US890198A - Electric railway. - Google Patents

Description

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

APPTJOATION FILED MAR. 2. 1906.

DQ Ky,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED JUNE 9, 1908. L. H. THULLBN.

No. 890,198. PATENTED JUNE 9, 1908. L. H. THULLEN.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

APPLI ATION FILED M R. 2. 1906.

0 A 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT onnrcn.

LOUIS HQ THULLEN, OF EDGEWOOD, PENNSYLVANIA,

ASSIGNOR TO'THE UNION SWITCH & SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SVISSVALE, PENNSYLV ANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

no. scones.

- means for indicating the electrical potential .JOIKiQiJIOIl, of a section of a working conduc tor for the car propulsion current. In many instances it is necessary to form the work mg conductor mto sections or to break its continuity'at points. Under such circumstances it is advisable that some means be provided which will indicate to a motorman whether or, not there is sufficient potentialin the sectional conductor which he is approaching tooperatehis'car or train, or whether the difference in potential between the two SGCiJiOIlSlS excessive, in which case the current will blow fuses in his train or cause other trouble.

I will describe an electric railway embodying in invention and'then point' out the novel eatu-res thereof in claims.

' In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 a diagrammatic'al view of a portionof a ran- -'Way, sections of a- Working conductor for car propulsion current and a means for v'indicatmg whether or not potential exists in the sections of the feeder conductor; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but indicating a different condition. Fig- 3 is .a view similar to 1 but illustrating amodification.

imilar reference characters designate corresponding parts in all ofthe' figures.

tReferring to the drawings-A designates a portion" of arailway, the track or running rails '92-, a? are included in or form part of the return path or conductor for the car'propulsion current. :The track rails, bne "onboth Zmayor may not bedivided byinsulation to .forr'nhlock sections for signaling purposes.

B designates a, working conductor, third rail or trolley and-b, b, b,;sections thereof.

. B designates a power generator for supplyingthe working sections b, 6, I) through -c"onductors B B etc. These sections may or may not be of equal len th, as'desired. In "some casesit may be preferable to only'sec= tion the conductor B at points where conditions are such-that a continuous conductor Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed March 2,

Patented June 9, 1908. 1906. Serial No. 303,774.

could not-be used. The working conductor B whether jcontinuous or insections is designed to have an electrical potential substantially the same at all points (not c'onsid ering the line drop) and the power station and sub-power stations areso arranged as to accomplish this. Consequently, should the working conductor B be; divided into sections, all the sections thereof would have the same otential. In this event the means which provide at the section points will be operated or balanced to indicate this condition and theserneans will preferably'be adjusted to or protected against the line drop. Should, however, this condition of equal or substantially equal electrical potential between the section change or vary for any cause, the means (my invention) will indicate this fact.

The means which I employ comprises a visible or audible indicator C and .a relay or translating device 0 for controlling the indi cator. As shown, the indicator 0 is in the form of a semaphore blade and is actuated b a suitable automatic mechanism a of whic there are many. The operating circuit which, for the mechanism c includes a source of-current, is controlled by the rela C .I/Vhen the local or operating circuit 1s closed, the indicator O assumes a position indicating to the motorman that the sections of the feeder are or nearly are, of the same and suflicientpotential to operate his car or train. This condition is illustrated in Fig. 1. When the operating circuit is open, the indicator assumes a position indicating to the motornian thatthe potential of thesection is not the same as the other sections of the feeder conductor.

, .The' relay C is of a type of motor comprising afield c, and an armature c which, as shown, comprises two windings of the same number of turns 0 0 The armature c is arranged to rotate or oscillate within the field. When equal currents are flowing through these windings simultaneously the armature will assume one position relatively tothe field and when unequal currents are flowing through the windings simultaneously the armature assumes-another position relatively'zto the field In'the osition assumed by the armature when equa or substantially equal currents are flowing through the windings '(see Fig. 1") an arm 0 carrying spring contacts is made to keep closed the operating circuit of theindicator C, and inthe position assumed by the armature when une ual currents are flowing through the windings the arm is made to open the operating circuit of the indicator 0. One winding 0" is in'circuit with a section Z) of the working conductor and the return conductor (the trackway),

and the other winding 0 is in circuit with an adjiacent section b and the return conductor. 11 Figs. 1 and 2 the windings" c of one relay C is connected with a section I), while the wlnding c of another relay C is in circuit withthe same section. This is immaterial, for the-reason that should the potential of that section drop for any reason, the arma- "tures' of the relays will move to open the opcrating circuit irrespective of the direction of movement'of the armature. In Fig. 2,

otential of the middlesection has dropped, y'reaso'n of excessive leakage, short circuit or any other cause, or raised above its normal vpotential for any cause, thereby producing more or less current, in the windin s of' the turn for the current of the section.

- operated by a winding 0.

relays with which it is connected than that .existingin the other windings, thus roducmg a movement of the armatures re atively to the field to open theoperating circuits of the indicators, v

. In Fig. 3 instead of having two windings of the same number of, turns in a relay device, I

vprovide one winding 0 to operate the indi cator C, which winding is in circuit with a section. of the feeder conductor and the re- Included in .this' circuit is a movable contact iece c The win lllgS are so proportioned that both will operate at the same potential. The win-dingo is in circuit withan adjacent section b of the working,

the

conductor and the return' forthe current of the section. In this form of the invention should the otential of the middle section b fall materia ly below that of the adjacent sec-- tions, the windings in circuit with that section: would be unable to hold the contact o volt meters. ora differentially wound v0lt-- meter. Such volt meters could-control an audibleor visible indicator, or the pointers of such meters may be the indicator.

What I claim as my invention'is: In combination with two sections of a working conductor of an electric railway, of an indicator for indicating the potential condition of the two sections, B/CII'GUIt for said indicator, a relay for controlling said circuit comprising two windings, one being in cir cuit with one section and a' return for the current in the section, and the other winding be ing incircuit with the other section and the return for the current in the section.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this s ecification'in the presence of two subscribe witnesses.

LOUIS HITH LLEN. Witnesses HENRY R. BAUER. J. A. RENNIE.

Images