Importance

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Abstract

Apparatus and method for surveying rails, in particular running rails for cranes, shelf handling units, running wheel blocks, includes a transmitter unit arranged on the rail and having a laser, which emits at least one laser beam aligned longitudinally in the direction of the rail, and a detector unit capable of traveling on the same rail longitudinally in the direction of the rail and having at least one photodetector, which confronts the laser beam and generates an electric output signal in response to the incident laser beam, for determining the local position of the laser beam in a vertical measuring surface aligned transversely to the longitudinal direction of the rail. In order to determine the change in position of the rail at high accuracy by approaching individual positions on the rail without shift of the photodetector, it is proposed to provide the photodetector with a rectangular matrix having a plurality of immediately neighboring optical sensor elements which generate electric output signals delivered to an electronic evaluation unit by which the point of impact of the laser beam in the measuring surface is solely determined in electronic manner, and to provide a proximity sensor for determining the change in distance between the transmitter unit and the detector unit.

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First Claim