Patent GB-1068754-A (GB)
Title: Apparatus and method for shunting rolling stock
IPC: B61K7/12
Filed: 1965-05-26
Abstract: 1,068,754. Electric systems combined with non-electric systems; hump yard control. R.. DINE. May 26, 1965 [May 28, 1964], No. 22417/65. Headings B7L and B7N. [Also in Division F2] In a railway hump yard, a carriage 11 for braking railway vehicles is adapted to move along a runway 2, 2 parallel to and within a railway track 1, 1 which runway also serves as electrical supply and return conductors, the carriage comprises at least one drive member in the form of a roller block 15 which is capable of being placed on a rail 1 of the track to drive the carriage under the impetus of a truck and capable of being withdrawn from the rail and returned to a position of rest, the carriage comprising a brake device in the form of a jaw brake d to brake the carriage when it is driven by the truck to decelerate the latter, a device for sensing the velocity of the carriage, and a control adapted to release the braking device in response to a signal from the velocity sensing device T. The braking carriage 11 for connection to the railway truck to be moved comprises a platform which is linked with a driving carriage 7 by a flexible and resilient coupling 8 12, 14. The driving carriage 7 is guided laterally between the vertical limbs of the runway 2, 2 by rubber-covered wheels 9 rotating in a horizontal plane and electric traction motors 3 drive rubber-tyred wheels 6 of the driving carriage 7, which also carries an electrical indicating and programming control apparatus. The roller blocks 15 are adapted to be urged into an operative position on the rails 1, 1 by means of hydraulically actuated rams 10 supplied with fluid from an hydraulic pump HP driven by an electric motor HM. The braking devices d are rigidly connected to the carriage and serve to brake the latter by gripping the runway 2, 2 when actuated by an hydraulic ram (not shown). Mechanical sensing members 18 (Fig. 1b mounted on the carriage 7 so as to face approaching railway trucks, are adapted to come into contact with the trucks and closets-circuit control means MA to cause a motor MP to start, to drive a programmer P which provides a programme of operations to bring the various components on the carriage 7, 11 at predetermined sequences. The programmer P is of a cam and drum type and provides a complete operating cycle for every half revolution. In operation, the carriage is parked on its runway 2, 2 in a siding a suitable distance away from the last truck in the lift of vehicles being formed. The roller blocks 15 are placed on the rails 1, 1 and a truck shunted into this siding comes into contact with one of the sensors 18 of the carriage 7 with the result that the latter starts moving in the same direction as the truck, thereby reducing the relative speed between the truck and the carriage. The truck continues on its way and comes into contact with the roller blocks 15 after having bumped stop blocks 19 to move them inwardly to the position shown in the chain-dotted lines in Fig. 1a. The wheels of the first axle of the truck are located between the roller blocks 15 and the stop blocks 19. The jaw brake devices d are operated and the braking pressure increases continuously to a predetermined maximum. When the speed of the whole assembly decreases to a predetermined minimum, the programmer P successively causes the braking action to stop, the block supporting arms 32 to be retracted and the carriage to withdraw from the railway truck. The truck then continues its movement at the lower predetermined speed until it makes contact wih the lift of vehicles being formed. A subtraction device working in conjunction with the programmer P causes the carriage to be returned to the same distance as before from the new front of the lift of vehicles. A remote manual adjustment may be made when the carriage has stopped to correct its final position if necessary.