US1536276A - Roadside apparatus for automatic train-control systems - Google Patents

Description

May 5, 1925. A 1,536,276

A. G. SHAVER ROADSIDE APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATIVG TRAIN CONTROL SYSTEMS Filed May 8, 1925 j *i H Je?" az 2J lllillil llllllll INVENTOR.

,y to clear, caution,

conditions.

Patented May 5, 1925.

UNITED STATI? es ,g PATENT OFFICE. y

ARCHIBALD G. SIIAVER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, SSIGNGR TO THE IRl" .(.`=rAlXl'` SAFETY DEVICES COMPANY, INC., OF NEYHJRK, NQY., A. CORPORATION OF NEW YRK.

ROADSIDE APPARATUS FOR A'UTOIVIATIC LRAINUCONTROL SYSTEMS.

` Application led May 8,

To all .fw/tom Macy concern:

. Be it'knovvn that I, AnoHiBALD Gr. SHAyER, a citizen of the United States, and resin dent of Chicago, in vthe, county ot Cook and State of Illinois, havev invented;ceitain new and useful Improvements in Road side Apparatus" tor Automatic Train-Control `Systems, `of which the following is a speciiication.

. rlhis invention relates to an automatic train control system, and more particularly to a system in which energy is transmitted to train mechanism for controlling the same from a roadside apparatus operated by roadside energy; and has special reference to the provision of a roadside train control apparatus Which is operated by means of roadside energy with absolute safety and With economy.

A prime desideratum ot' my present invention comprehends the provision of roadside train control apparatus embodying roadside circuits operated by roadside energy, in which the circuits are maintained normally open in the absence or" need for tratiic regulation, and are closed in the presence `of such need, so that the sat'ety` factor of normally` closed track `circuits is combined `With the energy economy factor ot normally open circuits to produce sate and economical automatic. control ot trains.

`@ther desiderata of my present invention comprehend the provision of track or roadside apparatus ot the induction type which may be employed, for example, With induction train apparatus of the type disclosed in my copending application Serial` No. 527,567 of Jan. 7, 1922; the further provision oi an induction roadside apparatus in which inductors are employed tor transmitting energy to corresponding train appa* ratus, :the said energy being obtained from a source of energy located on the roadside, with the constructionsuch that the inductors are deenergized in the absence of movement of trains on the readbed and reenergized in the presence ot such train movements, `vvith the inductors controlled in response to tramo conditions; and the still further provision of a system of this nature in Which `the inductors' are controlled to produce train operations corresponding A and danger track TQ .the acemrlshment .Utile fefseiss lees. serial 110.637,515.

and such other. objects as -may hereinafter appear, my invention c`onsists intheffelements `and their `relation one to', the.` other, `as. hereinafter particularly described and sought to be deined `in theclaims, reference being had to the .accompanying drawings toi-ming a part thereof, and in which: `Fig. l 1s a view ot one torinof roadside apparatus embodying my invention, and

F ig. 2 is a view of a modified form of roadside apparatus embodying my invention.

Referring now more in detail to Fig., l

of` the drawings, `I show my invention applied to a roadside apparatus of the induction type which may be employedwith the induction train control mechanism disclosed in my abovementio'ned application. Inrthis torni otmy invention the roadside apparatus may comprise sets otniagnetio de-A vices arranged in the insulated blocks or sections of `the track such as A, B, `C and l), the said blocks beingiobtained, in the usual manner by subdividing the track rails i0, ll into insulated sections, as shown in the drawings. In the construction` illus` trated the magnetic `devices for each block preferably comprise a magnetic inert ,element M Which in the operation of the train ,control system functions as a means` for `deenergizing or trippingthe train circuits in the passage ot a train thereover, and an inductor or inductors generallydesig nated as M', which functions .torloperating `the train circuits in response to traiiic conditions.

In the system illustrated in Fig. l, the inductor means M comprises independent inductors 1Q. and 13 Which function as energy transmitting devices for transmitting `energy to corresponding orsimilar train inductors for energizing or resetting the train circuits after the same have been tripped by the inert element M, the operation,y as hereinafter described more in detail, being such that When the inductors l2 and `13 of a block are both deenergized, no energy Will be transmitted tothe train circuits to re-energize the same, this being in response to ,danger. tralic. conditions to produce a stop.condition on the vehicle; and when the inductor l2 of -a block is energized, as iii-response toclear track conditions, enorgy will` be `transmitted -to the train cirelitsie ee'aiitunrestrted more-ment of the -ot the track, as by means of the conductors 14 and 15, and normally energized by means ot the track batteries 16 provided ttor each block, the distant relays ot` each block or section being controlled by a home relay of a succeedingblock or section by means of a circuit vvhich comprises a battery 1'? provided for each block, conductor 13, distant relay DR of one block, conductor 19, contact 20 controlled by a home relay HR ot the next succeeding block, and conductor 21.

The inductors of one block or section are controlled by the home or distant relays 'of the next or succeeding block or section,

and to this end the inductors 12 and 13 ot block A tor example are arranged in circuits to be described presently, which circuits are operated by roadside energy and cont-roller .by the activity of the home and distant re lays ot the next succeeding block in response to traiiic conditions.

As hereinbe'tore stated, a desideratum ot the invention relates to the provision ot' roadside control apparatus in which a roadside circuit or circuits operated by roadside energy is maintained normally open in the absence of the need of tratlic regulation so as to obtain a maximum economy in the use of roadside energy, and is closed only in the presence of such need to obtain the satety advantages ot the normally closed type oi circuit. To accomplish these ends, the track inductor or inductors is arranged in a circuit or circuits controlled by a home relay of the block or section individual to such inductor and controlled so that the circuit to the induetor is maintained normally open in the absence ot and is closed in the presence of a train in such section, the said circuit being additionally controlled by the home and distant relays of the next succeeding block in response to the traiiic conditions. 'lo accomplish this constructionally, the inductor 12 in the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 is connected in a circuit including a roadside source oi energy G which may be an alternating current generator, the common conductor 22, conductor 23, contact 24 controlled by a home relay HR, the said contact being normally open when the said relay is energized in the absence of a train in the block thereof, conductor 25, inductorv 12, conductor 26, front contact point 27 and contact 28 (closed When the distant relay DR is energized), conductor 29, contact 30, contact point 31 (closed when the heme relay HR is energized), conductor a condenser 33, conductor 341, andcommon conductor 35 back to the generator G.

Inductor 13 is arranged in an independent circuit which may have parts common to the circuit described, the circuit to the inductor 13 including the generator conductors 22 and 23, contact 24 and conductor 25, inductor 13, conductor 36, back contact point 37 (open when the distant relay DR is energized and closed when the same is deenergized),icontact 28, conductor 29, contact 30, contact point 31, conductor 32, condenser 33, and conductors 34 and 35.

Vliththiscircuit arrangement,it Will be seen that normally in the absence oi? a train in any oit the sections, the inductors 12 and 13 will be in a non-energized state due to the opening ot' the contact 2li common to the circuits ot the inductors. lllhen a train, however, enters upon a section such as J1, the battery 16 ot such section is short-circuited and the relay HR otthe said. section is deenergized, with the effect ot closing a contrct 24 controlled thereby to condition or atleet the circuits oii the inductors to be influenced by the operation of the home and distant relays ot the next succeeding' block such as B. It ivill be further seen that when a train enters the section A, *for example, under clear7 roadside conditions, the home and distant relays oit the block B ivill be energized so that the inductor 12 is energized, this to transmit a clear indication to the vehicle mechanism; and that when the train enters block A under caution t-rar'iic conditions, this being the case when another train is in the block C, the home relay ot block (l will be dcen ergized to deenergize the circuit o't and therefore the distant relay DR ot block B, this having the effect ot causing the contact 28 to make on the back contact point 37, resulting in the opening otl the circuit to the inductor 12 ot block A and the closing' o't the circuit to the inductor 13 of such block, so that a caution indication is transmitted to the train mechanism. When the train enters the block A under danger track conditions, this being the case when another train is in the block B, theI home relay HR of block B is short-circuited and deenergized, resulting in the opening ot the contact 30 and the deenergizins1` oi both inductors 12 and 13 of block d. this having the effect ot failing to transmit energy to the train circuits and preventing a modification oit the conditions imposed upon the train by the track tripping means M.

Referring now to Fig. 2 of the drawings` I shovv a modification in which the track apparatus is adapted to transmit two instead of three indications in response, for

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`track section is also example, to a clear and danger track condition. The tracks are also subdivided into insulated blocks or sect-ions such as A', l, C and D, each section supplied With a track battery 3T and each provided with a home relay I-IIt" connected tothe opposite rails 39 and 40 ot the track as by means ot the conductors 4l and 42 respectively. Each provided preferably With a plurality ot magnetic elements comprising the inert element M2 and one or a plurality otl inductors M3, tnesaid inductors comprising in the construction shown the inductor elements L3 and 44 for each section arranged in a circuit controlled by the home relay I-IR of the section individual to the inductors to close the circuit only When tratlic conditions are to be impressed upon the train, and by the home relay HR et the next succeeding section in response to trallic conditions. The circuit tor the inductors of `any section may comprise the alternating current generator G, common conductor 45, conductor 46, normally open contact 47, conductor 48, condenser 49, conductor 50, inductor 44, inductor 43, conductor 51, contact 52 closed upon contact point 53 when the home relay of the next succeeding section is energized in the absence of a train in such section and opened when the relay is deenergized in the presence of such a tra-in, as under danger conditions, conductor 54 and common conductor. 55 back to the generator G. y

rlhe` operation ot' the roadside mechanism will in the main be apparent from the above detailed description thereof. It will be apparent that the circuits to the energy transmitting nie-ans or inductors fed from the alternating current source oi energy Gr or G will be maintained open Witlrresulting econonly when tratlic con-trol is unnecessary, and will be closed to produce the etiect ot a normally closed track circuit system When a `train moves over the roadbed.

It will be apparent that While I have il lustrated the principles ot' my invention in connection with the particular induction circuits as shown, many changes and modifications may be made in the circuits and apparatus Without departing trom the spirit ot' my invention deiined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In combination With track rails subdivided into insulated blocks or sections, oi a roadside apparatus 'for impressing roadside conditions on moving vehicles comprising a plurality ot' magnetic devices associated With one oft the track sections, one of said devices comprising a tripping element and the other a resetting inductor, a circuit for the inductor including a source of energy, a home relay connected to the section associated With the circuit and operative for normally opening said circuit in the absence of a train in such section and tor closing such circuit in the presence of a train therein, and home and distant relays associated with the next succeeding track section for controlling said circuit in response to tratiic conditions.

2. In combination With track rails subdivided into insulated blocks or sections, ot a roadside apparatus for impressing roadside conditions on moving vehicles comprising a plurality oii independent inductors for each ot the track sections, a circuit for each of the indue-tors including a source of energy, a track relay for normally opening both circuits associated with inductors of a given section in the absence of a train and 'for closing the said circuits in the presence of a train in such section, a track relay associated With the next succeeding section for normally closing both of said circuits in the `absence of a train in the succeeding' section and t'or opening the same in the presence of a train therein, and a distant relay associated with the said preceding section `lor controlling' both `circuits in response to traffic conditions in the second preceding section.`

3. In combination with track rails subdivided into insulated blocks or sections, of a roadside apparatus for impressing roadside conditions ou moving vehicles comprising magnetic devices for each section, the magnetic devices including a tripping element and a plurality of independent inductor resetting elements, a circuit for each of the resetting elements, a track relay for normally opening both circuits associated With the resetting elements of a given section in the absence ot a train and tor closing the said circuits in the presence of a train in such section, a track relay associated With the next succeeding section for normally closing both of said circuits in the absence of a train in the succeeding section and for opening the same in the presence of a train therein, and a distant relay associated With the said succeeding section for controlling both circuits in response to traliic conditions in a secondsucceeding section.

Signed at Chicago in the county. of Cook and Sta-te of Illinois this the 9th day of April A. D. 1923.

ARCHIBALD G. SHAVER.

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