Integrated measurement device

• US 20050174582A1
• Filed: 02/11/2005
• Published: 08/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ENSCO, Incorporated (Teris LLC)
• Original Assignee: ENSCO, Incorporated (Teris LLC)
• Inventors: Clouse, Arthur Lee, Carr, Gary A., Diaz, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 7,394,553 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/614
• CPC Class Codes: B61K 9/08 Measuring installations for surveying permanent way applications of measuring apparatus or devices for track building purposes E01B35/00; measuring techniques G01
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/14 for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures G01B11/26 takes precedence; rangefinders G01C3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/27 for testing the alignment of axes means for centering or aligning a light guide within a ferrule G02B6/3834

Abstract

An integrated measurement device for taking gage and cross-level measurements between two objects. The integrated measurement device includes at least an emitter/receiver unit, a sensor unit, and a microprocessor. In operation, the integrated measurement device is pivotably placed on the top of the first object such that a light emitted from the emitter/receiver unit travels along a surface of the second object as the device rotates about a pivot point of the first object. The sensor unit senses data associated with incident angles and traveling distances of the emitted light. Based on the data sensed by the sensor unit, the microprocessor calculates the incident angle, the traveling distance, and a distance between the first and second objects. The calculated values can also be transformed to (x, y) space coordinates that are used to describe a profile of the second object.

Claims

1. A system for measuring a gage and a cross-level between a first object and a second object, comprising:

an emitter/receiver unit for emitting a light from a location associated with the first object to a surface of the second object and for receiving the light reflected from the second object;

a sensing unit for sensing data including an incident angle and a traveling distance associated with the emitted light; and

a microprocessor for calculating a distance between the first object and the second object based on the data sensed by the sensing unit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the location is the top surface of the first object.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the emitter/receiver unit initially emits the light to the base of the second object.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the emitter/receiver unit is configured to rotate about a pivot point of the first object through a controlled sweeping motion such that the emitted light travels along the surface of the second object.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the controlled sweeping motion is controlled on a time basis.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the controlled sweeping motion is controlled on an angle basis.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the emitter/receiver unit is configured to rotate about a pivot point of the first object through a controlled sweeping motion such that the emitted light travels along the surface of the second object, and wherein all of the data detected by the sensing unit during the controlled sweeping motion are recorded.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the recorded data is forwarded to a database for documenting.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein all of the detected data are transferred to (x, y) coordinates that are used to describe a profile of the second object.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second object are first and second rails of a railroad track.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the microprocessor further calculates a relative angle between a horizontal line of the top surfaces of the rails and a traveling direction of the light to a position about five-eighth of an inch down from the top surface of the first rail, and wherein the microprocessor calculates the distance between the first and second rails from the relative angle.

12. An integrated measurement device for measuring a gage and a cross-level between a first object and a second object, comprising:

an emitter/receiver unit for emitting a light from a position associated with the first object to the second object and for receiving the light reflected back from the second object;

a sensing unit for measuring data associated with the incident angle of the emitted light and a traveling time of the emitted light between being emitted to the second object and being received by the first object;

a microprocessor for calculating parameters including the incident angle and a traveling distance of the emitted light based on the data measured by the sensing unit; and

a database for storing the parameters calculated by the microprocessor,

wherein the microprocessor further calculates a distance between the first and the second objects based on the stored data.

13. The integrated measurement device of claim 12, further comprising a display for displaying at least one of the incident angle and the distance between the first and second objects.

14. The integrated measurement device of claim 12, wherein the microprocessor further calculates a relative angle between a horizontal line of the top surfaces of the first and second objects and a traveling direction of the light to a position about five-eighth of an inch down from the top surface of the second object.

15. The integrated measurement device of claim 12, wherein the device is pivotably mounted on the top of the first object and rotates about the second object in a controlled sweeping motion such that the emitted light travels along a surface of the second object.

16. The integrated measurement device of claim 12, wherein the device is pivotably mounted on the top of the first object via a hook.

17. The integrated measurement device of claim 12, wherein the device is pivotably mounted on a platform that is securely placed on the top of the first object.

18. The integrated measurement device of claim 12, wherein the emitter/receiver unit directs the emitted light from a bottom of the second object to the top of the second object as the emitter/receiver rotates about the position.

19. The integrated measurement device of claim 15, wherein the sensing unit measures data during the controlled sweeping motion and records all of the measured data in the database.

20. The integrated measurement device of claim 15, wherein the sensing unit measures data during the controlled sweeping motion and the microprocessor calculates the traveling distances and the incident angles of the emitted light during the controlled sweeping motion based on the measured data.

21. A method for measuring a gage and a cross-level information between an first object and a second object, comprising:

emitting a laser light from a position associated with the first object to a surface of the second object and receiving the laser light reflected from the second object;

sensing data associated with an incident angle of the emitted laser light and a traveling time of the emitted laser light between being emitted to the second object and being received by the first object; and

calculating parameters including the incident angle and the traveling distance of the emitted laser light, and the distance between the first and second objects based on the sensed data.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the traveling distance of the emitted laser light is calculated from the equation below:

2d=t×

C, wherein d is the traveling distance of the laser light from the first object to the second object, t is the time duration of the laser light from being emitted to being received, and C is the light velocity.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the incident angle of the emitted laser light is calculated by sensing a change of a center of the gravity associated with a source of the laser light.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising emitting the laser light to the second object in a controlled sweeping motion such that the emitted laser light travels along the surface of the second object.

25. The method of claim 21, where the calculated parameters are transferred into (x, y) coordinates that are used to depict a profile of the object.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the first and second objects are right and first rails of a railroad track.