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US 4,571,695 AGranted
Non-contact road profilometer and deflection meter
AssigneePurdue Research Foundation
InventorsDavid J. Elton, Milton E. Harr
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pavement deflection measurement system is disclosed which continuously and simultaneously measures both a pavement profile and its deflection under load.
Claims11
An apparatus for continuously measuring a road surface profile, the apparatus comprising
- a rigid frame attached to a vehicle,
- first, second, and third profile detecting means, serially mounted on the rigid frame in spaced-apart relation, for measuring a distance between a selected datum line on the frame and the underlying road surface,
- control means for simultaneously instructing the first, second, and third profile detecting means to activate to cause the distance to be simultaneously measured between the selected frame datum and the underlying road surface at three laterally spaced-apart locations to provide a set of distance data,
- sequencing means for periodically activating the control means,
- data collection means for sequentially recording a plurality of the sets of distance data periodically measured by the first, second, and third profile detecting means, and
- computer means for manipulating each of the sets of distance data recorded by the data collection means to mathematically compute the profile of the underlying road surface.
3 more elements
A method of continuously collecting a stream of data indicative of a profile of a road surface, the method comprising the steps of
- providing a plurality of distance measuring gages in fixed spaced relationship upon a rigid beam, a first of the gages being positioned in proximity to a means for loading a road surface underlying the plurality of gages, each of the gages other than the first gage being fixed on the rigid beam to lie a selected distance away from the loading means,
- measuring the distance from each of the gages other than the first gage to the underlying road surface,
- advancing the rigid beam in relation to the underlying road surface to cause the gages to be positioned substantially above the underlying road surface at a point at which another of the gages had been previously positioned, and concurrently with the advancing step,
- recording the distances measured by each of the measuring gages to provide a set of distance data indicative of one of an undeflected profile and a deflected profile of the underlying road surface.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.