US1504191A - Railway-train-control system - Google Patents

Description

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A. V. T. DAY

RAILWAY TRAIN CONTROL SYSTEM Original Filed June 4, 19,15 2 Sheets-Sheet l few.

INVENTOR Q- WTV- BY ATTORNEY Aug. 5, w24. 1,5%91

A. V. T. DAY

RAILWAY TRAIN CONTROL SYSTEM Original Filed June 4, 1913 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I. Secfz'al? B.

M ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 5, 1924. y

UNITED STATES SYLVANIA.

l ALBERT V'. T. DAY, 0F RYE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNION SWITCH AND SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION 0F PENN-` RAILWAY-TRAIN-CONTROL SYSTEM.

Original application filed June 4, 1913, Serial No. 771,650. Renewed Max-ch 14, 1922, Serial No. 543,767.

Patent No. 1,479,286, dated January 1, 1924. Divided and this Serial No. 617,401.

To all whom 'it may concern.

Be it known that I, ALBERT V. T. DAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rye, in the county of Westchester and` State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway- Train-Control Systems,'of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of train control apparatus andsystems in which the movement of -a railway train or vehicle is controlled in accordance with a signal, automatic brake, or other suitable train controlling means carried on a train or vehicle and governed by suitable extraneous means or conditions, such as the position of a signal or the condition of a section of the track which the train or vehicle is approaching. Y

The present application is a division of my copending application filed on the 14th day of March, 1922, Serial No. 543,767, patented Jan. 1,1924, No. 1,479,286, for railway train control systems, which latter application is a renewal of my application filed on the 4th day of June, 1913, Serial No. 771,650.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view showing one form of system embodying my invention, this view comprising two sheets designated as Section A and Section B. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a directional clutch employed in the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, and is taken on the line II-II of Fig. 1.

Similar reference characters refer to` similar parts in each of the views.

Referring to Fig. 1, the reference charac- -ters 2 and 2a deslgnate the track rails of bottom of the monitor casing. Thisshaftv .terminates flush lwith the upper surface of the disc 356 secured on the upper end of 'of this shaft and fixedly inserted into the application led February 6, 1923.

hollow hub o-f the bevel gearv503. The disc acts as a closin plate to retain the clutch balls disposed within the hub and surroundlng the lower end of the monitor main shaft 358. The disc turns freely in the gear 503 in one direction, but is clutched thereto in the other direction by the clutching'action "of the balls, in the manner of the directional clutch shown in Fig. 2. yThe lower end of the monitor main shaft 358 rests on the upper end of the monitor shaft 355, the two shafts being free to rotate 1n 'opposite directions. The monitor main shaft 358 carries another similar bevel gear 503a above the gear 503 and also turning freely on the shaft 358 in one direction but clutched to the shaft in the other direction by the action of similar clutch balls, as indicated. Between these gears and meshing with both of them' is an intermediate bevel gear 503b mounted on a horizontal shaft 60 extendin@ through a bearing formed uin the side ofthe casing. This intermediate gear transmits rotation from the lower bevel gear 503 to the upper bevel gear 503a mounted on the monitor main shaft. Hence, no matter which way the shaft 355 turns as the locomotive or car travels in one direction or the other, the upper and lower bevel gears mounted on the shaft 358 will always turn in opposite directions, one of them always transmittinof rotation to the'monitor main shaft in the direction of its indicating arrow, while the other gear turns freely on the shaft in the opposite direction.

Mounted 'on the monitor main shaft 358 just above the bevel gears is a worm transmitting rotation to a worm wheel mounted on a horizontal shaft extending across the casing and also carrying a worm located behind and meshing with the worm wheel 359 mounted on the vertical traveller shaft 360, Thereby the traveller shaft is always rotated slowly in the direction of its arrow in exact proportion to the travel of the train in either direction.

Above the aforesaid worm on the main shaft 358 is formed a Vfworm 361. A resetting traveller 362 mounted on the main shaft consists in a sleeve surrounding the worm 361 with a clearance hole and having tov a'slot into whichenters the vertical longer arm of an l.shaped clutch lever, the short horizontal arm of which constitutes fan armature 363 co-acting with a clutch magnet 61 disposed above the armature and mounted on the under side of a horizontal arm extending from the sleeve 362. A similar arm 362a extends horizontally from the upper end of the sleeve in the opposite d1rection and is bored with a clearance hole surrounding the traveller shaft 360 and normally rests on a coller 364 formed on this shaft to act as a lower stop for the re-setting traveller. The edge of the L-shaped resetting clutch-lever is notched to fit the V- worm 361.v The clutch magnet 61 1s normally de-energized, but when its armature 363 is attracted, the notched edge of the up er arm of the clutch lever is he d in mesh wit the V-worm 361 so that the traveller .will be gradually raised by the rotation of arm 368 pro'ects from the traveller sleeveand surroun s the monitor main shaft with a clearance hole. The graduating collar 369 is v'splined on the main shaft and supported by the traveller arm 368 and bears the lower end of the graduating spring 63.

The graduating spring 63 delivers an upward thrust upon the collar 126 which,.by the equalizing lever 127, vis 4transmitted equally to the thrust links 128 and thence to the monitor weights 370 and 371, so as to develop yin the weights equal retentive efforts tending to maintain their respective contact buttons -in rubbing engagement with the contact rings 132 and 133, respectively, mounted upon an insulating lsleeve 131 which is mounted in the upper part ofthe monitor casing. n

The monitor weights 370 and 371 are similarly formed and symmetrically mounted. They are bored with transverse holes 370 and 371a equi-distant from the monitor main shaft 358 as to have no effect on the gravity moment of the weights about their pivotal centers, but located at different ele-I vations above their pivotal centers, so thatV the Weight 370 wit the lower bore' will develop a greater centrifugal moment about its ivotal center than-the weight 371 with vthe 'gher bore. Hence the weight 370 will ily outward at i lefinite percentage of the greater speed which would be necessary to throw out the weight 371 with the same setting of the graduating spring 63.

A manual re-setting lever 452 is pivoted on a shaft 454 and extends through a. slot 453 formed Vin the casing,` the projecting end of the lever constitutin a handle. lever carries a pin fn. W ich, when the handle is raised to the up er limit of the slot., will engage the trave er arm 368 and raise the traveller through a limited distance, thus effecting a partial reset and maintaining a low flat speed limit while the handle is thus held.

An insulating collar 374 is mounted on the 'outer end of the horizontal shaft 60 of the intermediate bevel gear, and is circumferentially grooved to receive a metallic fiat ring from which protrudes the radial contact arm 375. As the insulating collar turns with the shaft, the ring slips inthe circumferential groove but is subjected to sufiicient fric-tion drag to hold the contact arm 375 in engagement vwith one or the other of the diametrically opposite stop pins 376 and 377 Y mounted on the casing but suitably insulated therefrom, as indicated. Hence, the arm 375 will contact with one of the stop pins continuously during the movement of the locomotive in one direction, and will be transferred to contactY with the opposite pin whenever the direction of Alocomotive travel is reversed.

The eastbound home signal at J is governed by the block J-L extending up to the next eastbound signals at L. The locomotive carries two contact shoes 399 and 400, connected respectively with the contacty The westbound ramp rails, suchas T, S, R, K.

When the shoe 399 rides on to the eastbound ramp rail L', the following re-setting circuit is closed: from the stationary battery 401, through the contacts controlled by the home signal at J and thence through the Wire 402, ramp rail L', Contact shoe 399, connecting wire, Contact pin 376, contact arm 375, connecting wire, clutch magnet 61 of the re-setting traveller, and thence through a Wire grounded on the monitor casing and through the metallic parts of the apparatus to the wheel U, and thence through the upper trac-k rail to the wire 403 and back to the opposite pole of the battery. The instant the foregoing circuit is closed, the clutch magnet raises the armature 363 of the L-shaped clutch-lever, thereby clutching the re-setting traveller to the re-setting,r worm 361 and .beginning an upward movement of'this traveller which must be proportionate to the distance travelled 'bythe train during the period of energization of the clutch magnet, that 1s to say, p-roportionate to the length of the ramp rail L. When the shoe 399 leaves the ramp rail L', the foregoing circuit is, of course, immediately Ibroken, and `the re-settlng traveller falls back against its bottom stop 364.

The diagram represents the regular speedgraduating monitor traveller 365 near its maximum elevation at the instant the resetting traveller is beginning its rise in response to the ramp rail L', since 1t 1s assumed that the regular traveller has been priorly re-set at a point farther back on the Vrailroad to give the loco-motive high speed headway past the signals J. If we suppose, however, that the locomotive approached the signals J, with its regular traveller 365 in its lowest position resting on the re-setting arm 362a of the re-setting traveller, we may note that this re-s'etting arm would raise the regular traveller a definite distance equal to the rise of the reesetting traveller and hence proportionate to the length of the ramp rail L', the clutch dog 367 of the regular traveller meanwhile slipping over its V-worm owing to the yielding of its retaining spring.

Now, if the graduating spring be so designed that it will be expanded to the minimum or low speed limit when the regular traveller 365 stops in its lowest position against the re-setting arms 362% it will be noted that the clear headway afforded by the rise of the regular traveller will be exactly proportionate to the length of the ramp rall L', so that'to re-s'et the traveller at successive signal posts for any clear headway whatever, it is only necessary xto energize the contact shoe at each f' signal post by a `ramp rail proportionate to the clear headway indicated by the signals on that post. Hence, the clearing of the distant signal at J may serve to include an extension' ramp rail N' in connection with the' wire 402, as indicated, the length of the ramp N being such that the total length of the ramps L' and N will be proportionate to the total clear headway from J to N correspondingl to the home-anddistant clear indication of the signals at J,

The parabolic speed- limit curves 404 and 405 indicate respectively the headways derived from the home clear and the homeand-distant clear indications of the signals J. The parabolic curve 406 represents the gradual rise of the speed limit from zero to the limit 404 or to the limit 405 as the traveller 369 israised while the contact shoe wipes over the ramps L and N. Likewise the parabolic curve 407 represents the rise of vthe speed limit derived from the ramps P and Q at the signals L, and the araboliccurve 408 represents the clear lieadway thus derived. The len h of. the ramp P is proportionatel to the-b ook L-N and the total length of the ramps P, Q, is proportionate to the clear headwa indicated by the distant signal at L. f when the locomotive approaches the signals L, the traveller is falling in correspondence with either limit curve 404 or 405, it will not have, reached its lowest position when the contact shoe rides over the ramps P, Q, and hence will not be engaged by the resetting traveller until the -re--setting traveller has risen to the elevation at which its rising limit-curve 407 intersects either of the declininglimit curves 404 or 405. If the locomotive passed home and distant clear signals at J, it will be proceeding under the stop limit 405 up to the intersection of this limit curve with the rising limit 407, after which the train will proceed subject to the rising limit-curve 407 tothe end of the ramp rail Q, and thence will be subject to the declining limit curve 408.

When the locomotive is moving in the reverse direction over' the track, the contact arm 375 will be out of contact with the stop pin 376,v thus leaving the eastbound contact shoe 399 entirely disconnected, while the westbound contact shoe 400 will be connected with the re-setting clutch magnet through the stop pin 377, thereby imparting to the monitor at each westbound signal a re-set proportionate to the length of the ramp rail energized at that signal, the westbound ram rails, o course, being proportionate 1n their lengths to the clear headways indicated by their respective signals.

At Z is an interlocking point where the main line divides into high speed, medium speed, and low speed routes. At Z', some distance in rear of Z, is a signal post carrying three distant signals respectively indicating the high speed, medium speed and low speed routes set up at Z. A ramp rail at Z is divided by insulating joints into three sections, Y, X and W.

If the high speed rou-te is cleared' when the locomotive passes Z', all sections of the ramp rail will be energized so that the locomotive monitor will derive la rise in speed limit, as indicated by the rising curve 434th co-extensive with the entire ramp rail Y X W', thereby acquiring the headway indicated by the declining speed-limit curve 434, which will permit the train to pass Z at high `speed over the high speed route. The three sections of the ramp rail are energized through the following connections with, the battery 455 which has its positive pole grounded on the track rails;

I vfrom the negative-pole of the battery 455 scribed only one 'form of apparatus and systhrough the wire three contacts controlled by the high speed s tood that various changes .and modiical signal to the three wires 438, 439and 440, tions may be made therein within thescope l sections X and W fof the ramp rail will be i ,imparts the ,headway .through contacts closed by4 the mediumf length of the trackway device. .speed signal and serving to connect the and through these wires respectively to the' 'of the appended claims without departing ram sec-.tions W, X and Y. from the spirit and scope of my invention.

' I the medium speed route is cleared Having thus described my invention, what when the locomotive passes Z', only the I claim 1s: Q

1. VIn comblnation, a ,rallway' vehlcle, energized, so that the rise in the speed limit means thereon arranged to change gradufas the locomotive wipes over the ramp will ally towardsan ultimate condition, vehiclebe only co-extensive with these sections,-

as governingl apparatus controlled by said curve 435, which means, devices of different lengths located own by the declin\at intervals in the trackway, and means on ing speed limit 435, permit-ting the train the vehicle co-operating with said trackway ass Z at a medium speed to take the devices for restoring the first-mentioned me' ium speed route. In this instance', the means awa from said ultimate condition ramp sections X and W will be energized to a varia le degree dependent upon the indicated by p the risin 2. In combination, a railway vehicle, a

wire 437 with the wires 439 and 438 leading main traveller thereon connected with a respectively to these ramp sections.

wheel of the vehicleand .arranged to 4move 437 fand thence through tcm embodying my invention, it isl under- If the 10W Speed IOllte iS Olerd When gradually toward an ultimate position in the train passes Z, only the ramp section accordance with the progress of the vehicle will be energized, and the consequent rise along the track, vehicle governing apparain speed limit will be only co-extenslve Wlth tus controlled by said traveller, a resetting this ramp section, as indicated by the rising traveller, means for connecting said resetlimit curve 436, whichresults 1n a headting traveller `with a wheel of the vehicle way `limit 436, permitting the locomotive to restore said main traveller a variable distopass Z at a low speed to take the low tanceaway from said ultimate position despeed route. In this instance, the ramp pending upon the distance through which section W is energized vby the Contact .C911- the vehicle moves while the resetting traveltrolled by the low speed semaphore whichy ler is connected with the wheel of the veconnects the wire 437 with the wire 438` hicle, and devices of Variable length located leading tv thislamp Section- .in the trackway for causing operation of The Speed limit CUI'VeS 404, 405, 408, 434, -said means, i 435 and 436 may be taken toi'epresent the 3. Railway traine controlling apparatus speed limits imposed by the stop weight 371, comprising means on a vehicle arranged to it being understood that a Warning limit Vchange gradually towards an ultimate con- CUIVB, Which has 110i? been ShOWn, BXSS in dition, Vehicle governing ap aratus 00n- -fact underneath each of these Stop-limit trolled by said means, mechanism operated curves, so that the en ine man will always by the running gear of the Vehicle for Tereceive a warning -be ore the speedy of his storing said'means away from its ultimate vehicle exceeds the stop limit. condition, and devices located in the track- When the warning Weight. 370 is thrown way for controllin said mechanism. out, it opens the following circuit: from one 4. Railway tra c controlling apparatus pole of the locomotive battery 409 through comprising means on a vehicle arranged to the Wire 410, monitor casing, main shaft change gradually towards an' ultimate conand warning weight 370, and thence through dition, vehicle governing apparatus con- .the upper contact rin wire 372, signal trolled by said means, mechanism operated magnet ill and connectlng wire backto the by the ruiming gear of the vehicle for revcpposlite pole of the battery. When the storing said means away from its ultimate magnet 411 is de-energized, it gives the warncondition, said mechanism including a ing signal; When the stop weight is thrown normally inoperative clutch and means inout, it opens the following circuit: from vone cluding devices located in the trackway for pole of the locomotive battery 409 through rendermr said clutch operative.

the wire 410, monitor casing and main shaft, 5. Railway tralic controlling apparatus stop weight 371, lower contact ring, wire comprising means on a vehicle arranged to 373, stop magnet 412 and connecting wire change gradually towards anultimate conback to the opposite' pole of the battery. dition, vehicle governing /apparatus con- When the magnet 412 is de-energized, it trolled by said means, mechanism operated releases its armature to open the service by the running gear of theV vehicle for revent-valve connected therewith, thus ventstoring said means away from its ultimate -ing the brake pipe.

Although I have herein shown and denormally inoperative clutch and a magnet condition, said mechanism includingv a 130 comprising means on a vehicle arrangedto y change gradually towards an ultimate condition, vehicle governing apparatus controlled by 'said means, mechanism operated by the running gear of the vehicle for restoring said means away from its ultimate condition, whereby the degree of restoration will depend on the distance of vehicle travel during which the restoration is in effect, and devices of different lengths located in the trackway for governing said mechanism.

7. Railway traiic controlling apparatus comprising means on a vehicle arranged to change gradually towards an ultimate condition, vehicle governing apparatus controlled by said means, mechanism operated by the running gear of the vehicle for restoring said means away from its ultimate condition, said mechanism including a normally inoperative clutch and a magnet arranged when energized to place the clutch in operative condition, and means including devices of different lengths in the trackway for energizing said magnet.

8. Railway traiic controlling apparatus comprising trackway sections differing in length, means on a vehicle arranged to change gradually toward an ultimate condition in accordance with the progress of the vehicle along the track, vehicle governing apparatus controlled by said means, restoring devices for said sections the length of each device being a fixed fraction of the length of the associated section, and mechanism controlled by each of said devices for restoring said means away 4from ultimate condition to a variable degree depending on the length of the device.

9. Railway traffic `controlling apparatus comprising trackway sections differing in length, means on a vehicle arranged to change gradually toward an ultimate condition in accordance with the progress of the vehicle along the track, Vehicle governing apparatus controlled by said means, restoring devices for said sections the length of each device being a fixed fraction of the length of the associated section, normally inoperative mechanism on the vehicle actuated by the running gear for restoring said means away from ultimate condition to a variable degree depending upon the distance of vehicle travel in which the mechanism lis operative, and means controlled by said trackway devices for placing said restoring mechanism in operative condition.

10. Railway traffic controlling apparatus comprising means on a vehicle arranged to change gradually towards an ultimate condition, vehicle governing apparatus c ontrolled by said means, mechanism operated by the running gear of the vehicle for restoring said means away from its ultimate condition, and devices located in the track- Way and controlled by trac conditions in advance for controlling said mechanism. l

11. Railway tralic controlling apparatus comprising means on a vehicle arranged to change gradually towards an ultimate condition, vehicle governing apparatus controlled by said means, mechanism operated by the running gear of the vehicle for restoring said means away from its ultimate condition, and devices of diferent lengths located in the trackway and controlled by traic conditions in advance for controlling said mechanism. p

12. Railway traliic controlling apparatus comprising means on a vehicle arranged to change gradually towards an ultimate condition, vehicle governing apparatus controlled by said means, mechanism operated by the running gear of the vehicle for restoring said means away from its ultimate condition, a restoring device located in the trackway and made up of two sections in tandem controlled respectively by traiiic conditions in two portions of track ahead of the device, and means controlled by said device for rendering said mechanism operative for a shorter or a longer interval of vehicle travel according as one or both of said portions of track are clear.

13. Railway traffic controlling apparatus comprising trackway blocks differing in length, means on a vehicle arranged to change gradually toward an ultimate condition in accordance with the progress of the vehicle along the track, vehicle governing apparatus controlled by said means,` a restoring device for each block having two sections in tandem the length of the iirst section being a fixed fraction of the length of the associated block and the length of the second section being the same fraction of the length of the block next in advance, the first section being controlled by traffic conditions in the associated block and the second section by traffic conditions in the block next in advance, and mechanism on the vehicle controlled by each ofsaid devices for restoring said means away from ultimate condition to a variable degree dependent upon the eiective length of the device.

14. Railway traflic Vcontrolling apparatus comprising trackway blocks differing in length, means on a vehicle arranged to change gradually toward an ultimate condition in accordance with the progress of the vehicle along the track, vehicle governing apparatus controlled by said means, a restoring device for each block having two sections in tandem the length of the first section being a fixed fraction of the length of the associated block and the length of the second section being the same fraction of the length of the block nextin advance, means y for makin the first -section of each device effective w en the associated block is unoccupied and the second. section effective when the associated' block and the block next in advance are unoccupied, and mechanismt on the vehicle controlled by each of said devlces for restoring said means away from ultlmate condition to a variable degree dependent upon the effective length'of the device.

15. Railway traffic controlling apparatus n bers respectively, a movable element on the vehicle connected with said mechanism, and a part driven by lthe running gear of the vehicle and frictionally engaging said movable element to cause the latter to co-act with one of said contacts or the other according as said vehicle is moving forward or backward. i

16. Railway tralic controlling apparatus comprising means on a vehicle arranged to way devices for traffic in the ltwo directions v change gradually towird an ultimalte condition, vehicle governing apparatus controlled by said means, mechanism on the vehicle for restoring said means away from its ultimate condition, a single track over which' traiic moves in both directions, two sets of trackrespectively and each ada ted to control said restoring mechanism an I means on the vehicle for placingsaid mechanism under the control of one of said sets 'of trackway devices or the other according as the vehicle is moving in one direction or the other.

17. Railway traffic controlling apparatus,

comprising contact rails of diii'erent lengths overning located in the trackway, and

by said mechanism on a vehiclecontrolle `rails and responsive to different degrees to rails of different lengths.

18. Railway traliic controlling apparatus comprisingcontact rails of di'erent lengths located in the trackwa and governing mechanism on a vehicle rlven by sai contact rails.

comprising controlling devices of diierent lengths located in the trackway, and governing mechanism on .a vehicle driven by the runnin dgear of lthe vehicle and controlled by sai evices. f

20. Railway traffic controlling ap aratus comprising controlling devices of lengths located in the trackway, governing means on a vehicle arranged to change grad towards an ultimate condition; and l Imec anism om said vehicle operated bythe running gear thereof and controlled by said trackway devices for restoring said means away from its ultimate conditlon.

ifferent the run- -nin gear of the vehicle and controlled by' 55'" 19. Railwaytraiiic controlling apparatus 21. In combination, a trackway divided i into blocks differing in length, a trackway device for each block the len h of which is axed fraction of the lengt of the block,

erated by the running gear of the vehicle andcontrolled by said trackway devices.

22. Railway traiiic controlling apparatus comprising a track-way divided into blocks differing in length, governing meansl on a vehicleJ arranged tochangegraduallytowards an ultimate condition in accordance with the progress of the vehicle along the track, and mechanism including apparatus on the vehicle and co-operating devices of different lenths located in the trackway for restoring sai means away from its ultimate condition.

23. Railway traiiic controlling apparatus` comprising a trackway divided into blocks diiering in length, governing means on a vehicle arranged to change gradually towards an ultimate condition in accordance with fthe progress of the vehicle along the track, and a trac-kwa located adjacent the entrance end of eac i block for causing said means to be restored away from its ultimate condition to a variable degree depending Aon the length of the block.

In testimony whereof I aflix my si Y ature ALBERT V. T. AY.

75 and governing mechanism on a vehicle opf

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