Device for the remote monitoring of railway switch drives

Abstract

In a device for the remote monitoring of railway switch drives operated via four lines, for instance by three-phase current, or of a monitoring circuit operated via four lines and including electric contacts which are switched as a function of the position of the railway switch and via which, upon reaching of the respective end position in the switch tongue, a monitoring circuit is closed across said four lines, for a railway switch monitor fed, for instance, by direct voltage, wherein a plurality of checking planes arranged in an offset manner in the longitudinal direction of the rails are provided and in each checking plane at least four electric switching contacts are circuited together and cooperate with moved parts of the railway switch drive or railway switch, for instance a check rod, in a manner that in an end position of the switch tongue two electric switching contacts are each in the closed, and two electric switching contacts are each in the open, switching position and the switching position of each of the electric switching contacts is changed once at a changeover into the other end position of the switch tongue, the electric switching contacts of several checking planes are connected with one another in a manner that in the respective end positions of the switch tongue all of the closed electric switching contacts of said checking planes connected with one another are connected in series to form a respective monitoring circuit.

1 . A device for remote monitoring of railway switch drives operated via four lines, or of a monitoring circuit operated via four lines, comprising 
 electric contacts which are switched as a function of a position of a railway switch and via which, upon arrival in a respective end position of a switch tongue, a monitoring circuit is closed across said four lines for a railway switch monitor, wherein    a plurality of checking planes ( 17 ,  18 ,  19 ) arranged in an offset manner in a longitudinal direction of rails are provided, and    in each checking plane at least four electric switching contacts (A 1 / 2 , A 3 / 4 , C 1 / 2 , C 3 / 4 ) are circuited together and cooperate with moved parts of the railway switch drive or railway switch, in a manner that in an end position of the switch tongue 
 two electric switching contacts (A 1 / 2 , C 3 / 4  and C 1 / 2 , A 3 / 4 , respectively) are each in a closed switching position, and  
 two electric switching contacts (C 1 / 2 , A 3 / 4  and A 1 / 2 , C 3 / 4 , respectively) are each in an open switching position and  
 the switching position of each of the electric switching contacts (A 1 / 2 , A 3 / 4 , C 1 / 2 , C 3 / 4 ) is changed once at a changeover into an other end position of the switch tongue, wherein  
   the electric switching contacts (A 1 / 2 , A 3 / 4 , C 1 / 2 , C 3 / 4 ) of several checking planes ( 17 ,  18 ,  19 ) are connected with one another in a manner that in the respective end positions of the switch tongue all of the closed electric switching contacts (A 1 / 2 , C 3 / 4  and C 1 / 2 , A 3 / 4 , respectively) of said checking planes ( 17 ,  18 ,  19 ) connected with one another are connected in series to form a respective monitoring circuit.    
   
   
       2 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein motor windings (U, V, W) of a three-phase motor are connected in series with the electric switching contacts (A 1 / 2 , A 3 / 4 , C 1 / 2 , C 3 / 4 ) and are connectable to three-phase mains via the contacts.  
   
   
       3 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 a monitoring circuit corresponding to one of the end positions of the switch tongue, and    a monitoring circuit corresponding to the other of the end positions of the switch tongue    are connected with each other in a manner that the monitoring circuits will be connected to a star point connection at an occurrence of a malfunction of at least one of the electric switching contacts or a faulty changeover of the railway switch in at least one checking plane.    
   
   
       4 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein two electric switching contacts (A 1 / 2 , A 3 / 4  or B 1 / 2 , B 3 / 4  or C 1 / 2 , C 3 / 4  or D 1 / 2 , D 3 / 4 , respectively) each of a checking plane ( 17 ,  18 ,  19 ), which have different switching positions, are combined in an electric switch component (A, B, C, D) and cooperate with a common actuating member.  
   
   
       5 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein a number of electric switching contacts of all checking planes ( 17 ,  18 ,  19 ) corresponds to an integral multiple of eight.  
   
   
       6 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein at least two electric switching contacts (A 1 / 2 , B 1 / 2 ) are connected in series having the same switching position at the same end position of the switch tongue.  
   
   
       7 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein two electric switching contacts (A 1 / 2 , A 3 / 4 ) having different switching positions, of an electric switch component (A) are linked with each other for the same end position of the switch tongue.  
   
   
       8 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein three electric switching contacts ( 27 ,  28 ,  29 ), of which at least two comprise different switching positions, are combined in an electric switch component ( 25 ) to cooperate with a common actuating member ( 13 ).  
   
   
       9 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein a separate, self-monitoring checking unit is arranged in a first one of said checking planes connected with one another.  
   
   
       10 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein electric switch components (B 1 / 2 , B 3 / 4 , D 1 / 2 , D 3 / 4 ) allocated to a first one of said checking planes connected with one another are crosswisely circuited.  
   
   
       11 . A device according to  claim 2 , wherein 
 a monitoring circuit corresponding to one of the end positions of the switch tongue, and    a monitoring circuit corresponding to the other of the end positions of the switch tongue    are connected with each other in a manner that the monitoring circuits will be connected to a star point connection at an occurrence of a malfunction of at least one of the electric switching contacts or a faulty changeover of the railway switch in at least one checking plane.    
   
   
       12 . A device according to  claim 2 , wherein two electric switching contacts (A 1 / 2 , A 3 / 4  or B 1 / 2 , B 3 / 4  or C 1 / 2 , C 3 / 4  or D 1 / 2 , D 3 / 4 , respectively) each of a checking plane ( 17 ,  18 ,  19 ), which have different switching positions, are combined in an electric switch component (A, B, C, D) and cooperate with a common actuating member.  
   
   
       13 . A device according to  claim 3 , wherein two electric switching contacts (A 1 / 2 , A 3 / 4  or B 1 / 2 , B 3 / 4  or C 1 / 2 , C 3 / 4  or D 1 / 2 , D 3 / 4 , respectively) each of a checking plane ( 17 ,  18 ,  19 ), which have different switching positions, are combined in an electric switch component (A, B, C, D) and cooperate with a common actuating member.  
   
   
       14 . A device according to  claim 2 , wherein a number of electric switching contacts of all checking planes ( 17 ,  18 ,  19 ) corresponds to an integral multiple of eight.  
   
   
       15 . A device according to  claim 3 , wherein a number of electric switching contacts of all checking planes ( 17 ,  18 ,  19 ) corresponds to an integral multiple of eight.  
   
   
       16 . A device according to  claim 4 , wherein a number of electric switching contacts of all checking planes ( 17 ,  18 ,  19 ) corresponds to an integral multiple of eight.  
   
   
       17 . A device according to  claim 2 , wherein at least two electric switching contacts (A 1 / 2 , B 1 / 2 ) are connected in series having the same switching position at the same end position of the switch tongue.  
   
   
       18 . A device according to  claim 2 , wherein two electric switching contacts (A 1 / 2 , A 3 / 4 ) having different switching positions, of an electric switch component (A) are linked with each other for the same end position of the switch tongue.  
   
   
       19 . A device according to  claim 2 , wherein three electric switching contacts ( 27 ,  28 ,  29 ), of which at least two comprise different switching positions, are combined in an electric switch component ( 25 ) to cooperate with a common actuating member ( 13 ).  
   
   
       20 . A device according to  claim 2 , wherein a separate, self-monitoring checking unit is arranged in a first one of said checking planes connected with one another.