DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC TOY AND MODEL RAILROAD INSTALLATION FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF VEHICLES THEREON

• US 3,553,450 A
• Filed: 07/23/1968
• Issued: 01/05/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/1967
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Max Ernst
• Original Assignee: Max Ernst
• Inventors: Ernst, Max
• Application Number:
  US04/746,966
• Time in Patent Office: 896 Days
• US Class Current: 246/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 19/24 Electric toy railways; Systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2019/243 Anti-collision systems

Abstract

A block signal system for controlling the automatic operation of two locomotives in electric toy and model installations wherein the head of each block section, preferably provided with a signaling post, has an insulated track portion which is long enough so that a train with a locomotive arriving on the track portion at full speed is stopped ahead of the signaling post. The insulated track portions are connected to contact free electronic switches, particularly transistors which are placed under voltage while the control electrodes are connected through resistors to the rail portion of the respective preceding block section. If more than three block sections are provided they are connected to the insulated track portions associated with the block sections located farther back by two steps. The resistors preceding the control electrodes are selected so that the control current passing through a locomotive motor winding opens the corresponding electronic switches but does not put the locomotive motor into motion.

Claims

1. A block signal system for contact-free controlling of the operation of a plurality of toy trains having DC electric motors actuated by a driving voltage from means comprising a first conductor and a second conductor, said system comprising 2n - 1 block sections wherein n is an integer greater than 1 and each section has a transistor with a collector connected to an insulated portion of said first conductor, an emitter connected to said first conductor and a base connected to a resistor which in turn is connected to another insulated portion of said first conductor and the collector of another transistor.

2. The block signal system of claim 1, wherein there are three block sections comprising a first section having a first transistor with a first collector connected to said means further comprising a first insulated portion of said first conductor, a first emitter connected to said first conductor and a first base connected to a first resistor;

a second section having a second transistor with a second collector connected to a second insulated portion of said first conductor, a second emitter connected to said first conductor and a second base connected to a second resistor which in turn is connected to said first collector; and

a third section having a third transister with a third collector connected to a third insulated portion of said first conductor and said first resistor, a third emitter connected to said first conductor and a third base connected to a third resistor which in turn is connected to said second collector.

3. The block signal system of claim 1 wherein there are five block sections progressively and structurally comprising a first section having a first transistor with a first collector connected to a first insulated portion of said first conductor, a first emitter connected to said first conductor and a first base connected to a first resistor;

a second section having a second transistor with a second collector connected to a second insulated portion of said first conductor, a second emitter connected to said first conductor and a second base connected to a second resistor which in turn is connected to said first collector;

a third section having a third transistor with a third collector connected to a third insulated portion of said first conductor and said first resistor, a third emitter connected to said first conductor and a third base connected to a third resistor which in turn is connected to said second collector;

a fourth section having a fourth transistor with a fourth collector connected to a fourth insulated portion of said first conductor and said second resistor, a fourth emitter connected to said first conductor and a fourth base connected to a fourth resistor which in turn is connected to said third collector; and

a fifth section having a fifth transistor with a fifth collector connected to a fifth insulated portion of said first conductor and said first and third resistors, a fifth emitter connected to said first conductor and a fifth base connected to a fifth resistor which in turn is connected to said fourth collector.

4. The block signal system of claim 1 further comprising a contact free signal installation associated with each block section, respectively including alternately driving and nondriving sections.

5. The block signal system of claim 4, wherein said signaling installation includes a monostable sweep circuit comprising two transistors, said sweep circuit having both a stable branch with means for generating a red signal and an unstable branch with means for generating a green signal alternately of each other.

6. The block signal system of claim 5 wherein the first of said sweep circuit transistors has a base connected to a resistor which in turn is connected to said insulated portion, a collector electrode connected to said means for generating a green signal, and first and second sources of alternating current, and an emitter connected to said second source of alternating current, and the second of said sweep circuit transistors has a base connected to a resistor which in turn is connected to said collector of the first sweep circuit transistor, a collector connecting said means for generating a red signal and said first source of alternating current and an emitter connected to said second source of alternating current.

7. The block signal system of claim 6 wherein the resistances of said resistors of the sweep circuit transistors are selected so that a control current is limited to be insufficient to bring about illumination of said means for generating a green signal and is unable to activate the motor producing said signal.

8. The block signal system of claim 7 wherein the emitters and collectors of said sweep circuit transistors are activated selectively by an alternating current through a diode.