Abstract:
A train collision system helps reduce the severity of impact between a train and a land vehicle or pedestrian. The system uses a flatbed rail car that is coupled to the front of a train. Several deformable barrels, each at least partially filled with an inert material, are attached to the top surface of the rail car, the barrels each decelerating an object that strikes them. A pair of diagonally downwardly disposed arms extend out from the front of the rail car and are used to either deflect the object out of the trains path or to scoop the object onto the rail car wherein the object is decelerated by the barrels. A net member subsystem captures relatively small objects and nets them before the object strikes the barrels.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a system for use with a train for reducing the severity of impact between the train and a land vehicle or pedestrian. 
     2. Background of the Prior Art 
     Collisions between trains and road vehicles such as cars or trucks and between trains and pedestrians kill hundreds and injure thousands of people in the United States each year. In order to reduce these casualties, many prevention methods have been deployed. Such methods include warning signage, median barriers, active barrier crossing, grade separation, illegal crossing monitoring and ticketing, public awareness campaigns, as well as other methods. While these prevention methods appear to have an effect in reducing the number of train and land vehicle/pedestrian collisions and the resulting deaths and injuries, such collisions still occur. Many car and truck drivers and pedestrians ignore the barriers or attempt to “beat” the train, while some pedestrians continue to walk along the tracks and may never hear the train that hits them. A train that is moving at 45 miles per hour has little chance of avoiding an object that is 250 yards away. Furthermore, a collision with a larger object such as a car or a truck may result in the train derailing, thereby causing collateral deaths and injuries to passengers on the train and to people in the area surrounding the point of derailment caused either by impact with the train itself or as a result of the train releasing a hazardous cargo such as toxic fumes or flammable substances that ignite. 
     In order to further reduce the deaths and injuries that result from train and land vehicle/pedestrian collisions, it must be assumed that such collisions will still occur regardless of the prevention methods that are undertaken. Accordingly, the severity of the actual collision must be reduced in order to reduce the deaths and injuries from the collisions. 
     Therefore, there is a need in the art for a train collision system that reduces the resulting deaths and injuries from a train and land vehicle and/or pedestrian collision. Such a system must absorb the energy that results from the collision without a substantial portion of that energy being imparted on the object which the train strikes. The train collision system must reduce the likelihood that a train will derail when it strikes an object in its right of way. Ideally, the system must be utilizable with current trains without requiring that the trains by modified in any fashion. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The train collision system of the present invention addresses the aforementioned needs in the art. The train collision system provides a device which is added to the front of an existing train and which absorbs a substantial portion of the energy that results when a train hits an object which is in the train&#39;s path. The system either deflects the object being hit or accelerates the object to the train&#39;s speed and carries the object until the train stops, thereby reducing the potential for train derailment. 
     The train collision system of the present invention is comprised of a flatbed rail car having a top surface, a bottom surface, a first end and a second end separated by a medial portion, the rail car coupled to the front of a train by a standard rail car coupler. A plurality of first barrels each having a first height are each attached to the top surface of the rail car at the medial portion. A first inert material at least partially fills each of the first plurality of first barrels, the inert material being water, sand, high density foam or the like. A second barrel is attached to the top surface of the rail car and is disposed between the plurality of first barrels and the second end, the second barrel having a second height that is greater than the first height A second inert material, similar to the first inert material, at least partially fills the second barrel. A third barrel is attached to the top surface and is disposed between the plurality of first barrels and the second barrel, the third barrel having a third height that is greater than the first height and lesser than the second height. A third inert material, similar to the first inert material and the second inert material, at least partially filling the third barrel. A rigid frame member extends upwardly from the top surface of the rail car proximate the second end. A cover, made from an appropriate material such as canvas, plastic, sheet metal, etc., may be attached to the flatbed rail car and positioned so as to cover the various barrels. A first arm is attached to the first end and extends outwardly therefrom, the first arm having a first portion that is disposed diagonally downwardly relative to the top surface and a pointed end. A second arm is attached to the first end and extends outwardly therefrom in generally coextensive fashion to the first arm, the second arm having a second portion that is disposed diagonally downwardly relative to the top surface and a second pointed end. Cross arms extend between the first arm and the second arm while respective risers are used to attached each arm to the top surface of the rail car. A resilient covering may be attached to the top of each arm. A net member may be provided, the net member having a first side, a second side, a third end, and a fourth end, the first side attached to the first arm and to the top surface, the second side attached to the second arm and to the top surface, the third end attached to the first arm and the second arm, and the fourth end positioned over top at least one of the plurality of first barrels. A first bracket is pivotally attached to the first arm and to the second arm, and attached to a portion of the first side, a portion of the second side and to the third end while a second bracket is pivotally attached to the first arm and to the second arm, and is attached to a portion of the first side, a portion of the second side and to the fourth end. Means are provided for pivotally moving the first bracket toward the second bracket and the second bracket toward the first bracket. 
     In use, the second end of the rail car of the train collision system is coupled to the front end of a train. If the train collides with an object, the pointed ends of the first arm and the second arm either deflect the object out of the way of the moving train or scoop the object up and onto the rail car. The inert material filled barrels decelerate rearward movement of the object, with the third and second barrels, by being increasingly higher, provide relatively greater deceleration as the object moves toward the train proper. If the object has sufficient force so as not to be fully decelerated by the various barrels, the frame member helps prevent the object from striking the train proper. If the train collision system makes impact with a relatively small object, such as a human, the first arm or the second arm help deflect the human out of the train&#39;s path, the resilient coverings helping to reduce the severity of injury that results from the impact. Alternately, the human may be positioned between the two arms, wherein the person is caught in the net member, in which case the first bracket and the second bracket come toward one another and capture the human within the basket that is formed by the net member and the two brackets. In this case, the resilient coverings, by being relatively soft, are broken away as the third bracket articulates toward the fourth bracket. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side view of the train collision system of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the train collision system. 
     FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the train collision system. 
     FIG. 4 is a sectioned view of the train collision system taken along line  4 — 4  in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 5 is a side view of the train collision system utilizing a net system. 
     FIG. 6 is a top plan view of FIG.  5 . 
     FIG. 7 is a front elevation view of FIG.  5 . 
     FIG. 8 is a side view of the train collision system utilizing a covering attached to each arm. 
     FIG. 9 is a top plan view of FIG.  8 . 
     FIG. 10 is a side elevation view of the train collision system utilizing a covering for the barrels. 
     FIG. 11 is a top plan view of FIG.  10 . 
     FIG. 12 is a top plan view of the net member. 
    
    
     Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawings, it is seen that the train collision system, generally denoted by reference numeral  10 , is comprised of a flatbed rail car  12  having a top surface  14 , a bottom surface  16 , a first end  18  and a second end  20  separated by a medial portion  22 . The rail car  12  has a pair of spaced apart rail carriages  24  extending downwardly from the bottom surface  16 , the wheels  26  of the rail carriages adapted to ride on rails R in standard fashion. The rail car  12  is coupled to the front of a train (not illustrated) by a standard rail car coupler  28 . A plurality of first barrels  30  each having a first height are each attached to the top surface  14  of the rail car  12  at the medial portion  22 . A first inert material at least partially fills each of the first plurality of first barrels  30 , the inert material being water, sand, high density foam or the like. The plurality of first barrels  30  may extend along substantially the entire medial portion  22  or, as illustrated progressively higher barrels  32  and  34  can be used in moving toward the second end  20  of the rail car  12 . As such, at least one second barrel  32  is attached to the top surface  14  of the rail car  12  and is disposed between the plurality of first barrels  30  and the second end  20 , the second barrel  32  having a second height that is greater than the first height. A second inert material, similar to the first inert material, at least partially fills the second barrel  32 . If further desired, at least one third barrel  34  (and a fourth barrel (not illustrated) etc., can be used) is attached to the top surface  14  and is disposed between the plurality of first barrels  30  and the second barrel  32 , the third barrel  34  having a third height that is greater than the first height and lesser than the second height. A third inert material, similar to the first inert material and the second inert material, at least partially filling the third barrel  34 . The various barrels  30 ,  32 , and  34 , can be made from any appropriate material such plastic, metal, and the like. The various barrels  30 ,  32 , and  34 , can each be made from different materials so that the barrels located relatively closer to the second end  20  provide more deceleration properties relative to the deceleration properties of the barrels located relatively closer to the first end  18 . The barrels  30  that are closest to the first end  18  of the rail car  12  may be aerodynamically shaped in order to reduce drag as the train collision system  10  moves forwardly. 
     A rigid frame member  36  extends upwardly from the top surface  14  of the rail car  12  proximate the second end  20 . A cover  38 , made from an appropriate material such as canvas, plastic, sheet metal, etc., may be attached to the flatbed rail car  12  and positioned so as to cover the various barrels  30 ,  32 , and  34 , and frame  36 . A first arm  40  is attached to the second end  20  and extends outwardly therefrom, the first arm  40  having a first portion  42  that is disposed diagonally downwardly relative to the top surface  14  and a first pointed end  44 . A second arm  46  is attached to the second end to  20  and extends outwardly therefrom in generally coextensive fashion to the first arm  40 , the second arm  46  having a second portion  48  that is disposed diagonally downwardly relative to the top surface  14  and a second pointed end  50 . Cross arms  52  extend between the first arm  40  and the second arm  46 . Risers  54  are used to attach each arm  40  and  46  to the top surface  14  of the rail car  12 . A resilient covering  56  may be attached to the top of each arm  40  and  46 , the coverings  56  being made from an appropriate relatively soft material such as high density foam or water resistant molded thermoform plastic. 
     A net member  58  may be provided, the net member  58  having a first side  60 , a second side  62 , a third end  64 , and a fourth end  66 , the first side  60  attached to the first arm  40  and to the top surface  14 , the second side  62  attached to the second arm  46  and to the top surface  14 , the third end  64  attached to the first arm  40  and the second arm  46 , and the fourth end  66  positioned over top at least one of the plurality of first barrels  30 . A first bracket  68  is pivotally attached to the first arm  40  and to the second arm  46 , and is attached to a portion of the first side  60 , a portion of the second side  62  and to the third end  64  of the net member  58 , while a second bracket  70  is pivotally attached to the first arm  40  and to the second arm  46 , and is attached to a portion of the first side  60 , a portion of the second side  62  and to the fourth end  66  of the net member  58 . In a normally relaxed positioned, a portion of the first bracket  68  is positioned against the first arm  40  and the second arm  46  and may be attached thereto, while a portion of the second bracket  70  is positioned atop at least one of the barrels  30  and may be secured thereto. Means are provided for pivotally moving the first bracket  68  toward the second bracket  70  and the second bracket  70  toward the first bracket  68 . 
     In use, the first end  18  of the rail car  12  of the train collision system  10  is coupled to the front end of a train (not illustrated). If the train collides with an object, the first arm  40  and the second arm  46  either deflect the object out of the way of the moving train or scoop the object up (with the help of the pointed ends  44  and  50  of the first arm  40  and the second arm  46  respectively) and onto the rail car  12 . The inert material filled barrels  30 ,  32 , and  34  decelerate rearward movement of the object, with the third barrels  32  and second barrels  34 , by being increasingly taller (and thus having more inert material therein and thus having more decelerating capacity), provide relatively greater deceleration as the object moves toward the train proper. This progressively increasing deceleration design allows a small object, such as a car to be decelerated by several of the first barrels  30 , each first barrel  30  offering a portion of the deceleration action, thereby allowing the deceleration to be accomplished by a large number of barrels  30  spread across a relatively long distance, and thereby decreasing the energy transfer to the object itself. For a relatively larger object, such as a truck, the first barrels  30  provide the initial deceleration, while the third barrels  32  and the second barrels  34  providing an increasing level of deceleration to finish the stopping of the object. If the object is larger still, such as a fully loaded truck, the frame member  36  helps prevent the object from striking the train proper. If the train collision system  10  makes impact with a relatively small object, such as a human, the first arm  40  or the second arm  46  help deflect the human out of the train&#39;s path, the resilient coverings  56  helping to reduce the severity of injury that results from the impact. Alternately, the human may be positioned between the two arms  40  and  46 , wherein the person would be caught in the net member  58 , in which case the first bracket  68  and the second bracket  70  come toward one another and capture the human within the basket that is formed by the net member  58  and the two brackets  68  and  70 . Appropriate means (not illustrated) are used to accomplish this feat. Such means can include spring-loading the brackets  68  and  70  such that a collision triggers appropriate releases on the springs (similar to a mouse trap), providing motors on the first bracket  68  and the second bracket  70  and having sensors on the net member subsystem that sense a collision and activate the motors, etc. When the brackets  68  and  70  are articulated toward each other, the resilient coverings  56 , by being relatively soft, are broken away. Additionally, the net member  58 , the first bracket  68 , and the second bracket  70  are each attached to their respective various components so that each easily breaks away therefrom when a collision occurs. 
     While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to an embodiment thereof, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.