The invention relates a sandbox for rail vehicles, of a type comprising a sand container, on the bottom of which there is a hollow body which presents one or several openings through which sand flows out towards an ejector assembly beneath by passing through an outler hole controlled by an axially sliding vertical shutter located inside said hollow body and means handling and controlling said shutter which cause its translation between a lower position in which said output hole is closed and an upper, maximum opening position, whereby said shutter features a cylindrical shape and its lower end functionally cooperates with a ring shaped, sealing coaxial seat, corresponding to said outlet hole of said container.

A metering device for granular material, includes a housing that can be arranged inside a container for the granular material. The housing has at least one inlet for the granular material and an outlet, which outlet can be closed by a sealing element. The sealing element is arranged on a metering piston, which is preloaded by a spring and can be moved axially in a compressed-air cylinder, wherein a compressed-air connection is provided on the compressed-air cylinder such that the metering piston can be moved against the spring by compressed air and the outlet can be opened, and the spring has an at least two-stage design such that the stroke of the metering piston can be changed at least in two stages by varying the compressed air.

A metering device for granular material, includes a housing that can be arranged inside a container for the granular material. The housing has at least one inlet for the granular material and an outlet, which outlet can be closed by a sealing element. The sealing element is arranged on a metering piston, which is preloaded by a spring and can be moved axially in a compressed-air cylinder, wherein a compressed-air connection is provided on the compressed-air cylinder such that the metering piston can be moved against the spring by compressed air and the outlet can be opened, and the spring has an at least two-stage design such that the stroke of the metering piston can be changed at least in two stages by varying the compressed air.

A windscreen for housing a sanding system, a railway vehicle with a sanding system, and a method for installing a sanding system in a railway vehicle are described. The windscreen includes a first shell element and a second shell element, the first shell element being detachably connected to the second shell element, wherein the first and second shell elements, when assembled, form an interior space. A container is in communication with a sanding system for housing material used when the sanding system is in operation, wherein the container is configured to be positioned in the interior space formed by the first and second shell elements of the windscreen.

A windscreen for housing a sanding system, a railway vehicle with a sanding system, and a method for installing a sanding system in a railway vehicle are described. The windscreen includes a first shell element and a second shell element, the first shell element being detachably connected to the second shell element, wherein the first and second shell elements, when assembled, form an interior space. A container is in communication with a sanding system for housing material used when the sanding system is in operation, wherein the container is configured to be positioned in the interior space formed by the first and second shell elements of the windscreen.

A fluid control device includes a first conduit having a first end and a second end, and a first fluid that moves within the first conduit between the first end and the second end. The first conduit includes an interior surface defining a cavity of the first conduit. The fluid control device includes a second conduit having a third end and a fourth end, and a second fluid that moves within the second conduit between the third and fourth ends. At least a portion of the second conduit extends within the cavity of the first conduit. The first fluid is separate from the second fluid as the first fluid moves within the first conduit and the second fluid moves within the second conduit.

A fluid control device includes a first conduit having a first end and a second end, and a first fluid that moves within the first conduit between the first end and the second end. The first conduit includes an interior surface defining a cavity of the first conduit. The fluid control device includes a second conduit having a third end and a fourth end, and a second fluid that moves within the second conduit between the third and fourth ends. At least a portion of the second conduit extends within the cavity of the first conduit. The first fluid is separate from the second fluid as the first fluid moves within the first conduit and the second fluid moves within the second conduit.

A method and an assembly for monitoring the fill level of a sandbox in a sanding system of a rail vehicle. The sandbox is connected to a pipe via a sand-conveying system. The sand-conveying system is controlled with a compressed air pulse in such a way that, with each compressed air pulse, a known quantity of sand is extracted from the sandbox and delivered in the form of a sand/compressed air mixture via the pipe into a wheel-rail gap of the rail vehicle. A control system of the rail vehicle determines a number of compressed air pulses used for operation, determines the quantity of sand applied by way of the number of compressed air pulses, and determines the current sand fill level of the sand container based on a previously known sand fill level of the sand container and the quantity of sand applied.

A pneumatic sand conveying device for a sanding system of a rail vehicle includes an obstacle device which is fluidically coupled to a sand input for receiving sand from a sand storage container, the obstacle device being shaped to form an obstacle between the sand input and a mixing device fluidically coupled to the obstacle device. In addition, the sand conveying device has the mixing device for receiving and forwarding sand from the obstacle device by compressed air and a discharge device fluidically coupled to the mixing device to dispense the sand from the sand conveying device through a sand outlet. The obstacle device, the mixing device and the discharge device are arranged in a horizontal plane when the sand conveying device is in a state ready for operation.

A control system and a control method receive, process and exchange information relating to at least one slip-protection system and a unit for outputting adhesion-optimizing material, such as sand, in a rail vehicle.