The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 05, 2001
Filed:
Apr. 05, 1999
Robert S. Runyon, Roanoke, VA (US);
Norfolk Southern Corporation, Norfolk, VA (US);
Abstract
A universal directional reference for trailing locomotives and railroad cars employs a two wire mating connector for each end of the car or locomotive, each wire having a male contact at one end and a female contact at the opposite end and in a sense opposite to the other wire. A positive polarity established on one conductor having its male contact at the leading end of the controlling locomotive causes the same polarity to appear on the female contact at the rear end of said locomotive which is connected to the male contact of the next car or locomotive thereby sustaining the pattern throughout the train. Reverse orientation of any trailing unit automatically swaps the internal polarity of its trainline wires to compensate for the otherwise reverse direction of travel.