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US 8,428,796 B2Granted
Rail conveyance system for mining
OwnerFrank Wegner Donnellyinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A rail-based system is disclosed for moving materials and is applicable to a number of industries. The invention describes a system of automated self-powered rail cars operating independently to transport material such as ore from a work face in a mine or cargo from a marine port to a major transportation hub.
Claims26
One or more burden rail cars, the one or more burden rail cars each comprising:
- (a) a structure for carrying cargo;
- (b) a plurality of truck assemblies, each truck assembly comprising one or more axles;
- (c) an on-board power source to provide propulsion power to at least one of the axles of each of the one or more burden rail cars;
- and
- (d) a control interface operable to receive and process commands, and to execute selected functions, the selected functions comprising a plurality of start, brake, speed setting, gear setting, power source activation, power source deactivation, load cargo, and unload cargo, wherein the commands are received from at least one of:
- i) a remotely located operator, ii) a remotely located computer executing automation logic, and iii) an on-board processor executing automation logic.
3 more elements
A method, comprising:
- (a) providing a haulage railway, the railway having at least one loading point and at least one unloading point;
- (b) providing a plurality of burden rail cars traversing the haulage railway, each of the burden rail cars comprising:
- (B1) a structure for carrying cargo;
- (B2) a plurality of truck assemblies, each truck assembly comprising one or more axles;
- (B3) an on board power source to provide propulsive power to at least one of the axles of the one or more burden rail cars;
- and
- (B4) a control interface operable to receive and process commands, to execute selected functions, the selected functions comprising a plurality of start, brake, speed setting, gear setting, power source activation, power source deactivation, load cargo, and unload cargo, wherein the commands are received from at least one of:
- i) a remotely located operator, and ii) an on board processor executing automation logic;
- and
- (c) loading each burden rail car with cargo at the at least one loading point and unloading, from each burden rail car, the cargo at the at least one unloading point.
7 more elements
A system, comprising:
- a railway having at least one controllable rail element;
- a plurality of self-propelled burden rail cars on the railway, each of the self-propelled burden rail cars comprising a cargo carrying structure, an on-board power source driving the driver axle of each of the burden rail cars, at least one driver axle, a transceiver, and a control interface, the control interface being operable to control selected operations of the respective rail car;
- and
- a central controller operable to:
- receive, from a selected burden rail car a current spatial location of the selected burden rail car;
- identify a controllable rail element in a path of travel of the selected burden rail car;
- determine whether the selected burden rail car is loaded or unloaded;
- and
- in response, provide a command to the controllable rail element prior to arrival of the selected burden rail car.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.