GB2108305A - Transit vehicle control apparatus - Google Patents
Transit vehicle control apparatus Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2108305A GB2108305A GB08230494A GB8230494A GB2108305A GB 2108305 A GB2108305 A GB 2108305A GB 08230494 A GB08230494 A GB 08230494A GB 8230494 A GB8230494 A GB 8230494A GB 2108305 A GB2108305 A GB 2108305A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- vehicle
- track
- control
- track section
- output
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
- 239000012530 fluid Substances 0.000 claims description 14
- 230000008878 coupling Effects 0.000 claims description 4
- 238000010168 coupling process Methods 0.000 claims description 4
- 238000005859 coupling reaction Methods 0.000 claims description 4
- 239000000919 ceramic Substances 0.000 description 4
- 239000004020 conductor Substances 0.000 description 4
- 238000004804 winding Methods 0.000 description 4
- 238000010586 diagram Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000000853 adhesive Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000001070 adhesive effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000005484 gravity Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B61—RAILWAYS
- B61L—GUIDING RAILWAY TRAFFIC; ENSURING THE SAFETY OF RAILWAY TRAFFIC
- B61L3/00—Devices along the route for controlling devices on the vehicle or train, e.g. to release brake or to operate a warning signal
- B61L3/02—Devices along the route for controlling devices on the vehicle or train, e.g. to release brake or to operate a warning signal at selected places along the route, e.g. intermittent control simultaneous mechanical and electrical control
- B61L3/14—Devices along the route for controlling devices on the vehicle or train, e.g. to release brake or to operate a warning signal at selected places along the route, e.g. intermittent control simultaneous mechanical and electrical control to cut-off the power supply to traction motors of electrically-propelled vehicles
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Platform Screen Doors And Railroad Systems (AREA)
- Vehicle Body Suspensions (AREA)
Abstract
The apparatus detects 70 the position of track switch 40 and raises a member 78 or 80 in the converging track system 44, 46 which is not switched through to the track section 42. The raised member breaks a frangible element on a vehicle wrongly approaching the track switch thereby opening a circuit to its drive motor and also controlling application of its brakes. <IMAGE>
Description
SPECIFICATION
Transit vehicle control apparatus
This invention generally relates to control of transit vehicles, and more particularly to control of a transit vehicle which is passing through a track zone having a track change switch which causes the transit vehicle from a first track to a second track which branches off from the first track.
It is known in the prior art to provide a track switch apparatus for a transit vehicle system as shown by
U.S. Patent 4,090,452 of W. R. Segar. A pivotal track switch is provided for directing vehicles between first and second roadways or between first and third roadways.
It is known in the prior art to control the interlocking operation for a transit vehicle system such that route alignment and vehicle movement in relation to roadway track switches is maintained to permit safe vehicle travel along the track and through track switches as shown by U.S. Patent 3,740,548 of R. C.
Hoyler.
It is known to provide vehicle control apparatus utilizing a programmed digital computer to provide automatic operation of the vehicle through a roadway track system including track switches, and to control a vehicle such that it will not attempt to pass through an open switch as set forth in Preprint 3659 of the American Society of Civil engineers for the convention meeting in Atlanta on October 23-25, 1979 and entitled "Atlanta Airport Automated Guideway Transit System" by J. Kapala.
It is also known to provide a control apparatus for the vehicle propulsion motors, which is responsive to a traction request P signal and which determines the traction level of the motors, such as set forth in an article in the Westinghouse Engineer for September 1972 at pages 145-151,and in an article in the
Westinghouse Engineer for March 1973 at pages 34-41.
It is known in the prior art to incorporate track switches in a transit expressway system in several locations in order to transfer vehicles from one guideway path to another and to provide automatic control operation oftransitvehiclesthrough programmed digital computers to detect the position of each track switch and to control the travel of a vehicle such that a vehicle will not enterthe open leg of any track switch. However, in manual operation, human factors introduce the possibility of misjudgment on the part of the operator regarding a track switch position; to avoid such possibilities, a failsafe method of stopping a vehicle which is wrongly approaching an open leg our a misaligned leg of a track switch is desired.
The invention in its basic form consists in a control apparatus for a vehicle having a motor and being movable along a roadway track including a track switch which connects first, second and third track sections in substantially a Y configuration, said track switch having one position connecting the first and third track sections and having another position connecting the first and second track sections, the combination of: circuit means carried by said vehicle for controlling the operation of said motor, position sensing means coupled with said track switch for providing a first output when said switch is in said one position and providing a second output when said switch is in said another position, first vehicle control means responsive to said first output and operative with the circuit means for controlling the movement of the vehicle from the third track section to the first track section, and second vehicle control means responsive to said second output and operative with the circuit means for controlling the movement of the vehicle from the second track section in a direction toward the first track section.
In a preferred embodiment described herein, a current conducting vehicle circuit member is carried by the vehicle and is included in the vehicle propulsion motor circuit to control and determine the continued operation of the propulsion motor. A track-side movable member is positioned ahead of the track switch and operative in one of a first position where there is cooperation with the vehicle carried first member to open the motor circuit and stop the vehicle when the vehicle is moving to pass through a misaligned and open track switch and having a second position where there is no cooperation with the vehicle carried first member when the vehicle is moving to pass through a properly aligned and closed track switch.
A more detailed understanding of the invention can be had from the following description of an exemplary embodiment to be read and understood in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:
Figure 7 is a showing of a transit vehicle operative with a roadway track and including a current conducting vehicle carried circuit member in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a showing of a prior art roadway track system including a track switch;
Figure 3 shows one view of a prior art current conducting circuit control member carried by a vehicle car body;
Figure 4 shows a second view of the prior art current conducting circuit control member carried by the vehicle car body;
Figure 5 shows a pivotal track switch including the provided control cylinder movable second members in accordance with the present invention;;
Figure 6 is a schematic diagram to show the operation of the provided control cylinder members of Figure 5;
Figure 7 shows the position sensing control cylinder member coupled with a pivotal guide beam of the track switch shown in Figure 5;
Figure 8 shows the control cylinder member operative with the second track section shown in
Figure 5 and the vehicle carried current conducting circuit control member shown in Figures 3 and 4;
Figure 9 shows the control cylinder member operative with the third track section shown in
Figure 5 and the vehicle carried current conducting circuit control member shown in Figures 3 and 4; and
Figure 10 shows a suitable vehicle propulsion motor circuit arrangement for the current conduct ing circuit control member of Figures 3 and 4 to determine the operation of the vehicle propulsion motors.
Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a transit vehicle 20 operative with a roadway track 10 taken along the longitudinal axis of the roadway. The roadway 10 is comprised of laterally spaced tracks 12 and 14supported from a road bed 16 and including a flanged guide beam 18 located between the tracks 12 and 14. The transit vehicle 20 has pairs of resilient and laterally spaced main wheels 22 and 24 and travels along the tracks 12 and 14. The vehicle 20 is provided with a body 26 mounted on a longitudinal support 28 resiliently supported by air springs 30 mounted on channel members 32 mounted on vehicle frame 34. The vehicle is powered by an electric motor 36 coupled through an axle to the wheels 22 and 24. The transportation system shown in Figure 1, other than the circuit member 37 and the movable member 38 including the control rod 39, is described in greater detail in
U.S.Patent 4,090,452. The current conducting circuit control member 37 comprising a frangible flag is carried by the vehicle 20 in relation to the position of a vehicle operation determining movable member 38 including a control rod 39 fastened to the roadway track 12, such that when the control rod 39 is lowered as shown in Figure 1 there is no cooperation between the control rod 39 and the control member 37. However, when the control rod 39 is raised as shown by dotted lines in Figure 1, then there is positional cooperation between the control rod 39 and the control member 37 of a passing vehicle.
In Figure 2, there is a showing of a prior art roadway track sytem including a well known track switch 40 connected between a first track section 42 and a second track section 44 when the track switch is in one position and connected between the first track section 42 and a third track section 46 when the track switch 40 is in its other position.
In Figure 3 there is shown a side view of a prior art current conducting circuit member 50 carried by a vehicle car body 26 in relation to the support wheel pair 24 of a transit vehicle such as shown in Figure 1.
The circuit member 50 may comprise a ceramic element having embedded within the ceramic element or fastened to the ceramic element by suitable adhesive material conductors 52 and 54 such that if the circuit member 50 is physically broken away from the vehicle body 26, the electrical circuit including the conductors 52 and 54 is interrupted.
The conductors 52 and 54 extend through a coupling 56 and are operative with the propulsion control apparatus 58 of the vehicle 20. The circuit member 50 is fastened to a support member 60 connected with the body 26 by suitable fasteners 62 and 64 such that the circuit member 50 travels along the track 14 with the movement of the vehicle 20.
In Figure 4there is shown an end view of the circuit member 50 connected through the support 60 with the car body 26 of the vehicle 20 including wheel pair 24 operative with the track surface 14 for movement along the track surface 14.
In Figure 5 there is shown a pivotal track switch 40 connected between a first track section 42, a second track section 44, and a third track section 46. The guide beam movement power cylinder operative to physically move the coupled guide beams 72 and 74 between these first and second switch positions is well known and not shown in Figure 5. A switch position sensing cylinder 70 is connected to the movable end of guide beam section 72 in relation to pivot 73 for sensing a first switch position, when the guide beam 72 is coextensive with the guide beam 82 of the first track section 42 to enable safe travel of a vehicle from the second track section 44 to the first track section 42.The position sensing cylinder 70 also responds to a second switch positon, when the second guide beam section 74 in relation to pivot 75 by operation of the direct coupling 76 provided between the guide beam sections 72 and 74 is in positon coextensive with the guide beam 82 to enable a safe travel of a transit vehicle from the third track section 46 to the first track section 42. A first output is provided by the position sensing cylinder when the guide beam 72 is coextensive with the guide beam 82 and a second output is provided by the position sensing cylinder 70 when the guide beam 74 is coextensive with the guide beam 82.A control cylinder 78 is provided at the side of the second track section 44 and a control cylinder 80 is provided at the side of the third track section 46, which control cylinders 78 and 80 are coupled with the position sensing cylinder 70 for controlling the passage of respective transit vehicles from the second track section 44 and the third track section 46 onto the first track section 42.
In Figure 6 there is a schematic diagram to illustrate the operation of the position sensing cylinder 70 in relation to the two control cylinders 78 and 80. When the track switch 40 is moved to its second position such that the piston 84 of the position sensing cylinder lowered, this forces a first output of fluid through the output 86 to the control cylinder 78 below the piston 88 such that the piston 88 rises to eievate the control rod 90. When the piston 88 rises within the control cylinder 78, this forces control fluid through the output 92 to the control cylinder 80 above the piston 94 and this lowers the piston 94 within the control cylinder 80 and forces control fluid through the conduit 96 to the position sensing cylinder 70 above the piston 84. In this way, a closed fluid circuit is provided between the position sensing cylinder 70 and the two control cylinders 79 and 80. When the control rod 90 is elevated in relation to movement of a transit vehicle from a second track section 44 in a direction toward the first track section 42, the control rod 90 would obstruct the passage of the flangible ceramic circuit member 50 carried by any transit vehicle moving from the second track section 44 through the track switch 40 onto the first track section 42.
When the track switch 40 is changed to its first position such that the pivotal beam section 72 is coextensive with the beam section 82 of the first track section 42, through the connection member 98 this raises the piston 84 to force a second output of fluid through the conduit 96 to the control cylinder 80 below the piston 94 and raises that piston 94 to elevate the control rod 100 of the control cylinder 80 above the height where the circuit member 50 would be obstructed and broken for any vehicle passing from the third track section 46 in a direction toward the first track section 42.When the piston 94 rises within the control cylinder 80, this forces fluid through the connection 92 to the control cylinder 78 above the piston 88 which causes the piston 88 to move downward within the control cylinder 78 and the control rod 90 is lowered to a position below the level of any flangible flag circuit member 50 carried by a transit vehicle passing from its respective second track section 44. As the the piston 88 moves downward within the control cylinder 78, this forces fluid through the conduit 86 to the position sensing cylinder below the piston 84 such that the closed fluid circuit arrangement is maintained between the position sensing cylinder 70 and the two control cylinders 78 and 80.Now with the control rod 100 elevated, this prevents any vehicle traveling along the third track section in a direction toward the track switch from passing into the track switch since the control rod 100 would break the flangible flag circuit member 50 carried by any such vehicle to result in at least one of the emergency brake system and the propulsion motor of that vehicle being operated to stop the vehicle before it arrived at the track switch 40.
In Figure 7 the is illustrated the positon sensing cylinder 70 connected with the guide beam section 72 of the track switch 40. The connecting rod 98 is shown suitably connected to the web 102 of the guide beam 72 at a location below the travel path of the guide wheels 17 and 19 shown in Figure 1. The fluid conduits 96 and 86 are shown in Figure 7, with a bottom support connection 104 being provided to anchor the position sensing cylinder 70.
In Figure 8 there is shown the control cylinder 78, which is operative with and alongside the second track section 44 as shown in Figure 5. The control cylinder 78 is anchored in position by support members 106 and includes the fluid conduits 92 and 86 and the control rod 90 which is shown in its retracted position in relation to the track surface 14 such that it would not obstruct and break the circuit member 50 of a transit vehicle passing along the track surface 14.
In Figure 9 there is shown the control cylinder 80, which is operative with the third track section 46 as shown in Figure 5. The control cylinder 80 includes the fluid conduits 92 and 96 and is fastened relative to the surface of the track section 14 such that the control rod 100 when elevated will obstruct and break the circuit member 50 carried by any transit vehicle passing along the third track section past the control rod 100. As shown in Figure 9, the control rod is drawn into the control cylinder 80 such that it would not break off a circuit element 50.
In Figure 10 there is shown an illustrative motor control arrangement for the circuit member 50 of
Figures 3 and 4 to determine the operation of the vehicle propulsion motors. A plurality of vehicle propulsion motors 110 and 112 are shown operative in the power mode, and which motors are wellknown DC series motors each including an armature and a field winding. The first motor armature 114 is connected in a first circuit including the first motor field winding 116 while the second motor armature 118 is connected in a second circuit including the second motor field winding 120. The two motors are connected in parallel as determined by closing of suitable switches as described in greater detail in the above-referenced published article in the Westinghouse Engineer for March 1973.In the power mode, the chopper 122 builds up current in the motors by completing the circuit from the DC power supply 124 through the motors to ground. When the chopper 122 is turned off, the energy stored in the motor reactor 126 and the inductance of the motors maintains current flow through the free-wheeling diode 128. The propulsion control apparatus 58 is operative to determine the conductivity of the chopper 122 in response to a P signal as well known and as described in the above-referenced articles in the Westinghouse Engineer for September1972 and and the Westinghouse Engineer for March 1973. The application of the P signal to the propulsion apparatus 58 is determined by a circuit interrupter such as the relay 130 including the armature 132 gravity operative with switch contacts 134 and 136 to determine the provision of the P signal from the P signal source 138 to the propulsion control apparatus 58. A control winding 140 is operative with a suitable low voltage power supply 142 connected through theflangible flag circuit member 50, including the conductors 54 and 52 as shown in Figure 3, for determining the application of power to the propulsion motors 110 or 112 when the P signal is provided or alternately the application of the emergency brakes 144 and/or braking with the motors 110 and 112 when the P signal is not provided to the propulsion control apparatus 58.
Claims (7)
1. Control apparatus for a vehicle having a motor and being movable along a roadway track including a track switch which connects first, second and third track sections in substantially a Y configuration, said track switch having one position connecting the first and third track sections and having another position connecting the first and second track sections, the combination of::
circuit means carried by said vehicle for controlling the operation of said motor,
position sensing means coupled with said track switch for providing a first output when said switch is in said one position and providing a second output when said switch is in said another position,
first vehicle control means responsive to said first output and operative with the circuit means for controlling the movement of the vehicle from the third track section to the first track section, and
second vehicle control means responsive to said second output and operative with the circuit means for controlling the movement of the vehicle from the second track section in a direction toward the first track section.
2. The control apparatus of claim 1, with the first vehicle control means including a first movable member for obstructing the passage of said circuit means in response to the first output when said vehicle is moving from the third track section in a direction toward the first track section, and
with the second vehicle control means including a second movable member for obstructing the passage of said circuit means in response to the second output when said vehicle is moving from the second track section in a direction toward the first track section.
3. The control apparatus of claim 1, with each of the first and second control means including a cylinder member having a control rod such that the control rod is elevated to obstruct the passage of the vehicle along the roadway track in response respectively to said first output and said second output of the position sensing means.
4. The control apparatus of claim 1, with the circuit means including a frangible flag that can be broken by one of the first and second vehicle control means to control the movement of said vehicle in a direction toward the first track section.
5. The control apparatus of claim 1, with each of the first and second vehicle control means including a cylinder having a movable control rod, with each of the first output and the second output being a pressurized fluid flow coupled with a selected one of said vehicle control means to move the control rod associated with that one vehicle control means for obstructing the passage of the circuit means along the roadway track.
6. Control apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said second control means is operative through a fluid coupling with the first control means and in response to said first position for providing a first control output to said vehicle for determining the movement of said vehicle between the first and second track sections, and including third control means operative through a fluid coupling with the first control means and in response to said second position providing a second control output to said vehicle for determining the movement of said vehicle between the first and third track sections.
7. The control apparatus of claim 6, with the second control means including a first member physically located in response to said first position to prevent the movement of said vehicle from the second track section to the first track section, and
with the third control means including a second member physically located in response to said second position to prevent the movement of said vehicle from the third track section to the first track section.
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US31492381A | 1981-10-26 | 1981-10-26 |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB2108305A true GB2108305A (en) | 1983-05-11 |
| GB2108305B GB2108305B (en) | 1985-02-06 |
Family
ID=23222090
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB08230494A Expired GB2108305B (en) | 1981-10-26 | 1982-10-26 | Transit vehicle control apparatus |
Country Status (5)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| JP (1) | JPS58105869A (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1193705A (en) |
| DE (1) | DE3239143A1 (en) |
| GB (1) | GB2108305B (en) |
| IT (1) | IT1158588B (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN109398373A (en) * | 2018-12-05 | 2019-03-01 | 辽宁工业大学 | A kind of suspension type is double to drive lane-change system and its track |
Families Citing this family (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE3920344A1 (en) * | 1989-06-21 | 1991-01-10 | Schmidt Irmgart | Internal transport system for factories |
-
1982
- 1982-10-15 CA CA000413544A patent/CA1193705A/en not_active Expired
- 1982-10-20 IT IT41657/82A patent/IT1158588B/en active
- 1982-10-22 DE DE19823239143 patent/DE3239143A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 1982-10-26 JP JP57186911A patent/JPS58105869A/en active Pending
- 1982-10-26 GB GB08230494A patent/GB2108305B/en not_active Expired
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN109398373A (en) * | 2018-12-05 | 2019-03-01 | 辽宁工业大学 | A kind of suspension type is double to drive lane-change system and its track |
| CN109398373B (en) * | 2018-12-05 | 2024-05-28 | 辽宁工业大学 | Suspension type double-drive lane changing system and rail thereof |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| IT8241657A0 (en) | 1982-10-20 |
| DE3239143A1 (en) | 1983-05-05 |
| IT8241657A1 (en) | 1984-04-20 |
| CA1193705A (en) | 1985-09-17 |
| JPS58105869A (en) | 1983-06-23 |
| GB2108305B (en) | 1985-02-06 |
| IT1158588B (en) | 1987-02-18 |
Similar Documents
| Publication | Publication Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| US3254608A (en) | Vehicles and transportation systems | |
| US5277285A (en) | Electrical vehicle transporation system | |
| US4027596A (en) | Rapid transit system | |
| US3792665A (en) | Linear induction control system | |
| WO1991001232A1 (en) | Electrical vehicle transportation system | |
| US4301899A (en) | System for automatically controlling an electrically propelled traction vehicle traversing a gap in wayside source of power | |
| US3037462A (en) | Railway control system for coincident local and express service | |
| US3363584A (en) | Vehicle control mechanisms | |
| US5134254A (en) | Electrical vehicle transportation system | |
| US5148898A (en) | Electrical vehicle transportation system | |
| GB2108305A (en) | Transit vehicle control apparatus | |
| KR100943782B1 (en) | Automatic and guided system for transporting people and method for controlling transport modules running in such a system | |
| RU2763412C2 (en) | System and method for transfer of railway cars using statistical configuration of rail track | |
| KR20220119641A (en) | Track section for driving electric railway vehicles | |
| JPH02101904A (en) | Branching device and method for induction repellent magnetic levitation railroad | |
| CA1064324A (en) | Rapid transit system | |
| US1080088A (en) | Automatic signaling and train-stopping combination circuit device. | |
| US2066455A (en) | Protected switch operating system | |
| CA1074621A (en) | Rapid transit system | |
| US908650A (en) | Protective system for electric railways. | |
| RU2264941C1 (en) | Automatic control system of switches with shunting automatic cab signaling | |
| US1090357A (en) | Electric signal system for railways. | |
| US1016227A (en) | Safety system for railways. | |
| US556139A (en) | Electric block system for railway-crossings | |
| KR100462445B1 (en) | Machine for transport of passengers and cargo |
Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCNP | Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee |