Herzog Services, Inc. Patent applications |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20130220020 | APPARATUS FOR DETECTING DEFECTS - An apparatus for detecting defects in a railway rail mounted on a test vehicle. The apparatus includes a transducer assembly with one or more arrays of ultrasonic transducers directed toward the running surface of the rail. Beams transmitted by the one or more arrays of ultrasonic transducers may be dynamically adjusted to compensate for the varying profile of the rail head and running surface. A laser profiler mounted on the test vehicle in combination with a linear encoder provide profile data, which is communicated to a system controller to dynamically adjust the focal laws for the one or more arrays of transducers to steer the transmitted beams to produce the ideal inspection beam sets while the test vehicle is in motion. | 08-29-2013 |
20130152691 | METHOD OF DETECTING DEFECTS - A method for detecting defects in a railway rail including a search unit and preferably a roller search unit (“RSU”) mounted on a test vehicle and in rolling contact with the running surface of the rails to inspect each rail. The RSU includes a tire filled with a liquid and a transducer assembly mounted within the tire. The transducer assembly includes one or more arrays of ultrasonic transducers directed toward the running surface of the rail. A laser profiler mounted on the test vehicle in combination with a linear encoder provide profile data which is communicated to a system controller to dynamically adjust the focal laws for the one or more arrays of transducers to dynamically steer the transmitted beams to produce the ideal inspection beam sets while the test vehicle is in motion. | 06-20-2013 |
20120218868 | APPARATUS AND METHOD OF DETECTING DEFECTS IN A RAIL JOINT BAR - An inspection apparatus for detecting defects in a rail joint bar includes an ultrasonic transducer mounted on an actuator for moving the transducer into and out of engagement with a vertical surface of the head of the joint bar. A laser profile system and an encoder output linear position data corresponding to the position of a joint bar relative to the position of the inspection apparatus. A system controller responsive to the identification of the presence of a joint bar or obstructions, outputs control information to the transducer actuator assembly to position the transducer assembly relative to the joint bar. | 08-30-2012 |
20110209549 | APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF DETECTING DEFECTS IN A RAIL JOINT BAR - An apparatus and method for inspecting a rail joint bar transported along a railway rail by an inspection vehicle is provided. The apparatus and method includes a pair of ultrasonic transducers housed in liquid-filled wheels. The wheels are positionable for a stored position to a measurement position in rolling contact with the vehicle surfaces of the rail joint bars on each side of the rail. The ultrasonic transducer transmits a signal into the rail joint bar and the reflected signal is detected by the transducer and analyzed to identify flaws in the rail joint bar. | 09-01-2011 |