Railroad hot box detector

• US 4,659,043 A
• Filed: 05/14/1984
• Issued: 04/21/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Servo Corporation of America
• Original Assignee: Servo Corporation of America
• Inventors: Gallagher, Cornelius A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Reese, Randolph A.
• Application Number:
  US06/609,938
• Time in Patent Office: 1,072 Days
• Field of Search: 246/169 R, 246/169 A, 246/169 D, 246/DIG. 1, 246/DIG. 2, 116/DIG. 38, 308/1 A, 340/57, 340/584, 340/682, 374/124
• US Class Current: 246/169.00A
• CPC Class Codes: B61K 9/06 by detecting or indicating heat radiation from overheated axles
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 17/243 related to temperature and heat, e.g. for preventing overheating
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/525 related to temperature and heat, e.g. insulation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 246/02 Thermal sensing devices

Abstract

A hot box detector system is provided wherein heat signals from bearings within a housing are analyzed to determine if the scanned surface of the housing is an inner sidewall surface or an outer sidewall surface. The signals are normalized to account for differences in the heat dissipating characteristics of the inner and outer sidewalls and air stream cooling resulting from the trains movement.

Claims

1. A railroad car hot box detector system comprising:

(a) radiant energy scanner means positioned along a section of track and adapted to scan, in a single direction along said section, surfaces associated with successively passing bearings on different axles on the same side of railroad cars passing the scanner means in either direction and to generate a signal in response to each bearing scanned;

(b) means for determining a direction of movement of said railroad cars;

(c) means for determining if the surfaces of the bearings being scanned dissipate heat generated by said bearings differently from bearing to bearing to distinguish (i) between bearings that are housed and bearings that are exposed and (ii) if the former, (a) if the surfaces of the bearings being scanned are housing inner or outer surfaces and (b) if the surfaces of the bearing being scanned are housing leading or housing lagging surfaces as defined by the direction of movement of the railroad cars;

(d) means for processing said scanner signal; and

(e) means for adjusting said scanner signal processing means as a function of the heat dissipating qualities of the surface of said bearing being scanned.

2. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein said determining means includes means for distinguishing freight trucks.

3. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein said determining means further comprises means for determining the speed of said train connected to said adjusting means whereby said processing means may be further adjusted as a function of the speed of the train.

4. A railroad car hot box detector system comprising:

(a) radiant energy responsive scanner means positioned along a section of track and adapted to scan in a preselected direction the bearings of railroad cars passing the scanner means in either direction and to generate signals in a response thereto, said signals including portions thereof having an amplitude and waveform indicative of the passing of a wheel bearing, the type of bearing, the temperature of said bearing and whether or not said bearing is enclosed within a bearing housing;

(b) an alarm monitor connected to said scanner for generating an alarm in the event the amplitude of said signal exceeds a threshold;

(c) means for determining a direction of movement of said railroad cars;

(d) means for processing said signals to determine which of said passing bearings are contained within a bearing housing and to distinguish signals responsive to (i) a scan of an inner sidewall of said bearing housing from a signal responsive to a scan of an outer sidewall of said bearing housing and (ii) a scan of a leading sidewall of said bearing housing from a signal responsive to a scan of a lagging sidewall of said bearing housing as defined by the direction of movement of the railroad cars; and

(e) means interconnecting said last mentioned means and said alarm monitor for adjusting said alarm as a function of whether said inner sidewall or outer sidewall is being scanned and whether said leading or lagging sidewall is being scanned.

5. A railroad car hot box detector system comprising:

(a) radiant energy responsive scanner means positioned along a section of track and adapted to scan the bearings of passing railroad cars in a preselected direction and to generate signals in response thereto, said signals including portions thereof having an amplitude and waveform indicative of the passing of a wheel bearing, the type of bearing, the temperature of said bearing and whether or not said bearing is enclosed within a bearing housing;

(b) an alarm monitor connected to said scanner for generating an alarm in the event the amplitude of said signal exceeds a threshold;

(c) means for processing said signals to determine which of said passing bearings are contained within a bearing housing;

(d) means for determining the direction of travel of said train; and

,

(e) means for adjusting said alarm monitor threshold as a function of whether the side wall of a bearing housing being scanned is a leading or a lagging housing.

6. The invention in accordance with claim 5 further comprising means to distinguish signals responsive to a scan of an inner sidewall of said bearing housing from a signal responsive to a scan of an outer sidewall of said bearing house.

7. The invention in accordance with claim 6, including means for determining the speed of said train connected to said adjusting means in controlling relationship whereby the amount of adjustment of said threshold is a function of said train speed.