Wayside rolling stock inspection

• US 8,006,559 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2008
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Electronic Machines Corp.
• Original Assignee: International Electronic Machines Corp.
• Inventors: Mullaney, Jeremy C., Mian, Zahid F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams; Hezron
• Assistant Examiner(s): MILLER, ROSE MARY
• Application Number:
  US12/195,022
• Publication Number:
  US 20090049936A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 Days
• Field of Search: 736/36, 736/32, 736/44, 736/43, 250/491.1, 250/522.1, 356/600, 356/237.1, 702/38, 702/39, 702/40
• US Class Current: 73/643
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/10 Suspensions, axles or wheels

Abstract

Inspection of rolling stock (e.g., rail vehicles) traveling along a set of rails is performed using devices that are placed in a housing that is attached to the set of rails. The housing conforms to standard width, height, and load bearing requirements for a railroad tie. As such, the housing can be readily installed and allows for the continued use of standard railroad maintenance equipment. One or more sensing devices are attached to the housing and acquire evaluation data on component(s) of the rail vehicle, such as the wheels. A computing device can evaluate a condition of the component(s) using the evaluation data.

Claims

1. A system for inspecting a component of a rail vehicle, the system comprising:

a housing attached to a set of rails on which the rail vehicle is traveling, wherein the housing substantially conforms to standard height and load bearing requirements for a railroad tie;

a set of sensing devices attached to the housing, each sensing device configured to acquire evaluation data on the component of the rail vehicle;

a bay attached to a top surface of the housing, wherein the bay includes an opening facing a location of the component as the rail vehicle travels along the set of rails, and wherein at least one of the set of sensing devices acquires image data based on electromagnetic radiation that passes through the opening on the bay; and

a computing device configured to evaluate a condition of the component using the evaluation data.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a mirror attached to at least one of the bay or the housing, wherein the mirror directs the electromagnetic radiation towards an imaging device in the set of sensing devices that is placed within the housing.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a set of emitting devices attached to the housing, wherein each emitting device is configured to emit radiation that is captured by a sensing device in the set of sensing devices.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein a sensing device in the set of sensing devices is attached to the housing means for isolating the sensing device from vibration experienced by the housing.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of sensing devices includes a vibration sensing device located on the housing directly below one of the set of rails, and wherein the computing device processes data acquired by the vibration sensing device to evaluate a condition of the component of the rail vehicle.

6. A system for inspecting a component of a rail vehicle, the system comprising:

a housing attached to a set of rails on which the rail vehicle is traveling, wherein the housing substantially conforms to standard height and load bearing requirements for a railroad tie;

a set of sensing devices attached to the housing, each sensing device configured to acquire evaluation data on the component of the rail vehicle; and

a computing device configured to evaluate a condition of the component using the evaluation data, wherein the set of sensing devices includes a side impact sensing device attached to a side of the housing, and wherein the computing device processes data acquired by the side impact sensing device to evaluate a condition of the component of the rail vehicle.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising a bay attached to a top surface of the housing, wherein the bay includes an opening facing a location of the component as the rail vehicle travels along the set of rails, and wherein at least one of the set of sensing devices acquires image data based on electromagnetic radiation that passes through the opening on the bay.

8. A system for inspecting a component of a rail vehicle, the system comprising:

a housing attached to a set of rails on which the rail vehicle is traveling, wherein the housing substantially conforms to standard height and load bearing requirements for a railroad tie;

a set of sensing devices attached to the housing, each sensing device configured to acquire evaluation data on the component of the rail vehicle;

a computing device configured to evaluate a condition of the component using the evaluation data;

a second housing attached to the set of rails, wherein the second housing substantially conforms to standard height and load bearing requirements for a railroad tie; and

an emitting device attached to the second housing, wherein the emitting device is configured to emit radiation that is captured by a sensing device in the set of sensing devices.

9. A system for acquiring evaluation data on a component of a rail vehicle, the system comprising:

a first housing attached to a set of rails on which the rail vehicle is traveling, wherein the first housing substantially conforms to standard height and load bearing requirements for a railroad tie;

a sensing device attached to the first housing, the sensing device configured to acquire evaluation data on the component of the rail vehicle;

a second housing attached to the set of rails, wherein the second housing substantially conforms to standard height and load bearing requirements for a railroad tie; and

an emitting device attached to the second housing, wherein the emitting device is configured to emit radiation that is captured by the sensing device attached to the first housing.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a first bay attached to a top surface of the first housing, wherein the first bay includes an opening facing a location of the component as the rail vehicle travels along the set of rails, and wherein the sensing device acquires evaluation data based on radiation that passes through the opening on the first bay; and

a second bay attached to a top surface of the second housing, wherein the second bay includes an opening facing a location of the component as the rail vehicle travels along the set of rails, and wherein the emitting device emits radiation that passes through the opening on the second bay.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a first mirror attached to at least one of the first bay or the first housing, wherein the first mirror directs the radiation towards the sensing device.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising a second mirror attached to at least one of the second bay or the second housing, wherein the second mirror directs the radiation towards the component.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the sensing device is attached to the first housing means for isolating the sensing device from vibration experienced by the first housing.

14. The system of claim 9, further comprising a computing device configured to store the evaluation data.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the evaluation data comprises image data and wherein the computing device is further configured to process the image data to remove image blur.

16. A system for inspecting a component of a rail vehicle, the system comprising:

a first housing attached to a set of rails on which the rail vehicle is traveling, wherein the first housing substantially conforms to standard height and load bearing requirements for a railroad tie;

a first bay attached to a top surface of the first housing, wherein the first bay includes an opening facing a location of the component as the rail vehicle travels along the set of rails; and

a first sensing device attached to at least one of;

the first housing or the first bay using a means for isolating the first sensing device from vibration experienced by the first housing, the first sensing device configured to acquire evaluation data on the component of the rail vehicle based on radiation that passes through the opening on the first bay;

a vibration sensing device located on the housing directly below one of the set of rails, and configured to acquire evaluation data on the component of the rail vehicle based on vibration caused by the rail vehicle; and

a computing device configured to evaluate a condition of the component using the evaluation data acquired by the first sensing device and the vibration sensing device.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising an emitting device, wherein the emitting device is configured to emit radiation that is captured by the first sensing device.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising a second housing attached to the set of rails, wherein the second housing substantially conforms to standard height and load bearing requirements for a railroad tie, and wherein the emitting device is attached to the second housing.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising a blower component configured to blow air in one of:

across the opening of the first bay or through the opening of the first bay.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the blower component is attached to a railroad tie adjacent to the housing, and wherein the blower component is configured to blow air across the opening of the first bay.