Patent US3619604A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3619604A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Digital distance to coupling detection
Assignee: SPX Technologies Inc
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Filing: 1969-12-16
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Granted: 1971-11-09
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Expires: 1989-12-16
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus for detecting the impedance of an electrically energized track circuit has been provided wherein a receiver coupled to the track circuit at a reference point is responsive to received energy from the track circuit and means coupled to the receiver provides direct current signals representative of current and voltage components of the received energy. The improvement of the present invention includes an interface responsive to initiatory signals and to the direct current signals for providing an output signal, the occurrence of which relative to the initiation of the interface means gives indication of track impedance with respect to time. The present invention relates to apparatus for detecting and transmitting information relative to the impedance of an electrical system and particularly to apparatus for detecting the impedance characteristic of a railroad track circuit in order to determine the distance from a reference point to a shunt occasioned by the presence of a railroad vehicle.
Inventors
- 👤 John H Auer Jr
- 👤 Jerry P Huffman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 10:24
CPC Classifications
B; B61; B61L; B61L17/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
160 words
Apparatus for detecting the impedance of an electrically energized track circuit wherein a receiver coupled to the track circuit at a reference point is responsive to received energy from said track circuit and means coupled to said receiver provides direct current signals representative of current and voltage components of the received energy, wherein the improvement comprises: interface means responsive to an initiatory signal and the direct current signal for providing an output signal, including an integrator responsive to one of the direct current signals for producing a time variable signal changing at a rate relative to the magnitude of said direct current signal and; comparator means responsive to said time variable signal and said other direct current signal for producing the output signal when the time variable signal achieves a predetermined relation to the other signal, whereby the occurrence of said output signal relative to the initiation of said interface means gives indication of track impedance with respect to time.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
160 words
Apparatus for detecting the impedance of an electrically energized track circuit wherein a receiver coupled to the track circuit at a reference point is responsive to received energy from said track circuit and means coupled to said receiver provides direct current signals representative of current and voltage components of the received energy, wherein the improvement comprises: interface means responsive to an initiatory signal and the direct current signal for providing an output signal, including an integrator responsive to one of the direct current signals for producing a time variable signal changing at a rate relative to the magnitude of said direct current signal and; comparator means responsive to said time variable signal and said other direct current signal for producing the output signal when the time variable signal achieves a predetermined relation to the other signal, whereby the occurrence of said output signal relative to the initiation of said interface means gives indication of track impedance with respect to time.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the time variable signal is a function of the current component of the received energy; and the other direct current signal is a function of the voltage component of the received energy.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
207 words
Apparatus for providing a signal indicative of a distance from a feedpoint on a track circuit to the closest shunt occasioned by the presence of a railroad vehicle, and means for transmitting said signal to a computer including means coupled to the rails for generating an alternating current input signal and means responsive to received alternating current signals from the rails for providing direct current and voltage signals wherein the improvement comprises: interface means initially activated by an initiatory signal, coupling the receiver means to the computer and responsive to said direct current and voltage signals for providing an output signal at a time after said initiatory signal, including signal generating means responsive to one of the direct signals for producing a time variable signal having a rate of change relative to the magnitude of said direct signal input and comparator means responsive to the other of said direct signals and the time variable signal for producing the output signal when the magnitudes of said direct signal and time variable signal are in a preset relation, whereby said time duration between the initiatory signal and the output signal occurrences has a direct relation to the impedance of the track circuit, indicative of the distance to the shunt.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
207 words
Apparatus for providing a signal indicative of a distance from a feedpoint on a track circuit to the closest shunt occasioned by the presence of a railroad vehicle, and means for transmitting said signal to a computer including means coupled to the rails for generating an alternating current input signal and means responsive to received alternating current signals from the rails for providing direct current and voltage signals wherein the improvement comprises: interface means initially activated by an initiatory signal, coupling the receiver means to the computer and responsive to said direct current and voltage signals for providing an output signal at a time after said initiatory signal, including signal generating means responsive to one of the direct signals for producing a time variable signal having a rate of change relative to the magnitude of said direct signal input and comparator means responsive to the other of said direct signals and the time variable signal for producing the output signal when the magnitudes of said direct signal and time variable signal are in a preset relation, whereby said time duration between the initiatory signal and the output signal occurrences has a direct relation to the impedance of the track circuit, indicative of the distance to the shunt.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
37 words
The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said signal generating means includes reset means responsive to the initiatory signal for initiating the generation of said time variable signal at a time, when called for by the initiatory signal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
45 words
The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising: output apparatus includIng a feedback path to said signal interface means providing a cutoff signal for deactivating said interface in a timed relation to the initiatory signal, said timed relation indicative of the impedance of the track circuit.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the output apparatus further includes a delay line for providing a preset delay time to the reception of the output signal by the computer.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
96 words
The apparatus of claim 3 comprising: means responsive to an initiatory signal and to one of said direct signals for providing a time variable signal relative to the magnitude of said direct signal, and comparator means responsive to the other of said direct signals and said timed varying signal for providing an output signal at a time interval after said initiatory signals when said time variable signal and said direct signal are in a preset relation to each other, said time interval providing information to the computer indicative of a relation between the two direct signals.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3316400A
Cited
US3478348A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-11-08 | 1975-05-10 | 1975-11-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-11-08 | 1979-05-10 | 1979-11-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-11-08 | 1983-05-10 | 1983-11-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |