Device for detecting the spatial orientation of excessively heated points

• US 4,853,541 A
• Filed: 10/16/1987
• Issued: 08/01/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: VAE Aktiengesellschaft
• Original Assignee: Voestalpine AG
• Inventors: Duhrkoop, Jens
• Primary Examiner(s): FIELDS, CAROLYN
• Application Number:
  US07/109,798
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 246/169 A, 246/169 D, 250/347, 250/342, 250/338 R
• US Class Current: 250/347
• CPC Class Codes: B61K 9/04 Detectors for indicating the overheating of axle bearings and the like, e.g. associated with the brake system for applying the brakes in case of a fault
• CPC Class Codes: B61K 9/12 Measuring or surveying wheel-rims measuring techniques G01

Abstract

In the case of a device for detecting the spatial orientation of excessively heated points of wheel bearings and/or wheel running treads of rail vehicles, it is suggested that a deflecting device, such as an oscillating mirror 5, that can be varied periodically in its slope, be inserted into the path of the rays from a measuring point to a heat radiation sensor 7. The ray that is deflected when the slope of the deflecting device is changed can in this way also arrive on reflecting surfaces 10 for the purpose of autocollimation, thereby enabling an improvement in measuring precision. Radiation emitted from the detector is periodically reflected back onto the detector to provide a reference signal.

Claims

1. A device for detecting the spatial orientation of excessively heated points of wheel bearings and/or wheel running treads of rail vehicles comprising deflecting means, said deflecting means receiving radiation from said wheel bearings and/or wheel running treads, said deflecting means being periodically changeable in its slope and being arranged in a path of rays from a measuring point to a heat radiation sensor (7), characterized in that an autocollimation mirror element (10), (13), (19) is provided, the mirror surface of which faces the path of rays coming from the heat radiation sensor (7), and, in at least one periodically recurring position of the periodically changeable deflecting means, the rays arriving from the heat radiation sensor (7) are reflected back into said heat radiation sensor (7).

2. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the periodically changeable deflecting means is developed as an oscillating mirror (5) and can be swivelled around an axis that is located in parallel to the reflection plane and/or in the reflection plane.

3. A device according to claim 2, characterized in that the autocollimation mirror element (10, 13) is stationary and arranged to face the heat radiation sensor (7) at the points of reversal of the movement of the rays reflected by the oscillating mirror (5).

4. A device according to claim 3 characterized in that the autocollimation mirror element is arranged at a distance from an imaging lens system (6) which corresponds to the refractive power of the imaging lens system.

5. A device according to claim 4, characterized in that the stationary autocollimation mirror element (10) is arranged at the edges of an image field lens (4) and is developed to be curved with a radius corresponding to the refractive power with respect to the autocollimation.

6. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the periodically changeable deflecting means is formed by sloped surfaces (14), (20), (21) of a rotating disk (15) the slope of which, in circumferential direction of the disk (15), is periodically different with respect to the plane of rotation and in that the autocollimation mirror element (19) is arranged at the circumference of the disk.

7. A device according to claim 6, characterized in that the autocollimation mirror element is arranged at a distance from an imaging lens system (6) which corresponds to the refractive power of the imaging lens system.

8. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the autocollimation mirror element (10, 13) is stationary and arranged to face the heat radiation sensor (7) at the points of reversal of the movement of the rays reflected by the deflecting means.

9. A device according to claim 8, characterized in that the autocollimation mirror element is arranged at a distance from an imaging lens system (6) which corresponds to the refractive power of the imaging lens system.

10. A device according to claim 9, characterized in that the stationary autocollimation mirror element (10) is arranged at the edges of an image field lens (4) and is developed to be curved with a radius corresponding to the refractive power with respect to the autocollimation.