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Pilot vehicle which is useful for monitoring hazardous conditions on railroad tracks

  • US 5,786,750 A
  • Filed: 02/21/1997
  • Issued: 07/28/1998
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/10/1996
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A pilot vehicle for surveying railway tracks ahead of a train, said pilot vehicle traveling along a pair of rails of said railway tracks ahead of said train, said pilot vehicle comprising:

  • a frame;

    drive means for propelling said pilot vehicle along said railway tracks;

    processing means for receiving position information and control signals transmitted by said train, said processing means processing said position information and control signals to determine a safe distance said pilot vehicle is to be disposed ahead of said train;

    drive control means operatively connected to said processing means and said drive means for maintaining said pilot vehicle at said safe distance ahead of said train;

    first and second data wheels rotatably mounted on said pilot vehicle, said first and second data wheels engaging said railway tracks upon which said pilot vehicle is traveling, said first and second data wheels generating V1 and V2 electrical signals representative of the velocity of said data wheels as said pilot vehicle travels said railway tracks;

    a magnetic compass mounted on said pilot vehicle, said magnetic compass generating a θ

    N electrical signal representative of a direction for said pilot vehicle as said pilot vehicle travels said railway tracks;

    latitude location means mounted on said pilot vehicle, said latitude location means generating a ψ

    L electrical signal representative of degrees latitude of said pilot vehicle as said pilot vehicle travels said railway tracks;

    a vertical rate gyro mounted on said pilot vehicle, said vertical rate gyro generating a θ

    C electrical signal representative of a pitch rate for said pilot vehicle as said pilot vehicle travels said railway tracks;

    a three axis accelerometer mounted on said pilot vehicle, said pilot vehicle generating ac'"'"'xtot, ac'"'"'ytot and ac'"'"'ztot electrical signals representative of x, y and z components of acceleration exerted upon said pilot vehicle whenever said pilot vehicle accelerates along said railway tracks;

    rail height sensing means positioned on said pilot vehicle to measure a height of said frame of said pilot vehicle above the top of the rails of said railway tracks, said rail height sensing means generating Δ

    hcz1, Δ

    hcz2, Δ

    hcz3, and Δ

    hcz4 electrical signals representative of the height of said frame of said pilot vehicle above the top of the rails of said railway tracks;

    said processing means receiving and then processing said V1 and V2 electrical signals, said θ

    N electrical signal, said ψ

    L electrical signal, said θ

    C electrical signal, said c'"'"'xtot, ac'"'"'ytot and ac'"'"'ztot electrical signals and said Δ

    hcz1, Δ

    hcz2, Δ

    hcz3, and Δ

    hcz4 electrical signals to provide a three by three direction cosine matrix representative of an azimuth heading for the rails of said railway tracks in a predetermined direction;

    said processing means comparing said three by three direction cosine matrix with a previously recorded three by three direction cosine matrix for the rails of said railway tracks to locate changes in track orientation and determine when there is damage to the rails of said railway tracks.

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