US1038450A - Signal. - Google Patents

Description

R. 0, SHOWALT'ER.

SIGNAL. IPPLIOATIOTT FILED NOV.11,\191'1.

Patented Sept. 10, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

- Pay 6. 571M061 Z/lir.

R. C. SHOWALTER.

SIGNAL. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 11, 1911.

1,038,450. Patented Sept. 10,1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

nueuloz 1 7209 6? Ska/Mall??? signaling arms is a switch stnndardd spor 1" UNITED s in-ms OFFICE.

nor 0. sEowAnr-ER, or nt'rooitn, PENNSYLVANIA? 'srennn v Specification of Letters Patent. I Patented Sept 10, 1912. l-iiiplicationfiled November 11, 1 11 Serial in. 659,783.

To allwkoa'n it may concern it: known th'at I, RoY. C; SHoWALTE'R, a citizen of the United States, residing at-Altoona; 111- the'count-y of Blair and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new an'd useful provements in Signals, of which the fol- "lowlng 1s -a specificat ion. p

The invention contemplates improvements in signals and has particularreference; to' signals for indicating'the positions of switch, points in railroad track-structures.

One. of the objects of the present invention a is to provide a. signaling system ofthis character which shall inelilde a semaphore the as signaling arms of which are connected with a plurality of la ps whereby in the signal ing .positionoft elarr'ns the lamps may be illuminated to clearly-define the positions of the arms;

ee i- Another object of the invention is the.

gresses, the invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arran- 'ement of parts hereinattter fully described and-claimedfi In: the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specificationz -liighre l, is a perspective view of a signaling system constructed in accordance with the present in venticn. Fig 2 is a, side elevation of a 40 nisml Fig. 3 is a d'etail yiew of the lamp switch. Fig. his a'detail'view showing the connection between 'the I signaling" arm and the switch. v. I 1

Similar reference characters designate 'like parts throughout the'several views. 4 Referring more partlcnlarly to the ac-! companying drawings.,- wherein I have illustrated the preferred embodiment, of the invention, A d'esignates a rallroad .t-rack structuretatfove which is mol nted the sig naling brid e B provided with the usual semaphore 5 which latter includes the varicoloredsignaling armslw 2 and .3. A6113- cent the semaphore C and rearwardl-y of the which shall appear as the description'prosemaphore arm and its operating mocha which are mounted the switches D having ,operative connections with .thearms ofv tli'e semaphore as will be'here'in'att'er more fully describegil i Adjacent the trackstr'uctnre A. is a hol,- low standard 5 having secured to its upper end alamp support-'6 in which are mounted the electric lamps ,7', 8 and 9, the-latter besi'gnalingarms of the semaphore'by means of conductors '10 and the switches'D.

The'nume'ral ll-designates the main feed wires to which are connected, in parallehthe switches underjthe action of the signaling :arms the lamps may be illuminated to warn -the engineer of an approaching train of the position of the arms. Each switch D conr- Cured to'the-standard 4 having 'a flanged outer end 13 to which .is'bolted the flanged 'cnd' l' l of ,a removable cover 15, the cover being-secured to the housing by: means. of bolts 16 passing through alining openings 30 in the flanges! The cover is provided with a slot 17, the purpose of whith will apbottom of the casing 12, are spacedqiarall'el. cars 18 between which is pivotally mounted 5' :3; switchilever 1 9,provi'ded with an opera t' ing handle 20 and designed to engage spaced contact strips 21 forti ied uponthe interior of the hOusing'liZ and'in advance of the ears to close the circuit to the lamp in the on operation of the arm. "Rigidly secured-to the rear end of each signaling arm .isa yoke 22 provided with a rearwardl v projecting post 23 adapted to he connect-ed to one member 24 of an 95 actuating mechanism E, through the medium of as-socket '23. Thelopposite member of the actuating mechanism E is designated at 25 and has its lonerfiend pivotally the s'witch. 1.9. At its upper or free end the member] 25 has tormed' integral therewith; ail-elongated cylinder 26 in which ismounted I for sliding movement aphmger'Q'T formed 24: and of less length \th anthe similar dime'n sion of the cylinderwhereby in the movement of the signaling. arm the member 24: 'will be permitted a "slight vertical movement t operation of the lightsjpreviousto the signa ling arm reaching its operatlve or 1110p ing of various colors and connected with the switches D so thatin the operation of the prises a housing 12, bolted or otherwise se- 7.5

pear later. Projecting upwardlyfrom the connected to the operating handle. 20 015100- integral with the lower end of the member relative to the member 25 to 'prevent the 11o erative position. The open end of the cylinder 26 is closed by a removable cap 28 formed with a centrally arranged aperture 29 through which operates the member 24.

The lamps 7, 8 and 9 are preferably in the form of arc lamps, and each is provided with a reflector to direct the light toward an approaching engine, whereby to indicate to an engineer, through thec'olor of lamp burning, the desired signal.

In practice; the signaling arms are coni nected with the'switch points in any suitable manner so that in the movement of a switch, the arms may be operated to indicate the position of such switch. For the sake of illustration we will assumethat the arm 1 is moving in a downward direction. In downward movement, it will be seen that the arm 1 will elevate'the member 24 of the actuating mechanism E independently of the member 25, incident to the relative dimensions of the plunger 27 and the cylinder 26. Immediately preceding the arm 1 reaching the limit of its downward movement, the plunger 27 engages the'cap 28 of the cylinder 26 and imparts upward movement to the member 25, which latter through its connection with the operating handle 20 and switch 19,- disengages said switch from the contact members 2l,-thereby' breaking the circuit to the lamp. When the arm 1 is thrown in an upward direction, under the action of the switch. it is seen that the above operation is reversed, just before the arm reaches its limit of upward.

movement, the plunger 27 of the member 24engages the bottom of the cylinder 26 and consequently moves themember 25 in a downward direction whereby the switch 19 is engaged with ,thecontact members 21 to permit the flow of current to the lamp.

From the above description, taken in connection with the accompanylngdrawings, it will be seen that I have provided a signaling system, in which the condition of the lamps remains undisturbed in the movement of the signal arms, but are rendered operative or inoperative upon the arms'reaching their limit of movement in an upward or downward direction. a v

Having described the invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1s:

1." A signaling systempcomprising 'a'semaa phore, a lamp, aswitchbox having a switcn therein, a switch actuating mechamsm pivotally connected to said switch, said mechanism comprising a lower member havin a cylinder at its free end, an upper member slldable in said cylinder, means carried by said upper member for limiting the movementthereof in said cylinder, and means its arms slidable in said cylinder, means carried byv said upper member for limiting "the movement thereof in said'cylindcr, the

an L-shaped upper member having one of other arm of said member being provided with an elongated slot, and means engaging said slot and connected to said semaphore whereby said lamp is illuminated when said semaphore has reached the limit of its upward movement.

3. A signaling system comprising a semaphore, a lamp, a switch box having a switch therein, conducting means between said switch box and said lamp, a switch actuating mechanism pivotally connected to said switch, said mechanism comprising a lower member having a cylinder at its free end, an L-shaped upper member having one of its arms slidable in said cylinder, the other arm of'said member'being provided with an elongated slot, means engaging said slot and connected to said semaphore whereby said lamp is illuminated when said semaphore has reached the limit of its upward movement, and means carried by the lower der whereby said switch'will be drawn in l and out of contact. V v

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

7 ROY C. SHOWALTER.

lVit-nesses: I

D. SHOWALTER, v Tmao. D. CRAWFORD.

end of said L-shaped member for limiting the moyernent of said member in sald cylin- 1,100

Images