Patent ID: 6674023
Filing Date: 2004-01-06
Classification: G01G

Abstract:
An apparatus for determining the weight of an axle of a railroad car by measuring deflection in sections of a pair of rails of a railroad track caused by the wheels of a rail car passing over said sections comprising:(a) a first strain measuring device connected to a section of one of said rails and a second strain measuring device connected to a section of the other of said rails, said first and second strain measuring devices being operably interconnected and each comprising: (i) an elongated base member disposed in engagement with a section of rail, (ii) first sensor means for sensing deflection in said elongated base member and for producing a deflection signal corresponding to the deflection in said elongated base member; (iii) clamping means connected to said elongated base member for releasably clamping said elongated base member to a section of rail; (b) energizing means for energizing said first and second strain measuring devices when the wheels of the rail car are located over the sections of the pair of rails; and (c) data processing means operably associated with said first and second sensor means for receiving said deflection signals from said first sensor means and for analyzing said deflection signals to determine the weight of the portion of the rail car causing the deflection in said elongated base members.