Modular point detector for railroad track signal
AssigneeUnion Switch & Signal Inc.
InventorDaniel Brushwood
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A modular sensor apparatus for detecting the location of a movable track point includes a primary sensor and a secondary sensor disposed on a sensor mount that is movable with respect to a frame that is mounted on a switch machine. The secondary sensor is offset from the primary sensor in order to permit the secondary sensor to detect the need for imminent readjustment of the track point prior to the time at which the track point becomes maladjusted and in need of immediate readjustment. The sensor mount is threadably adjustable with respect to the frame, whereby once the primary sensor has detected the position of the movable track point when it is disposed against a fixed stock rail, the sensor mount can be moved a fixed threshold distance by rotating a thumbwheel a fixed number of turns.
Claims19
A sensor apparatus for detecting the location of a movable track that is movable along a direction of travel between a first position and a second position, the sensor apparatus comprising:
- a frame assembly including a sensor mount and a frame, the sensor mount being movable with respect to the frame;
- a primary sensor disposed on the sensor mount, the primary sensor being structured to detect a condition in which the movable track has moved from the first position beyond a threshold position that is spaced from the first position;
- and
- a secondary sensor disposed on the sensor mount, the secondary sensor being structured to detect a condition in which the movable track is located at a readjustment position disposed between the first position and the threshold position.
An apparatus for detecting a condition in which a movable track is on the verge of moving along a direction of travel outside a threshold region that extends between a desired first position and a threshold position, the apparatus comprising:
- means for detecting the presence of the movable track at the threshold position;
- means for detecting the presence of the movable track at a readjustment position disposed between the first position and the threshold position;
- and
- means for simultaneously moving along the direction of travel the means for detecting the presence of the movable track at the threshold position and the means for detecting the presence of the movable track at the readjustment position.
A sensor apparatus for detecting the location of a movable track that is movable along a direction of travel between a first position and a second position, the sensor apparatus comprising:
- a frame assembly including a sensor mount;
- a primary sensor disposed on the sensor mount, the primary sensor being structured to detect a condition in which the movable track has moved from the first position beyond a threshold position that is spaced from the first position;
- and
- a secondary sensor disposed on the sensor mount, the secondary sensor being structured to detect a condition in which the movable track is located at a readjustment position disposed between the first position and the threshold position;
- the secondary sensor being offset from the primary sensor along the direction of travel of the movable track;
- the secondary sensor being mounted on the sensor mount in one of a first mounting position and a second mounting position;
- and
- in which the first mounting position is defined on a first seat, and in which the second mounting position is defined on a second seat.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.