Rail Sensing Apparatus Method

• US 20080304065A1
• Filed: 09/12/2005
• Published: 12/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Progress Rail Services Corporation (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Noffsinger, Joseph Forrest, Hesser, Peter, Shanahan, Thomas Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,305,567 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/400
• CPC Class Codes: E01B 35/00 Applications of measuring apparatus or devices for track-building purposes apparatus on locomotives or cars to indicate or record bad track sections B61K9/00; measuring angles, linear dimensions, or irregularities in general G01B, G01C
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/10 Suspensions, axles or wheels

Abstract

A rail sensing and analysis system utilizes a laser sensor 105, 107 to detect displacement of a rail 102, 104 resulting from loads imposed by a passing rail vehicle. Vertical and/or lateral displacements/loads may be sensed. Signatures in the resulting signals are indicative of useful information about the rail vehicle; such as wheel condition, bearing condition, truck condition, degree of bogie hunting, total load, load distribution, etc. The ratio of Lateral over Vertical force (L/V) may be used as an evaluation criterion.

Claims

1. A method for identifying a rail vehicle wheel defect comprising:

obtaining a test signal sample produced by a rail vehicle passing at least one vertical laser sensor mounted to a rail; and

determining whether said test signal sample comprises a signal signature correlative to a predetermined wheel defect signal signature.

2. A method for identifying a rail vehicle non-wheel defect comprising:

obtaining a test signal sample produced by a rail vehicle passing at least one vertical laser sensor mounted to a rail; and

determining whether said test signal sample comprises a signal signature correlative to a predetermined non-wheel defect signal signature.

3. A system for producing a signal stream indicative of vertical impact forces on a railway for processing and evaluation comprising:

a first array of six vertical laser sensors mounted to a rail at consecutive rail sections spanning at least six consecutive cribs;

a power source for said first array of six vertical laser sensors;

at least one wheel sensor mounted to said rail upstream from said first array to actuate said power source upon passing of a rail vehicle over said at least one wheel sensor; and

a computer communicatingly connected to said array, said computer comprising at least one processing module and a computer-readable program code module for causing said computer to process signals generated by said array of six vertical laser sensors.

4. A system for producing a signal stream indicative of vertical and lateral impact forces on a railway for processing and evaluation comprising:

a first array of six vertical laser sensors mounted to a rail at consecutive rail sections spanning at least six consecutive cribs;

a second array of six vertical laser sensors mounted to an opposing rail at corresponding consecutive rail sections

a power source for said first array or said second array of six vertical laser sensors, or both;

at least one wheel sensor mounted to said rail upstream from said first array to actuate said power source upon passing of a rail vehicle over said at least one wheel sensor;

at least one wheel sensor mounted to said opposing rail upstream from said second array of six vertical laser sensors;

at least one lateral laser sensor upstream and at least one lateral laser sensor downstream of said first array; and

at least one lateral laser sensor upstream and at least one lateral laser sensor downstream of said second array.

5. A method of identifying abnormal lateral forces applied to a rail from a rail vehicle comprising:

mounting at least one lateral laser sensor onto a rail;

obtaining a test signal sample produced by a rail vehicle passing said lateral laser sensor; and

evaluating whether said test signal sample comprises a signature indicative of lateral forces deviating from normal lateral forces.

6. A method of determining misalignment of a rail bridge comprising:

obtaining a test signal sample from a laser sensor mounted on said rail bridge; and

evaluating whether said test signal sample deviates from a predetermined alignment signal sample.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said laser sensor comprises a laser component that is positioned at a bridge approach and a detector that is mounted on said rail bridge, or vice versa.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein if said rail bridge is a moving bridge, said laser sensor allows for opening and closing of said rail bridge, without disruption of laser sensor function upon closure of said rail bridge.

9. A system for monitoring structural integrity of a rail bridge comprising two or more laser sensors mounted to a component of said rail bridge at a location conducive to sensing deflection of said component;

and a computer communicatingly connected to said two or more laser sensors, said computer comprising at least one processing module and at least one computer readable program code module for causing said computer to recognize critical deflection of said component.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said component is a rail, bridge timber, bridge girder, or bridge support.