Patent ID: 6075212
Filing Date: 2000-06-13
Classification: G01G

Abstract:
An apparatus for weighing a rail car of a train on a railroad track and while the car is coupled to at least two other rail cars without decoupling the cars comprising a rail car positioning apparatus for positioning the rail car to be weighed and centering said car over a scale, and holding the cars contiguous to the car to be weighed from movement, said rail car having an axle member spaced along a longitude axis of the rail cars, the axle member being provided with wheels on the opposing ends thereof, each axle member being disposed at a given height, said rail car positioning apparatus comprising:a carriage assembly;first and second opposed retractable pusher members mounted on said carriage assembly;means for selectively extending said first and second retractable pusher members to at least the height of the axle member of the rail car for engaging the axle member of the rail car in forward or reverse directions;displacement means comprising a plurality of hydraulic cylinders, at least one of said hydraulic cylinders being in series with another of said hydraulic cylinders for displacing said carriage assembly in a direction parallel to the longitude axis of the rail car and for exerting a force between said pusher members and the axle member of the rail car for moving the rail car and those coupled to it back and forth to center the car to be weighed over a scale and to relieve coupling stresses from said car;a fixed scale mounted between the rails downtrack of the rail car positioning apparatus, andan rail car stop to prevent movement of all coupled cars downtrack of the scale when the car to be weighed has been centered on said scale and allow movement of the cars uptrack of the car to be weighed, by the car positioning apparatus, to free said car of coupling stresses from contiguous railcars.