US5321344A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Control circuit for model railroads
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1992-04-04
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Granted: 1994-06-14
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Expires: 2012-04-04
Abstract
Abstract A control circuit for a model railroad utilizes a digital counter to control the modes of motor operation. To select a mode of operation a switch is used to repeatedly ground the base of a transistor circuit, causing pulses to be sent to a counter. By using the switch to hold the base of the transistor to ground, the counter sequencing is locked and prevented from further sequencing until the track power is turned off for a defined minimum amount of time. Release of this switched ground places the circuit under track control where short power interrupts cause the counter to sequence to the next count and therefore to sequence the modes of motor operation.
Inventors
- 👤 Kenneth Ott
- 👤 David Ott
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 00:50
CPC Classifications
A; A63; A63H; A63H19/00; A63H19/24; H; H02; H02P; H02P7/00; H02P7/03; H02P7/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
114 words
An electronic motor control circuit for a model railroad for driving a motor of a motorized unit in a selected mode comprising: switch means on said motorized unit for selecting a mode of motor operation, for causing the selection of said mode of motor operation to be responsive to short power interruptions, and for selectively locking said motor operation in said selected mode to maintain said motor operation selection in said selected mode during short power interruptions; logic means coupled to said switch means for providing a mode signal responsive to said switch means; and electronic means coupled to said logic means for driving said motor in a mode corresponding to said mode signal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
114 words
An electronic motor control circuit for a model railroad for driving a motor of a motorized unit in a selected mode comprising: switch means on said motorized unit for selecting a mode of motor operation, for causing the selection of said mode of motor operation to be responsive to short power interruptions, and for selectively locking said motor operation in said selected mode to maintain said motor operation selection in said selected mode during short power interruptions; logic means coupled to said switch means for providing a mode signal responsive to said switch means; and electronic means coupled to said logic means for driving said motor in a mode corresponding to said mode signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
44 words
The electronic motor control circuit for a model railroad of claim 1 wherein said logic means comprises a digital counter coupled to said switch means such that the registered count of said counter is incremented in response to signals received from said switch means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
The electronic motor control circuit for a model railroad of claim 2 wherein said switch means is operable to selectively maintain said counter at a selected registered count during short power interruptions.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
60 words
The electronic motor control circuit for a model railroad of claim 3 wherein said switch means comprises transistor control of the input signal to said counter, and said switch means further comprises a manual switch operable to selectively ground the base of said transistor, wherein said counter increments the registered count in response to successive actuation of said manual switch.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
65 words
The electronic motor control circuit for a model railroad of claim 4 further comprising a resistor and capacitor circuit for maintaining power to the control circuit for a defined period of time, said resistor and capacitor circuit having a defined RC constant for selected conditions of said switch means, whereby the power to the control circuit is substantially maintained during short interruptions in track voltage.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
55 words
The electronic motor control circuit for a model railroad of claim 5 wherein said RC constant is selected to substantially maintain power and thereby to hold said counter in said last selected count for approximately 24 hours after track power is interrupted, when said switch means is connected to ground said base of said transistor.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
52 words
The electronic motor control circuit for a model railroad of claim 5 wherein said RC constant is selected to substantially maintain power and thereby to hold said counter in said last selected count for at least 24 hours after track power is interrupted when said switch means is disconnected from said circuit.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
The electronic motor control circuit for a model railroad of claim 2 further comprising capacitor controlled reset means coupled to the reset terminal of said counter.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
33 words
The electronic motor control circuit for a model railroad of claim 8 wherein said reset means is coupled to said counter output to cause said counter to reset upon reaching a predetermined count.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
46 words
The electronic motor control circuit for a model railroad of claim 8 wherein said reset means is coupled to said track voltage to provide a reset signal to said counter when track voltage is applied, providing the capacitance of said reset means has been sufficiently discharged.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
43 words
The electronic motor control circuit for a model railroad of claim 4 further comprising capacitor controlled reset means coupled to the reset terminal of said counter and coupled to said counter output to cause said counter to reset upon reaching a predetermined count.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
43 words
The electronic motor control circuit for a model railroad of claim 5 further comprising capacitor controlled reset means coupled to the reset terminal of said counter and coupled to said counter output to cause said counter to reset upon reaching a predetermined count.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
43 words
The electronic motor control circuit for a model railroad of claim 6 further comprising capacitor controlled reset means coupled to the reset terminal of said counter and coupled to said counter output to cause said counter to reset upon reaching a predetermined count.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
43 words
The electronic motor control circuit for a model railroad of claim 7 further comprising capacitor controlled reset means coupled to the reset terminal of said counter and coupled to said counter output to cause said counter to reset upon reaching a predetermined count.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
46 words
The electronic motor control circuit for a model railroad of claim 12 wherein said reset means is coupled to said track voltage to provide a reset signal to said counter when track voltage is applied, providing the capacitance of said reset means has been sufficiently discharged.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
46 words
The electronic motor control circuit for a model railroad of claim 13 wherein said reset means is coupled to said track voltage to provide a reset signal to said counter when track voltage is applied, providing the capacitance of said reset means has been sufficiently discharged.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
46 words
The electronic motor control circuit for a model railroad of claim 14 wherein said reset means is coupled to said track voltage to provide a reset signal to said counter when track voltage is applied, providing the capacitance of said reset means has been sufficiently discharged.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1997-06-13 | 1997-12-13 | 1998-06-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2001-06-13 | 2001-12-13 | 2002-06-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2005-06-13 | 2005-12-13 | 2006-06-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |