US2509018A

US2509018A - Runway lighting control

Info

Publication number: US2509018A
Authority: US
Inventors: Malcolm H Sheldon
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1945-10-26
Filing date: 1945-10-26
Publication date: 1950-05-23
Anticipated expiration: 1967-05-23

Description

May 23, 1950 Filed Oct. 25, 1945 M. H. SHELDON RUNWAY LIGHTING CONTROL 5 Shets-Sheet l 7 B J Z, O JT NW3 34 5 56 32 BRIGHTNESS SELECTOR OFFOJ RUNWAY s7lecroa I i J H H II? RuNwAYs LIGHTING CIKCUITS INVENTOR. H MALCOLM H. SHELDON.

l'l y H TTOENEX y 1950 M. H. SHELDON 2,509,018

RUNWAY LIGHTING CONTROL Filed Oct. 25, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 gg NI 1N VEN TOR. MA L COLM SHELDON.

5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed 001;. 25, 1945 INVENTOR. MALCOLM Al. SHELDON May 23, 1950 D N 2,509,018

RUNWAY LIGHTING CONTROL INVENTOR. MA LCOLM H SHELDON y 3, 1950 M. H. SHELDQN 2,509,018

VRUNWAY LIGHTING CONTROL Filed Oct. 25. 1945 5 Shee'ts-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. A/lflLcoL/vl H SHELDON FITTOEA/EY Patented May 23, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 3'70 0. G. 757) 6 Claims.

This invention relates to remote control systems and more particularly to a control system used in regulating the lighting of airport runways and similar trafiic ways.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved electrical circuit for airport runways.

Another object is to provide an electrical circult that will safeguard against destruction or damage to sensitive electrical elements in said circuit.

Another objectis to simplify the operation of the control system for airport runways or similar traffic lanes.

Another object is to provide a simplified control panel io'r' said remote-control system.

Another object is to provide novel locking means to insure proper selection of dials on said simplified control panel.

Further objects and advantages of this invention, as well as its construction, arrangement and operation, will be apparent from the following description and claims in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a diagram of the electrical circuit of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a front exterior view of the control chassis of said remote control system.

Fig. 3 is: a plan view of the chassis shown in Fig. 2 with the cover plate removed to show clearly the components thereof.

Fig. 4 is an end View of the interlocking means my invention as seen from the rear of the chassis.

Fig. 5 is a rear view of the brightness selector certain portions being omitted from the selector drum for purposes of clarity.

In Fig. 1', below the dashed line 9, there is shown a circuit generally designated A that supplies electrical energy from main lines It through an oil circuit breaker l I, a constant current transformer I 2 and auto=transformer l3, and thence through intensity selector relays l4, l5, and I6, an through runway selector relays l1, l8, l9, and 210; to runway lighting circuits I, II, III, and A protective relay- 21: is placed in the circuit A to insure that the oil circuit breaker II is deenergized thus to open circuit circuit A in the eventthat any of. the runway lighting circuits along the runways should be broken while a plane crashes in taking ofi or landing on the particular run a in use.

The selector system B shown above line 9 comprises a: switch- 22 which. when closed, permits current to flow from a battery or other suitable local: supply of current through the leads 23.

2 lighting an indicating lamp 24 on the panel board 25 (Fig. 2) to signal the operator of the selector system that power is available for a brightness selector drum 26. The brightness selector drum 26 (more clearly shown in Fig. 3) is rotated by the handle 21 on the panel 25.

When the brightness selector drum 26 has been rotated to either of the first three positions shown on the drum 26 (Fig. 1) as by dashed lines I, 2 and 3, the said positions corresponding to dim, medium and bright intensity, respectively, (the fourth position shown by dashed line 4 corresponding to medium intensity, its functions to be explained subsequently), the corresponding indicating or

p lot lamp

28, 29, or 30 will signal the operator the particular brightness selected. Similarly, after selection of brightness has been made, the desired runway is selected by turning the handle 3| (Figs. 2 and 3) that is keyed to the shaft of a runway selector drum 32, with lamps or

pilot lights

33, 34, and 36 serving to indicate which runway has been selected. The closing of a switch 3'! completes the circuit between the selector circuit B and the circuit A,

25 the indicating lamp 38, signaling, when lighted,

that the oil circuit breaker H has been closed and that the lights of a desired runway have been energized.

A mechanical interlock, shown in Figs. 3 and 4, connects the brightness selector drum 26 to the runway selector drum 32 and insures a safe and correct operation of the runway lights. The interlock insures that the primary circuit A cannot be closed unless a brightness selection has first been made. It also insures that once a pre determined runway or group of runways have been selected, no change in brightness selection can be made unless the runway se ector drum 32 has been returned to the OE position. This sequence of operation insures that no current flowing through primary circuit A will be broken by tips of either brightness or runway selector relays.

As shown in Fig. 4, the mechanical interlock consists of a pair of base plates 38 one of which is secured adjacent the end face of the brightness selector drum 26 while the other is similarly secured adjacent the end face of the runway selector drum 32. Keyed to shaft 39 of the brightness selector drum 26 is a disc 4!] having cutout portions 4|, at spaced intervals, about the periphery of said disc. 4! At the top face of said disc 49, at regularly spaced intervals, are other out out. portions or indentations 42. A bracket 43 pivotally supports a ratchet arm 4'4,

one end of which is urged counterclockwise by a spring 45 secured to said base plate 38. A rounded firm lip 46 depends from that end of the ratchet arm 44 that is being urged clockwise by the action of the spring 45. The lip 46 rides along the periphery of the disc 46, engaging the cut out portion 4| when the latter is juxtaposed against said lip 46.

A spring 47, bracket 48, ratchet arm 49, lip 50 and cut out portions 5| on the disc 52 secured to the shaft 53 of the runway selector drum 32 correspond to like parts described hereinabove in connection with the brightness selector drum 26. However, instead of the indentations 42 formed in disc 40, a substantially V-shaped niche 54 is cut into the top face of the disc 52 so as to accommodate a V-shaped lug 55 that depends from one end of a rocker member 56 which is pivoted near its center on a stud 51. A lug or pin 58 depends from the other end of said rocker member 55 and rides on the top surface of the disc 4 said lug 58 falling into one of the indentations 42 when the latter is turned to a position immediately below the 111% 58.

A spring 59, an end of which is shown suitably secured to the rocker member 56, urges the V-shaped lug 55 against the top face of the disc 52. The rocker member 56 is pivoted so that when the V-shaped lug 55 is riding on the top face of the disc 52, the pin 58 is urged against the top face of the disc 40. The V-shaped niche 54 in the disc 52 engages the V-shaped lug 55 only when the handle 3| that is keyed to the shaft 53 of the runway selector drum 32 is in the Off position.

Thus, the mechanical interlock insures that the brightness selection must be made before the runway dial 3| is turned from its Off position. For by turning the dial 3| from its Off position, the V-shaped lug 55 is made to ride on the top surface of the disc 52, causing the pin 58 to be locked in the indentation 42 which correuntil the required brightness for that runway has been selected.

As shown in Fig. 3, the various commutator segments 60 and electrically conducting fingers 6| are positioned relative to one another so that a finger 6| does not contact a commutator segment 60 of the brightness selector drum 25 unless the pin 58 lies in an indentation 42 corresponding to any of the intensity values, dim, medium or bright. There is no contact between a finger 6| and a commutator segment 60 when the handle 21 is turned to the Off position even though the pin 58 may be resting in an indentation 42. Similarly, the fingers 62 of the runway selector drum 32 do not engage the short commutator segments 63 unless the lip 50 of the ratchet arm 46 engages or is within the immediate vicinity of the out out portion 5| of the disc 52. Likewise, there is no contact between a finger 62 and short commutator ring 63 or long commutator ring 64 when the handle 3| for the runway selector drum 32 is in its Off position.

Thus, no current passes through either drum unless a selection has been made, the particular selection made being shown by the lighting up of one of the indicating lamps on the panel board 25. Moreover, by using discs 46 and 52 that have cut outs such as 4| and 5|, the person operating the

handles

21 and 3| on the panel board 25 can feel the

drums

26 or 32 look into position, there being no need for a careful turning of either handle 21 or 3| such as is required in the turning of a graduated dial of a control panel, and only one hand is needed to operate the panel board 25.

Thus, the mechanical interlocking means combined with the

commutator segments

60, 63, and 64 and fingers 6| and 62 on the brightness and runway selector drums 26 and 32, respectively, insure a selection of a particular brightness and a particular runway before current can pass through the primary circuit A, even if switch 31 is closed. Moreover, the particular combination of instrumentalities, namely, a novel locking means and novel drum segmentation, permit the use of a simple control panel, which a novice can learn to operate in a very short time. Another feature, as will be described and explained, consists of switch means incorporated in the runway selector drum 32 and in circuit from runway selector drum 32 to primary circuit oil breaker l which prevents pick up and drop out of said circuit breaker while drum 32 is rotated from positions I to 5, inclusive.

Fig. 5 illustrates in detail the structure of the drums and the manner of mounting the same in panel board 25. For purposes of the present description, only the brightness selector will be described, the description of the runway selector being deemed clear from the description of the brightness selector. There is shown a rod 10 which is secured at the respective ends to the upper base plate 38 and lower base plate H as shown in Figure 3. Secured to this rod 10 is a non-conducting block 12 that supports one of the selector fingers 6|. One of the pins 13 that secures said finger 6| to the non-conducting block 12 is an electrical conductor and connects with an electrical lead 14 which in turn is connected to a conducting post 15. A spring '16 is secured in the manner shown so as constantly to urge the tip ll of finger 6| towards the periphery of the drum 26. The conducting segment 60 protrudes beyond the periphery of the drum 26 and periodically engages the tip 11 of the finger 6|. These segments 60 protrude from the drum 26 at difierent angular positions corresponding to different selections of brightness intensity, the different positions (I, 2, 3, 4) being schematically shown on the brightness selector drum in Fig. 1. The non-conducting ribs 18 form the major body of said selector drum 26, and ribs 18 being reinforced by the key stocks 15.

In Fig. 1, there are shown five short segments 63 that are positioned on the runway selector drum 32 in the manner shown so that these segments 63 will be contacted after a particular runway has been selected and will be tripped out of the circuit just before the segment 64 corresponding to this particular runway drops out. Thus, if a change of selection from runway I to runway 11 is to be made, the turning of the handle 3| of the runway selector drum 32 will cause one of the fingers 62 to be disengaged from the short segment 63 while another finger BI is still engaging the segment 64 corresponding to runway I. Thus, the short segment 63 is tripped out just before going from runway I to runway II, so that the coils of the primary circuit breaker I are deenergized during the change in selection from runway I to II. The same condition applies in going from the second runway selection to the third runway selection, etc., so that the high voltage primary circuit can never be broken across-the relays 11, in, 19 and 2 D, even if the switch 31 is kept closed while the runway selector drum 32 is being rotated.

"There are various units that are self-explanator such as the protective rela 2 i in the primary circuit A and the resistors 66 in series with each of the indicating ramps when the feed lines 23 take current from a source of powerwh'ose voltage is considerably higher than the voltage at said indicating lamps.

Another novel feature incorporated in the present invention "provides for control from this ncvel'runway trait-1c contra panel Of the lighting er "all "four n'w'ays simultaneously. Airfields do not use all t i-r airstfips fc'r bpera'tionsin a single night because lanes take off er make land'- ings against the prevailing wind. Thus, all lmcwn panels used for controlling the lighting of airfield runways provide for the lighting of only one airstrip at a time, since the lighting of more than one airstrip at a time for flight operations is not desirable. in the present disclosure, the runway 1 corresponds to a 10-190 orientation of a straight runway and II corresponds to a 60-240 orientation of another straight runway, etc. So if a southerly wind prevails at the landing field, the airstrip I would be lit for night landings or when visibility at the landing field is restricted. However, during bad weather when snow and/or ice covers all airstri'ps, it is helpful to be able to light up all (in the present example, there are four) runways simultaneously so that the runways can be cleared of ice andlor snow by working parties working on all air-strips at once. Previously, attempts to clean 'air'strips with my one strip capable of being lighted by the control panel resulted in damage to the runway lights by the snow removal equipment as the uniighte'd lamps or markers were difficult to distinguish in the dark, especially when overcast skies prevail (the usual condition during steady snowfall).

In order to light all runways simultaneously, the brightness selector drum is turned to the 4th position (Fig. 1) and the runway selector drum 3'2 is turned to the 5th position '(Fi'g. 1), switches 22" and 3'! being closed. From the diagram in Fig. 1 it will be seen that all four runways are lighted and the auto-transformer I3 is lay-passed so that the maximum current goes through the lights of all four runways I, II, III and IV.

The operation of the control panels 25 which remotely controls the lighting of the runways shown in Fig. 1 is very simple. First the switch 22 is closed so that current is available for light ing the indicating lamps of the panel 25 and for energizing the relays l4 through 20. The brightness selection is made by turning the handle 21 clockwise, thus energizing the desired brightness relay. The particular runway is then selected, the operator feeling the drum 32 lock in place when a particular selection has been made just as he feels the brightness selector drum 26 lock in place when a particular brightness has been selected. The switch 3'! is then closed to light the runway or runways selected, the mechanical interlock insuring that no lighting of a runway will take place unless a preliminary selection of light intensity for said runway has been made.

The present control panel prevents the possi bility of damaging the sensitive selector relays used in the circuit A of the runway circuit described by providing novel interlock means between the brightness selector drum 26 and runway selector drum 32 and switch means incorpcrated said runway se ector drum 3!. Mereever, the panel is exceedingly simlfle in design and operation, permitting almost immediate operation by a novice without endangering electrical equipment in the runway lighting circuit. Also, the present control panel provides for the lighting of all runways simultaneously, a feature, as was explained previously, of considerable importance when runways have to be cleaned of snow, ice or debris. 1

Changes can be made in the above-described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as set forth in theappended claims. {he invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical system comprising means adapted on energization thereof to define a plurality of sources of voltage, a first group of relay switches individually connected to said source- 'definin'g means, plural circuits to be energized, a

second group of relay switches individually connected with each of the circuits, a voltage selector switch and a circuit selector switch for actuating said first and second groups of relay switches, respectively, to effect connection of a seiected source of voltage with a selected circuit, means for energizing source-defining means, said energizing means including a circuit breaker, and means for actuating said circuit breaker to energize said source-defining means when said voltage and circuit selector switches are adjusted to effect connection of a selected source of voltage with a selected circuit, said last means being effective for actuating the circuit breaker to deenergize said source defining means when the selector switches are not so adjusted and during change in adjustment thereof.

2. An electrical system comprising means energizable to define plural sources of voltage, a first set of relay switches individually connected to .said sources, plural circuits to be energized, a

second group of relay switches individually connected to said circuits, a voltage selector switch and a circuit selector switch for respectively actuating said first and second groups of relays to effect connection of a selected source of voltage with a selected circuit, means for energizing the voltage source, a circuit breaker connected with the energizing means, and means for actuating the circuit breaker to energize the voltage source when the voltage and circuit selector switches are adjusted to efiect connection of a selected source of voltage with a selected circuit, said last means being effective for actuating the circuit breaker to de-energize the voltage source when the selector switches are not so adjusted and during change in adjustment thereof, said means for actuating the circuit breaker including a circuit connected to the circuit breaker and having contacts in one of said selector switches, said contacts being actuated by adjustment of the selector switch to open and close the last-named circuit.

3. An electrical system comprising a transformer having plural output terminals, a first set of relay switches individually connected to pairs of said terminals, plural circuits to be energized, a second set of switches individually connected to each of the circuits, a voltage selector switch and a circuit selector switch for respectively actuating said first and second sets of relays to connect a selected pair of terminals with a selected circuit, means for energizing said transformer, a circuit breaker connected with the energizing means, and means for actuating the circuit breaker to energize said transformer when the voltage and circuit selector switches are adjusted to effect connection of a selected pair of terminals with a selected circuit, said last means being effective for actuating the circuit breaker to de-energize said transformer when the selector switches are not so adjusted and during change in adjustment thereof, said means for actuating the circuit breaker including a circuit connected to the circuit breaker and having contacts in one of said selector switches, said contacts being actuated by adjustment of the selector switch to open and close the last circuit, and mechanical means interconnecting said selector switches for locking one of said switches against adjustment in predetermined position, and means on the other selector switch for upsetting the lock to release the first selector switch when the other selector switch is in predetermined position.

4. An electrical system comprising means adapted on energization thereof to define a plurality of sources of voltage, a first group of relay switches individually connected to said sourcedefining means, plural circuits to be energized, a second group of relay switches individually connected to each of the circuits, selector switch means for actuating said first and second groups of relay switches to effect connection of a selected source of voltage with a selected circuit, means for energizing said source-defining means and including a circuit breaker, and means for actuating said circuit breaker to energize said sourcedefining means only when said selector switch means are adjusted to efiect connection of a selected source of voltage with a selected circuit.

5. The system as defined in claim 4 wherein said plural circuits to be energized comprise a plurality of lighting circuits for airport runway illumination.

6. An airfield-runway lighting system comprising means adapted on energization thereof to define a plurality of sources of voltage, a first group of relay switches individually connected to 8 said source-defining means, a pluralityof runway-lighting circuits to be energized, a second group of relay switches individually connected I with each of the circuits, a brightness selector switch and a runway selector switch for actuating said first and second groups of relay switches, respectively, to effect connection of a sdected source of voltage with a selected circuit, means for energizing said source-defining means, said energizing means including a circuit breaker, and means for actuating said circuit breaker to energize said source-defining means when said brightness and runway selector switches are adjusted to eifect connection of a selected source of voltage with a selected circuit, said last means being effective for actuating the circuit breaker to deenergize said source-defining means when the selector switches are not so adjusted and during change in adjustment thereof.

MALCOLM H. SHELDON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 529,532 Scribner Nov. 20, 1894 580,929 Colgate Apr. 20, 1897 933,211 Valkenburg Sept. 7, 1909 1,640,542 Fuller Aug. 30, 1927 1,682,938 Simon Sept. 4, 1928 1,721,478 Stocking July 16, 1929 1,736,454 Masek Nov. 19, 1929 1,764,411 Masek June 17, 1930 2,065,859 Kirk Dec. 29, 1936 2,080,964 Forstrom May 18, 1937 2,101,430 Goldbert Dec. 7, 1937 2,108,634 Wilms Feb. 15, 1938 2,296,936 Logan Sept. 29, 1942 2,322,225 Crane June 22, 1943 2,328,801 Hammell Sept. 7, 1943 2,397,907 Akin Apr. 9, 1946 OTHER REFERENCES Electrical Engineering, pp. 64-67, Feb. 1943. Instruments, pp. 163-164, Mar. 1943.