standard air brake control and responds to a resulting report of change in air pressure from the EOT within a prescribed short interval. The response is a signal which... | 05/21/1991 |
| 4951574 | Conveyor system using automotive cart A conveyor system comprises a conveyor rail and an automotive cart which travels along the conveyor rail. The automotive cart obtains power for travel from power supply rails installed in the conveyor rail. The automotive cart has a first signal receiving... | 08/28/1990 |
| 4915328 | Control method of electric vehicle A control method of an electric vehicle in which a frictional contact of rotating or stationary wheels of the electric vehicle to a rail road is recovered again when the wheels are in a slipping condition which is determined by a variable concerning rotat... | 04/10/1990 |
| 4855737 | Track circuit signalling arrangement A digital signal is used for railway track circuit signalling. A digital signal comprises a pseudo-random binary sequence selected from a set of such sequences. The set is chosen to give the lowest possible cross-correlation between different sequences, t... | 08/08/1989 |
| 4838173 | Draw bar force sensing locomotive control system An improved strain sensor is disclosed utilizing a linear variable displacement transducer (LVDT) to precisely output the linear strain over a structural member. The LVDT is mounted utilizing a position apparatus having a similar coefficient of thermal ex... | 06/13/1989 |
| 4692867 | Brake control system A brake control system for a multiple unit train of mixed motor cars and trailer cars--of the type usually to be found operating as metro or mass transit trains--and in which the motor cars have dynamic brakes operation of which is blended with, but given... | 09/08/1987 |
| 4679508 | Transit vehicle door control apparatus A transit vehicle having a door includes a zero speed condition detection apparatus provided to logically supply a zero condition output signal for each of a plurality of axles when both of the tachometers for each of those axles are under a predetermined... | 07/14/1987 |
| 4641243 | Computer-controlled interlocking system for a railway installation A computer-controlled interlocking system for a railway installation which comprises a plurality of sections, each of which sections has an associated plurality of elements, comprises a plurality of section computers to be respectively associated with the... | 02/03/1987 |
| 4625279 | Vehicle speed control apparatus and method A passenger vehicle speed control apparatus and method are operative with a track providing an input speed command having ONEs and ZEROs information components. At least two programmed microprocessors operate with the vehicle and redundantly decode the ON... | 11/25/1986 |
| 4582280 | Railroad communication system A radio communication control system for a lead unit and a plurality of remote units is disclosed. The system has a protocol for establishing a communication link between the lead unit and the one or more remote units in the system which prevents any of t... | 04/15/1986 |
| 4314237 | Fail-safe acknowledging circuit A fail-safe acknowledging circuit having a plurality of relay switching contacts having a predetermined order of more restrictive significance. A differentiating circuit selectively interconnected by certain ones of the plurality of relay switching contac... | 02/02/1982 |
| 4217643 | Speed maintaining control of train vehicles There is disclosed a passenger vehicle speed maintaining control apparatus and method, including program microprocessor control apparatus for controlling the vehicle speed in response to an acceleration or tractive effort request P signal.... | 08/12/1980 |
| 4090119 | Torque analog of a series wound DC traction motor Apparatus for electronically simulating the response of a direct current traction motor to predetermined operating states whereby there is provided a resultant signal representative of the torque that would be produced by an actual motor operating in the ... | 05/16/1978 |
| 4005837 | Circuit arrangement for controlling the propulsion, braking and station stopping function for a rapid transit train A propulsion, braking, and station stopping control circuit for a rapid transit train including a first summing and amplifying apparatus for producing a velocity signal which is a function of the desired and actual velocity of the train and including a se... | 02/01/1977 |
| 3969654 | Propulsion train line encoder for a train speed regulation system A reversible binary counter unit receives periodic clock pulses from associated advance train line apparatus, one pulse at the end of each cycle of operation of the ATL apparatus to vary train propulsion level in car by car steps. The counter adds or subt... | 07/13/1976 |
