Patent ID: 7051660

Claim:
A remotely-controlled carriage assembly for automatically engaging and positioning railroad cars in a train of the railroad cars along a railroad track, comprising: a support frame having wheels and adapted to move along a guide way provided between the pair of rails of the railroad track; a radio disposed on the support frame for transmitting radio signals to and receiving radio control signals from a remotely-located main control unit; at least one forward dog and at least one reverse dog pivotally mounted to the support frame, the at least one forward dog and at least one reverse dog movable between a lowered position beneath an axle height of the railroad cars and a any raised position for engaging one of the railroad cars; dog proximity indicators disposed on the support frame and electrically connected to the radio, the dog proximity indicators adapted to produce signals indicating the positioning of the at least one forward dog and at least one reverse dog, respectively; and a counting assembly disposed on the support frame and adapted to count the number of the railroad cars that the carriage assembly passes as the carriage assembly moves along the guide way, the counting assembly comprising a plurality of counting proximity indicators disposed on the support frame and electrically connected to the radio, the counting proximity indicators adapted to produce signals when the carriage assembly reaches a preselected one of the railroad cars to be engaged by the at least one forward dog and at least one reverse dog; wherein the radio is adapted to transmit the signals received from the dog proximity indicators and counting proximity indicators to the remotely-located main control unit, and receive the radio control signals from the main control unit.