CA1063136A - Short scale for weighing railway vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

A weighing apparatus for weighting a load movable along at least one track rail such as a railroad car.
Previous weighing apparatus of this type generally require a concrete base to provide the necessary rigidity for accurately weighing a railroad car. The weighing apparatus according to the present invention includes a pair of parallel weigh rails supported from and longitudinally interposed in a gap in the track rail adjacent to the weigh rail, a splice bar assembly for retaining each weigh rail in longitudinal alignment with the track rail, and a strain gauge load cell interposed between the weigh rail and the assembly supporting the weigh rail, for providing a signal indicative of the weight on the weigh rail.

Description

~313bi ~
This invention relat0s to an improved weighing appara- :
tus of the type used ~or weighing moving vehicles constrained to a track, such vehicles including railroad ~reight cars.
Present railroad cars are being made longer and heavier, thus complicating weighing o~ the cars in the railroad yards and policing ~or overweight cars along the track lines. The normal w~ighing practice in hump yards has been -to use the "down the hump" single draft weighing method, which comprises sending the car to be weighed over a hump and down an inclined approach to the weigh bridge which weighs the entire car at one time. However, the longer cars necessitate a longer weigh bridge, since it is de-sirable that regular humping operations not be disrupted during weighingO The weigh bridges in these applicatlons approach one -hundred ~eet in length.
Double dra~t weighing is another weighirlg method presen-tly in use. This method uses a shorter weigh bridge and only one truck o~ the railroad car is weighed at a time~ The weight o~ the entire car is obtained by simply adding the individual truck wei-ghts. However, because of the increasing occurrence of three axle 20 trucks on railroad cars, these double dra~t weigh bridges must :
still be quite long For exa.mple, the conventional spacing be-tween axles is ~ive ~eet six inches, and thus approximately twelve ~eet is the minimum length ~or weighing a three axle truck. there-~ore, double dra~t weigh bridges that are less than twelve feet long are not only restricted to weighing cars having two axle tru~
c.ks, but are also restricted to weighing cars that move at a very slow speed. ~
Another use for weigh bridges is the policing o~ over- ~.
weight cars at selected locations along the railroad lines. Clear- .
ly a single draft weigh bridge o~ one hundred ~eet in length is not a practical solution because o~ -the installation expense and the limited number o~ locations where such a bridge can be instal-~)63~3b; ;
led. The double draft weigh bridges currently in use have thedisadvantage of requiring a relatively long and complex weigh bri- ~` ?
dge and a scale pit having a concrete foundation. ~`
Thus, the need exists for a relatively accurate, inex-pensive, easily installable and easily relocatable wei~hing appa-ratus. This apparatus can then be used at ei.ther a railroad yard or can be located in a remote section of the line, thereby allow-ing for the policing of overweight cars, axle overloa.ding or un-even weight distributionO
There have been a number of attempts to fill this need, but most weighing apparatus installations still re~uire a concrete .
foundation. The disadvantages of using concrete is that the in-~
stallation of the weighing apparatus cannot be accomplished in a single da.y, there is an added expense in the construction of the foundation, and the scale is not easily reloca.table~ One weighing apparatus using concrete is described in United States Letters Pa- .
tent number 3,~21,593 granted to M.J. Buchman. The design of the ~ -.
scale pit used in the Buchman weighing apparatus elimina.tes the ~
need for concrete side walls, but it still re~uires a concrete ba- `
20 se in order to provide the necessary rigidity to the load respon- i ;........ ... .
sive means and support to the weigh ra.ils. ~ ~
.; ~, ~ -.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an ``~: .
easily installable, inexpensive, and easily relocatable weighing appara.tus for the weighing of stationary or moving railroad vehi-cles and other vehicles or objects movable along a track.
An important advantage of the present invention is that an accurate weight is obtained without the incorpora.tion of a con-crete scale pit. Further, the structure of the present invention is less complex than other weighing apparatus. .
Other features and a.dvantages of the present invention will be set forth or be apparent from the description of a pres-ently preferred embodiment found herein below.

063~L3~

The invention provides a weighing apparatus for weigh-ing a load movable along an elongate track rail, said elongate track rail including a first elongate track rail section and a second elongate track rail section longitudinally spaced there--from and in longitudinal alignment therewith, said weighing appa-ratus comprising: a weigh rail interposable in said space in longitudinal alignment between said first and said second track rail sections; ~irst means for supporting a first end o~ said weigh rail said first supporting means being supported by the end of the first track rail section adjacent to said first end of the ;~ ~
weigh rail; second means for supporting the other end of saidweigh ~ :
rail, said second supporting means supported by the end of the se-cond track rail section adjacent to said other end of the weigh rail; said weigh rail being supported by said ~irst and second SUp-port means in -the space between said track ra.il sections; means for retaining said weigh rail in longitudinal alignment with said track rail sections; and at least one weight responsive mea.ns re-sponsive to the weight of the load on said weigh rail for provid- .:
ing a signal that is representative of the weight of the load on .
20 said weigh rail, said weight responsive means being supported by ~ .
one of sa.id first and second supporting means.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a track rail provided :~
with a weighing apparatus according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is a front elevation of a weigh rail o~ Figure 1, showing details of the support means for the weigh rail;
Figure 3 is an end sectional elevation view taken along the lines 3-3 of Figure 2; ... :
Figure 4 is a plan view of a portion of Figure 2, taken ~ :
along lines 4-4 of Figure 2; and Figure 5 is a sectional elevation view of a portion of Figure 4 taken along lines 5-5 of Figure 4.
Referring now to Figure 1, a diagrammatic representation ~L~63~3~; ~
is shown of a weighing apparatus 10, for weighing railroad cars, constructed according to ths invention. A railroad car ll, com-prising a front two-a~le truck 12 having rear wheels 13 mounted on common axle 14 and front wheels 15 mounted on common axle 16, is depicted moving in the direction of arrow 17 along a pair of parallel conventional elongate track rails 13 and lg. Track rail 18 comprises a first track rail section 18' and a second track rail section 18" longitudinally spaced there:Erom and in longitu-dinal alignment therewith. Similarly, track rail 19 includes a first track rail section 19' and a second track rail section (not shown) arranged in the same fashion. Weighing apparatus lO is dis-posed in each track rail in the space between the first and second ~ `~
track rail sections, the spaces being in transversely corresponding relation, whereby front wheels 15 on common axle 16 simultaneously `~
traverse weighing apparatus lO. ;
The installation area of weighing apparatus 10 ls also shown in Figure l. A gravel filled excavation 21 having a trans-verse drainage pipe 23 thereon is located below weighing apparatus `~
lO in order to ensure proper drainage of the arqa. Over-sized tim-bers 24 and 25, transversely located on top of gravel filled exca-vation 21 and longitudinally spaced on either side of pipe 23, re-spectively support overlapping end 26 of track rail section 18' and overlapping end 27 of track rail section 18". In a similar manner, the track rail sections of track rail l9 are supported by timbers 24 and 25. A suggested size for timbers 24 and 25 is six-teen inches wide by ten inches high, it being understood that con- ~ ~
-: .
ventional railroad ties 29, also supporting track rails 18 and 19, ~re normally nine inches wide by seven inches high.
The installation area can also include a rough base up-on which over-si~ed timbers 24 and 25 would be located. This ba-se can be comprised of a number of conventional railroad ties, such as four or five ties similar to ties 29, located parallel to -~ 10~i3~L36i the track rails 18 and 19. This type of a base would provide a sturdy Poundation upon which weighing apparatus 10 can be located. :~
Weighing apparatus 10 is comprised of a load bearing parallel elongate weigh rails 30 and 31 secu:red onto a rec~angular plate-like scale table 33 with conventional metal clips 35 in a mutually parallel longitudinal arrangement wherein the lateral :~
spacing between weigh rails 30 and 31, commonly referred to as the track gauge, is equal to the track gauge of track rails 18 and 19.
Thê advantage of having a weighing apparatus tha$ is easily in~
stallable in any location in only a dayts time is attained by us-ing very short weigh rails 30 and 31 and supporting them in a man- : -ner to be described from track rail sections 18' and 18" and from the track rail sections o~ track rail 19 such that weigh rails 30 and 31 and track rails 18 and 19 are substantially at the same height. In one weighing apparatus according to the in~ention, weigh rails 30 and 31 are identical to track rail sections 18' and 18" in cross section and a.re only two feet long thereby having a ~ :
length that is less than the spa.cing between rear wheels 13 and front wheels 15 and restricting weighing apparatus 10 to the weigh-ing of individual wheel lo:ads. This is seen in Figure 1 wherein car 11 is shown in position for the weighing o~ front wheels 15 of truck 12, whereas rear wheels 13 of truck 12 are supported by track rail section 18" and the corresponding track rail section of rail 19.
Weigh rails 30 and 31 are respectively retained in longi~
tudinal alignment with track rails 18 and 19 with elongate splice bars 37 and 38. Only splice bar 37 and its relationship to weigh rail 30 and track rail sections 18' and 18" will be described, it being understood that splice bar 38 is similar in construction:
and attachment. Referring now also to Figures 3, 4 and 5, it is seen that splice bar 37 comprises two elongate splice bar sections 40 and 41 of equal length, one section located on each side of and -- 5 -- ..

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abutting the longitudin~lly aligned combination of track rail sec-tion 18', weigh rail 30 ~nd track rail section 18". Splice bar section 40 comprises a smaller and thinner middle portion 42 and, integral with middle portion 42, higher and wider end portions 44 and 45. Splice bar section 40 is longitudinally located such that only middle portion 42 engages weigh rail 30. End portions 44 and `:
45 respectively extend longitudin~lly beyond ends 47 and 48 of wei- ~ .
gh rail 30 and respectively overlap and a.re rigidly secured to tra- ;-:
ck rail sections 18' and 18" wi-th bolts 49. Splice bar section 41, .~ .
10 similar to splice bar section 40, comprises a middle portion 43,and ~:.
integral end portion 46 and a corresponding second end poxtion (not - .
shown) and is similarly longitudinally located and rigidly secured to track rail sections 18' and 18" with bolts ~0. ` .
With re~erence to Figures 3 and 5, it will be seen that end portion 45 of splice bar section 40 engages track rail section 18' along the upper side of the base 50 and along the underside lip 52 of the tread 53, the other end portion 44 similarly engaging :~
track rail section 18". HoweveP, (see Figure 5) middle portion 42 only engages weigh rail 30 along the upper side of the weigh rail base 55, lea.ving a gap 56 between the underside lip 57 o~ the wei- ~:
gh rail tread 58 and the top 59 of middle portion 42, thereby per- .; ;;
mitting limited vertical movement of weigh rail 30 resulting from ;
the weight o~ the load thereon. Bolts 60 extend through vertical-ly elongate slots 61 in weigh rail 30 and position middle portions 42 adjacent weigh rail 30, and slots 61 permit the aforementioned vertical movementO Splice bar section 41 similarly engages track ~ ~
rail sections 18Y and 18" and is bolted to and engages weigh rail ~ ~-30. ' .
The means for supporting weigh rail 30, shown in Figures

2, 3 and 4, comprises support assemblies 70 and 71. Support ass-embly 70 supports end 48 of weigh rail 30, suppor-t assembly 7Q be-ing supported by end 26 of track rail section 18Y. ~uppo~t assem-, :. , -~63~36 ~

bly 71 similarly supports 0nd 47 of weigh rail 30, support assem-bly 71 being supported by end 27 of track rail section 18"; weigh rail 30 being supported by support assemblies 70 and 71 in the a~ .
forementioned space between track rail sections 18' and 18"~ Wei- ~
gh rail 31 is simllarly supported by similar support assemblies ' ~' (not shown) in the aforementioned space between the track rail sec- ~,s tions of track rail 19. ';~
Only support assembly 70 will be described in further ~ :
detail, it being understood that the other support assemblies are similar. Support assembly 70 is comprised of a paddle shaped front hanger plate 72 having handle end 73 and blade end 74; a pad- ~.
dle shaped rear hanger plate 75 having a handle end 76 and a blade , end 77; a bottom plate 78 rigidly attached to, for example by wel-ding, and connecting the bot-tom o~ :eront hanger plate 72 to the bottom of rear hanger plate 75; and an elongate member 79 secured, .3 B for example by welding, to the bottom 80 of scale table ~ and e~- ' tending parallel to and outwardly from end 48 of weigh rail 30, ' ~ , elongate member 79 being ultimately supported at outer end 81 by a strain gauge load cell 82 which in turn is supported by bottom ' 20 plate 78. :~
Support assembly 70 is supported from track rail section . :
18~ essentially as ~ollows. ~ront hanger plate 72 a,nd rear hanger plate 75 of support assembly 70 upwardly engage the outer side of splice bar sections 40 and 41, respectively, near end 26 of track ~' rail section 18' and are attached thereto with support bolt 85.
Rigidity is provided to suppor-t assembly 70 by outer retainer bars -86 and 87 respectively located on the outer sides of handle ends 73 and 76 and are secured thereto with support bolt 85. Addition~
al rigidity is provided to support assembly 70 by a retainer block 30 assembly which comprises a front retainer block 88 and a rear re- ' tainer block 89, respectively engaging handle ends 73 and 76; and a transverse bar 90 extending laterally below track rail section 18' 7 _ , . ~ ~ .

"
~o~3~36 , ~ , and respectively attached to -the lower end of front retainer block 88 and the lower end of rear retainer block 89 with bolts 91 and 92. :.
.. . .
As can best be seen from Figure 3, the load cell sup-port structure is comprised of load cell 82 supported by bottom plate 78 and includes a tempered bearing plate 83 interposed be- ~ -tween the top of load cell 82 and outer end ~1 of elongate member . ~`
79. Thus, load cell 82 receives the weight ~f the load on weigh ;. : :
rail 30 as a compressive force from elongate member 79 and trans~
fers it to support a.ssembly 70, which in turn transfers the weight .
1~ to track rail section 189. Responding to this compression, load ..
cell 82 produces an output electrical signal, which is transmitted by wiring (not shown) to a conventional analysis unit (not shown).
The treatment of the output electrical signal so as to provide the weight of the load is pre~erably accomplished in a. manner and with an analyzing system such as described in United States Letters Pa-tent No. 3,276,525 granted to one of the present co-inventors, .
George Cass and the improvement thereto described in United States ..
Letters Patent No. 3,545,555 also granted to George ~ass. .
There may also arise a need for strengthening a.nd provi-20 ding greater rigidity to the entire weighing apparatus. This can , be accomplished,as shown in Figure 1, by laterally interposing ::
between -the end portions of the inner splice bar sections of splice bars 37 and 38 one or more transverse stiffeners, such as transverse .
stiffeners 100 and 101, respectively located at each end of the weighing apparatus and extending laterally from splice-bar 37 to splice bar 38. Also stiffeners, such as 102 and 103, can be loca-ted on scale table 33 and extend laterally from splice bar 37 to .
splice bar 38, thereby providing transverse rigidity to weigh rails 30 and 31. Longitudinal rigidity of the scale table 33 can be provided by longitudinally interposing between transverse stiffen-ers 101 and 102, one or more stay rods, illustrated by stay rods 105. The desired number and location of the transverse stiffeners . . .
,: . . , . : , .

~063136 and the stay rods can be easily determined by those skilled in the art and depends, for example, upon the track, the size and ~:.
weight of the railroad cars, and the terrain, or location o~ the weighing apparatus~
Weighing apparatus 10 in Figure 1 can be relatively eas- :
ily and rapidly installed.in any desired previously built section of track or installed when new -track is lain. In either situa- ~ :
tion, an excavation that need measure only 10 feet long, 14 feet ;~ :
wide and 2~ feet deep is dug at the desired location and filled with gravel 21, approximately 8 cubic yards of gravel being re~
quirPd. Oversized timbers 24 and 25 are then positioned on top :~ -of gravel 21 and under the ends of track rails 18, 19, in a dir- :~
ection perpendicular to track rails, so as not to interfere with support assemblies 70 and 71. Weighing apparatus 10 can be pre- . ~
assembled elsewhere to the extent that all that is re~uired at ~ :
the installation site is the bolting o~ support assemblies 70 to . : .
track rail sections 18' and 18" and bolting splice bars 37 and 38 -.
to weigh rails 30 and 31 and to track rail sections 18' and 18"
and the bolting of support assemblies 70 to track rail sectLons 18' and 18" described above. The desired number of transverse stiffeners and stay rods are then welded into place ~hd the elec trical connections are made from load cell 82 to the ana.lyzing sy-stem, not shownO
In operation, the railroad vehicles move at speeds up to three miles per hour, across weigh rails 30 and 31. As the wheels ~.
of each axle cross over weigh rails 30 and 31, a force exerted on ;~:
weigh rails 30 and 31 that corresponds to the weight those wheels are supporting, is transferred to load cells 82. Load cells 82 produce an output electrical signal proportional to the load im- .`
30 posed upon them in a malmer that is well known in the art. The ~
summation of the output signals from all the load cells will re- ~ :
present the weight on weigh rails 30 and 31. The preferred method _ g -j: ' ~63~L3~ ~ ~
o~ producing and summing these signals, and o~ obtaining the to~
tal weight o~ car 11 is descrlbed in a~orementioned Let~ers Pa- ` ~;
tent No. 3,5~5,555. I~ the weight of car 11 is obtained by that method, a minimum scale borne time o~ only approximately one se-cond will be required.
Other modi~ications o~ the preferred embodiment are ap-parent to those skilled in the art. For exa~ple, the weight res-ponsive means can be comprised of a tension sensing means which senses the increase in tension o~ supporting apparatus 70 corres-ponding to the weight o~ the load on weigh rails 30 and 31. Theweight responsive means can also be comprised o~ a de~lection sen- -sing means that senses the downward deflection o~ weigh rails 30 and 31 corresponding to the weight o~ the load being supported thereon. `
Whereas the weighing apparat~ls described in the pre~er-red embodiment is one ~or weighing railroad cars, it is understood , ~
that with readily apparent modifications, the same principle can be used to construct a device for the weighing o~ any object which is being transported over either a one track rail or a two track rail system. Such objects can include animal carcasses, mail bags, mining carts and the like. I~ the weighing apparatus is to be used in a one track rail system, it is apparent that the weighing ap-paratus would utilize a single weigh rail. In such an embodiment, extension bars 79 can be rigidly attached directly to the bottom of the weigh rail 30.
From the description o~ the weighing apparatus, it should be readily apparent that the advantages of the invention include the ~act that it can easily be installed, it can be installed along ~ -any desired section of track, it is relatively inexpensive because 30 a concrete ~oundation is not required, and the weighing apparatus `
can be relocated at a minimum cost.

Although the invention has been described in detail with - 10 -- ~ -3L~63136 ; ~
respect to an exemplary embodiment thereof, it will be understood ~:~
by those of ordinary skill in the art -that variations and modi~i-cations other than those described may be e~ected within the spirit and scope o~ the invention~
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Claims (13)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A weighing apparatus for weighing a load movable along an elongate track rail, said elongate track rail including a first elongate track rail section and a second elongate track rail section longitudinally spaced therefrom and in longitudinal alignment therewith, said weighing apparatus comprising: a weigh rail interposable in said space in longitudinal alignment between said first and said second track rail sections; first means for supporting a first end of said weigh rail, said first supporting means being supported by the end of the first track rail section adjacent to said first end of the weigh rail; second means for supporting the other end of said weigh rail, said second support-ing means supported by the end of the second track rail section adjacent to said other end of the weigh rail, said weigh rail being supported by said first and second support means in the space bet-ween said track rail sections; means for retaining said weigh rail in longitudinal alignment with said track rail sections; and at least one weight responsive means responsive to the weight of the load on said weigh rail for providing a signal that is representa-tive of the weight of the load on said weigh rail, said weight responsive means being supported by one of said first and second supporting means.

2. A weighing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said retaining means is comprised of an elongate splice bar of a length longer than said weigh rail, said splice bar having two elongate sections of equal length, one section located on each side abutting said weigh rail in parallel longitudinal alignment therewith such that portions of said sections extend beyond each end of said weigh rail, said sections rigidly secured to said first and second elongate track rail sections at the portions extending beyond said weigh rail.

3. A weighing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said first and second supporting means each comprises an elongate member secured to and extending outwardly from respectively, an end of said weigh rail, said elongate member being supported at its outer ends from the end of the track rail section adjacent thereto.

4. A weighing apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said weight responsive means comprises first and second strain gauge load cells actuated by said elongate members.

5. A weighing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the length of said weigh rail is less than the spacing between wheels of a load moving along said elongate track rail thereby restricting said weighing apparatus to the weighing of individual wheel loads.

6. A weighing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said weighing apparatus is for weighing a load movable along a laterally spaced pair of parallel elongate track rails, said weighing apparatus comprising a pair of said weigh rails, each said weigh rail associated with corresponding said first and se-cond support means, said retaining means, said weight responsive means, said spaces between said first and said second track rail sections of each elongate track rail being in transversely corres-ponding relation, whereby wheels on a common axle supporting a load moving along said track rails simultaneously traverse said pair of weigh rails

7. A weighing apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said weighing apparatus is for weighing a load movable along a laterally spaced pair of parallel elongate track rails, and fur-ther including: a scale table interposable in the space between the first and second elongate track rail sections of said pair of track rails and having secured thereon said pair of weigh rails in a mutually parallel longitudinal arrangement wherein said weigh rails are spaced laterally an amount equal to the lateral track rail spacing, said scale table being positioned in vertical rela-tionship to the pair of parallel elongate track rails by said first and second support means such that the load-supporting sur-faces of said weigh rails and said parallel elongate track rails are substantially at the same height.

8. A weighing apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said weight responsive means comprises four strain gauge load cells, each said strain gauge load cell being respectively sup-ported by one of said supporting means.

9. In a weighing apparatus for weighing a load movable along an elongate track rail, the combination comprising: a weigh rail interposed in a gap in said elongate track rail; means for retaining said weigh rail in longitudinal alignment with the elong-ate track rail; first means for supporting a first end of said weigh rail from the adjacent end of the elongate track rail;
second means for supporting the other end of said weigh rail from the adjacent end of the elongate track rail, said weigh rail being supported by said first and second support means in the gap in the elongate track rail such that said weigh rail is free from any additional supporting means along the length between said first supporting means and said second supporting means; at least one weight responsive means responsive to the weight of the load on said weigh rail for providing a signal that is representative of the weight of the load on said weigh rail, said weight responsive means being supported by one of said supporting means.

10. A weighing apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said retaining means is comprised of an elongate splice bar of a length longer than said weigh rail, said splice bar having two elongate sections of equal length, one section located on each side abutting said weigh rail in parallel longitudinal alignment therewith such that portions of said sections extend beyond each end of said weigh rail, said sections rigidly secured to said first and said second elongate track rail sections at the portions extending beyond said weigh rail.

11. A weighing apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said first and second supporting means each comprises an elongate member secured to and extending from each end of said weigh rail, each elongate member being supported from the end of the track rail section adjacent thereto.

12. A weighing apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said weight responsive means comprises first and second strain gauge load cells actuated by said elongate members.

13. A weighing apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the length of said weigh rail is less than the spacing between the wheels of a load moving along said elongate track rail thereby restricting said weighing apparatus to the weighing of individual wheel loads.

(14) In a weighing apparatus for weighing a load movable along an elongate track rail, the combination comprising:
a weigh rail interposed in a gap in said elongate track rail;
means for retaining said weigh rail in longitudinal alignment with the elongate track rail; first means for supporting a first end of said weigh rail from the adjacent end of the elong-ate track rail;
second means for supporting the other end of said weigh rail from the adjacent end of the elongate track rail; said weigh rail being supported by said first and second support means in the gap in the elongate track rail such that said weigh rail is free from any additional supporting means along the length between said first supporting means and said second supporting means;
at least one weight responsive means responsive to the weight of the load on said weigh rail for providing a signal that is representative of the weight of the load on said weigh rail, said weight responsive means being supported by one of said sup-porting means;
and first and second supporting means each comprising an elongate member secured to and extending outwardly from, respec-tively, an end of said weigh rail, said elongate member being sup-ported at its outer ends from the end of the track rail section adjacent thereto.
(15) A weighing apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said weight responsive means comprises first and second strain gauge load cells actuated by said elongate members (16) A system for weighing railway guided vehicles including:
rail means including a pair of spaced-apart rails adapted to co-operate with and support the wheels of a railway vehicle;
each of said rails including longitudinally spaced-apart first and second rail sections defining a space therebetween, a weigh device associated with said rail means, said weigh device including vehicle supporting means adapted to co-operate with and support the wheels of a railway vehicle, said vehicle supporting means being positioned in the space between said first and second sections of each of said rails and defining a generally co-extensive vehicle supporting surface therewith, load sensing means operative to produce a signal corres-ponding to the magnitude of a load applied thereto, said load sensing means being supported by said rail means and operatively supporting said weigh device on said rail means whereby said weigh device is supported for movement with said rail means.
(17) The system of claim 16 wherein said load sensing means comprise a plurality of stress sensing load cells, one end of said load cells being connected to said vehicle supporting means;
the other end of each of said load cells being removably secured to said rails whereby said weigh device may be readily removed.
(18) A weighing system for weighing railway guided vehicles and including a pair of spaced-apart rails along which the vehicle is adapted to travel and ground supports for the rails, each of said rails including longitudinally spaced-apart first and second rail sections defining a space therebetween and a weigh device posi-tioned in the space in each of said rails the improvement com-prising:
said weigh device including a pair of vehicle supporting means each positioned in the space between end portions of said first and second sections of said rails and defining a generally co-extensive vehicle supporting surface therewith, at least a pair of rigid support members adjacent the space in each of the rails, said rigid support members being located and mounted to follow movement of the end portions of said rail sections, at least a pair of load sensing cells carried by said rigid support members with said load cells being operative to produce a signal corresponding to the magnitude of a load applied thereto, and, at least one of said vehicle supporting means being supported by said pair of load sensing load cells at locations spaced longitudinally thereof.
(19) The weighing system of claim 18 wherein said load cells are of the compression type and said vehicle supporting means are supported on the load application points of said load cells.