US1066081A

US1066081A - Railway signal-relay.

Info

Publication number: US1066081A
Application number: US45134608A
Authority: US
Inventors: Clarence W Coleman; Katherine Coleman
Original assignee: Hall Signal Co
Current assignee: Hall Signal Co
Priority date: 1908-09-02
Filing date: 1908-09-02
Publication date: 1913-07-01
Anticipated expiration: 1930-07-01

Description

0. W. COLEMAN, DEG'D.

K. OOLEMAN, ADMIHISTRATRIX. V

RAILWAY SIGNAL RELAY.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2, 1908.

Patented July 1, 1913.

2 SHEETB-SHEET 1.

- I IWMQWZ'IOT' U. W. COLEMAN, DEGVD. 1c. GOLEMAN, ADMINISTBATRIX.

RAILWAY SIGNAL RELAY.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2, 1908.

i Patented July 1, 1913.

5 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

@91 FQJ UNITED STATES PATENT onmon CLARENCE W. COLEMAN, OF WESTFIELD, NEW JERSEY; KATHERINE COLEMAN, ADMIN- ISTRATRIX 0F SAID CLARENCE W. COLEMAN, DECEASED,'ASSIGNOR TO THE HALL SIGNAL COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

RAILWAY SIGN AL-RELAY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 1-, 1913.

Application filed September 2, 1908. Serial No. 451,346.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CLARENCE W. Conn- MAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Westfield, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Irn ovement in Railway Signal-Relays, of w ich the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof.

My invention relates to electric relays, particularly for railway traffic-controlling or signaling systems.

The object of my invention is to produce a relay adapted for operation by means of alternating or other periodic electric currents, particularly in connection with electric traffic-controlling systems for controlling the signals or other traific-controlling devices of railways, in which periodic currents are used in the track circuits or other train cont-rolled circuits, and to produce a the vicinity of the loop-shaped conductor in tor, and this tendency is utilized to move the armature and actuate the circuit-controlling devices carried thereby.

More specifically, the invention resides in the use, in combination with an armature provided with a loop-shaped conductor, of

a field member [provided with an energizing a core 2 of iron or other magneticmaterial winding locate at one side of said conductor and with pole pieces formed and arbodiments of my invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and will thereafter point out my invention in claims.

In the drawings Figure is a rear elevation of a relay embodying the present in- .vention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the relay on the line ww in'Fig. 1, looking from left to right. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic re resentation of a portion of a railway tra c-cont-rolling system in which the relay of Figs. 1 and 2 is used. Figs. 4 and 5; are, respectively, a rear elevation and a vertical section, of a portion of an armature of modified form for use in connection with the relay of Figs. 1 and 2. Fig 6 is a diagrammatic, representation of a portion of an electric system in which relays are employed having armatures such as that of Figs. 4 and 5.

My improved relay, as illustrated in the drawings, comprises, generally, a ringshaped conductor constituting a portion of a pivoted armature, and a fieldmagnet for actuating this conductor. The armature conductor, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, consists of a continuous fiat ring 1 of copper or other highly-conductive material, which is fixed to or integral with an arm 7. The arm is pivoted upon a horizontal axis upon posts 8 projecting from a base plate 9, so that theringl may receive a motion which, throughout its short amplitude, is approximately a motion of translation in a direction "perpendicular to the plane of the ring 1. The ring land the arm 7 constitute the armature of the relay.

The field member of the relay comprises which projects at one end into the ring 1, a

shell 5 of which one end 6 substantially surrounds the ring 1, and a yoke portion 4 which connects the core and the pole piece. The core, shell and yoke are represented as of integral structure, except that the end piece 6 of the shell is made separate and removable to facilitate the construction. The core and the shell closely embrace the ring 1, but have sufficient clearance to permit the ring to move in the manner above described. The field is energized by a coil 8 of insulated wire located between the core and the shell and wholly at one side of the armature ring 1. The terminals of this coil are connected with binding posts 10 mounted on the base 9.

As the coil 3 is energized by alternating or other periodic currents provision is made for the prevention of eddy currents in the field magnet by slot-ting the shell, yoke and core, as illustrated at 39 in Figs. 1 and 2, and the shell is also recessed to admit the arm 7 of the armature. Apart from these insubstantial interruptions the shell and core closely embrace the entire circumference of the armature ring. 7

The core and the shell are magnetized by current flowing in the field coil, in such a manner that the free end of the core and the adjacent inner circumference of the end 6 of the shell constitute magnetic poles. Between these poles a powerful magnetic field is formed, constituting lines of magnetic force which are concentrated in planes connecting the poles and parallel to the plane of the armature ring. A portion of the magnetic lines also connect the poles in curved lines passing outside of the space between the poles.

Since the current in the field coil is periodic in character the magnetic field fluctuates. A part of the magnetic lines pass beyond or outside of, that is, in Fig. 2, to the right of, the armature ring, thus passing axially through the armature ring so as to be interlinked therewith, and as these lines fluctuate in strength they induce electromotive force in the armature ring resulting in rotative currents therein. Another portion of the magnetic lines pass radially through the body of the ring, and these, acting in conjunction with the induced 'currents in the ring, cause the ring to be repelled from the field in Fig. 2.

Contact fingers are mounted on the armature in the ordinary manner in order to utilize the relay to control electric circuits. Two such fingers 11, are shown in Figs. 1 and 2, mounted on posts 12 of insulating; material. These fingers are provided with contact springs 13 which engage the front contacts 15 and the back contacts 14: of the relay. The weight of the contact fingers imparts a bias to the armature which causes magnet, or to the right tacts 14 when the field coil is deenergized.

l/Vhen the field coil is energized by a periodic current the springs engage the front contacts 15. i

The back contacts are mounted in grooves in a block 16 of insulating material fixed to the base plate 9, and are connected with binding posts 17; The front contacts are carried by overhanging arms 18 mounted in grooves in blocks 19 of insulating material, and are connected with binding posts 20. The contact fingers are connected, by flexible Wires 21 with terminal blocks 23 also mounted in grooves in the blocks 19 and connected with binding posts 22.

The relay hereinbefore described may be utilized in various ways in railway-traffic controlling systems. In the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 3, it is used to control railway signals. In this system the rails 26 are continuously bonded except that at each signal station one of the rails is interrupted by an insulating joint. At each station is a transformer 27 energized by a suitable alternating current generator 28 and connected, at its secondary terminals, with the two rails respectively, by

wires

29 and 30. At each station is a relay, of which the field is indicated generally by the reference number 25, and the terminals of the field coils are connected to the opposite track rails. One contact finger and one front contact 15 of each relay are connected in a local branch of the circuit of the generator 28, in series with the electric motor or controlling mechanism of a signal 32 which has a normal bias to danger position. The track is traversed in a westerly direction by trains, as indicated by the arrow 31. The two stations illustrated, designated as A and B respectively, are typical stations, and in the normal condition of the apparatus current from the transformer 27 at B flows normally through a circuit embracing the two track rails and the field coil of the relay at A, and thus the relay at A is normally energized, the local signal circuit at A is normally closed, and the signal at A is held clear. The signals at B and each succeed-- ing station are also normally held clear by current flowing from the next stations to the west. f

If a train enter the block between A and B the wheels and axles act to short-circuit the relay at A, which is accordingly denergized. The armature thereupon opens the local signal circuit and the signal goes to danger position. The same thing occurs at B when the train passes into the block to the west of B, while the signal at A is again cleared as soon as the relay at A is rce'nergized.

The relay of the present invention is particularly adapted for use in connection with traffic-controlling systems for railways notonly on account of its sensitiveness to comparatively feeble currents such as are'used for the sake of economy, in such systems, but also because, owing to the absence of iron or other magnetic material in the armature, the relay is absolutely inert, ex-

While the hereinbefore described arrange-- ment of the relay, in which the relay is sensitive to variations of current in the field magnet, is the preferred embodiment of my invention, particularly where the relay is used in traffic-controlling systems for railways, the arrangement may be modified, without departure from the invention in-its broader aspects, by using a constantly ener gized field and controlling the operation of the relay by controlling the flow of induced currents in the armature. In this arrangement it is necessary to employ an armature in which the circuit followed by the induced currents may be opened and closed. An armature of this character is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. Here a coil of insulated wire takes the place of the solid copper ring of Figs. 1 and 2, and this coil is fixed by means of suitable binding material 34, to lugs 35 at the lower end of the arm 7. The terminals 36 of the coil are carried up the arm and may be connected with suitable binding posts.

In a relay of the modified form above described, if the field be constantly energized with a periodic current no efiect will be produced on the armature so long as the terminals of the armature coil are disconnected, since no induced currents can flow through the armature coil, but if the armature terminals be connected, through a suitable controlling circuit, the armature will be at once moved as the result of the currents induced in the armature and its controlling circuit.

My relay, arranged as last described, may be used in traffic-controlling systems and in other connections, and in Fig. 6 is illustrated a system in which a signaling current is to be repeated from point to point along a line. Three stations are illustrated, designated as A, B and C. The armature circuit of the relay at A is controlled by a key 38, while the field 25 is constantly energized by a transformer 27 fed by a suitable generator-28. The armature circuit of the irelay at B is controlled by the. contact finger and a front contact 15 of the relay at A,

the armature circuit of the relay at C is controlled similarly by the relay at B, and .so on throughout the system. The field magnets of the relays at B and C are constantly energized in the same manner as in the case .of the relay at A. If now the key 38 be operated to close its circuit the armature of the relay at A will be at once actuated and will close the armature circuit of the relay at B, which will in turn close the armature circuit of the relay at C and so on.

While I have described my improved relay as particularly applicable to and useful in connection with railway-traflic controlling systems it will be apparent that it may be used in various other connections, and in general, various modifications may be made in the embodiment of'my invention hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings within the nature of the invention and the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A relay comprising an armature provided with a conductoradapted to constitute a closed path for periodic currents and having a loop-shaped portion, a field member having an inner pole-piece extending within and arranged in close proximity to the loop-shaped portion of the conductor and a shell having an annular winding-containing space and an outer pole-piece circumferentially surrounding the loop-shaped portion of the conductor, and awinding for magnetizing the pole-pieces arranged within the winding-containing space wholly at one side of the loop-shaped portion of the conductor and of the outer pole-piece, whereby the field member is adapted to generate a field of magnetic lines of force of periodic character including flux lines extending along substantially all radiiof the ringshaped conductor and substantially in the plane thereof and including other flux lines extending substantially in axial direction through said conductor so as to induce circulatory periodic currents therein adapted to re-act on said radial flux lines.

2. A relay comprising an armature provided with a conductor adapted to constitute a closed path for periodic currents and having a loop-shaped portion, a field memtaining space and an outer pole-piece circumferentially surrounding the loop-shaped portion of the conductor and extending across the winding-containing space of the field member from the shell to within-closeproximity of the loop-shaped portion of the In testimony whereof I have afiixed my conductor, and a Winding for magnetizing signature in presence of two Witnesses.

the pole-pieces arranged Within the Wind- CLARENCE W. COLEMAN. ing-containing space Wholly at one side of Witnesses: 5 the loop-shaped portion of the conductor ALBERT V. T. DAY,

and of the outer pole-piece. BERNARD COWEN.