DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-20 and 26-28 are allowed.
Claims 24-25 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) s 21-23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and (a)(2) as being anticipated by Cowan et al. 3,978,712.
Claims 21-23 are disclosed by Cowan in paragraphs 19-30, and the description of Figures 1, 3 and 8 of Cowan “712.
(19) A further object is to provide improved shielded transducers and transducer supporting assemblies within flexible couplant boots providing maximum test times for moving wheels, actuated by wheel sensors responding to wheels approaching from either direction.
(20) Wheel testing apparatus according to the invention comprises at least one search unit positioned in-track replacing a cut away portion of a rail. The search unit has a thin vertical rail positioned in the removed portion of rail and aligned with the gauge edge of the remaining rail, thereby providing support for passing railroad wheels. The thin vertical rail supports a wheel rolling thereover adjacent to its flange, and thereby exposes most of the running surface of the passing wheel to a test zone in the cutaway portion of the rail adjacent to the thin vertical rail positioned therein. Test equipment positioned in this zone does not alter or intrude into the normal path of the wheel.
(21) Each search unit has two tungsten-filled, urethane-casing-backed transducers mounted in a lightweight micro-balloon-filled shielding mask supported in an upwardly springed-biased parallel-axis gimbal suspension system. The transducers, mask, and gimbal suspension system are enclosed in a flexible fluid-filled boot and are positioned adjacent to the thin vertical rail in the test zone, the fluid-filled boot provides a good acoustic path from the transducer to the running surfaces of passing wheels. Two positioning arms upstanding from the gimbal suspension system engage the running surface of each passing wheel and align the longitudinal axes of the transducers with the running surface, maximizing delivery of ultrasonic energy thereto.
(22) One of the transducers is held in the mask with its sonic axis inclined with respect to a plane tangent to the running surface of the wheel positioned on the search unit. The angle of inclination is determined by Snell's Law. Ultrasonic energy pulses delivered along the sonic axis into the wheel are refracted substantially tangent to the wheel and thereafter travel about its peripheraly in a first direction. The second transducer, also held in the mask, is opposed to the first transducer, i.e. with its sonic axis also inclined with respect to the running surface wherein pulses produced by the second transducer are delivered into the wheel and refracted substantially tangent thereto, and travel about the wheel's periphery in the opposite direction.
(23) The ultrasonic energy pulses used for testing herein have a relatively low frequency below 1,000 KHz, and preferably 400 KHz. These pulses achieve a deep penetration of ultrasonic energy into the wheel. the ultrasonic energy pulse tends to migrate toward the surface of the wheel as it travels there about concentrating a surface wave component immediately adjacent to the running surface. A portion of the wave also migrates to the larger diameter flange of the wheel and travels thereabout.
(24) Positioning of the transducer in the mask as described above causes a portion of the pulse circling the wheel and passing the boot-wheel interface to be refracted through the coupling fluid in the boot to impinge upon the transducer to the sending transducer. A defect in the running surface of the wheel causes a portion of the pulse to be reflected back along the periphery of the wheel as to defect echo pulse. A portion of that defect echo pulse is refracted out of the wheel at the boot-wheel interface to impinge upon the sending transducer, indicating the presence of a defect.
(25) As a wheel approaches the search unit, the transducer facing the direction of approach is repetitively pulsed at an interval greater than the time necessary for the pulse to travel about the largest diameter wheel to be tested. When the wheel contacts the search unit, an ultrasonic energy pulse is introduced into the running surface thereof, and travels about the wheel to return to the boot-wheel interface, whereat a portion of the pulse is returned from the wheel to the second transducer. This confirms the presence of the pulse in the wheel and halts further pulsing of the first transducer. The returned pulse is also used to adjust the amplified gain of the output of the first transducer, which is being monitored for defect echo pulses, wherein the signal caused by the defect echo pulses is amplified to a usable strength. The travel time of the pulses about the periphery of the wheel is measured to indicate the wheel size.
(26) After substantial attenuation of the first pulse in the wheel, the functions of the two transducers are reversed, and the wheel is further tested by pulsing the second transducer to produce an ultrasonic energy pulse traveling about the periphery of the wheel in the opposite direction. The second transducer is preferably pulsed in synchronism with the attenuating through-transmission pulses remaining in the wheel. The sending transducer is monitored for defect echo pulses. A wear measurement is made by measuring the time interval between the time for the pulse to travel about the periphery of the running surface and the time for the pulse to travel about the larger diameter flange.
(27) For testing wheels moving at high speeds wherein the wheel passes the search unit prior to delivery of the second pulse, a second, closely spaced parallel operating search unit is provided. Testing in the second direction is accomplished as the wheel passes thereover.
(28) The wheel testing apparatus further comprises gauging means for gauging approaching wheels, switch means sensing the direction of approach of wheels, coupling fluid spray means for wetting the surface of the flexible boot for better ultrasonic coupling at the boot-wheel interface, and an electronic test circuit for operating the transducers in the above-described manner. A unique feature of the test circuit comprises getting all through-transmission pulses into one channel and all defect echo pulses into a second channel so that the amount of circuitry is minimized. Outputs from the electronic test circuit include a defect alarm signal, an excessive wear alarm signal, a wheel size indication, and a test certification signal. These outputs trigger pressurized color-coded paint sprays for marking the wheels if they are passing at low speed, or terminals for connection with automatic car identification systems for recording information relating to wheels passing at either low or high speed.
(29) A second wheel testing apparatus is preferably installed in the opposite rail of the track for testing remaining wheels on the otherside of the train.
(30) The absence of a certification signal, signifying a failure of a tested wheel to accept any significant amount of vibratory energy, is employed to identify potentially explosive wheels suffering from high residual stress conditions, permitting such wheels to be removed before explosive cracking causes a serious accident.
PNG
media_image1.png
654
708
media_image1.png
Greyscale
PNG
media_image2.png
298
514
media_image2.png
Greyscale
PNG
media_image3.png
334
586
media_image3.png
Greyscale
21. A railway vehicle wheel precision inspection device to which an ultrasonic inspection method using an ultrasonic inspection module is applied, wherein the ultrasonic inspection method using an ultrasonic inspection module includes: analyzing stress on a wheel; selecting a predicted defect occurrence area based on a result of the stress analysis; determining a location and ultrasonic incidence angle of the sensor module in consideration of the selected predicted defect occurrence area; and analyzing a defect of the wheel using a pulse-echo inspection method or a time of flight diffraction (TOFD) inspection method.(see paragraphs 25-30 above)
22. The railway vehicle wheel precision inspection device of claim 21, wherein the analyzing of the stress in a web part of the wheel includes: setting a weight on an axial center line of the wheel and deriving stress distribution occurring in the web part of the wheel; and selecting an area in which stress is concentrated as the predicted defect occurrence area of the web part of the wheel based on a result of the stress distribution. (see paragraph 25 above)
23. The railway vehicle wheel precision inspection device of claim 21, wherein the determining of the location and ultrasonic incidence angle of the sensor module includes, to allow ultrasonic waves to pass through the predicted defect occurrence area, setting: a location on a tread of the sensor module; an incidence angle of the ultrasonic waves; and a frequency of the ultrasonic waves. (see paragraph 22-23 above)
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RICHARD M CAMBY whose telephone number is (571)272-6958. The examiner can normally be reached M - F flex.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Peter D Nolan can be reached at 571 270 7016. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/RICHARD M CAMBY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3661
Prosecution Insights