Method and apparatus for manipulating and testing railway wheels

Claim 2

Apparatus for manipulating and testing a railway wheel comprising a testing station, an entrance and exit rail leading respectively to and from said station, means for stopping a wheel as it enters the testing station from the entrance rail and thereafter ejecting the wheel from the testing station onto the exit rail, a tank containing a liquid below said testing station, transducer means within said liquid, means to energize said transducer means so as to transmit an ultrasonic test wave to said wheel, means to analyze signals received by said transducer means upon reception of a reflected wave, means for lowering the rim of said wheel in an upright position into said liquid in coordination with said transducer means and thereafter raising the rim of the wheel out of the liquid, and means for rotating the wheel while performing the ultrasonic test.

Claim 3

The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the means for lowering and raising the wheel comprises a stationary framework, a carriage, means for supporting said wheel in said carriage, and power cylinder means connected between said stationary framework and said carriage for vertical reciprocation of said carriage relative to said framework.

Claim 4

The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the means for stopping and ejecting the wheel comprises an arm pivotally mounted in the carriage intermediate the ends of said arm, and means for pivoting said arm relative to said wheel.

Claim 5

The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein means are provided to allow the wheel to pass through the testing station without being stopped and tested.

Claim 6

The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the means to allow the wheel to pass through the testing station comprises a rail segment between the entrance and exit rails, said rail segment being swingable into and out of alignment with said entrance and exit rails.

Claim 7

The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein means are provided to prevent the wheel from tilting away from upright position during rotation, said means comprising a vertical roller rotatably mounted in the carriage and engageable with the backface of the wheel, a pair of horizontal rollers engageable with the wheel on the other side thereof, and means for urging said horizontal rollers against said wheel.

Claim 8

The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein means responsive to the analyzing means are provided to automatically stop the wheel in a lowered position when a defect is analyzed.

Claim 9

The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein means are provided to rotate the wheel by manual control after the wheel has been stopped in a lowered position.

Claim 10

The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein means are provided to eject the wheel from the testing station before it is lowered into the liquid.

Claim 11

The process of automatically manipulating and testing a railway wheel in a production line operation including a testing station and an entrance and exit rail leading respectively to and from said station, said testing station including a tank containing a liquid with at least one transducer mounted therein, comprising rolling a wheel in an upright position on the entrance rail into the testing station, stopping the wheel at the testing station, and thereafter in automatic sequence, immersing the rim of the wheel in said liquid and rotating the wheel therein, energizing said transducer so as to transmit an ultrasonic test wave to said wheel, analyzing signals received by said transducer upon reception of a reflected wave, raising the rim of the wheel out of the liquid, and ejecting the wheel from the testing station onto the exit rail.

Claim 12

The process of automatically manipulating and testing a railway wheel in a production line operation including a testing station and an entrance and exit rail leading respectively to and from said station, said testing station including a tank containing a liquid with at least one transducer mounted therein, comprising rolling a wheel in an upright position on the entrance rail into the testing station, stopping the wheel at the testing station, and thereafter in automatic sequence, immersing the rim of the wheel in said liquid and rotating the wheel therein, energizing said transducer so as to transmit an ultrasonic test wave to said wheel, analyzing signals received by said transducer upon reception of a reflected wave, raising the rim of the wheel out of the liquid, and ejecting the wheel from the testing station onto the exit rail.

Claim 13

In an apparatus for manipulating and testing railway wheels including a tank containing a liquid with a transducer mounted in said tank, means for supporting and rotating the rim of a single wheel in said liquid, roller means contacting both sides of said wheel for restraining tilting movements of said wheel from vertical position during rotation thereof, said transducer being aimed at the rim of the wheel on a line substantially parallel to the rotational axis thereof, means to energize said transducer so as to transmit an ultrasonic test wave to said wheel, and means to analyze signals received by said transducer upon reception of a reflected wave.

Claim 14

In an apparatus for manipulating and testing railway wheels including a tank containing a liquid with a transducer mounted in said tank, means for supporting and rotating the rim of a single wheel in said liquid, roller means contacting both sides of said wheel for restraining tilting movements of said wheel from vertical position during rotation thereof, said transducer being aimed at the rim of the wheel on a line substantially parallel to the rotational axis thereof, means to energize said transducer so as to transmit an ultrasonic test wave to said wheel, and means to analyze signals received by said transducer upon reception of a reflected wave.

Claim 15

In an apparatus for manipulating and ultrasonically testing railway wheels, a tank containing a liquid, a stationary framework above said tank, a carriage supported by said framework and movable vertically with respect thereto, a pair of spaced rollers rotatably mounted in said carriage and adapted to support a wheel, means for moving the carriage up and down to the extent that the rim of a wheel supported on the rollers is immersed in said liquid, power means for rotating one of said rollers, said power means being mounted stationary relative to vertical movements of said carriage, means for connecting said power means to said one roller and operative at any vertical position of the carriage, a transducer mounted in said tank, means to energize said transducer so as to transmit an ultrasonic test wave to said wheel, and means to analyze signals received by said transducer upon reception of a reflected wave.

Claim 16

In an apparatus for manipulating and ultrasonically testing railway wheels, a tank containing a liquid, a stationary framework above said tank, a carriage supported by said framework and movable vertically with respect thereto, a pair of spaced rollers rotatably mounted in said carriage and adapted to support a wheel, means for moving the carriage up and down to the extent that the rim of a wheel supported on the rollers is immersed in said liquid, power means for rotating one of said rollers, said power means being mounted stationary relative to vertical movements of said carriage, means for connecting said power means to said one roller and operative at any vertical position of the carriage, a transducer mounted in said tank, means to energize said transducer so as to transmit an ultrasonic test wave to said wheel, and means to analyze signals received by said transducer upon reception of a reflected wave.

Claim 17

The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the means for connecting said power means to said one roller comprises a first sprocket on said power means and rotatably driven thereby, a second sprocket rotatably mounted on said stationary framework, third and fourth sprockets rotatably mounted on said carriage below said second sprocket and in alignment therewith, said fourth sprocket being located below said third sprocket, and an endless chain connected from said first sprocket around the second sprocket, wrapped around the fourth sprocket, up and over said third sprocket and back to said first sprocket.

Claim 20

In an apparatus for manipulating and testing railway wheels, means for supporting and rotating a single wheel in an upright vertical position, roller means contacting both sides of said wheel for restraining tilting movements of said wheel from vertical position during rotation thereof, and means for performing an ultrasonic test on an outside side surface of said wheel to detect warpage therein.

Claim 21

In an apparatus for manipulating and testing railway wheels, means for supporting and rotating a single wheel in an upright vertical position, roller means contacting both sides of said wheel for restraining tilting movements of said wheel from vertical position during rotation thereof, and means for performing an ultrasonic test on an outside side surface of said wheel to detect warpage therein.