US 7,499,186 B2 · Laser survey device

Abstract

A remotely operated laser survey device for performing a runway survey on a rail system that supports a device such as an overhead crane. The survey device includes a laser assembly and a survey car. The laser assembly can include a self-leveling laser. The survey car includes an image acquisition device and can be self-propelled by a drive mechanism. Images obtained using the image acquisition device are transmitted to a remote computer for analysis. The analysis can include a centroidal analysis of the image. Deviation of the rails is compared to established standards and correction carried out if necessary. The image acquisition device can be triggered to obtain images based on movement of the survey car. The survey car can be centered on a rail of the rail system to ensure accurate results regardless of the condition of the rail.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A laser survey device for performing a runway survey on a rail system, the rail system utilized to support a device such as an overhead crane, the laser survey device comprising:

a laser unit mounted on a rail of the rail system, the laser unit including a laser;
and
a self-propelled survey car supported on the rail for movement relative to the laser, the survey car including a mounting structure movable between a first position in which the mounting structure is positionable proximate the rail and a second position in which the mounting structure engages the rail to mount the survey car to the rail, the survey car also including a drive mechanism to move the survey car along the rail relative to the laser, and an image acquisition device, wherein the laser emits a laser beam that projects a laser spot on the image acquisition device and the image acquisition device captures an image of the laser spot.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Laser survey device

Life of this patent

Laser survey device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims15