US3767146A - Railway safety system for detecting overheated brakes - Google Patents

Railway safety system for detecting overheated brakes Download PDF

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Publication number
US3767146A
US3767146A US00265346A US3767146DA US3767146A US 3767146 A US3767146 A US 3767146A US 00265346 A US00265346 A US 00265346A US 3767146D A US3767146D A US 3767146DA US 3767146 A US3767146 A US 3767146A
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Prior art keywords
wheel
track
scanner
accordance
passing
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Expired - Lifetime
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US00265346A
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English (en)
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C Gallagher
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Servo Corp of America
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Servo Corp of America
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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B61—RAILWAYS
    • B61K—AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR RAILWAYS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B61K9/00—Railway vehicle profile gauges; Detecting or indicating overheating of components; Apparatus on locomotives or cars to indicate bad track sections; General design of track recording vehicles
    • B61K9/04—Detectors for indicating the overheating of axle bearings and the like, e.g. associated with the brake system for applying the brakes in case of a fault
    • B61K9/06—Detectors for indicating the overheating of axle bearings and the like, e.g. associated with the brake system for applying the brakes in case of a fault by detecting or indicating heat radiation from overheated axles

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT A railway safety system is provided to detect defects on railroad rolling stock, such as sticking brakes, which are ultimately manifested by an abnormal temperature rise in the region of the railway car wheel rim.
  • the system utilizes an infrared detector positioned along a section track and focused to scan the wheels of passing cars. Scanning is confined to an area of each wheel between the rail head and the bottom of the car brake shoes.
  • FIG. 3 H64 RAILWAY SAFETY SYSTEM FOR DETECTING OVERHEATED BRAKES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
  • a major safety problem affecting railroads stems from the difficulty the railroads have detecting brake failures. Since railroad systems are fail-safe in operation, any failure in the system will result in the brakes being applied and eventually overheating. Overheated .brakes can not only ignite track ties and neighboring brush causing fires but they can also cause thermal stresses and cracks to develop in the associated wheels. These cracks can eventually lead to the total failure of the wheel which, in turn, could lead to possible derailment.
  • Heat generation in moving railway car wheels generally is either a result of an overheated bearing or dragging or sticking brake.
  • These patents disclose systems that utilize infrared detectors focused to view the hubs of passing railway car wheels for indications of excess heat regardless of the source of heat.
  • the prior art systems referred to above utilize sophisticated electronics. This differentiation of causes can be made because of the difference in the magnitude of the heat generated by a hot box as compared to a sticking brake.
  • a hot box generates temperatures on the order of 50F above ambient whereas a severely sticking brake usually generates temperatures of between 400F and 700F above ambient.
  • Another object is to provide such a system which is relatively economic to install and operate.
  • the above and other beneficial objects and advantages are attained in accordance with the present invention by providing a railway safety system to detect overheated wheels in a railway car moving along a sec tion of track.
  • the system includes an infrared detector positioned outboard of the track.
  • the detector is provided with a heat responsive cell that produces an electrical signal in response to incident radiant energy.
  • the system further includes optics associated with the cell adapted to image on the wheels of passing railway cars in the zone extending between the bottom of the brake shoe of each passing wheel and the top of the track rail so as to detect overheating at the wheel periphery.
  • a readout device responsive to the electrical signals of the detector is connected to the detector so that the overheated wheel may readily be identified.
  • FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the railway safety system of the present invention
  • FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the detector of the present system imaged on a passing wheel
  • FIGS. 3 and 4 are schematic plan views illustrating the detectors imaged respectively on the near and far wheels of a passing train.
  • FIG. 5 is a plan view of a railway car wheel showing the zone of the wheel being imaged.
  • the railway safety system 10 of the present invention comprising a detector incorporating a scanner unit 12 contained within a suitable housing and mounted along a section of track 14. It is suggested that the present safety system be located at the entrance or exit to a freight yard so that sticking brake situations may readily be corrected after they are detected.
  • the detector is of the infrared type such as those commonly used for hot box detection. Typical detectors are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,454,758 and 3,545,005 and are available commercially from the Servo Corporation of America of Hicksville, N. Y. Such detectors include a heat responsive cell imaged by a scanner provided with appropriate optics.
  • the scanner should preferably be imaged as far from the wheel axis as possible, namely at the rail.
  • Rail car brakes generally extend to within approximately 6 inches of the rail. That is, the lower end of the brake shoe is positioned at least 6 inches above the rail. It is not desirable to view across a passing brake shoe since the brake shoe temperature may exceed the safety limit prescribed for a wheel while the wheel itself remains below the safety limit. This is especially so in the case of lightly sticking brakes.
  • each wheel of a railroad car has its own associated brake, it is necessary that each wheel 16 of each carriage 22 of each passing railroad car be scanned for sticking brakes. This is accomplished in accordance with the present system in the manner illustrated schematically in FIG. 1.
  • the distance between the rails of standard gauge track in the United States is 4 feet 8 inches.
  • the wheel base of most railway carriages in use in this country is 5 feet 6 inches although there is a very small percentage of railway cars having a wheel base of 4 feet 6 inches.
  • the standard wheel base arrangement is shown in solid line in FIG. 1 and the rear wheels of the short wheel base carriage are shown in phantom.
  • Infrared detectors of the type discussed above require a viewing angle of at least 1 to insure accurate results. That is, the angle, a, of incident radiation from the scanner must describe a minimum angle of 1 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. As previously mentioned, it is also necessary that the incident radiation imaged on the wheel be confined to the area between the bottom of the brake shoe l8 and the top of the rail, preferably centered along a chord 3 inches above the rail. Naturally, this is true for the incident radiation image 24 on the near wheels as well as the incident radiation image 26 on the far wheels. To insure that the incident radiation image remains within the above set confines, the scanner should be set as close to the track as possible.
  • the scanner In order to enable scanning of each wheel of each passing car, it has been found that the scanner must be set at an angle of between approximately 50 and 70 (from a line 30 inches from the tracks) for larger wheel base carriages and between 60 and 70 for smaller wheel base carriages. It has been found that an angle of 65 provides optimum results and insures proper viewing of each passing wheel regardless of the wheel base of the passing car.
  • the present system includes a shadow box 28 mounted across the track from the detector along the line of sight of the detector.
  • the inner face of the shadow box is painted black so as to provide a known reference for the detector. That is, the detector sees the black inside of the shadow box in the absence of a car wheel and thereby receives a relatively constant input (in the absence of a wheel) regardless of the time of day or season of the year.
  • the present system further includes appropriate electronics to transform the output of the scanner into useful information. Accordingly, the output of the scanner passes first through an amplifier 30 and then to suitable telemetry means 32 and alarm means 34.
  • the alarm means will be understood to function above a preset threshold signal representing a safety limit for sticking brakes. As previously mentioned, it may not be desirable to stop a passing train to correct a lightly sticking brake situation and thus the threshold must be chosen at a level sufficiently high to exclude such light sticking brake situations.
  • the present safety system employs a wheel counting arrangement.
  • the arrangement includes a wheel trip 36 mounted on the track for actuation by the first wheel of a passing train.
  • the trip may be one of a number of varieties such as those commercially available and sold by the Servo Corporation of Hicksville, N.Y.
  • the trip comprises a magnetic circuit including a gap which is transiently closed by the flange of a passing wheel. A winding coupled to this magnetic circuit develops the trip signal.
  • a wheel counter 38 is activated. If the threshold value of the absolute alarm is exceeded, the alarm is triggered to activate an alarm controlled latch 40.
  • the wheel count is gated with the output of the absolute alarm through the latch and fed to the telemetry equipment.
  • the problem wheel can be determined.
  • the wheel count resets the latch circuit to await the next train.
  • the electronic equipment may conveniently be mounted in a trackside chassis 42 and appropriately powered by a battery power supply.
  • the telemetry equipment is only utilized in the event a hot brake situation is detected. If desired, the telemetry equipment can readily be connected directly to the amplifier output for constant monitoring.
  • the output of the telemetry equipment may take many forms, as for example, a strip chart record may be kept in a central office in the yard. Alternately, some type of audible or visual alarm such as an overhead gantry mounted display may be provided to give immediate warning to the train crew of the sticking brake. Such arrangements are well-known in the art and commonly used in conjunction with hot box detector systems.
  • a relatively simple railway safety system is provided to detect troublesome sticking brakes on moving railway trains.
  • readings caused by overheating hot boxes are eliminated from consideration by the system and discrimination is provided between lightly sticking brakes which pose no problem and severely sticking brakes which are troublesome and dangerous.
  • said system further includes wheel actuated switch means mounted along said track and means interconnecting said readout means and said switch means whereby said readout means are actuated only upon the passage of a train wheel past said switch means.
  • each wheel of said car with an infrared scanner only in the zone extending between the top of the track and the brake associated with said wheel;

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Braking Arrangements (AREA)
  • Radiation Pyrometers (AREA)
  • Train Traffic Observation, Control, And Security (AREA)
US00265346A 1972-06-22 1972-06-22 Railway safety system for detecting overheated brakes Expired - Lifetime US3767146A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US26534672A 1972-06-22 1972-06-22

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US3767146A true US3767146A (en) 1973-10-23

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US00265346A Expired - Lifetime US3767146A (en) 1972-06-22 1972-06-22 Railway safety system for detecting overheated brakes

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US (1) US3767146A (cs)
JP (1) JPS5921823B2 (cs)
AU (1) AU463026B2 (cs)
CA (1) CA1017028A (cs)
DE (1) DE2329843A1 (cs)
FR (1) FR2189250B1 (cs)
GB (1) GB1376426A (cs)
IT (1) IT985274B (cs)
SE (1) SE392849B (cs)

Cited By (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5292090A (en) * 1992-12-02 1994-03-08 Meg Trans Corp. Simulator for railroad hot wheel detector
US5936737A (en) * 1996-02-07 1999-08-10 Simmons Machine Tool Corporation Wheelset sensing system
EP1447679A3 (de) * 2003-02-13 2004-10-06 Schenck Process GmbH Vorrichtung und Verfahren zur Messung des Abstandes zweier Punkte eines Messobjekts, insbesondere zur Messung des Raddurchmessers eines schienengebundenen Fahrzeugrades
US6823242B1 (en) 2002-09-23 2004-11-23 Norfolk Southern Corporation Method and apparatus for monitoring wheel/brake performance
US20080212106A1 (en) * 2004-09-20 2008-09-04 Gutehoffnungshütte Radsatz Gmbh System and Method for Processing a Profile of a Solid, Which Profile is Captured, Preferably in a Dynamic Manner, to Determine Its Wear
US20090018721A1 (en) * 2006-10-27 2009-01-15 Mian Zahid F Vehicle evaluation using infrared data
US20100100275A1 (en) * 2008-10-22 2010-04-22 Mian Zahid F Thermal imaging-based vehicle analysis
US20110024576A1 (en) * 2009-07-29 2011-02-03 Krzysztof Kilian System and method for monitoring condition of rail car wheels, brakes and bearings
CN106926872A (zh) * 2017-03-29 2017-07-07 宁夏宁信信息科技有限公司 城际铁路线路安全控制方法及系统
CN109552365A (zh) * 2019-01-15 2019-04-02 兰州运通铁路科技有限责任公司 一种机车车辆防溜远程监控系统
US11529979B2 (en) * 2020-03-10 2022-12-20 Progress Rail Services Corporation Systems and methods for adjusting train operation

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
RU2126754C1 (ru) * 1996-03-26 1999-02-27 Алексенко Владимир Михайлович Способ определения неисправности элементов колесного узла
RU2308393C2 (ru) * 2005-06-08 2007-10-20 ООО "Квазар Плюс" Способ ориентации оптической системы напольной камеры аппаратуры автоматического обнаружения перегретых букс в поездах
AT502033B1 (de) * 2005-10-04 2007-01-15 Tober Hubert Vorrichtung und verfahren zum erfassen der temperaturverteilung an der lauffläche eines rades eines schienenfahrzeuges

Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3253140A (en) * 1962-04-04 1966-05-24 Gen Signal Corp System for detecting hot elements on railway vehicles

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US25159A (en) * 1859-08-16 Calvin fletcher
US3294969A (en) * 1964-08-14 1966-12-27 Gen Signal Corp Hot wheel detector apparatus for railway vehicles
US3545005A (en) * 1965-09-24 1970-12-01 Cornelius A Gallagher Hotbox detector

Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3253140A (en) * 1962-04-04 1966-05-24 Gen Signal Corp System for detecting hot elements on railway vehicles

Cited By (18)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5292090A (en) * 1992-12-02 1994-03-08 Meg Trans Corp. Simulator for railroad hot wheel detector
US5936737A (en) * 1996-02-07 1999-08-10 Simmons Machine Tool Corporation Wheelset sensing system
US6823242B1 (en) 2002-09-23 2004-11-23 Norfolk Southern Corporation Method and apparatus for monitoring wheel/brake performance
EP1447679A3 (de) * 2003-02-13 2004-10-06 Schenck Process GmbH Vorrichtung und Verfahren zur Messung des Abstandes zweier Punkte eines Messobjekts, insbesondere zur Messung des Raddurchmessers eines schienengebundenen Fahrzeugrades
US20080212106A1 (en) * 2004-09-20 2008-09-04 Gutehoffnungshütte Radsatz Gmbh System and Method for Processing a Profile of a Solid, Which Profile is Captured, Preferably in a Dynamic Manner, to Determine Its Wear
US8649932B2 (en) 2006-10-27 2014-02-11 International Electronic Machines Corp. Vehicle evaluation using infrared data
US8478480B2 (en) 2006-10-27 2013-07-02 International Electronic Machines Corp. Vehicle evaluation using infrared data
US20090018721A1 (en) * 2006-10-27 2009-01-15 Mian Zahid F Vehicle evaluation using infrared data
US8868291B2 (en) 2006-10-27 2014-10-21 International Electronics Machines Corp. Infrared data-based object evaluation
US20100100275A1 (en) * 2008-10-22 2010-04-22 Mian Zahid F Thermal imaging-based vehicle analysis
US8335606B2 (en) 2008-10-22 2012-12-18 International Electronic Machines Corporation Thermal imaging-based vehicle analysis
US20110024576A1 (en) * 2009-07-29 2011-02-03 Krzysztof Kilian System and method for monitoring condition of rail car wheels, brakes and bearings
US8439315B2 (en) 2009-07-29 2013-05-14 Lynxrail Corporation System and method for monitoring condition of rail car wheels, brakes and bearings
EP2459430A4 (en) * 2009-07-29 2013-07-17 Lynxrail Corp System and method for monitoring condition of rail car wheels, brakes and bearings
US9073559B2 (en) 2009-07-29 2015-07-07 Lynxrail Corporation System and method for monitoring condition of rail car wheels, brakes and bearings
CN106926872A (zh) * 2017-03-29 2017-07-07 宁夏宁信信息科技有限公司 城际铁路线路安全控制方法及系统
CN109552365A (zh) * 2019-01-15 2019-04-02 兰州运通铁路科技有限责任公司 一种机车车辆防溜远程监控系统
US11529979B2 (en) * 2020-03-10 2022-12-20 Progress Rail Services Corporation Systems and methods for adjusting train operation

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU5550173A (en) 1974-11-14
GB1376426A (en) 1974-12-04
JPS4953092A (cs) 1974-05-23
FR2189250A1 (cs) 1974-01-25
CA1017028A (en) 1977-09-06
FR2189250B1 (cs) 1977-02-11
JPS5921823B2 (ja) 1984-05-22
SE392849B (sv) 1977-04-25
AU463026B2 (en) 1975-07-10
IT985274B (it) 1974-11-30
DE2329843A1 (de) 1974-01-17

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