Method and apparatus for optical method of measuring rail displacement
First Claim
1. Apparatus for optically measuring rail displacement of the rails of a track, comprising a light projector means for mounting on the truck of a railway car above the level of said track for only lateral movement with said truck, said light projector means having a light source and being positioned to direct the light toward one of the rails, the light projector means shaping the light from the light source into a beam which is converged on a measuring axis connecting the points on the sides of the heads of the rails of the track as to which displacement measurement is being made and along a length of the measuring axis which includes the position of the measuring point on the side of the head of said one rail with said one rail in the proper position, the light falling on the side of the head of said one rail at said measuring point in a bright spot or band of light, a light-receiving means for mounting on said truck out of alignment with the axis of the beam of light from said light projector means for receiving an image for sensing the shift of position of the image of the bright spot or band, and comparison means coupled to said light receiving means for comparing the shift of the position of the image with the normal position of said image for determining the amount of shift of said one rail.
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Abstract
For optically measuring rail displacement, a light projector with a slit plate, a reflection mirror for light projection, a reflection mirror for light reception and a light receptor with a slit plate are installed at specified distances from one another on the underside of the body of a track inspection car on both sides in the longitudinal direction thereof. The light projector, the reflection mirror for light projection, the reflection mirror for light reception and the light receptor are arranged so that the light emitted from the light source in the light projector passes through the slit and, being reflected by the reflection mirror for light projection, is converged onto a measuring axis connecting the points as to which measurement is being made on the opposed rails which constitute the track at at least one of the rails to form a bright spot or band of light. The light receptor receives only the light from the rails at said measuring axis via the reflection mirror for light reception and then the slit in said receptor. In the light receptor a deviation of the reference measuring points indicated by movement of the bright spot or band during the running of the track inspection car along the track is detected; and by comparing the deviation with the position of said reference measuring points when the rails are in the correct position, the rail displacement can be measured.
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Citations
9 Claims
- 1. Apparatus for optically measuring rail displacement of the rails of a track, comprising a light projector means for mounting on the truck of a railway car above the level of said track for only lateral movement with said truck, said light projector means having a light source and being positioned to direct the light toward one of the rails, the light projector means shaping the light from the light source into a beam which is converged on a measuring axis connecting the points on the sides of the heads of the rails of the track as to which displacement measurement is being made and along a length of the measuring axis which includes the position of the measuring point on the side of the head of said one rail with said one rail in the proper position, the light falling on the side of the head of said one rail at said measuring point in a bright spot or band of light, a light-receiving means for mounting on said truck out of alignment with the axis of the beam of light from said light projector means for receiving an image for sensing the shift of position of the image of the bright spot or band, and comparison means coupled to said light receiving means for comparing the shift of the position of the image with the normal position of said image for determining the amount of shift of said one rail.
- 2. Apparatus for optically measuring rail displacement of the rails of a track comprising a light projector for mounting on the truck on a railway car above the level of said track for only lateral movement with said truck, said light projector having a light source, a slit plate and lens means aligned therewith, a light-transmittal reflecting mirror for mounting on said truck aligned with said projector and positioned to reflect the light from said projector toward one of the rails, the slit plate and lens means shaping the light from the light source into a beam which, when reflected from said light-transmittal reflecting mirror, is converged on a measuring axis connecting the points on the sides of the heads of the rails of the track as to which displacement measurement is being made and along a length of the measuring axis which includes the position of the measuring point on the side of the head of said one rail with said one rail in the proper position, the light falling on the side of the head of said one rail at said measuring point in a bright spot or band of light, a light-receiving reflecting mirror for mounting on said truck out of alignment with the axis of the beam of light from said light-transmittal reflecting mirror for receiving an image of the bright spot or band on the measuring point on the side of the head of said one rail, a light receptor for mounting on said truck aligned with said light-receiving reflecting mirror for receiving the image of the bright spot or band, said light receptor having a slit plate corresponding to the slit plate in said light projector and a lens means and a means for sensing the shift of position of the image of the bright spot or band positioned to receive the image from said slit plate and lens means, and comparison means coupled to said means for sensing for comparing the shift of the position of the image with the normal position of said image for determining the amount of shift of said one rail.
- 7. A method for optically measuring rail displacement of the rails of a track, comprising shaping light into a beam and then directing it toward one of the rails at a point at which the displacement measurement is to be made, the light being shaped into a beam which is converged on a measuring axis connecting the points on the sides of the heads of the rails of the track as to which measurement is being made and along a length of the measuring axis which includes the position of the measuring point on the side of the head of said one rail with said one rail in the proper position, the light falling on the side of the head of said one rail at said measuring point in a bright spot or band of light, sensing the movement of the bright spot or band of light along said measuring axis while moving the beam of light along the rail, and comparing the changed position of the spot or band of light with the normal position of the measuring point to determine the displacement of the rail.
Specification