Car stabilizing control system

Claim 2

In a curve responsive tilt control device for a railway vehicle having an air cushion suspension system and a measuring device that generates control signals while the vehicle is traveling along a curved path, the combination of a gyroscope mounted in the vehicle with its axis of rotation in a state of rest being horizontal and transverse to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, a measuring device coupled to said gyroscope and comprising means for delivering signals corresponding to the angular velocity and angular acceleration of the vehicle in response to the magnitude and speed of deflection of the axis of rotation of the gyroscope from its state of rest position during movement of the vehicle along a curved path and a signal modulator connected to said measuring device for delivering actuating signals to control the air cushion suspension whereby the vehicle is tilted in the proper direction depending upon the curvilinear travel of the vehicle.

Claim 3

In a curve responsive control device as claimed in claim 1 and comprising switching means connected to said angular acceleration and angular velocity signal generating means and responsive to the forward and rearward direction of movement of the vehicle for transposing said signals to correspond to the direction of travel of the vehicle.

Claim 4

In a curve responsive control device as claimed in claim 2 and comprising a D.C. generator drivingly connected to a wheel of the vehicle, said switching means connected to said D.C. generator and responsive to the polarity of the voltage generated therefrom.

Claim 5

In a Curve responsive control device as claimed in Claim 1 and comprising means responsive to the speed of the vehicle for stopping the generation of said direction actuating signals when the vehicle speed is below a predetermined value.

Claim 6

In a curve responsive control device as claimed in Claim 4 and comprising a D.C. generator drivingly connected to a wheel of the vehicle and to said stop signal generating means whereby said stop signal generating means is controlled by said D.C. generator.

Claim 7

In a curve responsive control device as claimed in Claim 1 and comprising central switch means on said vehicle responsive to the angle between the plane of the road upon which the vehicle is travelling and the central longitudinal vertical plane of the vehicle.

Claim 8

In a curve responsive control device as claimed in Claim 1 and comprising a pendulum swinging in a plane transverse to the direction of travel of the vehicle, and means responsive to the movement of said pendulum for permitting the generation of direction actuating signals only when the angular acceleration and turning movement of the vehicle are in the same direction and the pendulum has swung in the opposite direction.

Claim 9

In a curve responsive control device as claimed in Claim 7 and comprising central switch means on said vehicle responsive to the angle between the plane of the road upon which the vehicle is traveling and the central longitudinal vertical plane of the vehicle, a first Nand circuit having inputs connected to said angular acceleration and angular velocity signal generating means and to said pendulum responsive permit signal means, said first Nand circuit receiving only angular acceleration and angular velocity signals in the same direction and only signals from said pendulum when the pendulum has swung in the opposite direction, a second Nand circuit having inputs connected to said angular acceleration and angular velocity signal generating means and to said central switch means, said second Nand circuit receiving only angular acceleration and angular velocity signals in different directions and signals from said switch means indicating deviation of the vehicle from a position perpendicular to the plane of the road, a third Nand circuit having inputs connected to the output of said first and second Nand circuits, the output of said third Nand circuit being the direction actuating signals.

Claim 10

In a curve responsive control device as claimed in claim 8 and comprising signal amplifier means connected to the output of said third Nand circuit.

Claim 11

In a curve responsive control device as claimed in claim 7 and comprising central switch means on said vehicle responsive to the angle between the plane of the road upon which the vehicle is travelling and the central longitudinal vertical plane of the vehicle, a first pair of AND circuits having inputs connected to said angular acceleration and angular velocity signal generating means and said pendulum responsive permit signal means, said first pair of AND circuits receiving only angular acceleration and angular velocity signals in the same direction and only signals from said pendulum when the pendulum has swung in the opposite direction, a second pair of AND circuits having inputs connected to said angular acceleration and angular velocity signal generating means and to said central switch means, said second pair of AND circuits receiving only angular acceleration and angular velocity signals in different directions and signals from said switch means indicating deviation of the vehicle from a position perpendicular to the plane of the road, a first OR circuit having inputs connected to the outputs of ones of said first and second pairs of AND circuits, a second OR circuit having inputs connected to the outputs of the others of said first and second pairs of AND circuits, the output signal of said OR circuits comprising the direction actuating signals.

Claim 12

In a curve responsive control device as claimed in claIm 10 and comprising signal amplifier means connected to the outputs of said first and second OR circuits.

Claim 13

In a curve responsive control device as claimed in claim 11 and comprising a pair of diodes connected between said angular acceleration and angular velocity signal generating means and the input of a signal amplifier means, the diodes receiving those signals indicating different turning movements of the vehicle, the output of said signal amplifier means being an actuating signal independent of vehicle direction.

Claim 14

In a curve responsive control device as claimed in claim 12 and comprising means responsive to a direction actuating signal for generating a second direction actuating signal and for continuing the generation of said second direction actuating signal while said actuating signal independent of vehicle direction is being generated.

Claim 15

In a curve responsive control device as claimed in Claim 13 wherein said second direction actuating signal generating means comprises first and second relays with each relay having a closed contact and an open contact when said relay is non-energized, a first and second output conductor for said second direction actuating signals with each conductor connected across the open contact of one relay and the closed contact of the other relay, first and second relay switches connected to a voltage source and to the contacts closed during generation of a direction actuating signal, and a conductor connected to the open contacts to transmit the actuating signal independent of vehicle direction.

Claim 16

In a curve responsive control device as claimed in Claim 1 and comprising an output line from said measuring apparatus to transmit an output signal proportional to the angular velocity of the vehicle, amplifier means connected to said output line, a first comparator having first and second inputs and an output with said first input connected to said amplifier means, time delay means including a condensor and a resistor also connected to said output line, a second comparator having first and second inputs and an output with said first input connected to said time delay means, means connected to the second inputs of said first and second comparators for introducing a predetermined voltage thereto, the output of the first comparator generating an indicator signal responsive to the angular velocity of the vehicle and the output of the second comparator generating an indicator signal responsive to the angular acceleration of the vehicle.

Claim 17

In a curve responsive control device as claimed in Claim 15 with first and second output lines from said measuring apparatus to transmit respective output signals having mirror image amplitudes proportional to the angular velocity of the vehicle to a zero-signal, amplifier means including a transistor and a resistor connected to each output line, first comparator means connected to said amplifier means, a condensor connected to each of said output lines and second comparator means connected to each of said condensors.

Claim 18

In a curve responsive control device as claimed in Claim 15 wherein the time constant of the time delay means is 3 seconds.

Claim 19

In a curve responsive control device as claimed in Claim 15 wherein said output amplifier means comprises a transistor and a resistor connected as an emitter-follower.

Claim 20

In a curve responsive control device as claimed in Claim 15 wherein said predetermined voltage introducing means comprises a potentiometer.