US 7,555,954 B2
In-track wheel inspection system
Dominick A. Pagano, Weston, Conn. (US); and David W. Giragosian, Waterbury, Conn. (US)
Assigned to Dapco Industries, Inc., Ridgefield, Conn. (US)
Filed on Apr. 26, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/412,318.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/675019, filed on Apr. 26, 2005.
Prior Publication US 2006/0266122 A1, Nov. 30, 2006
Int. Cl. G01N 29/04 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 73—620  [73/634] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of performing real-time defect recognition on a train wheel, comprising: detecting the train wheel entering a test station; accelerating a test head to match the speed of the train wheel; injecting, from the test head, pulses of a plurality of ultrasonic beams into the train wheel; detecting acoustic responses caused at a discontinuity of an elongated material; determining at least one characteristic of the detected acoustic responses; and determining a pattern of a feature of the wheel associated with said discontinuity based on the at least one characteristic and at least one pattern recognition rule.