Did You Know...
...that Charles Goodyear performed some of his experiments on rubber while in debtor's prison? He was there so often he referred to it as his "hotel". Chronically in debt because of poor business sense and ill health, Goodyear depended on the generosity of friends and family. Even after he unlocked the secret to vulcanizing rubber, he was unable to improve his financial situation. When he died, his estate was $200,000 in debt.
PatentStorm News
Make the Most of Our Site
See this month's Top Inventors and Most Cited Patents.
Stay on top of the latest innovations by subscribing to an RSS feed.
Registered users: Manage your profile.
| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7350467 | Long rail pick-up and delivery system A long rail pick-up and delivery system providing increased efficiency and safety. The long rail pick-up and delivery system can include a power car, a rail train, a loading car, an unloading car, a transition car and two independent gantries. The dual gantry design... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7316084 | Track sledding machine The invention relates to a machine for use in track sledding operations. Machine (1) comprises a wagon (2) having adjustably carried therebeneath a multibladed plough (3). A rail clamp assembly (4) is included for suspending the track abo... | 01/08/2008 |
| 7295352 | Scanning apparatus Apparatus for performing optical scanning functions, wherein the apparatus includes an exterior scan module to facilitate a compact size. That is, the scanning apparatus in accordance with the present invention is made smaller by way of a deployable guide track and ... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7258069 | Laterally adjustable nipper-clipper assembly and method of operating a laterally adjustable nipper-clipper assembly A nipper-clipper assembly for lifting railroad ties and installing clip assembly springs to couple rails to a tie. The ties are disposed below the rails and extending in a lateral direction relative to the longitudinal rails. The nipper-clipper assembly includes a m... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7206727 | Method for designing generalized spirals, bends, jogs, and wiggles for railroad tracks and vehicle guideways A prior method for designing transition curves for railroad tracks and other vehicle guideways begin with a choice of a roll function representing a functional form for variation of the track or guideway roll or cant angle as a function of distance and requires the ... | 04/17/2007 |
| 7089867 | Device for lifting and re-positioning a track used in television and motion picture industries A device for use in television and motion picture industries lifts and re-positions a track on which camera dolly or crane is located. The device includes a first bar member of a substantially elongated shape comprising a hinge, a first caster wheel assembly, and a ... | 08/15/2006 |
| 7036232 | Apparatus for monitoring the rails of a railway or tramway line A laser apparatus for monitoring the rails of a railway or tramway line, characterized by comprising at least two measurement units mounted on a railway or tramway carriage and operating at last on the inner part of the two rails, along with said carriage is made to... | 05/02/2006 |
| 7027966 | Railroad curve transition spiral design method based on control of vehicle banking motion Transition spirals for successive sections of railroad track with different degrees of curvature are designed by first specifying the manner in which the bank angle of the track should change with distance along a transition spiral. Functional forms for bank angle a... | 04/11/2006 |
| 6832559 | Roller rail clamp The invention provides roller rail clamp apparatus for use in lifting a rail for operations such as replacement of ballast or resurfacing of a railway. The apparatus comprises parallel pairs of spaced-apart lift roller assemblies mounted to a support for positioning... | 12/21/2004 |
| 6799520 | Panel truck for changing a railway section and a point work A laying machine is provided for repair and construction of railway tracks. The laying machine includes a frame, railway trucks, upper and lifting mechanisms for lifting and laying switches and railway sections, two rods connected at the lower part of the frame, and... | 10/05/2004 |
| 6705232 | Machine for tamping ties of a track A tamping machine for tamping ballast underneath ties of a railroad track includes a machine frame extending in a longitudinal direction and supported for mobility on the track by two undercarriages. A subframe is arranged between the undercarriages and is mobile on... | 03/16/2004 |
| 6672398 | Ballast cleaning machine A ballast cleaning machine comprises a machine frame supported on the track by undercarriages for movement in an operating direction. Two vertically and laterally adjustable endless ballast excavating chains are sequentially arranged in a longitudinal dir... | 01/06/2004 |
| 6647892 | Machine for treating a track A track working machine includes a track-bound machine frame and a working unit mounted on the machine frame. A track lifting unit is vertically adjustably mounted on the machine frame and includes a tool frame, lifting drives connecting the tool frame fo... | 11/18/2003 |
| 6640406 | Railroad clip applicator system A railroad clip applicator system for efficiently securing a fastening clip to a receiver bracket of a crosstie. The railroad clip applicator system includes a housing, a handle structure attached to the housing, an actuator secured within the housing, an... | 11/04/2003 |
| 6637727 | Rail puller including a clamping beam and two clamping members and a method thereof A rail puller that applies tension to rail sections to reduce the gap between the ends of rail sections. The rail puller comprises a first clamp assembly and a second clamp assembly located at opposite ends of the rail puller. A clamping beam is coupled t... | 10/28/2003 |
| 6637133 | Ballast cleaning machine A ballast cleaning machine is a machine frame supported on the track by undercarriages, one of the undercarriages at an end of the machine frame being displaceable in the longitudinal direction. Two vertically and laterally adjustable endless ballast exca... | 10/28/2003 |
| 6546876 | Tamping machine having a measuring sensor coupled to mechanical measuring device on an auxiliary track A mobile tamping machine for tamping ballast under a railroad track includes a machine frame supported on undercarriages running on a main track for moving the machine in an operating direction. A tamping unit is mounted on the machine frame between the u... | 04/15/2003 |
| 6481358 | Track tamping method and machine In a first operating stage during which ballast is delivered to a track section delimited by two undercarriages while it is lifted, the length of the track section is extended, and the track section is shortened in a second operating stage during which th... | 11/19/2002 |
| 6474241 | Machine and method for removing an old track and laying a new track A machine for removing an old track and for simultaneously laying a new track on a ballast bed, which comprises a first tie transport apparatus for receiving the old ties, and a second tie transport apparatus for delivering new ties and laying the new tie... | 11/05/2002 |
| 6463858 | Rail tie replacement method and apparatus A rail tie replacement apparatus that includes a frame having a first side associated with a first side of a railroad track, and a second side associated with a second side of a railroad track; gripping mechanisms disposed on each of the sides of the fram... | 10/15/2002 |
| 6308635 | Rail heating module and assembly A rail heating assembly including a series of individual heating modules is operable to raise and maintain the temperature of rails of a railroad track to reduce bending and deforming of the rails due to variations of atmosphere conditions. The heating mo... | 10/30/2001 |
| 6220169 | Method of placing rail sections and a means therefor The invention relates to a method of placing, positioning and fastening railroad sections on railroad rail sections (1) on a number of mutually adjacent and mutually spaced, loose railroad sleepers (2a, 2b), with the aid of a pulling vehicle (7) which fun... | 04/24/2001 |
| 6154973 | Method for correcting the track geometry of a track A method for correcting the track geometry of a track, includes measuring an initial track position of the track following lifting of the track and tamping under the track, and so computing a final desired track position as to eliminate long-wave alignmen... | 12/05/2000 |
| 6089161 | Method and apparatus for transporting railway track sections A railway panel transport apparatus for moving prefabricated railway panels to installation sites includes a plurality of ties, a first rail, and a second rail. The ties are positioned in spaced parallel relation to support the first and second rails, whi... | 07/18/2000 |
| 6089163 | Apparatus for adjusting the distance between rails A system for adjusting the separation distance between adjacent rails over which vehicles travel, the apparatus including a vehicle moveable along the rails and including a boom or pivoted art member mounted on the frame, the boom or arm extending in cant... | 07/18/2000 |
| 5704293 | Lifting device for manipulating a track element A lifting device for manipulating a track element at a manipulating location at least partially above a track transported to a manipulating location on a transport platform of a transport vehicle and includes a lifting device frame provided with power and... | 01/06/1998 |
| 5649490 | Apparatus for supporting and raising auxiliary rail wheels on a vehicle The subject invention is an improved apparatus structured and adapted to support rail wheels on an over-the-road vehicle that is adapted accordingly to ride over railroad rails as well as over the ground on roadways, such apparatus being adapted to suppor... | 07/22/1997 |
| 5479725 | Method of and arrangement for rehabilitating a ballast bed of a track A mobile arrangement for rehabilitating a ballast bed by installing a protective layer between a subgrade and layer of ballast at a construction site of the track includes an excavation unit for continuously removing old ballast from the ballast bed to ex... | 01/02/1996 |
| 5469791 | Mobile machine for preparing rails for welding A mobile machine for preparing rails for welding comprises an elongated bridge-like machine frame extending in a longitudinal direction, the machine frame having an upwardly recessed frame portion extending between opposite ends of the machine frame and d... | 11/28/1995 |
| 5465666 | Method for changing railway sleepers and equipment for applying the method A method and apparatus for changing railway sleepers is disclosed wherein lifting devices are spaced along a section of railway line to be repaired. The lifting devices simultaneously lift and separate the rails from the sleepers. Thereafter, a plough lev... | 11/14/1995 |
| 5456180 | Machine for rehabilitating a ballast bed A mobile machine for rehabilitating a ballast bed comprises an elongated machine frame supported by spaced apart undercarriages on the track for mobility in an operating direction. Mounted on the machine frame between the undercarriages are a vertically a... | 10/10/1995 |
| 5435252 | Mobile working machine for treatment of a ballast bed or subgrade A mobile working machine for treatment of a ballast bed or subgrade for a ack comprised of rails fastened to ties includes a machine frame which is defined by a longitudinal axis and supported by undercarriages for movement in an operating direction along... | 07/25/1995 |
| 5385102 | Vehicle for the automatic laying of a track by a vehicle travelling on said track and track designed for installation by such a vehicle Vehicle able to lay a specially designed track formed from elements (5, 6, 7) joined end to end. The vehicle (8) advances along the track and carries a track element on the carriage. When it reaches the end of the track, the carriage is lowered so that th... | 01/31/1995 |
| 5357867 | Machine for renewing or laying a railway track A machine for renewing and laying a railway track comprises an elongated machine frame and undercarriages supporting the machine frame at the ends thereof. The undercarriages include at one of the machine ends an undercarriage which is vertically adjustab... | 10/25/1994 |
| 5343810 | Switch tamper A switch tamping machine comprises a machine frame, a track lifting and lining unit operated by lifting and lining drives linking the track lifting and lining unit to the machine frame, and at least one ballast tamping unit mounted on the machine frame fo... | 09/06/1994 |
| 5331898 | Vehicle for the automatic laying of a track by a vehicle travelling on said track and track designed for installation by such a vehicle Vehicle able to lay a specially designed track formed from elements (5, 6, 7) joined end to end. The vehicle (8) advances along the track and carries a track element on the carriage. When it reaches the end of the track, the carriage is lowered so that th... | 07/26/1994 |
| 5305692 | Truck mounted tie exchanger with self-aligning tie clamp A tie exchanger assembly is mounted upon a truck and is used for removal and insertion of ties in a railroad roadbed. A boom is mounted to a rail clamp table which is vertically movable between an upper stored position and a lowered operable position. The... | 04/26/1994 |
| 5299505 | Ballast tamping machine having pivotable and extendable auxiliary lifting and lining unit for branch track A ballast tamping machine comprises a machine frame supported on undercarriages, a tamping unit vertically adjustably mounted on the machine frame and comprising reciprocable vibratory tamping tools, and a track lifting and lining unit mounted on the mach... | 04/05/1994 |
| 5297482 | Rail threader A rail threader comprising a top plate having side plates extending downwardly from the opposite sides thereof. A vertically disposed plate extends upwardly from the top plate and is adapted to serve as an abutment for the loose rail during the threading ... | 03/29/1994 |
| 5295440 | Rail puller, with wedge clamp A rail puller for attachment to the end of a rail comprising a top plate having side plates extending downwardly therefrom in a spaced-apart relationship. The bottom surface of the top plate is provided with a centrally disposed guide slot formed therein ... | 03/22/1994 |
