US2045201A - Car braking apparatus for railroads - Google Patents

Description

une 23, 1936.

I J. RABOURDIN Z E "ii CAR BRAKING APPARATUS FOR RAILROADS F Filed April 28, 1930 a Sheets-Sheet 1 m0 mam/6 5567/0 f7 1 0/ 7//[ 7/9407 JTOR/IVG JECT/U/V if 7 /5 TRACK 5c 5 \105 RVA RVA'

23, was. J. RABoURDm 2mm CAR BRAKING APPARATUS FOR RAILROADS Filed April 28, 1930 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 fly 7 F ROM BRA/0N6 SfCT/O/V M STORING 6C770IV 0f T/7E TRACK 0/ TIM TRACK J1me 1935- J. RABOURDIN CAR BRAKING APPARATUS FOR RAILROADS Filed April 28, 1930 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 |l||I IIIIIII. IIII June 23, 1935. J RABQURDIN ZJIMSQQI CAR BRAKING APPARATUS FOR RAILROADS Filed April 28, 1950 8 Sheets-Sheet 4:

0? unfi d (7 mIJDDnuDE Efl I (/18, manning E June 23, 1936. J. RABOURDIN CAR BRAKING APPARATUS FOR RAILROADS 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 28, 1930 e 23 31936. J RABOURDlN 2,@45,2U1

CAR BRAKING APPARATUS FOR RAILROADS Filed April 28, 1930 8 Sheets-$heet 6 R013 RG12 22 l I F 1' Fl g. 7a. 8 l8 8 J. RABOURDIN GAR BRAKING APPARATUS FOR RAILROADS June 23, 1936.

8 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed April 28, 1930 r J1me 1936 J. RABOURDIN CAR BRAKING APPARATUS FOR RAILROADS 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed April 28, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CAR BRAKING APPARATUS FOR RAILROADS Jean Rabourdin, Paris, France Application April 28, 1930, Serial No. 448,152 In France May 11, 1929 26 Claims.

It may prove useful to determine at each instant the speed and optionally the point of stopping of a movable device travelling upon a determined path, that is, the time within which the said device will come to a stop, or the point on the said path at which it will be stopped.

For instance, it is useful, for the sorting of railroad cars, to ascertain as closely as possible, for each track, the stopping point of the cars which have been uncoupled by any means and are travelling on the track in question. This factor may serve to determine the degree of the braking to be applied to the succeeding cars.

I For the better understanding of the invention, it

will be supposed in the following description that the question relates to this specific application, it being understood that the invention is not limited to this particular use.

Electric devices of the delayed action type are already known, which devices comprise an element adapted to close a circuit only for a certain time after it has been released or set in operation. Such devices may operate upon variable time delays, and for instance may consist of impulse devices in which the armature or movable element move over successive contact studs or members and close a circuit only when one of such contact studs or members is connected in a circuit.

Such relays are already employed in braking devices for causing or not causing, according as the car to be braked is moving more or less slowly, the side-tracking or the maintenance of a brake shoe upon the rail. In such known apparatus, the current is supplied to the contact studs or members substantially in the following manner. The track used with the car, beyond the braking apparatus, is divided into a plurality of insulated sections and each section comprises a track relay whose armature is adapted to close a circuit when the stopped cars begin to occupy this section and to supply thereby current to one of the contact studs or members of each of the aforesaid delayed action relays. The connections between the track relays and the time-retarded relays are so devised that as the storing section of the track receives more and more cars, the contact studs supplied with current get nearer and nearer to the starting point of the armature in the time retarded relays; consequently the delay in the operation of the motors controlling the brake shoes, i. e. the delay for the side-tracking of said brake shoes gradually decreases so that the successive cars undergo stronger and stronger braking. A suitable apparatus,

hereinafter termed controller or selecting means, may be manually operated to select a number or a group of said connections, placing the remaining connections out of action; this group can be varied through this controller and the arrangement is so devised that each group of connections corresponds to particular atmospheric conditions. Accordingly, the delays in side-tracking the brake shoes, that is the importance of the braking actions can be varied so as to account for the atmospheric conditions.

The present invention has for an object, among others, to improve the said electric installation. Another object of the invention is to prevent a car, which is to pass over a track section without stopping upon it, from instantly actuating the delayed action relay corresponding to the given track section.

Another object of the invention is to determine in an automatic manner, and according to the time required by the car to clear this section, the substitution if necessary, for the group of delays for the side-tracking of the various brakeshoes, corresponding to the occupation of the track by the cars which are already stopped, of the group of delays corresponding to the occupation of the track section on which the car under consideration is to stop of its own accord.

In this manner each car is braked, not according to the position of the preceding car, but according to the normal and eventual stopping point of the said preceding car, and hence the function of this arrangement is particularly important when the cars are obliged to follow one another in close succession.

These objects are obtained for instance by inserting, between each track relay associated with an insulated section of the track storing portion following the braking section, and the sets of contact studs of the controller, a relay adapted for delayed action such as has been above indicated. This relay will be designated as an auxiliary delayed action relay.

Another object of the invention consists in the provision of an electric apparatus of such nature that the definite occupation of the track as far as section (n-3) inclusive will break the energizing circuit of the track relay of section n and the succeeding sections, thus obviating a useless consumption of current in the occupied sections.

Another object of the invention is to provide an electric apparatus of such nature that the indications given by the travel of a car upon the section it will only disappear when it has reached the section n+2, if the section (n-l-l) is to be cleared without stopping, or when the car is stopped upon section (n+1), that is, after the complete recording of the indications given by this upon car the section (11+ I).

A further object of the invention is to provide an electric apparatus such that the time of functioning of the armature or movable element of the auxiliary delayed action relay will be exactly the time during which the first axle of the car is situated upon the corresponding track section, in such manner that the time of functioning will depend solely upon the speed of the car, and is independent of its length and wheel base.

Other objects of the invention will be specified in the following description with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings which are given by way of example.

Figures 1a, 1b, and 1c are the three portions of a diagrammatic view of the electric installation, corresponding wires in the three portions being denoted by the same reference characters.

Figures 2 and 3 are, respectively, a plan view and an elevational view showing, diagrammatically, a detail of the device shown in Figs. 1a, 1b and 10.

Figure 4 is a diagrammatical view of another detail of the device shown in Figs. 1a, 1b, and 1a.

Figure 5 is a partial view showing one of the relays RCR of Figure 1c in the energized position.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view showing the means whereby the retarded switches Rot are returned to normal position after having been operated by a car.

Figures 7a, 7b, and 8 show two modified constructions of improved combination means according to the invention.

According to my invention, in a railroad yard, each track is divided into two parts: a storing section for receiving the cars to be stored thereon, and a braking section, preceding said storing section, and provided with a plurality of sub-sections each having a braking element or braking device. In Fig. 10, it has been assumed by way of illustration that the braking-section is divided into six braking sub-sections referenced BSl, BS2 BS6 on which the cars travel from right to left. The arrangement in each braking subsection will be hereinafter described; sufiice it to notice that each braking sub-section has two pedals or movable rails adapted to be depressed by a passing car to close suitable contacts; according to Fig. 1c, sub-section BS! is provided with pedals ql, q2, sub-section BS2 is provided with pedals q2, q3 (pedal q2 being thus common to two successive sub-sections) and so on, the last sub-section BS6 being provided with pedals a6 and g1.

According to my invention, each car, when leaving the braking section of the track, will have exactly the speed that is necessary for bringing it to a stop immediately adjacentthe position in which the preceding car on the storing section of the track is actually stopped or will finally stop. This result is obtained by causing the successive braking elements of this braking section to act on said car until they have reduced its speed to the required value (which, it is important to notice, is a function of the position of the preceding car on the storing section of the track).

Each braking element comprises, for instance, a braking shoe normally disposed on the track, but adapted to be side tracked therefrom through the action of an electric motor. Said motor is controlled through a switch. A contact member disposed on the track at a certain distance before the brake shoe, and adapted to be actuated by the passing of a car wheel thereon, serves to close the electric circuit that operates said switch. The switch is such that between the time of its being operated by the closing of said contact member and the time of its starting the electric motor, there is a certain delay (which may be adjusted through certain means hereinafter described). For that reason, said switch will be hereinafter referred to as the retarded switch or delayed action relay.

Therefore, if the time necessary for the car wheel to move from said contact member to the normal position of the brake shoe is smaller than that delay, (that is to say, if the speed of the car is greater than a given value,) said car wheel will arrive in that position before the retarded switch or delayed action relay has started the electric motor, and the car wheel will meet the brake shoe. The car will accordingly be braked. On the contrary, if the time necessary for the car wheel to move from said contact member to the normal position of the brake shoe is equal to or greater than said delay (that is to say if the speed is equal to or smaller than a given value), the switch or delayed action relay will have started the electric motor, which will have side tracked the braking shoe before the car wheel reaches the normal position thereof, and the car will not be braked.

It will therefore be readily understood that the value to which during its passage through the braking section of the track depends directly on the value of the delay of the retarded switch or delayed action relay. The present invention relates to a system for automatically adjusting the delays of all the retarded switches or delayed action relays of the braking section of the track, according to the above mentioned conditions which may be briefly summed up as follows:

The speed of a car on the braking section of the track will be reduced to a value such that:

If the preceding car is stopped on the storing section of the track, the car in question will stop adjacent the position of said preceding car;

If the preceding car is moving on the storing section of the track, the car in question will stop adjacent the position that will finally be occupied by said preceding car when the latter stops.

The adjustment of the delays of the retarded switch is automatically effected through electrical circuits controlled by the position of the cars on the storing section of the track, said circuits comprising the following elements:

1. One of the two lines of rails of the storing section of the track is divided into a plurality of insulated sections numbered 0, l, 2, 5. Beyond the insulated sections is a complementary section SC. The second pedal qv of the last braking sub-section BS6 of the track may also operate as a section of the storing track. The apparatus according to my invention must be so devised that whenever a car is travelling on any one of the insulated track sections, an electric connection is established between continuous rail I05 and said insulated track section. The best way of obtaining this result is to make use of the car axles for establishing the desired electric connections. Instead of directly using the insulated sections of the rail, mechanical pedals adapted to close an electric contact when the car the speed of a car is reduced 3 passes a given point of the track might also be used. In practice, any suitable number of insulated sections may be employed, and the number of insulated sections on the drawing is merely given by way of example.

2. Each insulated section of the track (or pedal) is provided with the following devices:

(a) a track relay RV;

(b) two auxiliary track relays RVA and EVA;

a relay for delayed action or auxiliary circular switch RC comprising a driving relay RM, three sets of contact members or studs Cpl, C122, Cp3, and three contact arms FrI, FrII, FrIII, mounted on a common shaft S (see Figs. 1a and 1b) and adapted to move forward along said contact members or studs simultaneously and by successive steps at each current impulse sent into the driving relay RM (the various driving relays being referenced RM, RM!) .RMB).

The mechanism adapted to produce that advance of arms FrI, FrII, FVIII along sets of contact studs Cpl, C122 and C103 respectively is the impulse device diagrammatically shown in Figs. 2 and 3. It comprises a ratchet wheel a adapted to cooperate with a pawl b carried by a bent lever c pivoted at d. The extremity of said lever comprises an armature e subjected to the action of relay RM, so that it will be readily understood that each current impulse sent through relay RM causes ratchet Wheel a to rotate through a certain angle corresponding to the passage of the extremities of arms FrI, rII, FrIII, carried by shaft S, from one contact stud of sets Cpl, C132, 0113, respectively, to the adjacent contact stud. As will be seen on Fig. 1b, referring more particularly to relay RMZ, the bent lever c is also adapted when armature e is attracted, to push a contact piece lll apart from a contact piece 2 so as to break an energizing circuit for winding RMZ, comprising the said contact pieces, as will be hereinafter described.

From Figs. la. and 1b, it is apparent that all the contact studs or members in each set 0103 are interconnected; that in each set C102, the contact stud or members are separate from one another but that one contact stud or member in each set is connected electrically through wire 4 with the negative pole of battery llll; and that in each set Cpl-some contact studs or members are interconnected into groups, and that a number of contact studs or members or groups of the same are connected as shown with the movable contact arms Fr of a multiple controller C to be hereinafter described.

3. For the entire track, a multiple controller C comprising as many controller elements B00, Bcl, B02, B03, B04, B05, B06 as there are insulated track sections plus one. It has been supposed, although it is not necessary, that controller element Bcll corresponds to both pedal q! of the last braking sub-section BS6, located before the first insulated track section (section 0), and to section 0.

It should be well understood that, in Figs. 1a and lb, I have shown controller elements, or sets of contact studs Boll, Bcl, B02, B03, B04, B05, B06 side by side for the sake of clearness, but, that said elements are located one above the other in the same manner as elements Cpl, C122, C113 of RC5 for instance.

Each controller element Bo comprises the following parts:

(a) a movable contact arm Fr (Frll, Frl, Fr2, Fr3, Fr4, Fr5 or P115) electrically connected to 33 certain contact members of sets Cpl, as shown in the drawings:

(12) a circular row P (P0, Pl, P2, P3, P4, P5, P6) of insulated contact members or studs. Each of these contact members is connected to the winding 10 (wl, w2, w3, w4, 205 or 206) of one of the delay controlling relays RCR (RCRI, RCR2, RCR3, RCR4, RCR5, RCR6) which will be hereinafter described. Taking, for instance, circular row P6, each of the contact members or studs of said row is connected to one of the windings wl, w2, w3, 104, 205, 206. As the number of contact members of P6 is greater than the number of relays RCR, i. e. six, several of said contact members may be electrically connected together and to the same relay. In the accompanying drawings, arms Frll, Frl, Fr2, Fr3, F14, F15, and F16 (which are all keyed to a common shaft) are shown in contact with contact member L of each of circular rows P0, Pl, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6. For the sake of clearness, Figs. 1a and 1b only show in solid lines the electric connections between contact members L of the difierent rows P0 to P6 and relays RCR to RCRB. For instance, contact member L of P6 is connected to winding wl of RCRI; contact member L of P5 is connected to winding 202 of RCRZ. I have also shown in dotted lines the connections corresponding to contact members M of the different rows P6 to PG; for instance, the contact members M of P6, P5, and P4 are connected to the windings 102, w3, 104 of RCR2, RCR3, and RCR4 respectively, while the contact members M of P3, P2 and Pl are connected to the winding 205 of RCR5 and, finally, the contact member M of Pl! is connected to the winding 1116 of RCR6.

It should be well understood that the circular rows of contact members P0, Pl, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6 which, for the sake of clearness, have been shown side by side in Figs. 1a and 1b, are, infact, disposed above one another (in the same manner as rows Cpl, C172 and C113 shown in Fig. 3), all of the arms Fri), Frl, Fr2, Fr3, Fr l, F15, F115 being rigidly mounted or keyed on a common shaft so as to be simultaneously controlled. Said shaft can be manually actuated so as to bring the whole of the arms into any desired position.

4. A plurality of relays RCR (RCR! to RCR6) serving to determine the exact time at which the braking devices are to work.

It has already been explained that-the braking devices disposed along the braking section of the track are controlled through retarded switches which side-track the brake shoes a certain time after the cars have operated corresponding contact members placed on the braking section of the track. These retarded switches are shown at Rot (Rotl to Rotli) in Fig. 1c, and they are controlled through said relays RCR (RCR! to RCRG).

In order to more satisfactorily explain the function of said relays I will first briefly described the operation of the braking device controlling arrangement in any one of the braking sub-sections diagrammatically illustrated by Fig. 4.

This figure shows a rotary switch Rot (anyof switches Rail to Rot6) including a circular row of contact studs and an arm Ca integral with a ratchet wheel g cooperating with a pawl it carried by a bent lever i pivoted at y and actuated by a winding 0 inserted in the electric circuit Z. Said circuit is provided with a battery m, a contact 12 periodically opened and closed by electric motor is, and a contact member p adapted to close said circuit 1 when a car Wa passes on a movable rail or pedal or provided in the braking section of the track. This contact member is the one above referred to and it will readily be understood that, as soon as said contact member p has closed circuit l, ratchet wheel g begins to rotate step by step so that arm Ca is caused to pass successively upon the contact-studs of Rot. On the other hand, arm Ca is electrically connected with a circuit 1 including a relay BR for actuating the braking device (as diagrammatically shown in Fig. 4) one end of said circuit I being connected with the positive pole of battery l I. The contact studs of rotary switch Rot are connected to the contacts I to 6 of relays RCR as will be hereinafter described and when one of said relays establishes a connection between the negative pole of battery l0l and a contact stud of Bot, and when arm Ca passes onto said contact stud, the positive and negative poles of said battery I01 are connected through circuit 1 and the braking device is caused to act, in other words, the corresponding brakeshoe is side-tracked. It will readily be understood that the interval of time, or delay, elapsing between the closing of circuit Z (that is the closing of contact p by the passing of a car onto the corresponding contact member q) and the operation of the corresponding braking device depends on which of the contact studs of Rot is connected with the negative pole of battery MI. The connections between said contact studs of Rat and the negative pole of battery l0i are controlled through relays RCR which are therefore called delay controlling relays and are themselves energized through controllers Bc (B00 to B20) The contact members p, the movable rails or pedals q, the relays BR in the various braking sub-sections BSl, BS2 BSO are referenced pl, p2 p; ql, q2 q6; BRLBRZ BRB respectively in Fig. 10.

Means are provided whereby the arms Ca (Cal, Ca2, 0116) of the various rotary switches Rot (Rotl, Rot2, R0158) are returned individually to normal positions, i. e. the positions shown on Fig. after they have been operated as above escribed. Those means, described in applicants French Patent No. 663,039, will now be set forth with reference to diagrammatic Fig. 6 which, for the sake of convenience, shows the means provided for braking sub-section BS3; it should be understood that similar means are provided for the other braking sub-sections.

An additional arm Ca' i keyed to the same shaft as arm Cali (as indicated by a dotted line connection) is adapted to move over a row of contact members which are interconnected except for the extreme ones I, 302, the latter being insulated electrically from the interconnected membars 304; the interconnected contact members 304 are connected with one pole of battery m, while the additional arm C061 is connected with the other pole through a contact member p6 actuated from pedal qS simultaneously, with contact member 105, and another contact 330 adapted to be opened by the bent lever 1'. Between contact 73 and the winding 0 is inserted a further contact 303 adapted to be opened when BS6 is energized.

When a car depresses pedal q, thus closing contact p and opening contact p3 the arm C118 is moved step by step as above explained until it reaches a contact member or stud of Rotfi which is actually connected with the negative pole of battery l0l, and it drives with it the arm Ca i over the interconnected contact members 304; when Ca reaches said contact member, or stud, BS6 becomes energized and the energizing circuit for the winding 0 is opened since contact 303 is opened by BS6, so that the arms Ca6 and Ca i stop. However, as soon as the car releases pedal q the contacts p and p6 resume the position shown on Fig. 6 so that the following energizing circuit for winding 0 is closed:

Battery m, row of contact studs 304, arm Ca i, contact p6 contact 300, winding 0 battery m.

Thus bent lever i is caused to rock as above explained and thereby to rotate ratchet wheel g by one tooth, but simultaneously to open contact 300; winding 0 is deenergized so that lever i resumes its former position; then contact 300 falls, thus completing the energizing circuit for winding 0 and the operation continues until arm Ca i reaches contact members 30 l, 302 which are insulated from contact members 304; the energizing circuit is opened. It is remarked that both arms have resumed their initial position.

Each of said relays RCR (RCRI t0 RCRB) comprises a plurality of contacts 25, 23, l, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and a winding 10 (wl, w2, w3, w4, 105, or 106) for controlling said contacts. Delay controlling relays RCR. (RCRI to RCRS) are connected, through their windings w (wl to 1116) on the one hand to controller devices Bc (B00 to Bali) as above described, and, on the other hand to the negative terminal of battery l0l through contacts 23, 25 of relays RCR of higher index number (for instance, relay RCRI is the negative terminal of battery l0l through contacts 23, 25 of relays RCRZ, RCR3, RCR l, RCR5, and RCRG; relay RC2 is connected to the negative terminal of battery IOI through contacts 23, 25 of relays RCR3, RCRG, and so on).

The diiferent contacts I, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 of relays RCR (RCR! to RCRB) are connected to the different contact studs of switches R015 (Rotl to Rot 5) according to a determined arrangement as shown in Fig. 10. It will be seen that contact I of relay RCRI is connected to the contact stud named RCRI of switch Rotl. Contact l of relay RCRZ is connected to the contact stud named RCRZ of switch Rotl and so on, the contacts I of the respective relays RCR (RCRI to RCRG) being connected respectively to the contact studs of switch Rotl that bear the corresponding designations. In a likewise manner the contacts 2 of all the relays RCR (RCRI to RCRS) are respectively connected to the contact studs of switch R0152, said contact studs being named after the relay to which they are respcctively connected, and so on, the respective contacts 6 of relays RCR, (RCRI to RCRB) being connected to the contact studs of switch R0t6 respectively. This arrangement is clearly shown in the drawings and need not be further explained.

Now, as shown in Fig. 5, when a relay RCR (any of relays RCRI to RCRB) is energized, that is when current is caused to flow through its winding w, movable piece 23 is caused to pivot away from piece 25 and it pushes contacts I, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 toward the right hand side of the figure so that all these contacts touch each other. The current from winding w is then allowed to fiow through piece 23 in parallel through said contacts I to 6 to the corresponding contact studs of switches Rotl to Rot6 respectively, thus determining a given set of delays for the operation of the braking devices respectively connected to said switches Rotl to R w. Each delay controlling relay RCR (RCRI to RCRB) corresponds to a determined set of connected to RCRA, RCR5 and delays, and, a n

will be hereinafter explained, only one of said relays can be energized at a time.

Obviously any suitable number of retarded switches Rot can be employed and six of these have been herein represented by Way of example.

The apparatus comprises as many delay controlling relays RCR as there are diiTerent time delays employed for said retarded switches Rot.

Obviously, delay controlling relays RCR' might as well (in different applications of my invention) serve to control the operation of lamps,

electric bells, signal devices or the like, which might require operation in well determined conditions.

5. A motor K1 running at constant speed closes a contact CI at regular intervals through the action of one cam of suitable shape.

Referring now to Figs. 7a and 7b, the arrangement comprises, in that case by way of example, 13 track sections: RC6 in the circular switch of the sixth track section which has been chosen by way of example, and this switch comprises three contact arms and is constructed on the aforesaid principle.

The contact stud I of the row CpI of circular switch RC6 is not connected as itwould be according to Fig. 1a (according to this figure it would be connected with the centre of the last controller element Be on the left of Fig. let, i. e.

an element that would bear reference character PM). It is connected with an additional controller element BcB; contact stud 2 is connected with another additional controller element Bc6 and so on. The controller elements are similar to the elements B0 of the preceding figure, and the central arms are mounted on a common driving shaft. As observed the corresponding contact studs of said controller elements are connected to relays RCR etc. In the example shown the storing section of the track comprises 13 insulated sections; the remainder of the track forms the complementary section and the whole arrangement hence includes 14 groups of additional controller elements the number of controller elements or rows of contact studs diminishing in each group when proceeding from the first to the last track sections.

Referring now to Fig. 8, the number of elements in the controller remains the same as in Figs. 1a, 1b, and 10 but herein each auxiliary switch, corresponding to a track section, has, besides the two rows of contact studs CpZ, C113 and in lieu of the row Cpl (such a row Cpl being visible on Figs. 7a and 7b) a number of rows of contact studs; there are as many supplemental rows of contact studs with corresponding rotary arms, as the controller arms may assume different positions on the studs of its elements. In Fig. 8, the supplemental rows have been termed Cpi, CpI CpI Cpl For each circular switch RC, the rotary arms FrI', FrI" Fr FTI associated with the supplemental rows of contact studs are mounted on the same shaft (not shown) as the rotary arms for Opt, C103 and move concurrently with them. On the other hand, the center of each supplemental row, i. e. the corresponding rotary arms, is connected with a contact stud of the controller element of the track section that is being considered, for instance 1306.

It is reminded that the cars, before entering the storing section of the track, are first subjected, in the braking section of the track, to braking actions so controlled by the apparatus according to the invention (as will be hereinafter set forth) that they will stop as near as possible to one another without risking being deteriorated by bumping against one another. Accordingly it is assumed that the cars move from right to left on Figs. 1a, 1b, and 10.

It will be supposed, as shown in the drawings, that the contact arms of controllers B0 are on the contact pieces numbered L, and the case will be considered in which the track is entirely free, or is occupied only in the part designated as section SC.

Case I. In this case the relay RCRI is energized by the following circuit: positive terminal of battery IeI, wires I02, I63, H5, I04, contact arm FrB of controller B06, contact piece L of said controller winding wI of relay RCRI, contact members 25, 23 of successive relays RCRZ, RCR3 RCR6, wire I I6 and negative pole of battery IBI. As current passes through said winding wl, the armature 23 of the relay is energized and rotated toward said winding, thus pushing contacts I, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 toward the right hand side of the figure so that contact 23 and contacts I, 2, 3, l, 5, and 6 are all in contact with one another (position shown in Fig. 5) and are also electrically connected with the negative pole of battery IeI through contact members 25, 23 of successive relays RCR2, RCR3 RCR6 and wire II 6, Now, each of these contact pieces I, 2, 3 6 of relay RCRI is respectively connected to the contact studs numbered RCRI of the above mentioned time retarded switches Rot. For instance, it can be seen in the drawing that contact piece I of relay RCRI is connected to contact stud numbered RCRI of switch RotI. contact piece 2 is connected to the contact stud numbered RCRI of retarded switch RotZ, and so on. Under these conditions it will be readily understood that, when relay RCRI is energized as above explained, the negative pole of battery IIJI is connected through wire II 6 and contact pieces I, 2, 3, 5 to the contact studs numbered RCRI of all the switches Rotl, RotZ, R0153, Roth respectively.

Case II.-The case will now be considered of a car entering upon track section 5 and stopping upon this section (the effect produced by this car upon the preceding track sections 0 to 4 will be further studied).

When the first axle of this car enters section 5 the corresponding track relay RV5 is energized by the circuit comprising the positive terminal of battery III], the common rail I05, the axle of the car, the insulated section of rail 5, the Winding of relay EVE, the wire 22'! (Figs. la. and 1b), the contacts I5, It in series of relays RVA'Z, RVA'I, RVAIJ and RVA', and the negative terminal of battery I II]. When said relay RV5 is energized, its local contacts are closed, and the auxiary relay RVA5 is energized by the following battery It", wire H7, contacts 5, 4 of 'relay RV5, winding of RVA5, wire H3, wire I06, and negative pole of battery IOI. Accordingly, every time contact CI is closed by constant speed motor KI, current flows through the following circuit: positive pole of battery IIJI, wire I 02, wire I03, winding of electric relay RM5 (of auxiliary circular switch RC5) contacts 3, II of relay RVA5, normally closed contacts I (9', II] of relay RVA5, wire I I8, contact CI, and negative pole of battery IIH. Every impulse of the current (produced by a closing of contact CI) will cause the three arms FrI, FrII and FrIII of circular switch R05 to move one step forward Likewise,

under the action of electric relay RM5 (see Figs. 2 and 3).

When the contact arm FrI of circular switch RC5 has reached the first contact piece of set Cpl to which is attached a connection, namely contact stud I, current is set up in the following circuit: positive pole of battery IUI, wire I01, contacts l1, 18 of relay RVA5, arm FrI, contact stud l of Cpl, wire I04, contact arm of the set of contacts BcB of the controller, and (for the position of this contact arm shown in the drawing) contact piece L of the set of contacts B06, wire 2|8, winding wl of RCRI, normally closed contacts 25, 23 of successive relays RCRZ, RCR3, RCR4, RCR5 and RCR6, wire H6 and the negative pole of battery IBI. As previously explained, current was already supplied to the winding wl of relay RCRI, as a result of the occupation of track section SC through the following circuit: positive terminal of IDI, wires I02, I03, H5, I04, contact arm F16 of controller BcG, contact piece L of said controller, winding wl, contact members 25, 23 of the successive relays RCRZ, RCR3 RCR6, wire I I6, and negative pole of ID I. Therefore, from the mere view-point of the energizing of relay RCRI, the presence of a car on section 5 of the storing portion of the track has not changed anything. However, I have deemed it necessary to fully describe how the presence of a car on said section 5 of the storing portion of the track causes the closing of a circuit which would energize relay RCRI if the latter were not already energized because first the closing of said circuit brings certain pieces into position that they did not occupy when no car was present on section 5 of the storing portion of the track, and secondly as the energizing of the other relays RCR2 to RCR6 takes place in a manner similar to that described for RCRI, it will not be necessary to repeat the description of the energizing of said relays RCR2 to RCRG.

Relay RCRI being thus energized, all the contact studs marked RCRI of the different rotary switches Rot (Rail to Rotfi) are connected to the negative terminal of battery lOl. Therefore, when a second or subsequent car moving on the braking section of the track passes on one of the pedals q, it closes, through corresponding contact member p, the circuit 1 of the rotary switch that corresponds to said contact member, and causes the arm Ca of said rotary switch to move along the contact studs of the switch. As soon as said arm Ca comes onto the contact stud named RCRI (see Fig. 4), current is allowed to pass from the negative terminal of battery mi, wire H5, contacts 23 and 25 of relays RCRG, RCRS, RCRZ, contact 23 and one of the contacts I to 6 of RCRI, through said contact stud RCRl, arm Ca, the relay BR of the corresponding braking device, and wires H9 and I02 (Figs. 1c and 1b) to the positive terminal of battery llll, thus causing said braking device to operate a predetermined time after said car has engaged pedal q. It should be borne in mind that the operation of the braking device as hereinbefore stated results in a sidetracking of the corresponding braking shoe, the latter being thus rendered inoperative. The operation is the same for all the braking devices that are distributed along the braking section of the track, the delay elapsing between the passage of the car on the pedal and the action of the corresponding braking device being determined for each of them by the fact that the contact stud marked RCRI of each of the rotary switches is connected to the negative terminal of battery I0 I.

The aforesaid connections between the contact studs RCRl of the rotary switch and the negative terminal of battery IGI will remain established as long as the contact arm FTII of the auxiliary circular switch RC5 is not in contact with the only contact piece of the set of contacts that carries a connection (in the drawings said contact piece is numbered 22).

The distance between the first stud met by the contact arm of FrII, and the stud 22 that is provided with a connection has been so chosen that the step-by-step movement of arm FTII from said first stud to stud 22 takes a time longer than the maximum time necessary for a car moving merely under the efiect of a previous impulse for travelling throughout the section and stopping beyond said section. In other words, this distance has been so chosen that whenever stud 22 is reached by arm FTII owing to the presence of a car upon section 5, one is sure that the car can no longer leave the section but has stopped thereon. This is now the case in view of the above stated assumption that the car entering track section 5 is one that stops on said section.

At this time, relay RVA'5 is energized by the following circuit: positive pole of battery IOI, wire I I1, contacts 5, 4, 3 of relay RV5, winding of RVA'5, contact Contact piece 22 of said switch, wire H4, and negative pole of battery lOl. Therefore, the electric relay RM5 of said circular switch no longer receives current impulses controlled by motor Kl, as the above described circuit of said electric relay RM5 is opened at !0, ID of RVA5 (relay RVA5 being energized) and the three contact arms FT stop in the position corresponding to contact piece 22.

ince contact arm FrI is stopped on contact piece 22, the following circuit is established: positive pole of battery lOl, wire I01, contacts ll, I8 of RVA5, contact arm FrI, contact 22 of Cpl, wire I20, contact arm Fr5 of B05 of the controller, contact piece L of P5, wire 2, winding 1112 of RCRZ, contacts 25, 23 of successive relays RCR3, RCR l, RCR5 and RCRo, wire H6, and negative pole of battery llll. Therefore relay RCR2 is energized; its local contacts 23, 25 and l to B are closed and the negative pole of battery IUI is connected through wire H6 and said contacts I to 6 to the contact members corresponding to RCRZ of retarded switches Rot, as explained in the preceding case when relay RCRI was energized.

It is very important to remark that, when relay RCRZ is energized, this opens the contacts 23, 25 of this relay and hence breaks the circuit connecting the local contacts of relay RCRI to the negative pole of battery lfll. Therefore, in the retarded switches Rot, the contact studs corresponding to RCRl are no longer connected to the negative pole of battery llll. Instead of them the contact studs marked RCRZ of all the rotary switches Rot, (Rotl to Rotfi) are connected to the negative terminal of battery lill. In this case the time elapsing (a) between the depression or engagement of any one of the pedals q by a car running on the braking section of the track, and (b) the actuation of the corresponding braking devices (i. e. the side tracking of the corresponding braking shoes) is equal to the time taken by the arm Ca of each rotary switch Rot (Rotl to RotB) for passing from its zero position, to the arm FTII of circular switch RC5,

position in which it is in contact with the con- 75 enters this tact stud marked RCRZ. As a rule, these time delays are greater than those corresponding to studs RCRi However in some particular cases the contact stud marked RCRZ of a rotary switch Rot may be electrically connected to the contact stud RCRI thereof and the delay is then the same as if stud RCRI was directly connected to battery IIlI.

Thus, when section 5 is occupied by one or several cars either stopped or about to stop on said section as above assumed the minimum speed for which the following cars present on the braking section of the track will be braked will be lower than when the storing section of the track was free or was occupied only in section SC.

The preceding explanations clearly set forth the essential feature of the present invention which is the following:

Each car passing on the braking section of the track starts, through pedal q and contact member p, the movement of the rotary switch Rot corresponding to said contact member, but the delay imposed by said rotary switch (between the passage of said car on pedal q and the side tracking of the braking device) is controlled, through one of the RCR relays by the preceding car (the last of those present on the storing section of the track) according to the position of the point at which the said preceding car is stopped or will stop, it being again reminded that said last car is supposed to be incapable of travelling beyond track section 5.

Case III.For any track section preceding section 5 (for instance for section 4) a car that section by its front axle and is assumed to stop in said section will cause, as in the case of section 5, the energizing of the corresponding track relay RV4 and hence the functioning by successive steps of the auxiliary circular switch RC4. But the feed circuit of the electric relay RM of a circular switch RC will differ according as the following section (5 in the example chosen) is occupied, or not, by one or more preceding cars that have stopped on said section.

Case A..S'ection 5 is not occupied In that case, as above noted, the relay of track RV5 is not energized, and the same is true for the auxiliary track relays RVAS and RVA'5. On the other hand, since RV4 is energized owing to the presence of the car assumed to stop on section 4, RVA4 will also be energized, the electric circuits being analogous to those above described concerning RV5 and RVA5.

Under these conditions, the feeding circuit of the electric relay RM4 of the auxiliary circular switch RC4 is closed through the following circuit: positive pole of battery IDI, wire I 02, wire I03, winding of RM4, contact pieces 3, II of RVA4, contact pieces 6, 5 of RVA5, contact pieces I0, I0 of RVA'4, wire H8, contact CI, operated by motor KI and negative terminal of battery Thus the switch RC4 is rotated. Its three arms move forward synchronously and step by step every time the circuit is closed through contact CI (see Figs. 3 and 4). As above noted, the displacement of the arm FrI of RC4 produces in particular the following effects:

1. Relay RCRI is energized when said arm is on the contact pieces I to B of Cpl, the circuit being as follows: positive terminal of battery IIlI, wire I01, contacts I1, I8 of RVA4, arm FrI of RC4, contact studs I to 6 (which are electrically connected together) of CpI, wire I04, arm Fr6 of controller B06, contact member L of P6, wire 2 I8, winding M of RCRI contacts 25-23 of RCR2, RCR3, RCR4, RCR5 and RCRS, wire H6, and negative terminal of battery IGI.

2. Relay RCR2 is energized when the arm in question is on one of the contact pieces from 1 to ll of Cp, the circuit being similar and including wire I 26.

Therefore, the negative pole of battery I8! is connected successively to the contact studs corresponding to RCRI of all the switches Roi, and to the contact studs corresponding to RCRZ of all the switches Roi.

When the arm FrII reaches the only contact piece I8 of its set of contacts that is provided with a connection (and this takes place, owing to the arrangement of the set of contacts as above set forth concerning the set CpZ of RC5, when the car has remained for such a time upon section 4 that it has already stopped or is about to stop on said section), the following will occur, in a similar manner to what has been already explained concerning the occupation of section 5:

(a) Relay RVA4 is energized through a circuit including negative terminal of battery I 0|, wire II4-, contact stud I8 of CpZ in RC4, arm FrII of CM, contacts 3, 4, 5 of RV4, wire II'l, wire I62 and positive terminal of battery IDI.

(b) Electric relay RM4 no longer receives the impulses and the auxiliary switch RC4 stops.

(0) Relay RCRS is energized.

(d) The negative pole of battery It! is connected to the contact studs corresponding to RCRS of the retarded switches Rot of all the braking sub-sections.

In this manner, a new group of delays will be employed for all these braking elements, and due to the constructive factors, these delays will exceed or at least be equal to those produced by RCR2.

Case B.Seciiotz 5 is occupied by one or several cars already stopped or about to stop on said section In that case, relay RV5 is energized, as well as auxiliary relay RVA'5. On the other hand, relays RV4 and RVA4 are energized.

Under these conditions, the energizing circuit of relay RM4 of the auxiliary switch RC4 is closed as follows: wire I02, wire I83, winding of RM4, contact pieces 3, II of RVA4, contact pieces 7, I of RVA'5, contact pieces I 0', ID of RVA'4, wire H8, contact CI of motor KI and negative pole of battery IOI.

It will result therefrom, as in the preceding case, that the switches Rot of all the braking elements will be connected to the negative pole of battery I ill, through the contact studs corresponding to the following relays RCR, given in their order:

RCRI during the travel of the arm FTI of RC4 upon contact pieces I to 6, the circuit having already been described.

RCRZ during the travel of the arm FrI of RC4 upon contact pieces I to IT.

RCR3 when the arm FrI of RC4 comes upon contact piece It. The circular switch stops at this time, since as just above set forth the car has been upon the section for such a time that it has stopped or is about to stop thereon, and since the distance between the first stud on Cp2 and the stud I8 has been chosen exactly as above explained with reference to stud 22 on Q02 in the rotary switch RC5.

positive pole of battery IUI,

Since the energizing of one relay RCR, .due to its construction, will cut off the connection with the negative pole of battery IEH of the relays RCR which precede it (RCRz cuts off that connection for RCR], RCRS for RCRZ and. RCRI, and so on) and since the delays have increasing values from RCR! to RC6, the following will occur, considering for the present time only the action of a car upon a track section upon which it is stopped or is about to stop:

1. The device will automatically vary the delays elapsing between the depression of pedals q by subsequent cars on the braking section and the operation of the braking devices BR in accordance with the state of occupation of the storing section of the track since those delays depend upon those relays RCR which are connected with the negative pole of battery NH.

2. The delays employed become greater as the track is being filled up. The brake shoe of each braking element will be side tracked from before the cars only for smaller and smaller speeds of said cars, or otherwise stated, the car will be more likely to be braked by the shoe of each element as a longer portion of the storing section of the track is being occupied and as the space between the braking section of the track and the stopped cars becomes smaller.

3. If all the track sections are not occupied, it is in all cases the track section nearest to the braking section of the track that determines the range of delays of the retarded switches of the different braking elements as might be easily shown by repeating the above explanations in connection with the other track sections, and as may be inferred from what has been just above specifically described.

In all that precedes, the case relates to a car entering a determined track section and stopping upon this section.

Case IV.If a car only clears the said determined track section without stopping, it is observed in the figure that for any given section, for instance section 2, the track being entirely free, or occupied on the last section such as sect-itn 5 (i. e. the relay RCR2 being energized). As soon as the first axle of the car comes upon track section 2, relay RVz is energized, thus energizing relay RVA2; the circuit relay of RC2 is closed through of battery I01, wires I02, I03, winding RM2 of RC2, contact pieces 3, ll of RVA2, wire 204, contact pieces 6, 5 of RVA3, wire 203, contact pieces l0, ill of RVA'2, wire H8, contact CI of the motor K1, and the terminal of battery IOI.

When the first axle of the same car reaches the next track section, for instance the section 3 in the present example, the relay RV3 is energized, thus energizing the relay RVA3, and the circuit of the relay RMZ of the auxiliary switch RC2 is cut off at the points 5, 5 of RVA3. The auxiliary circular switch RC2 is thus stopped, and its three arms remain in the position which they occupied when the first axle of the car entered the track section 3.

It is to be further noted in view of the foregoing explanations that the auxiliary circular switch RC of a track section is set in movement when the first axle of a car enters this section, and that it stops when the same axle leaves the section; thus, as concerns the functioning of the plant, the time during which the car controls the auxiliary circular switch RC corresponding to the said section is the time during which the first axle of the car is situated upon this section. This time depends solely upon the speed of the car, and is quite independent of the length of the car and of the distance between axles.

In any case, the circular switch RC2 being stopped, its arms FrI and FTII will not have reached the contact piece l8 which, due to the construction as above explained, is only reached when the car has remained for such a time upon the track section that it has stopped or is about to stop thereon. From Fig. lb, it is apparent that the intermediate contact pieces between I and 18 on Cpl are so interconnected as to form four groups for the particular relay RC2 that is being considered. It is also clear from Figs. 1a and. lb that the first group (including contact piece I) is connected with Bell, the second group with B05, the third group with Bad and the fourth group with 1303, while none of these groups is connected with either B02, Bcl or Bell. In view of the connections just above set forth, while neither RCR5 nor RCRB can be energized, one of the relays between RCRI and RCR4 is energized, the choice of the relay thus energized depending on the group of contact pieces over which the arm FrI of RC2 has stopped. In view of the fact that FrI is moved step by step in the clockwise direction so that it'meets the groups in the order above stated, it is clear that the relays RCR are energized in the order RCRl, RCRZ, RCR3, RCR4, either of which is finally energized according as whether FTI moves for a shorter or longer time i. e. according to the time for which the car shall have travelled over the section or in other words according to the speed of the car.

If this speed is such that the car cannot proceed beyond a section n (for instance section 4) the arrangement will be such that while the car is upon section 2 under consideration, the arms, and in particular the arm FrI, will have reached contact piece I of Cpl (in the present example), which energizes the relay RCR3 by means of the controller B04 corresponding to section 4, as if this section were already occupied.

Thus the group of delays that relay RCR3 is adapted to cause as concerns the side-tracking of the brake-shoes in the various braking subsections, is substituted for the group of delays that relay RCRZ is similarly adapted to cause (the latter delays being brought into play when track-section 5 considered by way of example is occupied).

In these conditions, a car travelling upon the braking apparatus before stopped, will be braked, not according to the actual occupation of the track, to wit:

(a) section 5 for the cars already stopped according to the present example;

(1)) section 2 for the car in movement; but according to the point at which the preceding car will stop (section 4).

To recapitulate, when the cars are still travelling on the track, the succeeding cars are not braked according to the point at which these cars are situated, but according to the points which they will reach, each time that these cars, for

any reason, have not a sufficient speed to reach and make contact with the set of stationary cars gathered upon the track.

The electric device corresponding to each track section will return to the inoperative position in the following conditions for the different cases which may arise. Two cases may occur:

the preceding car is Case A.The car clears a track section without stopping.

(a) The succeeding section is occupied by a stopped car.

By way of example, the case will be considered in which the track section 2 is cleared by a car while the section 3 is occupied by a stopped car.

In these conditions:-

1. The relay RVz and hence the relay RVA2 are no longer energized when the last axle of the car in movement has left the section 2.

2. The contact arms of the circular switch RC2 have been brought, as stated, upon one of the contact pieces I to IT. It is reminded that said arms Fr of the circular switch RC2 cannot reach contact stud IS in view of the assumption that the car does not stop upon section 2 and of the fact that the switch has been so designed that only those cars which cannot travel beyond section 2 are adapted to bring the arms Fr of RC2 ont'o contact studs l8.

3. The relays RV3 and RVA'3 are energized since section 3 is occupied by a stopped car; this closes the circuit: of battery-ll, wire I03, winding of the electric relay RM2, contact pieces 3, 4 of RVAZ, contact pieces I l l, H2 of relay RM2 of switch RC2, arm FrIII of RC2, set of contact pieces C103 used with said arm FrIII, contact 1 of 0213, wire 29?, contact pieces I9, 20 of RVA3, wire H3, and the terminal of battery IN. The relay RM2 is energized; its armature e is attracted, and the arms are moved forward by one contact piece (by lever c as described with reference to Figs. 2 and 3), but at the same time the energizing circuit of the relay is broken at at because contact piece I i I is pushed apart from contact piece H2 by the arm c movable with the armature e, so that the armature e of RMZ again returns to the inoperative position. At this time, the energizing circuit of RM2 is again closed, and so on, as long as the arm FrIII is in contact with a contact piece of its series C103 and has not returned into the inoperative position as shown in the figure. In this position, the energizing circuit of RM2 is definitely broken at y, and the apparatus is again ready to operate.

(b) The succeeding section is not occupied. In this case, and in the same example, it will be remarked that, contrary to the preceding case, the relay RVA'3 is not energized except in the case where the car which has left the section 2 has stopped upon section 3. It is only at this time that the energizing circuit of RMZ will be closed and that the motor relay corresponding to section 2 may resume its inoperative position, as above stated. If, on the contrary, the car which leaves the section 2 does not stop upon section 3, it will reach the section 4, and the following conditions will prevail:

1. The relay RV2 and hence the relay RVA 2 are no longer energized.

2. The contact arms FrI and FrII of RC2 are upon oneof the contact pieces I to IT.

3. The relay RVA'3 is not energized.

4-. The relays RV4 and RVA4 are energized. Hence the following circuit is closed: of battery liii, wire 23, winding RM2, contact pieces 3, 4 of RVA2, contact (contact pieces HI, N2) of RM2, arm FTIII of RC2, contact 1 of C123, wire 207, blade is of RVA'3, contact pieces 8, 9 of RVA4, wire 8 l3, and terminal of battery NH. The contact arms of RMZ move forward step by step as in the preceding case, and the switch RC2 resumes the inoperative position. 7

It will be observed in this case (i. e. in the case where a car in movement on section 2 is assumed not only to clear said section but to clear subsequently the following section, to wit, section 3) that the switch RC2 cannot return to the inoperative position until the car has reached the section 4 and has therefore cleared the section 3; consequently the arms of RC2 will remain in the posi tion which they have assumed when the car leaves the section, and the corresponding relay RCR that has been brought into play according to the position of WI on Cpl in the switch RC2, remains energized until the arm FrI of the switch RC3 (which, as soon as the car enters track section 3, is moved step by step bringing into play successive relays RCR in the sequence RCRI, RCRZ as hereinbefore explained) stops on a stud of Cpl which depends upon the speed of the car on section 3, said arm FrI of RC3 being stopped when the first axle of the car enters section 4 as above explained. Thus it may be said that the definitive control of the relays RCR from the switch RC corresponding to a given section (for instance section 2) after a car has cleared said section can be replaced by a new control of said relays RCR (due to the car running or coming to a stop beyond section 2) only when the car has caused the switch RC corresponding to the following section (section 3) to reach the definitive position in which in its turn it will impose a definitive control on relays RCR.

Case B.The car enters a track section for instance section 2 and stops upon said section. As soon as it enters section 2, the arms FrI, FrII, FTIII of the circular switch RC2 are set in motion as just above described but, since the car is assumed to stop on section 2, arm FrII can step as far as the stud I8 of C102. When it reaches said stud l8, the winding of the auxiliary relay RVA'2 is energized and the winding of RMz is accordingly ole-energized, as already explained. Hence the three arms FrI, FrII, FrIII of switch RC2 stop and remain there, if the car remains on section 2. Should the car be brought on to next section (section 3) by any means, then it is clear that the three arms will return to the inoperative position, the action tamng place as above stated for the case of a car in motion which clears a track section without stopping.

It should be observed that as the marshalling of cars goes on, the storing section receives more and more cars, so that successively section SC, section 5, section 4 and so on are occupied by stopped cars; every time a new section is occupied by a stopped car it is clear from the foregoing explanations that new relays RV, RVA, RVA' are and remain permanently energized.

To obviate the energizing of an excessive number of relays, and in order to economize electric current, it is observed according to the diagram that the occupation of a section, for instance section 2, will break the energizing circuit of relay RV5 (and therefore of relays RVA5 and RVA'5) as will be apparent from the hereinafter explanations.

In fact if the section 2 is occupied by a stopped car, the auxiliary relay RVA2 is energized, and the energizing circuit of the track relay RVs, that is: positive terminal of battery H0, common rail I05, insulated rail 5, winding of the track relay RVs, wire 221, contact pieces l5, I6 of all the auxiliary relays RVA' of section 2 and all the preceding ones (RVA'I, RVAU, RVA) wire 228, and negative terminal of battery Hi], is broken at l5l6 of auxiliary relay RVA'2. Since track relay RV5 is de-energized, relays RVAS and RVA5 are also de-energized. Similarly, if section I is occupied by a stopped car, it will be seen that since EVA! is energized and accordingly contact pieces [5, l6 thereof are spaced apart, not only track relay RV4 and consequently relays RVA4 and .RVA4 are tie-energized but also track relay RV5 (whose winding is connected to contact piece I5 of EVA! through wire 22'! and contact pieces [5, I6 of RVA'2) is no longer energized.

In other words, generally speaking, the presence of a stopped car on any section 8,; will result in breaking the energizing circuit of relays RVXH, RVAX+3, RVAX+3 and of the relays of preceding sections.

In the preceding considerations, it has been supposed that all the contact arms of the controller C are in the position L, and it has been observed that in these conditions, the groups of delays in use will vary from the group produced by relay RCRI to the group produced by relay RCRS, according to the occupation of the track.

If the controller is operated by hand in such manner as to bring all the movable arms Fr thereof into the position M, for instance, it is observed that the retarding relay RCRI is no longer electrically connected to any of the single controllers, and that the relays RCRZ to RCRS are alone connected to such controllers, according to the dotted lines.

In this manner, according to the occupation of the track, and for the said position of the controller (position M) the groups of delays employed will vary between that corresponding to relay RCRZ and that corresponding to relay RCRG.

For other positions of the arms of the controllers, the groups of delays will vary from RCR3 to RCRB, from RCRA to RCRG, etc.

Finally, for a certain number of positions of the contact arms of the controllers, the groups of delays employed will indeed vary between those due to the relay RCRI and those due to the relay RCRB, but they can only be controlled by the track sections nearest the braking section of the track; thus, in this instance, the operation is the same as if the other sections were incorporated into the so-called complementary sections SC, which have neither track relay, nor auxiliary relays. In this manner, and according to the position of the contact arms of the controller, the delays that relays RCRI to RCR6 assign to the braking apparatus, i. e., the delays for the sidetracking of the braking shoes in front of a car running on the braking section, are controlled by the 5, 4, 3 etc. track sections that are nearest to the braking section of the track.

The combinations thus afforded are established once for all, but the variation of their relations to the other constants of the apparatus, depending upon the atmospheric conditions, must be preliminarily calculated.

Assuming that the various arms Fr of the controller are positioned on studs L of corresponding banks of studs PI], PI, P2 etc. when the atmospheric conditions are normal, it has been explained that the delays for the side-tracking of the braking shoes in the braking section are given by one or the other of the relays RCRI to RCR6, according to the actual state of occupation of the storing section by stopped cars. Relay RCRG corresponds to the strongest braking action (the storing section is full) i. e. any car passing in the braking section is so braked as to run at the lowest possible speed when leaving said braking section. Relay RCRI corresponds to the storing section being empty and the speed left to a car, in this case, is such that the latter may run as far as the end of complementary section SC.

Let us now assume that the atmospheric conditions are no longer normal:

(1) When, for instance, wind interferes with the movement of cars, the latter should have on leaving the braking section a higher speed than in case of normal conditions and the delays for side-tracking the braking shoes should be less (except when the storing section is full; in this case, relay RCRB is used which gives the strongest braking action). Accordingly, instead of the delays given by relay RCRZ, use should be made for instance of the delays given by relay RCRI For an intermediate occupation of the storing section, use should be made for instance of the delays given by relays RCR2 to RCRG, instead of the delays given by relays RCR3 to RCRG.

(2) If wind pushes the car, use is still made, when the storing section is full, of relay RCRS since it is the relay giving the strongest braking action. However assuming a given section to be occupied by cars, longer delays should be brought into play than in the foregoing instance, since wind pushes the cars. In this case, while relay RCRB is still used when the track section nearest to the braking section is occupied, one should use for instance relay RCR2 or even relay RCR3 instead of relay RCRI when the storing section is empty.

Reverting now to Figs. 1a, 1b, and 10 it will be seen, as indicated by the full lines and dotted lines extending between banks P0, P1, P2, etc. of the controller and relays RCRI, RCR2, etc. that indeed the relay RCR on use in each instance can be varied, for a given section, according to the position of the arms Fr of the controller, 1. e. according to atmospheric conditions. For instance assuming track section 4 to be occupied by stopped cars, relay R0123 is used when arm F14 of the controller is placed on stud L (the connection is shown in full line between contact stud L of P4 and winding w; of RCR3), while RCRA is used when the arm FM of the controller is placed on stud M (the connection between the stud M of P4 and winding 1114 of RCPA being shown in dotted line) the various positions L, M etc. of arms Fr of the controller corresponding to different atmospheric conditions.

Thus it is clear that the arrangement of Figs. 1a, 1b, and 10 allows of the atmospheric conditions being taken into account in the control of the braking apparatus, provided however that the storing section of the track is occupied by stopped cars. As will be hereinafter apparent, the arrangement shown in Figs. 1a, lb, and 1c does not permit this, when the cars are in movement on the storing section,

Let us consider a car having just left the braking section, running for instance on section at a speed V and taking a time t for travelling over said section; when time t has elapsed the arm FrI of circular switch RCi has reached a determined stud of CpI, say stud 4.

Accordingly the following circuit is closed: positive terminal of battery ml, wire [01, contacts ll, N3 of relay RVAI which is energized (since the presence of the car on section I results in energizing track relay RVi and consequently auxiliary track relay RVAI), arm FrI of switch RCI, stud 4 of RCI, wire l2l, arm FM of controller bank B04 and:

Either stud L (if the controller arms are in position L) winding we of RCR3 and negative terminal of battery it], through contacts 25, 23 of RCRA, RCR5 and RCRB, and wire H6 so that relay RCR3 is energized,

Or stud M (if the controller arms are in position M), winding 1.04 of RCR4 and negative ter minal of battery EGI through contacts 25, 23 of RCR5 and RCRt, and wire I I 6 so that relay RCR4 is energized.

Thus the car passing on track section I at speed V controls either relay RCR3 for position L of the controller, or relay RCRG for position M.

But, as .above described, cars having stopped on track section 4, bring into play the following relays:

RCR3 if arms Fr of the controller are positioned on studs L RCR4 if arms Fr studs M.

Consequently, with an arrangement as shown in Figs. 1a, 1b, and 1c and in the case that is being considered, a car travelling over track section I at a speed V brings into play, for different atmospheric conditions, the same delay controlling relays as if it should stop on section 4. Now if the car moving at speed V is capable of reaching section 4 and stopping thereon when at mospheric conditions correspond to position M of the controller, it is quite possible that it will not stop on the same section 4 when, assuming it has the same speed V upon section Lit is exposed to different atmospheric conditions (for instance those corresponding to position L) while it is moving from section I towards section 4. Thus RCR5 should not be brought into play in this case since RCR3 is the relay to be used when a car has stopped on section 4.

In other words, with the arrangement accord ing to Figs. 1a, lb, and 1c, the fact that a car passes on any section, say section I, without stopping thereon means that, whatever be the atmospheric conditions, this moving car is equivalent to a fictive car that would beat .a standstill at the place where said moving car will stop if the atmospheric conditions are normal.

Thus, if it is desired that the braking shoes should be side-tracked after strictly correct delays when the atmospheric conditions are no longer normal, the arrangement must be completed so that, for abnormal atmospheric conditions, the position of this fictive car is modified, in the correct direction and by the suitable distance, for instance from section 4 to either section 3 or section 5, according to circumstances.

These requirements may be met by providing the arrangement shown in Figs. 7a and 7b.

From Figs. 7a and 7b and from the foregoing explanations, it is clear that the new arrangement results in the provision of a much greater number of possible connections between the various switches RC and the various delay controlling relays RCR through the controller, the group of connections actually used for given atmospheric conditions being determined by the arms of the controller according to the position in which said controller has been set. With the arrangement shown on Figs. 7a and 72:, according to the time during which a given section has been occupied, the desired relay RCR is brought into play, account being taken, on the one hand, of the section upon which will stop the car moving with a given speed (the latter depending upon the preof the controller are on vailing atmospheric conditions) and on the other hand of the braking which must be effected upon the succeeding car in order that it may be stopped upon the same section, taking account of the said atmospheric conditions. The arrangement thus comprises as many controller elements as there are contact studs having separate connections in the whole number of the said circular switches (for example circular switch R05 has been shown as including 8 connected contact studs). In each controller element, the arm is therefore electrically connected to a connected contact stud of a given circular switch, and the row of contact studs of said controller element is connected to suitable delay controlling relays RCR.

For given atmospheric conditions, the occupation of a given section results in a group of delays being used for the side-tracking of the various brake shoes in the braking section, said group dc ending upon which delay controlling relay RCR is brought into play. Considering any track section n, the delay controlling relay that is brought into play for given atmospheric conditions when said section is occupied may be called RCRn. In like manner, the occupation of the section adjacent to the so-called complementary section will result in a relay RCRX being brought into play. Generally speaking, it and n will vary when the atmospheric conditions vary.

Hence the first connected contact stud of the circular switch corresponding to re section S should, irrespective of atmospheric conditions, cause the functioning of the relay RCRr inasmuch as its functioning shows that the car will travel to the end of the storing section of the track and as, according to what has been assumed above, RCRX is the relay brought into play when the most remote track section is occupied.

The last contact stud provided with a connection in the same circular switch of section S should also, irrespectively of atmospheric conditions, be connected through the controller with relay RCRn, for the following reason; as above explained, the switches are so devised that when the. last contact stud provided with a connection is reached by the corresponding rotary arm, this means that the car causing this movement of the arm has stopped or is about to stop on the corresponding section; therefore as it has been assumed that the operation of RCRn corresponds to section S being occupied, the last contact stud in the circular switch of section S should always povide a connection with RCRn.

Any intermediate contact stud between the first and the last studs above considered, said intermediate stud being called for instance the 25 stud, will cause the operation of a delay controlling relay which may be termed RCR (1zp); the quantity n-p cannot be less than the value 9:, and p is a constant as long as t is constant (while, as above stated, n varies when the atmospheric conditions vary).

Like results can be obtained by other arrangements than the aforesaid. Another such arrangement is shown in Fig. 8, by way of example, which is not of a liniitative nature. t is readily apparent as a consequence of the description above given with reference to Fig. 8 that each controller element allows of bringing into play for any one of the atmospheric conditions provided for by the controller (fifteen conditions in the present example) a particular supplemental row of contact studs; in each row the contact studs correspond to various times for a car to 75 travel over the section, the circular distance between the studs that have different connections varying from one row to another row. The controller is thus disposed, as concerns the electric connections, between the auxiliary relays RVA and the rows of contact studs. As already set forth, the contact studs of the various supplemental rows are connected directly with the delay controlling relays RCR.

Obviously, the aforesaid electric installation is susceptible of various modifications in detail without departing from the spirit of the invention, as comprehended Within the scope of the appended claims.

In order to avoid any misunderstanding, I will again define the terms employed in the following claims: The braking sub-sections are the sections, numbered BS1, BS2, etc. in Fig. 10, that are provided with respective pedals (11, Q2, etc. The delayed action relays of the braking subsections are the rotary switches or impulse devices Rot that are shown at the bottom of Fig. 1c and in Fig. 4. The delayed action relays of the track sections or auxiliary delayed action relays are the rotary switches or auxiliary circular switches RC. The selecting means for rendering inoperative a number of connections is the controller having elements Bc. The driving relays are the electric relays RM.

What I claim is:-

1. In a braking apparatus of the type described comprising retarded switches, delay controlling relays each of which determines a certain delay for each retarded switch, said delay controlling relays being so mounted that the energizing of one of them will automatically out on the energizing circuit of the precedingly operating relay, rotary switches adapted to successively energize said relays, driving relays for operating the last mentioned switches, a railway track, a plurality of insulated portions along one of. the rails of the track, a source of current having one pole connected to the other rail of the track, electric relays connected to the other pole of the last mentioned source, and means, operated by the last mentioned relays, for operating said driving relays.

2. In a braking apparatus of the type described comprising retarded switches having adjustable delays, a series of delay controlling relays each of which determines the delay of each retarded switch, each relay of the series determining delays whose values are greater than those determined by the preceding relay of the series, rotary switches adapted to successively energize said relays, means for deenergizing each relay as soon as the following one of the series is energized, driving relays for operating the last mentioned switches, a railway track, a plurality of insulated portions along one of the rails of the track, a source of current having one pole connected to the other rail of the track, electric relays connected to the other pole of said source whereby the axle of one car located on one track insulated section operates the corresponding last mentioned relay, and means, operated by the last mentioned relays, for operating said driving relays.

3. In a braking apparatus of the type described comprising retarded switches having adjustable delays, a series of delay controlling relays each of which determines the delay of each retarded switch, each relay of the series determining delays whose values are greater than those determined by the preceding relay of the series, rotary switches adapted to successively energize said relays, driving relays for operating the last mentioned switches, a railway track, a plurality of insulated portions along one of the rails of the track, a source of current having one pole connected to the other rail of the track, electric relays connected to the other pole of said source whereby the axle of one car running on a track insulated section operates the corresponding last mentioned relay, means, operated by the last mentioned relays, for operating said driving relays, and means for cutting oil the circuit of said driving relays when the axle of said car passes to the next insulated track section.

4. In a braking apparatus of the type described comprising retarded switches having adjustable delays, a series of delay controlling relays for determining each the delay of each retarded switch, each relay of the series determining delays whose values are greater than those determined by the preceding relay of the series, rotary switches adapted to successively energize said relays, driving relays for operating the last mentioned switches, a railway track, a plurality of insulated portions along one of the rails of the track, a source of current having one pole connected to the other rail of the track, electric relays connected to the other pole of said source whereby the axle of one car running on a track insulated section operates the corresponding last mentioned relay, means, operated by the last mentioned relays, for operating said driving relays, means for cutting off the circuit of said driving relays when the axle of said car passes to the next insulated track section, and a controller element for connecting said switches to said delay controlling elements in a suitable order.

5. In a braking apparatus of the type described comprising a plurality of braking elements, adjustable switches, each associated with one of said braking elements for operating the same, whereby the braking action of one element depends on the adjustment of the corresponding switch, a series of controlling relays each adapted to produce a determined adjustment of said switches, each relay of the series producing an adjustment that corresponds to a stronger braking action of the braking elements than that resulting from the adjustment produced by the preceding controlling relay oi the series, rotary switches adapted to successively energize said relays, driving relays for operating the last mentioned switches, a railway track, a plurality of insulated portions along one of the rails of the track, electric relays connected to the said portions respectively, a source of current having one pole connected to the other rail of the track and the other pole to said relays, whereby the axle of one car located on an insulated position of the track will operate the corresponding last mentioned relay, means, operated by the last mentioned relays, for operating said driving relays, and means for cutting off the circuit of said driving relays when the axle of said car passes to the next insulated section.

6. In a braking apparatus of the type described comprising a plurality of braking elements, adjustable switches, each associated with one of said braking elements for operating the same, whereby the braking action of one element depends on the adjustment of the corresponding switch, a series of controlling relays each adapt-

Images