US1144465A - Railway-traffic-controlling system. - Google Patents

Description

A.V.T .DAY. RAILWAY TRAFFIC CONTROLLING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15. I908.

1,144,465. Patented June 29, 1915.

nll- NORRIS FILTERS L'O.. PHOTO LIIHOY, WASHINGTON. D t

ALBERT V. T. DAY, OF NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, IBY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, T0 HALL SWITCH & SIGNAL COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A COR- PORATION OF MAINE.

RAILWAY-TRAFFIG-CONTROLLING SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 29, 1915.

Application filed June 15, 1908. Serial No. 438,593.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT V. T. DAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Rochelle, in the county of Westchesterand State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Railway- Traftic-Controlling Systems, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof.

My invention relates broadly to electric automatic railway traffic-controlling systems, and relates particularly to that class of such systems known as block signal S375.

tems, wherein. the trafiic is controlled by the display of visual signals.

The object of the invention is to produce a system of this character which shall be simple and reliable, and which may, in its preferred embodiment, be applied to electric railroads employing direct or alternating traction currents, and without interference with the use of the track rails for the transmission of traction current, and without liability of the signals to be falsely actuated by traction current.

An important feature of my invention consists in the means of operating the signals on the normal danger plan.

Another important feature consists in the means of selectively controlling the home and distant signals by a common line cir-' cuit.

These features and many others will appear more in detail in the following description of that particular embodiment of my invention which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

The drawing is a diagram showing a single track and three signal stations thereon, designated respecively as A, B and C.

The apparatus at the three stations illustrated are identical in character, andfor this reason similar reference numbers are used to designate corresponding parts of the apparatus, but in this specification the reference letters A, B and C are added to the reference numbers, where necessary, to indicate at which station the part referred to is located.

The track rails are designated by the reference character 1, and as the system is applicable to an electric railroad in which the track rails are used as a part of the tractioncurrent circuit, a third rail or trolley wire 3 is illustrated, together with an alternating current generator at which furnishes the traction current and has its respective terminals connected to the track rails and the third rail. However, the traction current does not necessarily either contribute to, or interfere with, the operation of the signal. system in any manner.

The relays and other signal apparatus are actuated by alternating currents or periodic currents of equivalent character, and the arrangement of the track circuits is similar to the arrangement disclosed in the application of Clyde J. Coleman, filed July 12, 1907, Serial Number 383,366. The rails 1 are bonded continuously, so as to form uninterrupted conductors for the traction current, and at each division between blocks is a heavy cross-bond 2. The signals 5 and 6 are controlled primarily by alternating currents produced in the rails by means of stepdown transformers 7, of which the second ary terminals are connected to the two rails respectively. The transformers are supplied with current from transmission wires 8 and 9 fed by an alternating current generator 11, and the wires 8 and 9 furnish current for all the signal-controlling apparatus.

The transformers '7 are connected with the rails at or near the middle of each block, and this arrangement results in the equal division of the currents from their secondary terminals. In the block A-B, for example, one-half of the alternating current passes from the transformer by one rail to crossbond 2 and thence back by the other rail to the transformer; and the other half of the current passes by one rail to cross-bond 2 and back by the other rail. All the transformers 7 are connected to the track rails so as to deliver currents of like polarity to the corresponding rails of their respective blocks at any given instant. The object of this mode of connecting the track supply transformers is to prevent the current of the transformer of one block from effectually energizing the track relays ,of the adjacent blocks; and the reasons why this mode of connection accomplishes this result will appear hereinafter.

The signal controlling relays are responsive to the currents in the track circuits through track coils 12 and 13. These coils are located close to the rails at each end of each block and are energized by alternating currents induced in them by the alternating currents \fiowing, as 1 above described, through the rails and the cross-bonds. Although, in the drawing, these coils appear to occupy a substantial portion "of each block, it will be understood that they occupy, in fact, only a short length of'the track at each side of a c1ioss bond,.and thus if a train be in any part of a block it will act, until itzZLIIiVGS at the end ,thereof, :to denergize the track coil at one or:bothiends of the block, =-since ,the car wheels and axles act as a cross-bond .anchsliunt the alternating current. away from the ends of-the; track circuit. where the track coils are located.

The .track coils .12 and 13 are ,connected withtrackrclays Hand 1 5,,which directly control the line circuits conneetingithc, signal stations, andthus control the line i relays which in turn control :the signals. These track relays are .of the alternating-current type, in :which a field constantlyenergized by alternating current acts upon a .movable armature which is provided with a coiLand a contact finger. When .the armature coil is energized withan alternatingcurrent having the same frequency as current in the field and having a certain phase relation thereto, thearmature is moved andheld in single-clearing position, while the interruption oiiothe currentin thearmature permits it to be retracted by gravity or -.a spring to open-circuit position. Areversalof phase of current in .the armature coil would also tend to retract .the armature from signalclearing position. .For brevity Ishallhereina'fter designate thisgeneral form of. relay as. a polarized' alternating-current relay, or. a polarizedperiodic current relay. The combination .otsuch (polarized relays with. track circuits which arelimited or demarcated'by cross-bonds of low impedance and control therelays through inductive track coils, is unimportant .featureof my invention. By employing such relays in the said combination by connecting the .track supply transformers ofthe various bloclrsso that: they all deliver the same instantaneous polarity to the track rails, ILam. enabled to insure; against the false signal-clearing actuation of arelay of one'bloc'k by current from an adjacent block, when:the relay should not be. actuated to clearfits signal. For example, suppose .a train to be located in the block A-B between its supply transformer 7 and its advance traclccoil 12. Obviouslynow the relay 1 1 controlled bythe track coil 12 is required ,to remainlin position tohold its-signals 5 -and 6 at danger. But if the cross-bond2 has been accidentally broken, a currentwill'fiow fromtheitransformer 7 of theblock BC rearward through the track railsand around the .track coil 12 and through the avheels and axles of the train in rear of the coil 12 Thus the coil 12 will be energized and W111 energize the armature of its polarized I alter- "natingrelay I 1 -but the direction of flow of this current iromthe blodr- B-C around the track coil 12 will be just the reverse of "the direction ofnormal flow of current of the block AB around the track coil 123, so that this'track coil, when energized by'the block :B-:C, willrexcite the relay armature reversely so as to move it into position to keep the signals 5 ;and 6 in danger positions.

.Thefield coils ofthepolarizeditrack relays at eachstation .are connected, .:by :teed Wires-16 and .17, =with1thesecondary coil of a step-down transformer 18 energized from transmission wires. .8 and 19. The armature coilsv ofathe relays are connected with the .track coilsp12 and il3, and..thus, as .thefields are constantly energized, L'the actionxofthe relaysiisrcontrolled entirely by :the currents in .tlieztraclrcoils.

The track relays control-theline circuits through their contact. fingers :19, which are normallyiheld up against contacts connected with the line wires21. WVhen-a'train enters a block, {it interrupts the current in one of the track coils, asfabove described,:.thereby deenergizing one oi the track: relays, whereupon the ;contact .finger .19 :of that relay falls and abreaksithe line circuit extending from end :torendof the block upon which .the;train ;is:runningand the linecircuit may also be denergizedxand controlled, to. govern thesignals, by various conditions other than the mere occupancy :orclear condition of. the block, iiIlf manner well known, for instaneebythebreak inithe rail circuit orthe movement ofa sidingswitch, and .all. conditions of the block zw'hichafi'ect the signals may beitermejd its .trafficsgoverning conditions.

The signals stand normally at danger and are set clear by electrimmotors or. otherelectrically-controlled mechanism connected in normally, open circuits 1 governed by. the line relays- :Uponthe entrance of a. train into a block, both signals at *the advance end of that rblack are automatically set clear, pro-- vided the :ineXttWo blocks in advance :are

a common return for the local circuits of both signals, which circuits are thus normally open.

In addition to the non-polarized line relay 22, there are at each station two polarized relays 26 and 27. These relays are of the same type as the track relays and their fields are connected with and constantly energized from the feed Wires 16 and 17. The contact fingers of these relays are arranged to engage both with front contacts and with back contacts, and are moved in one direction or the other according to the instantaneous direction of the current in their armatures relative to the concurrent current in their fields. The armature of line relay 26 is so connected as to be normally energized in a manner to cause the contact finger to remain down against the back contact, while in line relay 27 the contact finger is normally raised against the front contacts. Upon an interruption of the currents in the armatures of these relays, the contact finger of relay 27 will fall, while that of relay 26 will remain down, and upon a reversal in the phase or instantaneous direction of the current, the contact finger of relay 27 will move or remain down while that of relay 26 will be raised to engage the front contacts. By means of such changes in the current in the line circuit, acting upon these line relays, the signals are selectively controlled, so that either the home signal, or both signals, or neither signal, may be automatically set to clear upon the approach of a train.

The line circuit, in its normal condition, by which the neutral relay 22 is normally energized, may now be traced. Starting at station B from the left-hand terminal 28 of transformer 18, the current flows through wires 16 and 29 to a front contact of line relay 27 and thence through the contact finger 31 thereof, wire 32, the back contact and the contact finger of relay 26, wire 33, coil of relay 22, wire 20, contact finger 19 of track relay 14, fixed contact thereof, line wire 21, fixed contact and contact finger 19 of track relay 15", wire 34, armature coil of relay 27 wire 35, armature coil of relay 26 and wires 36 and 37 to common-return line wire'38, and thence back to B, and through wires 37 and 36 to the center of the secondary winding of transformer 18 It will be noted that the current by which the line circuit is normally energized is derived from the left-h and portion only of the transformer. Suppose now that a train, moving from left to right or in an easterly direction, approaches A, and suppose that blocks AB and BC are clear. Both signals at A will now be cleared automatically to admit the train to block A-B, in the following manner The train, upon its entrance to the block to the left of A and so long as it remains in that block, acts through the the signals at the rear end of the track relays to interrupt the line circuit through Wire 21 to the left of A. At first this action occurs through the track relay at the rear end of the block to the left of A, but after the train passes the middle of the block where the transformer 7 is connected to the rails, it acts by short-circuiting the right-hand end of the block, so that coil 12 and track relay 14 are deenergized, and contact finger 19 of relay 1 1 falls so as to open the line circuit at that point. The opening of the line circuit interrupts the circuit through the coil of the non-polarized relay 22*, which thereupon closes the common return of the local signal circuits through wire 25, back contact 24-, contact finger 23, and wire 30. Both signals 5 and 6 are now cleared by relay 27 The signal circuits, beginning at feed wire 16, are local and pass through wire 29 to a front contact of relay 27, thence through the contact finger to the other two front contacts, thence by wires 39 and all to signals 5 and 6, respectively, and thence by the common-return wire 25, contacts of relay 22, and wire 30, to feed wire 17. The signals are thereupon set clear and the train passes into block A-B. As soon as this occurs, the line circuit of the block in rear of A is again restored by track relay 14 and the non-polarized relay 22 opens the local circuits of the signals at A, and the apparatus is restored to normal position. However the movement of the signals at A to danger does not depend on the opening of the contacts controlled by the line relay 22*, since the entrance of the train into the block AB opens the line circuit of that block (first at track relay 15 and later at track relay 1 1 thus deenergizing both of the line relays 26 and 27 and positively opening the local circuits of the signals 5 and 6 at the contacts governed by these line relays. The opening of the line circuit of the block.A-B de e'nergizes the line relay 22 and thus closes its contacts to clear the signals 5 and 6 in a manner corresponding to the afore-described clearing of the signals 5 and 6 Thus the signals are progressively cleared in advance of a train.

It will be noted that in the normal operation of the system in which both signals are cleared, the signal circuits are closed through line relay 27. When, however, a train approaches a block which is already occupied by a train in advance, neither of block will clear; and only the home signal will clear at the rear end of the block in the rear of the occupied block. The presence of the advance train opens the line circuit of the block occupied by that train, by de e'nergizing one or both of the track relays l t and 15 controlled by that block. So long as this line circuit is open, both the line relays 26 and 27 at the rear end of the block must be .denergized, as alreadypointed out, so that the local circuits of bojthsignals atithe rear end of Y the block are open and ;these signals areboth heldat danger. The line circuit of the block inrear of that occupied bythe {first [train is closed at the contacts governed by the track-relays 1i and 15 of said rear block so that it can be completed .by the back contacts 021 the line relays 26 .and 27, controlled by the line circuitof the block occupiedby thefirst train. This completion ofithe linecirouit ofythe block in rear vofgthe first train will not effectually energize the .line relay 27 controlled bythatline circuit, but will efi'ectually energize the companion relay 26, and this energization of the line relay 26 will close the normallyopen-loca'l circuit to clear the home signal 5,.-but :will not close the;nor mally open circuit of the companion distant signal 6. a ;This actuation of line relay 26, without actuating the companion line relay 2?, is effected :by a reversal of direction of-the current in. the line circuit. These operations will now be ,de- .scribed in-detail. Suppose the block beyond C to .the right is occupied so that the line circuit is interrupted, either by track relay 15 or by thetrack relay at the farther end of the block. As the current in ithe armature coilof line relay 27 is *t-hus interrupted, the relay is deenergized, and its contact finger'fa'lls and engages itsback contact, whilethe contact finger of line relay 26, also deenergized, remains in its normal lowered position. By this action of relay- 27 the current normally flowing in line circuit ,,B-C, and proceeding from feed wire 16 through wire 29 is interrupted. The line circuit BG is immediately closed again, however, .by the engagementof the contact finger of the relay 27 with its back contact, which is connected by wire 452 with feed wire 17 This action results in a reversal of phase in the line circuitB-C, for the current now proceedsfrom'the right-hand terminal of the secondary of transformer 18 through wire 43 wire 17 C and wire 4%, so that it is now the right-hand half of the transformer which energizes the line circuit l3-C. Relay 22 being non-polarized, continuesto sustain its contact. finger. At station 13 contactfinger 31 of line relay 27 falls, owing to the reversal of phaseor instantaneous direction of current in the armature coil ofthe relays, while the contact finger of line relay 26 is raised by this reversal. The phase or direction of current in line circuit A-B is not affected by-the operation of the line relays 26 and-27 at B, for although its normal path :(f-rom feed wire ,16, through wire 29, contactfinger 31, and wire 32, to the contact fingerof linerelay 26 is broken by both line relays, an equivalentpath is at once opened trom feed wire ,16 through wired? and a front con- :Etact of relay :26 is!) "that :the apparatus at station A remains .ininormal condition and a train may clear both the signals at A and BIltGIEblOGk A.B. Suppose .now that the train iis in the position of arrow 45, approaching station :13 while another-train is present in the block in advance. of the sig- .nals 0. Track relay 14 opens line circuit A -B, neutralirelay 22 is deenergized, and

:the. commonereturn of the signal. circuits is closed. Ascontactfinger .31 of line relay 27 isclown, the .signals are notlclearediin thenorrnal manner. The home-signal 5 is cleared, however, .by a circuit completed athroughline relay 26 ,.=the contactfinger of which .has, as above described, been raised bythe reversal ,of line circuit B O. The current :fiows from deed wire 16 through wire-144E, contact'finger ofrelay 26 a-second front contact and wire k6,:through wire 39 and ;home signal 5,.and thenceback by common return 25 and :contactsoi' =relay22 'to steed wire 17. The train at as thus entersblock 13 -0 :witha-caution signal indicated -'by theclearing of the home signal alone. The train new proceeds in block lB -G to :the .position of arrow 47, but neither of thesignals atG will clear, since the contact fingers of both line relays 26 and 27 at C are in lower position, as above described, owing to the presence of a train inthe block: beyond and-therefore'the local signal circuits cannot be closed either through wires '39 and 41 orrthrough wires 39 and 46.

It will 'be understood that although I have particularly described my invention as applied toa system in which semaphore signals are used, the invention is not limited toisuch application, but may be used in connection with signals of other kinds. In

generahthe invention is not limited to the details of construction and operation of the embodiment herein specifically described and illustrated in the drawing, but various modifications maybe made in such embodiment withinthe nature and scope of the invention as'defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A normal danger block signal system comprising successive signaling blocks, for each -block a line circuit and means for de- 'livering signal controlling current thereto,

home and distant signals for each block, means forcontrolling the current in each line clrcuit by the traiiic-governing conditions df its ownblock and the block ahead that line circuit and in control of the line circuit of the block in rear, and at the rear end of each block home and distant signals both depending on the line circuit of that block for clear indications.

3. A block signal system comprising a number of successive blocks of a railway track, for each block a line circuit controllable by that block, for each line circuit one or more electro-translative devices controllable by that line circuit and in control of the line circuit of the next rear block, and at the rear end of each block home and distant signals dependent for clear indications on said one or more electro-translative devices controllable by the line circuit of that block.

4. A railway block signaling system comprlslng successive signaling stations, at each O'opies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the station four relays, a circuit extending in one direction and controlling two of said relays said two relays being responsive thereto in accordance with definite characters of transmitted current to selectively determine the indication of the signaling means at their respective said station, and two other circuits extending in opposite directions and arranged in control of the other two relays said two remaining relays co-acting with the first two relays in the control of said signaling means.

In testimony whereof I have afi'ixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT V. 1. DAY. Witnesses:

HENRY D. WILLIAMS,

BERNARD COWEN.

Commissioner of Iatents,

Washington, D. G.

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