Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
This invention relates in general to a uni~ue Euel
- saver arrangement wherein the power output of one or more oE
the locomotives in a tandem diesel locomo-tive system can be
independently decreased without any overa:Ll reduction in the
operating efficiency of the system's safe-ty equipment. In
particular, the fuel saver arrangement of the present invention
is comprised of a fuel saver switch for initiating the fuel
saving function, a unit selector switch for selecting the
particular locomotive within the system to be reduced in power,
and a fuel saver setup switch for operably interconnecting all
of the diesel units of -the system by means oE the unused train
lines and jumper cables present in a normal locomo-tive system.
PracticalLy every locomotive in operation today is
powered by diesel fuel. The cost of such Euel constltutes one
of the greatest expenses involved in the operation o-E a train
system. Rising fuel prices have placed a great economic burden
on the nation's railroads, necessitating the curtailment of
fuel usage. Since the amount of fuel consumed by a diesel
locomotive is directly proportional to -the power output of the
unit, any reduction in -the output power of one or more of the
units will result in a proportional fuel savings.
A typical locomotive system is made up of two or more
diesel locomotives arranged in tandem. One of the locomotives
is designa-ted as -the lead unit and serves as the control center
for the entire system. The other locomotives are called trail-
ing units and each is assigned a specific location within -the
system. All of the locomotives in the system are mechanically
and electrically connec-ted together and each trailing unit
responds to the throttle setting of the lead unit~ In order
-to accommodate the relatively great loads encountered by today's
railroads, a locomotive system must be made up of several
diesel units which form an integra-ted system. In most cases,
the greatest percentage of the locomotive's "run" requires
only a minimum amount of locomotive power for moving the -train
and its load along the track. Maximum power output from all of
. the units of the system is only requirea when the train system : :
is moving along an upgrade or starting from a stati:onary posi-
. tion. Even though the system need not operate at maximum power
during the entire "run", the locomotive system must be provided .~ ;
with enough diesel units to meet the periods of high power
aemand.
At the present time, the extra diesel units which are
provided solely for periods o high demand cannot be selectively
reduced in power during periods of low power demand without
affecting the overall operating ef:Eiciency of the system's
safety equipment. Instead, -the best way to reduce Euel consump-
tion at the present time is to cut back the output power of ~ .
all of the diesel units in the locomotive system. In other :
words, all of the units within the system are operated at less
than maYimum power. Operating all of the individual locomo- :
tive units a-t 103ss than maximum power decreases the overall
operating efficiency of the system and consequently provides
only limited uel savings.
The fuel saving arrangementof the present invention,
however, is operable to selectively reduce the power output of ~!:
one or more of the diesel units while leaving the other units
in the system unaffected. The unaffected units may continue
: to be operated at or near full throttle where operatlng effi- ::
ciency is at a maximum.
The present invention provides control circuitry for
placing one or more units in a -throttle one position regardless
of the throttle setting on the lead unit. In this posi.tion the
power plant is effectively in idle but power is provided to the
traction motors of the engine so as to maintain varlous sa-Eety
~,
- equipment operational. The throttle one power condition is
initiated by switching relays which are operable to override
the norma] throttle control circuitry of the locomotive. These
relays respond to a fuel save signal that is generated in a
control box. The control box is comprised of a fuel saver switch
operable to initiate and -terminate the generation of this
signal and a unit selector switch operable to select the loco-
motive in the system to which the signal will be provided. The
lead unit and each of the trailing inits of the system are also
provided with a fuel saver set-up switch. This switch operably
couples the control box and the override relays in such a man-
ner as to standardize the desiyn of the system so that the con-
stituent units of the system will be interchangeab]e with each
other and with locomotives from other systems.
Further flexibility is introduced into the fuel saver
arrangement of the present invention by providing each locomo-
tive of the system with a control box in addition to a fuel
saver set-up switch. If each unit of the system is equipped
with both a fuel saver set-up switch and a control bbx, then
each unit of the system will be identical so that any locomo-
tive within the system can be selected as the lead unit.
I-t is therefore an object of the present invention
to provide a fuel saver arrangement for use in a tandem loco-
motive system that can decrease the fueI consumption of the
overall system during periods of reduced power demand by selec-
tively reducing the power output of one or more of the locomo-
tives in the system while leaving other uni-ts operating at
their maximum efficiency.
A further object of the present invention is to
provide a fuel saver arrangement for use in a tandem locomotive
system that can decrease the overall fuel consumption of -the
system during periods of reduced power demand by effectively
reducing -the output power of one or more of the constituen-t
units by placing the unit in a throttle one position without
affecting the safety equ.ipmen-t on any of the units~
A further object of the invention is to provide a
fuel saver arrangement for use in a tandem locomotlve system
wherein the fuel saving function is reyulated by a cen-tral con-
trol bo~ having a fuel saver switch for ini~iating the fuel
save function and a unit selector switch for selecting the con-
stituent unit or units to be placed in a throttle one power
position.
It is also an object of the~present invention to
provide a fuel saver arrangemen-t for use in a t:anclem locomo-
tive system wherein the fuel saving Eunctlon i5 accomplished hy
providing a fuel. save sigrlal generated in a central control box
to switching relays that are added to the normal throttle con-
trol circuitry of the locomotive. The fuel save signal is
capable of activating these switching relays which are
operable to overri.de the normal throttle control circuitry
thereby placing the locomo-tive in a -throttle one power position
regardless of the thro-t-tle settin.g of the lead unit.
Another objec-t of -the present inven-tion is to pro-
vide a fuel saver arrangement for use in tandem locomotive
systems wherein each l.ocomotive of the system is provided with
a fuel saver set-up switch that is capable of intercon~ecting
all of the units within the system by means of the unused train
line wires and jumper cables present in a normal locomotive
system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide
a fuel saver arrangement for use in a tandem locomotive system
tha-t is of a standard design so -that the consti-tutent units of
-the system will be interchangeable with each other and with
locomotives from other systems.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a
fuel saver arrangement for use in tandem locomotive systems wherein each
locomotive of the system is provided with a standard control box so that
any unit of the system can be used as the lead unit.
Thus, in accordance with one broad aspect of the invention,
there is provided, in a locomotive system including a plurality of
locomotive units each having a power output level normally controlled by
throttle control circuitry which is common to all of the locomotive units,
a fuel saver arrangement for the locomotive system comprising: a
plurality of override circuits corresponding to the respective locomotive
units, each override circuit being normally open and being operable when
completed to override said throttle control circuitry in a manner to reduce
the power output level of the correspollding locomotive unlt :independcntly
of the throttle control circuitry and the power output level of the remaining
units; and selector means associated with the override circuits for
selectively completing the override circuit corresponding to at least one
selected locomotive unit which is to have its power output level reduced,
said selector means having a normal setting wherein each override circuit
is in its normally open condition to permit the throttle control circuitry
to control the power owtput level of all of the locomotive units, and a
fuel saver setting wherein the override circuit corresponding to said sel-
ected locomotive unit is completed to thereby reduce the power output level
of the selected unit.
n accordance with another broad aspect of the invention there
is provided a fuel saver arrangement for a multiple unit locomotive
system including a plurality o:E electrically interconnected locomotives
each having a power output level normally controlled by throttle control
circuitry which is common to all of the locomotives and which normally
maintains each locomotive at the same power output level, said fuel saver
arrangement comprising: an override circuit for each locomotive adapted
~ 5
for connection to the throttle control circuitry, each override circuit
having a normally open condition wherein the throttle control circuitry is
unaffected and each override circuit having a completed condition wherein
the override circuit overrides the throttle control circuit in a manner
to reduce the power output level of the corresponding locomotive irrespec~ive
of the condition of the throttle control circuitry; a normal open fuel
saver switch disposed in a circuit which is common to each override
circuit to thereby maintain each override circuit in its normally open
condition when the fuel saver switch is in its normally open condition;
and a selector switch having a plurality of settings corresponding to the
respective override circuit corresponding to the setting of the selector
switch when the fuel saver switch is closed, whereby the power output
levcl of at least one selected locomotive can be reduced by closing the
fuel saver switch and positioning said selector switch in the setting
corresponding to the override circuit of said selected locomotive.
According to another ~road aspect of the invention there is
provided a method of reducing the power output of a multiple unit
locomotive system which includes a plurality of locomotives each having a
power output normally controlled by throttle control circuitry common to
all of the locomotives, said method comprising the steps of: selecting at
least one of the locomotives which is to have its power output reduced;
and overriding the throttle control circuitry in a manner to reduce ~he
power output of said one locomotive independently of the throttle control
circuitry while said throttle control circuitry continues to control the
power output of the remaining locomotives.
Other and further objects of the invention, together with the
features of novelty appurtenant thereto, will appear in the course of the
following description of the drawing.
In the accompanying drawings, which :Eorm a part of the
specification and are to be read in conjunction ~herewith, and in which
5a -
like reference numerals are employed to indicate like parts in the various
views:
Figure 1 is a frontal view of the control box located on the lead
unit having a fuel saver switch and a unit selector switch;
Figure 2 is a frontal view of the fuel saver set-up switch located
on each of the constitutent units of the system;
Figure 3 is a block diagram of a locomotive system including
five diesel units connected in tandem;
Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the fuel saver arrangement of
the present invention showing the control box and fuel saver set-up
switch arranged to accommodate a loconnotive system of five diesel units
and particularly :illustratillg a positional setting :for the leacl diesel unit;
~ igure 5 is a schematic cliagram o:E a fuel saver set-up switch
with the switch set in a "number two trail" positional setting;
Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a fuel saver set-up switch
with the switch set in a "number three trail" positional setting;
Figure 7 is a schmatic diagram of a fuel saver set-up switch with
the switch set in a "number four trail" positional setting;
. ~
~ 5b
FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a fuel saver set-up
switch with the switch set in a "nurnber five trail" positional
setting;
FIG. 9 is a schema-tic diayram of the engine run
circuitry lccated on each unit of the system; and
FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a modification that
must be made in the standard throttle control circuitry to keep
the locomo-tive from stalling upon initiation of the fuel save
function~
A typical locomotive system is shown in block form
in ~IG. 3. As shown in this figure, the system is made up of
:~lve diesel locomotives yenerally designated by t.he numerals
10, 12, 14, 16 and 18. The locomotives of the system are
arranged in tandem and are eIectrically coupled in any suitable
manner well known in the art. In par-ticular, these units are
electrically interconnected by means of a standard 27-cable .
conductor means not shown in this figure~ All of the diesel :~
units are substantially identical to one another and any one
of the units may be designated as the lead unit with the other
units designated as the trailing units. However, for the pur-
poses of discussion, locomotive 10 wi.ll be designated as t.he
lead un.it and locomotives 12, 1~, 16 and 18 will be designated
as the number two trail unit, the number three trail unit, the
: number four trail unit and the number five -trail unit, respec-
tively.
Each locomotive in the system is provided with its
own independent throttle control circuit which, i:n the interest
of brevityr is not shown, although such circuitry is wel.l known
to those skilled in the art. These throttle control circuits
: 30 have multiple throttle posi.tions with each position represent-
ing a different power output of the locornotive. Typically,
a system will have eight throttle posi-tions wi-th each ascending
number representing increasing power ou-tput. Even though each
locomotive oE the sys-tem is equipped with i-ts own throttle con-
trol circuit, all of the trailing units respond to the throttle
setting in the lead unit in the normal mode of opera-tion. In
other words, the power output of the entire system is depen-
dent upon the power output of the lead unit.
Initiation of the fuel saving function of the present
invention and selection of the locomotive to be placed in the
throttle one power condition is regulated by the control box
shown in E'IG. 1. I'his box is mounted on the lead ~lnit in any
suitable loca-tion for the convenience of the train encJineer.
As shown in FIG. 1, -thc control box includes a fuel saver
switch 26 for initiating the fuel save function and a unit
selector switch 30 for selecting the locomotives to be reduced
in power.
Referring now to FIGS, 1 and 4, the control box, fuel
saver switch and unit selector switch are generally designated
on these figures by -the numerals 2~, 26 and 30 respectively.
The fuel save signal is provided to the con-trol box in -the form
of a positive voltage signal by means of input line 50. Relay
contact 52 is provi.ded to inhibit the fuel save opera-tion of
the present invention whenever the throttle control circuit
on the lead unit is set in the idle position. This relay
contact is controlled by a solenoid not shown in tnese figures~
Placement of -the throttle control circuit on -the lead unit in
the idle position causes the solenoid to be energized thereby
opening relay con-tact 52.
The fuel saver s~itch 26 is a -two-position toggle
switch or any other suitable type of switching means having
two switching s-tates. As shown in FIG. 1, these -two switch-
ing states include the normal operating posi-tion 28 and the
fuel save position 29. In the normal opera-ting position 28,
the fuel saver switch is in an open position as shown in FIG. 4.
The unit selector switch, on the other hand, is a
six contact, two gang switch, or any other suitable type
switehing means having six differen-t switching states and two
separate sets of eontacts. This switch includes two movable
contacts 54 and 56 which move simultaneously in response to
movement of rotatable switch element 32 (shown in FIG. 11.
This swi.tch element is secured to the movable contacts 54 and 56
by means of mounting screw 33. An indicator arrow 34 is in-
cluded on switeh element 32 to denote which oE the switch
positions is aetivated.
Stationary eontacts 60r 6~/ 68, 70, 72 an~l ~0 ancl
92, respeetively, represent the lead, seeond uni-t,. third unit,
fourth unitl fifth uni.t and second/third unit switch settings
shown i.n FIG. l. ~s viewed in FIGS. l and 4, the unit selector
switeh is s.hown in the lead position while the second unit
position is shown in broken lines.
Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 4-8, -the fueI saver
set-up switeh is generally designated on these figures by the
numeral 34~ This switeh is loeated on eaeh locomotive in the
system and as shown herein is a five contaet, four gang switeh
having first, seeond, third and fourth gang segments 74, 76, 78
and 80, respeetively, eaeh gang segment is provided with a mov-
able eontaet lO0, 102, 104 and 106, and all of these eontaets
move simultaneously in response to movemen-t of rotatable switch
element 36 (shown in FIG. 2). This element is secured to the
movable eontaets by means of mounting screw 37 and has an
indiea-tor arrow 38 superimposed thereon to denote the position
of the switeh.
Referring now speeifieally -to FIG. 4, this figure
shows the eleetrical sehema-tic for the lead loeomotive lO and
particularly the electrical in-terconnection oE the fuel saver
set-up swi-tch 34 and the control box 24 of the lead unit. The
lead contact 108 on the first gang segment of the fuel saver
set-up switch is connected directly to the second unit station-
ary contact 66 of -the unit selector swi-tch by means of conductor
line 110. Similarly, the lead contacts 112r 114 and 116 on the
second, third and fourth gang segments of the fuel saver set-up
switch are electrically connected to the third unit, four-th unit
and fifth unlt stationary contacts 68, 70 and 72 by means of
conductor lines 118, 120 and 122, respectively. Stationary con-
tacts 90 and 92 represent the second/third units position of the
unit selector switch and are respectively connected to the
lead contact of -the first and second gang segments oE the fuel
saver set-up switch. Stationary contact 90 is connec-ted -to the
lead contact 108 by means oE conductor lines 124 and 110.
Stationary contac-t 92, on the o-ther hand, is connec-ted to the
lead con-tac-t 112 of the second gang segment 76 by means of
conductor lines 126 and 118.
The movable contacts of each gany segment are electri-
cally connected to a differen-t -train line wire. Movable con~.ac-t
100 is electrically connected to train line wire l2~ by means of
conductor line 130 while movable contacts 102, 104 and :L06 are
electrically connected to -train line wires 132, 13~ and 136 by
means of conduc-tor lines 138, 140 and 142, respectively. These
train line wires are part of a twen-ty-seven cable electrical
group used to electrically interconnect all of the locomotives
of the system.
Each gang segment of the Euel saver set-up switch
is also connected to -the throttle control line 144 of the lead
unit by means of a different stationary contact. For example,
the first gang segment 74 is electrically connected to thro-t-tle
control line 144 by means of its number 2 trail stationary con-
tac-t 145 and conductor line 148~ Similarly, -the n-lmber 3 trail
eon-tact 15-0 on the second gang segment 76 is connected to throt-
tle control line 144 by means of conductor 152. The Eourth trail
contact 154 on the third gang segment 78 and the fifth trail
contact 156 on the fourth gang segment of the fuel saver set-up
switch are also electrically connected to t:he throttle control
line 144 by means of conductor lines 158 and 160 respectively
It should be pointed out at this time that the lead `~
contact 60 of the unit selector switch is not connected to any
of the gang segments of the fueI saver set-up switch. I'his con-
tact is rather connected directly to the throttle control line
144 on the lead unit via conductor line 162.
FIGS. 5~8 show the eleetrical schematlcs for th~e
trailing units 12, 14, 16 and 18 of the locomotive system shown
in FIG. 3. The Number two, three, four and five trail units
are respeetively represented by FIGS. 5, 6, 7 and 8. The trail-
ing units shown in FIGS. 5~8 are only equipped with a fuel saver
set~up switeh as shown in these figures.
The fuel saver set-up switeh on the Number two trail
unit is shown in FIG. 5. Since this locomotive is the number
two trail unit of the system, the Euel saver set-up swi-tch is
set in the number two trail position as shown in this figure.
In the number twQ trail position, movable contacts 100, 102,
104 and 106 are respectiveIy connected to the second position
stationary contacts 162, 164, 166 and 168. The movable contacts
; are also connected to the appropriate train line wires 128, 132,
134 and 136 by means of conductor lines 170, 172, 174 and 176
so that the movable contacts on cor~esponding gang sections are
electrically eoupled to the same train line wires. In other
words, the movable contact on the first gang sec-tion of the
fuel saver set-up switch on -the lead unit and the movable con-
tac-t of the first gang section on each trailing unit is connected
to train line wire 128.
Likewise, -train line wire 132 is connected to the
movable contact of the second gan~ section of the fuel saver
set-up switch on each locomotive of -the sys-tem, and so forth.
Each gang segmen-t of thefuel saver set-up switch o:E -the number
two trail unit shown in FIG. 5 is also cormected -to the thro-ttle
control line 17~ by means of a difEerent stationary contact.
The number -two trail contact 162 of the first gany segmentr
the number three trail contac-t 180 of the second gang segment,
the fourth trail contact of the third gang segmen-t, and the fifth
trail contact 184 of the fourth gang segment are respectively
connected to thro-t-tle control line 178 by means of line con-
ductors 18h, 188, 190 and 192.
The fuel saver set-up switches Oll the number three
trail, number four trail and number five trail units are shown
in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, respectively. As shown in -these figures,
the fuel saver set-up switches are set in their appropriate num-
her three trail, number four trail and number five trail posi-
tions representative of the posi-tion Within the system occupied
by that particular unit. The electrical interconnection of
these swi-tches with the throttle control line and train line
wires o:E these units i.s the same as in F[G. 5 and Eor -the purposes
of brevity will not be described in detail for each of these
units.
It should be pointed out that the stationary contacts
of the unit selector switch could be directly connected -to the
appropria-te trailing units of the system, thereby elimina-ting
the need for fuel saver set-up switch altoge-ther. However,
-the inclusion of a fuel saver set-up switch standardi.zes the
design of the fuel saver arrangement of the present inven-tion
so that the locomotives of the system may be :in-terchanged with
each other and wi-th locomotives of other sys-tems by simply
changing the positional se-tting of the fuel saver set-up switch.
Further flexibili-ty is introduced into the arrangement by pro- :~
viding each locomotive with a control box that ls interconnected
with the fuel saver set-up switch:as shown in FIG. 4. If each .
unit within the system is eq~ipped with a fuel saver set-up
switch and a control box, then any unit within the system can
be used as the lead unit. .
Referring now to FIG. 9, the control circuitry needed
to place a particular locomotive in the throttle one position
is shown in this figure. The locomotive selected is placed in
the throttle one power conditio~ by means of the engine run ; ~
drop-out relay which .overrides normal throttle con-trol circuitry ~ ~:
of the locomotive. The relay coil o:E the engine run drop~out
relay .is generaIly indicated at 194 while its relay con-tact is
shown at 196 in its normal operating position. ~ second relay
called the engine run extra relay is provided to remove the
: alarm from the system so that the alarm will not sound when the
locomotive is in a throttle:one power position. The .solenoid .
of this relay is generally indicated at198 and the cont:act.of
this rel.ay is shown at 199 Relay contacts 200, 202, 20~ and
206 are not pertinent to the present invention and are closed
when the locQmotive system is in motion. Relay contacts 205
and 207 are likewise not pertinent to -the present invention .
but are open when the system is in motion. .
In the normal operating condition, a positive ~
voltage signal is sent through relay contact 196 to the engine ::
run relay generally indicated at 208. The relay coil shown at
208. controls the switching state of a relay contact which is
connected in series with the throttle control solenoids not
shown in this figure. When the engine run relay is activated,
a contact of this relay is closed thereby allowing the throttle
contr.ol solenoids to regula:te the speed of the engine. Once
this relay is deenergized, its associate contact is open thereby
:
,~ t ` ` '~4~
overridi.ng the normal control solenoid and au-tomatically
placing -the locomotive in a throttle one power condition.
A second circuit within the locomotive which must be
modified is shown in FIG. 10. The circuit shown in FIG 10
monitors the throttle response of the locomotive. Relay coil
212 represents the loading characteristic of -the engine gener-
ator. In order to keep the engine from stalli.ng during the fuel
save mode of operation, relay contact 210 is provided to remove
the load characteristic 212 from the system when the locomotive
is in the fuel save mode oE operation. Relay contact 210
operates and responds to the engine run drop-out coil shown
in FIG. 9, This contact .is opened when the relay is energi~ed.
Relay contacts 21~ and 216 are not pertinen-t to an understarld-
i.ng of this invention and are closed when the locomotive system
is in motion.
In operation, each fuel saver set-up switch is preset
to its proper trail setting. In other words, the fuel saver
set-up switch on the lead locomotive is present in the ].ead
position while the fuel saver set-up switch on each trai.ling
locomotive is set in the position representative of that
locomotive's position within the system. For example, -the
fuel saver set-up switch on the number two trail unit is
placed in the number two trail position, and so forth.
In the normal mode of operation, the fuel saver switch
26 is in the norrQal position 28 and all of the locomotives
within the system respond to the throttle setting of the lead
unit. Once full power is no longer required, the unit selec-
tor switch is set to indicate which unit or units of the
system are to be reduced in power and the fuel saver swi-tch
is moved to the fuel save position 29 thereby ini-tiating the
fuel saving operation of the present inven-tion. This operation
is initiated by providing a fuel save signal -to the thro-t-tle
x
control circuitry on one or more o~ the locomotives to place
that locomotive in a throttle one position regardless of the ~;
throttle setting on -the lead locomotive. The fuel save signal
is directed to -the appropriate locomotive wlthin the system
by means of the unit selector switch 30 and the f~el saver
set-up s~itch 34. Once full power is again required, -the
fuel save switch is returned to its normal position 28, thereby
removing the fuel save signal from the system. The fuel save
signal is a positive voltage signal which is provided to the
control box by means of input line 50. ~
Closure of fuel saver switch 26 initiates the fuel ;;
saving operation by providiny the Euel save signal to the
movable contact 54 of the unit selector switch 30 by means of
conductor line 58. The fuel save signal is then provided to
one of the stationary contacts 60, 66, 68, 70, 72 and 90
depending upon the setting of the unit selector switch. Lead -
contact 60 is connected directly to the lead unit's throttle
control line 144 so that the fuel save signal will be provided
directly to the lead locomotive if the unit selector switch
is placed ln the lead position. Stationary contacts 66, 68, 70
and 72 on the other hand, represent the second unit, third unit,
fourth unit and fifth unit positions and respectively provide
the fue' save signal to the lead contacts 108, 112, 114 and -
116 of the first 74, second 76, third 78 and fourth 80 gang -
sections of the fuel saver set-up switch 34 of the lead unit.
When the unit selector swi-tch is in the second/third unit ;
position, movable contact 54 in in contact with stationary
terminal g0 and the fuel save signal is simultaneously provided
to lead contacts 108 and 112 oE the first 74 and second 76
~; 30 gang segments of the Euel saver set-up switch. The fuel savesignal is sent Erom stationary contact 90 to the lead contact
on the first gang segment 74 by means of conductor lines 124
- 14
.~ .
and 110. The signal is also provided to movable contact arrn
56 by means of conductor line 96. The ~'ue] save signal is then
transmitted to the lead contact on the second gang segment 76
of the unit selector switch by means of stationary contact 92
and conductor lines 126 and 118.
It should be emphasized at this time that the unit
selector switch shown in FIG. 4 is a six position switch which
is specifically designed for a five unit system. The first
five settings of this switch are for individually designating
any one of the five locomotives of the system as the unit to be
reduced in power. The sixth settingt on the other hand, slmul-
-taneously reduces the output power oE the number two trail and
number three trail units. The number of switch positions can,
of course, be varied to accomodate larger or smaller locomotive
systems and different combina-tions of units for removal.
Furthermore, it is not imperative to the proper operation of
the system that .the number of switch positions on the unit
selector switch be exactly matched with the number of locomo-
tives in the systemO For example, a unit selector switch with
a fewer number of switch positions than l.ocomotives in the
system will be able to individually control only a portion of
the total number of units. Simiarly, a uni.t selector switch
having more switch positions than locomotives has the capacity
for adding additional locomotives to the system if this becomes
desirable.
I~ith the fuel saver set-up switch on -the lead unit
placed in the lead position, movable contacts 100, 102, 10~
and 106 direct the fuel save signal to the appropriate train
line wires 128, 132, 13~ and 136. These train line wires are
then interconnected to the corresponding train line wi.res on
each of the trailing units by means of jumper cables not shown.
In this way, the fuel save signal is transmitted throughou-t
the entire locomotive system.
Referring now to FIGS. 5-8, the train line wires on
the trailing units which correspond to the train line wires
shown in ~IG. 4 are designated by the numerals 128, 132, 134
and 136. These train line wires are electrically coupled to
the movable contact of a particular gang segment of the fuel
saver set-up switch on each trailing unit of the system~ This
connection is arranged so that the movable contac-ts on corres~
ponding gang sections are electrically coupled to the same train
line wires so that a fueI save signal on train line 128 will
always be provided to the movable contact of the first ~ang
segment. Similarly, a fuel save signal on train line 132 will ~;
always be directed to the movable contact on the second gany
segment, and so on. Furthermore, each yang segment has a
different stationary contact connected to the throttle control
line of the locomotive. ~n this way, the fuel save signal will
be provided to the -thro-ttle control circuitry on a particular -~
locomotive only if the fuel save signal is provided to the
movable contact of the appropriate gang segment of the fuel saver
set-up swit~h by means of the proper train line wire.
For the purposes of discussion, it will be assumed
that the unit selector switch 30 is set in thelead position as
shown in FIG. 4. In this position, closure of the fuel save
switch 26 transmits the fuel save signal to the lead contact
60 by means of conductor line 58 and movable contact 54. This
signal is then directed to the throttle control circuitry of
the lead unit by means of conductor line 162 and thro-ttle con-
trol line 144~ Application of a fuel save signal to the throt-
tle setting on this unit placing the unit in a throttle one
position while leaving the trailing units unaffectedO
However, if the unit selec-tor switch is in the second
unit position as shown in broken lines, then the fuel save
16
`
signal will be directed to the second uni.t contact 66 by means
of conductor line 58 and movable contact 54 upon closure of
fuel save switch 26. The fuel save signal is then provided to
the lead contact 108 on the first gang segment of fuel saver
set-up switch 34 on the lead unit by means of conductor line 110.
Movable contact 100 and conductor line 130 then transmit the
fuel save signal to train line wire 128 which transmits the
fuel save signal throughout the locomotive system~
Referring now to FIGS. 5-8, the fuel save signal ~:
and train line wire 128 will then be provided to movable con-
tact 100 and the first gang segment of the fuel saver set-up
swi~ch shown in FIG. 5 represents the switch located on the
number two trail unit and shows the movable contacts of this
switch in a number two trail position. With the movable con-
tacts in the number two trail position as shown in this figure,
the fuel save signal will be provided to the throttle control
line 178 by means of the number two trail contact 162 and con-
ductor line 186. Since the fuel saver set-up switches shown in
FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 are respectively set in the number th:ree trail,
number four trail and number five trail positions, the movable
contacts on the fuel saver set~up switches of these units will
not be in contact with their number two trail contact so that
the fuel saver signal will not be provided to the throttle
control circuitry of these locomo~ives.
: It is an added feature of the present invention that
the power output of a plurality of units can be controlled
simultaneously rather than indivi~ually. In that case, the fuel
~: save signal is simultaneously provided to more than one unit
~.
merely by setting the fuel saver set-up switch of two different
.~ 30 units to the same trail position~ For example, the fuel saver
: set-up switch on locomotives 12 and 14 could both be set in -the
number two trail position~ Thereafter, anytime the unit selector
~: 17
switch on the lead uni-t is placed in the second unit position
the fuel save signal will be simultaneously provided to the
throttle control circuitry on locomotives 12 and 14 thereby re-
ducing the output power of these two locomotives.
Referring now to FIG. 9~ the engine run circuit is
shown in this figure. The fuel save signal is provided to the
engine run dropout relay coil 194 by means of the throttle con-
trol line generally designated by the numeral 193. Energi7ation
of the engine run dropout relay coil 194 causes engine run drop-
out relay contact 196 to be switched from its normal stateshown in FIG. 9 to con-tact terminal 218. Movementof relay con~
tact 196 removes the power signal fromthe engine run relay coil
208 thereby deenergizing this relay. Deenergi~ation oE engine
run relay coil 208 causes the corresponding relay contact (not
shown in FIG. 9) to be opened, thereby overriding the normal
throttle control concuitry and placing the locomotive in a
throttle one power condition. The engine run relay contact is
connected in series with the control governor solenoids which
regulate the speed of the engine. By opening -the switch contact
of the engine run relay, the governor solenoids are removed
from the system and the locomotive is automatically placed in
a throttle one power condition~ In t,he fuel save operating
condition, the engine run dropout relay contact 196 is in contact
with terminal 218 thereby providing an activation signal to en-
gine run extra relay 198. Activation of this relay c~ses en-
gine run extra relay contact 199 to be opened -thereby removing
the alarm from the system.
Referring further to FIG. lO, activation o~ the
engine run drop relay coil 194 (shown in FIG. 10) a]so apens
the engine run dropout relay contact 210 shown in this figure.
By opening this circuit, load characteristic 212 is removed
from the throttle control circuitry so -that placemen-t of the
18
engine in a throttle one power condi-tion will not cause the
engine to s-tall.
From the foregoing, it will be seen -that -this inven-
tion is one well adapted to attain all ends and objects here
and above set forth together with the other advantages which
are obvious and which are inherent to the structure~
It will be understood that certain features and sub-
combinations are of utility and may be employed without refer
ence to other features and sukcombinations. This is contemplatèd
by and is within the scope o-f the claimsO Since many possible
embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from
the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all ma-tters
herein set forth or shown in the accompanyiny drawings are to
be interpreted as illustrative and not in a ]imi-tiny sense~
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