US 6,585,085 B1Granted

Wayside wheel lubricator

AssigneeTranergy Corporation

InventorSudhir Kumar

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Abstract

A wayside lubricator for railroad cars has a number of sensors mounted adjacent the track which detect the approach and passage rail cars. A lubricant supply and a pressurizing system are mounted adjacent the track and in fluid communication with a control valve and spray nozzle. The spray nozzle is aimed to shoot lubricant into a target zone when the control valve is opened. The spray nozzle is turned on for a defined duration of time so that the quantity of the lubricant is kept under control. Application of the lubricant to the wheels of the locomotive is avoided by detecting locomotive wheels and leaving the valve closed until they pass. This invention reduces the friction between the wheel tread and rail on curves for the trailing cars and thus reduces the friction and the force that is experienced by the wheel flanges on curves.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A wayside wheel lubricator for lubricating railroad car wheels rolling on track, each car wheel having a wheel tread and a flange, comprising:

a friction modifier supply and pressurizing means connected thereto, adapted for mounting on the wayside adjacent the track;
at least one sensor adapted for mounting on the wayside adjacent the track for sensing a car wheel;
at least one spray nozzle adapted for mounting on the wayside adjacent the track in fluid communication with the pressurizing means and aimed to spray friction modifier into a target zone, the target zone being defined by an area above the rail through which both the tread and flange of a wheel will pass and which is sized such that when both a wheel tread and flange are in the target zone no other part of the wheel is in the target zone;
and
a control unit responsive to the sensor for causing the release of friction modifier from the nozzle such that the friction modifier will be in the target zone when at least one of a wheel tread and a flange of a car wheel is in the target zone, the entire area of the target zone being wetted with the friction modifier when the friction modifier is released from the nozzle by the control unit.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.