The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 15, 2000
Filed:
May. 01, 1996
Francis A Launier, Laval, CA;
John H Corvin, Greer, SC (US);
Charles C Siegling, III, Greenville, SC (US);
Westinghouse Air Brake Company, Wilmerding, PA (US);
Abstract
A signal processing unit for a controller of a trolley pole switch is disclosed. The trolley pole switch switches the path of travel that an energy collector takes through the switch at a junction of catenaries at which a turn catenary and a straight catenary diverge from the straight catenary. The signal processing unit includes an input stage, a detection stage, turn and straight signal demodulation stages and an output stage. The input stage conditions modulated signals, each of which indicating a request to switch the path of travel through the trolley pole switch to the desired catenary diverging therefrom. The detection stage generates a validation signal if the conditioned modulated signal falls within a predetermined band. If the turn demodulation stage receives a conditioned modulated turn signal from the input stage and the validation signal from the detection stage simultaneously, it generates a low logic signal. If the straight demodulation stage receives a conditioned modulated straight signal from the input stage and the validation signal from the detection stage simultaneously, it generates a low logic signal. If a low logic signal is received from the turn demodulation stage, the output stage energizes a turn relay thereby supplying power to a turn solenoid for switching the path of travel to the turn catenary. If a low logic signal is received from the straight demodulation stage, the output stage energizes a straight relay thereby supplying power to a straight solenoid for switching the path of travel to the straight catenary.