Patent · US Expired

Broken rail detection

US6779761B2 · kind B2 · utility

15Cited by
8References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateSep 10, 2002
Grant dateAug 24, 2004
Priority date—
Expiry dateSep 10, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB61L23/044
  • WIPO fieldTransport
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A break in a rail, where two rails (12, 13) extend parallel to each other along a railway line, is detected by connecting the two rails together electrically with two electrical connections (16, 18) at opposite ends of a section of the line, causing electrical currents to flow in parallel along the two rails from a current source (22), and detecting (24) the currents flowing in each of the rails (12, 13). From the two values of current one can find it there is a break in one of the rails (12, 13). The currents may be measured in one of the connections (16). The current source (22) may be DC or low frequency AC, or a coded pulse sequence.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.