Patent GB-496111-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in apparatus for controlling vehicles such as railway cars to be marshalled in marshalling yards
IPC: B61K7/12
Filed: 1937-03-17
Abstract: 496,111. Electrical braking systems. RABOURDIN, J. March 17, 1937, Nos. 7826 and 7827. Convention dates, March 18, 1936 and March 19, 1936. [Class 103 (i)] [Also in Groups XXXV and XXXVIII] When the average speed of a succession of independent vehicles differs from a desired value an indication of the sense of the difference is given optically or acoustically and/or an adjustment of the amount of braking applied externally to succeeding vehicles is effected. For this purpose means detecting excessive and deficient speed of each vehicle in turn effects a continuous algebraical summation. Each vehicle passes over two treadle switches P1, P2. Whilst on the first a relay A, Fig. 1, causes a stepping switch arm 3 to travel over contacts in groups 10, 11, 12. The movement is stopped by relay B where the second treadle is reached and an impulse is sent through lead 100 or 101 to a relay M or L, Fig. 2, according as the vehicle is slow or fast. Whilst on treadle B the relay C causes the resetting of the stepping switch. The relays M, L control a con. tact arm 22, which, after a predetermined movement in one or other direction, energizes a different relay R1 .. Rn. Indication may be afforded by illuminated signs or bells operated by the relays M, L or R or by the arm 22. Braking arrangements in a railway car marshalling yard may be of the skid shoe type and as set forth in Specifications 359,393 and 375,352 and the braking portion of the track may comprise a number of sections in each of which is a braking device F1 ...F3 which is controlled by a relay Gland a treadle switch in the preceding track section. When a car enters, a contact 50 energizes a stepping relay, whereby a contact arm 58 is caused to energize the relay G, after an interval determined by the operation of the relays R1 ... Rn in selectively connecting up contacts b on the stepping switches. Where the car passes on to the next section a contact 65 causes the resetting of the stepping switch. Thus the brake shoes in successive braking sections are adjustably controlled in accordance with the average speed of cars which have been braked and subsequently subjected to weather conditions before reaching the speed testing apparatus. The invention may be applied to the system described in Specification 375,352 as open to inspection under Sect. 91, wherein the marshalling tracks are divided into insulated sections, Fig. 3, each provided with relays RV, RVA, RVA<1> controlling a stepping switch RC which is connected through a contact arm on a manual controller BC common to all sections in the yard to a relay RCR controlling the brake adjusting stepping switch ROT of a braking section. The controller BC is adapted to be adjusted automatically to shift the control relationship between braking sections and marshalling sections in accordance with the detected speeds of the cars so that each will arrive on the last occupied section at a suitable speed irrespective of weather conditions. For this purpose additional relays RVA<11> are interconnected with the relay RVA<1> and control the connections to contacts V, V<1> associated with arms FrII on the stepping switches RC. The arrangement is such that a vehicle on a section next before a section occupied by a car causes an impulse to be sent either to relay T1 or T2, Fig. 4, of an impulse storing device according as its speed is above or below that desired. When the algebraic sum of these impulses exceeds a number, such as five, the impulse storing device will energize a relay Z1 Z2 to cause an adjustment of the controller BC one step in the appropriate direction to correct the action of the braking sections and the resetting of the impulse storing device. The relays Z1, Z2 may alternatively operate optical or acoustical signals or operate counters recording the number of cars passing respectively at low speed and high speed.