US 12,286,142 B2
Utility body for housing system for detecting defects in rail
John W. Kieser, Platte City, MO (US); Brent T. Applebury, St. Joseph, MO (US); and Andy White, Savannah, MO (US)
Assigned to Herzog Services, Inc., St. Joseph, MO (US)
Filed by Herzog Services, Inc., St. Joseph, MO (US)
Filed on Apr. 10, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/632,172.
Application 18/632,172 is a continuation in part of application No. 18/355,392, filed on Jul. 19, 2023.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/495,152, filed on Apr. 10, 2023.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/368,829, filed on Jul. 19, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0253676 A1, Aug. 1, 2024
Int. Cl. B61K 9/08 (2006.01); G01N 29/22 (2006.01); G03B 17/56 (2021.01)
CPC B61K 9/08 (2013.01) [G01N 29/225 (2013.01); G03B 17/561 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An equipment housing assembly removably securable to a frame of a hi-rail vehicle operable to advance along first and second rails of a railroad track, the equipment housing assembly comprising:
an equipment housing;
at least one rail sensor operable to sense at least one property of at least one of the first and second rails as the hi-rail vehicle advances along the first and second rails, the at least one rail sensor mounted on a sensor support;
at least one sensor deployment motor operably engaging the sensor support and operable to advance the sensor support between a retracted configuration relative to the equipment housing and a deployed configuration relative to the equipment housing, wherein when the sensor support is advanced to the deployed configuration, the at least one sensor is positioned to sense the at least one property of at least one of the first and second rails as the hi-rail vehicle advances along the first and second rails;
a power distribution system housed within the equipment housing operable to supply electrical power to the at least one sensor deployment motor;
at least one first power supply cord electrically connected at a first end to the power distribution system and removably and electrically connectable to a power source in the hi-rail vehicle;
at least one computer housed within the equipment housing and communicatively coupled to the at least one sensor deployment motor and the at least one rail sensor, the at least one computer operable to control operation of the at least one sensor deployment motor and the at least one rail sensor and to receive sensor data from the at least one rail sensor indicative of the at least one property of at least one of the first and second rails; and
a conduit extending from the equipment housing and removably securable to a cab of the hi-rail vehicle, at least one communications cable extending through the conduit, the at least one communications cable connected at a first end to the computer and a second end of the at least one communications cable removably couplable to a display or a computer input device or both located within the cab of the hi-rail vehicle.