Precision Rail and Mfg., Inc.

Mhe Technologies, Inc.

Neal W Becker

Kurtis James Opelt

Phillip J Bartelme

Gerard R Majeskie

Robert R Meade

Stephen J McCormick

Joseph M Plasz

Mark E Ubl

Gene Z Gokhman

Stephen J Mccormick

A system for retarding the speed of a railcar comprises a brake; a hydraulic actuator moving the brake between a closed position in which the brake applies braking pressure on the wheel of a railcar, and an open position in which the brake does not apply braking pressure on the wheel of the railcar; a hydraulic circuit provided with a pump arrangement for supplying hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic actuator; and a control circuit coupled to the hydraulic circuit for controlling the flow of hydraulic fluid to move the brake between the closed and open positions.

Systems for retarding the speed of a railcar

Devices, a system and a method for controlling travel of a railcar along a set of rails are provided, the railcar having wheel treads that ride on the rails. A railcar stop is selectively movable between a first position wherein the railcar is free to travel along the rails, and a second position wherein the railcar stop is configured to engage the tread of the at least one of the wheels to thereby stop and prevent travel of the railcar in at least a first direction along the rails. The railcar stop is further configured to be selectively movable in the first direction along the rails from the second position to a third position to thereby disengage the railcar stop from the tread of the least one of the wheels.

Devices, systems and methods for engaging and disengaging railcar wheels and for controlling travel of railcar

The invention relates to a hoist apparatus including at least one of a three-part double reeved bottom block that has the same height profile as a two-part bottom block and the same lifting capacity as a three-part bottom block that includes an integral equalizer sheave nest, a device for limiting the rotation of a hoist drum beyond a desired position, a hybrid gear box adapted for use on two different categories and/or types of hoist apparatuses through the use of an adapter plate that permits coupling of the gearbox to the hoist drum of the hoist apparatus in a plurality of configurations and an external ring gear that results in a second output torque and speed of the gearbox, a self-lubricating load braking assembly having lubrication inlet holes and lubrication outlet holes for pumping lubrication into and out of the load brake assembly, a gearbox for use on the hoist apparatus including a two-stage high gear ratio gear set and a load brake assembly, a controller configured to acquire operational data representative of the hoist apparatus and generate an output indicative of a remaining useful life of the hoist apparatus, and an inverter controller configured to control verify load integrity and prevent possible load loss without the use of a load brake assembly and/or an encoder or similar feedback device.

Hoist apparatus

A hoist apparatus comprising a frame, a hoist drum mounted on the frame for rotation about a drum axis, a motor connected to the drum for selectively rotating the drum in opposite wind-up and wind-off directions about the drum axis, a hoist rope wound around the drum such that the rope winds on to and off of the drum in response to rotation of the drum in the wind-up and wind-off directions, respectively, the rope having a maximum wind-up point beyond which it is not desirable to wind a significant amount of rope on to the drum, and a proximity switch mounted on the frame adjacent the drum such that the drum moves relative to the switch, the switch being capable of sensing the presence of the rope without touching the rope, and the switch preventing the motor from rotating the drum in the wind-up direction when the switch senses the presence of the rope on the drum at the maximum wind-up point.

Hoist with proximity limit switches

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Greenfield, WI, United States of America

Neal W Becker