Optical track gage measuring device
First Claim
1. Rail gage apparatus comprising in combination with a wheeled vehicle for traveling along two rails having opaque rail heads:
- a pair of collimated light sources mounted a fixed distance apart on said vehicle and each disposed to direct a light beam onto a different one of the rails, each of said beams impinging at an incident angle on the inner surface of the rail head at a point a given distance from the top surface thereof;
a light receiver means associated with each of said light sources and oriented to receive an image of said light source after reflection of said light beam from the rail head;
a detector means for producing outputs dependent on the distances between each of said reflected image centers and their respective references;
wherein said light sources and said light receiver means form probe assemblies mounted substantially horizontally adjacent to the rail heads, said detector means are mounted above said probe assemblies, and said light receiver means comprise optical director means for directing said images to said detector means; and
wherein each of said probe assemblies comprises a second collimated light source disposed to direct a second light beam onto a different one of the rails, each of said second beams impinging at an incident angle on the inner surface of the rail head at a point said given distance from the top surface thereof, and each of said light receiver means receives an image of both said light source and said second light source associated therewith.
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Abstract
The invention is a system for measuring the gage of railroad tracks and includes a pair of sensor probes mounted a fixed distance apart on a wheeled vehicle traveling along two rails and each located in positions horizontally adjacent to one of the rails. Each of the probes retains spaced apart first and second collimated light sources that direct first and second light beams at incident angles against the inner surface of the adjacent rail head at points five-eighths of an inch from the top surface thereof. After reflection from the rail head the first and second beams produce images in an optical receiver also retained by the probe. A detector produces an output dependent upon the spacing between the first and second beam image centers which is in turn dependent upon the distance between the probe and the adjacent rail head. Thus, the measured distances provided by the two probes in addition to the fixed spacing therebetween establishes rail gage in a plane five-eighths of an inch below the top surfaces of the rails.
30 Citations
5 Claims
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1. Rail gage apparatus comprising in combination with a wheeled vehicle for traveling along two rails having opaque rail heads:
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a pair of collimated light sources mounted a fixed distance apart on said vehicle and each disposed to direct a light beam onto a different one of the rails, each of said beams impinging at an incident angle on the inner surface of the rail head at a point a given distance from the top surface thereof; a light receiver means associated with each of said light sources and oriented to receive an image of said light source after reflection of said light beam from the rail head; a detector means for producing outputs dependent on the distances between each of said reflected image centers and their respective references; wherein said light sources and said light receiver means form probe assemblies mounted substantially horizontally adjacent to the rail heads, said detector means are mounted above said probe assemblies, and said light receiver means comprise optical director means for directing said images to said detector means; and wherein each of said probe assemblies comprises a second collimated light source disposed to direct a second light beam onto a different one of the rails, each of said second beams impinging at an incident angle on the inner surface of the rail head at a point said given distance from the top surface thereof, and each of said light receiver means receives an image of both said light source and said second light source associated therewith. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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Specification
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- Resources
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Current AssigneeThe United States of America As Represented By The Secretary of Agriculture
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Original AssigneeThe United States of America As Represented By The Secretary of Agriculture
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InventorsPoirier, Paul J.
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Primary Examiner(s)Levy, Stewart J.
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Assistant Examiner(s)Punter, Wm. H.
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Application NumberUS05/962,239Time in Patent Office862 DaysField of Search356/372, 356/375, 356/376, 356/1, 356/4, 33/287US Class Current356/625CPC Class CodesG01B 11/026 by measuring distance betwe...G01B 11/14 for measuring distance or c...
