US 12,392,756 B2
Roller search unit having integrated digital circuitry for detecting rail defects
Andy White, Savannah, MO (US); Troy L. Elbert, St. Joseph, MO (US); Brent T. Applebury, St. Joseph, MO (US); Timothy J. Coolman, Savannah, MO (US); and Jason Roe, St. Joseph, MO (US)
Assigned to Herzog Services, Inc., St. Joseph, MO (US)
Filed by Herzog Services, Inc., St. Joseph, MO (US)
Filed on Jan. 24, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/158,769.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/267,109, filed on Jan. 25, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0236156 A1, Jul. 27, 2023
Int. Cl. G01N 29/44 (2006.01); G01N 29/04 (2006.01); G01N 29/265 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 29/4463 (2013.01) [G01N 29/04 (2013.01); G01N 29/265 (2013.01); G01N 2291/0289 (2013.01); G01N 2291/2623 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A roller search unit having integrated digital circuitry for detecting rail defects, comprising:
at least one wheel rotatably coupled to an axle;
a tire having a circumferential surface mounted on the at least one wheel, wherein the circumferential surface of the tire is configured to travel along a surface of a rail undergoing inspection;
an ultrasonic transducer array attached to a housing positioned within the tire; and
a compact flaw detection module positioned within the tire, the flaw detection module comprising:
analog-to-digital conversion circuitry operable to digitize analog signals received from the ultrasonic transducer array;
digital signal processing circuitry configured to detect flaws in the rail from the digitized signals;
a plurality of circuit boards having circuitry thereon, the boards arranged in a stacked configuration; and
wherein the flaw detection module is configured to generate digital output signals representing detected flaws and transmit the digital output signals from within the tire.