US 4,181,943 A · Speed control device for trains

Abstract

A speed and location programmer located at a particular train station is used to prepare a non-volatile program that may be used by an on board microcomputer to control the speed of a train. The program includes train orders, track conditions, and other relevant information, such as size, length and capacity of the train which may be obtained from a centralized location. The program is fed into a microcomputer which monitors the speed and distance of the train and compares it with the program. If the parameters as contained in the program are exceeded, either the throttle would be reduced or the brakes applied to regulate the speed of the train. A trip history of the train may be extracted at the next train station to determine the operation of the train by the engineer. An override system is included to eliminate the function of the microcomputer in case of emergency. Sensors may be used to determine the number of rotations of the train wheel and thereby compute the speed and distance of the train. An operator's console provides for activation of the system and allows for periodic updates of the system.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An apparatus for limiting maximum speed of a train having a throttle and brakes pursuant to a train order, said apparatus comprising:

means for preparing a non-volatile program from said train order including said maximum speeds;
computer means on board said train, said computer means being adapted to receive said non-volatile program from said preparing means into volatile and non-volatile memory means, trip history from said computer means being stored in said non-volatile memory means and said volatile memory means providing temporary memory storage for said computer means, said non-volatile memory means restoring said volatile memory upon loss of memory during a trip;
sensor means for detecting speed and location of said train and feeding said speed and location to said computer means;
comparison means in said computer means for comparing said non-volatile program with said speed and location from said sensor means and generating an overspeed signal if said maximum speed has been exceeded;
control means operated by said overspeed signal to reduce speed of said train to less than said maximum speed and updating means in said computer means for changing location indication of said train in said volatile memory in response to known location indicators.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Speed control device for trains

Life of this patent

Speed control device for trains

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20