US1342572A - Train-controlling system - Google Patents

Description

B. A. PRINCE AND E. 1. LA COUNT.

TRAIN CONTROLLING-SYSTEM, I APPLICATION FILED MAYZB, 19H- 1 ,32, 5'72. Patented June 8, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

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B. A. PRINCE AND E. I. LA COUNT.

TRAIN CONTROLLING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 28. I917.

Patented June 8, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- Ef/faas M D M84-M T all whom it may concern:

stage E '5' BENJAMIN A. PRINCE AND ELDRIDGE 1. LA coun'r, or wononsrnn, ivrassiicnusnrrs, ASSIGNORS TO oncnrr AUTOMATIC ream CONTROL COMPANY, or woncnsrnn, .MASSACI-IUSETTS, A conronarron or ARIZONA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 28, 1917. Serial No. 171,469.

Be it known that we, BENJAMIN A. PRINCE T and ELDRIDGE 1. LA COUNT, c1t1zens of the United States, and residents of WVoreester,

in the county of lVorcester and State of Mas= sachusetts, have invented anew and useful lmprovem nt in Train-Controlling Systems, of which the following is a specification.

(Eur invention relates to systems for preventing railroad accidents, such ascollisions, derailments, running on to open switches, etc., by means of electrical apparatus and circuits carried by the train and arranged to cooperate through ramps or contact plates located in the block-section in which the train is running with apparatusand circuits connected to and associated with the next bl ck ahead. i

The general object of our invention is to provide means whereby a train may automatically be brought to a stand-still ina given block when the next block ahead has been rendered unsafe from any cause, such for example as a broken rail, an open switch, or the presence of another train therein; to stop the train in a given block when any road bed circuit of the bloc-k ahead is opened or the road bed apparatus of such block short-circuited or otherwise disorganized; and to stop the train whenever any train circuit is opened or the train apparatus slmrt-circuited or renderedincapable of performing its intended function. V

' A'particularobject of our invention is to provide means whereby a normally energized electro-magnet carried by the train and hereinafter referred to as the train-stopping magnet is denergized when the block in advance of that in which the train is running has been rendered unsafe or when any train or road bed circuit or apparatus is for any reason rendered inoperative, and by such dc energizat ion causes the application of the air-brakes.

To these and other ends tending to improve and simplify systems 01": this general type and increase the etticiency of the same, our invention comprises an air-brake valve normally closed by an electro-magnet which is normally energized directly by a source carried by the'train and the circuit of which Patented June 8, 1 920. i

may be momentarily broken at a given point in every block and then instantly closed by being looped into one of the road-bed circuits connected to the block ahead, so that the circuit of said magnet will be opened if said block has been rendered unsafe, the

magnet deenergized and the air-brake valve opened to apply the brakes.

By means o'fthe aforesaid magnet directly energized by the source without the intermediaryof a relay or commutator actuated by a control magnet, all danger of faulty operation due to the sticking of such relay or the armature'of the controlmagnetyisr overcome and the operation of the system is rendered certain and positive. The airbrake valve which is held on itsseat by the' i normally energized magnet is forced from such seat, when said magnet is denergized,

by air'compressed to about seventy pounds per square inch, and thereby all danger from failure of operation due to sticking of the armature of sa1d magnet is;avo1ded.'

Our invention also comprises an electro; magnetically controlled switch 'at. the end" of every block whereby the circuit formed by looping the circuit of thetrain-stopping magnet into a"- road-bed circuit may be opened or closed according to the condition of the .next block ahead of that in which.

the train is running, and the position of'the armature of said train-stopping magnet correspondingly modified.

Various other features of novelty will hereinafter be described and particularly set forth in the appended claims.

The drawings which accompany and iorm' a part of this specificationdiagrammatically represent the preferred embodiment of our invention; but it will be understood that both the apparatus and the circuit arrangements therein conventionally shown may be materially modified by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention as defined by the appended claims.

In the drawings 7 Figure 1 shows an automatic electricallythe train-stoppin actuated train-controlling system embodying our invention, the several moving parts of the train and track-apparatus being repres sented in the positions which they occupy before the train-circuits are in coperatlon by said moving parts when the block ahead 7 of the train has been made unsafe by being short-circuited by another train or metallic obstruction, or by the breaking of the continuous rail or one of the members of the sectional rail. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the register which is arranged for actuation by magnet.

Each of the gures represents a block section consisting of a rail 1, the joints of which are bonded to insure electrical continuity and a rail 2, the component parts of which are also electrically bonded, but the sections of which are insulated from the contiguous sections 2, 2, the electrically continuous portion of each section 2,2, 2", etc., being co-extensive with the length of the blocksection. The rails 1 and 2 will hereafter be referred to as the continuous rail and the sectional rail respectively. Located between the ends of each sectional rail and preferably at a point some distance from the forward end of the same is a ramp on contact plate or rail 3 arranged parallel to the rails 1 and 2 and adjacent to one or the other so that a shoe carried by the train may make electrical contact with the same. For convenience of illustration the ramp 3 is shownat the end of section 2 andoadjacent to the outer side of rail 1, but it will be understood of course that said ramp may be i placed adjacent to the outer side of the rail 2 or maybe located between the rails. The ramp 3 by means of a conductor, which may 'include the resistance 4, the sectional rail 2 and the conductor 5 is connected to one terminal of the track-magnet 6, the other ter minal of which is connected to the continuous rail by the conductor 7.

Arranged parallel to the ramp 3 isa some what shorter ramp 8 so arranged that its coiiperating shoe does not strike the same 'until after the other shoe has made contact with ramp 3 and having its forward end in the rear of that of ramp 3 so that its shoe will leave the same before the other shoe breaks contact with ramp 3. By means of a conductor 9 preferably carried by the telegraph poles beside the track the ramp 8 is connected by way of the track-switch hereinafter describedto the continuous rail.

To the plunger 10 of the magnet 6 which magnet is energized, said switch normally being held in its lowermost position shown in Fig. 1 by the spring 17. Between the brush 16 of said switch, hereinafter referred to as: the track-switch, and the conductor 7 is a. resistance 18, so that the track-switch ramp 8 by means of conductors 9 and 7 is. 0011- ne'cted through said resistance to the continuous rail when the magnet 6 is energized and is disconnected therefrom when the latter is deenergized.

' At the end of block 2, ramps 3, 8 are represented, the former being connected through resistance 4 to the sectional rail 2 and the latter being connected by the wire 9"to apparatus identical with that to which the conductor 9 is connected, it being understood of course that every block is provided with a pair of ramps such as 3, 8, connected to the-v neXt block ahead and to apparatus associated with the. far end of such block identical with that shown in Fig. 1; V

The track switch andits magnet are 10- catedpreferably on a telegraph pole'besidev the track.

For conveniencerof identification the ramp 3 will be hereinafter referred to as the track-magnet ramp and the ramp 8 as the track-switch ramp. Carried by the train and preferablyby the pony truck of the locomotive is a contact shoe 19 of any suitable construction and herein shown as a downwardly curved member of spring material fixed at one end and forced by the elasticity of the metal of which it 1s formedfl against the stop 20 at the other, the curved portion of said shoe being arranged to come into direct contact, with and ride up upon the ramp 3 and be held infirm electrical contact therewith by virtue of such elasticity. The shoe 19 hereinafter designated as the track-magnet ramp-shoe is connected by wire 21 to the brush 22 of the generator 23 carried by the train. The other brush 24 is connected to the continuous rail 1 by the conductor 25 and the contact member 26 which as shown may be one of the locomofive wheels.

The shoe 27 similar in construction to shoe 19 and hereinafter referred to as the trackswitch ramp-shoe is also fixed to the train and preferably to the pony truck of the engine and arranged to make contact with the track-switch ramp. The free end of the shoe27is forced by its elasticity against the lower face of the stop 28 which is connected by the resistance 29 and the conductor 25 against said upper face, the resistance 29 will'still remain out of circuit. The fixed endof the shoe 27 is connected by wire-30 to:the brake-controlling or train-stopping magnet 31 and the other terminal of the latter is joined to the brush 22 of the generator, so'that normally there is a closed circuit through the resistance 29 and the train-stopping magnet, the resulting normal energization with the latter maintaining the valve 32' on its seat 33, in the, particular eX- ample shown in the drawings. It will, be understood however that said train-stopping magnet-maybe operatively associated with the engine throttle orany otherinstrumental-ity whereby the trainmay be stopped or controlled. In the particular apparatus shownsaidvalve 33 is secured to the plunger 10 of the magnet 31 and is'arranged to rest,j

when said magnet is energized, upon its seat in the casing 34 which is mounted upon the backyoke 35 of said magnet and thereby close theg port 36 which otherwise would be open to the atmosphere by the passage 36'.

The casing-37 of the blanking valve (not shown) is mounted upon the valve casing 34 and insulated therefrom by the bushing 38. The casing 37 is provided witha passageway 39 which will'be put into communication with'the atmosphere when the valve 32 is as its seat and. thereby effect the application of the tllPblTLkGS in the manner describedinPatent No. 1,114,642 and the improvement thereon disclosed in the application of Eldridge I. La-Count, Serial.No. 125,112filed October'll, 1916.

Arranged tobeactuated by the plunger '10 of the magnet 31 and preferably as shown directly attached to the armature 11 thereof is a commutator comprising two insulated portions 40,40 and a conducting portion 41. The brush ;42 is arranged to be in contact with the conducting portion of the commutator irrespective of the position. of the armature 11 and is connected to the brush 24 of the generator. 1

A safety-signal indicating device herein shown as a lamp 43 is connected by the Wire '44-. tothebrush 45 arranged to make contact with the conducting member 41- only when the magnet 31 is energized. The brush 46 is arranged'to be in contact withithe insulation member 40 when 'the train-stopping magnet is energized and to makecontact with the conducting member 41 when said magnetis deenergized, :as shown in Fig, 3. By the conductor :47 the last mentioned brush is connected to the danger-signal indicating device herein shown as thelamp 48, and both'indicating devices are connected tothe brush 22of the dynamo b the conductor 49.

It will be obvious that when the parts are'in the position shown in Fig. 1 there-will be a circuit through thelamp 43and the generator, and that the circuit of the lamp 48 will be open at the commutator, while in the position shown in Fig. 3 there will bea circuit through the generator and the danger-signal indicating lamp, andthe circuit of the safety-signal indicating lamp will be broken at the commutator.

have found that the difficulties heretofore experienced with switches and circuit-changing devices of the'springcontrolled pivotedarmature relay type are completely eliminated by the use of an electro-magnet of the-solenoid type, the plunger ofwhich carries one element of a circuit-controlling device. By means of such arrangement the system is .greatly simplified and-rendered certain and reliable in operation, while in the case of the train-carried portion of the system the vibration of the train has no injurious effect on the circuit changer "or commutator because of the entire absence of the spring-retracted members heretofore employed. V

The operation of the system above described is as followszBefore the shoes-have made contact with theirrespective ramps the circuit ofthe track-magnet 6 is open,

this circuit being hereinafter termed the track-magnet circuit viz., the circuit 3, 4,

2, 5, 6, 7, 1, 26, 25, 23, 21, 19 and saidmagnet consequently 1s deenergized, and its armature 11 is forced. down on'the'back stop .13by the spring 17 so that the brushes 16,

'41 of the train-controlling-magnet commutator. track-switch circuit, viz., the circuit 8, 9, 1e, 16, 18, 7, 1, 26, 25, 23, 31, 27, is open at The circuit hereinafter termed'the two places, viz., between the shoe 27 and ramp 8, and the brushes 16, 16, and the ring 15. The circuit of the danger-signal device 18 is open at the train-controllingmagnet commutator.

As soon as the shoe 19 is brought in contact with the track-magnet ramp 3, the

t-rack-magneti' circuit is closed, the armature of the track-magnet is drawn up to its front stop 12 and the ring 15 is placed in contact with the brushes 16, 16, thereby closing one of the breaks in the track switch circuit. Shortly afterward the shoe 27 makes contact with the track-switch ramp 8 and thereby closes the other break in the track-switch circuit, by looping the traincontrolling-magnet circuit into the track switch circuit, the resistance 29 being cut out of said circuit and replaced by the equivalent resistance 18, so that there will be no change inthe degree of energization of the traincontrolling magnet 31. The track-switch circuit may now be traced as follows 2, via,

from the generator 23 through magnet 31 to shoe 27, ramp 8, conductor 9, brush 16, conducting ring15, brush 16, resistance 18, conductor 7, continuous rail 1, contact maker 26, and thence by the conductor 25 back to. the generator. The momentary opening of the train-controlling-magnet circuit which occurswhen the shoe 27 rides up over the ramp 8 and thereby breaks contact with its backstop 28, will not suffice to deenergize the train-stopping magnet for practically simultaneously with such opening, said circuit is closed in the -manner above indicated and the armature of said magnet and its associated apparatus maintain'their normal positions, the lamp 13 remaining lighted and the circuit of the lamp 48 remaining open. 7

However, when the'block ahead of that in which the train is running has been rendered unsafe, the track-magnet will remain deenergized, and the resulting. changes in the positions of 'the moving members are shown in Fig. 3.

Breaks in the tracks are indicated at X and Y, and Z represents a metallic obstruction such as thetruck of a train short-circuiting the terminals of the track-magnet. As will be obvious in either case the magnet 6 will remain deenergized, and the track-switch circuit will be open at the switch so that when theshoe 27 rides up over the ramp 8 the circuit of the trainstopping magnet will be opened, the magnet deenergized and its armature will take the position shown in Fig. 3, said armature dropping to its back stop 13 by gravity assisted by the pressure of the air in the passage 39 acting against the valve 32, so that it will be impossible for the apparatus to fail on account of any possible sticking of the armature 11 to the sheath 12. It

will be obvious that the result above set forth, viz., the opening of the circuit of the train-controlling magnet, will also be effected by the rupture of conductors 5, 7 and 9, or any of them, irrespective of the condition of the track. It will also be obvious that the short-circuiting of the train apparatus or the breaking of'the circuits thereof will have the effect of opening the circuit on the magnet 31 and thereby stopping the train. 7 I

The track-magnet ramp 3 may be about sixty feet in length and its cooperating shoe should strike the same long enough before shoe 27 makescontact with ramp 8 topermit the energization of the track-magnet and the setting of the track-switch to the position shown in Fig. 2. Obviously the shoe 27 must break contact with its ramp before the track-magnetcircuit has been opened by the breaking of the contact between the shoe 19 and ramp 3.

As more fully described in the application of Eldridge I. La Count, Serial No. 125,112 above referred to, the brakes will remain set after the train has been stopped by the system herein described until the valve 32 is again brought to its seat which may be effected by the operation of an adjunct to the engineers valve under certain conditions not necessary to set forth herein. It being desirable to register the instances of operation of said adjunct, we provide means for showing indirectly the number of times said adjunct is operated during a run. The particular means shown comprise a register actuated by the armature ofthe magnet 31. In the present instance the lever 50 provided with an offset 51 at one end is pivoted at 52 to a support 53 and has a pawl 54 pivotally con nected to its other end, said pawl being connected by the spiral spring 55 to the'pivot 52. The ratchet wheel 56 of a register 57 which in the present instance has thre'e dials on which the'hands 58, 58", 58 register units, tens and hundreds respectively, is actuated by the pawl 54; every time the end of the commutator strikes the offset 51 of the pivoted lever.

Inasmuch as the'train after having been brought to a standstill by our system cannot again be started unless the engineer operates the adjunct above referred to, it follows that the register above described will make a record of the operations of said adjunct. It will be understood however that the particular form of register constitutes no part of our invention and that any suitable means arranged for operation by the armature or plunger of the trainstopping magnet may-be employed to record the number of times the train is automatically stopped and; consequently the number of times it is started again by the operation of the adjunct tothe engineers valve: 1 r

Having thus particularly described an illustrative embodiment of our invention without, however, limiting the same there-'- to 1 what' we claim as new and desire to'secure by Letters Patent is: v 1

1. In a train controlling system, the com bination with an electrically-continuous rail and a sectional rail, each section of which is electrically-continuous but insulated from its contiguous sections, of a source of electrical energy carried by the train, a trainstopping magnet normally energized directly by said source, a safety-signal indicating device, a danger-signal indicating device, a commutator actuated by said train-' stopping magnet, a connection from said source to the conducting member of said commutator, a connection from said safetysignal indicating device to said conducting member when said train-stopping magnet is.

energized, and a connection from said danger-signal indicating device to the insulation member of said commutator when said trainstopping magnet is energized.

2. In a train controlling system, the combination with an electrically-continuous rail and a sectional rail, each section of which is electrically-continuous but insulated from its contiguous sections, of a source of electrical energy carried by the train, a trainstopping magnet normally energized directly by said source, a safety-signal indicating device, a danger-signal indicating device, a commutator actuated by said train stopping magnet, means connecting the conducting member of said commutator to said source, means connecting said safety-signal indicating device to the conducting member of said commutator only when said train stopping magnet is energized, and means connecting said danger-signal indicating device to the conducting member of said commutator only when said train-stopping magnet 1s deenergized.

3. In a train controlling system, the com energy, an electro-magnetically operated track switch controlled by said track circuit, said track-switch having a single conducting member and an insulating member, a second track c1rcu1t, brushes connected to the ter-.

minals of said second track circuit and normally' in contact with said insulating member, a second ramp on the road-bed, and a shoe carriedbyfthe train andarranged to cooperate with the last mentloned ramp to close theclrcuit of said train-stopping magnet'throughsaid conducting member of said trackswitch. Y

4. In a train controlling system, the combination with :an electrically-continuous rail anda sectional'rail, each section of which is electrically-continuous but insulated trom its contiguous sections, of a source of electrical energy carried by the train, a train-stopping.

plunger of said solenoid and havinga single 7 conducting member and an insulating member, a second ramp on the road-bed, and a shoe carried by the train and arranged to cooperate with the last mentioned ramp to close the circuit of said train-stopping magnet through said conducting member of said track switch.

5. In a train controlling system, the combination with an electrically-continuous rail and a sectional rail, each section of which is electrically continuous but insulated from its contiguous sections,-of a source of electrical energy carried by the train, a solenoid energized directly bysaid source, a casing mounted on the yoke of said solenoid and provided with a single valve seat communicating with a single passageway containing air under pressure, a valve carried .by the plunger of said solenoid, said valve being arranged to rest on said seat when said solenoid'is energized and thereby, close said passageway, and means in the section ahead of that in which the train is running for directly controlling the action of said solenoid,

whereby upon the denergization of the latter said valve will be forced from its seat by the action of gravity'and the pressure of the air in said passageway and will open said passageway directly to the atmosphere.

6. In. a train-controlling system, a trainstopping magnet, a danger-signal indicating device and a safety-signal indicating device, the circuits of both of said devices being associated with that of said train-stopping magnet, a commutator actuated by said train-stopping magnet, said commutator having a conducting member and an insulation member, three brushes, one arranged to be always in contact with said conducting member and theother two being so arranged that one is in contact with said conducting member when the other is incontact with said insulation member, and connections from the last mentioned brushesto said indicating devices respectively.

7. In a train controlling system,a tracksolenoid arranged ,to be energized by a sourcerof ,electricalenergy carried by the train, a track-switch carried by-the plunger of said track solenoid a circuit associated with said track-switch, and two brushes connected respectively to the terminals of said l0 circuit, said switch being provided with a single conducting member and an insulation member and said brushes being arranged so as to make contact With said conducting member only When said track solenoid is energized. g 1

In testimony whereof, We have hereunto subscribed our names this 22nd day of May, 191

BENJAMIN A. PRINCE. V

ELDRIDGE I. LA COUNT.

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