US1629832A - Railway-traffic-controlling apparatus - Google Patents

Description

ay R. A. MGCANN RAILWAY TRAFFIC CONTROLLING' APPARATUS Filed March 1, 1924 Parenteel May 24,` 1927. Y

f f [U NJLITED Y 4or swissvntn; rijnnsnyninn, Assisivon To THE UNION SWITCH e SlGNeLCOlVirANY, QF SWtSSvaI-a.trimm-VANI@ 1A CQRPORATION RQNALD A- MQGANN,

or y rnNnsYLvAnIA.

, maan PASTE-.Nr oir-Flea.

Applcatonled March 1, 1924. `Serial No. 696,344.

vMy invention relatesr to railway traiiic controlling apparatus, and' particularly'tol apparatus of the typecomprising train caro ried -governing means controlled vby energy received from the trackway. "More particularly my inventionrelates to the trackway portion of such` apparatus.

I will describe two forms of trackway apparatus embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof v1n claims. l

In the accompanying drawing,il `ig. l-is a diagrammatic view showing one form y,of

trackway"apparatus embodying my invention.'` Fig. `Qis a view showing` a modified form flthe trackway apparatus shown vin Fig; 1 andalso embodying my invention.

tlimilar'reference characters refer to similar parts in both views. Referring vlirst yto Fig. l, the reference characters il' and lf designate the track railsof a'stretch'of railway track, overv which traiiic :normally `moves in tl'ie'dire'ction indicated by the arrow. These track lrails are divided, by means of insulated joints 2, into a plurality of successive blocks, of'which only one'block A-C is shown in the drawing. .This block 5r-C is divided by means of insulated joints 2 into a forward track section B-C anda rear track 'section A#B. Each of the sections is providedwitli a track transformer designated by vthe reference character T with a suitable exponent and having a secondary winding 3 connected across the rails'adjacent the exit'end'of the associated section. i An .impedance 5'is interposed between l.the secondary' 3 of each track transformer T and one rail lwof'the associated section in the usual manner. A track relay khere designated by Vthe reference character R twith 4an eXponent corresponding to the location is connected Vacross the rails adjacent lthe entrance end of yeach section. Y f f The primary lof .track transformer TC is'constantly supplied with alternating current from terminals D and E, of a suitable source of energy" notshownin the drawing.

LThe primaryA l oft'ransformer 'EB is supplied with alternating` current over front but section B-C is unoccupied, relay RA is dei-.energized but vrelay Rfisenerg'ized, Vand when section B--Cf is `occupied relays RB and Re areboth cle-energized.

Located 'adjacent theentra'nce end of each block is apolar'ized line relay designated-by the reference character G with an `rappropri-fy K ate eirponent.' Relay@C is omitted from the drawingfor the sakeof'simplicityj Locatedlat; the entrance end of each block is Ya trackway signal designated by the referencevcharacter Swith an appropriateexpone'nt and' controlled by theassociatedrelay'G. Y -Eachsignal as here shown i'sa threeposition semaphore signal capable of displaying a proceed, a: caution ora 'stopindication. The control 'of' these'tsignals' forms no part; of my present invention andfis omitted from the drawing' for the saleof simplicity. F or present purposes itis sulficient to state that each signal S is so controlled by its associated relay G that when the'corresponding block is occupiechthe s'ignal indicates stop; when the corresponding block'is unoccupied `but'the block'next in advance'is occupied, the signal indicates cauti on,and when 'the vcorresponding'block and the nent block in advance are both unoccupied the signal indicates proceed.

Associated ,with signal SC 'are a pole changer PC and a circuit controller KC', the functions of which will be descr-ibed'in ldetail hereinafter.

fplRelayGA comprises two windings ll and 12,'of which Iwinding l2 is' constantly supplied with alternating current from `ter minals'D and E. 1Winding ll of this relay is supplied with alternating current of one relative polarity when signal SC indicates caution or proceed, and with alternating current of theother relative polarity when signalmSC indicates stop, over a circuit passing from terminal D, through pole changer PC, wireV I6, frontl contact 17 of track 'relay RB, wire `18,'front contact '-19 of track relay RA, wire 20, winding l1 of relayGA, 'wire 21, and pole changerPC b'ack'to terminal This-circuit is closed only when relays RB and VARAy are energized, under which ,conditionsrelay RA is suppliedwith current of one relativetpolarity, which I will hereinafter term normal relative polarity 7, when signal SQ indicates proceed'or caution, and with alternating current of the'other relative -iponected across the rails at an intermediate point in the section. Loop current is'supplied to each section from a loop transformer designated by the reference character L with an exponent corresponding to the location. Primary winding 10 of loop transformer LB is connected .across wires 18 and 21, and is therefore in parallel with relay GA. The secondary 9 of transformer LB is connected with impedances 6 and 7 in section A-B. Section A-B is therefore constantly supplied with alternating loop current as long as relay RB is energized. Itv will also beclear that the relative polarity of such` loop current will be the same as the relative polarity of the current supplied to relay GA, that is7 the loop current will be of normal relative polarity when signal SC indicates proceed or caution and will be of reverse relative polarity when signal SC indicates stop. In similar manner the primary 10 of transformer LC is connected across wires 16 and 21, and is ytherefore constantly supplied with alternating current of one relative polarity or the other depending on the condition of signal SC. Section B-C is provided with one local circuit which passes from secondary 9 of transformer LC, through wire 28, circuit controller KC operated by signal SC, wire 27, impedance 7 in section B-C, through both rails of the section in parallel to impedance 6 and wire 26 back to transformer LC. This circuit is closed only when signal SC indicates proceed or caution. Under these circumstances therefore loop current of normal relative polarity is supplied to section B-C throughout the length of the section. A second loop circuit is provided for section B-C over which current flows from secondary 9 of transformer LC, through wire 28, circuit controller KC controlled by signal SC, wire 29, impedance 8 in section B--G, through the rails of the section in parallel to impedance 6, and Wire 26 back to secondary 9 of transformer LC. This circuit is closed only when signal SC indicates stop, but under this condition the current supplied by transformer LC is of reverse relative polarity, and loop current of reverse relative polarity is therefore supplied to section B- C between impedances 6 and 8.

rIhe trackway apparatus herein shown and described is capable of co-operation with train carried governingvmeans so that when the train occupies a stretch of track which is supplied with track circuit current and with loop current of normal relative polarity a proceed indication is received on the train; when the train occupies a portion of track which is supplied with track circuit current and with loop current of reverse relative polarity a caution indication is received on the train; and when the train occupies a portion of track to which the supply of either track circuit current or loop current is interrupted the train receives a stop indication. It follows that both the loop current and the track circuit current` may be considered as train governing currents.r

As shown in the drawing signal SC indicates proceed and block A-G vis unoccupied. Relays RA and RB are both energized and current of normal relative polarity is supplied to winding 11 of relay GA and to the primary 10 of transformers LB and LC. Sections A--B and B-G are each supplied with track circuit current and with loop current of normal relative. polarity throughout the lengths of the sections. If,

now, a train moving in the direction of the arrow enters block A C such train will receive a proceed indication throi'ighoutV the block. The operation of the apparatus would be the same were signal SC at caution.

I will next assume that signal SC is at stop, as by the presence of a train in the block to-the right of point C. Pole changer PC and circuit controller KC are reversed and current of reverse relative polarity is supplied to winding 11 of relay GA and to the primary-10 of each of the loop transformers LB and LC. Loop current of reverse relative polarity is therefore supplied to the rails of section A-B throughoutL their length, and to the rails of section B-G between impedances 6 and 8, but no loop current is supplied te section B-C between impedances S and 7. If a train enters block A-G .under these conditions it will receive a caution indication from point A to impedance 8 in section B-G and a stop indication from impedance 8 to point C.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 2 the track relays R are supplied with direct current from trackbatteries 13 connected across the rails adjacent the exit ends of the sections.` The secondaryB of a track transformer is interposed between each track battery 13 and one rail 1L of the associated section for supplying alternating train controlling current to the section. Primary 4 of transformer TB is in this view constantly supplied with alternating current from terminals D and E. Relay GA is a direct current relay and is supplied with energy from a suitable source pf directfcurrent such asl a battery N over a circuit similar to the circuit for relay GA in Fig. l. Located at point B is an auxiliary relay J connected across wires 18 and 2l. This relay Vis responsive to reversals of the relative polarity of the current supplied thereto. The polar contacts 32 and 37 of relay J controlr the relative polarity of the current supplied to primary l() of transformer LB. The loop circuit for section A-B is the same as in Fig. l. The primary l of transformer LC is constantly supplied with alternating current from terminals D and E. One loop circuit for section B-C passes from secondary 9 of transformer LC, through wire 40,

. circuit controller KC operated by signal SC,

wir al, impedance 6 in section BC, through both rails of the section in parallel to impedance 7, and wire Ll2 back to secondary 9 of transformer LC. This circuit is closed only when signal SC indicates proceed or caution, under which condition section B-C is supplied with loop current of normal relative Vpolarity throughout the length of the section. A second loop circuit is provided for section B-C over which current .flows from secondary 9a of transformer LC, through wire 4ta, impedance 8 in section B-C, through both rails of the section in parallel to impedance 6, wire 4l, circuit controller KC operated by signal SC and wire 43 back to secondary 9 of transformer LC. This circuit is closed only when signal SC indicates stop vunder which conditions lsection B-C is supplied with loop current of reverse relative polarity between impedances G and 8. The operation of the trackway apparatus shown in Fig. 2 when a train traverses the stretch is the same as that explained in connection with Fig. lV and.

tions may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without Ideparting from the spirit and scope of my invention. Having thus described my invention, what I claim'is: l

l. In combination, a forward .and a rear section of railway track, traffic governing means for said rear section Vincluding a polarized relay, a track relay for said rear section, a second track relay for said forward section, a pole changer; a circuit for said polarized relay including a front contact on said first. track relay, a front contact on said second track relay, said polechanger, and a winding of said polarized relay, and a transformer for supplying loop current to said ,rear section'and having its primary winding connected in parallel with said polarized relay and the front contact of said first track relay.

2. In combination, a` forward and a rear section Vof railway track, tralic governing means for said' rear section including a polarized relay, a track relay for said rear section, a second track relay for said for ward section, a pole changer, a circuit for said polarized relay including a front contact on said firsttrack relay, a front contact on said second track relay, said pole changer, anda winding of said polarized relay; a transformer for supplying loop current to said rear section and having its primary winding connected in parallel with said polarized relay and the front `Contact y of said first track rela` anda second transformer for supplying loop current to said forward section and having a primary winding connected directly across said pole changer.

3. In combination, a block of railway track comprising a forward and a rear section, traffic governing means for said block including a relay, a pole-changer controlled by traflic conditions in advance of said forward section, and a circuit controlled by said pole-changer and includingv three branches in multiple for supplying current to said relay and to the rails of said forward section and to the rails of said rear section respectively. y

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

RONALD A. MCCANN.

Images