US1730323A - System for automatically controlling railway traffic - Google Patents

Description

SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLING RAILWAY TRAFFIC /N VEN TOR y ATTORNEY Oct. l, 1,929. w, K, HowE 1,730,323 i SYSTEM Fon VAufrommlCALM coNTRoLLms RAILWAY TRAFFIC Filed July e, 1915 15 'sheetsfsneet `2 0.21.1, 1929. W, K, HQWE 1,730,323

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Fled July 6, 1915 l5 Sheets-Sheet l5 Sw SM Sw RN /Nf/En/ro ATTORNEY Patented Uct. l, 1929 j ige WINTHROP K. HOWE, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERALRALWAY SIGNAL COIYIPANY, 0F GATES, NEW' YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLING RAILWAY TRAFFIC Application filed July 6, 1915. Serial No. 35,132.

This invention relates to systems for controlling railway trallic, and more particularly to such'systems which will automatically give signals aboard a car. or train while it is in motion, and which will, if necessary, automatically control the speed of the train to conform to the speed required by the traffic conditions ahead of the train.

At the present time it is possible to construct fiXed signals, that is, signals permanently located along the trackway, which Will respond with practicable accuracy to changes in traffic conditions; but while it is possible to set the proper signals for the engineeror the motorman, this alone does not assure that he will obey the signals, and in many cases serious accidents have been caused by the failure of the engineer to obey these Xed signals. rlhe engineer may fail to see the signals, because fog, snow or other conditions obscure his sight of the signal; or he may see the signal and accidentally or carelessly fail to understand the character of the indication which it gives; or' he may be incapacitated for some reason so as to be unable to see, understand, or obey the signal set for him. In any event, regardless of the efficiencyV of the signal system, the safety of the train in the fina-l analysis is dependent on the engineer or motorman; and records show that the human machine has an appreciable percentage of failure. To obviate as far as possible, one source of error it is desirable to provide apparatus, appliances or means of 'some character whereby appropriate signals may be displayed or operated aboard the'train so that the engineer or motorman cannot fail to see them; and it is also desirable to supplement the vigilance and reliability of the engineer or 1notorman by providing appropriate apparatus, appliances or means whereby the speed of the train will be automatically controlled in accordance with the conditions of traiiic ahead of the train in case the engineer himself fails to control the speed of the train.

Various devices have been proposed for accomplishing either or both of the above mentioned objects and to obtain 'a clear un-v derstanding of the operation and usefulness tem which, it is believed, will add to the safety of railway traffic and which ,are necessary to secure a practicable system.

Generally stated, the fundamental prin-.

ciple of .governing railway traffic consists in maintaining a certain space or distance between trains; and inthe well-known block system of controlling lrailway traffic, to which system the system of automatic speed control embodying this invention is particularlv applicable, the trackway is divided into blocks or sections and suitable fixed signals are provided for thefpurpose of keeping a certain number of blocks between trains. In this block system, as will be understood by those skilled in the art of railway signaling, these fixed signals are controlled by track circuits or other devices so that 4the system` operates to display danger or stop signals at diiiierent points along the trackwaybehind a train, these stop signals indicating a point beyond which the following train should not proceed, at least without great care and at a low speed. Also, since itrrequires some distance to reduce the speed. of Y v a fastr moving train, itis desirable -to warn the operator by a caution signalv when the train is at some distance from a stop signal, so that the operator'may apply the brakes in time to bring his train to a stop before the stop signal is reached, and it is common practice to provide such warning signals in the block system of signaling.

' The block system affords adequate protection by maintaining aproper intervalof dis-y tance between two trains, vproviding the caution and stop signals are strictly obeyed. rIhe characteristic 0f this block system and of all automatic cab signaling 'and automatic stop systems which are intended merely to obtain obedience to the signals of this block system,` is that the train is controlled at certain fixed points in its travel regardless of its speed at or between these points. The speed of the train is, however, a very important factor in regulating the spacing of the trains, since the different trains passing over a railway may not, and generally do not, travel atthe same speeds, and also because dangerous curves, stops at stations, and other fixed hazards prevent the same train from maintaining the same speed throughout the length of the railway. Primarily, the purpose of any system for controlling railway traliic is to obtain safety, and having safety the object is to get the greatest capacity for that railway, that is, the best facility for the movement of vehicles along that railway, and a practicable speed control system should be able to obtain as great a capacity as safety, cost of installation and other conditions will permit. Without entering into any extended discussionV of the .factors affecting the maximum capacity of a railway, it is obvious that superior capacity may be obtained if the distance between the trains is reduced, for the reason that the closer the trains are together the more of them may pass by aparticular point along the railway in a given time. This closer spacing of the trains may be accomplished in the block system by using short blocks and byspacing the fixed signals controlling the entrance of trains into these blocks closer together; but there is a limitation on the minimum length of a block, since in no case can a signal be closer to a point of danger than a distance amply sufficient to allow the train lto be brought to a stop by its brakes before the point of'danger is reached. The distance required to bring a train to a stop, or to a speed low enough to make the damage from a collision slight, depends, as is well known to those skilled in the art of braking trains upon a number of things, principally upon the speed at which the train is traveling at the time and the grade over which the train is traveling, assuming a particular' kind of braking equipment is used in each case. Because of this variable braking distance at different speeds and on different grades, a slow moving train at the same part of a railway having the same grade can approach closer to they rear end of another train or a point of danger than a fast moving train; and also, when a train is traveling at the same speed, it cannotapproach as close to the rear end of another train or a point of danger when it is traveling down a steep down grade as it ycan when traveling on the level or on an upgrade. By proper location and spacing of the fixed signals of a block system it is possible to make allowance for the variation in the braking distance due to the grades and other factors which are dependent on the physical condition of the trackway; but, since these signals must be spaced so as to protect the fastest and heaviest train running on the railway, no proper allowance is made by the fixed signals for the varying speed of the different trains, as for instance a fast express train and a slow moving freight train, with the result that the slower tra-ins will be spaced apart by the signals a greater distance than is necessary for safety, and a corresponding reduction in capacity results. Also, under some conditions it is desirable to permit a train, even if it is capable of running at a higher speed, to reduce its speed and approach closer to a train ahead of it. For instance, assuming two trains at a certain distance apart are'approaching a station or a part of the railway which on account ofcurves or other dangers must be traversed at a slow speed, then as the first train reduces its speed and takes more'time to move a cert-ain distance, the following train should be able to approach closer to the first train, providing it reduces its speed correspondingly, so that after both trains have passed the station or dangerous part of the railway the distance between them will be substantially the same as it was before the first train reduced its speed. This ideal condition of spacing trains at different parts of the railway according to the kind of train, its braking capacity, its speed and the physical characteristics of that part of the railway which is one of the things which serve to increase capacity, cannot always be obtained; but the speed control system embodying this invention is of great assistance in obtaining a maximum capacity, as will be made clearer during the .progress of the description.

Also, it is desirable that ra speed control syste-m should be so arrangedand constructed that a train, once it has been placed under the dominance of the speed control system should continuously remain under this dominance unt-il traffic conditions have become safe. For example, the speed of the train may be properly controlled with reference to one point in its travel, but this control at one point does not give any assurance that the speed will not be greatly increased after that point has been passed, thereby resulting in a dangerous condition; nor does this control ofv the speed at one fixed point afford proper facility for the movement of the train since the train may pass this point at a comparatively high Speed and yet by the proper' application of the brakes its speed may be reduced to a point of safety before the danger point or hazard is reached. f

v From these conditions it is clear that a practicable and efficient speed apparatus which will permit proper facility for the safe movement of trains along the railway should not only operate to give a warning signal in the operators cab at a proper distance from reach pointof danger, and in addition automatically cause the speed of the train to be reduced in case the operator himself does not control the speed in obedience to this warning signal; but also should make due allowance for the fact that this distance from the point of danger at which the warning signal 'should be given, and at which the bralres should be applied will vary, 'being dependent upon the class of the-train andits kind of braking equipment, the speed of the train at the time, the grade of the track over which the train is traveling, and other. factors,

changing the braking distance of the train.

The speed of a railway train is individual to that train and will vary widely at different points along the railway, so that its speed cannot be properly regulated solely-with reference to lixed points; but :the speed control syst-em must be constructed so as to be dependent at each pointr in the travel of the train upon the speed at which the train is traveling at that point; or, in other words, the Vspeed control system must be dependentupoiithe instantaneous actual speed of train. The grades and other i'actors which change the braking distance of the train will be diiierent at different points along therailway, but will be the saine in the effect they produce'for every train, so that the speed control system should be responsive to the local conditions or individual physical characteristics of each part of the trackway.

There are other things to be considered in determining the requisites of an ehticient and practicable speed control systemV which will aid in obtaining the greatest capacity :tor the movement of trains, and under some conditions some requisites may be more important than under other conditions, and consequently, the above discussion should not be understood to be comprehensive or invariable but merely illustrative for the purpose `of obtaining a clearer understanding of the invention.

With the above mentioned and other requisites necessary for a practicable automatic speed control system for railway vehicles in view, one of the principal objects oi' this invention is to devise a system for controlling railway vehicles which willA facilitate thel movement of vehicles by allowing saidvehicles to Aapproach each other as closely as safety will permit.

A further object of the invention is to devise a system for controlling railway vehicles, in which the speed ot the vehicle and the distance of said vehicle from a point ot danger will be autcmaticallyv involved in determining the operation of said system.

A further object of the inventionis to devise a system forcontrolling railway vehicles in which the speed of the vehicle, the

v distance of said vehicle from the point of danger, and the physical characteristicsof'the traclway over which the vehicleis then passing will be automatically involved in determining the'operation of the system.

A further object of the invention 4'is to devise a system for controlling railway vehicles which will give asuitable warning, signal aboard the vehicle at anyu point in its travel, said warning signal being given at the proper point in the travel of said vehicle so that the vehicle will be .safely controlled but will not be unnecessarily delayed if-its speed is controlled in response to this signal.

A i'urther object of the invention is to devise a system for automatically controlling railway vehicles which will give an operator of the vehicle a proper warning signal at any point in its travel, and which will, if the speed of the vehicle is not controlled by the operator in obedience to this warning signal, automatically reduce the speed of the vehicle, said warning signal and said automatic reduction of speed taking place at a proper pointin the travel of said vehicle so that the vehicle will be safely controlled but will notbc unnecessarily delayed.

A further object of the invention is to construct a system for automatically controlling railwayvehicles which can be-used t regulate the speed of the vehicle as it travels along the trackwayI according tothe special requiren'ients of speed demanded by the fixed hazards at the different points along the traclrway over which the vehicle is passing.

fr further object of the invention is to construct 'and arrange the parts of an automatic speed control system so that, in controlling the speed of the train, due compensation will be made for suoli local conditions along the traclgway as affect the distance in which thevehicle can be brought to a stop by its brakes.

A further object of the invention is to construct and arrange the parts of an automatic cab-signalling and-speed control system so lthat more than one vehicle equipped with this 'system may be used in the train, and so that, when more than one such vehicle is used, the systems of these vehicles will not interfere with each other in their operation.l

A further object of the invention is to construct andarrange the parts of an automatic cab-signaling and speed `control system so that adequate protection is'atforded against failure of the important parts Vto operate properly, and so that such failure, it it'occurs, will be immediately manifested.

A still 'further object of the invention is to vprovide a suitable device for cutting out of service a speed control system on a vehicle, in case this particular speed control systemis out of order, and to construct and arrange the parts of this cut-out device so that its operation requires certain manipulations which make it ditlicult to carelessly cut a Vspeed control system out of service.

Other objects and advantages willappear as the description of the invention progresses,and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed outin the appended claims.

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- of the vehicle,

subject to bodying Generally stated, the invention consists in a system for controlling railway vehicles, in which appropriate apparatus is carried on a moving vehicle, which apparatus is controlled at different points along the trackway by suitable devices in accordance with v the traffic conditions along said trackway and the physical characteristics of the different parts of said trackway, said apparatus operating so that, as the vehicle reaches the point where the combined condition of the speed its distance from the point of danger and other factors affecting the brak` ing distance of the vehicle are such that the brakes should be applied, the engineer will be advised of this fact by suitable signals, and if these signals are disregarded the speed of the vehicle will be automatically reduced.

The invention further consists in the parts, and in the arrangements and combinations of parts, which will be set forth more fully hereinafter.

The speed control apparatus herein disclosed comprises cooperating devices on the vehicle and along the trackway to control the speed apparatus by means of certain electric circuits; a suitable device which is operated in accordance with the speed at whichthe vehicle is traveling; a device which is operated in accordance with the distance traveled by the vehicle from a predeterminedv point where saiddevice-was set into operation; a number of suitable cams, records, registering devices, or other instrumentalities having characteristic shapes, each block having a cam or the like conforming substantially to the individual characteristics of said block as regards the factors which affect the braking distance of the train; a selector actuated in any appropriate manner as the train moves along the trackway, which selector selects the cam or the like conforming nearest to the characteristics 1 of the particular block or blocks into which the train will next proceed; and a system of electric circuits and other inter-connected apparatus which is the joint action of the device responding to variations in speed, the device responding to variations in distance traveled by the vehicle, and the particular cam or the like selected, and which will cause signals to be displayed ory sounded, and which, if the signals are not obeyed, will automatically control the speed of the train by applying the brakes.

In describing the'invention in detail, reference is had to the accompanying drawing, wherein is illustrated a preferred physical embodiment of the invention, and wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which: Y

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a railway car equipped with speed control apparatus emthe invention, parts of said car being broken away; 2 is a diagrammatic plan view showing the arrangement of the parts'of the speed control apparatus on the car, parts of said car being broken away; Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical transverse section near one end of a car equipped with the speed control apparatus and shows the ar# rangement and mounting of some of the parts of said speed control apparatus; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged side elevation of part of a car truck showing the manner of mounting thereon the contact shoe which constitutes a part of the speed control apparatus; Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan view of the contact shoe detached from the car, the cover for the casing of said shoe being removed; Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section of the contact shoe, parts being shown in elevation for the sake of horizontal section on theline 7--7 in Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic perspective view showing the operative parts which constitutes a part of the speed control apparatus; Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the parts of the speed control apparatus which are mounted in casings, hereinafter termed -the gear box and the cam box, the covers of said casings being removed; Fig. 10, is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section through the gear box and the cam box on the line 10-10 in Fig. 9 the speed indicator being removed; Fig. 11 is an enlarged vertical transverse section through the gear box substantially on the line 11-11 in Fig. 9, parts of said section being separated for the sake of clearness and the speed indicator being shown as partly turned; Fig. 12 is a top plan view of one of the units mounted in the cam box and hereinafter termed a block combination, together with its associated parts; Fig. 13 is an enlarged vertical transverse section through the cam box on the line 13--13 in Fig. 9 and shows a block combination and its associated parts in elevation; Fig. 14 is an enlarged vertical transverse section through the cam box taken on the line 14-14 in Fig. 9 and showing the multiplier combination in elevation; Fig. 15 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of the multiplier arm and its associated gears; Fig. 16 is a fragmentary vertical section on the line 16-16 in 12; Fig. 17 is a vertical section on the line 17-17 in Fig. 9; Fig. 18 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the cam starter arm and its associated gears in elevation; Fig. 19 is a horizontal sect-ion through the speed indicator on the line 19-19 in Fig. 20; Fig. 2() is a vertical section through the speed indicator taken on the line 20-2() in Fig. 19; Fig. 21 is a diagrammatic view showing the wiring and electrical connections between the parts of the speed control system which are mounted on the car; Fig. 22 is a diagrammatic view showing the electrical connections between the parts of the speed control system which of the selector the wheels as shown in Fig. `3,

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are located along the traekway; Fig. 23 is a diagrammatic View showing the electrical connections for the contact shoe; Fig. 24 is an enlarged vertical section through the valve casing of the electrically operated valve shown in Fig. 25; Fig. 25 is a vertical diametrical section through an electrically operated valve suitable for use as a part of the speed control apparatus for causing lan emergency application of the brakes, and Fig. 26 is a diagrammatic view illustrating, according to the well known'method of plotting curves, certain factors and variable quantities with which the speed control apparatus has to deal, said Fig. 26 being drawn onk the basis of certain assumed conditions.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, a system for controlling railway traiiic embodying the invention is shown applied to an electrically propelled car of the type commonly used in subways oron elevated railways, but it is to be understood that both the invention and the particular physical einbodnnent shown .are not' limited in their application to this particular' kind of vehicle and are as applicable to steam locomotives or other railway tractive apparatus as the par- 'Si seat, as shown in Fig. 1.

ticular kind of car shown. The car shown is arranged to be operated in either direction from a compartment or cab at either end. The arrangement of the parts of the speed controlling apparatus on the car is shown in the Figs. 1,2, 3 and4. The contact slices B are carried by the car, and are preferably secured to yokes 37 secured in any suitable way to the trucks k5 of the car, at each end and on opposite sides of the car. rlhe selector SR is'also carried by the car, and ispreferably secured to one of the trucks 5 between the operating pai'ts of said selector SR being enclosed in a suitable casing. lThe other parts ofthe speed control apparatus, including the speed indicating device Sl, its associated gearing and s the cani mechanism, are located in metallic (Fig. 3), which are supported in some accessible place, being preferably mounted on cushioning springs 8, and secured to the frame of vthe car underneath a These casings 6 and 7 arejoined together so as to be in effect one casing having' a partition wall extending transversely thereof (Fig. '9) ,but for convenience in description the respective casings casings 6 'and 7 willbe hereinafter termed the gear-box 6 and the cam box 7. j

On one of the axles of the car is mounted a gear casing' 9, (Figs. 1 and 3) in which is contained suitable gearing which operatively connects said axle with a shaft 10 3) through an intermediate universal coupling 11. Telescoping'over the shaft '10 is a tubular shaft'12 having a longitudinal slot therein through which passes a pin 13 fixed to the shaft .10, thereby permitting Vsaid ltubular shaft 12 and said shaft 10 to slide longitu* dinally relatively .to .each other, but coinpelling said tubular shaft and said shaft 110 to turn together. The tubular -shaft -1-2 connected b v a universal coupling 14 to va vertical shaft 15 leading to the speed indicatiing device SI in the gearbox 6. The pin V'and slot connection between kthetubular shaft 12 and shaft 10 and the universal couplings 11 and 13 permit the 4parts ofthe apparatus secured to the car body to -followthe usual movements of said car body relatively to the truck 5 without binding the parts or interfering with their operation. i

Near one end of the gear box6 and the cam box 7 is a junction box 16 which is connected to the cam box 7 by a conduit 17. Each of the contact shoes VB is connectedby a length'of flexible conduit 18 to a length of rigid conduit 19 bent into an angle and extendingto a point near the pivot axis of the truck;I and connected tothe rigid conduit 19 byv a loopof flexible conduit 2O vis-another-length of rigid conduit 21 which leadsto vthe junction box 16. The selector SR is also'connected to 'the'junction box 16 by lengths of rigid conduit .23 and 25 and flexible conduit 22 and-24 in the same way as the shoes'B. Near the middle of the car and at one edgeof the floor thereof, is supported a casing`26 (Figs. 1 an'd2) in which are a valve EB (shown' in Figs. 24 and 25) for controlling the emergency applicaf tion of the lbrakes of the car, a device for cutting the speed control appartus on the car out of service, a device P for shutting off power to the car and a valveSB for controlling the service application'of the brakes; andrthis casing 26 is connected to the :junction box 16 by a'conduit 27".` The caris shown as provided with pneumaticlbrakesof well known construction, 'this system of brakes comprising a train pipe 28, brake cylinders and auxiliary reservoirs' 29, suitable automatic controlling valves 30, and lengths of flexible hose 31, by means of which two or more cars can be connected so that the brakes will be applied simultaneously on all of the cars of the trainv by venting the train pipe 28. In each cab or compartment for the inotorinan is placed a signal panel,*preferably in the forinvof a casing 32 (Fig. 2) adapted to contain lights, movable indicating partev or the like; and these panels are connected by conduits 33 to the junction box 16. yThe junction box. 16 is connected by a conduit 34 to a car junction box 35 which is usually provided'ron elec'- trically propelled cars, and an arrangement of conduitsandcouplers, not shown, is made whereby suitable continuous conductors or busses running the full length yof 'the train are provided. 2`

The electrical connections betweenthe different pa'rts ofthe speed 'control apparatus are not shown in the gures illustrating the construction offthese parts inorderfto 'avoid

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