US3117301A

US3117301A - Overheated journal box detecting system

Info

Publication number: US3117301A
Application number: US138446A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert N Halsted
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-09-15
Filing date: 1961-09-15
Publication date: 1964-01-07
Anticipated expiration: 1981-01-07

Description

Jan. 7, 1964 R. N. HALSTED OVERHEATED JOURNAL BOX DETECTING SYSTEM Filed Sept. 15', 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet, 1

United States Patent Ofifice 3,117 ,361 Patented Jan. 7, 1964 3,117,301 OVERHEATED JOURNAL BGX DETECTHNG SYSTEM Robert N. Halsted, 7546 Byron, Clayton, Mo. Filed Sept. 15, 1961, Ser. No. 138,446 6 Claims. (Cl. 349-47) This invention relates to a hot journal box alarm system, and more particularly to a system for giving an alarm when a journal box becomes overheated and for giving a visible indication of the particular car having the hot journal box.

Among the several objects of this invention may be noted the provision of a system for detecting and signaling a railroad car overheated journal box, so that this dangerous condition may be quickly located and rectified; the provision of such a system by which a signal is given in the engine of the train when a journal box becomes overheated; the provision of a signaling system of the class described which may be conveniently checked to make sure that it is working properly at any time; and the provision of such a system which is relatively simple in construction and eifective in operation. Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the constructions hereinafter described, the scope of the invention being indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one of various possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated,

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of the overheated journal box detecting and signaling system of this invention applied to an engine, an intermediate car, and the last car or caboose of a train;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the portion of a system of this invention as installed on a typical car and interconnected to the system components located in the engine;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a visual signaling means of the system; and

FIG. 4 is an end view of the visual signaling means shown in FIG. 3.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring to FIG. 1, a system for detecting and signalin an overheated journal box in a train is shown applied to an engine generally indicated at 1, an intermediate car generally indicated at 3 and a caboose generally indicated at 5.

An electric power source 7, such as a generator, for example, provides the electric power for the system. A first conductor 9 is connected to one terminal 11 of the power source 7 and passes to the end of the train through the cars thereof and connectors 13 between each car. Similarly, another conductor 15 is connected from a second terminal 17 of the power source 7 to the end of the train through the connectors 13. One terminal 19 of an alarm bell 21 is connected to the terminal 17 of the power source by a wire 23. A second terminal 25 of bell 21 is connected to a conductor 27 by a wire 29. A wire 31 connects one terminal 33 of a signal lamp 35 to wire 23 and another wire 37 connects a second terminal 39 of lamp 355 to conductor 27, which extends back to the end of the train through connectors 13 and cars 3. Thus the three

wires

9, 15 and 27 constitute a segmented three conductor electrical cable, each section of which is interconnected to adjoining segments by connectors 13. These connectors preferably consist of two identical mating connector components, one at each end of each car.

In the caboose a circuit light 41 is connected across

wires

9 and 15 by wires 43 and 45. Circuit light 41 remains lighted as long as a complete circuit is made from the engine to the last car through

conductors

9 and 15, thereby indicating circuit continuity. A switch 47 is connected across

conductors

9 and 27 by means of wires 49 and 51. Switch 47 is provided to check the circuit through

conductors

9 and 27, signal lamp 35 and alarm bell 21. Switch 47 is normally kept open, but may be closed at any time, for example, before a run is initiated, to make sure that the signal lamp and alarm bell are working properly.

Located in heat-transfer relation to each journal box 53 of each car of the train is a thermally responsive switching device 55. These devices may be adjusted to be actuated at a desired temperature. This switch 55 is preferably of the single-throw double-pole type having three

terminals

57, 59 and 61 connected respectively to a switch arm 53 and two contacts 619 and 62 and adapted to be electrically interconnected upon its associated jourrial box overheating. A thermally responsive actuator 64, such as a bellows actuator, is mechanically linked to switch arm 53. Below a predetermined temperature which is established as the maximum safe operating temperature of the journal, the bellows 64 holds the switch arm 58 out of contact with

contacts

69 and 62. When the journal is heated to the predetermined temperature, bellows 64 expands to move the switch arm 58 into contact with the contacts 61) and 62, thereby interconnecting

terminals

57, 55 and 61. As is known, railroad wheels are generally provided in groups of four, commonly referred to as trucks, two wheels being on each side of the car. A wire A connects terminal 57 of the thermally responsive switch 55 adjacent each journal box on one side of the car to the terminal 57 of the switch 515 near the adjacent journal box on the same side of the car. A wire B connects the terminal 59 of one of the thermally responsive switches 55 to terminal 59 of the adjacent switch 55. A wire C connects the other terminal 61 of each switch 55 to the other terminal 61 of the adjacent switch 55.

A wire 63 connects conductor 9 with wires A and a wire 65 connects wires C with wire 27. Wires B are connected to wire 15 by wires 67, visual signaling devices 69 and wire 71). A lead 72 connects the wires 67 on 0pposites of each car together.

' Signaling devices 6) each comprise an electromagnetic device generally indicated at 71, a signal generally indi-. cated at 73 and a normally closed switch 75. Electromagnetic device 71 comprises a solenoid 77 having a coil 79, and a plunger 81 biased away from the coil 79 by a spring 8-2; (see FIG. 3). Each wire 6-7 is connected to one contact of normally closed switch 75, i.e., one terminal of the signaling device 69, and coil 79 is connected to the other contact of switch 75. Wire 79 connects a second terminal of the signaling device to wire 15. Signal 73 comprises an arm 83 pivotally attached at 85 to the railroad car. A flag 57, which is preferably provided with a luminous coatnig, is attached to the other end of arm 53. Arm 83 is mounted for pivotal movement between a retracted position wherein the flag 87 is up, to a signaling position where the flag 87 is down. The retracted position of arm 83 is such that it is continuously biased downwardly by gravity. Located in the path of the arm 83 is a button 89 adapted to open the normally closed contacts of switch when pushed downwardly. It will thus be seen that arm 8-3 will cause the switch 75 to be opened when the arm falls to its signaling position. However, arm 83 is normally held from :falling by the plunger 83 of solenoid 77, which plunger extends into the path and blocks the movement of the arm 83 when the solenoid is deenergized. Upon energization of the solenoid 77 plunger 81 is withdrawn into coil 79 and the arm 83 is free to drop downwardly thereby opening switch 75 and deenergizing the solenoid. It will be seen that solenoids 77 are only momentarily energized due to the opening of switches 75. Thus the solenoids may be of a very inexpensive type which would overheat and become damaged if allowed to be energized for more than a few seconds. It will be understood that by providing solenoids adapted to carry current for a longer period, switches 75 could be eliminated.

Assuming any one of the journal boxes on car 3 becomes overheated, the operation of the system is as follows:

The normally open thermally responsive switch device 55 adjacent the particular overheated journal box will close. Current will then flow through conductor 9 and wires 63, A, the switch 56, wires C, 65, 27, 2-9 and alarm bell 21, wire 37, signal lamp 35, and wire 31, and back to the power source through wire 23. Thus a visual and audible signal is given to the engineer in the engine that one of the journal boxes is overheated. Current also flows through

wires

9, 63, switch 55, wires B, 67, normally closed switch 75 and coil '79 of each of the two parallel connected (by lead 72) signaling devices 69 in the particular car having the overheated journal box, wire 7% and back to the power source through wire 15. Coils '79 of these two devices 69 on car 3 are thereby simultaneously energized and withdraw the respective plungers 81, thus allowing arms 83 to drop downwardly from their retracted position to their signaling position. When each arm 83 reaches its signaling position, button 89 is depressed to open the normally closed contacts of the respective switch 75. This action deenergizes the circuits of the respective solenoids. Thus both of the fiags 87 on the particular car will be dropped down to a horizontal position so that they can be readily seen by members of the train crew from either side of the train, thereby indicating the car in which the overheated journal box is located. The signal lamp 35 and alarm bell 21 will remain energized only so long as the thermally responsive switch 55 remains closed, but the flags 37 will remain in their lower signaling position once they have been actuated. The signals 73 may be manually reset by pushing the plungers 81 back into the respective coils 79 and pivoting arms 33 back to their retracted position, then allowing plungers 81 to return to their deenergized position.

It will thus be seen that the overheated journal box detecting and signaling system of this invention provides a novel means of signaling that one of the journal boxes on the train is overheated and also provides a means by which the car having the hot journal box can be quickly located by the train crew.

While an alarm bell 21 and a signal lamp 35 are shown in this system, it is to be understood that other types of electrically operated devices may be used without departing from the spirit of this invention.

This system for detecting and signaling overheated journal boxes, as opposed to the type which automatically sets the brakes upon overheating of a journal box, permits the engineer to retain complete control of the train and thus bring it to a slow stop upon detection of an overheated journal box.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

l. A system for detecting and signaling overheated railroad car journal boxes in a train comprising a plurality of thermally responsive electrical switching devices each of which is positioned in heat transfer relationship with a diiierent journfl box, each of said switmng devices having three terminals which are electrically opencircuited in a first condition when the temperature of its associated journal box is below a predetermined temperature and which terminals are electrically commonly connected in a second condition when the temperattu'e of its associated journal box increases above said predetermined temperature, a first signal means having two electrical terminals and located at one end of the train, at least one second signal means located on each car and having two electrical terminals, each of said second signal means including an electrically operated latching means and an indicator movable between a retracted position and a signaling position md biased toward said signaling position, said latching means adapted when the second signal means is deenelrgized to retain said indicator in a retracted position and when said second signal means is energized to release said indicator, a source of electrical power for said first and second signal means and having two electrical terminals, a first electrical conductor commonly (interconnecting one terminal of said power source to one terminal of each of said switching devices, a second electrical conductor commonly interconnecting the second terminal of each of said switching devices to one terminal of said first signal means, a third electrical conductor commonly connecting the other power source terminal to the other terminal of said first signal means and to one terminal of each of said second signal means, said other terminal of said second signal means in each car being respectively commonly connected to the third terminals of each of said switching devices mounted on said car, whereby upon any journal box in any car in said train becoming overheated the associated switching means is actuated to its second condition thereby to energize said first signal means and the latching means of the second signal means on the panticular car having the overheated journal box is energized to release the indicator.

2. A system for detecting and signaling overheated railroad car journal boxes in a train as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said electrically operated latching means comprises a solenoid having a coil secured to a railroad car and a plunger movable within said coil, whereby when the solenoid is .deenergized said plunger extends into the path of the movement of said indicator to prevent movement thereof from retracted to signaling position and when the solenoid is energized said plunger is drawn into the coil and out of the path of the movement of said indicator to permit movement thereof from retracted position to signaling position.

3. A system for detecting and signaling overheated railroad car journal boxes in a train as set forth in claim 2 wherein each indicator comprises an arm pivotably attached at one end thereof to a railroad car and having a flag attached to the other end, said arm being gravitybiased toward signaling position.

4. A system for detecting and signaling overheated railroad car journal boxes in a train as set forth in claim 3 which further includes a normally closed switch connected in the circuit between the commonly connected third terminals of each of the switching devices on one car and the other terminal of the second signal means mounted on the respective oar, said arm of each second signaling means when moved to signaling position being adapted to open the normally closed switch connected to the second signaling means thereby deenergizing said solenoid of said respective latching means.

5. A system for detecting and signaling overheated railroad car journal boxes in a train as set forth in claim 1 which includes two second signal means on each car of the train, one of said second signal means on each car being visible from one side of the car and the other second signal means on each car being visible from the other side of the car.

6. A system for detecting and signaling overheated railroad car journal boxes in a train as set forth in claim 5 wherein each conductor comprises a plurality of sections, each section being interconnected to the adjoining sections between the cars of the train, including means for checking the system to determine if all of the sections of the conductors are properly connected together comprising a signal lamp located at the other end of the train and connected between said first and third conductors whereby said lamp is energized if the first and third conduotors are properly connected to the power source and through the train, and a manually operable normally open switch located at said other end of the train adapted to electrically interconnect said first and second conductors whereby said first signal means may be energized upon closing of the manually operated normally open switch.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,420,969 Newell May 20, 1947 2,478,000 Miller An 2,, 1949 2,560,753 \Ne'inberg July ;17, 1951 2,880,405 Lerman Mar. 31, 1959

Claims

1. A SYSTEM FOR DETECTING AND SIGNALING OVERHEATED RAILROAD CAR JOURNAL BOXES IN A TRAIN COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF THERMALLY RESPONSIVE ELECTRICAL SWITCHING DEVICES EACH OF WHICH IS POSITIONED IN HEAT TRANSFER RELATIONSHIP WITH A DIFFERENT JOURNAL BOX, EACH OF SAID SWITCHING DEVICES HAVING THREE TERMINALS WHICH ARE ELECTRICALLY OPEN-CIRCUITED IN A FIRST CONDITION WHEN THE TEMPERATURE OF ITS ASSOCIATED JOURNAL BOX IS BELOW A PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE AND WHICH TERMINALS ARE ELECTRICALLY COMMONLY CONNECTED IN A SECOND CONDITION WHEN THE TEMPERATURE OF ITS ASSOCIATED JOURNAL BOX INCREASES ABOVE SAID PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE, A FIRST SIGNAL MEANS HAVING TWO ELECTRICAL TERMINALS AND LOCATED AT ONE END OF THE TRAIN, AT LEAST ONE SECOND SIGNAL MEANS LOCATED ON EACH CAR AND HAVING TWO ELECTRICAL TERMINALS, EACH OF SAID SECOND SIGNAL MEANS INCLUDING AN ELECTRICALLY OPERATED LATCHING MEANS AND AN INDICATOR MOVABLE BETWEEN A RETRACTED POSITION AND A SIGNALING POSITION AND BIASED TOWARD SAID SIGNALING POSITION, SAID LATCHING MEANS ADAPTED WHEN THE SECOND SIGNAL MEANS IS DEENERGIZED TO RETAIN SAID INDICATOR IN A RETRACTED POSITION AND WHEN SAID SECOND SIGNAL MEANS IS ENERGIZED TO RELEASE SAID INDICATOR, A SOURCE OF ELECTRICAL POWER FOR SAID FIRST AND SECOND SIGNAL MEANS AND HAVING TWO ELECTRICAL TERMINALS, A FIRST ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR COMMONLY INTERCONNECTING ONE TERMINAL OF SAID POWER SOURCE TO ONE TERMINAL OF EACH OF SAID SWITCHING DEVICES, A SECOND ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR COMMONLY INTERCONNECTING THE SECOND TERMINAL OF EACH OF SAID SWITCHING DEVICES TO ONE TERMINAL OF SAID FIRST SIGNAL MEANS, A THIRD ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR COMMONLY CONNECTING THE OTHER POWER SOURCE TERMINAL TO THE OTHER TERMINAL OF SAID FIRST SIGNAL MEANS AND TO ONE TERMINAL OF EACH OF SAID SECOND SIGNAL MEANS, SAID OTHER TERMINAL OF SAID SECOND SIGNAL MEANS IN EACH CAR BEING RESPECTIVELY COMMONLY CONNECTED TO THE THIRD TERMINALS OF EACH OF SAID SWITCHING DEVICES MOUNTED ON SAID CAR, WHEREBY UPON ANY JOURNAL BOX IN ANY CAR IN SAID TRAIN BECOMING OVERHEATED THE ASSOCIATED SWITCHING MEANS IS ACTUATED TO ITS SECOND CONDITION THEREBY TO ENERGIZE SAID FIRST SIGNAL MEANS AND THE LATCHING MEANS OF THE SECOND SIGNAL MEANS ON THE PARTICULAR CAR HAVING THE OVERHEATED JOURNAL BOX IS ENERGIZED TO RELEASE THE INDICATOR.