Method and apparatus for detecting internal rail defects
OwnerDominick A. Paganoinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An ultrasonic rail inspection system designed to detect defects in a rail which result from longitudinal cracks that propagate in the horizontal and transverse plane of the rail. Detection of this type of defect is possible by directing an ultrasonic beam into the rail at a predetermined angle from the perpendicular to the surface of the rail. The predetermined angle must be sufficient to detect these normally undetectable defects and can be in the range of 8° to 14° from the perpendicular.
Claims10
A system for performing ultrasonic inspection of a rail comprising:
- a sensing wheel arranged to roll along the top of the rail;
- ultrasonic transducers in each sensing wheel, each ultrasonic transducer able to direct an ultrasonic beam into the rail;
- and
- each sensing wheel being tiltable from a vertical plane extending perpendicular to the rail, the amount of tilt from the perpendicular being sufficient to detect defects in the rail which result from longitudinal cracks that propagate in the horizontal and transverse plane of the rail and are normally undetectable when probed by ultrasonic beams directed perpendicular to the surface of the rail.
A system for performing ultrasonic inspection of a rail comprising:
- sensing wheels arranged to roll along the top of the rail;
- ultrasonic transducers in each sensing wheel, each ultrasonic transducer able to direct an ultrasonic beam into the rail;
- and
- each ultrasonic transducer being tiltable from a vertical plane extending perpendicular to the rail, the amount of tilt from the perpendicular being sufficient to detect defects in the rail which result from longitudinal cracks that propagate in the horizontal and transverse plane of the rail and are normally undetectable when probed by ultrasonic beams directed perpendicular to the surface of the rail.
Apparatus for performing ultrasonic inspection of a length of test material, such as a railroad rail, with ultrasonic transducing means emitting a beam of ultrasonic energy from within sealed wheel means and arranged for rolling contact along the test material, comprising:
- a sensing wheel arranged for rolling contact along the length of the rail;
- and
- an ultrasonic transducer included in the sensing wheel, said ultrasonic transducer aimed downwardly approximately between 8° and 14° from the perpendicular to the top surface of the rail and aimed toward a lower gauge corner of the rail,
- whereby said ultrasonic transducer effectively probes the lower gauge corner of the rail for internal rail defects having a horizontal component and a transverse component.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.