Device for measuring the roundness of a railroad wheel

• US 7,392,595 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2003
• Issued: 07/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hegenscheidt-MFD GMBH and Company KG
• Original Assignee: Hegenscheidt-MFD GMBH and Company KG
• Inventors: Heimann, Alfred
• Primary Examiner(s): BENNETT, GEORGE B
• Application Number:
  US10/540,343
• Publication Number:
  US 20060196064A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,657 Days
• Field of Search: 33/1.Q, 333/38, 335/231, 336/51, 33550-552, 332/03, 332/031.2, 332/031.5, 331/46, 331/69.R
• US Class Current: 33/550
• CPC Class Codes: B61K 9/12 Measuring or surveying wheel-rims measuring techniques G01
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/10 Suspensions, axles or wheels

Abstract

A measuring device on at least one rail of a railway track for measuring the roundness of an individual railway vehicle wheel during running thereof on the rail as a difference of the circumferential radius of the wheel flange top and the radius of the running tread of the railway vehicle wheel in a measuring plane can include a plurality of measuring sensors. The plurality of measuring sensors can have a lateral distance from one another and are connected to the rail in the measuring plane along the axis of rotation of the railway vehicle wheel or the set of wheels and perpendicularly to the contact surface of the respective railway vehicle wheel.

Claims

1. A measuring device on at least one rail of a railway track for measuring the roundness of an individual railway vehicle wheel or the railway vehicle wheels of a set of wheels during running thereof on the rail as a difference of a circumferential radius of a wheel flange top and a radius of a running tread of the railway vehicle wheel in a measuring plane, in which the measuring device, within a measuring path along the rail comprises:

a plurality of individual measuring sensors, which respectively are (i) configured as a feeler roller, (ii) have a lateral distance from one another, and (iii) are connected to the rail in the measuring plane along the axis of rotation of the railway vehicle wheel or the set of wheels and perpendicularly to the contact surface of the respective railway vehicle wheel, in a manner that during a predetermined measuring time at least two adjacent measuring sensors contact the circumference of the wheel flange top at the same time.

2. The measuring device of claim 1, wherein the measuring path is between one and two times the circumference of the running tread of the railway vehicle wheel.

3. The measuring device of claim 1, wherein within the measuring path, at least one measuring sensor contacts the circumference of the wheel flange top.

4. The measuring device of claim 1, wherein each measuring sensor further comprises:

a base that may be fastened to the rail;

a measuring lever;

a feeler roller at the outer end of the measuring lever;

a swivel joint on the base for the measuring lever;

a return spring between the feeler roller and the swivel joint; and

an angle sensor in or on the swivel joint.

5. The measuring device of claim 4, further comprising a calibration stop.

6. The measuring device of claim 1, further comprising an evaluation device to which each individual measuring sensor can be connected.

7. The measuring device of claim 6, wherein the evaluation device comprises subordinate means for determining:

the roundness of the railway vehicle wheel with precise values in the measuring points of the sensors and with tangents in the measuring points,

the wheel diameter in the running tread,

the height of the wheel flange in the contact surface of the running tread and

the number, the position and respective depth of flat spots in the running surface.

8. The measuring device of claim 7, wherein the evaluation device comprises a subordinate means for determining the transverse displacement of the railway vehicle wheel or the railway vehicle wheels of a set of wheels on passing through the measuring path.

9. The measuring device of claim 7, wherein the evaluation device comprises a subordinate means that recursively corrects the diameter of the railway vehicle wheel or the railway vehicle wheels of a set of wheels with a measured deviations from the roundness of the respective railway vehicle wheel.

10. The measuring device of claim 4, wherein a dirt scraper is provided on the feeler roller.

11. The measuring device of claim 2, wherein within the measuring path, at least one measuring sensor contacts the circumference of the wheel flange top.

12. The measuring device of claim 2, wherein each measuring sensor further comprises:

a base that may be fastened to the rail;

a measuring lever;

a feeler roller at the outer end of the measuring lever;

a swivel joint on the base for the measuring lever;

a return spring between the feeler roller and the swivel join; and

an angle sensor in or on the swivel joint.

13. The measuring device of claim 3, wherein each measuring sensor further comprises:

a base that may be fastened to the rail;

a measuring lever;

a feeler roller at the outer end of the measuring lever;

a swivel joint on the base for the measuring lever;

a return spring between the feeler roller and the swivel join; and

an angle sensor in or on the swivel joint.

14. The measuring device of claim 2, further comprising an evaluation device to which each individual measuring sensor can be connected.

15. The measuring device of claim 3, further comprising an evaluation device to which each individual measuring sensor can be connected.

16. The measuring device of claim 4, further comprising an evaluation device to which each individual measuring sensor can be connected.

17. The measuring device of claim 5, further comprising an evaluation device to which each individual measuring sensor can be connected.