Detection of overheated railroad wheel and axle components
US4928910A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 11, 1988 |
| Grant date | May 29, 1990 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 11, 2008 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB61K9/06
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
Overheated railroad journal bearings, wheels, and wheel components on a moving or stationary railroad train are detected by amplifying the current signal from an infrared radiation sensor comprising a pyroelectric cell. A reference temperature is sensed by chopping the incident infrared radiation with an asynchronous shutter that momentarily closes at successive time spacings of shorter duration than the scanning period of the sensor. The amplified signal is converted to a digital signal and processed by a microcontroller and associated hardware and software. The software comprises a free-running loop Main Program which is subject to several interrupts. The output signal may be digital or analog and is transmitted to remote signal processing equipment for further processing.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.