US1200048A - Train-control system. - Google Patents

Description

0. P. vTHURBER. mm 4CONTROL SYSTEM.' APPLICATION FILED MAY 20. 1912.

s SHEETSAHEET l.

Shoe Wto@ Patented Oct. 3, 1916.

G. P. THURBEH, TRAIN CONTROL SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILED MAY 20. I9I2.

Patented Oct. 3, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' wue wie@ @my @M G. P. THUHBER.

vTRMN CONTROL SYSTEM.

. APPLICATiON FILED MAY 20. 1912.- 1,200,048. Patented oct.. 3,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.f

i ,eoonaa fran g STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUY P. l'lI-`URBElR 0F PITTSBUROH, PIJJVNSYLVANU-i, ASSIGNOR, BYy MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, T0 AUTOMATICKTRAIN CONTROL 8c SIGNAL COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, .l-ENNSYLVNIA, A. CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

TRAIN-CONTROL SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented oet. a, 191e.

l Application filed iliay 20. 1912. Serial No. 698,388.

Toul! 1J/wm it may concern Bc h* known that I, GUY I. Tnnannn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny 'and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Train-Control Systems, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates in general tothose automatic systems of train control wherein the train is brought under automatic control when danger' conditions exist.

The objects of the invention may be stated to be to improve upon these systems and render them more practical and efiicient in actual use. y y (ine fea-ture of the present invention consists in combining an Lautomatic train controlling system with the air brake system of the train so that when the train enters a danger zone the brakes will be automatik cally applied and the motive power will he cut oft. The means for 'accomplisliing this purpose may vary. Preferably the'brakes are applied` when thetrain entcrsthe danger zone by means of what I have termed an automatic brake valve which is actuated to release pressure in the train line to cause the setting ot' the brakes. This automatic brake valve is preferably interposed in be tween thc engineers brake'valve andthe point of connection `with the train line, and 1s so arranged that when operated, it not only provides an exhaust passage for the train line pressure but also cuts o't communication between the engineer-s valve and the train line, therel'iy taking control of the train out ot the engineei"s hands.

Aln connection`\vith this automatic brake valve another 'feat-ure of the invention couin providing certain means whereby the engineer, though unable to release the brakes, may, when the automatic means. has taken control of4 the train, il" he finds it necessary, still further facilitate and. hasten the quick application of the brakes.v

Numerous other features and 'objects of the invention willl appear as the specification proceeds.

ferred, embodiment of the iinrvfention but I would .havefit understood that various changes .and modifications mayb in thc drawings I hai-'e illustrated appre-u niade v therefroln vvithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

i In the drawings: Figure 1 is a more or less diagrammatic representation of the yair brake equipment'of a locomotive and so much of an automatic train controlling system is necessary to vproperly illustrate the invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of theautonlatic brake valve, with the parts shown in their normal position. Fig. 8 is a like .view of the same with 'K the parts shown in the operative position 'assumed when an automatic application of the brakes is made. Fig. Ai is a longitudinal view of the compound `val've\vhich controls the operation Voi the automatic brake valve and the throttle valve.

Like reference characters relier to like parts throughout the several vievvs.

T he drawings show only so much of the aicbrake system and the-'automatic train controlling system as is needed to illustrate the correlation of the two. Referring.particularly to Fig. l., l. designates the train line, Z the engineers valve and 3 the main reservoir or other source of fluid pressure ol the air brake system7 while 4 designates the automatic brake valve and 5 the device in the automatic train controlling system which controls the opera. tion of the automatic brake valve The air brake system maybe ol" the usual type in which the brakes are applied vby reducing the pressure in the train line, the rate and the extent oi' reduction in the train line determining the 'lorce and rapidity at'which the brakes are applied. Ordinarily the application of the brakes is wholly under theV control oi the engineer by means ot his controliing valvev 2 in the usual way. But when the train enters a danger zone, the control is taken out of the engineers hands and the train is brought 4under automatic control. T he automatic brake valve is the means by which the control of the train is retrieved from the engineer and rendered automatic. rlfhe brake valve is therefore vl'preferably lintcn'posedl at a point between n the engineers valve and the train line, preferably by placing it in the line of piping 6 extending betweenv the engineers valve and the train line. r t n By referring to the sectional views, 1t

will he seen that the brake valve has a main passage 7 therethrough which when open provides free communication between the engineers valve and the Atrain line. trolling this main passage there is a cut oil valve S, and means are provided for holding this cut off valve open under normal v y form of' a pressure-actuated device, such as the piston 9 which works within, a cylinder 16 and carries the valve rod 11 on the end portion of which the cut oil' valve 8 is mounted. In the embodiment illustrated `when fluid under pressure is admitted to the head of the piston,u the same will be actuated to open the cutgoll valve topermlt tree passage between the englneers valve and the train line.` The parts might, however, be arranged in reverse relation so that when pressureis admitted to the piston the cutoff valve will be closed. With the form illustrated a spring 1:2 is preferably em.- ployed to carry the cut otf valve( into firm engagement with its seat 13 when the pressure upon the pstonis relieved. Extending from theside of the brake vvalve which is connected to the train line, .there is an exhaust passage 14, which passage is, in the normalposition lol" the parts, closed by an exhaust valve 15. It is intended that when the cut off valve is closed the exhaust valve shall be open andvice versa. Accordingly the exhaust valvek is preferably also 'carrled by the valve stem 11 in the manner indicated. l I i In order that the operationof the parts so far described may be fully understood, attention isdirected particularly to Fig. l. There the device 5 is a valve which controls flow of the actuating fluid to the piston of the automatic brake valve. The valve` 5 is under the control and in fact forms a part of the automatic traincontrolling system which is partlyy shown inv this view. Qrdinarily this valve 5 is energized and serves to permit flow of pressure to the piston of the automatic rake valvewhereby the piston acts to hdd the exhaust valve closed and the cut-oil' valve open, he actuating fluid being conveyed from the valve 5to the piston ofthe automatic brake valve through 'suitable piping 16. 'Thisvalve which thus controls the operation of the automatic brake valve, serves when'it is denergized, to release the pressure underthe piston 9 of the automatic brake valve, whereuponthe valve rod is shifted over to`clos/ethe eut ofi' valve and to operi'up the exhaust valve,

as indicated in Fig. 3; The closing of the cut-oli` valve cuts off communication be-y tween the engmeers valve and the tram line Conundeimthe piston-inthe automatic brake and the simultaneous` opening of the ex,- haust kvalve provides a means of escape for the pressure in thetrain linethrough the exhaust passage 1i and out Athrough the exhaust ort 17. The release of the air in the train line causes the setting of the brakes in any ywell'known manner. In the illus- .y trationk the reduction in pressure in the train line actuates the triple valve 18 which opens up How of the `fluid under pressure from theauxiliary reservoir `19` to the brake cylinders 2,0- The valve 5 illustrated in de tail in Fig. 4 is underfithe control of the automatic train controlling system and acts under certain conditions which the'auto matic' train controlling system iscapable of taking cognizance of.u For instance this might be a danger valve which would he denergizedy upon the,` train entering a danger zone and wouldlthenllryr its action described ahovegcausean emergency application oi"` the brakesto be iinade Ythrough the medium Voi the automatic brake .valvej` y y The pressure which is normally maintained 90 valve, may be ordinarily supplied from the highpressure,reservoir 3 through the pip- .ing 21. 'i

When the brakes are applied in the manf ner above set 4forth,it is desirable that the.95 motive )ower should also be shut oil. Acf cordingly there is preferably provided a throttle controllinmfl'` eylinderf` arranged p e so that wheny pressureisadmitted tu it v through the the throttle :lever Q4, close the throttle.` Flow of fluid under pressureto the throttle f controllingcylinder 1s preferably governed by the samevlvalve which controls rthe opera-k tion of the automatic. brake valve'.A y-ThelO 4valve, 5y uis, therefore,y preferably like the magnet` valve disclosed lin my application v Serial No.y 632,052,which, acts tomo en up fluid under pressure atA onepoint an to release fthe `fluid runder pressurev at another point.:

In its preferred form the c mpound control valve illustrated in Fig. `consists of a f valve casing 35 provided withan'inletvport 36 communicating with the reserioir pipe 115" 21, At 37 is an outletport communicating with the pipee23 leading to the throttle rc1 tuating mechanism and `through whichy pressure maybe su J'plied'wheh the supply i valve 38 is raised rom` its seatjasshdivn. 120,

In this 4position the Huid pressure HoWsiom j the/port 36, through the passage 39, cham-rA ber' 4:0,r port 41,. chamber ,42,and thence` through thepassagee and pipe 23'to operi f ate thefthrottle closing mechanism 22. The '125 Valve 88 is carriedion a `diaphrazg'mii which also carries `the disky 45 mounted closely adjacent the 'lower face of` `the diaphragm 46. -The diaphragm has `tx'nuch"greater area than? has the diaphragm 4.4 and, in the 130, i

soy

piping 23,it`will,acting upon 100 l .normal conditionfof the device, vHuid pressure `is-supplied to the upper surface of the larger diaphragm 46 and is continuously supplied vto the under surface of the smaller diaphragm 44. the 'differential' the valve seated. In order to unseat the.

valve and thereby supply pressure to operate the throttle closing device, the double` acting valve 47-48 is provided. The'upper member of. this valve isv normally held seated to close the exhaust passage 58 by its' connection 49 to the armature 50 of the magnet 51. Upon ya denergization of this magnet the sprlng 52 operatesto'raisethe valve 47 from its seat and to move the valve 48 against its seat. When the lower valve is unseated, in the normal condition of the device, fluid pressure is supplied from the port 36 through' the passage 53, port 54 and ,passage to the chamber 56 and the upper surface ofthe diaphragm 46. Pressure is also supplied to the pipe 16 through the port 57 whereby the brake valveV is nor mally held in inoperative condition. Upon a denergizationof the magnet 51 the conl nection between the passage 53 and the passage 55 is closed by the seating of the valve 48, and a connection is established between the passage 55 and the exhaust port 58 leading to the atmosphere. 'In this condition of the device the pressure in the chamber 56 and the pipe 16 will be exhausted and the brake valve will be operated. Also the i valve 38 will bev raised by the pressure still existing under the diaphragm 44so that air will be supplied to the pipe 23 to close the throttle. When the parts are restored again to normal and the vvalve 38 is seated, the valve' 59 which has a mechanical connection with the supply valve. 38,is unseated and a passage therebyl establishedfor the exhaust of pressure fromk the pipe 23, through the porti, passage 60, chamher 61, passage 62, and exhaust port 63.

have shown above how when the autom/atic brake valve is actuated, the brakes will be applied and the controlof the train will therefore be taken outA of the hands ofthe engineer. .As the operation of the automatic brake valve takes'placeonly in cases of emergency, ythe parts are preferably so designed that the release of the .train line pressure by the automatic brake valve will be so sudden as to obtain a so-called emergene-y application of the brakes. lt is possible under certainA circumstances that the engineer might, if ity were in his power, be

able tol assist the automatic controlling mechanism in securing a more sudden appli;v cation of the brakes, and for this purpose l propose to provlde means -wh1ch,wh1le not giving the engineer power to release the brakes while the automatic train control is in operation, will, nevertheless, givev him the power to assist the automatic traincontrol mechanism in applying the brakes more rapidly. In the preferred construction this latter means consists of a bypass 25 extending, as Vshown in Figs. 2 4and 3, from one side around to the other side of the parti;4 tion26, which is interposed in the passage 7 of the automatic brake valve. A check valve 27 is placed in this bypass and is ar- I ranged to open upwardly or toward the engineers brake valve, as shown. This check valve prevents the passage of any fluid under pressureV from the engineers brake valve through the bypass to the train line. When, however, the cut ofl' valve has been closed and` the exhaust valve has been opened to exhaust the train line, this check valve provides a means of esca from the train line back to the engineers valv'e.- 'It will be evident therefore that the engineer n .in such a case: by throwing his valve to the Feiner-gency position can reduce the pressure at the engineers valve to zeno or v practically so, in which case the check valve will open tov providean additional vmeans of escape for the train line pressure, thereby lhastening the setting of the brakes.

It will now be understood from the foregroin(r how m invention rrovides for autou D matically bringing the train to a stop when the train enters a danger zone, entirelyindependent of any action on the part of the engineer. But in addition to this it is desii-able that some warning should be conveyed to the engineer to let him know that the train is approaching the. danger zone.l Accordingly another' feature of the invention consists in the provision of means for conveying a cautioning signal to the engineer'before the train enters the danger none. The means for imparting the cautionk signal may, and rpreferably does consist; as shown in the accompanying drawings, of a socalled caution valve 28 forming a part of the automatic train controlling system. This clution valve is normall held energized byxmeans of a circuitindlcated by the wires and is, asshown, preferably connected with the train line pressure by piping 29. According to the preferred operation, when thev train enters al caution zone, the magnet valve28 is denergized by the rupture ofthe circuitindicated by 35, whereby the valve is opened and pressure from the pipe 29 fiows to. the time switch 30 by way ofthe pipe 31. The time. switch is connected by means of the Wires 36 to magnet valve and normally holds the, latter energized. When Huid pressure is admitted to the time switch 30, the contact member 32 is moved -over into engagement with the contact 33,

tot

lthe brakes are applied another signal may he displayed in the cali.

It will be understood that when the eaution magnet valve QS is opened, there is no reduction of pressure in the. train line heeause the fluid is not exhausted to the atswitch 30.

What is claimed, is:

1. The combination with an air b alte system including,r a. train line, a reservoir2 and an engineers valve interposed in the piping between the reservoir and the train line, of

an automatically operated valveinterposed in the piping between the engineers valve and the train line to control pressure in the train line independent of the control ex-y Y ereised by the engineers valve to render the engineers valve ineffective for retaining pressure in the tram line upon the closing of thc automatic valve, means for maintain-` ing the engineefs valve constantly eeetive to decrease, pressure in' the train line, and pressure operated mechanism fo ac tuatingbr said autifnnatic valve.V

2. In an air lil-alie system the combina tion with a train line, a reservoir, a supply pipe connecting,` the reservoir and the train line; and an engineers valve interposed in the said suppl)v pipev` of a normally open valve interliosed in the supply pipe between the engineers valve and the train line to render the engineers valve inell'ective for re-v taining pressure in the train line upon the closing`r of the automatic valve', means for maintaining the engineers valve constantly ett'eetive to decrease pressure m the train.

line, means for closingy said valve to cut olli the air pressure from the reservoir between the engineers valve and the train line, Said valve arranged when closed to provide a means of escape for the pressure in the train line, and means controlling the operation ol the valve aforesaid.

3. In combination with an air brake. sys-V tem includinga main reservoir, a train line and a controlling valve`interp`osed between the main reservoir and the train line, 'a brake valve interposed between the controlling valv 1. and the train line., normally open to provide communication between the con- 'trolling valve and train line, and having an exhaust passage from the train linewhich is normally closed, operating means -for the L brake valve to close communication between the controlling valve and t `ain line and open up the exhaust passage from the train line, and a bypass arranged to provide communia passage, arranged theoneaf cation between the train linevandthe controlling valve after the brakegvalvethas been closed.

4. In'combination with an air brake system including a trainline and `a controlling valve connected with the` train illine, an automatic 'brake valve interposed; in the conneetion between the controlling valve and the trainl line to! `renderthey` controlling valve ineffective for retaining pressure in the train line when the brake'lvalve iS closed',

means forA maintaining the I engineers valve Y 4constantly effective to decrease pressure in mosphere hut 1s merely admitted to the time the train lineregardlessof the condition of automatic valve, said automatic valve'being provided with an exhaustpassageykvalves controlling the yfirst passageandthe exhaust alve to loe closed when the other is open;d,; kpistonconnected with the valves for loperating tliesam'e, and means eontrolliiw vflow of'kactuatingfluid to said piston; n

n combination `with faIi air braken System includinga train ,line/anda `controlling valve connected toinatic brake 'valve interposed between the controlling e alve and tli'etiaindine having ai passage providing'communication bewith thetrain lne`,` anan-y tween the eontrollingzpvalvelandftrain lino and being further p passage, valises eontrolllngthe first passage provided :with an "exhaust and the exhaust passage arranged the oneI valve to he closed whentheother is opened, a piston connected-with the yvalves*1to1* operating .the same, means contifollingffiow of' actuating fluid to said pistonrfand a normally elosedeheek valve forminga bypass.

from the train line tof'the controllingjvalve' `when the valve in the first passageis closed. p (i. An automatic hrakeaalvehaving a through passage and*an;exhaustjpassage,'a

valve stein, valves to the through# passage and to the exhaustfpassagerarried by the valve stein and arranged ,tozelosejtheQ e2:- haust i y passage lwhen the"through?passage isy closed, a piston `carried by the `valvevstein.`

u1 anis controlling,r admissionfofifluid under i pressure towsaid piston, `a kbypass tothe yside of the through passage ar 'angedf to 'permit flow past the valve yinthe througili passage when the saine is elosedyandv a cheekvalre in the said hypass.

T. In eomlamition with thetrainline and engineers valve of an;ainln'akeysystem, an

automatic brake "valve ,l co1uprising` "a main passage connected atene/side"tofthe engineerls valve and at the other side lto the train line, a cutoff i-'alveyinlfsaidfpassageg an exhaust passageleadinglromythat side of the main passage which is` connected to,

the train line, a valveto saiddexlianst' passage, a valve stem on wlnehho'ths'aid yva'iies are arranged so that when vrone'isolmen the other will be closed, meanslfaeting on the valve stem to shift the samefito close-the eut off valve and open the exhaust valve, a-piston on the valve stem, means for supplying fluid under pressure to Said piston to normally force the piston over tofhold the cut olf valve open and the exhaust valve closed, a b vpassextending around the cut ofl' valve to afl'ord a rpassage from the train line to the engineers valve when the cut oli' valve is closed, and a check valve in the said bypass.

8. In combination with an air brake system imtludinga reservoir, a train line feeding from the reservoir, an engineers' valve for controlling the supply from the reservoir to the train line, a trainline-exhaust ing valve interposed between the engineers valve and the train line, a pressure-actuated device having a rigid connection with the exhaust valve for normally maintaining said exhaust valve inoperative, a throttle contro1lingcylinder, a compound valve, branch connections between the pressure actuated device and the throttle cylinder, and a supply connection between the reservoir and said compound valve, the said compound valve arranged to normally permittiow of fluid under pressure to the fluid-actuated device through one of said branch connections and to, prevent flow of Huid under pressure. to the throttle controlling cylinder through the other of said branch connections and being adapted to reverse said flow.

9. -In combination with an air brake system including a reservoir, a train line, an engineers valve connected in the train line for controlling pressure from the reservoir,

an automatic brake valve interposed beday of May A. D.

tvveen the engineers valve and the train line Including a cut ofi valve normally open to provide tree passage between the engineers valve and train line and an exhaust valve normally closed to the train line, operating means arranged to close the cut off valve to close communication between the engineers valve and train line and to open the exhaust valve to permit escape of the train line pressure through said exhaust valve, and means-to be actuated by the pressure in the train line to provide communication between the engineers valve and train line after the cut olf valve has been closed to permit additional exhaust 'of the train line pressure by way of the engineers valve.

10. The combination with an air brake system including a trainline and an en gineers valve -for normally controlling pressure in the train line, of an automatically operated 'alve controlling pressure in the train llne t0 the exclusion of the control normally exercised by the engineers valve lto retam or increase the pressure 1n the train line, and means for .maintaining the engineers valve effective to decrease the pressure in the train line regardless ofthe condition of said automatically operated valve.

Signed at Pittsburgh, in the count of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania t is 11th 1912. GUY P..THURBER. Witnesses:

JOSEPH K-Nox STONE,4

C. LYNCH.

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