US1276767A - Circuit-controller. - Google Patents

Description

W. K HOWE." I

ClRCUIT CONTROLLER. APPLICATION FILED'JULY 3. 91s.

H/SGA 5/0 66 l5 8 [/8 F? E 52 I/I g9 INVENTOI? 57 BY M 14 TTOR/VEYE UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

wmrrifaor K. HOWE, or noonns'rn'n, NEW YORK, Assien'on TO GENERAL RAILWAY sIGNAL' COMPANY, or GATES, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION or new YORK.

CIRCUIT-CONTROLLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 3', 1916. Serial No. 107,356.

7 To all whom it may concern:

controller, especially adapted for use with automatic trips, which will open and close the governing circuits of the motor and of the retaining mechanism associated with said trip at the proper times and in proper sequence. 4

A further object of the invention is to devise a circuit controller having the characteristics above mentioned, and which may also .be used to properly control the signal associated with the trip.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description of the invention progresses, and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, reference is had to the accompanying drawing, wherein I have illustrated a preferred physical embodiment of my invention, wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a circuit controller embodying the invention shown applied to a trip, parts of the circuit controller and the mechanism associated with said trip being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 2- -2 in Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrow (1.;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken substantially on-the line 33 in Fig.1 and look,- ing in the direction of the arrow b; and Fig. .4: is a diagrammatic view of an arrangement of wiring which may be used with the circuit controller shown in Figs.

1, 2 and 3.

In the accompanying drawing one form of a circuit controller embodying this inand vention has been illustrated as applied to the well known automatic trip; and the numeral 1 designates the shaft to which the trip arm is attached. According to the arrangement and construction ordinarily employed and which is contemplated in the illustrated application of the circuit controller embodying the invention, the shaft 1 is biased by a weight, or other suitable means to rotate in one direction so as to bring the trip arm attached thereto into'position to engage the valve arm carried on a train; and suitable power mechanism, herein assumed to be an electric motor and its associated gearing, is employed to turn the shaft 1 against the opposition of its bias into the position where the trip arm will not engage the valve. arm of a passing train, suitable mechanism being provided for retaining the shaft 1 in this latter position. For simplicity the electric motor, its operating gearing, and the mechanism for retaining the shaft 1 in its clear position, have not been illustrated, it being understood that this mechanism may be of any well known or suitable construction.

The circuit controller comprises two end brackets, 2, which are fastened to supports 3 in any suitable way as by tap bolts 4, it being understood that the supports 3 form a part of, or are secured tothe frame or case of the mechanism for operating the automatic trip. Secured tothe end brackets 2 are parallel contact supporting bars 5 and 6 of any suitable insulating material, and secured to these bars 5 and- 6 are a number of contact fingers of suitable: construction arranged inopposed pairs. In the form of the inventionillustrated, the circuit controller comprises three parts or units designated A, B and C, and each of these units includes two pairs of contact springs, the contact springs associated with the unity A. being designated 7- -7 and 8+8, and the similar contact springs associated with the unit being designated 9+9 and 10l0. The construction of the unit 0 is the same as the construction of the unit A, and is illustrated as showing the manner in which the unit A may be duplicated if desired to perform similar functions.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the unit A im cludes a circuit controlling, lover or member 12, journaled on a shaft 11 extending between and secured to the end brackets "2.

This circuit controlling member 12 comprises a stem 13 to which is attached in any suitable manner the block 14 of insulating material; and to the block 14 in turn is fas toned a metallic contact strip 15. The circuit controlling member 12 also comprises a rib 16 in which a hole 17 is formed near each end and on opposite sides of the shaft 11. The lower end of the rib is shaped to form a downwardly projecting lug 18, and integral with the hub of the circuit controlling member 12 is a mating lug 19, the lugs 18 and 19 constituting in effect a clownwardly opening jaw. Extending between the end brackets 2 is a rod 20, which is held in place by short pins 21 fixed therein; and a tension coil spring 22 has one end "hooked around the rod 20 and its other end booked in the upper hole 17 intherib 16 of the'circuit controlling member 12.

The units A, B and C of' the circuit con trollerare operated by the shaft lby means of a rockarm'23, which is split and clamped on the shaft 1 by a tap bolt 24. The rock arm 23 is bifurcated, and the separate bifurcations 25 of this rockarm 23 terminate in bosses or in enlargements 26. Extending through the bosses 26 is an operating rod '27 which is held in place by pins 28, said operating rod 27 being"disposed between the lugs 18 and 19 of the circuit controlling member 12.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3, the unit 13 of the circuit controller is similar in construction 'in'many respects tothat'of the unit A, and comprises a circuit controlling member or lever 12 journaled on the shaft '11 but in the unit B, the stem 29 of the circuit contro1- ling member 12 has a notch or groove 30 therein in which fits the stem portion of a contact carrier block 31, said stem portion being narrower than the notch 30 and being mounted on a pin 32 fixed in the stem 29 so as to permit a limited amount of rocking movement of said contact carrier block 31 relative to said stem 29. The contact carrier block 31 is substantially T-shape, the head portion thereof being arranged to contact with the stem 29 of the circuit controlling member 12 and secured to said contact carrier block is a piece 33 of suitable insulated materialto which is secured a contact strip 34.- The'contact member 12 has a rib in which are holes 36; and the lower end of the rib 35 forms a downwardly projecting lug 38, which is disposed opposite to a mating lug 39 integral with the hub of the member'12 A tensionspring 37 is hooked overthe rod 20' at one end and at the other end is hooked into the upper hole 36 of the rib 35 of said circuit controlling member. The operating rod '27 is disposed betwee-n'the lugs'38 and '39 of-the circuit controlling member 12 in the same way as said operatingrod-is disposed betWeen't-he lugs 18 and 19 of the circuit controlling member 12.

Referring to Fig. 4 there is show-ndiagrammatically an arrangement of controlling circuits suitable for use with a circuit controller embodying the invention. The motor for operating the trip shaft 1 is designated M; and the retaining mechanism, commonly called a hold clear device, which serves to hold the trip shaft 1 in its clear position is designated HG. The automatic trip may be controlled in any suitable way; but in the diagrammatic illustration in Fig. 4, said automatic trip'is controlled by-a track relayT having-an armature 40. The signal associated with the automatic trip stop may be of any suitable construction; but is shown in Fig; 4 as comprising a red lamp Rand a green lamp G.

The operation of the circuit controller illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 may bereadily understood in connection with the following description of the operation ofthe'automatic trip from one end of its positionsto another position. In Fig. '4 the parts of the circuit controller and the parts of the automatic trip shown are illustrated in the position corresponding to the position in which the ;trip arm is held down clear ofthe valvearm of a passing train. lVhen the trip arm is in its clear position the hold clear device HCEis energized by a circui-twhichmay-betraced as follows:

Commencing 1 at the battery 41, conductor 42, armature 40-of thetrackrelay T in its upper position, conductor-s 43 and 44, the hold .clear device HQconductor :45, contact spring'lO, contact strip 34, contact springlO, and conductors '46a11d 47 back to the battery 41.

The green lamp G, indicating-proceed'{is lighted bya circuitwhich-may be traced as follows:

Commencing at the battery 48, conductors 49 and 5O, lamp G, conductor 51, contact spring 8, cont-act strip 15, contact spring 8 and conductors 52- and 53, backzto the battery 48. y V

WVhen a train enters the block which'is guarded by the automatic trip, s the track relay T is' dc'energizecL-as will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art, and the armature 40 of saidtraclcrelay T drops and interrupts the circuit hereinbefore traced which energizes the-hold clear device HG, thereby permitting theishaft l-to turn under the influence 1 of its bias to itheuposition in which then-1 111 secured'thercto will engage the valve arm'on atrain attemptingito pass said automatic trip. DuringSthismovement of the shaft-1 to its'biased position, the-circuit controlling members -1-2:.and z1 2 are pulled by the springs 22 and 37, respectively, into the I position opposite 3110 that; shown J in Figs. 2 and-3. The contact istrip"15.-'of:the

circuit controlling member 12 now breaks contact with the contact spring 8 thereby interrupting the circuit for the green lamp G, and makes contact with the contact spring 7, thereby closing a circuit for the red lamp R, which may be traced as follows:

Commencing at the battery 48, conductors 49 and 57, lamp R, conductor 58, contact spring 7 contact strip 15, contact spring 7, and conductors 59 and 53, back to the batter 48.

When the shaft 1 moves to its biased position, the contact strip 34 is moved from contact with the contact springs 10 and into contact with the contact springs 9 so that, after a train has left the block guarded by the automatic trip and the track relay T is ener gized, the motor M is energized by a circuit which may be traced as follows:

Commencing at the battery 41,-conductor 42, armature 40 of the track relay T in its upper position, conductors 43 and 54, motor M, conductor 55, contact spring 9, contact strip 34, contact spring 9, and conductors 56 and 47, back to the battery 41.

When the motor M is energized it drives the shaft 1 in the direction indicated by the arrow X, Figs. 2 and 3, to move the trip arm to its clear position. During the first part of this movement of the shaft 1, the circuit controlling members 12 and 12 remain stationary, since they are held in the position they then have by the springs 22 and 37, and since the operating rod 27, which is in contact with the lugs 19 and 39, respectively, at the beginning of this movement of said shaft 1 to the clear position, may move a limited distance before it strikes the lug 18 and 38, respectively. After this first part of the movement of the shaft 1 to its clear position, the circuit controlling members 12 and 12 are moved with the shaft, and during the final movement of said shaft 1 to its clear position, circuit controlling member 12 is moved to the position shown in Fig. 2, thereby extinguishing the red lamp R and lighting thegreen lamp G. At the same time the circuit controlling member 12 is moved to substantially the position shown in Fig. 3, in which the circuit for energizing the motor M hereinbefore traced, is broken,

' and in which the circuit for energizing the hold clear device HC is completed. After the operating circuit of the motor M is broken, there will ordinarily be a slight continued movementof the shaft 1, due to the momentum of the parts; but, on the other hand, before the hold clear device HG becomes efi'ective, it may happen that the shaft 1 will settle back under the influence of its bias, nearly if not entirely as much as said shaft continued to move after the operating circuit for the motor M was interrupted. It is obvious that unless some special means is provided, the circuit controlling member 12 will move, as the shaft 1 settles back, to a position to restablish the motor operating to. According to this invention, however,.

when the shaft 1 settles back and as a con sequence the circuit controlling member 12 also moves to the left,-as viewed in Fig.3, the friction between the contact spring 10 and the contact strip 34 retards or holds back the contact carrier block 31; and since this contact carrier block 31 is loosely connected to the circuit controlling member 12 considerable movement of said member 12 to the left, as viewed in Fig. 3,-may take place without causing said block 31 to move correspondingly to the left. In this way the shaft 1, after it has been operated by a motor M to its full clear position, may settle back without operating the contact carrierand the contact carrier block 31 forms an important feature of this invention. I

It should also be noted that the circuit controlling member 12, which in the particular application of the invention illustrated controls the signal lamps R and G, changes from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the opposite position after only a slight movement of the shaft 1; or in other words, the green lamp G is'extinguished and thered lamp R is lighted after a slight movement of the shaft 1 toward its'biased position. This slight movement may be selected such that at or before the trip arm on the shaft 1 is in position to automatically stop a passing train, the red lamp R, indicating stop or danger will be lighted. On the other hand, when the shaft 1 is in itsbiased position and is being operated by the motor M to'its clear or operated position, the circuit controlling member 12 lags behind the movement of said shaft 1, so that the shaft 1' must assume its full clear position before the red lampR isl'extinguished'. In a similar Although I have particularly described the construction of one physical .emb odiment of my invention, andexplained the operation and principle thereof; neventheless, I

desire to have it understood .that the form selected is merel illustrative, and does not exhaust the possible physical embodimentsof V the idea of means underlying my invention. What I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is: 1. In a circuit controller for railway signaling appliances, in combination: .a movable circuit controlling member pivotally supported between its end and having spaced lugs atoneend; an insulated contact piece carried by the same member at its other end; fixed Contactfingers arrangednto cooperate with thecontact piece in thedifferent positions of said member; a spring connected to said member and tending to move in one ;direction; an oscillatable shaft disposed paralleltothe axis of n ovementpf said member; a rocker arm fixed toithe shaft; anda rodcarried by the outerend of the rocker arm and adapted to {fit loosely between the lugs of said member, whereby themovement of said member from onecircuit controlling position to the other is caused atone extremeof therange ofmovement of thesha-ft.

2. In a circuitcontroller, in combination in itsoperated position; controlling circuits for said electrically operable means and for said retaining mechanism; and icircuit controlling means governed' by said shaftlfor selectively controlling said circuits, said means; comprising two parts looselyiconnecb ed, and one ofsaidvparts being operatiyely connectedto saidshaft. i

4:. In .a circuit,controller,=in combination: an oscillatable shaft; a circuit controlling member comprising two parts loosely connected; a spring connected to said member and tending to turnfit in one direction; a rocker arm carried bylsaid shaft; flntldllBfinS associated with said rocker arm and said member for looselyconneCting saiol men'iber and said shaft and for providing lost motion between the same when said shaft is moved.

In an electrically operable device, in combination; an oscillatable shaft biased to turn in one direction; electrically operable means for turning said shaft inthe opposite direction; retaining mechanism for holding said, shaft in an operated position; controlling circuits for said electrically operable means and for said retaining mechanism; a circuit controlling member for controlling said circuits and biased to one circuit controlling position; and means including'a lost motlon connect on for operatively connectin g said shaft and said member, whereby said member is moved from one circuit.

controlling position to another near one e. treine of the oscillation of said shaft.

6. In an electrically operable device, in. combination: a shaft biased to turn in one direction; a motor for turning said shaft in the opposite dir ction; a hold clear device for retaining said shaft inano-perated,position; controlling circuits for said motor and said device; and means including a lost motion connection for interrupting the control ling circuit for the motor and for establish ing the controlling circuit for the hold cl ear device as said shaftattains its operated position, said means automatically retaining this same controlling condition during a slight return movement of the shaft ,toward itsbiased position.

7. In an electrically operable. device in combination: a shaft biased to turn in one direction; electrically operable means for turning said shaft in the oppositedirection; retaining mechanism for holding said shaft in its operated position; controlling circuit for said electrically operable means and for saidretaining mechanism, circuit controlling means for governing said circuits; airocker arm carried ;by said shaft; and means associated withsaidrocker arm and said circuit'controlling means for operatively connecting said shaft and said means and for providing lost motion between tllegsaine when said shaft is moved;

WINTHROP K. nevi E;

Copies cf this patent may be obtainedrqr five cents each, by addressingthe commissioner of Ifatents 1 Washington, D. c."

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