Patent ID: 8418563
Filing Date: 2013-04-16
Classification: B61K,G01N

Abstract:
1. An inspection apparatus for inspecting a railway rail comprising: a carriage for supporting a transducer assembly, a profiler system adapted to output profile data corresponding to a profile of the rail, an encoder in rolling contact with the rail and adapted to output an encoder signal corresponding to rotation of said encoder, said transducer assembly having a first ultrasonic phased array transducer directed toward a running surface of the rail, a system controller coupled to said profiler system to receive profile data therefrom, coupled to said encoder to receive said encoder signal therefrom, and coupled to said first ultrasonic phased array transducer, said system controller responsive to said profile data, and energizing one or more of said first ultrasonic phased array transducer elements to emit an ultrasonic beam from said first ultrasonic phased array transducer into the rail at a desired angle, wherein said first ultrasonic phased array transducer includes a roof angle of between 10 and 55 degrees and a wedge angle of between 0 and 30 degrees.