Patent GB-1012564-A (GB)
Title: Weight responsive vehicle speed controlling apparatus
IPC: B61K7/12
Filed: 1962-06-08
Abstract: 1,012,564. Track propulsion system. WESTINGHOUSE AIR BRAKE CO. June 8, 1962 [June 9, 1961], No. 22282/62. Heading B7L. [Also in Divisions F2E and F2F] In a vehicle speed-controlling apparatus for fixing adjacent a railway track 10 at least one speed controlled treadle member 18a -18g is mounted for movement in a vertical direction, weight detecting means including a weight-detecting treadle member 16 being mounted adjacent the railway track in advance of the speed control treadle members, and means being provided for operating the treadle members so as to apply to the wheel as it passes over the members a speed-controlling effort substantially proportional to the weight exerted by the wheel. The hydraulic system as illustrated in Fig. 4 for controlling the vehicle speed controlling apparatus is shown in the position for effecting retardation of the wagon passing over the apparatus. As the wheel passes over the weightdetecting treadle member 16 the piston 24 in a cylinder 26 is depressed and fluid is transmitted through a conduit 28 to two spool valves 75, 76 through conduits 79, 80 to inlet ports of two pressure control valves 82, 84 to pressurize the latter in proportion to the load sustained by the vehicle wheel, and through a line 92 leading to a lowpressure accumulator 90. Depending upon whether retardation or acceleration is desired, pressure control valves 82 and 84 are so connected in the hydraulic circuit that one is placed in a system while the other is made inactive and a circuit controller 135 is provided having RETARD, OFF AND ACCELERATE POSITIONS to effect energization of three solenoid valves 130, 132, 134 respectively. Retarder position.-Assuming that the railway vehicle is moving over the rails 10 and is approaching the track side apparatus at a speed greater than that desired so that it is necessary to reduce the speed of the vehicle, the circuit controller 135 is set to the RETARD POSITION to energize the solenoid valve 130, the other solenoid valves 132 and 134 remaining de-energized. At this time, a puppet valve 58 in a line 68 leading from the bottom chamber of the cylinder 32a and associated with the first speed control treadle member 18a to a sump 69 is closed. Puppet valves 60a-60f associated with the speed controlled treadle members 18a-18g and inserted in the lines 64 leading from a high pressure accumulator 66 are all opened so that the chambers 46 in the cylinders 32a-32g associated with treadles 18a-18g are charged with high pressure fluid from accumulator 66 through the line 64 and lines 48. Under these initial conditions the pressure at the lower side of the piston 44 in the cylinders 32a-32g is much greater than that on the upper side so that valves 39 and 40 are actuated to the positions shown in Fig. 4a. As a result, the port 34 in the cylinder 32a and ports 36 in the cylinders associated with the other treadles are exposed to fluid in the low-pressure accumulator 90 through manifold line 50, de-energize solenoid valve 132, conduit 138, ports 134d and 134f of de-energized solenoid valve 134 and conduit 91; low-pressure fluid being thus injected into the cylinders 32b-32g. Fluid from an intermediate pressure accumulator 109 is injected into cylinder 32a through manifold line 52 ports 130d and 130e of the energized solenoid valve 130, ports 96a and 96b of pressure control valve 82 and conduit 107. Ports 34, now covered, in the cylinders 326- 32g are also exposed to this fluid. As soon as the first wheel of the vehicle contacts the treadle 16 a pressure is developed in the conduits 79 and 80 which is proportional to the load sustained by the wheel. The pressure in conduit 79 acts on a pressure control valve 82 and as soon as the wheel leaves the treadle 16 the treadle 18a begins to move to cause the puppet valve 60a to close and allow fluid in the cylinder 32a to flow through the energized solenoid control valve 130 into a chamber 108 in the pressure control valve 82 whereupon the fluid entering the chamber 108 is throttled or constricted at the valve 104a to throttle the flow to cause the fluid to be heated whereby energy is removed from the vehicle and dissipated to effect a braking action on the wheel rolling over the treadle 18a. The heat generated in the fluid is displaced to the accumulator 90 through a conduit 107, a motor 110, a check valve 114 and a cooler 112. Successive braking actions are produced when each treadle 186- 18g are depressed to retard the vehicle in accordance with the weight of the latter. Accelerator position.-If it is desired to increase the speed of the vehicle the circuit controller 135 is set to the ACCELERATE POSITION whereupon the solenoid valve 132 is energized, the other solenoid valves 130 and 134 being de-energized. The puppet valves 60a-60f are all open so that the chambers 46 in all the cylinders 32-32g associated with the treadles are charged with high pressure fluid from accumulator 66 through a conduit 64 and conduits 48. The line 52 which leads into the port 36 in the cylinder 32a is exposed to fluid in the low-pressure accumulator 90 through the de-energized solenoid valves 130 and 134 so that in all the cylinders 32a-32g there is a higher pressure in the lower than in the upper side of the pistons 44 so that the valves 39 and 40 take up the position shown in Fig. 4a. As the vehicle moves along the track and contacts the treadle 16 the pressure control valve 84 is provided with a reference pressure proportional to the vehicle load and as soon as the wheel engages the treadle 18a the treadle is depressed to cause the puppet valve 60a to close and as the wheel continues to act on the treadle 18a fluid in the cylinder 32a is displaced into the low-pressure accumulator 90, the displaced fluid encountering very little resistance during its passage to the accumulator so that the treadle 18a moves downwardly under the wheel with little or practically no retarding effect. Continued depression of the treadle 18a causes opening of the puppet valve 58 at a time when the wheel has not yet reached the treadle 18b so that the puppet valve 60b is still open. The opening of the valve 58 relieves the pressure in line 48 and in the chambers 46 in all the cylinders to that pressure in the sump 69 and the pressure in the high pressure accumulator 66 is fed to the under side of the piston 31 in cylinder 32a to produce an operate movement of the treadle 18a and provide an accelerating force to the vehicle. This process is continued for each of the treadles 18b-18g until the correct feed of the vehicle is achieved. When it is desired to isolate the apparatus the circuit controller 135 is set to the OFF position to energize the solenoid valve 134, the other solenoid valves 130 and 132 being deenergized. This has the effect of communicating the line 52 directly with the sump 69 and the vehicle is allowed to pass unimpeded across the speed-controlling apparatus.