Basis for invention:
"While the disclosure of US Patent No. 2,677,121 (20585 Gyralite) provided a highly
successful warning light device, it was inherently expensive to manufacture because of the
intricate relationship between various eccentric components and the need for a motorized source
of power to drive the source light in the desired pattern. In addition, the various components
required precise assembly and adjustment to insure that the desired elliptical pattern of the light
beam would be established at the proper range and position in the path of the locomotive."
It was the intent of this invention to mimic the warning effects of the 20585 Gyralite using no moving parts with solid-state circuitry.
In spite of this, the use of these light units (Oscitrol Lights) was not accepted. They were tried by many railroads but ultimately removed.
Figure 1 is a pictorial frontal view.
Figure 2 is a pictorial side view.
Figure 3 is a side elevational view taken along line III-III of Figure
1.
Figure 4 is a side elevational view taken along line IV-IV of Figure
1.
Figure 5 is a schematic circuit diagram showing the control circuit.
This light unit 10 consists of a housing 11 having a flat surface
15 and a side wall 12 extending downwardly around the edge of the housing
11. The flat surface 15 has a plurality of circular spaced openings 13
along the length of the housing 11. Around the edge of each circular opening
13 is a retaining ring seat 14. Pivotally mounted on the flat surface
15 of housing 11 is a retaining ring 16 for each circular opening
13. Each retaining ring 16 is pivotally mounted by means of a hinge
17 and latchable in a closed position by means of latch stud 18 carried on the
flat surface 15 of housing 11 and a slotted boss 19 carried on each
retaining ring 16. Each retaining seat 14 has a plurality of radially spaced
positioning means (not shown) which mate with identically spaced studs (not shown) on the
sealed beam light sources 20. Each circular opening is provided with a light source
20 and secured in place after aligning th positioning means of the seat 14 with
the studs on the light sources 20 by closing the retaining rings 16 and
tightening the latch stud 18 on the slotted boss 19. A suitably formed gasket
(not shown) is carried on each retaining ring 16 and cooperates with the edges of the
retaining ring seat 14, the retaining ring 16 and the light source 20 to
promote a sealing fit.
The light source 20 of the emergency flasher light 27 is mounted on a
retaining ring seat which is uniform in thickness and has an outer surface 28 which lies
in a plane parallel to that of flat surface 15. A red translucent lens 29 is
attached by a plurality of retaining clips 30 to the retaining ring 16 over the
light source 20 to provide a red color to the illuminating beam, indicating an emergency
condition. When the emergency flasher light 27 is made operable by the control
circuitry, the red pulsating of illumination will be directly in the path of the locomotive resulting in
optimum visibility to approaching trains.
It may be readily seen in Figure 3 that the cross sectional view of the retaining
seat 14 varies in thickness as noted by the cross sectional thickness at 23 and
the cross sectional thickness at 24. Figure 3 represents the warning light
25 in Figure 1. Figure 4 represents the warning light 26 in
Figure 1. The circular thickness variations of the retaining seat in Figure 4 of
the warning light 26 are the same as the circular thickness variations in warning light
25, displaced in a mirrored fashion to the opposite side of a parallel plane running
perpendicular to the flat surface 15 and throught the center of each spaced opening
13.
The result of the circular thickness variations of the retaining seat 14 for warning
lights 25 and 26 is that the beam of illumination of warning light 25 is
directed slightly downward and to the right of an imaginary line drawn perpendicular to the flat
surface 15 of the housing 11 representing the directional movement of the
locomotive. The warning light 26 projects a beam of illumination in a mirrored fashion
to that of warning light 25 on the opposite side of the imaginary line.
Experimentation with different sealed beam light sources in combination with various
settings in the circular thickness variations of the retaining seat 14, has resulted in an
optimum pitch angle of 3°, as indicated by numeral 31 in Figure 3, whereby the
light source is pitched 3° to the side from a line drawn perpendicular to the flat surface
15 of housing 11. A similar 3° pitch is provided for the warning light
26, as shown in Figure 4, but to the opposite side of the perpendicular line
from that of warning light 25.
The control circuitry causes the warning lights 25 and 26 to alternately
flash from bright to dim. The combined beam patterns will result in an "eye-catching" effect and
greatly enhances the warning ability of this light unit.
The ground terminal of each white warning light 25 and 26 is connected
to the electronic triggering means 60 which results in the lights 25 and
26 cooperatively flashing on and off at a rate of approximately 50 cylcles per minute.
The circuitry make it possible to dim the warning lights 25 and 26 when
another train is approaching on a parallel track.
An emergency braking condition ,automatically initiated by the pressure switch,
PS,or the manual activation of the lamp 27 will energize relay coil SR-
2.
When relay coil SR-2 is energized, contact SR-2-63 opens. The
energizatiion effectively disables the locomotive's headlight 65 as well as the warning lights
25 and 26. This greatly enhances the visibility of the flashing red light 27. This flashing
red light flashes at the rate of 50 cycles per second via the triggering means 60. The flash from
the red light is from bright to dim.
In exiting from an emergency braking situation, the reset switch 54 is activated.
This effectively latches relay AR-55 to conduct. This then lights the regular headlight
65 while extinguishing the red flashing light 27 as well as the the indicator light
64.
Using the manual stall switch 70, the engineer could select the desired right or left directed lamp
25 or 26.
This feature is particularly advatageous when the locomotive is rounding a long, continuous bend to enable the engineer
to effectively illuminate the path.
| Oscitrol Light: | photos (PPC-11200) | photos (SP) |
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