Eddy-current and hysteresis brake for track-bound vehicles

Claim 2

An eddy-current and hysteresis brake system for a track-bound vehicle having a magnetic system including iron core means having a plurality of spaced-apart pole branches joined by a yoke, energizing coil means surrounding each of said pole branches, each of said pole branches including a coil surrounded portion and a pole head portion projecting out from said coil means, said vehicle having a predetermined direction of motion, said coil surrounded portion on each of said pole branches having a thickness measured in said direction of motion which is not greater than the thickness of said pole head portion on each of said pole branches measured in said predetermined direction, said brake system including parts in which eddy currents and hysteresis work is produced and said pole heads having pole surfaces facing said parts, spacing means for maintaining a substantially constant air gap between said pole surfaces and said parts, said vehicle including wheels defining said parts in which eddy currents and hysteresis work are produced, said wheels including wheel flanges having front surfaces, said pole surfaces facing said front surfaces, and said yoke being of ring segment shape.

Claim 3

An eddy-current and hysteresis brake system for a track-bound vehicle having a magnetic system including an iron core having a plurality of spaced-apart pole branches joined by a yoke, energizing coil means surrounding each of said pole branches, each of said pole branches including a coil surrounded portion and a pole head portion projecting out from said coil means, said vehicle having a predetermined direction of motion, said coil surrounded portion on each of said pole branches having a thickness measured in said direction of motion which is not greater than the thickness of said pole head portion on each of said pole branches measured in said predetermined direction, said brake system including parts in which eddy currents and hysteresis work is produced and said pole heads having pole surfaces facing said parts, spacing means for maintaining a substantially constant air gap between said pole surfaces and said parts, said vehicle including wheels defining said parts in which eddy currents and hysteresis work are produced, said wheels including wheel flanges having opposite sides, wheel tires having treads secured to said flanges, said yoke being of ring segment shape, said magnetic system including a plurality of said iron core means positioned on said opposite sides of said wheel flange with said pole surfaces thereof facing said tire tread.

Claim 4

An eddy-current and hysteresis brake system for a track-bound vehicle having a magnetic system including an iron core having a plurality of spaced-apart pole branches joined by a yoke, energizing coil means surrounding each of said pole branches, each of said pole branches including a coil surrounded portion and a pole head portion projecting out from said coil means, said vehicle having a predetermined direction of motion, said coil surrounded portion on each of said pole branches having a thickness measured in said direction of motion which is not greater than the thickness of said pole head portion on each of said pole branches measured in said predetermined direction, said brake system including parts in which eddy currents and hysteresis work is produced and said pole heads having pole surfaces facing said parts, spacing means for maintaining a substantially constant air gap between said pole surfaces and said parts, said vehicle including wheels defining said parts in which eddy currents and hysteresis work are produced, said wheels including wheel flanges having opposite sides, wheel tires having treads secured to said flanges, said yoke being of ring segment shape, said magnetic system including a plurality of said iron core means positioned on said opposite sides of said wheel flange with said pole surfaces thereof facing said tire tread.

Claim 5

An eddy-current and hysteresis brake system for a track-bound vehicle having a magnetic system including an iron core having a plurality of spaced-apart pole branches joined by a yoke, energizing coil means surrounding each of said pole branches, each of said pole branches including a coil surrounded portion and a pole head portion projecting out from said coil means, said vehicle having a predetermined direction of motion, said coil surrounded portion on each of said pole branches having a thickness measured in said direction of motion which is not greater than the thickness of said pole head portion on each of said pole branches measured in said predetermined direction, said brake system including parts in which eddy currents and hysteresis work is produced and said pole heads having pole surfaces facing said parts, spacing means for maintaining a substantially constant air gap between said pole surfaces and said parts, said parts being defined by track means on which said vehicle travels, said spacing means including carrier means for said iron core means, supporting wheels rotatably mounted on said carrier means and having peripheral surfaces projecting beyond said pole surfaces toward said track means, and wear-resisting skid surfaces on said carrier means positioned intermediate said pole surfaces and said peripheral surfaces of said wheels.

Claim 6

An eddy-current and hysteresis brake system for a track-bound vehicle having a magnetic system including an iron core having a plurality of spaced-apart pole branches joined by a yoke, energizing coil means surrounding each of said pole branches, each of said pole branches including a coil surrounded portion and a pole head portion projecting out from said coil means, said vehicle having a predetermined direction of motion, said coil surrounded portion on each of said pole branches having a thickness measured in said direction of motion which is not greater than the thickness of said pole head portion on each of said pole branches measured in said predetermined direction, said brake system including parts in which eddy currents and hysteresis work is produced and said pole heads having pole surfaces facing said parts, spacing means for maintaining a substantially constant air gap between said pole surfaces and said parts, said parts being defined by track means on which said vehicle travels, said spacing means including carrier means for said iron core means, supporting wheels rotatably mounted on said carrier means and having peripheral surfaces projecting beyond said pole surfaces toward said track means, and wear-resisting skid surfaces on said carrier means positioned intermediate said pole surfaces and said peripheral surfaces of said wheels.

Claim 7

An eddy current and hysteresis brake system for vehicles comprising; iron core means including a plurality of individual pole branches spaced-apart in a predetermined direction and joined together by yoke means, an energizing coil surrounding a portion of each of said pole branches, each of said pole branches including a coil surrounded portion and a pole head portion projecting from said coil, each of said pole head portions having a pole surface, said coil surrounded portions having a thickness measured in said predetermined direction which is not greater than the thickness of said pole head portions measured in said predetermined direction, said pole branches having a center-to-center spacing in said predetermined direction at said pole surfaces of between thirty and sixty millimeters, and said pole head portions and said pole surfaces having a thickness measured in said predetermined direction of at least sixteen millimeters.

Claim 8

An eddy current and hysteresis brake system for vehicles comprising; iron core means including a plurality of individual pole branches spaced-apart in a predetermined direction and joined together by yoke means, an energizing coil surrounding a portion of each of said pole branches, each of said pole branches including a coil surrounded portion and a pole head portion projecting from said coil, each of said pole head portions having a pole surface, said coil surrounded portions having a thickness measured in said predetermined direction which is not greater than the thickness of said pole head portions measured in said predetermined direction, said pole branches having a center-to-center spacing in said predetermined direction at said pole surfaces of between thirty and sixty millimeters, and said pole head portions and said pole surfaces having a thickness measured in said predetermined direction of at least sixteen millimeters.

Claim 9

The brake system of claim 4 wherein said predetermined direction extends along the circumference of a circle and said yoke comprises a ring segment.

Claim 10

The brake system of claim 4 wherein said pole head portions and said pole surfaces have a thickness measured in said predEtermined direction which is greater than said thickness of said coil surrounded portions measured in said predetermined direction, said coil surrounded portions having a thickness as measured in a second direction perpendicular to said predetermined direction and parallel to said pole surfaces which is greater than the thickness of said pole heads and pole surfaces as measured in said second direction so that the cross-sectional area of said coil surrounded portions is substantially equal to the cross-sectional area of said pole heads and pole surfaces.

Claim 11

The brake system of claim 4 and further including generator means for energizing said coils, said generator means including a pair of axially-spaced stator pole rings having circumferential surfaces, a plurality of magnetic poles of alternating polarity circumferentially arranged on said circumferential surfaces, and adjustment means for rotatably adjusting said rings relative to one another up to one pole pitch for varying the energization of said coils.

Claim 12

The brake system of claim 4 and further including electrical energizing means for energizing said coils, and control means for controlling said electrical energizing means to vary the magnetic field produced in said pole heads.

Claim 13

The brake system of claim 4 wherein said vehicle has a plurality of wheels and rides on track means, at least one of said iron cores being positioned adjacent each of said wheels and said track means for producing eddy current and hysteresis braking in all of said wheels and said track means.

Claim 14

The system of claim 9 and further including variable energization means for energizing said coils.

Claim 15

An eddy current and hysteresis brake system for vehicles comprising; iron core means including a plurality of individual pole branches spaced-apart in a predetermined direction and joined together by yoke means, an energizing coil surrounding a portion of each of said pole branches, each of said pole branches including a coil surrounded portion and a pole head portion projecting from said coil, each of said pole head portions having a pole surface, said pole head portions and pole surfaces having a thickness measured in said predetermined direction which is greater than the thickness of said coil surrounded portions measured in said predetermined direction, and said coil surrounded portions having a thickness as measured in a second direction perpendicular to said predetermined direction and parallel to said pole surfaces which is greater than the thickness of said pole head portions and pole surfaces as measured in said second direction so that the cross-sectional area of said coil surrounded portions is substantially equal to the cross-sectional area of said pole head portions and pole surfaces.

Claim 16

An eddy current and hysteresis brake system for vehicles comprising; iron core means including a plurality of individual pole branches spaced-apart in a predetermined direction and joined together by yoke means, an energizing coil surrounding a portion of each of said pole branches, each of said pole branches including a coil surrounded portion and a pole head portion projecting from said coil, each of said pole head portions having a pole surface, said pole head portions and pole surfaces having a thickness measured in said predetermined direction which is greater than the thickness of said coil surrounded portions measured in said predetermined direction, and said coil surrounded portions having a thickness as measured in a second direction perpendicular to said predetermined direction and parallel to said pole surfaces which is greater than the thickness of said pole head portions and pole surfaces as measured in said second direction so that the cross-sectional area of said coil surrounded portions is substantially equal to the cross-sectional area of said pole head portions and pole surfaces.

Claim 17

An eddy current and hysteresis brake system for vehicles movable in a predetermined direction on track means having a track surface comprising; iron core means including a plurality of individual pole branches spaced-apart in said predetermined direction and joined together by yoke means, an energizing coil surrounding a portion of each of said pole branches, each of said pole branches including a coil surrounded portion and a pole head portion projecting from said coil, said pole head portions having pole surfaces facing said track surface, carrier means for carrying said core on said vehicle, said carrier means having wear-resistant skid surfaces facing said track surface and positioned between said track surface and said pole surfaces, supporting wheels on said carrier means for supporting said carrier means on said track surface with said skid surfaces normally spaced from said track surface.

Claim 18

An eddy current and hysteresis brake system for vehicles movable in a predetermined direction on track means having a track surface comprising; iron core means including a plurality of individual pole branches spaced-apart in said predetermined direction and joined together by yoke means, an energizing coil surrounding a portion of each of said pole branches, each of said pole branches including a coil surrounded portion and a pole head portion projecting from said coil, said pole head portions having pole surfaces facing said track surface, carrier means for carrying said core on said vehicle, said carrier means having wear-resistant skid surfaces facing said track surface and positioned between said track surface and said pole surfaces, supporting wheels on said carrier means for supporting said carrier means on said track surface with said skid surfaces normally spaced from said track surface.