Abstract:
A railway safety system is provided to detect defects on railroad rolling stock, such as sticking brakes, which are ultimately manifested by an abnormal temperature rise in the region of the railway car wheel rim. The system utilizes an infrared detector positioned along a section track and focused to scan the wheels of passing cars. Scanning is confined to an area of each wheel between the rail head and the bottom of the car brake shoes.
Abstract:
An apparatus for measuring the length of a moving railroad train is provided. The apparatus includes two sensors mounted on a rail of the track in relatively close proximity to one another and two counting circuits, each of which is operatively connected to the sensors and counts the pulses from an associated fixed frequency pulse generator. The first counting circuit is enabled when a wheel passes the first sensor and disabled when that wheel passes the second sensor. The second counting circuit counts the pulses during the time interval between successive wheels passing one of the sensors. An arithmetic unit is also provided which computes the quotient of the counts of the first and second counting circuits. The quotient is directly proportional to the distance between the successive wheels. The arithmetic unit also sums the quotient for each set of successive wheels and this sum is directly proportional to the total length of the train.
Abstract:
A railroad wheel defect-detecting device is described. An accelerometer senses the vibrations induced in a test rail by a railroad wheel traveling thereon. The test rail is vibrationally isolated from adjacent train tracks and ground vibrations to permit sensing of train wheel defects such as flat spots on wheels, loose couplings, dragging equipment and the like. Defects are recognized when the sensed vibrations exceed preselected maximum tolerable levels, said levels being fixed or automatically regulated to compensate for varying train conditions. Identification of each wheel having a defect is provided as well as optional car identification.
Abstract:
This invention employs a radiation detection device including semiconductor material positioned to receive radiation. The radiation releases free carriers and a scanning voltage drives the carriers to a collector. Synchronizing means and a recirculating delay line control the scanning voltage and provide improved signal to noise properties.