US1508156A - Means for indicating slippage of wheels - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 9. 1924. 1,508,156

A E. F. BLISS [BANS FOR INDICAT ING SLI PPAGE OF WHIILS Filed Aug. 20. 1919 Milli-ml Inventor- Elmer FTBliss,

H is fittor'neg.

larly to the multiple-coil Patented Sept. 9, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELMER IE. BLISS, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Application filed August 20, 1919.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ELMER citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Indicating Slippage of Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to relays and the connections of the same, and more particutype, in which the relay armature may be actuated by any of a plurality of sets of coils and the connec tions of relays of this character for indicating the fact that any of the wheels of an electric locomotive are slipping.

In the present instance, the relay is shown as applied to operate an indicator when any of the wheels of an electric locomotive are slipping. In many types of locomotives,

F. Brass, a

' such for example as the double-cab type, it is impossible for the engineer at times to know when the wheels are slipping. For this reason an indicator in the cab is useful, and one of the objects of the present invention is to provide such an indicator.

Another object is to provide a relay of improved construction and so connected that it shall not be responsive to any difference in voltage between the pairs of coils, but that it shall be responsive to any difference in voltage between the two coils of any one air.

p For a more complete description of my invention, reference is had to the attached drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly in section of the relay and the contact operated thereby; Fig. 2 is a section taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the construction of the relay armature; and Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the connections for indicating when any of the wheels of a locomotive are slipping.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the relay comprises a flat circular base 11, upon which are suitably mounted four coils 12, each provided with a core 13, of magnetic material, in the upper part of which are placed the non-magnetic screws 14 for adjusting the movement of the tiltable armature 15. Said armature is made of magnetic material, and is in the form of a Serial No. 318,740.

cross, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. On the bottom side of the armature, and at the center thereof, there is provided a cone bearing, supported on the cone point formed on the upper extremity of the support 16. Each of the four arms of the cross-shaped armature is directly over a corresponding relay core 18. An upright member 18 is secured to the armature, and carries at its upper end the cup-shaped contact 19. This contact is insulated from said member, and fits into a cooperating cup-shaped stationary contact 20. There is, however, a sufiiciently-great air gap between the two contacts when the member 18 is vertical so that there is no electrical contact between them. For the purpose of normally keeping said member 18 vertical, a plurality of evenly-spaced tension springs 21 are provided. One end of each of these springs is fastened to the member 18, and the other end is fastened to one of a plurality of evenly-spaced supports 22 provided for this purpose and held by the base 11. The springs are adjusted so that when the relay is deenergized, these springs hold the member 18 vertical and the parts 19 and 20 out of contact. The contacts 19 and 20 serve to close an auxiliary circuit that includes an indicator 23. Said indicator thus shows whether the armature is in its normal position or not.

From the description thus can readily be seen that any one of the plurality of coils 1.2 may serve to operate the relay. In this way electrical connection is made between contacts 19 and when any one of the coils 12 is energized.

Attention is now called to Fig. 4, in which figure is shown the use of this relay to indicate the slipping of any of the wheels of a locomotive. The driving motor armatures 2a, 25, 26 and 27 cooperate with series exciting field coils 28, 29, 30 and 31, and all of them are connected in series, as shown. Armatures 2 f and 25, comprising one set, are carried by the same truck; armatures 26 and 27 are the set carried by another truck. The indicator 23 may be used when the motors, by means of appropriate switching devices, are arranged in series-parallel. The number and arrangements of the sets of motors may obviously be varied. Each motor armature has connected in shunt relation thereto one far glven, 1t

of the relay coils l2, and there may be provided if necessary a resistor 32 in series with each coil to reduce the current flow therethrough. The two relay coils associated with the armatures 24 and 25 are arranged diametrically opposite each other on the relay; that is, the coil associated with the armature 24 cooperates with arm 24, and the coil associated with armature 25 cooperates with arm 25 of the cross-piece 17 of the armature 15. In the same way the two relay coils associated with armatures 26 and 27 cooperate with arms 26 and 27 of the crosspiece 17. v

The operation of the device is as follows: hen any pair of wheels, associated with any one of the armatures slips the counter electromotive force across the armature is increased, since the wheels are rotating faster than the pair associated with the other motor on the same truck. Therefore the coil I connected across it will have a larger electromotive force impressed upon it, and will attract the corresponding arm of the cross-shaped armature 15, since the pull of said coilnow overpowers that of the oppositely-disposed coil connected acrossthe other armature of the pair of associated motors. a

If the voltage impressed across the armatures 24 .and25 in series diiiers from that impressed across armatures :26 and 27 in series, the relay does not necessarily respond,

- since the pulls of the oppositely-disposed magnets may still be equal. Such a dilterence in voltage is liable to occur while accelerating even though no wheel be slipping.

From the description of the construction andoperation of my device, it is readily seen that a very simple and inexpensive novel relay isprovided, and that said relay may readily be utilized in a plurality of ways.

lVhile I have illustrated ,a preferred embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be limited thereto specifically, but desire to cover all forms falling fairly within the scope of my invention.

l/Vhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is controlling the energizing circuit of said device, a pair of coils for each of said sets, each of said coils of said pairs connected across the armature of a respective motor of a set, the said coils arranged symmetrically about a common center with the coils of each otsaid pairs diametrically opposite each other, a magnetic movable member connected to one of the said contacts for operating the same, and a pivotal support for the said member at the commoncenter of said coils about which the member is tilted in a direction depending on ther'elative energization of the coils of said pairs.

2. In combination, a plurality of sets of motors, a plurality of coils arranged symmetrically about a circle, one for each armature of said motors, each of said coils connected across its corresponding'motor armature, a core for each coil, a cross-shaped member of magnetic material having a plurality of arms corresponding in number and position with the said coils, a pointpivot for said member at its center, a' cylindrical contact carried by said member, a stationary cup shaped contact enclosing said cylindrical contact, means for normally holding said cross-shaped member away from all of the cores with said contacts disengaged, the coils for each set of motors being arranged diametrically opposite each other, whereby the cross-shaped member is attracted from its normal position to operate said contactsinto engagement only when the voltages across the armatures of any one set of motors are unequal, a circuit controlled by saidicontaots,

and an indicator in said circuit.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 19th day of August, 1919.

ELMER F. BLISS,

Images