Method and apparatus for detecting defective track wheels

Abstract

Method and apparatus for the detection of defective track wheels on rail vehicles such as carriages and/or locomotives, whereby an electromagnetic beam such as a laser beam (9) is directed towards the wheel (5) in a direction substantially at right-angles to the plane of the wheel while the carriage and/or the locomotive is running. A series of signals are recorded corresponding to electromagnetic beams reflected from the wheel (5) substantially at right-angles to the plane of the wheel, and a measurement is carried out of the Doppler frequency change between the transmitted beam (9) and the reflected beam. On the basis hereof, a signal processing is effected for the determination of the vibration pattern of the relevant wheel, and a determination of the condition of the relevant wheel is carried out on the basis of the vibration pattern.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.