Multi-function dragger

• US 9,168,937 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2012
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Progress Rail Services Corporation (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Progress Rail Services Corporation (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bartonek, Mark Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, John Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, AARON C
• Application Number:
  US13/659,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20140110537A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,098 Days
• Field of Search: 246/249, 246/169.R, 701/30
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 1/20 Safety arrangements for preventing or indicating malfunction of the device, e.g. by leakage current, by lightning
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/57 for vehicles or trains, e.g. trackside supervision of train conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0736 in functional embedded systems, i.e. in a data processing system designed as a combination of hardware and software dedicated to performing a certain function testing or monitoring of automated control systems G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/076 by exceeding a count or rate limit, e.g. word- or bit count limit
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/30 Monitoring

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a dragger. The dragger may have a plurality of sensors configured to be located adjacent a railroad track. Each of the plurality of sensors may be oriented at an angle relative to a horizontal plane. The dragger may also have a controller in communication with the plurality of sensors. The controller may be configured to receive signals from the plurality of sensors, determine a parameter based on at least one of the received signals, and detect a fault condition when the parameter exceeds a threshold.

Claims

1. A dragger, comprising:

a plurality of sensors configured to be located adjacent a railroad track, each of the plurality of sensors being oriented at an angle relative to a horizontal plane; and

a controller in communication with the plurality of sensors, the controller being configured to;

receive a first set of signals from the plurality of sensors;

select a plurality of signals from the first set of signals based on a predetermined fault condition to form a second set of signals, the second set of signals corresponding to a combination of sensors from the plurality of sensors;

determine a parameter based on characteristics of a combined signal obtained from the second set of signals;

detect a fault condition when the parameter exceeds a threshold;

identify a type of the fault condition based on the combination of the sensors corresponding to the second set of signals; and

trigger an alarm corresponding to the identified fault condition.

2. The dragger of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors includes:

a first sensor configured to be located adjacent a first rail of the railroad track, the first sensor being oriented at a first angle relative to the horizontal plane;

a second sensor configured to be located adjacent the first rail and oriented at a second angle relative to the horizontal plane;

a third sensor configured to be located adjacent a second rail of the railroad track and oriented at a third angle relative to the horizontal plane; and

a fourth sensor configured to be located adjacent the second rail and oriented at a fourth angle relative to the horizontal plane.

3. The dragger of claim 2, wherein:

the first and fourth sensors are configured to be located outside the railroad track; and

the second and third sensors are configured to be located between the first and second rails.

4. The dragger of claim 3, wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth sensors is configured to generate a signal representing a force of impacts on the dragger.

5. The dragger of claim 4, wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth sensors is mounted on a separate paddle including:

a first generally vertical plate;

a second generally vertical plate parallel to and spaced apart from the first vertical plate;

a first inclined plate connected at a first edge to the first vertical plate; and

a second inclined plate connected at a third edge to the second vertical plate and connected at a fourth edge to a second edge of the first inclined plate, such that the first inclined plate and the second inclined plate form a substantially inverted V-shaped top, wherein one of the first, second, third, and fourth sensors is attached to one of the first and the second inclined plates.

6. The dragger of claim 5, wherein the first sensor is attached to the first inclined plate of a first paddle.

7. The dragger of claim 6, wherein the second sensor is attached to the second inclined plate of a second paddle.

8. The dragger of claim 7, wherein the third sensor is attached to the first inclined plate of a third paddle.

9. The dragger of claim 8, wherein the fourth sensor is attached to the second inclined plate of a fourth paddle.

10. The dragger of claim 9, further including a speed detector configured to generate a signal indicative of a speed of a railroad car travelling past the dragger, wherein the controller is further configured to adjust the threshold based on the speed.

11. The dragger of claim 10, wherein:

the first angle is about equal to the third angle; and

the second angle is about equal to the fourth angle.

12. The dragger of claim 11, wherein the parameter is an amplitude.

13. The dragger of claim 12, wherein the type of fault condition is a dragging equipment fault condition, when the parameter is based on signals from the second and third sensors.

14. The dragger of claim 12, wherein the type of fault condition is a derailment fault condition, when the parameter is based on signals from the first and third sensors.

15. The dragger of claim 12, wherein the type of fault condition is a flat wheel fault condition, when the parameter is based on the signals generated by the first and second sensors, or by the third and fourth sensors.

16. A method of detecting a fault condition on a railroad track, comprising:

generating a first set of signals corresponding to impact forces acting in a plurality of directions using a plurality of sensors;

selecting, using a processor, a plurality of signals from the first set of signals based on a predetermined fault condition to form a second set of signals, the second set of signals corresponding to a combination of sensors from the plurality of sensor;

determining, using the processor, a parameter based on characteristics of a combined signal obtained from the second set of signals;

identifying, using the processor, a type of fault condition based on the combination of the sensors corresponding to the second set of signals, when the parameter exceeds a threshold; and

triggering, using the processor, an alarm corresponding to the identified fault condition.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein generating the first set of signals includes:

generating a first signal corresponding to a first impact force acting in a first direction;

generating a second signal corresponding to a second impact force acting in a second direction;

generating a third signal corresponding to a third impact force acting in a third direction; and

generating a fourth signal corresponding to a fourth impact force acting in a fourth direction.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second set of signals includes the second signal and the third signal, and an alarm indicates a dragging equipment fault condition.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the second set of signals include the first signal and the second signal, or the third signal and the fourth signal, and the alarm indicates a flat wheel fault condition.

20. A dragging equipment detector system, comprising:

a first sensor configured to be located adjacent a first rail of a railroad track, located outside the railroad track, and oriented at a first angle relative to a horizontal plane;

a second sensor configured to be located adjacent the first rail, between the first rail and a second rail of the railroad track, and oriented at a second angle relative to the horizontal plane;

a third sensor configured to be located adjacent the second rail, between the first rail and the second rail, and oriented at a third angle relative to the horizontal plane;

a fourth sensor configured to be located adjacent the second rail, located outside the railroad track, and oriented at a fourth angle relative to the horizontal plane;

an alarm configured to indicate a fault condition; and

a controller configured to;

receive a first set of signals from the first, second, third, and fourth sensors, and the speed detector;

select a plurality of signals from the first set of signals based on a predetermined fault condition to form a second set of signals, the second set of signals corresponding to a combination of sensors from the first, second, third, and fourth sensors;

determine a parameter based on characteristics of a combined signal obtained from the second set of signals;

detect a fault condition when the parameter exceeds a threshold;

identify a type of the fault condition based on the combination of the sensors corresponding to the second set of signals; and

trigger an alarm corresponding to the identified fault condition.