GB1559478A - System for controlling railway wagons - Google Patents

Description

(54) SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING RAILWAY WAGONS (71) We, GRAEMROSS PLANT & EQUIPMENT LIMITED, formerly Lawrence Plant & Equipment Limited, a British Company, of Kentax House, 131 Ware Road, Hertford, Hertfordshire, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- This invention relates to a system for controlling railway wagons to be loaded or unloaded at a particular point along the track.

According to the invention, such a system comprises a console or other control equipment, at least one stanchion arranged on each side of the track and having tyred wheels provided with console-controllable brakes, the wheels being spring-loaded so as to make frictional contact with a respective side of a wagon on the track to control its movement, and either: (a) a series of brakes arranged along the rails of the track, the brakes comprising rocking arms which engage the wheels of railway wagons to brake them and console.

controllable releasable means to lock the said arms; or (b) a wagon retarder comprising one or more beams arranged adjacent each rail of the track and urged by springs into frictional contact with the wheels of a wagon to retard it, and console-controllable power-operated beam-retracting means to move each beam out of its wheel-engaging position; the stanchion or stanchions, and the series of brakes or the wagon retarder (whichever of these is present in the system), being connected by electrical conductors or by hydraulic or pneumatic conduits to the console or other control equipment so that, in use, each of them is under the control of an operator at the console or other control equipment.

An example of a system in accordance with the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the system; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a rocking-arm brake as used in the system; Figure 3 is a part-sectional view of the brake shown in Figure 2; and Figure 4 is an end view, as seen from the line IV-IV in Figure 3, of the brake shown in Figure 2.

The integrated wagon control system shown in Figure 1 comprises a control console 10 operated by one man, a series of brakes 12 arranged along the rails 14 of the track, a wagon retarder 16, a series of stanchions 18, a further series of brakes 20, and a wagon stop 22. The console 10 is connected by electrical conductors or by hydraulic or pneumatic conduits 10a, 10b, lOc, lOd, 10e to the other pieces of equipment mentioned above so that each of them is under the operator's control. By this means, one man is able to control a whole sequence of operations for marshalling wagons, either singly or in trains, through loading, unloading, tipping or any other cycle of operations. Further, the system enables trains of empty or full wagons to be marshalled under complete control through any operation of forward or reverse movement on level or graded tracks.

Many wagon marshalling schemes start with the idea of letting wagons run by gravity down an incline. For such schemes to work. a gradient must be found that is steep enough to ensure that wagons with high resistance will run in winter but not so steep that free-running wagons will get out of hand in summer.

Gravity is a useful and economical ally so long as acceleration can be regulated, and this is the function of the brakes 12. On a gradient sulficiently steep for the sluggish wagon to be self-starting, the brakes 12 will permit all kinds of wagons in all weathers to descend slowly under continuous automatic control.

The brakes 12 do not grip the wheels of the wagons but present. in the path of the flange, a pair of pads 24, 26 on a pivoted rocking arm 28 so disposed that depression of the leading pad 24 pivots the arm 28 to place the trailing pad 26 in position. In depressing the trailing pad 26, the passing wheel resets the brake for the following wheel.

By applying a resistance to the rocking motion about the pivot 30 of the arm, energy is absorbed and the wagon speed is reduced. Further, since the energy absorption is varied by the speed of application, wagons are braked in varying degrees, the fast moving being more heavily retarded than the slow moving, so that all travel down the gradient at safe, controlled speeds.

The rocking arm 28 oscillates a piston 32 forcing oil to pass through a small orifice 34 and therefore to flow back and forth against a restrictive resistance. The piston and oil reservoirs are housed in a body 36 which also carries the arm pivot 30, the whole unit being self-contained and made for easy attachment by bolts 38 and 40 directly to the running rails 14.

Each of the brakes 12 is equipped with a console-controlled "shut-off' valve which cuts off the flow between cylinders, so locking the arm 28 and creating a wagon stop. The "shut-off' valve may be operated by any desired form of power actuating means, i.e. electrical hydraulic or pneumatic, depending on a client's preference or site availability, there being electrical conductors or hydraulic or pneumatic conduits 10a connecting the said actuating means to the console. On release of the "shut off' valve, the brake becomes a normal "bleed" type valve which controls the speed of the wagon as it advances to the next stopping point.

The wagon retarder 16 comprises beams 42 arranged adjacent each rail 14 of the track and urged by springs (not shown) into frictional contact with the wheels of a wagon to retard it. Power-operated, beamretracting means (also not shown) are provided to move the beams out of their wheel-engaging positions, the said means being controlled from the console 10 through electrical conductors or hydraulic or pneumatic conduits lOb. A full description of such a wagon retarder is given in our co-pending Application No.

36494/75, and reference should be made to that Application for further details of the wagon retarder.

The stanchions 18 are arranged three on one side and three on the other side of the track, it being understood that either more or less than three stanchions can be positioned on each side of the track. Each stanchion has tyred wheels 44 carried on swinging arms 46 which are spring-loaded in such a direction that the wheels 44 are urged into frictional engagement with a respective side 48, 50 of a wagon 52. The tyred wheels are braked by spring-loaded brakes (not shown) which are released by power means such as hydraulic rams controlled from the console 10 through electrical conductors or hydraulic or pneumatic conduits 10c. In many cases the tyred wheels 44 will be coupled to a driving motor, such as an hydraulic or electric motor, and this motor too will be controlled from the console 10 through the electrical conductors or hydraulic or pneumatic conduits lOc.

For a fuller description of the stanch ions, reference may be made to our co-pending Applications Nos. 17847/75 and 40041/75 (Serial No. 1,540,993) both of which describe stanchions of the general construction outlined above.

The brakes 20 are of the same construction as the brakes 12, so that a description of the brakes 20 is unnecessary.

The brakes 20, like the brakes 12, will be controlled from the console 10 through electrical conductors or hydraulic or pneumatic conduits 10d.

The wagon stop 22 comprises a pair of stop members 54 arranged to yield in a direction of the rails 14 and to engage the leading wheels of a wagon by head-on impact to stop it. Alternatively, the stop members can be at a higher level to engage the buffers of a wagon. The stop members 54 are each arranged to be swung by console-controlled power actuating means 58 about a pivot 56 into and out of the position where it acts as a stop, the wagon stop also including a pair of slidable carriages (not shown) to which the force imposed on the stop members by a wagon is applied, and shock absorbers (also not shown) to absorb the energy of that applied force. For a full description of such a wagon stop, reference may be made to our copending Applications Nos. 19004/75 and 27316/75 (Seriai No. 1,548,896). The actuating means 58 are controlled from the console 10 through electrical conductors or hydraulic or pneumatic conduits fOe.

The integrated system described above permits wagons to be controlled in a particularly efficient manner. Thus, a typical cycle of operations might be as follows: (a) A train of wagons is left by the locomotive with the forward end of the train standing in the retarder 16.

(b) The wagons, when released, gravitate under the control of the brakes 12 on the rearward end of the train up to the battery of stanchion units 18. These units arrest and control the movement of the wagons during the loading or unloading of the latter.

(c) The wagons are then ejected from the stanchion units 18 and gravitate through the bank of brakes 20 (or, alternatively, through another retarder like the retarder 16) until they reach the wagon stop 22. The wagons are then held in this position to await collection by a locomotive.

The complete process, including the operation of associated loading or unloading equipment, is controlled by one man operating from the console 10 remotely from the system with or without visual contact. The various parts of the system being such that the speed of control of the stanchion units determines the rate of control of the wagon movement.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- I. A system for controlling railway wagons to be loaded or unloaded at a particular point along the track, which system comprises a console or other control equipment, at least one stanchion arranged on each side of the track and having tyred wheels provided with console-controllable brakes, the wheels being spring-loaded so as to make frictional contact with a respective side of a wagon on the track to control its movement, and either: (a) a series of brakes arranged along the rails of the track, the brakes comprising rocking arms which engage the wheels of railway wagons to brake them and consolecontrollable releaseable means to lock the said arms; or (b) a wagon retarder comprising one or more beams arranged adjacent each rail of the track and urged by springs into frictional contact with the wheels of a wagon to retard it, and console-controllable power-operated beam-retracting means to move each beam out of its wheel-engaging position; the stanchion or stanchions, and the series of brakes or the wagon retarder (whichever of these is present in the system), being connected by electrical conductors or by hydraulic or pneumatic conduits to the console or other control equipment so that, in use, each of them is under the control of an operator at the console or other control equipment.

2. A system according to Claim I, further comprising a series of rocking-arm brakes, being in addition to the series of brakes mentioned in Claim I if that is present in the system, or a wagon retarder, being in addition to the wagon retarder mentioned in Claim I if that is present in the system, arranged along the rails on the other side of the stanchion or the stanch ions from the series of brakes mentioned in Claim I if that series of brakes is present in the system, the further series of brakes or the further wagon retarder, whichever is present in the system, being connected to the console or other control equipment by electrical conductors or by hydraulic or pneumatic conduits.

3. A system according to Claim I or Claim 2, further comprising a wagon stop having one or more stop members arranged to yield in a direction of the rails and to engage the buffers or leading wheels of a wagon by head-on impact to stop it and movable into and out of a wagon-stopping position by console-controllable power actuating means, the wagon stop being connected to the console or other control equipment by electrical conductors or by hydraulic or pneumatic conduits.

4. A system according to Claim 3, wherein the stop member or each stop member is carried by a slidable carriage to which the force imposed on the respective stop member by a wagon is applied, there being a shock absorber to absorb the energy of that applied force.

5. A system according to any one of Claims I to 4 which includes at least one of the series of rocking arm brakes mentioned in Claims I and 2, the brakes each comprising a pair of pads so disposed on the rocking arm that depression of one pad pivots the arm to place the other pad in position.

6. A system according to Claim 5, in which fluid means are provided to apply a resistance to rocking movement of each arm so as to slow down a wagon.

7. A system according to Claim 6, in which the releasable means to lock the arms of the brakes comprise shut-off valves which lock the respective arms by cutting off the flow of hydraulic fluid to and from the said fluid means.

8. A system according to any preceding claim which includes a plurality of stanchions, the brakes of the stanchion wheels being urged into their braking position by springs and being released therefrom by hydraulic rams controlled from the console or other control equipment.

9. A system according to Claim 8, in which the stanchion wheels are coupled to driving means such as an hydraulic or electric motor, the said driving means being controlled from the console or other control equipment through electrical conductors or hydraulic or pneumatic conduits extending from the console or other control equipment to the driving means.

10. A system according to any preceding claim, wherein the stanchion or stanchions are placed at a loading, unloading or tipping station so that the stanchion or stanch ions

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (10)

1. **WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **.

   stanchion units 18 and gravitate through the bank of brakes 20 (or, alternatively, through another retarder like the retarder 16) until they reach the wagon stop 22. The wagons are then held in this position to await collection by a locomotive.

   The complete process, including the operation of associated loading or unloading equipment, is controlled by one man operating from the console 10 remotely from the system with or without visual contact. The various parts of the system being such that the speed of control of the stanchion units determines the rate of control of the wagon movement.

   WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- I. A system for controlling railway wagons to be loaded or unloaded at a particular point along the track, which system comprises a console or other control equipment, at least one stanchion arranged on each side of the track and having tyred wheels provided with console-controllable brakes, the wheels being spring-loaded so as to make frictional contact with a respective side of a wagon on the track to control its movement, and either: (a) a series of brakes arranged along the rails of the track, the brakes comprising rocking arms which engage the wheels of railway wagons to brake them and consolecontrollable releaseable means to lock the said arms; or (b) a wagon retarder comprising one or more beams arranged adjacent each rail of the track and urged by springs into frictional contact with the wheels of a wagon to retard it, and console-controllable power-operated beam-retracting means to move each beam out of its wheel-engaging position; the stanchion or stanchions, and the series of brakes or the wagon retarder (whichever of these is present in the system), being connected by electrical conductors or by hydraulic or pneumatic conduits to the console or other control equipment so that, in use, each of them is under the control of an operator at the console or other control equipment.
2. 2. A system according to Claim I, further comprising a series of rocking-arm brakes, being in addition to the series of brakes mentioned in Claim I if that is present in the system, or a wagon retarder, being in addition to the wagon retarder mentioned in Claim I if that is present in the system, arranged along the rails on the other side of the stanchion or the stanch ions from the series of brakes mentioned in Claim I if that series of brakes is present in the system, the further series of brakes or the further wagon retarder, whichever is present in the system, being connected to the console or other control equipment by electrical conductors or by hydraulic or pneumatic conduits.
3. 3. A system according to Claim I or Claim 2, further comprising a wagon stop having one or more stop members arranged to yield in a direction of the rails and to engage the buffers or leading wheels of a wagon by head-on impact to stop it and movable into and out of a wagon-stopping position by console-controllable power actuating means, the wagon stop being connected to the console or other control equipment by electrical conductors or by hydraulic or pneumatic conduits.
4. 4. A system according to Claim 3, wherein the stop member or each stop member is carried by a slidable carriage to which the force imposed on the respective stop member by a wagon is applied, there being a shock absorber to absorb the energy of that applied force.
5. 5. A system according to any one of Claims I to 4 which includes at least one of the series of rocking arm brakes mentioned in Claims I and 2, the brakes each comprising a pair of pads so disposed on the rocking arm that depression of one pad pivots the arm to place the other pad in position.
6. 6. A system according to Claim 5, in which fluid means are provided to apply a resistance to rocking movement of each arm so as to slow down a wagon.
7. 7. A system according to Claim 6, in which the releasable means to lock the arms of the brakes comprise shut-off valves which lock the respective arms by cutting off the flow of hydraulic fluid to and from the said fluid means.
8. 8. A system according to any preceding claim which includes a plurality of stanchions, the brakes of the stanchion wheels being urged into their braking position by springs and being released therefrom by hydraulic rams controlled from the console or other control equipment.
9. 9. A system according to Claim 8, in which the stanchion wheels are coupled to driving means such as an hydraulic or electric motor, the said driving means being controlled from the console or other control equipment through electrical conductors or hydraulic or pneumatic conduits extending from the console or other control equipment to the driving means.
10. 10. A system according to any preceding claim, wherein the stanchion or stanchions are placed at a loading, unloading or tipping station so that the stanchion or stanch ions

    can control the movement of a wagon into, through and out of the station.

    I. A system for controlling railway wagons substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.