US1701705A - Railway-traffic-controlling apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Feb, 12,1929.

H. A. THOMPSON RAILWAY TRAFFIC CONTROLLING APPARATUS Filed Aug 11, 1926 rails in parallel, and the train is provided Patented Feb. 12, 1929. a

HOWARD VA. THOMPSON, or ED'GEWOOD UNION SWITCH 8!: SIGNAL COMPANY,

POBATION O1 PENNSYLVANIA.

nonoueir, rENNsYLvANIA, AssIeNoB TO rim or SWISSVALE, riiNnsYLvANrA, A coin RAILWAY-TRACE]?IC-GONTROLLING.VAPPARATUS.

A l cation filed August 1 1, 1922;, Serial No. iasgsas. r

My invention relates to railway traflic controlling apparatus, and particularly to'apparatus of the typecomprising train carried governing means controlled by energy received from the trackway.

In at least one form of railway traffic con-" trolling apparatus which has hitherto been suggested track circuit current is supplied to the rails in series from a point in advance of the train and loop current is supplied to the with governing means responsive tothe track circuit current in advance of the forward axle on the train and to the loop current in rear of such forward axle. One object of the present invention isthe provision, in apparatus of i this type, of novel and improved means for supplying the track rails with such track circuit and loop currents.

I will describetwo forms controlling apparatus embodying my invention, andwill then point out the novel feag tures thereof in claims.

In the acoinpanying drawing, Fig.1isa

diagrammaticview showing one for nof railway traflic cont-rolling apparatus embody ilrq my invention. F g. 2 13 3, view illustrating a modified form of the apparatus shown in Fig. l and also embodying my in: vention. a

Siinilarreference characters refer to simi-r lair parts in both views.

Referring first to Fig, 1, the referencecharacters" 1 and l designate the track rails of a stretch of railway traclrover which traflic normally moves in the directionindicated by the arrow. These rails are divided by means of insulated jointsQ, into a plurality offsuccessive track sections, A-B, BC,"etc. Each track section is provided with a source of. at

ternating track circuit current, here shown as a transformer designated by the reference character T with an appropriate distinguishing exponent, and having its secondary 4 connected across the rails adjacent the exit end of the corresponding section througha pole changer P which is controlled by means to be described hereinafter. Interposedbetween the right-hand terminal of secondary 4 of each transformer T and the associated pole chan er P is animpedance 37. The pri maryl 5 of each transformer T is constantly supplied "with alternating current from a suitable source such as an alternator M over line wires 3 and3. i J

, Each section isfurther providedwith a polarized track relay-designated by thereference character It with a distinguishing exponent and having two windings 6 and 7 Winding 6 of eachtrack relay is constantly connected across the railsadjacent the entrance end of the associated section, and wind- Each section" is provided with a trackway signal designated by the reference character. S with an exponentcorresponding to the low cation a'nd'capable of indicatingproceed, cau tion or stop. In the form hereshown', each signal S is of the semaphore typeand islo 'ing 7' of each relay R'is constantly supplied I with alternating current from line wiresQ3 cated adjacent the entrance end of the corref spondingsection. Referring particularly to signal S Wheirrelay'R isenergized in the reverse direction so that contact "lair- 14k is closed, current is supplied to the caution cir cuit ofisignal S? from line wire 3 and 3*, and i the signal indicates caution, When relay R is energized in the normal direction, contact 1pm is closed and currentis supplied to the proceed circuit "of the signal from line wires 3 and 3 so that the si'gi althen indicates proceed. When relay R is de-energized, however, both theproceed circuit and the can: tion circuit forsignal S are open and the r signal then indicates stop. I r g 7, I 'Polechanger P is controlled bysignal S so that whenthe s gnal indicates caution or pro ceed, the polechangercoccupies one-position a in which track circuit currentof normal relative polarity is supplied to the rails of section v A+B. When signal S indicates stop, however, pole changer P is reversed and track; c rcuit current, of reverse relative polarity is supplied to the r'ails ofsection A-B.

of the remaining pole changers P isconj trolled "bythe signal next in advance in-"thee saine manner as just described forthe control 'of'polechanger' P by signal S 'fEach signal also controls a circuit controller desboard the train; I, Should the train attempt to enterthe occupied section to the right of rent track relays havebeen replaced with polarized direct current relays also bearing the reference characters R. Current for con trolling these relays is supplied to the rails of each section by a track battery designated by the reference character G with a suitable exponent, which battery is interposed between secondary a of transformer T anda rail of the section. In place of the reactance 8 of Fig. 1, a resistor 8 is connected across-the rails adjacent the entrance end of eachsection. A resistor is necessary in Fig. 2 to prevent shunting of the adjacent track relay. The circuits for the signal S will be apparent from the inspection of the drawing, these circuits being supplied with current from tel minals a and b of a suitable source of energy not shown in the drawing. The operation of the apparatus will be readily understood from the explanation of Fig. 1, the onlydifferences being that the track relays R and the auxiliary relays K are responsive to direct current instead, of alternating current and are energized by current from battery G instead of by currentfrom transformer T. Al-j ternating track circuit current, and alternating loop current are supplied to the rails of each section forthe purpose ofcontrolling the governing means on board the train byv transformer T for each section in exactly the same manner as 1n Fig. 1.

Although I have herein shown and described only two forms of railway traffic con trolling apparatus embodying my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: c

1. In combination, a stretch of ,railway track, a transformer the primary of which is connected with a source of alternating elec tromotive force, means for reversibly connecting'the secondary of said transformer across the rails adjacent one end of the stretch, an impedance interposed between one terminal of said secondary and the rails of the stretch, and means for connecting such one terminal of the secondary with both rails adj acent the opposite end of the stretch.

2. In combination, a. stretch of railway track, a transformer the primary of which is connected with a source of alternating electromotive force, means for reversibly con nectingithesecondary of said transformer acrossitherails adjacent. the exit end. of the stretch, an impedance interposedbetween one terminal of saidseconda'ryand the rails of the stretch, and means for connecting'such one terminalof the secondary with bothrails adjacent; the entrance end ofthe stretch.

In combination, a stretch of railway track, source of alternating electromotive force, means for reversibly connecting the source across the rails adjacent the exit end of the stretch, an impedance interposed between one terminal of said source and a rail of the stretch, a relay connected across the rails at an intermediate pomt in the stretch,

nieanscontrolled by said relay for at times connecting said one terminal of the. source with both rails ad acent the entrance end of the stretch, and train carried governing 'means controlled by energy in the track rails.

In combination, a stretch of railway track, a source of alternating electromotive force, means for reversibly connecting the source across the rails adjacent the exit end of the stretch, an impedance interposed between one terminal of said source and a rail of the stretch, a relay connected across the rails at an intermediate point in the stretch, a second impedance connected across the rails adjacent the entrance-end of the stretch, means including a front contact of the relay for at times connecting the mid-point of sand second impedance with c said one terminal of the source, and train carriedgoverning means responsive to currents in the track rails in front of and in rear of the :lorwardaxles of the train.

In combination, a stretch of railway track, a source of alternating electromotive force, means for reversibly connecting the .source'aress the rails adjacent the exit end of the stretch, an impedanceinterposed between one terminal of saidsource and a rail ofthe stretch, means responsive to traflic conditions in advance or such stretch for at tnnes connecting such one terminal of the source with both rails'adjacent the entrance end ofthe stretch, and train carried governing means controlled by alternating currents in the track rails in advance of thetrainaml in, rear of the forward axles of the train.

6. In'c'ombination with a stretch of track occupied'bya train, a source of alternating electromotivekforce; a first circuit including said source, a forward axle ofthe train and the rails of the stretch in series ahead of the traing'a second circuit including said source, one rail of the stretch ahead of the train, aforward axle of the train, and the rails'of the stretch in parallel in rear of the train, and governing means on the train responsive to currents in said two circuits. i

7. In con'ibination, a. stretch of railway track, a sourceof alternating track circuit current connected across the rails adjacent stretch and responsive to current from said source, means controlled by said track relay for at tunes connectrn'g szucl one termlnal oi the source with both rails adjacent such 76p Positeencl of the stretch; and governing means on a tra'incontrolled by cui'refit sup- 1 piled to the'rzuls from such source.

in testunony whereof I affix my srgnature.

. HOWARD A; THOMPSON.

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