Process and apparatus for surveying a railway track for any deviation from a track survey plan

• US 5,331,745 A
• Filed: 05/25/1993
• Issued: 07/26/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: J. Müller AG
• Original Assignee: J. Müller AG
• Inventors: Jager, Heinz
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bennett, G. Bradley
• Application Number:
  US08/064,173
• Time in Patent Office: 427 Days
• Field of Search: 33/1 Q, 33/287, 33/651, 33/651.1, 33/DIG. 21, 33/275 G, 33/338, 73/146, 180/169, 318/587
• US Class Current: 33/651.1
• CPC Class Codes: E01B 2203/16 Guiding or measuring means, e.g. for alignment, canting, stepwise propagation
• 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: G01C 15/002 Active optical surveying means optical plumbing G01C15/105
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 33/21 with laser

Abstract

A process and apparatus for surveying a railway track includes a light-receiving and emitting head capable of swivelling about vertical and pitch axes mounted on a measuring platform moveable along the track, as constantly aligned with a reference mark such as by stepping motors controlled by electronic control elements that evaluate the signals detected by the head. These control signals represent at the same time the value of the relative angular displacement of the head with respect to the reference mark while travelling along the track. A space-stabillized gyroplatform on the measurement platform detects the absolute change in position of the measurement platform which is used to correct the angular displacement values of the displacement head. The distance covered is detected by a separate distance measuring device or by the gyroplatform. The actual position with respect to the reference mark derived from this data is compared to the set value in a track survey plan and if necessary the track is corrected on the basis of said values.

Claims

1. Process for surveying a railway track for any deviation from a track survey plan having values which set forth the desired position of the course of the track relative to first, second and third reference marks spaced sequentially along the track, each reference mark having light reflectors located on upstanding supports in the vicinity of the track, comprising the steps of:

(1) providing a track measurement platform on the track for rolling movement therealong, the platform having a light receiving and laser-emitting head capable of swivelling about vertical and pitch axes;

(2) initially determining the position of the platform on the track relative to the first reference mark by measuring the distance between the platform and the first reference mark;

(3) aligning a laser light beam from the head with the second reference mark such that the laser light beam is reflected by the reflector thereon;

(4) moving the platform along the track and repeatingly measuring the changes, relative to the platform, in the angle of the laser light beam, which remains aligned with the second reference mark by readjusting the head about one or both said axes;

(5) repeatingly determining the relative change in position of the platform to a previous measured position by means of a space-stabilized gyro device mounted on the platform;

(6) repeatingly obtaining values on the change in position of the gyro device for use as correction values for the change in the angular position of the laser light beam;

(7) comparing the values obtained to the desired values of the survey plan to determine any deviations of the track from the desired values for correcting the track on the basis of any of such deviations, and

(8) when the reflector on the second reference mark disappears from a defined window of a visible range of the light-receiving and laser-emitting head, realigning the laser light beam with the third reference mark.

2. The process according to claim 1, wherein, for carrying out the aligning step 3, said head includes means for emitting a vertical, fan-shaped laser beam and means for rotating said head about said vertical axis, and said head includes means for moving said head about said pitch axis perpendicular to said vertical axis.

3. Apparatus for surveying a railway track for any deviations from a track survey plan having values which set forth the desired course of the track relative to reference marks, each reference mark having light reflectors located on upstanding supports in the vicinity of the track, comprising, a measurement platform having rail-engaging wheels for moving the platform along the track, a laser gyroplatform mounted on the measurement platform for detecting the spatial position of the measurement platform along the track, an optical laser-receiving and emitting device mounted on the measurement platform, the device being capable of rotating about intersecting vertical and pitch axes by stepping motors, the gyroplatform and the receiving device being connected to control and evaluator electronics, and mirror reflectors mounted on upstanding supports along the track for locating the reference marks, whereby the position of the track measurement platform is determined relative to one of the reference marks, a light beam from the head is aligned with the one reference mark such as the light beam is reflected by the reflector thereon, any relative change in position of the measurement platform to the last measured position is determined by the gyroplatform, values on the changed position of the gyroplatform are obtained for use as correction values for the change in the angular position of the light beam, and the values obtained are compared to the desired values of the survey plan to determine any deviations of the track from the desired values for correcting the track on the basis of any such deviations.