US1837956A - Control panel for electric railway switches - Google Patents

Description

D86. 22, 1931. w 5 EPPLEY 1,837,956

CONTROL PANEL FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAY SWITCHES Filed June 19, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

m 9 WA,

ATTORNEY.

Dec. 22, 1931.

W. S- EPPLEY CONTROL PANEL FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAY SWITCHES Filed June 19, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Maw-M.

ATTORNEY,

Patented Dec. 22, 1931 WALTER S. EIPLEY, OF YORK, PENNSYLVANIA CONTROL PANEL FOR, ELECTRIC RAILWAY SWITCHES Application filed June 19, 1930. Serial No. 462,316,

My invention is directed to improvements in control panels for automatic electric railway switches. I l

More particularly, my invention is designed for use in that type of railway switches which are employed in street railway systems wherein the motorman, through his control lever, controls the operation of the switch.

The present invention is especially designed for use in connection with a switchoperating mechanism in which a reversible electric motor and a pump actuated by that motor is employed, such for example as is illustrated and described in my pending application for patent filed August 20th, 1929, Serial No. 387,215. i

The object of the invention is to provide a very simple and comparatively cheap control panel structure which is interposed between the trolley wire and the switch-operating motor, butcontrolled through thecontroller on the vehicle by the motorman, whereby current from the trolley wire may be directed to either side of the motor through the control panel mechanism to shift the switch-blade, or permit-the latter to remain as positioned as the vehicle approaches the switch. I v

The invention is illustratedin the accompanying drawings, wherein,

Fig. 1 shows the control panel in front elevation.

Fi 2 illustrates the detached rotary contact in side elevation.

Fig. 3 shows the same in rear elevation,and

Fig. 4 diagrammatically illustrates the panel, the trolley wire, switch and switchactuating mechanism and the wiring between the various parts.

A description of the panel board and its mechanism will first be given and then. an explanation of its connectionswith the other parts followed by an explanation of the operation.

The mechanisn'is forming the control panel are all mounted on a Hat plate '10, of suitable insulation or composition material, which latter is provided with perforations 11, through which suitable fastenings may be passed to secure the panel in position.

At the top of the panel, in this instance, I provide a resistance coil 12 with an adjustable contact device 13, by means of which more or less of the resistance may be utilized.

On the plate beneath the resistance coil I mount a bracket 14 which carries a solenoid 15, having a vertically movable center stem The upper end of this stem 16 is provided with a weight 17 while the lower end of said stem carries a pawl 18, which latter hangs pendantly with its operating end 19 lowermost On thebracket- 14 and adjacent to the free end of the depending pawl, there is a rotatable head. This head has a ratchet-wheel 20 at its outer side and in vertical alinement with the free end of the pawl so the latter may engage the teeth thereon and as the pawl makes each downward stroke with the stem 16, it imparts a partial rotation to the ratchetwheel which rotation movement equals the distance between adjacent teeth on the wheel.

t the inner side of the ratchet-wheel, the head has a series of contact plates 21 and a series of insulation surfaces 22. The plates and insulations alternate in that the plates are separated byan insulation surface.

In the presentinstance, the contact plates 21 are formed integrally with the metal of the ratchet-wheel and have the form of laterallyprojecting horizontal lugs which project from the vertical side of the ratchet-wheel, While the insulation surfaces 22, are all formed from a block 23 ,of insulating material which has circumferential segmental cavities 24 to receive thecontact-plates, while the faces be-. tween the said cavities form the insulation surfaces 22.

r Adjacent to, but,*in the present instance below the ratchet-wheel I provide two contact- blocks 25 and 26 which are adjust-ably secured on rigid posts that project from the control panel plate 12. The block 25. carries a flexible contact plate 27 whose free end presses against the rotatable head while the block 26 carries another flexible contact plate 28 whose free end also presses against said head.

These contact plates 27 and 28, are so posiand upon the next partial rotation of the head, the plate 27, will engage an insulation surface while the plate 28 will engage a contact plate.

Thus it will be understood that each time the head is given a partial rotation the circuit will be changed so as to include first one plate and then the other and this alternation takes place at each stroke of the pawl.

Near the bottom of the control panel plate 10, there is mounted thereon an electro magnet 29 having binding posts 30 and 31. An armature-bar 32, is associated with this magnet Which armature,- in this instance, has its lower end pivoted and extends upwardly toward the contact blocks 25 and 26. The upper end of this armature-bar carries a cross-head or plate of insulating material 33. At each. end of the cross-plate, there is a depending contact finger 34 and 35 and the upper end of finger 34 is connectedby a flexible wire 36 with the contact-block 25, while the. upper end of the finger 35, is connected by a wire 37 with the contact-block 26.

It will thus be seen that while the crossplate 33, and the fingers 34 and 35 will all swmg as the arniature-bar'32 swings toward or from the electro-magnet, the connections between the fingers and the contact- blocks 25 and 26 will be ma'mtained because those connections are flexible wires 36 and 37.

Two contact- posts 38 and 39 project from the control-panel plate 10' at opposite sides of the armature-bar 32, and the spacing of these posts 38 and 39 .and the contact-fingers 34 and 35 is such that when the armature-bar is attracted and held by the el-ectro-magnet, said bar will electrically engage post 38 while at the same time contact-finger 35 will engage the other post 39. p I

\Vhen the electro magnet is deenergized however, the armature-bar 32' will swing away from the magnet until it engages post:

39 Whereas at that time the contact-finger 34, will engage post 38. Thus when the armature-bar 1s 1n one position, itwill engage one post while one of the contact fingers will engage the other post, and'when said bar'is in the other position,-it will engage'the other post while'tlie other contact finger will engage the first-named post.

An overload device 40 is attached to the panel-plate and is interposed in a circuit that will presently be explained.

Most of the electrical connections between the several parts carried by the panel-board are located in grooves in the back of the board but where this occurs the same are shown in broken lines.

Referring now to Fig. 1, it will be noted that the panel-board has a plurality of binding-posts along or adjacent to its lower edge. These posts are designated 41, 42, 43, 44, and 46 respectively.

From post 41 there is awire connection 47 that extends to the post 38; while a connection 48, is provided between post 42 and post 39.

A ground connection 49 is provided between post 43 and the ratchet 20 while a connection 50 is provided between post 44 and the armature-bar 32'.

A fuse 51, has one end connected to the post 45, while from the other end of said fuse there is a connection 52 leading to one side of the overload device 40. From the overload device 40, there is a wire 53 which connects. with the winding of electro-magnet 15, while a wire 54 extends from said electromagnet to resistance device 12.

Another wire 55 connects the adjustable ele- ,ment 13 of the resistance coil with the end element 56 of said coil and another wire 57 forms a connection between the end element 56 of the coil and the binding-post 46 on the panel. r

- The panel structure above described is located in the switch-operating circuits between the trolley-wire 58, trolley-pan, which latter has plates 59, 60 and 61,, on the one side, and the switch-operating motor 62 which has binding- posts 63, 64, 65 and 66. Y

r The switch-operating'motor 62, is preferably designed to actuate a fluid-operated mechanism confined in a track-box 67, which mechanism, in turn operates a rod 68 which latter is connected to the track switch-box 69.

The motor and fluid-operated mechanism located in the track-box 67 forms the subject of a pending application for patent filed by meAugust 20th, 1929, Serial Number 387,215 and therefore is not duplicated or claimed in this present. application.

By again referring to Fig. 4 of the drawings, it will be noted that there is a permanentconnection 70 between the trolleywire current supply and the contact-post 30 of the panel; that there is a connection 71 between the plate 59 of the trolley-pan and the post 31 of the panel and that there is another connection 72 between the plate 61 of the trolley-pan and the post 45 of the panel.

It will further be noted that a connection 73 extends from post 41 of the panel to a post 63 of the motor; that another connection 74 extends from panel post 42 to motor-post 64; that another, connection 7 5' extends from panel post 44 to motonpost 65 and that another connection 7 6 extends from panel post 46 to motor-post 66.

tion 77.

Operation When a car approaches a switch, the trolley wheel will engage the sections orplates 59 and 60 of the trolley-pan,which removes the wheel from the trolley wire 58. If at this moment, the controller on the car is turned on for a couple of notches, current will flow from the trolley wire 58 by wire 70 to and through the selecting relay 29 and this relay will be energized, thereby drawing the armature 32 toward the relay and bringing 35 against post 39 to form a circuit through the motor 62 to drive the motor in one direction. If however, the controller on the car is turned ofi", no current will pass through relay 29 and the armature 82, will remain removed from the relay so that contacts 34 and 38 will be engaged and thus form another circuit through the motor that will drive the latter in a reverse direction. The motor 62 therefore is a reversible motor and may be operated in either direction according to the position of the armature 32 and its contacts 34 and 35.

After passing from the plate 60 of the trolley-pan, the trolley-wheel then engages the plate 61 as well as plate 59 and this engagement keeps the trolley-wheel out of engagee ment with the trolley wire. Current then pases from the trolley-wire 58 by wire 7 O to and through selecting relay 29, then by wire 71 to insulated plate 59; then across the trolley wheel to impulse plate 61, then by wire 7 2 to panel contact-post 45, then through fuse 51 and by wire 52 to and through the overload device and 'wire- 53 to electro-magnet 15, energizing the latter and drawing weighted armaturestem 16 and pawl 19 up. The current then passes by wire 54 to and through the resistance devices 12, 13 and 55 to post 56; then by wire 57 to panel post 46; then by wire 7 6 to post 66 and series windings of the motor 62.

After passing through the windings of the motor to the motor binding-post 65, the current then passes by wire to panel-board post 44.

Now if the controller on thecar is turned to, power on, the current will then flow by wire 50 to armature 32, to contact-post 38, then by wire 47 to panel-board post 41; then by wire 73 to post 63 of the. motor, which leads the armature of the motor.

After passing through the motor-armature the current will pass through motor post 64, then by wire 7 4 to panel-post 42, and wire 48 to contact-post 39 on the panel-board, then through contact finger 35 and wire 37 to contact-plate 28 to ratchet-wheel 20, which latter is grounded by wire 49, panel post 43 and wire 77.

The circuit has thus been completed, with power on, through both relays 29 and 15 and armature 32 and pawl 18 is raised, as shown ain Fig. 4, and the switch-tongue 69 will have been thrown to permit the car to make a curve onto track 78, all during the time the trolley wheel is in engagement with the trolley- pan contacts 59 and 61.

Immediately upon the trolley leaving the pan-contacts 59 and 61, the circuit just described will be interrupted and upon interruption of this circuit, both relays 29 and 15 will become deenergized and armature 32 will swing by gravity over to the right and engagepost 39 while contact 34 will at the same time engage post 38, thereby setting the contacts for a change in the motor circuits so as to reverse the direction of the motor in case the next car approaching the switch desires to throw the switch-bar again.

Also, as the trolley leaves the pan-contacts 59 and 61 and relay 15, becomes deenergized, the weighted stem 16 will drop and carry pawl 18 with it. The pawl, when making this downward movement will engage the ratchet wheel 20 and give the latter a partial rotation. I

This partial rotation of the ratchet-wheel 20 moves the contact plate 21 of the wheel 1 from beneath spring contact 28 and presents an insulated surface 22 beneath that plate so a circuit cannot be completed through that plate as long as it remains in the insulation of the ratchet-wheel.

This movement of the ratchet-wheel however causes a contact face 21 of the wheel to be moved under the spring contact 27 and this will form a part of the changed circuit-connections to the motor, in case the motorman of the next car desires to throw the switch-tongue, which he would do by approaching the switch with power off.

. The contact plate 28 therefore controls the operation of the motor in one direction with power on as the car approaches the switch to move the switch tongue in one direction, whereas the spring-plate 27 controls the operation of the motor in a reverse direction with power oil on the car, if it is desired to return the switch to normal or in this instance, for straightaway traflic.

If on the other hand the switch tongue 69 has been moved over as in Fig. 4 and the next car. is also to take the curve onto track .78, so that the switch tongue 69 need not be again operated, the motorman will again approach that switch with power on, but as the spring contact-plate 28, will then be on an insulated part 22 of the ratchet-wheel, the circuit to the motor cannot be closed and no operation of the motor will take place. Consequently the switch-tongue 69 will remain in its thrown position and direct the car. around the curve 78.

Having described my invention, I claim,

1. The combination with a railway switchoperating mechanism, of a reversible electric motor for actuating the same,the direction of movement of the railway switch being determined by the direction of motion oi the motor, a trolley-wire providing a source of current supply, a plurality of contacts adj acent to the trolley wire for engagement by the current collector on a car, a panel structure having two contacts each with a separate connection tothe reversible-motor, a movable switch member operating between said two motor contacts to engage either of them. at a time, two stationary ground contacts also on the panel, means carried by said movable switch. member to connect one of the said stationary ground contacts vwith one of the motor contacts when the movable switch: member is in engagement with the other motor contact and means controlled through the current collector on the car for controlling the movable switclrmember' to determine which'oi the ground and motor contacts shall. be connected for a desired positioning of the railway switch.

2;. The combination with a railway switchoperating mechanism, of a reversible electric motor for actuating the same,the direction of movement of the railway switch being determined by the direction of motion of the motor, a trolley-wire providing a source of on rent supply i plurality of contacts adjacent to the trolley wire for engagement by the current collector on a car, a panel structure having two contacts each with a separate connection to the reversible motor, a switch movable between said two motor contacts, two contacts insulated from the switch but movable with the same and arranged so that one of them will engage one of the motor contacts while the switch: itself engages the other oi said motor contacts, means for providinga ground connection for that one of said two insulated contacts which is in engagement with one of the motor contacts, and means controlled through the current collector on the car for controlling the'movable switch to determine which of the ground and motor contacts shall be connected for a desired positioning of the railway switch.

3. The combination with a railway switchoperating mechanism, of a reversible electric motor for actuating'the same,-the direction of movement of the railway switch being determined by the direction of motion of the motor, a trolley-wire providing a source of current supply, a plurality of contacts adjacent to the trolley wire for engagement by the current collector on a car, a panel having two stationary contacts each with a separate connection to the reversible motor, a movable rounding device carried on the panel, a movable switch device having one contacting means to engage eitherof the two-stationary motor contacts said movable switch device carrying two other electrically separated contacts which will engage the movable grounding device one at a-time and magnetic means on the paneland controlled through the current collector on the car for controlling the. movable grounding device and the movable switch device to determine which of the ground and motor contacts shall be connected for a desired positioningof the railway-switch. I v

49.. A panel structure for a railway-switch operating mechanism, a pair of stationary contacts, a ratchet wheel forming a ground and having alternatecontact and insulating surfaces, an armature-switch movable between said pair of stationary contacts and enga 'ing but one of those contacts at a time, ahead carried by said armature-switch said head being provided with two electricallyseparated contact fingers one of which latter may engage one of the said pair of contacts and the other may be engaged with the other of said pair of contacts,only one of said pair of contact fingers being engageable with the contacts at a time, means for connecting one of said fingers with a contact surface of the ratchet wheel while the other finger engages an. insulation surface of said wheel, magnetic means for actuating the armature switch to move the latter in one direction and means arranged to move the ratchetwheel when the armature-switch moves in the other direction.

In testimony'whereofl afiix my signature.

\VALTER S. EPPLEY.

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