A railroad freight car multipiece spring seat assembly including a spring seat, a top plate, and a spring. The spring seat is adapted to operably engage one end of a spring assembly in a railroad freight car draft gear. The top plate is adapted to operably engage with each of a plurality of friction shoes arranged in the railroad freight car draft gear. The spring of the multipiece spring seat assembly is operably disposed between the spring seat and the top plate.

A model railroad car coupler assembly comprises a coupler with an upper shank having a coupler knuckle at a distal portion and a flat proximal portion, a lower shank having a coupler thumb at a distal portion and a flat proximal portion, and a coil spring terminating in first and second end portions, with a first turn of the coupler spring interlocked with the upper shank and a second turn interlocked with the lower shank. A mounting box has a circular mounting post that accepts circular openings in the shanks permitting them to rotate relative to each other between a closed coupled position and an open uncoupling position. The spring end portions engage the mounting box to bias the shanks into their coupled position. The knuckle carries a ferrous actuating pin that cooperates with a magnetic pad along a track to rotate the upper shank into its open position.

A railroad coupler assembly having at least a body and a knuckle both formed in a no-bake manufacturing process, the body and the knuckle having dimensional tolerances of distances between features that wear during operation that are about half those obtained from a body and a knuckle manufactured by a green sand process, resulting in increased fatigue life compared to the body and the knuckle manufactured by a green sand process. The body and the knuckle resulting from the no-bake manufacturing process have no observable laps, scabs, chaplets or welding in critical areas of the body and knuckle, which are reflected in surface conditions matching SCRATA (Steel Castings Research and Trade Association) values of: D1 (laps); E1 (scabs); F1 (chaplets); and J1 (welds).

A railcar draft gear assembly having an axially elongated spring assembly comprised of an axially stacked array of individual spring units and further including cooperating instrumentalities for maintaining the spring assembly generally axially aligned with a longitudinal axis of the railcar draft gear assembly during operation of the draft gear assembly while maintaining the individual spring units in generally aligned relation relative to each other.

Embodiments related to a self-contained coupler for model railroad rolling stock are provided. In one example, a self-contained coupler comprises a coupler assembly including a knuckle and an uncoupling assembly configured to operate the coupler assembly. The example uncoupling assembly includes a signal input for receiving a signal and a motivator coupled to the coupler assembly via a movable link, the motivator operative to adjust the knuckle from a first position to a second position responsive to the signal. The example uncoupling assembly also includes a housing including the motivator and a rolling stock mounting location for mounting the uncoupling assembly to an item of the model railroad rolling stock.

A device for coupling tilting railroad cars onto a high-speed railroad train comprises a coupler and a shock absorber held in a shock absorber frame, each joined by a coupling pin via a coupling joint. The frame includes a front inner surface with a front end wall opening and a cylindrical surface extending to a semi-circular concave inner surface. The joint includes a rounded convex surface engaged with a semi-circular concave surface, a circumferential surface of a short cylinder receiving the rear portion of the coupler, and an insertion hole which is provided in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the short cylinder. The frame has a removal hole and an air removal pin of the coupling pin facing each other at a position to rotate at a predetermined angle in a circumferential direction in the assembled state, and at a position coaxial with the coupling pin in the assembled state.

An Engineer's View (EV) wireless video system for powered and unpowered model railroad engines is disclosed. The invention uses commercially available wireless spy cameras, powered by a custom power supply circuit which is compatible with either DC or DCC track systems. The present invention is compatible with all commercial model railroad gauge diesel engines including HO and N Gauge or may be factory installed. The EV system demonstrates a remarkably stable and realistic image of a model railroad layout. Moreover, the present invention may also provide a stable source of power to the engine where stalling could occur at points of track defects.

A mechanism for coupling a switch point to a point detector box having a point detector bar includes a first portion structured to be slidably coupled to the point detector bar and a second portion structured to be slidably coupled to the switch point.

A method and system for verifying trackside conditions in safety critical railroad applications by reporting the status of trackside signals and switches to a remote train control system. The system comprises at least one sensor for providing trackside conditions electrically connected to a circuit for providing trackside conditions to a railroad, said sensor being powered by voltage applied to the circuit such that the sensor is energized only when said electrical component is engaged. The system and method further comprises a method and system which is failsafe and which enables the control system to independently verify signals from each sensor.

An apparatus for operating a railway system, the railway system comprising a lead vehicle consist, a non-lead vehicle consist and railcars, the apparatus including a first element for determining a slack condition of railway system segments, wherein the segments are delineated by nodes, and a control element configured to control an application of tractive effort or braking effort of the lead vehicle consist or the non-lead vehicle consist.

A railroad tie removal machine for removing a railroad tie from beneath a pair of rails. The machine includes a movable frame, wherein when the frame is in a stationary location, a workspace is defined with respect to the stationary frame. A tie shear workhead and a kicker workhead are both mounted to the frame. The tie shear workhead includes two sets of shears configured and arranged to divide the tie into a center portion and two outer portions. The kicker workhead includes at least one kicker configured and arranged to outwardly kick corresponding outer portions of the cut tie from under the associated rail.

Disclosed is a system and method for decreasing airflow and improving ventilation within a tunnel, such as a railroad tunnel, including a path for movement of a vehicle (e.g., train) therethrough. The system has a plurality of air baffles mounted within the tunnel, each device comprising a body and a mounting device. Each mounting device positions each body inside and along the length of the tunnel between the entrance and the exit. The air baffles are configured to restrict airflow at least in part in a longitudinal direction of the tunnel, thereby increasing a relative difference between a vehicle speed and air speed in a tunnel annulus when the vehicle passes through the tunnel. The restriction (e.g., decrease) of airflow in the tunnel reduces the piston effect resulting from the vehicle or train passing through, thus reducing emissions and heat generated by the locomotives in the tunnel.

An acoustic attenuator assembly for an acoustic tool for performing acoustic investigation of a subterranean formation is disclosed. The acoustic attenuator assembly includes a first end portion (205) and a second end portion (210) having a bore therethough to enable passage of an electrical line. The acoustic attenuator assembly further includes a fiber portion (230) disposed between the first and second end portion so that the fiber portion attenuates at least a portion of acoustic energy when the acoustic energy is received by one or both of the first (205) and second (210) end portions. The fiber portion (230) includes a continuous flexible portion that allows relative deflection of the first (205) and second (210) end portions.

A method of preventing a first door on an over-the-road vehicle from moving from a closed position into an open position. The first door has a first latch assembly that cooperates with a second latch assembly to releasably maintain the first door in its closed position. One of the first and second latch assemblies is maintained in place by at least one fastener extended into a first opening. With the at least one fastener loosened, the first locking assembly is placed on one of: a) one of the doors; or b) the vehicle frame after which a fastener is tightened into the first opening to thereby: i) maintain one of the first and second latch assemblies in place and secure the operatively placed first locking assembly. With the first door in the closed position, a locking device can be connected to the first locking assembly and another part on the vehicle to thereby maintain the first door in the closed position.

A sealing tube is wrapped around the rim and inflated such as to seal the gap between tire and rim if the seal between the tire bead and rim has lost its integrity. After this, the tire can be inflated to specified pressure at a slow rate using a portable compressor. The repair can be done at roadside on any vehicle using inflatable tires usually without demounting the wheel or even jacking up the defective wheel.

A road sign, for viewing by primary traffic and right-angled traffic comprises a sign plate having a first indicia representative of the sign's message directed to the primary traffic and a lateral member having a second indicia. In a preferred embodiment, the lateral member has suitable dimensions, is suitably positioned relative to the sign plate and has suitable second indicia so as to give the appearance, when viewed by right-angled traffic, that a portion of the sign plate was bent substantially perpendicular to the sign's normal orientation along substantially the vertical axis of the sign. Additional embodiments are also provided.

An in-vehicle system as a road curvature detection device calculates a curvature of a road in front of a vehicle based on an acquired front scene image. The in-vehicle system receives gradient information from the data map. The gradient information corresponds to a current road section on the road on which the vehicle drives. The in-vehicle system detects a gradient accuracy of the received gradient information. When the current road section has a gradient, i.e. the road is an uphill or downhill road, the in-vehicle system selects an appropriate special detection methods based on the gradient accuracy of the received gradient information, and calculates a road curvature by using the selected special detection method. Each of the special detection methods calculates a road curvature while effectively suppressing influence of a road gradient indicated by the received gradient information.

Technologies for communicating roadway information includes a plurality of roadway markers configured to propagate communications amongst each other. To do so, each roadway marker is configured to transmit communications to one or more other roadway markers. The communications may include sensor data generated by a sensor of a roadway marker. One or more roadway markers may transmit the sensor data to a roadway controller. Additionally or alternatively, the communication may include an alert message. A roadway marker may include a local alert device and be configured to activate the alert device in response to receiving an alert message. Additionally, one or more roadway markers may communicate with a roadway controller, a roadway traffic device, and/or an in-vehicle computing system of a vehicle to propagate roadway marker sensor data and/or alert messages. The roadway controller may be configured to control the roadway traffic devices, roadway makers, and/or communicate with remote computing devices.

A method and system are provided in which maintenance vehicles collect information from sensors and operators, forward the collected information to a server, and, is response, receive maps and operator instructions.

The invention provides a luminaire for illuminating a road, comprising a light source (10), a reflector arrangement (12) defining a light entrance window (18) at the top to which light is supplied by the light source (10) and a larger light exit window (20) at the bottom, and an optical plate (22) over the light exit window (20). The optical plate (22) comprises an array of elongate prisms which each extend in a side-to-side direction corresponding to the width direction of the road. The reflector (12) is primarily responsible for control of the light output in the road width direction and the optical plate (22) is primarily responsible for control of the light output in the road length direction.

In one embodiment, a method includes deriving input topics based on a content item, generating a matrix of scores for the input topics according to a first set of cross-indexed topics, where each of the scores indicates a degree of similarity between a corresponding one of the input topics and a corresponding one of the first cross-indexed topics, calculating a total score for each of the first cross-indexed topics based on the scores for the first cross-indexed topic across all of the input topics, and selecting one or more of the first cross-indexed topics based on the total scores of the first cross-indexed topics. Deriving the input topics may include using a topic tagger to identify the topics based on the content item. The first set of cross-indexed topics may be generated from a database of topics, such as an online encyclopedia.

A circuit board includes a substantially planar component carrier and a microstrip which is applied to a surface of the component carrier. The microstrip extends towards a connection transition which is arranged on a lateral edge of the component carrier. A waveguide portion of an antenna element which is produced by a 3D printing process is coupled to this connection transition.

A broadband quadruple helical circularly-polarized antenna for receiving GNSS signals comprises an excitation circuit and a set of quadruple spiral elements. Each quadruple spiral element consists of four conductors. Each conductor is a one spiral turn of the quadruple spiral element. Said conductors have equal winding angle. The winding angle of all conductors does not change in the same quadruple spiral element. Conductors of neighboring (longitudinally) quadruple spiral elements have different winding angles. The antenna provides a sharp drop in AP at angles near the horizon and a small AP level in the lower hemisphere.

A surface scattering antenna with a tightly-coupled or tightly-connected array of radiators provides an adjustable antenna with broadband instantaneous bandwidth.

TELEVISION presenter Piers Morgan has aimed a dig at a BBC Radio Solent journalist today over former Hampshire Cricket star Kevin Pietersen's exclusion from the England squad.

BROADLANDS Lakes have reported some good fish again this week.

It was a good week on Boadlands with lots of big fish being caught.

AFC TOTTON hope to make it third time lucky in knockout competition on Tuesday night.

Acting on behalf of private clients, Goadsby Commercial have completed the letting of 123 Old Milton Road, New Milton to Mr Gallacher of Printrooms-Online.

HAMPSHIRE is set to receive a massive £360m boost in a deal that aims to create thousands of jobs and new homes and revitalise the economy.

Admiralty House was converted into flats in the early 21st century, but it's origins are rather different.

In 1912, Canute Chambers was the location of the White Star Line's Southampton Office.

Albert Road was where many of the steerage passengers stayed before leaving Southampton.

The Odeon cinema in Southampton is set to become a hive of entertainment for Final Fantasy fans.

PEUGEOT calls its brand philosophy “unboring the future”.

WE’VE come to respect Lexus as a brand that delivers comfort and refinement in luxurious cars.

Hailed as “The new master of the slide guitar” by the Montreux Jazz Festival and “The real thang” by the legendary Bootsy Collins, Lincolnshire, England folk/blues musician Jack Broadbent has spent the the past few years wowing international audiences with his unique blend of virtuosic acoustic and slide guitar and songs. You've likely heard us play songs from his new album Moonshine Blue lately. He plays Isis in West Asheville Saturday night.

THIS photograph was taken by an Echo photographer on VE night and I was printed in the newspaper soon afterwards.

Perilous state of city landmark recognised.

Public invited to attend event at threatened building.

Finance boost to threatened landmark.

Celebrations planned for local landmark.

International sports legacy experts will convene at the University of Birmingham this week to discuss the rationale behind hosting global mega-events and their lasting impact.

Richard Lutz takes his pew at the Royal Shakespeare Theatrefor that most famous of revenge plays.

Road users urged to think safety as nights draw in.

Volunteers recently helped rejuvenate a garden for pupils at Broadmeadow Junior School in Kings Norton.

Agency celebrates contract win by spending two weeks driving electric.

The post pandemic society will witness a change in consumer behavior and overall lifestyle. It is estimated that consumers will be extremely cautious with their spending. The spending on luxury, travel, hospitality, and movies, fine dine, white goods, expensive gadgets, among others and see a drop.

Sgt. Matt Feddeler, a spokesman for the Tempe Police Department, said the shooting stemmed from a hit-and-run involving two vehicles.

INTRO – The typical view of the path to musical success sends the enterprising young musician into one of our country’s media centers… New York or L.A. For the members of Asheville’s The Broadcast, they’re taking a road less traveled in an effort to establish a musical career. George Olsen spoke with the band’s lead singer Caitlin Krisko and has this. I’ve long jokingly said that I’m still deciding what it is I want to be when I grow up. At 50+, the joke is getting old… as am I, for that matter. Still, there’s some truth behind the joke, which may be why I’ve always had a deep respect for anyone who determines what it is they want to be and pursue it doggedly with no doubt, no regrets. Among those now with my deep respect… Caitlin Krisko and her band mates in the band The Broadcast. “And being in NYC we realized financially speaking we couldn’t afford to do that. We couldn’t afford to pay our rent and be on the road 150 days a year without spraining our back trying to get people to