Magnetic rail shunt with variable resistor
AssigneeAlstom Transport Technologies
InventorPier-Alessandro Aisa
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Abstract
A magnetically clampable rail shunt (1) comprising two magnetic clamps (10), each clamp having a magnetic device for attaching the clamp to one of two parallel railway rails (R1, R2) of a railway track by magnetic force, and an electrical conductor (20) electrically connecting the two magnetic clamps (10) for shunting the two parallel railway rails. The rail shunt (1) is characterised by a variable electrical resistor assembly (30) for adjusting the electrical resistance of the rail shunt (1), said variable electrical resistor assembly (30) being connected in series between the two magnetic clamps (10) via said electrical conductor (20). Preferred application to testing of track circuits.
Claims15
A magnetically clampable rail shunt, comprising:
- two magnetic clamps, each clamp having a magnetic device for attaching the clamp to one of two parallel railway rails of a railway track by magnetic force;
- an electrical conductor electrically connecting the two magnetic clamps for shunting the two parallel railway rails;
- and
- a variable electrical resistor assembly for adjusting the electrical resistance of the rail shunt, said variable electrical resistor assembly being connected in series between the two magnetic clamps via said electrical conductor,
- wherein the variable electrical resistor assembly comprises a variable resistor, which comprises:
- a central supporting core;
- an electric current carrying wire wound around the core;
- and
- a plurality of connection terminals distributed along the length of said wire configured to connect ends of said electrical conductor to predetermined portions of said wire, thereby setting the resistance value of the variable resistor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.