US1875367A

US1875367A - of syracuse

Info

Publication number: US1875367A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1932-09-06
Anticipated expiration: 1949-09-06

Description

P 6, 1932- c. BISSELL 1,875,367

RESYNCHRONIZING MEANS FOR TRAFFIC SIGNAL-1N6 sys'rsus Filed Oct. 27. 1930 INVENTOR.

- A TTORNEYS,

Patented Sept. 6, 1932 UNITED STATES,

PATENT] OFFICE CARL H. BISSELL, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO CRO'U'SE-HINDS COMPANY, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, CORPORATION OF NEW YORK 'RESYNCHRONIZING MEANS FOR TRAFFIC, SIGNALING SYS TEHS Application filed October 27, 1980. Serial No. 491,349.

'This invention relates to systems having master and secondary controllers as traffic sifgnaling systems for highway intersections the general type shown in my pending application Sr. No. 460,771, filed June 12, 1930,

and has for its object a particularly simple and efficient control means for comparatively small systems, which control means synchronizes or resynchronizes the system periodically so that the signals of the system maintain a predetermied timing or order. The system of application Sr. No. 460,771 is primarily adapted for larger systems for cities and the present invention is intended for smaller systems of a comparatively small number of signals or, in other words, a system particularly adapted for villages where there are but two, three or four intersections to be guarded.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the application of the system to a system of streets.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram ofthis traffic system.

The particular construction of the motors,

timers, switches, etc. form no part of this invention and constitute the subject matter of said application Sr. No. 460,771, and complete understanding of the present invention can be had more clearly without a detailed description of the motors, timers and other mechanical parts.

This trafiic signaling system comprises generally a master controller including an electric motor, a timer, and a secondary controller for controlling the signals at each intersection and each including an electric motor and timer,'and means controlled partly by the master controller and partly by the secondary controller at each intersection for stopping the secondary controller at predetermined intervals preferably once during each trafiic cycle.

The signals are usually green lights for go and red lights for stop wlth or without an intermediate warning signal, usually an amber li ht. These si nals pass through re-' peate trafiic cycles rom go to sto on one highway, stop to go on the intersecting highway and back to go on the first highway, 0 and stop on the intersecting highway. y traflic cycle period is meant the total time it requires for the signals to make on com lete cycle. This may be a total period 0 say sixty, ninety, one hundred or one hundred and twenty seconds, etc. The trafiic cycle period may be divided up evenly, that is, the trafiic cycle period of one hundred seconds may be divided fifty seconds go on each street, or may be divided in any other manner as sixty seconds go on the main street and forty seconds go on the intersecting street with forty seconds stop on the main street and sixty seconds stop on the intersecting street.

In the illustrated embodiment of my invention, the total traflic cycle depends upon the speed of the motor of the master controller.

1 designates the main street. 2, 3, 4 and 5 intersecting streets, there being signals located at each intersection controlled by

controllers

10, 11, 12 and 13, the controller 10 which controls one intersection, serving as a master controller for the system and the

controllers

11, 12 and 13 being secondary controllers. 14 designates generally the electric motor of the master controller, and 15 the timer shaft actuated by the motor, this timer shaft having cams not shown thereon for controlling the display of the signals. 16 designates the secondary motor at each intersection and 17 the timer shaft having cams thereon, not shown, for controlling the display of signals at that intersection. The timing cams may be of any suitable construction, but as the construction thereof forms no part of this invention, and as the construction and operation oftiming cams are well known, and further as a full description thereof is unnecessary to completely understand the present invention, further description is thought to be unnecessary butfor a full description a reference is had to the pending application referred to.

18 are the energizing or driving coils of the motor 14 of the master controller, these being connected by

wires

18 and 18 to the supply wires. 19 designates the energizing or driving coils of the motor 16 of each secondary controller, these being connected by

wires

20 and 20 to supply wires. The driving coils of all the motors may be connected to the same source of supply or may be connected independently of each other to the local feed wires. The secondary controllers are synchronized or resynchronized periodically, as once during each trafiic cycle and are controlled in the synchronizing partly by the master controller and partly by the secondary controller at each intersection and the synchronization is effected by stopping or stalling the secondary motors once during each traffic cycle. The secondary motors are preferably stalled by energizing normally idle bucking coils.

21 designates the bucking coils of each secondary motor, these, when energized, acting in opposition to the driving coils 19 and completely opposing the same. The flow of current to the bucking coils is controlled partly by the master controller and partly by each secondary controller, that is, the companion secondary controller, and in the illustrated embodiment of this invention, the bucking coils of each secondary motor are connected 111 a circuit having a normally closed switch therein operated by the master controller and a normally open switch therein operated by the companion secondary controller. The bucking coils are connected in the feed circuit through

conductors

22 and 23, a normally open switch designated generally 24 in the conductor 23, to be presently described, a change over switch 25, and a normally closed switch 26. The switch 25 forms no part of the invention. The switch 24 is closed once during each trafiic cycle by the companion secondary controller. The switch 26 which is normally closed, is opened once during each traflic cycle of the master controller. The switch 26 is operated by a cam 27 on the timer shaft 15 of the master controller, this cam having a comparatively long, high or dwell portion which coacts with a movable switch arm 28 and normally holds the switch 26 in engagement with the contact 29. The cam is also formed with a low portion or depression 30 which when it comes opposite the arm 28 permits or causes the switch arm 26 to separate from the contact 29 and thus open the bucking coil circuit. The switch 24 comprises spaced apart

contacts

31, 32, an arm 33 for closing said contacts and a shifter or oifset arm 34 movable with the shaft 17 of the secondary timer and operable to actuate the arm .33 against a returning spring 33 to bring the

contacts

31 and 32 together once during each traffic cycle.

The master controller is set to run a little slower than the secondary controller, thus the offset arm 34 will operate the arm 33 to close the bucking coil circuit before the switch arm 28 reaches the depression 30 of the cam 27. The traflic cycle period is determined by regulating the speed of the motors of the master and secondary controllers. These motors are usually of the induction disk type and the speed is controlled by adjusting the shading coils of the motor in the usual manner. During the operation of the system the oil'- set arm 34 will actuate the arm 33 to engage the

contacts

31, 32 just prior to the time the recess 30 of the cam 27 comes opposite the switch arm 28, hence when the ofi'set arm does engage and actuate the switch arm 33, the bucking coils 21 will be cut into a closed circuit so that the secondary motor 16 will be stalled and all of the secondary motors will be stalled before the recess 30 comes op posite the switch arm 28. When the recess 30 does register with the switch arm 28, the arm 26 will separate from the contact 29, thus opening the bucking coil circuits of each and all the secondary motors so that the secondary motors 16 will start and all of them will start at the same time. The timer shafts 17 will thus be actuated causing the offset arms 34 to ratchet past the switch arms 33 permitting said arms to return to their normal position and permit the

contacts

31, 32 to separate so that the bucking coil circuits remain open after the switch 26 is closed by the high portion of the cam 27 again operating the switch arm 28. The switch arm 33 of each secondary motor is returned by the suitable spring 33 to its original position after it is released from the oiisetarm 34. The

contacts

31 or 32 or both are tensioned to move away from each other or one from the other, when the force holding them together is discontinued. The offset arms 34 of all the secondary controllers are timed to engage the arms 33 before the low portion of the cam 27 of the master controller, registers with the follower of the switch arm 28.

The change over switch 25 forms no part of this invention and it is merely for the purpose of connecting the bucking coils of some of the secondary motors in one synchronizing circuit and the bucking coils of others in another synchronizing circuit. The latter circuit is controlled by a cam 270 for closing a normally closed switch 206 therein, the

switches 24 of the bucking coil circuits may be connected selectively in circuit withtheswitch 206 by means of the switch 25. This switch 25 consists merely of a contact 36 arranged to coact with either one or the other of two contacts 37, 38. It is normally arranged to engage the contact 37, as shown in Figure 2, but if it is desired to connect the bucking coils of anyone or more secondary motors in circuit with the switch 206, then the switch arm 36 is shifted to engage the contact 38. It is shifted by means of a plug 39 insertable 5 in a hole 40 against the arm 36 to press and hold it against the contact 38. There is one switch 25 for each secondary controller and this switch 25 is mounted adjacent a wall 41 of the casing of the secondary controller and the hole 40 is formed in said Wall. This feature forms no art of this invention and is fully set forth'in the pending application referred to.

What I claim is:

In a stop and go trafiic signaling system for street intersections in which the signals pass through repeated traffic cycle periods, a master controller including an electric motor, a secondary controller for the signals at each intersection including an electric motor, each motor having a driving coil, circuits for the driving coilswhich are constantly closed during the operation of the system, each secondary motor having a bucking coil, the elecg5 tric motor or master controller being unpro' vided with a bucking coil, the bucking coil circuit having a normally closed and it normally open switch therein, means operated by the master controller for holding the norao mallyclosed switch closed and having means for opening the bucking coil circuitduring each trailic cycle, each secondary timer having means for closing the companion normally open switch during each trailic cycle. as In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name, at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, and State of New York, this th day of October, 1930.

CARL H. BISSELL.