Patent US5150618A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5150618A
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Acoustic bearing defect detector
Assignee: HARMON INDUSTRIES Inc
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Filing: 1990-12-04
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Granted: 1992-09-29
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Expires: 2010-12-04
Abstract
Abstract The present invention relates to bearing defect detectors and in particular to an acoustic system for detecting defects in the bearings of moving railroad cars and identifying the location of these defects.
Inventors
- 👤 Joseph E. Bambara
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 06:05
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01M; G01M13/00; G01M13/04; G01M13/045; B; B61; B61K; B61K9/00; B61K9/04; G01H; G01H1/00; G01H1/003; G01H3/00; G01H3/04; G01H3/08; G01N; G01N29/00; G01N29/14; G01N29/36; G01N29/38; G01N2291/00; G01N2291/26; G01N2291/262; G01N2291/2623
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
118 words
In an apparatus for acoustically scanning bearings of wheels of a train during operation of said train as said train moves through a scanning zone of a track, said apparatus being of the type including means for transducing acoustic vibrations into electrical signals and means for processing said electrical signals to isolate signals of predetermined impact frequencies indicative of particular bearing defects, the improvement comprising wheel presence transducers on said track for generating signals indicative of the beginning and the end of a window during which an isolated signal is expected to occur for a particular bearing of said train and means to determine if an actual isolated signal associated with said particular bearing occurs within said window.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
118 words
In an apparatus for acoustically scanning bearings of wheels of a train during operation of said train as said train moves through a scanning zone of a track, said apparatus being of the type including means for transducing acoustic vibrations into electrical signals and means for processing said electrical signals to isolate signals of predetermined impact frequencies indicative of particular bearing defects, the improvement comprising wheel presence transducers on said track for generating signals indicative of the beginning and the end of a window during which an isolated signal is expected to occur for a particular bearing of said train and means to determine if an actual isolated signal associated with said particular bearing occurs within said window.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each of said isolated signals is indicative of a particular bearing defect.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said wheel presence transducers are positioned within said scanning zone.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising means for determining if said isolated signal is at a level for generating an alarm for a particular bearing defect.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising horns disposed below a centerline of said wheels to monitor the bearings on said wheels.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
The apparatus according to claim 1 further including means for generating an alarm signal if said isolated signal occurs within said window.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising means for inhibiting said alarm signal if said isolated signal initiates before said window and continues into said window.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said means for generating an alarm signal measures the peak value of the isolated signal within the window.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said means for generating an alarm signal measures peak value and width characteristics of the isolated signal within the window.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said means for generating an alarm signal measures the area of the isolated signal.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus according to claim 6 further comprising means for inhibiting the alarm signal for a specified number of axles prior to and/or after the detection of a flat wheel.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
44 words
The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said means for processing said electrical signals includes a matrix of switched capacitor bandpass filters set within frequency ranges corresponding to particular bearing defects to identify the bearing defect associated with an alarm generated within said window.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said switched capacitor filters have propagational delay times inversely proportional to train speed.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
48 words
The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said switched capacitor filters includes a first 3×3 array of filters for filtering signals detecting particular bearing defects on one rail side and a second 3×3 array of filters for filtering signals detecting particular bearing defects on the other rail side.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said switched capacitor filters further includes a 3×1 array of filters for filtering signals indicative of a wheel defect on either track side.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
54 words
The apparatus according to claim 14 wherein each of said array of filters has outputs and further comprising an exclusive OR network for each of said array of filters, each of said exclusive OR networks passing only the highest output of its associated array of filters while blocking the outputs of the remaining filters.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus according to claim 16 wherein said exclusive OR network bandwidths limits noise to that of the highest input signal.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
54 words
The apparatus according to claim 16 further comprising a multi-track analog chart recorder adapted to receive and display in real time the results from the exclusive OR networks of said first and second 3×3 array of filters and said 3×1 array of filters on first, second and third tracks of said chart recorder, respectively.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1995-09-29 | 1996-03-30 | 1996-09-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-09-29 | 2000-03-30 | 2000-09-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-09-29 | 2004-03-30 | 2004-09-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |