Automatic sonic/ultrasonic data acquisition system for evaluating the condition and integrity of concrete structures such as railroad ties

摘要

An automatic sonic/ultrasonic data acquisition system for collecting data from concrete railroad ties. The system has a frame, a wheel carried by the frame and constructed and arranged to rotate relative to the frame such that the wheel can roll along the top of a rail, an axle suspended from the frame and adapted to be rotated relative to the frame via rotation of the wheel, one or more sensors coupled to the axle and constructed and arranged to contact the ties as the frame is moved along the rails, and an energy source for initiating in the ties compressional and/or shear/Rayleigh waves that are sensed by the sensors.

主权项

1. An automatic sonic/ultrasonic data acquisition system for collecting data from concrete railroad ties that support rails, comprising;
a frame; a wheel carried by the frame and constructed and arranged to rotate relative to the frame such that the wheel can roll along the top of a rail; an axle suspended from the frame and adapted to be rotated relative to the frame via rotation of the wheel; one or more sensors coupled to the axle and constructed and arranged to contact the ties as the frame is moved along the rails; and an energy source for initiating in the ties compressional and/or shear/Rayleigh waves that are sensed by the sensors; wherein the axle is rotated by a drive belt that is driven by the wheel rotation and the drive belt is engaged with a sprocket carried by the wheel; and, wherein the sprocket is generally elliptical and has two opposed flatter sides and two opposed narrower ends.