Patents by Inventor Douglas Earnest

Douglas Earnest has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Transverse crack detection in rail head using low frequency eddy currents
    Patent number: 6768298
    Abstract: A method and system for detecting transverse cracks beneath horizontal cracks in the rail way track. As a transporter moves over rail, a saturation magnetic field is generated into and across the rail head using a toroidal-shaped DC saturation magnet located a predetermined distance above the rail head. Any transverse cracks in the rail head are detected with a low frequency eddy current probe mounted centrally between the opposing pole ends of the DC magnet and over the rail head. A force is applied to the low frequency eddy current probe to hold the probe towards the rail head as the transporter moves on the rail so as to follow the wear pattern of the rail head and to minimize lift-off. A second sensor is used to sense the presence of non-relevant indications that falsely indicate possible transverse cracks by the low frequency eddy current probe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2004
    Assignee: Transportation Technology Center, Inc.
    Inventors: Gopichand Katragadda, Douglas Earnest, Gregory Anthony Garcia, Richard Paul Reiff
  • Transverse crack detection in rail head using low frequency eddy currents
    Publication number: 20030020469
    Abstract: A method and system for detecting transverse cracks beneath horizontal cracks in the rail way track. As a transporter moves over rail, a saturation magnetic field is generated into and across the rail head using a toroidal-shaped DC saturation magnet located a predetermined distance above the rail head. Any transverse cracks in the rail head are detected with a low frequency eddy current probe mounted centrally between the opposing pole ends of the DC magnet and over the rail head. A force is applied to the low frequency eddy current probe to hold the probe towards the rail head as the transporter moves on the rail so as to follow the wear pattern of the rail head and to minimize lift-off. A second sensor is used to sense the presence of non-relevant indications that falsely indicate possible transverse cracks by the low frequency eddy current probe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2001
    Publication date: January 30, 2003
    Inventors: Gopichand Katragadda, Douglas Earnest, Gregory Anthony Garcia, Richard Paul Reiff