METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DETECTING RUNNING POSITION OF TRAVELING MACHINE

PURPOSE:To detect the position of a traveling machine inexpensively and reliably. CONSTITUTION:An optical cable 3 is laid along the total length of a rail 2 where a traveling machine 1 runs. An arm 6 is protruded from the traveling machine l toward the optical cable 3 and the optical cable 3 is passed into a tuning fork shaped tip part 63 of the arm 6. The arm 6 has a built-in heater and locally heats the optical cable 3 and then forms a temperature-specific region at the optical cable 3. Since the temperature-specific region is formed at a part corresponding to the position where the traveling machine 1 exists, the running position of the traveling machine 1 can be detected by applying laser pulses to the optical cable 3. measuring the Raman scattered light according to the laser pulses, and then measuring the distance from a fixed point to the temperature-specific region based on the principles of Raman scattered light utilization distribution type temperature sensor.