US1316538A

US1316538A - Iiyman e

Info

Publication number: US1316538A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1919-09-16
Anticipated expiration: 1936-09-16

Description

L. E. DODGE.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN CONTROL SYSTEM.

APPLICATION I'ILED JULY 8. i915- Y L 1,316,538. Patentedsepwe, 1919.

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LYMAN E. DODGE, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL RAILWAY SIGNAL COMPANY, OF GATES, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN-CONTROL SYSTEM.

Application led July 8, 1915.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, LYMAN E. DODGE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Automatic Train- Control System, of which the following 1s a specification.

This invention relates to systems for automatically controlling railway traffic, and particularly to such systems in which the movement of the train is controlled, in some Y appropriate way, by a control relay carried on thetrain, the energization and the deenergization of said control relay being accomplished by the cooperation of suitable devices carried by the train and arranged along the trackway.

YOne of the 'irincipal objects of the invention is to devlse a suitable arrangement of circuits and controlling devices which will provide for automatically restoring a train control apparatus to its normal or initial position when it is desired to set the cycle of operation of said train control apparatus into action again, and which will also provide for setting said train control apparatus into operation when the traflic conditions so require.

A further object of the invention is to devise a system for automatically controlling railway trains in which the cycle of operation of the train control apparatus on the train may be obtained in accordance with traflic conditions without any physical contact between the parts carried by the train and other parts Xed along the track, other than the contact of the wheels of the train and the track rails.

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, and wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding partsl throughout the several views, and in which:

The figure is a diagrammatic illustration of a railway train and the track therefor, and shows the parts of an automatic train control system embodying the invention,

Specification of Letters Patent.

' tance between the pairs o Patented Sept. i6, 191W,

Serial No. 38,681.

both the parts associated with the train and' Referring to the accompanying drawing,

the track rails 1 and 2 arelv divided into electrically isolated-sections A, B, C, D and E in any suitable manner, as by means of insulating joints 3. The sections A, C and E` may be of any length necessary to obtain the desired spacing of the trains, and are conveniently termed block sections. The sections B and D are comparatively short and may be conveniently termed control sections. The length of the control'sections B and D is dependent in art upon the disi) wheels and axles on the train which are selectedv for the purpose of controlling the train control apparatus carried by the train; and the factors determining the length of these control sections B and D will be set forth hereinafter when the construction and operation of the parts of the system associated with the train have been described. Although only two control sections B and D, the intermediate block section C and the adjacent ends of the block sections A and E are shown in the drawing, it is to be understood that the same alternate arrangement of control sections and block sections is carried out through the length of the track protected by the system, a control section being located at the entrance to each block section, the direction of normal traiic being indicated by the arrow X.

Across the track rails 1 and 2 at one end of each block section is connected a source of electric current as a battery 4:; and connected across the track rails l and 2 at the other end of each block section by wires 6 and 7 is a track relay 5. The parts associated with each block section and each control section are the same, and for simplicity and clearness, the parts associated with the control section D and the block section E will be given the same reference characters as the corresponding parts associated with the control section B and the block section A, with the distinctive exponent il added thereto. The track relay 5, together with the track rails l and 2, and the battery 4 of each block section, constitute the well known normal conditions, that is, when a block section is unoccupied by a train, the track relay 5 thereof is energized by current supplied from the corresponding track battery 4,I and the armatures 8' and 9 of said relay will be in their upper position, as shown in the drawing.

The railway train is shown as comprising two pairs of wheels 10-10, l2-12, and their corresponding connecting axles 11 and 13, which axles are connected by a bar 14 representing the frame of the train. These pairs of wheels and axles are insulated from each other in any suitable manner, as represented by a section of insulating material 15 interposed between each axle and frame of the train. Carried on the train is a control relay 16 having two armatures 17 and 18, said control relay controlling the operation of the automatic train control apparatus represented by the part designated K. The device K forms no part of the present invention, and since various devices or appliances well known in the art are capable of performing its necessary functions, a detail description of the construction of the device K is deemed to be unnecessary.

According to my invention, the train control device K is intended to have a cycle of operation, vthat is, after once being set into operation, it will continue in operation until restored. One form which the train control apparatus may take' is similar to that shown and described in the patent to Paul J. Simmen, 1,150,309, August 17, 1915, although other' specific forms of train control apparatus of the cyclic type, having a like delayed action in accordance with time, distance traveled by the vehicle, or the like, may be employed with the track way circuits embodying my invention. In the drawing I have shown the device K conventionally, and have shown a simplified construction for controlling its operation. In this simplified construction, the device K is driven by a shaft 51, which is biased by a weight W to a predetermined initial position. To the shaft 51 is fastened a worm wheel 52, which is adapted to be driven by a worm 53 on an auxiliary shaft 54 connected by a suitable universal coupling 55 to a main driving shaft 56. The main driving shaft 56 may be directly connected to the wheels of the vehicle or rotated gradually by other suitable means. The intermeshing of the Worm 53 and the worm gear 52, resulting in inter-connecting the shafts 54 and 51, is controlled by a solenoid 58,. having a loose and pivoted connection 57 Y to the auxiliary shaft 54, so as to permitl said shaft to rotate freely and also move toward and away from the worm gear 52. The solenoid 58 is normally energized by a circuit including a suitable source of current, indicated as a battery 19, and the contact finger or armature 18 of the control relay 16, this circuit being traced as follows: Commencing at the battery 19, conductor 20, armature 18, conductor 21, solenoid 58 and conductor 22, back to the battery. It will be evident that when the control relay 16 is energized, the solenoid 58 will likewise be energized, and the shafts 54 and 51 disconnected, so that the train control device K may assume its normal and initial. condition under the influence of the weight W. When the control relay 16 is denergized, the solenoid 58 is likewise denergized, thus permitting the auxiliary shaft 54 to drop by its own weight so as to bring the Worm 53 into mesh w1th worm gear 52, thereby initiating the operation of the train control device K. Upon renergization of the control relay 16, the train control device K is again restored to its normal or initial condition.

When the train is located between control sections, the control relay 16 is normally supplied with current from a local source, as a battery 23 carried by the train, along one of two circuits, one of said circuits for normally energizing said control relay being as follows: From the battery 23, conductor 24, control relay 16, conductor 25, resistance 26, conductor 27, the pair of wheels 12 and axle 13, thence by the track rails 1 and 2 to the other pair of wheels 10 and axle 11 and by conductor 28 back to the battery 23. A shunt controlled by the armature 17 of the control relay 16 is provided for the resistance 26, so that when said armature 1-7 is in its upper position the resistance 26 is shunted by the following path: From the conductor 25, conductor 30, armature 17 in' its upper position, conductor 29 to the conductor 27 said shunt together with the other parts of the last traced circuit constituting the other circuit for normally energizing the control relay 16.

Having described the parts of the automatic train control system embodying the invention, the operation of said system will be described for different cases in which ,certain conditions, which may occur in practice, are assumed to exist.

For the first condition to be considered, assume that the train is in the block section A and is about to enter the control section B, although the first wheels thereof have not yet entered said control section B; that the train has found an unobstructed track over which to travel and is proceeding unrestrained by the speed control device K; and that neither the block section C nor the block section E are occupied by a train. Under these conditions the control relay 16 is energized and its armatures 17 and 18 are in their upper position, as shown in the drawing. Then, as the first pair of wheels enter the control section B, current is supplied to the control relay 16, according to the circuit which may be tracedas follows: From one terminal of the relay 16, conductor 24C, battery 23, conductor 28, axle 11 and wheels 10 to the track, rail 2 of the control section B, conductor 31, armature 8 of the track relay 5 in its upper position, conductor 32, battery 33,

conductors

34 and 35, track rail 2 of the block section A, wheels 12 and axle 13,

conductors

27 and 29, armature 17 of the control relay 16 in its upper position,

conductors

30 and 25 back to the other terminal of the control relay 16. .It is noted that the batteries 33 and 23 are arranged in series so that their respective voltages add together; and by reason of this fact ample current flows through the coil of the relay 16 to hold it energized. As the first pair of wheels and axle of the train enter the block section C, the track relay 5 of said block section is denergized because of the relatively low resistance of said wheels and axles; and the

armatures

8 and 9 of said relay drop. Since the block section E is not occupied, the armature 91 of the track relay 51 is in itsupper position;

and when the armature 8 of the track relay 5 drops the control relay 16 remains energized according to the following circuit: from the battery 23, conductor 24, relay 16,

lconductors

25 and 30, armature 17 in its upper position,

conductors

29 and 27, axle 13 and wheels 12 to the track rail 2 vofthe control section B, conductor 31, armature 8 of the track relay 5 in its lower position,

conductor 36, armature 91 of the track relayv 51 in its upper position,

conductors

371 and 351 to the track rail 2 of the block section C, wheels 10 and axle 11 and conductor 28 back to the battery 23.

From the foregoing it can be seen that when the block sections C and E iare not occupied by a train, the train may pass by the control section B without having the control relay 16 denergized and its train control apparatus K set into operation.

For the next condition to be considered, assume that the train is in the block section A and about to enter the control section B, although the rst wheels and axle have not yet passed on to the control section B; that the train has found an unobstructed track and is proceeding unrestrained by the train control device K; and that while the block section C is not occupied, the block section E is occupied by a train. Under these conditions, when the first wheels 10 and axle 11 of the train enter the control section B, the circuit including the batteries 23 and 33 in series for maintaining the control relay 16 energized will be established, as hereinbefore described. However, when the Iirst wheels 10 and axle 11 of the train enter the block section C, the'track relay 5 is denergized and its armature 8 drops; and since the block section E is occupied, the track relay 51 is denergized and the armature91 thereof drops; and, consequently, the circuit for energizing the control relay 16 is interrupted at the armature 91 of the track relay 51. When the control relay 16 is denergized, its armatures drop, the armature 18 interrupting the normally closed circuit controlllng the device K and setting said device VK into operation. The armature 17, in dropping, breaks the shunt around the resistance 26, so that said resistance is in series with the coil of the control `relay 16; and, consequently, when the connection between the two pairs of wheels and axles is restored, and the circuit including the battery 23 and the control relay 16 is established, the resistance 26 is such as to limit the flow of current through the relay 16 and -prevent the raising of its armatures.

From the foregoing it can be seen that when the block section E is occupied by a trainand the block section C is not occupied, thecontrol device K is set into operationat the entrance to the block section C.

For the next condition to be considered, assume that the train is in the block section A and about to enter the control section B; and that the block section C is occupied by a train. Under these conditions the control relay 16 would be denergized and the control device K in operation as the train approached the control section B, since the presence of a train'in the block section C would have set the control device K into operation when the train entered the block section A in the same way as the presence of a train in the block section E causes the device Kto be set into operation when the train enters the 'block section C, as hereinbefore described. Since the block section C is assumed to be occupied, the track relay 5 is denergized and its

armatures

8 and 9 are in their lower, position. 'When the first wheels 10 and axle 11 of the train enter the control section B, the normally closed circuit which supplies current to the control relay 16 from the battery 23 on the train is interrupted at the armature 8 of the track relay 5. The block section E may or may7 not Vbe occupied by a train, and its track relay 51 may or may not be energized and its armature ,91 may be in either its upper or lower position. Assuming that the block section E is not occupied by a train and the armature 91 of its track relay 5 is in its upper position, when the rst wheels and axle of the train enter the block section C, current is supplied to the control relay 16 from the battery 23 through the resistance .26;v but the resistance 26 is so proportioned that the flow of current is not 'sufficient to cause the armatures of said relay 16 to be raised. If, however, the block section E is occupied, as well as the block section C, the track relay 51 will be denergized and its ar- `mature 91L will be in its lower position, thereby interrupting the connection between the track rail 2 of the control section B and the track rail 2 of the block section C, so that all flow of vcurrent through the control relay 16 ceases and its armature will remain in their lower position.

From the foregoing it can be seen that when the 'block section C is occupied by a train the train control device K, if it is in operation at the time, will not be restored to its lidle or normal position; and, consequently, the train if it entered the occupied block section C, must do so under the limitations imposed by the train control device K.

For the next condition to be considered, assume that a train at one time occupied the block section C and that .the train under consideration at that time entered the block section A; that by the time the train in the block section A reached the entrance to the control section B, the train formerly inv the block section C was clear and the track relay 5 energized and its armature 8 in its upper position. Then, when the wheels 10 and axle 11 of the train pass on to the control section B, the voltage of the battery 33 is added to the voltage of the battery 23 on the train to supply suflicient current through the resistance 26 to the control relay 16 as to cause its armatures 17 and 18 to be raised, this circuit being as follows: from the battery 23, conductor 24:, relay 16, conductor 25, resistance 26, conductor 27 axle 13, wheels 12, track rail 2 of the block section A,

conductors

35 and 34, battery 33, conductor 32, armature 8 of the track relay 5 in its upper position, conductor 31, track rail 2 of the control section B, wheels 10 and axle 11, and conductor 28 back to the battery 23. When the control relay 16 is energized' and its armatures raised the Vdevice K is renergized and its parts restored to their normal or initial positions. Then, when the train enters the block section C, assuming that a train formerly in the block section C now occupies the block'section E, the train control device K will be set into operation in the same way as hereinbefore described.

From the foregoing it can be seen that when a train first enters a control section, its control relay 16, if denergized, will beA reenergized, providing the next block section is not occupied by a train; and then subsequently, if the second succeeding block secterasse tion is occupied by a train, the control relay 16 will be immediately denergized, and its cycle of operation made effective again.

The length of the control sections B and D is preferably longer than the distance between the two pairs of wheels and axles which are insulated-from each other and to which are connected the

conductors

27 and 28, in order that the two pairs of wheels will not straddle both insulating joints as the train passes and thereb cause interruption of the holding circuit o the control relay 16 regardless of traffic conditions. The pairs of wheels and` axles which are insulated from each other are preferably not the extreme wheels of the vehicle or train, in order that it will not be possible for the vehicle or train to stand on a control section without having some pair of wheels on either thel Although the sources of electric current i have been shown and described as batteries, and although the devices illustrated are described as responsive to direct current, it is to be understood that devices responsive to alternating current or direct current and sources of alternating current or direct current may be used indiscriminately without departing from the invention.

Although two pairs of wheels and their corresponding axles insulated from each other have beenshown as illustrative of one arrangement; wheels, trucks or separate cars may be insulated from each other, as desired, without departing from the invention.

Although I have particularly described the construction of one physical embodiment of my invention, and explained the operation and principle thereof; nevertheless, I desire to have it understood that the form selected is merely illustrative, but does not exhaust the possible physical embodiments of the idea of means underlying my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a system for automatically controlling railway vehicles, in combination; a trackway divided into electrically isolated block sections, track circuits for said block partial circuit controlled by the track circuit of each block section for establishing the difference of potential of said source across the insulated rail section at the entrance to that block and the track rails of the block section in the rear, another partial circuit controlled by the track circuit of the next block section in advance connected across said insulated rail section and the track rails of the corresponding block section, separated insulated Contactin means carried by the vehicle and adapte to coperate with said block sections and said insulated rail ,sections, electrically operated automatic train control apparatus carried by the vehicle, and a controlling circuit for said apparatus terminating at said contacting means.

2. In a system for automatically controlling railway vehicles, in combination: a

trackway divided into electrically isolated block sections, track circuits for said block sections, an insulated rail section at the entrance to each of said block sections, a source of current for each insulated rail section, means associated with each insulated rail section and constituting a conducting path between that rail section and the track rails of the corresponding block section, said means being controlled by the track circuit of the corresponding 'block section and by the track circuit of the next block section in advance, a partial circuit controlled by the track circuit of each block section for establishing the difference of potential of said source across the insulated rail section at the entrance to that block and the track rails of the block section in the rear, separated insulated contacting means carried by the vehicle and adapted to contact with the track rails of said block sections and said insulated rail sections, a control relay, a normally closed circuit including said control relay and a source of current and terminating at said contacting means, automatic train control apparatus carried by the vehicle and having a cycle of operation, said apparatus having its cycle of operation initiated when said control relay is denergized and being restored to its normal condition when said control relay is again energized.

3. In a system-for automatically controlling railway vehicles, in combination: a trackway divided into electrically isolated block sections, track circuits for said block sections, an insulated rail section at the en trance to each ofsaid block sections, 'a source of current for each insulated rail section, means controlled by-said track circuit of each block section for governing the connection between said source, said corresponding insulated rail section and the track rails of the block section in the rear,means controlled by the track circuit ofthe next block in advance for establishing a conducting path between each insulated rail section and the track rails of the corresponding block section, separated insulated contacting means carried by the vehicle adapted to cooperate with said insulated rail sections and block sections, and automatic train control apparatus carried by the vehicle responsive to the electrical condition of said insulated rail section rel-atively to the track rails of the adjacent block sections for automatically controlling the movement of said vehicle. V

4. In a system for automatically controlling railway vehicles, in combination: a trackway divided into electrically isolated block sections, an insulated rail section at the entrance to each block section, means controlled by the presence of a vehicle in any one of said block sections for creating a difference of potential between said insulated rail section at the entrance to that block section and the track rails of the next block in the rear, means for establishing a conducting path betweenk each insulated rail section and the track rails of the corresponding block section when the block section next in advance is not occupied; separated insulated contacting means carried by the vehicle and adapted to contact with the track rails of` *said contacting means, means controlled by said control relay for rendering the source of current carried by the vehicle effective to energize said'control relay while it is energized and for rendering said source of current alone ineiiective to energize said control relay while it is denergized, and automatic train control apparatus on the vehicle having a cycle of operation, said apparatus having its cycle of operation initiated when said control relay is denergized and being restored to its normal condition when said control relay is again energized.

5. In a system for automatically controlling railway vehicles, in combination: a trackway divided into electrically isolated block sections, a comparatively short control section at the entrance to each blocksection and kelectrically insulated therefrom, means for establishing a difference of potential between each control section and the next block section in the rear whenthe corresponding block section is not occupied, and means for establishing a conducting path between each control section and the corresponding block section when the next block section in advance is not occupied.

6. In a system for automatically controlling railway vehicles, in combination: a vehicle having two pairs of wheels insulated from each other, a control relay on the vehicle, a partial circuit including said control by said control relay for increasing the opposition to the iiow of current in said partial circuit when said control relay is deenergized, and automatic train control apparatus on the vehicle governed by said control relay and having a cycle of operation, said apparatus having its cycle of operation initiated when said control relay is denergized and being restored to its normal oondition when said control relay is again energized.

7. In a system for automatically controlling railway vehicles, in' combination: a trackway dividedinto electrically isolated block sections, a source of current and ya relay for each of said block sections constituting a normally closed track circuit, an insulated rail section at the entrance to each of said block sections, means operated when the track relay of each block section is energized for creating a diiierence of potential between the insulated rail section at the entrance to that block section and the track rails of the block section in the rear, means operated whenever the track relay of each block section is denergized and the track ielay of the next block section in advance is energized for electrically connecting the insulated rail section and the track rails of the corresponding block section, separated 1nsulated contacting means carried by the vehicle and adapted to coperate with said block sections and said insulated rail sections, automatic train control apparatus carried by the vehicle, and a controlling circuit for said ap-paratus terminating at said contacting means.

8. In a system for automatically controlling railway vehicles, in combination: a trackway divided into electrically isolated block sections, a comparatively short control section at the entrance to each block section and electricallyinsulated therefrom, means responsive to the presence of a vehicle on said block sections for creating a difference of potential between the rails of the corresponding control section and the adjacent ftrack rails of the block section in the rear, means for establishing a conducting path between each control section and the corresponding block section when the block section next in advance is not occupied, separated insulated contacting means carried by the vehicle and adapted to contact with the track rails of said control sections and said block sections; automatic train control appanatus carried by the vehicle; and a controlling circuit for said apparatus terminating at said contacting means.

9. In a system for automatically controlling railway vehicles lnormally traveling in one direction only over a railroad track, in combination: a trackway divided into electrically isolated block sections, a source of current and a track relay associated with each block section and constituting a normally closed track circuit, a comparatively short control section'at the entrance to each block section and electrically insulated therefrom, a partial circuit for each control section including a source of current and connected between that control section and the track rails of the block section in-the rear, means controlled by the track relay of each block section for interrupting the corresponding partial circuit when that block section is occupied, a second partial circuit associated with each control section and adapted to establish a conducting path between the track rails of that block section and the corresponding control section, and means controlled by the track relay of the block section next in advance of the corresponding block section for controlling the conti'- nuity of said second partial circuit.

l0. In a system for automatically controlling railway vehicles, the combination with a vehicle provided with separate pairs of wheels insulated from each other and having a partial circuit including a control relay anda source of current terminating at said pairs of wheels, of a trackway divided into electrically isolated block sections each having a normally closed track circuit and a track relay, a comparatively short track rail section at the entrance to each block section and electrically insulated from the track rails of the adjacent block sections, means controlled by the track relay of the corresponding block section for establishing a loop including a source of current between each short insulated track rail section and the track rails of the block section next in the rear, said trackway source of current being of a polarity to assist the source of current on the vehicle, means controlled by the track relay of the block section next in advance of the corresponding block section for establishing a dead loop between each short insulated track rail section and the track rails of the corresponding block section, and means on the vehicle for cutting in and out resistance in the partial circuit on the vehicle when the control relay is denergized and energized respectively, whereby the control relay on a vehicle entering a block section will be governed in accordance with traffic conditions in the next block section in advance and after having been once denergized will not