US887980A - Electrically-controlled switch-operating mechanism for railways. - Google Patents

Description

No. 887,980. PATENTED MAY 19, 1908. K. W. G. J. STOFFELS & J. J. H. W. WEENBN. ELEGTRIOALLY CONTROLLED SWITCH OPERATING MECHANISM FOR RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 23, 1907.

UNITED STAilEfi rarnrrr ent ies.

KAREL WILLEM GERARD JOHANSTOFFELS AND JOHANN ES JAGOBUS HENDRIKUS WIL- HELMUS WEENEN, OF AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS, ASSIGNORS TQ 'NAAMLOO ZE VENNOOTSCHAP INTERNATIONALE ELEOTRICITEIT MAATSOHAPPIJ, OF AMSTER- DAM, NETHERLANDS. v

ELECTRICALLY-CONTROLLED swrrcn ornnarme MECHANISM 'ronjne nwar's.

Patented iviay 19, 1908:,

Application filed January 23 1907. Serial No. 353,74=2..

T 0 all'whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, KAREL nARnJoHAN STOFFELS and J OHANNES J ACO- BUS HENDRIKUs'WILHE MUs WEENEN, sub;

jectsofthe Queen of the Netherlands, residing at Amsterdam, Netherlands, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electrically-Controlled -SwitchOperating Mechanism for Railways, '(Stoffelss system,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an electrically controlled switch-operating mechanism for railways, Stoffels system, which essentially comprises a boX fixed in the ground and containing two wire coils, a specially constructed relay for making and breaking the circuit for the said coils and a contact device suspended in the overhead or trolley wire of the tramway network or system.

Having briefly outlined our improved construction, we will proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, of which Figure 1 is a diagrammatical complete view of the electrically-controlled switch- 0 crating mechanism; Figs. 2 and 3 are side e ovations of the contact pieces'provided on the trolley wire; Fig. 4 is a section on line A-B of Fig. 2 and Fig. 5 is a section on line CD of Fig. 3.

There are arranged in a box fixed in the ground two coils B C wound with wire, the coil B having thicker windings than C. There is fixed within each of the coils in the said box an iron core; these cores are attached to a lever which is connected with the switch-tongue. According as current passes through either coil, one of the cores is drawn inside the coil and consequently the switch tongue is shifted for either direction.

The relay employed for the present ar rangement is of the following construction 0 b c and d are contact blocks, e'is a contact spring, and f are contact pie s, which are insulated by non-conducting erial c'. 31 is an iron core, which can he ted from the coil A and thus raises the lever arm 76, which turns on the fulcrum 'm and thereby lowers the contact piece Z is a piece of insulating material and 7c is permanently with the overhead wire.

The contact device comprises two contact pieces insulated from case. other and from WILLEM Gil-- connected, f

' the overhead wire. One contact piece is longer than the other so that when the car runs on the track in the direction of the arrow, only one contact piece lifts the collector of the motor car from the overhead wire and" then both-contact pieces perform thesame together and are finally connected by the collector. The longer of the two contact pieces is connected to one end of the coil A and the other one to the contact block 0. i

The operation is as follows: If a car approaches the contacts of the overhead wire and the motorman has not turned on the cur-- rent through the medium of the controller,

the relay remains in a position of rest when the collector comes in contact with the contact iece it because no connection from n is estab lished and neither with the overhead wire or the positive pole, nor with the rail or the negative pole. if however the car, in consequence of its m's 'vioc, runs further beneath the contact 0, the current 1 asses from the overhead wire over 7c, 9, b, A, n, the sliding piece of the trolley, over 0 c e and through the coil C to the rail. By the insertion of a resistance to, the current intensity is rogu lated to such an extent that the flow of cur rent is sufficient to actuate coil 0 but not sufficient to render coil A operative. switch-tongue is thus shifted for one direction of travel. Now if the contact a is traversed while the motorman has turned on the current, the entire current of the car will pass from the overhead wire through 70, g,. b, coil A to n and through the car to earth. This current is of sutlicient strength to render the coil'A operative; it lifts h and as g thusbears against a and f against (Z, 6 being simultaneously separated from c, the current of the car new passes from the positive wire to is, g, a through the coil B to f, (1-, through A to n and through the car to earth. The

core so that the switch ton ue is shifted. The contact 0 is simultaneously rendered inoperative, as the spring contact e hasbeen As 9 bears against a and is separated from b, a

break spark wil never .be produced on the relay.

Having now particularly described separated from c.

' against (Z before The ascertained the nature of our said invention and in what manner the same is to beperformed, we declare that what weiclaim and wish to secure by Letters Patent is In an electrically controlled point or switch-operating mechanism for railways consisting of solenoids fixed in the ground and controlling the switch with their cores of a relay for making and breaking the circuit for the coils and of a contact device sus-' by non-condueting material (i) and a core (71 adapted to be influenced by the coil (A) which, when attracted b the latter, turns the lever (k), that is insu ated from the contact piece (c) and connected to the overhead wire, on'its fulcrum (m) in such a manner that the contact piece (f) comes in contact with the contact piece ((1), whereby the coil (B) is energized and traversed by the entire current of the car in the known manner, the switch-tongue bein shifted owing to the core of the said coil having been drawn inside, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have'signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

KAREL ,IIAIIEM GERARD JOllAN STOFFELS. JOIIANNES JACOBUS HENDRIKUS WIMIELMUS WEENEN. Witnesses:

NICOLAAS RUDOLPH-E DE LECURR, WILLEM CHRISTIAN NAEZER.

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