Broken rail detection system and method
US6102340A · kind A · utility
77Cited by
18References
23Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 6, 1998 |
| Grant date | Aug 15, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 6, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB61L23/044
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
This invention relates to a system and method of detecting a broken rail in a railway system. The track sensing circuitry of the present invention applies a voltage source at each end of a block of rails and senses the current flowing through the circuitry. The present invention will detect broken rails continuously in a block, even with a train present (except for a break directly beneath the train). Since the rail is continuously checked, the only restriction imposed on train spacing by this track circuit configuration is that only one train can be present in a block at a time.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.