Apparatus for the identification of moving units
AssigneeControl Electronics Co., Inc.
InventorDean Lancaster
Life of this patent
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Abstract
To identify a moving car for switching it from a main line to a spur, a signal indicator on the car tuned to a selected frequency activates a signal pickup apparatus which is located on the main line ahead of the spur. The signal pickup apparatus emits a radiation field sweeping a range of frequencies including the same frequency as that of the signal indicator. The signal pickup apparatus includes circuitry which responds to the activation by the signal indicator to operate the switch of the spur for the diversion of the moving car.
Claims9
An apparatus to identify car units moving along a fixed course for subsequent switching or like purposes, comprising:
- a. a signal indicator means on the moving car unit which is tuned to resonate at a frequency which is permitted to vary only by a small percentage from a selected base frequency,
- b. a signal pickup means adjacent to the fixed course including an oscillator means producing a radiation field which extends to and is within the influence of the signal indicator means whenever the car unit moves past the signal pickup means,
- c. a sweep control means controlling the frequency of the signal pickup means and cyclically varying the frequency of the radiation field produced by the signal pickup means from the aforesaid selected base frequency through a range of frequencies, above and below the selected base frequency, which is slightly greater than the permitted variation of the resonant frequency of the aforesaid signal indicator from the said base frequency, whereby the signal pickup means will operate at the resonant frequency of the signal indicator means twice during each sweep cycle and thereby whenever the signal indicator means is within the influence of the radiation it causes a repeated distortion of said radiation field and a distortion of the voltage pattern within the signal pickup means,
- d. a circuit means associated with the signal pickup means to provide a signal and which is responsive only to a repeated distortion of the voltage pattern in the signal pickup means, and
- e. a control means adapted to be actuated responsive to the aforesaid signal by the circuit means.
An apparatus for the identification of a car unit moving on a main track to divert the unit to a selected spur extending from the track and including in combination:
- a. a spur switch operating means at the junction between the track and the spur adapted to be actuated to shift the spur switch to divert the car from the main track,
- b. a signal indicator means on the moving unit and tuned to resonate at a frequency which is permitted to vary only a small percentage from that of the selected base frequency,
- c. a signal pickup means adjacent to the track ahead of the spur switch juncture including an oscillator means producing a radiation field alongside the track and within the influence of the signal indicator means whenever the car unit moves past the signal pickup means,
- d. a sweep control means to control the frequency of the signal pickup means to vary the frequency of the radiation field from the aforesaid base frequency through a range which is slightly greater than the permitted variation of frequency than the aforesaid signal indicator whereby the signal indicator means causes a distortion of the radiation field each time the cyclically varying radiation field is at the same resonant frequency as is the signal indicator means, and
- e. a circuit means responsive only to the repeated distortion of the radiation field while the signal indicator means is in the radiation field to activate a spur switch operating means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.