US1907829A - Time measuring apparatus - Google Patents

Description

I May 9, 1933.

R. R. KEMMERER TIME MEASURING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 15. 1931 R To Plaze TI? Y Z4 To 80am? Cipeai.

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Patented May 9, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RALPH B. KEMMERER, 0F SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNION SWITCH 80 SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SW'ISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA TIME MEASURING APPARATUS Application filed August 15, 1931. Serial 'No. 557,333. 7

My invention relates to time measuring apparatus, and particularly to apparatus of the type in which a condenser discharging through a glow tube of the neon type provides he time element. 1

One feature of my invention is the provision of means whereby the time element becomes effective automatically under certain conditions, as for example, in effecting the release of approach locking 1n railway signaling. Another feature of my mvention 1s the provision of means whereby two or more time elements may be obtained with the same apparatus, when required. A I will describe two forms of apparatus embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view showing one form of apparatus embodying my invention applied to the time element release of approach lookin this section is a railway switch Gr leading into a siding K Extending from one end of this section DE is an approach section (1-D, and extending from the other end of the section DE is a second approach section E-F. Each of the track sections is provided with a track circuit comprising a battery 2 and a track relay designated by the reference character T with a distinguishing exponent.

Trailic over the switch G is governed by a group of signals of which only S and S are shown, these being controlled by the signal relays H and H respectively. As shown in the drawing, signal S is provided with a circuit which passes from terminal B of a suitable source of current, through the front contact 3 of relay H and the operating mechanism of the signal S to terminal O of the same source of current. The controlling circuit for signal S is similar to the circuit for signal S but is omitted from the drawing to simplify the disclosure. Thesignal relays H and H are controlled from a remote point, such as an interlo'cking tower, and also by the track relay T as usual, but the controlling circuits for these relaysare omitted from the drawing because they form no part of my present invention.

The switch G is provided with an operating 1 1 IIlQCillHlSHl P, which is controlled by sultable switch governing apparatus, this apparatus in the form here shown comprislng a polarized relay W. The control of the switch G is such that the switch will be moved to its normal or its reverse position according as relay WV is energized with current of one polarity or the other. The relay W is controlled from the same remote point as relays H and H? over a circuit of which only a portion, terminating in the reference character it, is shown, this portion including the front contacts 4 and 5 of approach locking relays L and L and the front contact 6 of track relay T The approach locking relay L becomes energized over either of two pick-up circuits, one of which includes back contact 7 of relay H and front contact 8 of relay T and the other of which includes back contact 7 of relay H and back contact 9 of relay T Once relay L becomes energized, it will remain energized ov-era stick circuit which includes back contact 7 of relay H and front contact 10 of relay L The control circuits for approach locking relay L are not shown, but it will be understood that relay L is controlled in a manner similar to that just described for relay L The purpose of relay M is to initiate. operation of relay N preparatory to an'automatic release of the approach locking. The pickup circuit for relay M includes back contact 7 of relay H and back contact 11 of relay L In similarmanner, relay M may be picked up over back contact 12 of relay L "When relay M is picked up, a source of direct current of suitable magnitude is applied across the "closing front contact 15. designed that the discharge impulse from tact 15 to close.

condenser Q- and resistor R are so proportioned that a predetermined time interval will elapse before the potential across condenser Q will reach the critical value required to start a discharge through tube V.

When tube V becomes conducting, the accumulated charge on condenser Q is released through the winding of relay N so that relay N picks up, opening back contact 14: and The relay N is so condenser Q is sufficientv to cause front con- Once relay N is plcked up, 1t Wlll remam energized over a circuit starting at terminal B, front contact 16 of relay M,

front contact 15 of relay N, and winding of relay N to the other terminal 0 of the source. The picking up of relay N interrupts the discharge circuit for condenser Q atback contact 14 of relay N, and closes front contact 17 of this relay. The closing of contact 17 completes an auxiliary pick-up circuit for relay L which can be traced from terminal B of the source, back contact 7 of relay H front I contact 17 of relay N, and'winding of relay L tothe other terminal 0 of the source.

When relay L picks up,'the circuit for relay M is interrupted at back contact 11 of relay L so that relay M will release, opening contact 16 which deenergizes relay N, and contact 13 Which removes the source of potential from condenser Q. The release of relay N will close contact 14, reestablishing the discharge path for condenser Q through the tube V so that the charge on condenser Q will be drained to the level determined by the cut-off point of tube V, preparatory to a subsequent automatic-release of the approach locking.

' The discharge of condenser Q under this condition may not be continuous, but may occur in several steps because each discharge pulse will pick up relay N, interrupting the discharge path momentarily, until relay N releases again, caused by the holding circuit for relay N being open at contact 16 of relay M. Should this cyclical operation of relay N, following a release of the approach locking, be deemed undesirable, it can be overcome by connecting a resistor of suitable value across the condenser Q through an additional front contact on relay N, so that condenser Q may be completely discharged after relay N has become energized. It will be apparent from the above that relay N provides an automatic means for effecting the release of approach locking after the lapse of a predetermined time interval.

I shall now describe the manner in which the apparatus functions to efiect an automatic release of the approach lockingafter a train has accepted a route set up by the operator. Assuming that a train has entered section CD and the operator has caused relay change the route, he will release relay H changed. If the operator ,nowdecides to 5,

causing signal S to assume its stop position I and causing back contact 7 of relay H to close, but re'lay L cannot be picked up 'be-, cause front contact 8 of relay T and also 9.

back contact 9 of relay T are both open. However, the release of relay L closes back contact 11 which causes relay M to pick up over contacts 7 and 11 in series, starting'the time interval which results in the energiza- 42 tion of relay N and the release of the :ap-

proach looking, as described hereinbefore.

If a train should enter the approach section FE in the other direction of-travel,

ing apparatus for an automatic release of the approach locking would be similar to that just described in connection with a train on section CD. It should be noted that I have provided an additional back contact 18 on 5 relay L which is eflective in short circuitilrg a portion R of the resistor R with relay L released, so that, in the practice of my invention, it becomes possible with the same release apparatus to obtain a different time interval for each direction of traffic, :suited to the speed of traffic in that direction. This result is obtained because, among other factors, the amount of resistance in the-charging circuit for condenser Q, determines the time interval required for the potential across condenser Q to build up to the critical distwill be understood that charge value. back contact 18 of relay L can be used to control the time interval in any other suitable manner, as for example by changing the value of the potential applied to condenser Q, or changing the effective capacity of this condenser, so that my invention is not limited to the short-circuiting-of a portion of resistor R as a means for varying the time element.

Referring to Fig. 2, which shows a means for obtaining the time element control .of energy to the filament or heater of vacuum tube, the reference character Z designates a the sequence of operation of the correspond- #3 resistor connected in the usual manner across the source of plate current supply for obtaining plate voltages and a low voltage suitable for energizing the filament or heater of a vacuum tube or tubes, which are not shown, for simplicity. The resistor R, condenser Q and glow tube V are connected in a similar manner and serve the same purpose, as already described in connection with Fig. 1, namely, to introduce a predetermined time lag in the operation of relay N. Assuming that a source of direct current has been applied to the terminals XY, a potential will build up across condenser Q until the resistance of glow tube V is broken down, and a discharge takes place. The discharge from condenser Q will pick up'relayN, opening the discharge path at contact 21 and closing contact 22 to complete a stick circuit for relay N, which relay now becomes constantly energized from the potential across portion Z of resistor Z.

The drop across portion Z of resistor Z is used for energizing the filament or heater of a vacuum tube, and when energy is first applied across theterminals XY, and be fore relay N has been picked up, resistor B provides a means for limiting the current flowing in the filament or heater circuit due to excess potential across Z until such time as the plate current load for the tubes of the system, supplied from the potential across portions Z and Z of resistor Z, increases to its normal value, thereby increasing the drop across Z and Z and decreasing the drop across Z. This condition is especially important if the tubes which draw plate current from across Z and Z are of the heater type, requiring an appreciable time for reaching their normal operating condition. The apparatus is so proportioned that condenser Q will discharge when the requisite time has elapsed, and the picking up of relay N which follows, results in disconnecting of the resistor R at back contact 19 of relay N, and the closing of a direct connection through front contactQO from the terminals of resistor Z tothe filament or heater circuit ab. Contacts 19 and 20 can be of the continuity transfer type, in which case no interruption in the flow of current in the circuit ab will result. When the energy is removed from the terminals X-Y, condenser Q, will become discharged through the resistor Z and resistor R in series, so that the apparatus will be restored to the proper condition for a subsequent application of energy to the terminals XY. As will be apparent from the above description of Fig. 2, the apparatus therein disclosed provides a means for preventing excess voltage from being applied to the filament or other element of a vacuum tube, resulting from a transient load condition on that tube or other tubes 55 of the system.

The tube V has been illustrated as a two- 'el'ement glow tube,fbut it will be readily understood that other devices such for example as the grid glow tube or any suitable discharge device having a critical breakdown Z potential could be used to accomplish the desired result, so that my invention is not limited thereby.

' .Although I have herein shown and described but two applications and arrangements of time measuring apparatus embodying my invention, it is understood that the combination of resistor R, condenser Q, discharge device V and relay N may be used in any other suitable manner to interpose 3 automatically a predetermined time interval in the operation of any desired function, various changes and modifications being possible within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope 1185 of my invention.

Havingthus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination, a railway switch, a signal for controlling traflic over said switch, means for operating said switch, an approach locking relay for governing said means, a resistor, a condenser, a source of direct cur rent, means for connecting said source across said condenser and resistor in series when said approach locking relay and said signal are both de-energized, an approach locking release relay, a discharge device connected across said condenser in series withthe winding and a back contact of said approach locking release relay and efiective to operate the relay with energy from said condenser only when the potential across the condenser exceeds a predetermined value, and means for energizing said approach locking relay when said approach locking release relay is operated.

2. In combination, a railway switch, a signal for controlling trafiic over said switch, means for operating said switch, an approach locking relay for governing said means, a control relay, means for energizing said control relay when said approach locking relay and said signal are both'deenergized, a resistor, a condenser, a source of direct current, means for connecting said source across said 115 condenser and resistor in series when said control relay is energized, an approach locking release relay, a discharge device connected across said condenser in series with the winding and a back contact of said ap- 12 proach locking release relay and eifective to operate the relay with energy from said condenser only when the potential across the condenser exceeds a predetermined value, and means for energizing said approach locking 12 relay when said approach locking release relay is operated.

3. In combination, a main section of railway track containing a switch; two signals,

one for each direction of trailic over said 3 V I switch; an approach section'adjoi'ning each end of said main section, means for operating said switch, approach locking comprising an approach locking relay associated with each i 5 of said approach sections for governing said means, a resistor, a condenser, a source of direct current, means for connecting said source across said condenser and resistor in series efiective when either of said approach locking '10 relays'and the corresponding signal are both deenergized, other means governed by one of said approach locking relays for short-circuiting a portion of said resistor when said one approach locking relay is deenergized,

15 an approach locking release relay, a discharge device connected across said condenser in series with the winding and a back contact of said approach locking frel-ease relay and effective to operate the relay with energy from said condenser only when the potential across the condenser exceeds a predetermined value, and means ef ective when said approach locking release relay is operated for releasing said approach locking.

5 4. In combination, a main section of railway track containing a switch; two signals, a one for each direction of trafiic over said switch; an approach section adjoining each s end of said main section, means for operating said switch, approach locking comprising an approach locking relay associated with each of said approach sections for governing said means, a source of direct current, a resistor, a condenser connected across said source through said resistor when either of said approach locking relays and the corresponding signal are both deenergized and requiring a definite time interval to receive a predetermined charge, means eflective when one of said approach locking. relays is deenergized for changing said time interval, an approach locking release relay, means 1ncluding a discharge device having a critical breakdown potential for operating said ap- 3245 proach locking release relay with energy from said condenser when the condenserhas received said predetermined charge, and means effective when said approach locking release relay is operated for releasing said ap- 3'550 proach looking.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature.

RALPH R. KEMMERER.

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