US1256019A - Magnetic control for trains. - Google Patents

Description

L. W. HORNE & W. N. CRANE.

MAGNETIC CONTROL FOR TRAINS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 28, 1914.

Patented Feb. 12, 1918.

AWE

ma 0m WITNESSES LAWRENCE WESLEY HORNE, "F WOODRIDGE, AND WARREN NOBLE CEANE, UTE

RIDGEFIELI) PARK, NET/V JERSEY.

MAGNETIC CONTROL FDR, TRAINS.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Feb. 33%,

Application filed October 28, 1914. Serial No. 863,933.

HORNE and WA REN'NOBLE CRANE, citizens of the United States, andresidents of, respectively, said LAWRENCE W. HORNE of the town of Woodridge, county of Bergen, State of New Jersey, and WARREN N. CRANE, of the town (if Ridgefield Park, county of Bergen; State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Magnetic (lontrols for Trains, of which the following is a specification.

This invention accomplishes the purposes described in many of our applications and articularly in the one filed March 4th, 1914,

Y beria'l #822,301, Patent No. 1313,1953, dated Jan.23,1917. In the development of that de vice we found certain changes could be made which although not absolutely. necessary were exceedingly advantageous and therefore desirable. The changes are now incorporated in this application and may be summed up briefly as follows:

. Increased efficiency; by shortening the air gaps in the magnetic fields. Overcoming the possibility of interruption because of excesssive vibration. Reducing the required voltage and current flow of the source of electrical supply. Cheapening and simplifying the general construction and adapting the device for. installation without radical changes in the standard equipment.

All of these improvements are necessary in that they independently and collectively operate. to produce an apparatus much more flexible and more readily adaptable to any and all conditions.

The following is what we consider the best means of carrying out this invention.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification, in which:

' Figure 1 shows partly in elevation and in diagram a portion of the track and the locomotive magnet and control.

Fig.9 is an end elevation and partial section of certain.of the elements shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows in diagram a section of traclk.

Fig. 4 shows a modification in the construction of the movable core of the electromagnet l5.

Fig. 5 is a still further modification of this construction.

- Except at the points wherein Similar reference numerals indicate like i partsin all the figures Where they appear.

This device is intended to control the speed or to check the motion of a train and to that end it employs a series of manganese or non-magnetic rail sections arranged in pairs as shown at 1-1, 2 2, and 33, in Fig. 3, each pair of which are inserted predetermined distances apart and we arrange that the spacing between the sections of each pair shall be varied according to the requirements that shall be later described.

we have inserted diamagnetic sections the rails are ordinary steel running rails and in Fig. 3 the ordinary rails are indicated at i, l, 4:", 5, 5, 5", 5, and We also prefer that the opposite rail of the usual pair shall be an ordinary steel rail. This rail is indicated at 6. All sections of ordinary steel rail are presumed to be subject to magnetic influence and well adapted to be attracted by or to any magnet that may be brought into sutliciently close proximity thereto; therefore when a magnet is passed over these sections of ordinary rail a magnetic field .will be established but f'when one of the diamagnetic sections is reached the magnetic field will be shortened and confined within the magnet with the result that the magnet will not be influenced by the rail and it is because of the shortening of the field of the interruption of rail influence as it may be termed that we obtain an operation of our device.

Under; certain conditions it becomes quite desirable and even necessary that a magnetic field should be continued if not through the manganese section at least suiiiciently close thereto to induce the necessary mechanical action. In our device when the field of the. magnet is shortened by passing over a diamagnetic section we maintain a magnetic influence adjacent to the diamagnetic section by a plurality of coils as indicated at 7 and 8. Each coil we inclose in a casing 9 that will not only support it but that will pro tect it from. injury. The casing should be brass or otherdiamagnetic material and We prefer that each casing should be secured to the ties or to some other immovable support. The core of continued beyond, each end oi? the coil as indicated at 10 and 11 and is bent approxieach of the magnets 7 and 8 is I mately at a right angle to terminate in an extending plate or T as indicated at 12 and 13, and we prefer that the arrangement ol the coil casings should be such that the faces of the cores should be about on a plane and quit close to the head of the adjacent. rail.

The coils 7 and 8 and all of the coils arranged adjacent to diamagnetic sections will be included'in the battery circuit or other source of current supply that is provided for the signals which operate in the sections wherein our devices are disposed, but it may be advantageous to provide a separate source of current supply for these track coils. The number of coils and the length and diameter of each as well as the length of each manganese section will be determined by the operative conditions as will be fully set forth in the description of the operation of our device.

Supported upon the locomotive and arranged within the line of the tread of the wheels thereof is a casing 14, which should also be constructed of diamagnetic material. Within the casing we arrange a magnet coil 15 having a rotatable core 16, which may be supported by adjustable pins 17 and 18. Connected to the core and extending upward therefrom is an arm 19;supporting at its upper end an insulated block 20, which has arranged in its upper face a contact strip 21. A spring 22 arranged between the upwardly projecting rod 19 and an adjacent side of the casing tends to rotate the magnet core 16 so that its downwardly projecting ends will assume the position shown in the dotted line 23, but the inclusion of a steel rail in the field shortens the magnetic field by swinging the downwardly projecting end of the core 16 into the position shown by the full lines 24 even against the pull of the spring 22. The contact strip 21 may be electrically connected to the upwardly extending rod.19 for a purpose that shall appear later.

Arranged within the casing and extending a certain distance along one of the longest sidos is a pivoted member that we sometimes term an armature 25. This armature which consists of a thin sot't iron plate supported on a rod or pivot 26 is subject to the influence of the magnets 7 and 8 and when the magnets 7 and 8 are energized the free lower edge of the armature will be drawn outward. This will partially rotate the rod 26 which will in turn move a vertical bar 27 so as to close a plurality of contacts adjacent thereto.

These relatively operating track and locomotive parts control a plurality of valves and a timing mechanism which in turn determinerthe time and speed at which the air brakes shall be applied by our device.

The air valves and timin mechanism may be located in a cabinet indicated by the dotted lines 30 in which may alsobe arranged the battery or source of current supply 31 and a protective or overload circuit breaker 32. A lead or pipe from the main reservoir is indicated at 33, and in this pipe we arrange a reducing valve 37 and a magnetically operated valve 34. From the valve 34 a pipe 35 extends to a timing cylin er 36 and between the valve and timing cy lnder we may arrange a speed washer or controller 38. A second valve 39 is arranged in the brake pipe or train line air circuit 40. This valve is also magnetically operated and exhausts directly into the atmosphere through a short lead or nipple 41. Arranged upon each of the movable members of the valves 34 and 39 are disks 42, 43 respectively for a purpose that shall appear later.

The timing cylinder has a piston 44 urged upward by means of a spring 45 and connected to which is a rod 46 upon which we arrange contact disks 47 and 48.

Thus far we have described the mechanical construction of our device now however we shall detail its-operation referring to the mechanical parts by name or by reference character Whenever it shall become neces sary. t A locomotive carrying the necessary parts of our device approaches a diamagnetic track section and if it is not intended that an operation of our device shall there occur the coils 7'and 8 will be energized by a closed track circuit the magnetic circuit through the rail will, however, be interrupted and the core 16 will turn to the position 23. This will interrupt the circuit through the contacts bb bearing upon the block 21, but as the coils 7 and 8 are ener-.

gized these coils will, just prior to the interruption of the magnetic path through the rails, draw the armature 25 outward and cause the vertical arm 27 to close the circuit through the contacts cc. It will be noted that the contacts 7)-b and cc are in mul tiple and therefore no interruption of the normal condition will result from the discontinuance of the magnetic rail. When,

however, it is intended to cause an operation by subsequent diamagnetic sections the coils 7 and 8 and all similar coils arranged adjacent to local non-magnetic sections may be dcenergized with the result that when the core 16 swings to the position 23 a circuit controlled by the engine magnet will be interrupted and a second interruption by the diamagnetic section 1 within a specified time will cause an operation of the reservoir or train line air valve. I

We will now trace the 'circuits which cause the desirable operations bearing in mind that our device operates on a closed circuit principle. Under normal running condition a circuit from the battery 31 continues through the circuit breaker 32 to the lead wires d, to e, to the coil 15, to F, and return to the bat tery. This insures that the coil will he constantly energized. The control circuits are from the lead Wire 01', to g, to the rod 19 through one of the contacts Z to h, to the valve 34 to 2", to a contact 7*, adjacent to the timing cylinderand to another contact adja cent to the disks-2. The latter contact is normally closed with a resistance j, which continues the circuitto a lead from the battery.v From. the second contact the circuit extends through the lead 70, to the valve 39, and continuing" through this ,valve passes through thenornially raised disk 43, through the resistance and wires Z, m, to the battery.

When an interruption oi the circuit through. the valve 34: occurs because of the movement of the core 16 and the lack of energy which would move the armature 2? the disk 42 .is forced downward by the pressure oi the air which opens the valve- 34. The air passes into the timing cylinder 36 and the contacts jj are opened. it will be noted that the opening of the contacts does not occur nnmedlately that the piston 44 starts'in its downward movement as We have arranged for acertain amount of lost motion which Wlll retard the opening of the contacts. The piston i l 1s controlled in its downward vmovement by the spring which oppose the air pressure so that the piston moves deliberately and does not reach the end of its motion by a sudden impulse.

It will be understood that the movement or the core 16 and the interruption of the circuit is of short duration. The encounteringot another section of ordinany steel rail will again cause the core 16 to return to the position 2% and the circuit through the contacts h72 to be reestablished. l'low if the circuit be continued without interruption the piston 44 will continue downward until the dish 47 reaches the contacts 94",

which will in turn energize and close the valve 3% shutting of? the air that has i'orccd the piston'downward. The piston will commence to return but the interruption the breaking of the circuit across the con tacts 1"/' will not re-open the valve as the circuit through this valve will be con.- tinued complete through its own disk and through the contacts 6 5 or 6-0. In connection with this operation We may observe that the extent of lost motion in the disk at? will be sufliciently great to forbid a movement of the disk until the train magnet has reached another ordinary steel rail section.

Consider however that while the piston 44- is moving downward a second interrup tion of the circuit across the contact 72 shall occur by reason .of t re approach of a diamagnetic rail section and that for a second time no current is passing through the coils 7 and 8. The secondinterruption will deenergizethe valve 89 allowing it to open and setting the train brakes. it will be fully appreciated thereifore that We may obtain not only a complete stopping of the train but a speed control'as it is very evident that the piston 44: maybe caused to operate as'rapidly as desired, and that any given time may be allowed between diama gnetic sections without effecting an open ation of the brakes but in every instance the time will be controlled by he distance, between the diamagnetic sections and the speed or rapidity of the operation oi the piston ital. To adjust this speed we have provided the fitting 38 wherein is arranged a speed washeii which consists oi a dish. having a centred perforation of any predetermined diameter. The operation of: devices of thi kind i fully understood.

it is will he appreciated that We have not, in this appli tion intended to describe ever advantage be gained from the operation of our device nor every modification that may be made in the construction. We have only detailed the device to an extent sufficient to cause it to be fully understood, and it is obvious that modification mav' be me ie within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the principle 0. see rificing the advantages of this invention.

fine the most important reasons for the peculiar construction of the train ma ne t the desire to overcome the pot ibuity oi an interruption of the operatwo because or by vibration we have shown a construction which has been fully having a n'iovablc core in two )arts and i connected by a joint 57 both of the parts 56 should be of iron and the joint 5? so consti'ucted that a close engagen'ient of the parts is obtained and so that no distortion of magnetic lines will result from the introduction oi? the joint. secured to the bottom of the casing and proiectin 'nward therefrom lug 58, provided with aslot 60 in which we have arranged a free moving pin The pin engages the lower end of the core section 56. A spring 62 tends to breair the joint between the parts 55, and 5e at the joint 57 and the magnetic pull coca-- sioned by the presence of an ordinary steel rail tends to straighten the toggle on.

63. Objectionable vibration occurs only when the core extensions of the coil are in a vertical position, the position assumed over an ordinary steel rail, as the toggle will then be in a straight vertlcal line vibration will not tend to operate the parts and interrupt the circuit.

In Fig. 5 we show a construction wherein the movable core or the projections therefrom may be disposed at or over any convenient point. The core in this instance is provided with off-set depending ends as indicated at and we provide a counterweight 51 of sufficient weight to exactly balance the projection 50 as these two parts are suspendad from a common center and as the gravity attraction is equal in both instances vibration will not effect the position nor will it tend to rotate the projection 50 and the weight upon its center.

In this construction the spring 52 which lifts the projection 50 upon the interruption of the magnetic field is secured directly to the projecting arm and to a'block 53 which may be attached to an adjacent end of the coil. The upwardly extending contact arm is of a construction and operation fully described in connection with the arm or rod 19.

Having carefully and fully described our invention what we claim'and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A device for controlling the speed of trains comprising a controlling mechanism carried by a locomotive, an ordinary track having a plurality of diamagnetic sections a plurality of magnetic coils arranged parallel and to be sustained in an inoperative position by said electromagnets as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A device of the character described comprising a plurality of electromagnetically operated devices, and means for maintaining or interrupting the circuits therethrough, said means comprising a plurality of contacts, a magnet for operating them, said magnet being supported adjacent to the rails and a plurality of contacts in parallel with said first mentioned contacts and op erated by a second magnet remote from said first mentioned magnet as. and for the purpose set forth.

1. A device of the character described having an air valve, a-timing cylinder, connected therewith and a second valve' controlled by said timing cylinder, means for operating said first valve to admit air to operate said timing cylinder, a magnet, a supporting member therefor arranged adjacent to a rail for maintaining the said air valves in a closed condition during a portion of the operation, and a device in movable relation to said magnet supporting member for maintaining said air valves closed during another portion of the operation all arranged for joint operation for the purpose set forth.

5. A device of the character described comprising magnetically operated valves one of which controls the operation of the other and means for operating said valves, said means including an electromagnet having a partially rotatable core, and a circuit breaking device for one of said valves operated by said core in combination with a magneticmember for retaining said core and a dia magnetic member in the path of said core for releasing said core as and for the purpose set forth.

- Signed at New York city, in the county of New .York and State of New York this 8 day of October, 1914.

LAWRENCE WESLEY HORNE. WARREN NOBLE CRANE. Witnesses:

G. E. Srnnnrrrn, ARTHUR PHELrs MARK.

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