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US3887152A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Automatic vehicle protection system

Assignee: SASIB SpA Bologna
•
Filing: 1973-10-01
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Granted: 1975-06-03
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Expires: 1993-10-01
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Abstract

Abstract An automatic train protection system is disclosed for automatically operated vehicles. This system is not based upon the steel wheel riding on a steel rail and therefore is capable of use with rubbered tired vehicles. A single signal rail carries train detection current and train signaling current. Brushes, mounted on the vehicle, contact the signal rail. These brushes provide a shunting path to shunt train detection current away from the signal rail for train detection. The current shunted away from the signal rail by the brushes is utilized on the train to indicate the proper operation of the brushes. The signal rail is sectionalized or divided into blocks with one detection relay for each block. The relay contacts associated with blocks in advance of a particular block are combined in circuits to select proper vehicle command signals in accordance with traffic in advance of the vehicle. A vehicle command generator provides a plurality of commands for the vehicle. The contacts of the detecting relays select the appropriate command for the vehicle in accordance with traffic conditions in advance of the vehicle. The vehicle commands are communicated to the vehicle over the same signal rail and through the same brushes which form a part of the vehicle detection system. Five different commands are generated by the wayside equipment and capable of being transmitted to the vehicle. Three of these commands are speed commands and each contains a speed limit for the vehicle and a velocity command for the vehicle. The two other commands are stopping commands. The stopping commands differ in the distance the vehicle is controlled to travel after receipt of the command, before it comes to a stop.

Inventors

  • 👤 Roger Eblovi

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-28 11:50
CPC Classifications
B; B61; B61L; B61L3/00; B61L3/16; B61L3/22; B61L3/225

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim 83 words
A vehicle detection and signaling system comprising, a sectionalized signal rail supplied with energy of one type and with signaling energy different from energy of said one type, and vehicle detection means connected to each section of said sectionalized signal rail and responsive only to energy of said one type, vehicle carried means conductively engaging said signal rail and impedance means connected to said vehicle carried means, said impedance means providing a low impedance path to ground for energy of said one type.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 83 words
A vehicle detection and signaling system comprising, a sectionalized signal rail supplied with energy of one type and with signaling energy different from energy of said one type, and vehicle detection means connected to each section of said sectionalized signal rail and responsive only to energy of said one type, vehicle carried means conductively engaging said signal rail and impedance means connected to said vehicle carried means, said impedance means providing a low impedance path to ground for energy of said one type.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 83 words
A vehicle detection and signaling system comprising, a sectionalized signal rail supplied with energy of one type and with signaling energy different from energy of said one type, and vehicle detection means connected to each section of said sectionalized signal rail and responsive only to energy of said one type, vehicle carried means conductively engaging said signal rail and impedance means connected to said vehicle carried means, said impedance means providing a low impedance path to ground for energy of said one type.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 83 words
A vehicle detection and signaling system comprising, a sectionalized signal rail supplied with energy of one type and with signaling energy different from energy of said one type, and vehicle detection means connected to each section of said sectionalized signal rail and responsive only to energy of said one type, vehicle carried means conductively engaging said signal rail and impedance means connected to said vehicle carried means, said impedance means providing a low impedance path to ground for energy of said one type.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 67 words
The apparatus of claim 1 which further includes, wayside means for generating a plurality of signals, comprising energy different from energy of said one type, selecting means for selecting a one of said plurality of signals, coupling means conected to said selecting means and said signal rail for coupling said selected signal to said signal rail, and second vehicle carried means distinctively responsive to said selected signal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 44 words
The apparatus of claim 2 in which said vehicle carried means comprises a plurality of brushes, vehicle carried detecting means, at least one of said brushes being connected to said vehicle carried detecting means for detecting, in said brushes, energy of said one type.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 20 words
The apparatus of claim 2 in which said coupling means supplies energy to said one type to said signal rail.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 40 words
The apparatus of claim 4 in which said selecting means is responsive to a plurality of vehicle detection means, each of said vehicle detection means associated with a different section in the direction of traffic along said sectionalized signal rail.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 109 words
A coupling unit for use in a vehicle detection and signaling system in which a sectionalized signaling rail carries vehicle detection and signaling energy comprising, signaling input terminals and a vehicle detection energy input terminal, impedance means connecting said vehicle detection energy input terminal to one section of said signal rail, a transformer, one winding of said transformer connected across said signaling input terminals, seconds imPedance means connecting one terminal of said other transformer winding to said one section of said signal rail, said other terminal being grounded, said second impedance means offerring a low impedance to said signaling energy and a high impedance to said vehicle detection energy.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 109 words
A coupling unit for use in a vehicle detection and signaling system in which a sectionalized signaling rail carries vehicle detection and signaling energy comprising, signaling input terminals and a vehicle detection energy input terminal, impedance means connecting said vehicle detection energy input terminal to one section of said signal rail, a transformer, one winding of said transformer connected across said signaling input terminals, seconds imPedance means connecting one terminal of said other transformer winding to said one section of said signal rail, said other terminal being grounded, said second impedance means offerring a low impedance to said signaling energy and a high impedance to said vehicle detection energy.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US1710495A Cited
US1710496A Cited
US2731550A Cited
US3387064A Cited
US3328581A Cited
US3748466A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1978-06-02 1978-12-02 1979-06-03 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1982-06-02 1982-12-02 1983-06-03 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1986-06-02 1986-12-02 1987-06-03 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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