Method for measuring the transverse profile of the head of a rail of a railroad track

Claim 3

A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized by the fact that the measured profile is compared to a comparison profile and that the deviations between these two profiles are determined in graphical or numerical form.

Claim 4

A method according to claim 2, characterized by the fact that a base for the measured profile, as well as for the comparison profile is determined, said base passing through the points of these profiles corresponding to the lower points of the side wall of the head of the actual rail, respectively the comparison rail, and that a middle line is determined for each profile which is perpendicular to this base and in the middle of it and finally that the intersection of said middle lines with their respective profile is determined.

Claim 5

A method according to claim 3, characterized by the fact that the measured profile is compared to the comparison profile by superimposing the said middle lines of said profile and by superimposing their intersections with their respective profile.

Claim 6

A method according to claim 3, characterized by the fact that the measured profile is compared to the comparison profile by putting in coincidence the ordinates of said intersections of said middle lines with their corresponding profile and by putting in coincidence the abissae of the points of the bases of each profile corresponding to the lower point of the inside wall of each profile.

Claim 7

A method according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that one measures successively at least two profiles of the rail at different locations along it, then constitutes an average of the measured profiles, and by the fact that this mean value of the measured profiles is compared to a comparison profile to obtain a graphical or numerical representation of the deviations existing between the mean measured profile and the comparison profile.

Claim 8

A method according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the trace is projected in one plane forming an angle with the longitudinal axis of the rail.

Claim 9

A method according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the trace is projected in two half planes forming an angle between them and with the longitudinal axis of the rail.

Claim 10

A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized by the fact that the source of rays is a light source.

Claim 11

Device for the measurement of the transverse profile of the head of a railway track comprising, mounted on a carriage pulled along the track, a source of rays projecting a trace on the whole surface of the head of the rail and means to observe said trace from several points located outside of the plane of projection, characterized by the fact that it comprises means forming a particular point on the projected trace constituting a floating origin; by the fact that the means to observe the trace enable its observation from at least two directions forming an angle between them and with the plane of projection of the trace, said means to observe being located on either side of a vertical plane containing the longitudinal axis of the rail, and creating two partial reproductions of the trace each containing the image of the floating origin; by the fact that it comprises an electronic apparatus comprising means to superimpose the images of said floating origin of the partial reproductions of the trace and means angularly displacing these partial reproductions by an angle depending on the angles from which the trace is observed and reconstituting the totality of the transverse profile of the head of the rail.

Claim 12

Device for the measurement of the transverse profile of the head of a railway track comprising, mounted on a carriage pulled along the track, a source of rays projecting a trace on the whole surface of the head of the rail and means to observe said trace from several points located outside of the plane of projection, characterized by the fact that it comprises means forming a particular point on the projected trace constituting a floating origin; by the fact that the means to observe the trace enable its observation from at least two directions forming an angle between them and with the plane of projection of the trace, said means to observe being located on either side of a vertical plane containing the longitudinal axis of the rail, and creating two partial reproductions of the trace each containing the image of the floating origin; by the fact that it comprises an electronic apparatus comprising means to superimpose the images of said floating origin of the partial reproductions of the trace and means angularly displacing these partial reproductions by an angle depending on the angles from which the trace is observed and reconstituting the totality of the transverse profile of the head of the rail.

Claim 13

Device according to claim 10, characterized by the fact that the source of rays projects the trace in a plane forming an angle with the longitudinal axis of the rail.

Claim 14

Device according to claim 11, characterized by the fact that it comprises two mirrors inclined the one with respect to the other, reflecting each one a partial reproduction of the rail into a same camera.

Claim 15

Device according to claim 11, characterized by the fact that it comprises two cameras for observing the rail, the optical axes of said cameras forming an angle between them.

Claim 16

Device according to claim 11, characterized by the fact that it comprises two optical fibers taking the partial representations of the rail and transmitting them to one or two cameras.

Claim 17

Device according to claim 11, characterized by the fact that the source of rays is a laser fixed to the carriage, emitting two opposed rays contained in a single plane, and by the fact that it comprises two oscillating mirrors mounted on said carriage and each receiving one of the laser rays and directing it onto a portion of the surface of the head of the rail.

Claim 18

Device according to claim 15, characterized by the fact that the amplitude of oscillation of the mirrors is such that a portion of the surface of the head of the rail, located in the plane of the trace, does not receive any rays and constitutes a particular point forming a floating origin the luminous intensity of which is less than that of the rest of the trace.

Claim 19

Device according to claim 15, characterized by the fact that the amplitude of oscillation of the mirrors is such that a portion of the surface of the head of the rail, located in the plane of the trace, receives rays coming from both mirrors constituting a particular point forming a floating origin the luminous intensity of which is greater than that of the rest of the trace.