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US Pat. 3908179

COMBINATION WARNING LIGHT AND EMERGENCY FLASHER APPARATUS

by Arthur C. Heehler, deceased, and Terry O'Neill [assigned to Mercor Corporation]
Filed: Aug. 7, 1974; Serial No. 495,418
Patented: Sept. 23, 1975

"OSCITROL LIGHT"

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.

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Oscitrol Light:	photos (PPC-11200)	photos (SP)