Sperry Rail, Inc.

Sperry Rail Holdings, Inc.

Harsco Track Technologies, Inc.

Pandrol Jackson Technologies, Inc.

Robert Mark Havira

Anthony Iorfino

Joseph S Bakach, Jr

A rolling search unit including an ultrasonic device and a heat exchanger mounted within a fluid-filled tire may be utilized to perform ultrasonic testing on an underlying railroad rail. The ultrasonic device may transmit or receive ultrasonic beams into or from the railroad rail, and the heat exchanger may be utilized to maintain the temperature of the fluid within the tire at a preferred level or within a preferred range. In such a manner, the results of testing obtained using the rolling search unit may be standardized regardless of the ambient temperature in the environment where the testing is being performed, and regardless of any heat gained or lost by the rolling search unit during operation.

System and method for non-destructive testing of railroad rails using ultrasonic apparatuses mounted within fluid-filled tires maintained at constant temperatures

An ultrasonic railroad rail inspection system, apparatus and method for in situ rail inspection including a wheel assembly containing a fluid-filled tire and an ultrasonic transducer mounted within the wheel assembly. The transducer is supported in the tire such that the ultrasonic beam generated by the transducer has a beam axis that intersects a head of a railroad rail at a position offset from the longitudinal median plane of the rail to the side of the head penetrated by the ultrasonic beam. The ultrasonic beam is reflected by flaws in the rail in the form of echoes. The echoes return to the transducer identifying the location of flaws.

Method of and an apparatus for in situ ultrasonic rail inspection of a railroad rail

An ultrasonic aligning device for laterally aligning a rail testing device with respect to a rail has an ultrasonic transducer formed of an array of closely spaced ultrasonic elements, with center to center distances between elements being selected to determine incremental lateral positions of the array relative to the rail. The ultrasonic elements are selectively actuated to cause the generation of ultrasonic beams towards the base portion of the rail. Reflections from the base portion are detected to produce reflection signals representative of the incidence of the ultrasonic beam onto said base portion. The reflection signals are processed by a reflection analyzer for a determination of the lateral offset of the ultrasonic array relative to the rail. A position signal indicative thereof is produced and used to laterally displace the array to achieve a desired lateral alignment of the rail testing device with the rail.

Automatic carriage alignment

An ultrasonic rail flaw detection system and technique are described for the detection of flaws in the sides of rail heads. An ultrasonic transducer is oriented, sized, and so-located so as to produce an ultrasonic beam within the head whereby at least a portion of the beam will intersect a lower side corner independent of the curvature of the rail head running surface and the amount of head wear. The presence of premature reflections or the or absence of reflections can be used to detect flaws such as vertical fractures in the rail head. The side-looker is so oriented as to produce a beam in the rail head that lies within 45.degree. to 75.degree. of the normal to the rail surface. The side-looker can further be so located that its beam does not interfere with or be interfered by beams from other transducers used to investigate the rail and mounted in the same wheel assembly as the side-looker.

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New Fairfield, CT, United States of America

Robert Mark Havira