METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR APPLYING RAILWAY BALLAST

• US 20070129858A1
• Filed: 12/04/2006
• Published: 06/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Herzog Contracting
• Original Assignee: Herzog Contracting
• Inventors: Shirk, Tony, Schmitz, Ron, Bedingfield, Stephen, Harris, Pat, Laughlin, Dan, Bounds, Ivan, Pogglemiller, Randy, Herzog, Stanley
• Granted Patent: US 7,707,944 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/19
• CPC Class Codes: E01B 27/02 Placing the ballast; Making ballastway; Redistributing ballasting material; Machines or devices therefor; Levelling means

Abstract

A method and apparatus for spreading ballast along railways makes use of an inertial measurement system to determine where to apply ballast from a hopper car. A variety of techniques can be used to determine the location and speed of the ballast spreading train, including manual or automated visual techniques, laser technology, radar technology, radio frequency transponders, magnetic sensor, thermal imaging and aerial photogrammetry. The invention also contemplates “on the fly” surveys and terrain profiling using lasers or radar.

Claims

1. A method of surveying a railway bed to determine the locations of zones of ballast deficiency, said method comprising:

obtaining a terrain reference profile of the bed indicative of a bed in which there are no zones of ballast deficiency;

obtaining a current terrain profile indicative of the current bed profile;

and

comparing the current profile with the reference profile to determine the location of each zone in which there is ballast deficiency.

2. Apparatus for applying ballast to a bed of a railway having ballast spread zones deficient in ballast at known locations using a railcar that carries ballast and has a ballast door which can be opened to discharge ballast to the bed and closed to prevent ballast discharge as the railcar travels along the railway, said apparatus comprising:

a visual imaging device on said railcar operable to capture visual images along the railway as the railcar travels along the railway;

means for comparing the visual images captured by said visual imaging device with reference visual images representing selected locations along the railway; and

means for effecting the opening of said ballast door when one of said known locations is reached based on comparison of the captured visual images with the reference visual images, and for otherwise closing said ballast door.

3. Apparatus for applying ballast to a bed of a railway having ballast spread zones deficient in ballast at known locations using a railcar that carries ballast and has a ballast door which can be opened to discharge ballast to the bed and closed to prevent ballast discharge as the railcar travels along the railway, said apparatus comprising:

a plurality of reference locations along the railway at known positions;

a laser for directing a laser beam at each reference location approached by the railcar;

means for receiving a reflected laser beam reflected from each reference location;

means for determining the current location of the railcar relative to each reference location based on the reflected laser beams; and

means for opening said ballast door when the current location of the railcar corresponds to one of said known locations, and otherwise closing said ballast door.

4. Apparatus for applying ballast to a bed of a railway having ballast spread zones deficient in ballast at known locations using a railcar that carries ballast and has a ballast door which can be opened to discharge ballast to the bed and closed to prevent ballast discharge as the railcar travels along the railway, said apparatus comprising:

a plurality of reference locations along the railway at known positions;

a radar transmitter for directing a radar signal at each reference location approached by the railcar;

a radar receiver for receiving a reflected radar signal reflected from each reference location;

means for determining the current location of the railcar relative to each reference location based on the reflected radar signal; and

means for opening said ballast door when the current location of the railcar corresponds to one of said known locations, and otherwise closing said ballast door.

5. Apparatus for applying ballast to a bed of a railway having ballast spread zones deficient in ballast at known locations using a railcar that caries ballast and has a ballast door which can be opened to discharge ballast to the bed and closed to prevent ballast discharge as the railcar travels along the railway, said apparatus comprising:

a plurality of radio frequency transponders situated along the railway at known positions;

transmitter means carried on the railcar for transmitting radio frequency signals toward each of said transponders approached by the railcar, said transponders each transmitting a response signal upon receipt of a radio frequency signal transmitted from said transmitter means;

receiver means carried on the railcar for receiving each response signal to determine the location of the railcar relative to the transmitting transponder to thereby determine the current railcar location; and

means for opening said ballast door when the current location of the railcar corresponds to one of said known locations, and otherwise closing said ballast door.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5, including a power source for each transponder, said transponders each being active devices using said power source to transmit said response signals.

7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein each of said transponders is a passive device using power from each radio frequency signal that is received to transmit said response signal.

8. Apparatus for applying ballast to a bed of a railway having ballast spread zones deficient in ballast at known locations using a railcar that carries ballast and has a ballast door which can be opened to discharge ballast to the bed and closed to prevent ballast discharge as the railcar travels along the railway, said apparatus comprising:

a magnetic sensor carried on the railcar to sense known magnetic characteristics of the bed in a manner to determine the current location of the railcar along said railway; and

means for opening said ballast door when the current location of the railcar corresponds to one of said known locations, and otherwise closing said ballast door.

9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 8, including a plurality of magnetic devices situated along the railway at known positions, said sensor being operable to sense changes in the local magnetic field each time the railcar reaches one of said magnetic devices to thereby determine the current location of the railcar.

10. Apparatus for applying ballast to a bed of a railway having ballast spread zones deficient in ballast at known locations using a railcar that carries ballast and has a ballast door which can be opened to discharge ballast to the bed and closed to prevent ballast discharge as the railcar travels along the railway, said apparatus comprising:

a thermal sensor carried on the railcar to sense known thermal characteristics of the bed in a manner to determine the current location of the railcar along said railway; and

means for opening said ballast door when the current location of the railcar corresponds to one of said known locations, and otherwise closing said ballast door.

11. Apparatus for surveying a railway bed to determine the locations of zones of ballast deficiency, said apparatus comprising:

a railway vehicle for travel along the railway;

means on said railway vehicle for obtaining a current terrain profile of the ballast on the railway bed as the railway vehicle travels along the railway;

means for comparing said current terrain profile with a reference terrain profile indicative of a bed having no ballast deficiency; and

means for recording each location at which a comparison between the current terrain profile and the reference terrain profile indicates a ballast deficiency.

12. Apparatus for applying ballast to a bed of a railway having ballast spread zones deficient in ballast at known locations using a railcar that carries ballast and has a ballast door which can be opened to discharge ballast to the bed and closed to prevent ballast discharge as the railcar travels along the railway, said apparatus comprising:

a wheel encoder;

a gyroscope carried on the railcar and operable with said wheel encoder to determine the current location of the railcar along said railway; and

means for opening said ballast door when the current location of the railcar corresponds to one of said known locations, and otherwise closing said ballast door.

13. Apparatus for applying ballast to a bed of a railway having ballast spread zones deficient in ballast at known locations using a railcar that carries ballast and has a ballast door which can be opened to discharge ballast to the bed and closed to prevent ballast discharge as the railcar travels along the railway, said apparatus comprising:

a GPS receiver on the railcar detecting a GPS position of the railcar;

an inertial system including a gyroscope carried on the railcar and operable as a backup system to said GPS receiver to determine the current location of the railcar along said railway when said GPS receiver is unable to detect a GPS position of the railcar; and

means for opening said ballast door when the current location of the railcar corresponds to one of said known locations, and otherwise closing said ballast door.