US 12,459,551 B2
Broken rail detector
Paul D. Gies, Redwood Meadows (CA)
Assigned to Athena Industrial Technologies Inc., Calgary (CA)
Filed by Athena Industrial Technologies Inc., Calgary (CA)
Filed on Apr. 15, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/722,069.
Application 17/722,069 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/070,693, filed on Oct. 14, 2020, granted, now 11,975,750.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/914,751, filed on Oct. 14, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0234632 A1, Jul. 28, 2022
Int. Cl. B61L 23/04 (2006.01); B61L 1/16 (2006.01); B61L 1/18 (2006.01); G01R 19/04 (2006.01); G01R 19/10 (2006.01); G01R 25/00 (2006.01)
CPC B61L 23/044 (2013.01) [B61L 1/163 (2013.01); B61L 1/165 (2013.01); B61L 1/18 (2013.01); B61L 1/187 (2013.01); B61L 23/042 (2013.01); G01R 19/04 (2013.01); G01R 19/10 (2013.01); G01R 25/005 (2013.01)] 63 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for detecting a condition of rail tracks comprising:
forming segments of the rail tracks by coupling shunts between rails of the rail tracks at intervals;
providing a plurality of detectors and coupling a respective one of the plurality of detectors to a respective one of the formed segments of rail tracks, wherein axles of all moving trains move with respect to the plurality of detectors;
providing at least two frequencies of alternating electrical current to the respective one of the formed segments of rail tracks;
evaluating a change in signal amplitude above a baseline reference in at least one of the at least two frequencies, and evaluating a phase angle difference between the at least two frequencies of alternating electrical current; and
detecting the condition based on a change in the signal amplitude and phase angle difference between the at least two frequencies.