Patent ID: 9714042
Date: 2017-07-25
CPC Classifications: B61L

Claim:
1. A rail transport system for conveying bulk materials, the system comprising: a plurality of cars for forming a train, each of the plurality of cars having a pair of side plates and at least one of the plurality of cars having a car detection element associated therewith; a drive station for engaging the side plates of at least some of the plurality of cars to impart motion thereto; and a position sensing arrangement associated with the drive station, the position sensing arrangement being configured to determine position information including at least one of a train position and a position of the at least one of the plurality of cars; wherein the position sensing arrangement includes a position sensing unit having at least one position sensor and a controller in signal communication with the position sensing unit to determine the position information based on input from the position sensing unit; wherein each of the plurality of cars has a car detection element, each car detection element having a substantially identical length in a travel direction of the plurality of cars; wherein the at least one position sensor includes: wherein the position sensing unit further includes a third position sensor responsive to the presence and absence of each of the plurality of car detection elements, separated by the second position sensor in the travel distance by a second sensor spacing and separated from the first position sensor by a third sensor spacing equal to the sum of the first and second sensor spacings, the second sensor spacing being less than the detection element length; and wherein the third sensor spacing is greater than the detection element length.