Did You Know...
...that when IBM conducted a market study of Chester Carlson's invention in 1959, the company concluded that it would take only 5000 units of his new product to saturate the market? IBM therefore declined to be part of the new product introduction. Too bad for IBM. Carlson's invention was the xerography process, and his new product was the beginning of the Xerox Corporation. It is estimated that every day, worldwide, 3,000,000,000 copies are made!!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7578485 | Method for reducing data in railway operation A plurality of trains traveling along a route in the same direction are coupled virtually and then form, for the device for safeguarding the travel operations, vehicle trains, the front of which is formed by the leading vehicle of the first train and the rear of whi... | 08/25/2009 |
| 7523708 | Railroad hopper car transverse door actuating mechanism An actuating system for operating transverse doors of a railroad hopper car. The mechanism includes an operating member which is coupled to a door or doors of the car by a shaft and a linkage which couples a power source to the operating member, where the operating ... | 04/28/2009 |
| 7458324 | Method and device for active radial control of wheel pairs or wheel sets on vehicles The invention relates to a method for active radial control of the wheels (11, 53, 103, 108, 115) of at last one wheel unit (8, 9, 10, 51, 52) on a chassis, in particular a bogie on a tracked vehicle, whereby control movements are applied to the wheel ... | 12/02/2008 |
| 7458545 | System for sending commands to train cars based on location in train A model train system is provided, comprising a command originator, layout objects, and a communication link. The communication link may be established through the use of magnetic induction coils/transceivers placed at the ends of each layout object. Commands sent by... | 12/02/2008 |
| 7451708 | Sound systems for model railroad locomotives On-board model railroad speaker enclosure designs are presented that allow maximum sized speakers, improve impedance matching of sound to the outside of the locomotive, and isolate back and front speaker waves while maintaining the standard horizontal drive-train in... | 11/18/2008 |
| 7448329 | Wheel set guidance assembly A wheel set guidance assembly is provided for suspending a wheel set bearing (10) of a wheel set (20) to a bogie frame (30), comprising separate vertical (50), lateral (70) and longitudinal (40) guidance elements for indepen... | 11/11/2008 |
| 7448328 | Hybrid energy off highway vehicle electric power storage system and method A computerized system for use in connection with a hybrid energy off highway vehicle system of a off highway vehicle. The hybrid energy off highway vehicle system includes an off highway vehicle, a primary power source, and an off highway vehicle traction motor prop... | 11/11/2008 |
| 7441727 | Highway-rail grade crossing controller with out of service mode An electronic controller for a highway-railroad grade crossing warning system is coupled to an approach circuit and to an island circuit and activates a warning device when a train is present in either of the approach or the island circuits. The controller has a dis... | 10/28/2008 |
| 7439712 | Energy collection An energy collection system may collect and use the energy generated by an electric field. Collection fibers are suspended from a support wire system supported by poles. The support wire system is electrically connected to a load by a connecting wire. The collection... | 10/21/2008 |
| 7438000 | Running gear for rail vehicles The invention relates to a running gear for rail vehicles, especially for passenger traffic, wherein a frame (1) is supported, by means of primary springs, on wheels or sets of wheels, and whereon a superstructure (5) is supported, optionally with inse... | 10/21/2008 |
| 7437997 | Method for delivering replacement rail ties using GPS techniques A method of efficiently delivering replacement railway ties for use in replacing ties that have deteriorated. GPS technology is used to obtain the GPS location of each tie that needs to be replaced. A tie train carrying replacement ties has a GPS monitor so that one... | 10/21/2008 |
| 7434701 | Device for coupling to other devices and unique identification thereof A device for coupling to other devices and unique identification thereof may include a body and a coupler. The coupler may be disposed on the body and may be operable to couple to a coupler of another device. The device may include a test circuit and a processor for... | 10/14/2008 |
| 7434518 | Two-piece model railroad truck frame A truck for use on a piece of model railroad rolling stock, the truck having axle/wheels sets associated therewith includes two identical truck portions, which, when joined, form a model railroad truck frame, which is held together by mechanical impedance by a frame... | 10/14/2008 |
| 7434768 | Portable turnout system A portable turnout system for temporary connection of a rail line to a spur line includes a ramp section having a frame and two parallel rails mounted thereon, the parallel rails each having a forward end and a rearward end higher than the forward end such that the ... | 10/14/2008 |
| 7434520 | Insulated cargo container doors A method to insulate an existing door for an existing cargo container, such as a boxcar. In one implementation, the method includes attaching a liner to at least one surface of the door, incorporating an insulating layer, and attaching a gasket to the liner. A door ... | 10/14/2008 |
| 7430966 | Brake, vehicle and roller coaster circuit A roller coaster installation comprising a stretch of water, along which runs a train of vehicles (104) provided laterally with hydrodynamic brakes comprising a fin (102) or a nozzle, becoming immersed in the mass of water (A) and discharging this in t... | 10/07/2008 |
| 7427035 | Rail damper A rail damper including an elongate damping device and a clip for supporting the damping device, the clip having a retention aperture for receiving part of the rail and, further, a recess adapted to receive the damper. This is particularly (although not exclusively)... | 09/23/2008 |
| 7421953 | Coupling device in overhead conveyor system A device for an overhead conveyor system of the type where a plurality of carriages (7) by contracting a rotating drive shaft (5) are propellable along a rail (2). The device comprises an operating arm (28) arranged in connection with a f... | 09/09/2008 |
| 7421952 | Track/right of way maintenance and repair system A track/right of way maintenance and repair system including a loader car, implement car and refuse car for removal, pickup and transport of debris found along a railroad track. The loader car is hydraulically powered along the track and includes a hydraulic rotatab... | 09/09/2008 |
| 7419038 | Reel and reel housing A reel includes a reel drum enclosed within a housing comprising a first housing portion, a second housing portion, and a middle housing portion positioned therebetween. A spindle member has a first end connected to the first housing portion and a second end connect... | 09/02/2008 |
| 7416159 | Method and apparatus for controlling railway switches A wirelessly controlled railroad switch designed for uses in a dark territory. The switch is configured to operate without the use of vital communications links to a central location, or requiring a central dispatching system or requiring a vital processor such that... | 08/26/2008 |
| 7404360 | Dynamically controllable, trolley brake A trolley for traveling along a cable. The trolley may include a frame having a first end, a second end, and a rail positioned between the first and second ends. A brake pad may connect to the frame. A sheave mount may also connect to the frame and include a sheave ... | 07/29/2008 |
| 7404524 | Traction aid device A traction aid for providing traction to a wheel of a vehicle relative a ground surface has two sections, composed of side members and traction members, connected by a connecting mechanism enabling pivotal unfolding and folding of sections between folded and unfolde... | 07/29/2008 |
| 7401557 | Support for functional planes The invention relates to a support (1) for functional planes used for a magnetic levitation track. The stator packets (11) comprised in the track are suspended in a particularly compact and production-friendly manner on a stator beam (9), the st... | 07/22/2008 |
| 7398611 | Photo album insert A photo album insert for holding at least one photograph and at least one compact disc. The insert includes at least two sheets of generally planar material, where at least one of the sheets is substantially transparent. Both of the sheets have a top edge, a bottom ... | 07/15/2008 |
| 7392749 | Locomotive propulsion system module for refurbishment of used locomotives A propulsion skid module useful for refurbishing locomotives is taught. In one embodiment, the propulsion skid module includes a skid base serving as a support for an engine; the skid base including at least two support members extending substantially the length of ... | 07/01/2008 |
| 7392747 | Rail guide for a suspended and guided sliding component A rail guide having first and second guiding rails disposed in a mirror-inverted relationship with regard to one another. At least one pair of spaced leading and following carriages are displaceably mounted to the guiding rails so as to engage and transport a slidin... | 07/01/2008 |
| 7389730 | Track-guided toy vehicle A toy vehicle is operated as a track-guided vehicle and cooperates with a metallic current rail device of the track via one or more current consumers. A magnet is installed in the toy vehicle which is moved by an electric motor to optimize the traction between the t... | 06/24/2008 |
| 7389732 | Mechanism for selectively operating hopper doors of a railroad car A mechanism for selectively operating hopper doors of a railroad car. A fulcrum coupled to the operating cylinder includes channels within which levers can be selectively activated to open specific doors of the car, thus allowing the contents of the railcar to be se... | 06/24/2008 |
| 7389940 | Method and device for fixing a guide rail A method and a device for attaching an elevator guide rail to a substrate via a floating mount. The floating mount includes at least one of a base support, a side support, and a backside support. Each of the supports has a moveable part, a stop and a flexible elemen... | 06/24/2008 |
| 7387280 | Points comprising a reinforced switch tongue blade In a switch including a main track and a branch track, wherein one rail of each track is each configured as a tongue rail and movable into abutment on the respective stock rail, at least one stock rail (1), in its region of abutment on the tongue rail (2 | 06/17/2008 |
| 7383962 | Model train with improved coupling mechanism A model train car uses an improved coupling mechanism that permits close coupling of adjacent cars in a model train, while also providing a rotational operating range that permits operation of the train with tighter model track curves. The coupling mechanism operate... | 06/10/2008 |
| 7384017 | Retractable gate A retractable gate comprising a movable arm gate having multiple sections which nest or telescope into each other when parked (e.g. upright), and extends into a full length blocking position as it is deployed. The gate arm sections are deployed by the movement of on... | 06/10/2008 |
| 7383777 | Track tamping machine A track tamping machine has a machine frame extending in a longitudinal direction and tamping units mounted to the machine frame. A first or upper transverse guide extends in a transverse direction perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction. Two sliding blocks ar... | 06/10/2008 |
| 7377220 | Operating mechanism with latching of a pivoting cover for a chair-lift A chair for an aerial transport installation comprises a pivoting protective cover actuated by an operating mechanism with automatic latching of the cover in the closed position. An operating lever is pivotally mounted on a first pivoting spindle of the cover and op... | 05/27/2008 |
| 7377471 | Method and system for opening and securing a railroad frog A method and system are provided for opening and securing a railroad frog. The system is provided with a body member and a plurality of attachment members, which are selectively securable with the body member. The attachment members are structurally configured to se... | 05/27/2008 |
| 7374109 | Rail cushion assembly A rail cushion assembly including a resilient rail pad for placement against the lower surface of a railroad rail, and an underlying abrasion plate for placement against a railroad tie. The rail pad includes a pair of slots that extend through opposite end sloping e... | 05/20/2008 |
| 7374110 | Rail anchor isolator The present invention provides an isolator particularly adapted for use with a rail anchor utilized in an application where railroad rail is installed on concrete ties. The isolator protects the concrete tie from contact with the rail anchor caused by longitudinal m... | 05/20/2008 |
| 7370586 | Rail track delivery and removal A method of transporting rails to, and leaving the rails at, a target location. The method includes using a train having multiple rail wagons. The steps include supporting the rails on at least two successive wagons with the rail being movable relative to at least o... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7370837 | Model railroad switch machine A switch machine for a model railroad layout includes a unidirectional motor, a switch actuator coupled to the motor and movable between two switch positions by rotation of the motor, a sensor coupled to the switch actuator for sensing the position of the switch act... | 05/13/2008 |
