Abstract: A hand-held probe (10) for measuring a tire tread profile comprises a housing (20) with a slit (64) formed parallel to its major axis, a range finder (70) mounted inside the housing (20) in such a way that it can traverse much of the length of the tube while directing light from a laser through a window (60) and onto a tire surface, a bracket (50) that is carried by the proximal end of the tube to enable the user to hold the probe (10) in position against the tire, a serial port (32) for connection with a computer (40), and a handle (30) that houses the batteries for operation and an IR or RF transmitter. The IR or RF transmitter is for transmitting the tire tread profile wirelessly to a computer suitably equipped to receive IR or RF transmissions.

Abstract: A spiker vehicle and associated method of spiking apply a line of laser light which is reflected from a tie plate and imaged by a CCD camera connected to a computer programmed for image recognition by simultaneously determining the locations of two spike holes in the tie plate and the edge(s) of the tie plate, which spike holes are offset in the rail direction. A first spiker is mounted to a carriage which is moved automatically until the first spiker is over one of the sensed holes. The laser and camera are mounted to the spiker for rail direction movement therewith. A second spiker may be mounted to the carriage for spiking spike holes on the opposite side of the rail from the first spiker.

Abstract: Apparatus for continuously surveying and aligning railroad track has a measuring system with a leading point and a trailing point, both points being on the track center line. Two tensioned wires extend between these points, respectively, and a common intermediate point also on the track center line. At the trailing point a shadow board is located and this is arranged to interrupt an infrared beam extending between a projector at the leading point and a receiver behind the trailing point. A device measures continuously the angle between the two wires and this value is averaged and then subjected to mathematical manipulation in a computing device to derive an ordinate value for the shadow board which is automatically extended accordingly. The receiver then commands a track correction ram located adjacent the shadow board to move the track radially inwardly or outwardly until alignment between projector, receiver and shadow board causes the receiver to stop the lining action.