GB1043568A - Vigilance control device for diesel and electric locomotives and automobile trucks - Google Patents

Abstract

1,043,568. Fluid pressure brakes; brake indicators. I. K. PURI. July 1, 1964, No. 27154/64. Headings F2E and F2F. [Also in Division B7] In a vigilance control device for automatically stopping an electric or diesel locomotive or motor road vehicle if the driver fails to respond to a periodic audio/visual warning such as a bell and warning light, a cam 6 (Figs. 1 and 2) is urged by a spring 15 into frictional engagement with a gear-wheel 3 driven through a worm- or gear-wheel 2 from the running wheel of the vehicle or by a clockwork or electric motor and includes a cam sector Y which, after a predetermined interval corresponding to an inoperative sector X, actuates a spring-loaded rod 20 to close contacts 21 and thereby energize an audio/visual warning device 24 indicating that a reset button must be depressed by the driver to prevent a third sector Z acting on a second rod 22 through the rod 20 to close contacts 23 and thereby energize a solenoid brake valve (Fig. 3, not shown) and/or relays for interrupting the engine fuel supply or ignition. Depression of the reset button closes a switch 25 to energize a solenoid 10 which displaces a shaft 4 on which the cam 6 rotates to disengage the cam from the gearwheel 3, whereupon a spiral spring 16 restores the cam to an initial position defined by an abutment 19. To prevent continuing depression of the reset button from interfering with proper functioning of the device, prolonged energization of the solenoid 10 continues displacement of the shaft 4 against the resistance of a dashpot 14 until the cam closes an auxiliary contact 40 to energize the brake valve and cut off the fuel or power supply. A voltage detector 39 prevents energization of the solenoid 10 if a battery 26 provides less than a predetermined voltage. Additional switches 36. 37 associated with vacuum control and horn switches are connected in parallel with the reset switch 25 so that the device is reset upon closure of these switches by an alert driver. In Fig. 4, an electric motor 70 driving the cam is fed from a battery charging generator 72 either through a switch 72 closed upon selecting forward or reverse drive or through a solenoid switch 73 closed when the vehicle is moving by an axle driven generator 94. A switch 75 provides for rendering the device inoperative in all except the leading vehicle in a group connected in tandem, and a switch 70 automatically stops the motor 70 upon overtravel of the cam. Switches 81, 82, 83 in parallel with the reset switch 80 are closed when the horn is sounded or the brake or power notch handle actuated. Energization of the brake valve 88 through the vigilance device is recorded by a speedometric device 90 which also records brake applications effected through a switch 95 upon continued overspeeding following energization of an additional audio/visual warning device 92 through a switch 93. In another embodiment (Fig. 5, not shown), the cam 47 is constantly driven by the gear-wheel 42 but is moved axially from engagement with the contact rods 48, 55 by a solenoid 46 energized through the reset switch 63. A projection 47B on the side of the cam closes contacts which energize the brake valve 35 if the cam is displaced before the warning sector becomes operative.