RAIL HAVING AN IDENTIFICATION MARKER, AND APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR IDENTIFYING THE RAIL

Abstract

A rail for a rail vehicle track that has a longitudinal extension (L), an apparatus for identifying the rail, and a method for identifying the rail. An identification marker is attached along the longitudinal extension (L) of the rail on an inner side and/or an outer side of the rail. The identification marker is composed of a plurality of symbols, each symbol having at least one partial length (TL) of 0.15 meters, and one identification marker having at least eight symbols. The rail makes it possible for the rail vehicle to identify the rail laid as track during travel in normal operation.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention concerns the field of rails for rail vehicle tracks.

The invention relates to a rail for a rail vehicle track, wherein the rail has a longitudinal extent.

The invention furthermore relates to an apparatus and a method for identifying a rail.

PRIOR ART

Rails are linear supporting and guiding elements which, arranged in pairs and parallel to one another with a spacing equal to the gauge, form the rail vehicle track.

Rails are exposed to sometimes high wear factors, depending on quality, traffic frequency, weight loading, traffic speed and environmental effects. In order to maintain safety as well as the unrestricted function, elaborate maintenance and inspection work on the track—that is to say the individual rails—is necessary. These outlays entail high upkeep costs.

Rails do not have serial numbers or other individual identification features which may be read in automated fashion. Only rolling and embossing signs are applied. Rolling signs are 5 mm high designations which are rolled into the rail web every 2.25-2.50 m. Although these rolling signs contain information relating to rail quality, rail profile, manufacturer and production period, they do not contain further details which make it possible to identify the rail in the installed state. Embossing signs are stamped into the rail web—from 0.50 to 1.50 m away from the end of the rail. They contain information relating to the melting number, order in the block or casting and the block number, but automated identifying of the rails in the installed state is not possible in this way either. No identification of the rail, which can be read in the installed state by a rail vehicle when traveling along the track, is currently known.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to allow identification of rails laid as a track by the rail vehicle—during travel in normal operation.

The object is achieved in that an identification mark is applied along the longitudinal extent of the rail. The identification mark is composed of a plurality of symbols and the symbols are distributed in the longitudinal extent, the respective symbols having at least one partial length of 0.15 meters along the longitudinal extent and an identification mark consisting at least of eight, preferably of at least sixteen, particularly preferably of at least twenty symbols. The identification mark is preferably applied on an inner side and/or an outer side of the rail.

The partial length of the symbols is therefore necessary so that the identification mark can be identified reliably when traveling at high speed, for example 200 km/h or even more.

The advantage offered by unique identification of rails is that, for example, each rail can have the production data and/or the location at which they are fitted assigned to them in a data memory. If all rail vehicles register the rails in question on each journey thereon, the loads—number of trains, speed and/or weight—may be recorded for each rail. By the identification mark, it is possible that all data recorded by any rail vehicle, which are for example relevant to wear of the rails, may be assigned to the rails. Such data may, for example, be increased vibrations or increased power consumption along the rail traveled on. If a material problem of a rail occurs, for example, all rails of a batch may be found very rapidly on the basis of the inventive rail. When the rail is laid, this may be recorded using the identification mark and stored in a data memory, wherein the location may likewise be recorded using GPS data and linked to the identification mark. The identification mark makes it possible to uniquely assign a multiplicity of data to the rail. In the event of damage, these data may then be used to find out the cause. The identification mark has an error-detecting property. This error-detecting property may for example be formed by a Hamming code, a triplicate code or a parity bit. The error-detecting property is intended to ensure that incorrect reading of the identification mark is ascertained and ideally can also be corrected.

According to one preferred embodiment, the identification mark is arranged at least twice along the longitudinal extent. This may, for example, serve for the identification mark of the rail to be read a second time in order to check whether the successively read identification marks match. It is also conceivable for the identification mark to always be applied repeatedly over a length of the rail. This means the identification marks—respectively with the individual symbols—are sequenced directly.

According to one advantageous embodiment, the identification mark is composed of a plurality of symbols, which are applied on different faces in the longitudinal extent of the rail. For example, symbols may be applied on the inner side of the rail and other symbols may be applied on the outer side.

According to another advantageous embodiment, the identification mark is applied both on the inner side and on the outer side of the rail. A laying direction would therefore be arbitrary.

According to another preferred embodiment, the identification mark on a face along the longitudinal extent is composed of symbols lying above one another. By way of the arrangement at different height positions, the amount of information for a constant length of the identification mark may be increased. It may, however, also be used to reduce the length of the identification mark for a constant amount of information.

In another advantageous embodiment, the identification mark is configured in such a way that it can be read both in a forward direction and in a backward direction. This embodiment makes it possible that an installation orientation does not need to be taken into account when laying the rail. For example, this may be ensured by the identification mark having a start symbol and/or a stop symbol. When the identification mark is read, the direction in which the identification mark is being read may therefore be ascertained immediately. It is thus conceivable for the identification mark to have a start bit and a stop bit.

In one particularly preferred embodiment, the identification mark consists of three-dimensional symbols and/or of symbols with a different color and/or of symbols with a fluorescent or reflective color. The way in which the symbols are applied on the rail is in principle unimportant. For example, it would be conceivable to apply them with the aid of a colored paint. A painted section would in this case correspond to a logical one, and an unpainted section to a logical zero. One possibility would be to do this with a white and reflective color. The use of a reflective paint is also conceivable and advantageous in respect of reading symbols.

In another advantageous embodiment, the described marking on the longitudinal side may also be rendered three-dimensionally. In this case, a notch would correspond to a logical one and the absence of a notch would correspond to the logical zero. This embodiment possesses the advantage that it has a substantially longer lifetime than the color marking. The use of both methods simultaneously is likewise conceivable. The three-dimensional symbols, which are difficult to read, may in this case be used as a backup when color symbols are no longer ascertained.

According to one advantageous embodiment, the identification mark extends along a length of at least 3 m, preferably at least 5 m in the longitudinal extent.

The object is furthermore achieved by an apparatus for identifying the rail described above. The apparatus has at least the following components:

• • an optical sensor device
  • an evaluation device and
  • an apparatus for application onto a rail vehicle,
  • a speed recording device, which records the speed of the rail vehicle.

The optical sensor device can fully record an identification mark on the rail only during a movement along the rail. The optical sensor device transmits a multiplicity of recorded signals to the evaluation device during the movement. The evaluation device identifies the identification mark, consisting of a plurality of symbols, of the rail with the aid of the recorded signals and with the aid of the speed of the rail vehicle. The speed recording device may, for example, be an existing speedometer of the rail vehicle.

According to one preferred embodiment, the optical sensor device operates according to a light stripe method in order to record three-dimensional symbols.

According to one advantageous embodiment, the sensor device has a sampling rate of at least 1000 measurements per second.

The object is also achieved by a method which can fully record an identification mark by way of a movement of an optical sensor device along the longitudinal extent. The optical sensor device transmits recorded signals to an evaluation device. The evaluation device can uniquely identify the identification mark—consisting of a plurality of symbols—from the signals and with the aid of a rate of movement of the sensor device in the longitudinal extent of the rail.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a rail having an identification mark

FIG. 2a shows a rail which has symbols arranged above one another along the rail

FIG. 2a shows the identification mark as a bit code

FIG. 3 shows an apparatus for identifying a rail having an identification mark

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows a rail 2 having an identification mark 1. The identification mark 1 is applied in the longitudinal extent L of the rail 1. The identification mark 1 consists of individual symbols 1a, which have at least one partial length TL.

FIG. 2a represents the rail 2 having an identification mark 1 which consists of a plurality of symbols arranged in the height extent H. The identification mark 1 of this embodiment variant consists of symbols 1a which are arranged at the height position H1, the height position H2 and the height position H3.

FIG. 2b represents the way in which the identification mark 1 and the individual symbols of FIG. 2a can be represented in bits.

FIG. 3 represents an apparatus for identifying a rail 6. It comprises an optical sensor device 3 for recording the identification mark 1 that is applied on the rail 2. In this embodiment, the identification mark 1 is applied on the inner side 2a of the rail 2. It would, however, also be conceivable for an identification mark 1 to be applied on the outer side 2b. The optical sensor device 3 is connected to an evaluation device 4. From a speed recording device 5, the evaluation device 4 receives the speed at which the apparatus for identifying a rail 6 is moving. It may be mounted on a rail vehicle by an apparatus for application onto a rail vehicle 7.

Although the invention has been illustrated and described in further detail by the preferred exemplary embodiments, the invention is not restricted by the examples disclosed and other variations may be derived therefrom by a person skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of protection of the invention.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

1 identification mark

2 rail

3 optical sensor device

4 evaluation device

5 speed recording device

6 apparatus for identifying a rail

7 apparatus for application onto a rail vehicle

H height extent

H1, H2, H3 height position

L longitudinal extent

TL partial length

Claims

1. A rail for a rail vehicle track, wherein the rail has a longitudinal extent (L), characterized in that an identification mark which is composed of a plurality of symbols is applied along the longitudinal extent (L) of the rail, preferably on an inner side and/or an outer side of the rail, the respective symbols having at least one partial length (TL) of 0.15 meters and an identification mark consisting at least of eight, preferably of sixteen, particularly preferably of twenty symbols, the identification mark having an error-detecting property.

2. The rail for a rail vehicle track as claimed in claim 1, the identification mark is arranged at least twice along the longitudinal extent.

3. The rail for a rail vehicle track as claimed in claim 1, wherein the error-detecting property is configured as a Hamming code, a triplicate code or a parity bit.

4. The rail for a rail vehicle track as claimed in claim 1, wherein the identification mark is composed of a plurality of symbols, which are applied on different faces in the longitudinal extent of the rail.

5. The rail for a rail vehicle track as claimed in claim 1, wherein the identification mark on a face along the longitudinal extent (L) is composed of symbols lying above one another.

6. The rail for a rail vehicle track as claimed in claim 1, wherein the identification mark is configured in such a way that it can be read both in a forward direction and in a backward direction.

7. The rail for a rail vehicle track as claimed in claim 1, wherein the identification mark consists of three-dimensional symbols and/or of symbols with a different color and/or fluorescent or reflective color.

8. The rail for a rail vehicle track as claimed in claim 1, wherein the identification mark extends along a length of at least 3 m, preferably at least 5 m, in the longitudinal extent (L).

9. The rail for a rail vehicle track as claimed in claim 1, wherein the identification mark is applied both on the inner side and on the outer side of the rail.

10. An apparatus for identifying a rail as claimed in claim 1, comprising.

an optical sensor device,

an evaluation device,

an apparatus for application onto a rail vehicle,

a speed recording device, which records the speed of the rail vehicle, wherein the optical sensor device can fully record an identification mark on the rail only during a movement along the rail, the optical sensor device transmits a multiplicity of recorded signals to the evaluation device during the movement along the rail, the evaluation device being able to uniquely identify the identification mark, consisting of a plurality of symbols, of the rail with the aid of the multiplicity of recorded signals and with the aid of the speed of the rail vehicle.

11. The apparatus for identifying a rail as claimed in claim 10, wherein the optical sensor device operates according to a light stripe method in order to record three-dimensional symbols.

12. The apparatus for identifying a rail as claimed in claim 10, wherein the optical sensor device has a sampling rate of at least 1000 measurements per second.

13. A method for identifying a rail as claimed in claim 1, wherein an optical sensor device can fully record an identification mark on the rail by a movement in the longitudinal extent (L) of the rail, the optical sensor device transmitting recorded signals to an evaluation device, and the evaluation device being able to uniquely identify the identification mark, consisting of a plurality of symbols, from the signals and with the aid of a rate of movement of the optical sensor device in the longitudinal extent (L) of the rail.