Railroad track curve lining apparatus and method

Claim 1

An apparatus for lining a railroad track comprising: a vehicle assembly for traveling along a railroad track; shifting means for laterally shifting the railroad track; measuring means carried by said vehicle assembly for measuring initial track ordinates as said vehicle assembly travels along said track; computer means for calculating an ideal track shape as a function of said initial track ordinates, said computer means including: memory means for receiving and storing the initial track ordinates; means for detecting sequences of relatively constant ordinate values indicative of tangent and curve track segments; means for performing a plurality of linear regressions on varying sequences of ordinate values for each spiral track segment between segments of relatively constant ordinate values; selecting means for selecting one of the linear regressions associated with each spiral as the best fit linear regression; means for finding the points of intersection between each best-fit linear regression and the relatively constant value at either end thereof; means for locating the track transition points as a function of the points of intersection, the transition points being distinct from said intersection points; and means for calculating the desired track ordinates as a function of the tangent and curve information and the transition points; and control means for causing said shifting means to move the track responsive to said desired ordinate values as said vehicle assembly travels along the track.

Claim 2

An apparatus for lining a railroad track comprising: a vehicle assembly for traveling along a railroad track; shifting means for laterally shifting the railroad track; measuring means carried by said vehicle assembly for measuring initial track ordinates as said vehicle assembly travels along said track; computer means for calculating an ideal track shape as a function of said initial track ordinates, said computer means including: memory means for receiving and storing the initial track ordinates; means for detecting sequences of relatively constant ordinate values indicative of tangent and curve track segments; means for performing a plurality of linear regressions on varying sequences of ordinate values for each spiral track segment between segments of relatively constant ordinate values; selecting means for selecting one of the linear regressions associated with each spiral as the best fit linear regression; means for finding the points of intersection between each best-fit linear regression and the relatively constant value at either end thereof; means for locating the track transition points as a function of the points of intersection, the transition points being distinct from said intersection points; and means for calculating the desired track ordinates as a function of the tangent and curve information and the transition points; and control means for causing said shifting means to move the track responsive to said desired ordinate values as said vehicle assembly travels along the track.

Claim 6

An apparatus for lining a railroad track comprising: a vehicle assembly for traversing a railroad track; measurement means carried by said vehicle assembly for measuring the track ordinates as said vehicle assembly traverses the track; computer means for calculating ideal track ordinates for an ideal track configuration, said computer means including: means for detecting constant series of constant ordinate values indicative of tangent or curve track; linear regression means for performing linear regressions on different segments of each ordinate series of varying ordinate values; means for selecting the linear regression for each ordinate series having the highest correlation coefficient; means for defining track transition points based on the constant ordinate values for the constant series and the selected linear regressions for the spiral series; and means for calculating the ideal track ordinates as a function of the constant ordinate values and the transition points; and lining means for horizontally moving said track in response to the ideal track ordinates.

Claim 7

An apparatus for lining a railroad track comprising: a vehicle assembly for traversing a railroad track; measurement means carried by said vehicle assembly for measuring the track ordinates as said vehicle assembly traverses the track; computer means for calculating ideal track ordinates for an ideal track configuration, said computer means including: means for detecting constant series of constant ordinate values indicative of tangent or curve track; linear regression means for performing linear regressions on different segments of each ordinate series of varying ordinate values; means for selecting the linear regression for each ordinate series having the highest correlation coefficient; means for defining track transition points based on the constant ordinate values for the constant series and the selected linear regressions for the spiral series; and means for calculating the ideal track ordinates as a function of the constant ordinate values and the transition points; and lining means for horizontally moving said track in response to the ideal track ordinates.

Claim 10

An apparatus for lining a railroad track comprising: a vehicle assembly for moving on a railroad track; shifting means carried by said vehicle assembly for laterally moving the track; measurement means carried by said vehicle assembly for measuring track ordinates at a plurality of spaced locations along the length of the railroad track; computer memory means for storing the track ordinates; computer processor means for calculating better ordinates for a better track configuration than the existing track configuration as a function of the stored track ordinates, said processor means including: means for detecting areas of generally constant ordinate values indicative of tangent and curve track portions; means for fitting sloped lines to the ordinate data between areas of constant ordinate values; means for determining the intersections of the sloped lines with the average ordinate values; means for locating track transition points as a function of said intersections, the transition points being mutually distinct from said intersections; means for determining the better ordinates as a function of the constant ordinate values and the transition points; and means for calculating desired track throws as the difference between the actual track ordinate and the better track ordinate; and control means for causing the shifting means to laterally move the track the desired track throw distance to line the track.

Claim 11

An apparatus for lining a railroad track comprising: a vehicle assembly for moving on a railroad track; shifting means carried by said vehicle assembly for laterally moving the track; measurement means carried by said vehicle assembly for measuring track ordinates at a plurality of spaced locations along the length of the railroad track; computer memory means for storing the track ordinates; computer processor means for calculating better ordinates for a better track configuration than the existing track configuration as a function of the stored track ordinates, said processor means including: means for detecting areas of generally constant ordinate values indicative of tangent and curve track portions; means for fitting sloped lines to the ordinate data between areas of constant ordinate values; means for determining the intersections of the sloped lines with the average ordinate values; means for locating track transition points as a function of said intersections, the transition points being mutually distinct from said intersections; means for determining the better ordinates as a function of the constant ordinate values and the transition points; and means for calculating desired track throws as the difference between the actual track ordinate and the better track ordinate; and control means for causing the shifting means to laterally move the track the desired track throw distance to line the track.

Claim 14

A method for lining a railroad track comprising: measuring initial track ordinates along a length of railroad track; calculating an ideal track shape as a function of the initial track ordinates, said calculation being performed using a computer and including the steps of: receiving and storing the initial track ordinates; detecting sequences of relatively constant ordinate values indicative of tangent and curve track segments; performing a plurality of linear regressions on varying sequences of ordinate values for each spiral track segment between segments of relatively constant ordinate values; selecting one of the linear regressions associated with each spiral as the best-fit linear regression; finding the points of intersection between each best-fit linear regression and the relatively constant value at either end thereof; locating the track transition points as a function of the points of intersection; and calculating the desired track ordinates as a function of the tangent and curve information and the transition points; and shifting the track laterally to the desired ordinate values to line the track.

Claim 15

A method for lining a railroad track comprising: measuring initial track ordinates along a length of railroad track; calculating an ideal track shape as a function of the initial track ordinates, said calculation being performed using a computer and including the steps of: receiving and storing the initial track ordinates; detecting sequences of relatively constant ordinate values indicative of tangent and curve track segments; performing a plurality of linear regressions on varying sequences of ordinate values for each spiral track segment between segments of relatively constant ordinate values; selecting one of the linear regressions associated with each spiral as the best-fit linear regression; finding the points of intersection between each best-fit linear regression and the relatively constant value at either end thereof; locating the track transition points as a function of the points of intersection; and calculating the desired track ordinates as a function of the tangent and curve information and the transition points; and shifting the track laterally to the desired ordinate values to line the track.

Claim 19

A method for lining a railroad track comprising: measuring the track ordinates along the length of track to be lined; calculating ideal track ordinates for an ideal track configuration, said calculating step including: detecting constant series of constant ordinate values indicative of tangent or constant curve track; performing linear regressions on different segments of each ordinate series of varying ordinate values; selecting the linear regression for each ordinate series having the highest correlation coefficient; defining track transition points based on the constant ordinate values for the constant series and the selected linear regressions for the spiral series; and calculating the ideal track ordinates as a function of the constant ordinate values and the transition points; and moving the track in response to the ideal track ordinates to line the track.

Claim 20

A method for lining a railroad track comprising: measuring the track ordinates along the length of track to be lined; calculating ideal track ordinates for an ideal track configuration, said calculating step including: detecting constant series of constant ordinate values indicative of tangent or constant curve track; performing linear regressions on different segments of each ordinate series of varying ordinate values; selecting the linear regression for each ordinate series having the highest correlation coefficient; defining track transition points based on the constant ordinate values for the constant series and the selected linear regressions for the spiral series; and calculating the ideal track ordinates as a function of the constant ordinate values and the transition points; and moving the track in response to the ideal track ordinates to line the track.

Claim 23

A method for lining a railroad track comprising: moving along a railroad track; measuring track ordinates at a plurality of spaced locations along the length of the railroad track; storing the track ordinates; calculating better ordinates for a better track configuration than the existing track configuration as a function of the stored track ordinates, said calculating step including: detecting areas of generally constant ordinate values indicative of tangent and curve track portions; fitting sloped lines to the ordinate data between areas of constant ordinate values; determining the intersections of the sloped lines with the average ordinate values; locating track transition points as a function of said intersections, the transition points being mutually distinct from said intersections; determining the better ordinates as a function of the constant ordinate values and the transition points; and calculating desired track throws as the difference between the actual track ordinate and the better track ordinate; causing a shifting means to laterally move the track the desired track throw distance to line the track.

Claim 24

A method for lining a railroad track comprising: moving along a railroad track; measuring track ordinates at a plurality of spaced locations along the length of the railroad track; storing the track ordinates; calculating better ordinates for a better track configuration than the existing track configuration as a function of the stored track ordinates, said calculating step including: detecting areas of generally constant ordinate values indicative of tangent and curve track portions; fitting sloped lines to the ordinate data between areas of constant ordinate values; determining the intersections of the sloped lines with the average ordinate values; locating track transition points as a function of said intersections, the transition points being mutually distinct from said intersections; determining the better ordinates as a function of the constant ordinate values and the transition points; and calculating desired track throws as the difference between the actual track ordinate and the better track ordinate; causing a shifting means to laterally move the track the desired track throw distance to line the track.