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Title: Apparatus for the identification of moving units
Claims: I claim: 1. An apparatus to identify car units moving along a fixed course for subsequent switching or like purposes, comprising: a. a signal indicator means on the moving car unit which is tuned to resonate at a frequency which is permitted to vary only by a small percentage from a selected base frequency, b. a signal pickup means adjacent to the fixed course including an oscillator means producing a radiation field which extends to and is within the influence of the signal indicator means whenever the car unit moves past the signal pickup means, c. a sweep control means controlling the frequency of the signal pickup means and cyclically varying the frequency of the radiation field produced by the signal pickup means from the aforesaid selected base frequency through a range of frequencies, above and below the selected base frequency, which is slightly greater than the permitted variation of the resonant frequency of the aforesaid signal indicator from the said base frequency, whereby the signal pickup means will operate at the resonant frequency of the signal indicator means twice during each sweep cycle and thereby whenever the signal indicator means is within the influence of the radiation it causes a repeated distortion of said radiation field and a distortion of the voltage pattern within the signal pickup means, d. a circuit means associated with the signal pickup means to provide a signal and which is responsive only to a repeated distortion of the voltage pattern in the signal pickup means, and e. a control means adapted to be actuated responsive to the aforesaid signal by the circuit means. 2. In the apparatus in claim 1 wherein: the signal indicator means includes a coil loop and a capacitor in series. 3. In the apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein: the signal indicator means includes a coil loop, a sequence of capacitors and means for interconnecting the coil loop with a selected capacitor of the sequence whereby to tune the signal indicator means to a predetermined resonant frequency established by the capacity of the capacitor. 4. In the apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein: the signal indicator means includes a plurality of coil loops, a capacitor and means for interconnecting a selected number of coil loops with the capacitor whereby to tune the signal indicator means to a predetermined resonant frequency established by the selected number of loops and the capacitor. 5. In the apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein: the signal indicator means includes a plurality of coil loops, a sequence of capacitors, and a means for interconnecting a selected number of coil loops with a selected number of capacitors whereby to tune the signal indicator means to a predetermined resonant frequency established by the aforesaid selected coil loops and capacitors. 6. In the apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein: the sweep control means varies the frequency of the signal pickup means in a cyclic manner with the frequency variation with respect to time being best exemplified by a triangular wave. 7. In the apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein: the distortion of the radiation field occurs twice during each cyclic sweep of the sweep control means and wherein the circuit means modifies the voltage of the signal pickup means to produce a sequence of pulses. 8. In the apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein: the circuit means converts the disturbances into a train of pulses and includes a coupling capacitor and a one-shot multivibrator to shape and size pulses to uniformity, and the further improvement comprising an input steerage circuit between the coupling capacitor and the multivibrator. 9. An apparatus for the identification of a car unit moving on a main track to divert the unit to a selected spur extending from the track and including in combination: a. a spur switch operating means at the junction between the track and the spur adapted to be actuated to shift the spur switch to divert the car from the main track, b. a signal indicator means on the moving unit and tuned to resonate at a frequency which is permitted to vary only a small percentage from that of the selected base frequency, c. a signal pickup means adjacent to the track ahead of the spur switch juncture including an oscillator means producing a radiation field alongside the track and within the influence of the signal indicator means whenever the car unit moves past the signal pickup means, d. a sweep control means to control the frequency of the signal pickup means to vary the frequency of the radiation field from the aforesaid base frequency through a range which is slightly greater than the permitted variation of frequency than the aforesaid signal indicator whereby the signal indicator means causes a distortion of the radiation field each time the cyclically varying radiation field is at the same resonant frequency as is the signal indicator means, and e. a circuit means responsive only to the repeated distortion of the radiation field while the signal indicator means is in the radiation field to activate a spur switch operating means. Other info: Inventors: Lancaster, Dean (Lakewood, CO, US) Application Number: 494459 Filing Date: 1974-08-05 Publication_date: 1976-02-03 Assignee: Control Electronics Corporation (Golden, CO) Primary Class(es): 104/88.02 246/34R Other Classes: US Patent Ref:
Other Refs:
Primary Examiner: Blix, Trygve M. Assistant Examiner: Eisenzopf, Reinhard J. Attorney: Van Valkenburgh, Lowe & Law |
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