Monitoring apparatus for detecting the passage of objects past a point

Claim 2

Apparatus for monitoring the movement of groups of objects along a predetermined path including sensing means for sensing the passage of an object past a point on the path of movement of tHe objects; first timing means coupled to the sensing means and operable to measure the time interval between passage of adjacent objects of a group past said point; storage means coupled to the first timing means and operable to store data representing the measured time interval; second timing means associated with the storage means and operable to measure a calculated period of time bearing a predetermined relationship to the time interval stored in the storage means; indicating means coupled to the second timing means and operable to provide an indication at the termination of the calculated period of time; and means coupled to the sensing means and to the second timing means and operable in response to sensing of another object prior to termination of said calculated period of time to cause the second timing means to initiate measuring a new calculated period of time bearing said predetermined relationship to the new time interval measured by the first timing means and stored in the storage means in response to sensing of said other object.

Claim 3

Apparatus for monitoring the movement of pairs of groups of objects along a predetermined path including sensing means for sensing the passage of an object past a point on the path of movement of the objects; first timing means coupled to the sensing means and operable to measure the time interval between passage of adjacent objects of a group past said point; storage means coupled to the first timing means and operable to store data representing the measured time interval; second timing means associated with the storage means and operable to measure a calculated period of time bearing a predetermined relationship to the time interval stored in the storage means; indicating means coupled to the second timing means and operable to provide an indication at the termination of the calculated period of time; output means coupled to the indicating means and operable to produce an output signal in response to an indication from said indicating means after passage of the second pair of groups of objects past said point subsequent to an indication from said indicating means of the passage of the first of a pair of groups of objects past said point; means coupled to the sensing means and to the second timing means and operable in response to sensing of another object prior to termination of said calculated period of time to cause the second timing means to initiate measuring a new calculated period of time bearing said predetermined relationship to the new time interval measured by the first timing means and stored in the storage means in response to sensing of said other object; and object counting means coupled to the sensing means and to the output means and operable to count the number of objects of each group of objects sensed between said indications and to permit the output means to produce an output signal in response to the indication after passage of said second pair of objects only when the number of objects of the second pair is equal to the number of objects of the first pair.

Claim 4

Apparatus for monitoring the movement of pairs of groups of objects along a predetermined path including sensing means for sensing the passage of an object past a point on the path of movement of the objects; first timing means coupled to the sensing means and operable to measure the time interval between passage of adjacent objects of a group past said point; storage means coupled to the first timing means and operable to store data representing the measured time interval; second timing means associated with the storage means and operable to measure a calculated period of time bearing a predetermined relationship to the time interval stored in the storage means; indicating means coupled to the second timing means and operable to provide an indication at the termination of the calculated period of time; output means coupled to the indicating means and operable to produce an output signal in response to an indication from said indicating means after passage of the second pair of groups of objects past said point subsequent to an indication from said indicating means of the passage of the first of a pair of groups of objects past said point; means coupled to the sensing means and to the second timing means and operable in response to sensing of another object prior to termination of said calculated period of time to cause the second timing means to initiate measuring a new calculated period of time bearing said predetermined relationship to the new time interval measured by the first timing means and stored in the storage means in response to sensing of said other object; and object counting means coupled to the sensing means and to the output means and operable to count the number of objects of each group of objects sensed between said indications and to permit the output means to produce an output signal in response to the indication after passage of said second pair of objects only when the number of objects of the second pair is equal to the number of objects of the first pair.

Claim 5

Apparatus for monitoring the movement of railroad cars long railroad tracks, each railroad car having a pair of trucks with a plurality of axles, said apparatus including sensing means for sensing the passage of an axle of a truck past a point on the tracks; first timing means coupled to the sensing means for measuring the time interval between passage of adjacent axles of a truck past said point; second timing means coupled to the sensing means and to the first timing means for providing an indication a calculated period of time after passage of the last axle of a truck past said point, said calculated period of time bearing a predetermined relationship to the time interval between passage of the next-to-last and last axles of the truck past said point; output means coupled to the second timing means for producing an output signal in response to an indicatIon from said second timing means after passage of the second of a pair of trucks past said point subsequent to an indication from said second timing means of the passage of the first of the pair of trucks past said point; closely-coupled car detection means coupled to the sensing means for producing a signal in response to the passage of another axle past said point after passage of the last axle of the second of a pair of trucks past said point and before an indication from said second timing means a calculated period of time after passage of the last axle of the second truck past said point; and means coupling said closely-coupled car detection means to said output means for causing said output means to produce an output signal in response to a signal from said closely-coupled car detection means.

Claim 6

Apparatus for monitoring the movement of railroad cars long railroad tracks, each railroad car having a pair of trucks with a plurality of axles, said apparatus including sensing means for sensing the passage of an axle of a truck past a point on the tracks; first timing means coupled to the sensing means for measuring the time interval between passage of adjacent axles of a truck past said point; second timing means coupled to the sensing means and to the first timing means for providing an indication a calculated period of time after passage of the last axle of a truck past said point, said calculated period of time bearing a predetermined relationship to the time interval between passage of the next-to-last and last axles of the truck past said point; output means coupled to the second timing means for producing an output signal in response to an indicatIon from said second timing means after passage of the second of a pair of trucks past said point subsequent to an indication from said second timing means of the passage of the first of the pair of trucks past said point; closely-coupled car detection means coupled to the sensing means for producing a signal in response to the passage of another axle past said point after passage of the last axle of the second of a pair of trucks past said point and before an indication from said second timing means a calculated period of time after passage of the last axle of the second truck past said point; and means coupling said closely-coupled car detection means to said output means for causing said output means to produce an output signal in response to a signal from said closely-coupled car detection means.

Claim 7

Apparatus for monitoring the movement of railroad cars long railroad tracks, each railroad car having a pair of trucks with a plurality of axles, said apparatus including sensing means for sensing the passage of an axle of a truck past a point on the tracks; first timing means coupled to the sensing means for measuring the time interval between passage of adjacent axles of a truck past said point; second timing means coupled to the sensing means and to the first timing means for providing an indication a calculated period of time after passage of the last axle of a truck past said point, said calculated period of time bearing a predetermined relationship to the time interval between passage of the next-to-last and last axles of the truck past said point; output means coupled to the second timing means for producing an output signal in response to an indication from said second timing means after passage of the second of a pair of trucks past said point subsequent to an indication from said second timing means of the passage of the first of the pair of trucks past said point; label means for receiving a signal indicating the presence of a label on a railroad car and for producing a signal in response thereto; synchronizing means coupled to said label means for providing a signal in response to the presence of a signal from said label means after passage of the last axle of the second of a pair of trucks past said point and before the passage of another axle past said point; and means coupling the second timing means and the synchronizing means to said output means for causing the output means to produce an output signal subsequent to initiation of a signal from said synchronizing means in response to the next indication from said second timing means occurring after passage of the last axle of the next truck past said point.

Claim 8

Apparatus for monitoring the movement of railroad cars long railroad tracks, each railroad car having a pair of trucks with a plurality of axles, said apparatus including sensing means for sensing the passage of an axle of a truck past a point on the tracks; first timing means coupled to the sensing means for measuring the time interval between passage of adjacent axles of a truck past said point; second timing means coupled to the sensing means and to the first timing means for providing an indication a calculated period of time after passage of the last axle of a truck past said point, said calculated period of time bearing a predetermined relationship to the time interval between passage of the next-to-last and last axles of the truck past said point; output means coupled to the second timing means for producing an output signal in response to an indication from said second timing means after passage of the second of a pair of trucks past said point subsequent to an indication from said second timing means of the passage of the first of the pair of trucks past said point; label means for receiving a signal indicating the presence of a label on a railroad car and for producing a signal in response thereto; synchronizing means coupled to said label means for providing a signal in response to the presence of a signal from said label means after passage of the last axle of the second of a pair of trucks past said point and before the passage of another axle past said point; and means coupling the second timing means and the synchronizing means to said output means for causing the output means to produce an output signal subsequent to initiation of a signal from said synchronizing means in response to the next indication from said second timing means occurring after passage of the last axle of the next truck past said point.

Claim 9

Apparatus for monitoring the movement of railroad cars along railroad tracks, each railroad car having a pair of trucks with a plurality of axles, said apparatus including sensing means for sensing the passage of an axle past a point on the tracks; a first source of pulses for producing pulses at a first frequency, a second source of pulses for producing pulses at a second frequency; first counting means coupled to the sensing means and to the first source of pulses and operable to accumulate a count of the number of pulses from the first source occurring during the time interval between passage of two adjacent axles past said point; second counting means coupled to the sensing means, the second source of pulses, and the first counting means; loading means coupled to the sensing means and to the second counting means and operable to transfer the count accumulated in the first counting means to the second counting means in response to passage of the second of two adjacent axles past said point; said second counting means being operable subsequent to transfer of a count from the first counting means to count pulses from the second source; and indicating means coupled to the second counting means and operable to provide a signal when the count of the number of Pulses from the second source equals the count transferred from the first counting means.

Claim 10

Apparatus for monitoring the movement of railroad cars along railroad tracks, each railroad car having a pair of trucks with a plurality of axles, said apparatus including sensing means for sensing the passage of an axle past a point on the tracks; a first source of pulses for producing pulses at a first frequency, a second source of pulses for producing pulses at a second frequency; first counting means coupled to the sensing means and to the first source of pulses and operable to accumulate a count of the number of pulses from the first source occurring during the time interval between passage of two adjacent axles past said point; second counting means coupled to the sensing means, the second source of pulses, and the first counting means; loading means coupled to the sensing means and to the second counting means and operable to transfer the count accumulated in the first counting means to the second counting means in response to passage of the second of two adjacent axles past said point; said second counting means being operable subsequent to transfer of a count from the first counting means to count pulses from the second source; and indicating means coupled to the second counting means and operable to provide a signal when the count of the number of Pulses from the second source equals the count transferred from the first counting means.

Claim 11

Apparatus in accordance with claim 5 including clearing means coupled to the sensing means and to the second counting means and operable to remove from the second counting means the effects of the count transferred from the first counting means and the count of the number of pulses from the second source in response to passage of an axle past said point.

Claim 12

Apparatus in accordance with claim 6 including control means for said second counting means coupled to the second counting means, to said indicating means, and to said sensing means, and operable to prevent the transfer or accumulation of a count in said second counting means after a signal from said indicating means until the passage of two axles past said point.

Claim 13

Apparatus in accordance with claim 7 wherein said first counting means is operable to be loaded to maximum count value in response to passage of an axle past said point, and is operable to count downward on pulses applied thereto from said first source of pulses; said second counting means has a maximum count value equal to the maximum count value of the first counting means, and is operable to count upward on pulses applied thereto from said second source of pulses; said second frequency is less than said first frequency; and said indicating means is operable to produce said signal when the count in the second counting means equals said maximum count value.

Claim 14

Apparatus for monitoring the movement of railroad cars along railroad tracks, each railroad car having a pair of trucks with a plurality of axles, said apparatus including sensing means for sensing the passage of an axle past a point on the tracks; a first source of pulses for producing pulses at a first frequency, a second source of pulses for producing pulses at a second frequency; first counting means coupled to the sensing means and to the first source of pulses and operable to accumulate a count of the number of pulses from the first source occurring during the time interval between passage of two adjacent axles past said point; second counting means coupled to the sensing means, the second source of pulses, and the first counting means; loading means coupled to the sensing means and to the second counting means and operable to transfer the count accumulated in the first counting means to the second counting means in response to passage of the second of two adjacent axles past said point; said second counting means being operable subsequent to transfer of a count from the first counting means to count pulses from the second source; indicating means coupled to the second counting means and operable to provide a signal when the count of the number of pulses from the second source equals the count transferred from the first counting means; axle counting means coupled to said sensing means for counting the passage of axles past said point; and control means for said axle counting means coupled to the axle counting means and to said indicating means and operable to cause the axle counting means to count in one direction when in a first condition and operable to cause the axle counting means to count in the opposite direction when in a second condition, said control means being normally set in the first condition and being set to the second condition in response to a signal from said indicating means, whereby the axle counting means counts in the one direction from an initial value as each axle passes said point and subsequent to a signal from the indicating means counts in the opposite direction toward the initial value as each axle passes said point; said axle counting means being operable to produce a signal when the count in the axle counting means is at said initial value.

Claim 15

Apparatus for monitoring the movement of railroad cars along railroad tracks, each railroad car having a pair of trucks with a plurality of axles, said apparatus including sensing means for sensing the passage of an axle past a point on the tracks; a first source of pulses for producing pulses at a first frequency, a second source of pulses for producing pulses at a second frequency; first counting means coupled to the sensing means and to the first source of pulses and operable to accumulate a count of the number of pulses from the first source occurring during the time interval between passage of two adjacent axles past said point; second counting means coupled to the sensing means, the second source of pulses, and the first counting means; loading means coupled to the sensing means and to the second counting means and operable to transfer the count accumulated in the first counting means to the second counting means in response to passage of the second of two adjacent axles past said point; said second counting means being operable subsequent to transfer of a count from the first counting means to count pulses from the second source; indicating means coupled to the second counting means and operable to provide a signal when the count of the number of pulses from the second source equals the count transferred from the first counting means; axle counting means coupled to said sensing means for counting the passage of axles past said point; and control means for said axle counting means coupled to the axle counting means and to said indicating means and operable to cause the axle counting means to count in one direction when in a first condition and operable to cause the axle counting means to count in the opposite direction when in a second condition, said control means being normally set in the first condition and being set to the second condition in response to a signal from said indicating means, whereby the axle counting means counts in the one direction from an initial value as each axle passes said point and subsequent to a signal from the indicating means counts in the opposite direction toward the initial value as each axle passes said point; said axle counting means being operable to produce a signal when the count in the axle counting means is at said initial value.

Claim 16

Apparatus in accordance with claim 9 further including output means coupled to said indicating means and to said axle counTing means and operable to produce an output signal in response to concurrent signals from said indicating means and from said axle counting means.

Claim 17

Apparatus in accordance with claim 10 wherein said second frequency is less than said first frequency; and including clearing means coupled to the sensing means and to the second counting means and operable to remove from the second counting means the effects of the count transferred from the first counting means and the count of the number of pulses from the second source in response to passage of an axle past said point; and control means for said second counting means coupled to the second counting means, to said indicating means, and to said sensing means, and operable to prevent the transfer or accumulation of a count in said second counting means after a signal from said indicating means until the passage of two axles past said point.

Claim 18

Apparatus in accordance with claim 11 including closely-coupled car detection means coupled to the sensing means, to the control means for the axle counting means, and to the axle counting means, and operable to produce a closely-coupled car signal in response to passage of an axle past said point while the control means for the axle counting means is in the second condition and said signal is being produced by the axle counting means; and means coupling said closely-coupled car detection means to said output means and operable to cause said output means to produce an output signal in response to a closely-coupled car signal from said closely-coupled car detection means.

Claim 19

Apparatus in accordance with claim 12 including means coupling the closely-coupled car detection means to said axle counting means and operable to set the axle counting means at a count of one axle in the one direction from the initial value in response to closely-coupled car signal; means coupling the closely-coupled car detection means to the control means for the axle counting means and operable to set the control means for the axle counting means in the first condition in response to a closely-coupled car signal; and means coupling the closely-coupled car detection means to the control means for the second counting means and operable to cause the control means for the second counting means to prevent an accumulation of a count in the second counting means until the subsequent passage of one axle past said point.

Claim 20

Apparatus in accordance with claim 11 including label signal means for receiving a signal indicating the presence of a readable label mounted on a railroad car and operable to produce a label signal in response to receiving said signal; synchronizing means coupled to the sensing means, to the indicating means, to the axle counting means, and to the label signal means, and operable to produce synchronizing signal in response to a label signal occurring after the occurrence of signals from the indicating means and the axle counting means and before the passage of another axle past said point; means coupling the synchronizing means to the control means for the axle counting means and operable to set said control means for the axle counting means to the first condition in response to a synchronizing signal; means coupled to the indicating means, to the synchronizing means, and to the output means, and operable to cause said output means to produce an output signal in response to the next signal from said indicating means occurring after initiation of a synchronizing signal; and means coupled to the indicating means and to the synchronizing means and operable to cause the synchronizing means to maintain the synchronizing signal until after the occurrence of said next signal from said indicating means.

Claim 21

Apparatus in accordance with claim 11 including label signal means for receiving a signal indicating the presence of a readable label mounted on a railroad car and operable to produce a label signal in respoNse to receiving said signal; synchronizing means coupled to the axle counting means and to the label signal means and operable to produce a synchronzing signal in response to a label signal occurring during the occurrence of a signal from the axle counting means; means coupling the synchronizing means to the control means for the axle counting means and operable to set said control means for the axle counting means to the first condition in response to a synchronizing signal; means coupling the synchronizing means to the control means for the second counting means and operable to prevent the transfer or accumulation of a count in said second counting means after occurrence of a synchronizing signal until the passage of two axles past said point; means coupled to the indicating means, to the synchronizing means, and to the output means, and operable to cause said output means to produce an output signal in response to the next signal from said indicating means after initiation of a synchronizing signal; and means coupled to the indicating means and to the synchronizing means and operable to cause the synchronizing means to maintain the synchronizing signal until after the occurrence of said next signal from said indicating means.