US1040940A - Art of railway signaling. - Google Patents

Description

w. GRUNOW, JR. ART OF RAILWAY SIGNALlNG.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 10, 1911.

1,040,940.- Patented Oct. 8, 1912.

I, I 5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

1" 5 3 1 ff 1' j? JAN W. GRUNOW, Jn. ART OF RAILWAY SIGNALING. APPLICATION FILED MAY 10, 1911.

1,040,940. Patented 0015.8,1912.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W. GRUNOW, JR. ART OF RAILWAY SIGNALING.

APPLIOATION rum) MAY 10, 1011.

1,040,940. Patented Oct. 8, 1912.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

W. GRUNOW, JR. ART OF RAILWAY SIGNALING.

APPLICATION I'ILED MAY 10, 1911.

1,040,940. Patented Oct. 8, 1912.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

I w a Anw g I? o I v W. GRUNOW, J11. ART OF RAILWAY SIGNALING. APPLICATION FILED my 10, 1911.

1,040,940. I Patented Oct. 8, 1912.

6 SHEETS'SHEET 5.

witwe/aoe A 5] mm 14 You fication.

. e ect the Setting or release of the signals.

i shall indicate at each end of a protected secabsolutely positive in its action and shall UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE,

WILLIAM ennnow, m, or wA'rn'nnnnY,

conn'ncz'ricur, nssrenon 'ro mnnzcnn answer sicnar. comrnrrr, A conroanrrron or CONNECTICUT.

ART or nanwnr SIGNALING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 10, i911. Serial No. 626,311.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAMGRUNOW Jr., a citizen of the United States, and resi-j dent of Waterbury, county of New Haven,: and State of Connecticut, have made a new; and useful Inventioninthe-Art of Railway Signaling, 01; which the following is a speci- My invention is directed particularly improvements upon two inventions disclosed i in prior patents granted on the 16th day of! July, 1907 to Wesley T. Oviatt, Edward F. Latimer and William Grunow, Jr.,' N 0. 860,561 and to R. C. Cram and G. L. Graves, No. 860,532, the essential points of novelty in the present instance being more especially directed to improvements upon the invention disclosed in Patent No. 860,561.

My invention has for its objectsFirst, the rearran ement of the circuit relations of the control ing circuits and the'operatingl and controlling e'lectromagnets of such aj system and in suchmanner'that the operat-f ing electromagnets which set the signals are 5 located in series relation with each other; and are adapted to be operated from oppo-.,f site ends of the section, either upon the en- 1 trance or withdrawal of a car, said circuits being always normally open so that the electrical energy is required only during the time that cars are assing over the protect- E ed section. Second: the provision of novel appliances for eflecting in the simplest pos- 1 Slble inanner the certain closure of the controlling and operating circuits for definite times, no matter what may be the speed: with which a car enters or leaves a section, through the agency of controlling electromagnets adapted to surely close the operating circuits at suflicient time to enable the si nal operating electromagnets to certainly Third, the provision of novel signal setting and signal locking mechanism for semaphores or like visual signals which shall bebe controlled by step by step "inechauism adapted to rotate it in opposite directions and without any possibility of a failure to act when either of the two operating electromagnets is energized. Fourth, the provision also, in addition to semaphores which tion the condition thereof as relates to the number of cars actually passinn over the same at any time, of illuminating visual signals or audible signals, or both, which shall indicate to a motorman as his car enters at either end the conditions which the visual'semaphore signals indicate, and shall also give warning to him and to others in the vicinity that the semaphores have either. been properly set or that the failure of the same to be set has given him proper warning that he should not proceed until the signals are properly displayed by the outward passage of any car which has preceded him. Fifth, the provision of means in connection with a safety system of signaling, whereby when the predetermined number of cars which may at any time be permitted to travel in the same direction over a protected section has entered the same the signals will cease to work further-or those already set will cease to be displayed-until one or more of the receding cars has or have passed out of t e section and in the pro or direction, thus affording both a vlsua and an audible indication to the motorman and to others of the fact that his car should not enter the protected section until the signal immediately in front of him shall have given indication that hamay properly proceed. Sixth, the provision of means whereby the passage of cars in a given direction may be continuous over a r'otected section so lon as the signals 0 such section are ma e operative F by reasonof suchentrance and in such man'- ner as to show the motorman that he is entitled to enter the section and that the maximum number of cars allowed to enter has not preceded him upon such section; the arrangement being such that when the maximum number has already entered the Section the signals will not operate and he will be required to back out, and under orders should not enter again until he is satisfied that a proper time has elapsed to allow him to properly enter and properly operate the signals after one or more of the preceding cars has gone out of the section. Seventh, the provision of means for use in the operation of signals of the character referred to whereby there is absolutely no possibility of the signals bei wrongfully o ereted so as not to show tie proper con ition of afiai'rs either. upon the entrance or I the withdrawal of two cars simultaneously at the opposite ends of the protcctedsection;

the arrangement being such that no matter what may be the speed of either or both of the cars so entering orwithdrawing at the same instant of time there is no. possible chance that the signals either already set shall be disturbed, or those to be set shall be improperly set, thus making it absolutely certain t at there never can be upon the protected section, if orders be obeyed, at

whenever actuated an the compan on signal is released and conany one time more than the maximum number of cars allowed to travel in the same direction; or an indicated condition other than the-truthful indicationthat-the section is fully occupied and the signals are properly so set that only when the last car'leaves, at the outgoingflend will it be made apparent e nextv entering car,- the arrangement of the cir- 1 and signaltoperatthat-there are no cars preceding t cuits, control mechanism,

ing mechanism being such that the signals w1ll always give the proper indication and. under all of the conditions upon which'cars travel over-single tracks havingt-he usualv .Eighth, to provide for use of the type re-' ferredto a compound signal embracing two passing sidings. with railway safety systems signals each adapted to be operated by' independent operatin mechanism so interconnected that each'signal is made operative or.

crating mechanism ,while so actuated displayed by its own so cealed from view, the interconnecting'mechanism being of such a naturethat for the first impulse sent over the line theproper signal will be set and locked and that each succeeding impulse sent through the same electromagnetic apparatuswi-ll advance the locking. mechanism" so that after a signal is once set 'and'locked by the transmission of a definite-number of impulsesi'it cannot.

' possibly be'released until-the other mechanism which operates the othersignal shall have been actuated by a like definite number of mpulses, thereb assuring a proper signallng -.efi'ect'- for't e accumulation of cars in 'a protected section. Ninth, to provide means whereby when a car enters one end of a protected section, of single track a danger-s1 nal willbe set at the distant out? goin en by said car and simultaneously -will only operate on the entering of a'car upon itsv proper siding when the section a .erence is bad to cam dis electrical circuit connections bemg also illussignal operating ead is either unoccupied or is occupied by g noaoseo any number of cars up to. themaximum number allowed onfthe section. For a full and clear understanding of my invention such as will enable others skilledv -1nthe-art to construct and use the same, refthe accompanying drawings,

in which, Figuresl and2 are whichwhen placed side b .side with Fig. 1 upon the left illustrate in etail a single protected section of an electric railway provided with my novel system of signal o'per:

diagrammatic views ating and signal control devices; together.

with two line wires, a single trolley wlre extending over the protected section, and side track trolley wires'at each end thereof where single and two point switches are provided and ada ted to be operated by the trolley wheelv o a passing car in either direction. Fig.3 is anenlarged part sectional, par-t side elevational view ofmy novel signal operating. mechanism in the nature of step by step apparatus driven'iii op osite directions by either of two powerful el dctrom'agnetszof the solenoid type, the'signal or sema operating cam disks, however, not eing shown in this-figure. 'Fig. 4'is a plan view 'of'the' same apparatus as seen lookin at Fig. 3 from the top toward the bottom o the drawin the signal or semaphore operating being shown in this view, certain trated in connection with this, part of the apparatus. Fig. 5 is a side elevational view illustrating the operative relations of the signal operating'cam disks, the pivoted operating counter balanced semaphore operating levers connected in turn to the pivoted arms of the semaphores themselves, the latter'being only partly shown; certain electrical circuit connect-ions being also illustrated in connection-with this part of the apparatus. Fig. -6 -is a detail viewof the of the operating electromagnets; the signal operating cam-disks" and the shaft which carries the same .being'shown in elevational view; together with the differential gear mechanism through the agency of which the semaphores or signals are prevented from operating in-the event of cars entering or withdrawing at opposite ends of a section at identically the same instant. Fig. 7 is a side elevational view of one'of the'signal boxes showin also the means of suspension of the same 'eside the roadway; together with the semaphores and signal light lenses inclosed therein. Fig. 8 is a side elevational view of the electro-magnet-ically controlled mechanism for efiecting adefinite time interval of closure {of the circuits through the signal operating electromagnets or solenoids; and Fig. 9 is an end elevational view of the same mechanism as seen looking at Fig. 8 from left to right.

mechanism illustrating one genome mechanism for effecting a definite time'limit of closure of the circuits to the operating electromagnets or solenoids illustrated in Figs. :8 and 9, after which I' will describe the operation of the apparatus by referring to Figsland 2.

As above noted the'apparatus disclosed in this-application embraces signal operatin and signal cont-rolling mechanism designs to operate upon normally open circuits and made operative through the agency of switches actuated by the movement'of a car trolley wheel 'mucl inthe same manner as the. signal apparatus is operated in the before-.meritiond patent to Oviatt, Latnncr and Grunow, Jr.,1it' being "nnderstood that these switches are provided with appliances adapted to assure a closure of the circuit through the control and signal operating electromagnets for a definite length of time certainly actuate said electro magnets,v g

M, M represent the signal-operating tromagnets referably o the solenoi elecas clearly. il ustrated on the left in Fig. 3,

the same being provided with the well known form of magnetic casing and a nonmagnetic rin ventin the upward with a non-magnetic guide-rod 3 to which it is attached so as to slide through actubular bearing in the stationary half of the core and'aguide-way in the upper end of theframe, as clearly shown, 4 being a piv-' oted operating lever secured by a pm to the a rod .3 and provided with a pivoted spring preslsed propelling pawl 5 and a locking paw 5 6 re resents a stop pawl pivoted to 'the" frame nd connected by a spiral spring with the lever 4.

6 re resents a holding pawl, and 7 7, are 'toothe driving wheels 3ournaled loosely on the driving shaft 8.

9-is a two art arm keyed to the shaft 8- by a pin 10 and aving on its opposite endsjours nai bearings for supfporting two idle pinions 11,11, the. teeth 0 mesh with the teeth of crown caring- wheels 12, 12 located on the inner si e faces of the toothed driving wheels 7,,7,'said crown gear wheels and the 'pinions constituting what I,

term differential gear adaptedto permit the shaft. 8 to be rotated in'either (111150121011 as a car enters or withdraws from either end of any-protected section; or, to prevent any rotation thereof should two cars enter or withdraw simultaneously and hence actuate the controlling switches, this apparatus being designed especially to prevent any posility of operating the signals in the event at the base thereof for pre-; skend 2, of the movable sec- 'tion 0 the core from sticking when drawn which are adapted totions, as will be more particular y described: in connection with the description of .the

mode of operation. e

M? and their toothed 13', 13 aretwo signal and semaphore .op-

erating ca'midisks both keyed to the shaft 8- and, therefore, rotatable in opposite .direc tions therewith. These disksare provided respectively vwith semi circular extended rims, as clearlyillustrated in dotted and full lines in Fig. 5 and in full lines in Figs. 4 and 6, and are so interrelated that when one semi-circular extended rim is operating so as to lift its signal operating lever 14 through the agency of its companion operating pin 15, the other isnot operating upon the other like parts of the companion semaphore, and when the signals are at safety and no car upon the section, both of the operating pins 15, 15, and their corresponding'signalop crating levers 14, 14, are'in the position shown in Fig. 6; that is to say, both in the depressed positions, and both of the semaphores W and R (-see Figs. 5 and 7) in their released or safety positions.

16, 16 represent insulated contact plates carried by the arms'14 of the semaphore R,

theirfunction being toclose the circuit through stationary terminals 24, 24 of a.

conductor 21, as will begdescribed later .on.

18, 18 are metal arms secured by pins to the shafts 17, 17 which carrythe setsjof pawls 6, 6 (see Figs...-ft and 5) and 19, 19 are brid 'ng' contact. plates carried by said arms an adapted, when moved by the shafts 17, 1'7, to performfunctions which will be described later on in connection with thedescription of the mode of operation and with simllar parts operatively connected with the si naling mechanism, as clearlydisclosed in Flgs. land 2 of the drawings. Referring now to Figs. 8 and '9 I scribe the structural apparatus for effecting a definite time interval for closing the circults to the signal operating electroma ets M. and M, thesame embracingin eac instance an electromagnet 8 provided with a pivoted armature lever'a anda curvilinear pole plece 7) attached to the rear end of the core of the magnet. with its free end in the.

magnetic field of the armature of the armature lever'a, said pole piece and the'core of the electromagnet being secured to a stand a ard f, the upper or'curvilinear end of which supports a journal hearing for a rotatable momentum disk d provided on its inner face with'an -operating pin'p resting normally iao ' against the curvilinear end of the armature lever a. -This disk 03 is provided with a weight w for holding it in its normal positactplates t having normal contact 'with.

two springv pressed terminals 26, 26, the bridging contact plate 27 being, adapted, when the electromagnet is energized, to rotate the disk under the influence of the armature aand pin go through a definite space until the relatively broader bridging con-- tact plate 27 makes contact'with-two spring pressed terminals 28, 28, 8 being a stop for the disk adapted to hold it against the influence of the weight 'wby reason of its contact-with a lu e on the face of the support ing standard All of the conductingparts of this "device are efiectually insulated, as shown, so as to adapt itfor use withhigh potential circuits. The operation of this part ofthe apparatus will be disclosed in connection with the description of the mode of operatiom v 1 Referring nowto Figs; land 2 there is shown diagrammatically on both figures one complete protected section.) embracing a trolley conductor T extending over the entire'single track'section, and abranch'trolley conductor-T for a siding at each end; two 2-point switches sw, 800 one at each end of the section, and'two single point switches 8 w, s 'w one at each end of'the', section, all of said switches being made operative through the agency of the trolley wheel as it passes'.

thetwo point switches in either direction and the single point switches in one direc-' tion only, dependent upon whether a car is moving from right to left, east to west, or vice versa. 30, 30 represent two line wire circuits extending over J the protected section, the same being normally ounded at both ends, through the signa operating electromagnets M, M the controlling and operating circuits being all normally open at the switches adjacent to thetrolley wire and its sidiugs, so that there is no possibility of any of the signals being operated until the car shall have entered the protected section in either direction. The controlling circuits also are normally grounded, both at each end of the section through rheostats R, B II, I represent electric lamps for giving luminous signals'for night use, said lamps being connected in circuit with conductors L L indicated in dotted lines and running to the necessary circuit closing devices for efiecting the; closure thereof through the agency of-jthe sema phores; I I represent incandescent Cfia'sh light lamps adapted to be actuated when a ear enters the protected section from either end, soas to indicate to the motorman' the the protected ma cap factfthat it is proper for him to enter, the

absence of the action of such flash lights being evidence to him that he should, not enter. Said lamps also illuminate --the semaphore arms at night when they areiset.

The rheostats R R are adjustable and are utilizedfor varying the resistance through the line and control circuits to suit the conditions of the sections to be protected, such variable resistances being necessitated, by reason of the fact that these protected sections often differ very materially in. their length, cars often running on v suburban roads for many miles on a single track and the sidings'being located to suit the peculiar conditions of the territory'to be passed over, The curves in the roadway also often make it imperative that the protected sections shall be muchshorter than in districts'where the road passes over relatively level and clear country.

. It will be noted on inspection of Figs. 3,

,4 and 5 that the operating electromagnets or solenoids M and M which control the movement of the semaphores and their signals are so located relatively to each other and the toothed driving wheels 7, 7 that through the agency of their step by step mechanism they may drive; the shaft 8 and the'signal and semaphore operating and locking cam disks 13, 13 in opposite directions, dependent upon which electromagnet is energized; so that this must be bornein mind in describing the mode of operation in view of the diagrammatic dispositions of'the like parts illustrated in. Fig. 1 and 2. Suppose now that the entire apparatus is as illustrated in said' figures of the drawings and that no car is standing upon or passing over section between the'sidings in said figures. As the car enters, therefore,

from the right in the direction of the upper arrow, passing upon the -sidin the trolley wheel actuates the switch 810 c osing the circuit from the branch, trolley con-' ductor T by way of a branch 'conductor2l, to stationary contact terminals 24, and through the bridging contact plate 16 carried by the lever 14 of the, red or danger thence throu h time limit semaphore R through the control solenoid S on the it rheostat R to earth at E. This imparts a momentary rotar movement'to' the weighted momentum disk d and rotates the same in the direction of the arrow Fig. 2 from right to left, breaking the circuit between the bridging contact plate t and the spring pressed terminals. 26; at the same time closing a new circuit through the elongated contact plate '27, stationary: terminals 28,

so that current now flows for a prolonged time interval byway of branch conductors L permanently connected vwith the trolley wire, one of the terminals 28, through the contact plate 27, the other terminal ,28,

through the line wire 30,. the signal operating magnet'M at the incoming station, up-

nal or semaphore R, at the distant end,

spring. pressed terminals 26, bridging contact plate t, through the rheostat R to earth at E. This prolonged impulse transmitted over the line causes the propelling pawl 5 to: rotate the two cam disks 13 at the entering station from right to left in the direction of the arrow, so that the pin 15 of the signal operating lever 14 of the white semaphole' causes said semaphore to be raised and lockedin its upper position as shown in dotted lines Fig. 2' and full lines Fig. 5-, by reason of the cam action of the extended edge of the disk and will retain the signal in such locked posit-ion until the disks are rotated in a reverse direction. The same action caused the other disk 13 on the same shaft 8 for the red or'dangcr semaphore R at the ingoing end to be rota-ted" inthe same direction, thus removing the'eecentric portion of its disk 13 one step from the operating pin 15. The two disks 13 at the distant or outgoing end were likewise rotated one step to the left inthe direction of the arrow through the influence of the operating solenoid or electromagnet M and the red or danger semaphore R was lifted into the position shown in dotted lines; while the eccentric part of the disk 13' for the white semaphore was removed one step to theleft and away from its operating pin- 1'5; Consequently, the white or caution sema here was displayed at the incoming end i'g. 2 and the red or danger semaphore was displayed at the outgoing end in Fig. 1 and both semaphores temporarily locked in such, displayed positions. At the same time, the circuit was temporarily closed at the incoming end Fig. 2 through the con tact plates 16 16 carried by the arm of I the white semaphore W to contact plates 16 and 16 thereby temporarily closing a lighting circuit from the trolley conductor T through branch conductor L to and through additional branch conductors L indicated in dotted lines, three lamps I on the right behind the white glass lens, thus giving a white light indication, thence through the two lamps I on the right by conductor 31 to ground atE, thus illuminating the white semaphore W, thereby giving two visual indlCations-one from the lamps I and the other from the reflected light at night time upon the semaphore arm W. 7 Any subsequent' can therefore, on entering and operatin' the switch 8w, Fig. 2, will cause identica 5 the. same-movement of the signal control ing'andf signal operating magnets which were actuated by the entrance of the first car, but in view of the fact that the signals haveheen set and locked by any preceding car and the lamps I left glowing, I provide an additional means of warning the motorman of the incoming car of the fact that the section precedinghim is occupied by momentarily interrupting the lamp circuits between the bridging contact plate 19 in the lamp circuit L it being apparent that when the electromagnet M is again actuated the circuit will be interrupted between the contact plates 19 as the step by ste mechanism is actuated, thus momentari y flashing the lamps. This arrangement of circuits, of course, is provided for all four of the operating magnets, as is clearly illustrated, and gives absolute assurance of the operation, and also warns the motormen and the public of such efi'ective o era-tion. The same impulse which set and ockedthe Signals at the incoming station also, as before stated, set andlocked the red semaphore R at the outgoing station in its u per or displayed position, as indicated in dotted lines, and also closed av circuit from trolley wire T and the conductor L at that point indicated in full lines, and L indicated in dotted lines, the three lamps I on the extreme right, the two lamps I on the extreme left, downward by conductor 31 to earth at E thus giving a reflected light upon the red semaphore R and a red light through the red .lens for that semaphore, so that now there is a danger warning set and locked for incoming cars at the outgoing'end' inFig. 1.

It will be noted that when the red semaphore R was lifted into its exposed and locked position by the disk 13 the circuit was broken between the contact plate 16 and the contact terminals 24-which connect with the conductor 21 running to the switch 810 ada ted to be controlled by the movement 0 incoming cars from the left; so that should a motorman from the left fail to observe the red signal and inadvertently pass such switch no results will follow; like-- wise no results will follow on his backing out because the conductor 22 which connects that switch with the operative parts of the system is now open at the plates 16 and 16 because of the fact that the white semaphore at that station is in its lower or unexposed position, so that he simply backs out and awaits further developments. As the motorman entered on the right and observed that the white semaphore was set for him he realizes the fact that the section is safely clear and he may proceed. He also knows that the danger signal has been set at the outgoing end because the white semaphore has been set at the ingoing end, the operating electromagnets being in series; he, therefore, proceeds with the full knowledge that he has the right of way. When the car passes out at distant station the trolley wheel opcrates the single contact switch 8 10 at that point and closes the trollgy circuit through Ill ;-E ,"thereby 'rotating the momentum disk 12 and causing it tomomentarily break the circuit between the terminals 26 and the bridging contact plate at and to bring the elongated contact plate 27 into electrical -;contact with the terminals 28 for a] definite time interval, thereby closing the circuit from the trolle conductor T by the conductor L on the le t to and through bridging contact plate 27, terminals 28, line wire 30, electromagnets M at the outgoing end,'the lower one of the line wires 30 extending over the section to the operating magnet M at the distant station in Fig. 2; thence to the spring pressed terminals 26 on the extreme right of the time limit control mechanism, bridging contact plate t carried thereby, rheostat R? to earth at E; thus rotating the shaft 8v and both of the disks 13 one step to the right so that the pin 15 for the red semaphore assumesits original or starting position ready to lift the semaphore when the proper impulse is transmitted from the distant end of the section in Fig. 1. At the same time, of course, the pin 15 has been released from its lifting and locking relation to the cam disk 13 for the white sema hore W at the dist-ant end and it is allowed to fall into its concealed position indicated in full lines, so that the circuits for the lights I and I are broken and the signaling apparatus at that station is all in normal condition, indicating that there is no car upon the section. As the car proceeds, therefore, over the siding track and as it passes outof the same it will encounter another two-point contact switch, not shown, but like the two point contact switch shown in Fig. 2 where corres ondin appliances are provided for, a sing e trac section in advance and where the same precautions will be observed as were observed in the entering of the section from which-the car has just passed, as has been described, it being understood that each single track sectionv is provided with two sets of appliances having the apparatus and circuit connections illustrated in the drawings, Figs. 1 and 2, and

as hereinbefore described. Suppose now that a number of cars follow the car already referred to before the same leaves the protected section. It will be seen that the ap-- paratus herein disclosed is capable of accommodating 16 cars on a section, there being 16 teeth for each of the operating wheels 7- so that any number of cars up'to-16 may enter and each time a car enters exactly the same noperat omwill ensue as has been described,except, it will be noted, that as each 1 car enters the cam disk 13 which operates the white semaphore W wlllbe rotated forward step by step so that when the 16 cars are in 1 ,oeaoeo Y the section this semaphore will-be locked exposed position: and g the permanently in lamps I' and I onthe right will be permanently displayed or until all of said cars havepassed out of the section,,and for like reason the red semaphore R at the out oin end will be (permanently locked in disp aye 2 the red lamps I on the right position an and the lamps I on the left permanently v:displayed, or until the last of the 16 cars has passed out in the same manner as the firstcar was described as having passed out. Each outward passage," however, will rotate thetwo :disks 13Kto'the left one step in. the same manner as these disks were rotated when the.

firstcar wasdescribedashavingpassed out,

so that when they all have passed out the apparatus will assume the condition shown' in full lines in. the drawings. Of course, the

number of cars which 'ma :upon'any section will be limited to the num be permittedv ber. of teeth in the driving wheels 7. and

these may be variedat will. Suppose now that after 15 tered and thatthe last car to enter'forlsome reason backs out before any of the other cars have passed out-or even after any or fall of them have passed out. In this event the switch 810 is operated by the trolley ,wheel from left to right, closin a circuit from the trolley conductor T way of conductor 22, t e right andleft and ter-i" cars have en;

{Il'llIlfllS of 16*, contact plates 16 carried'by :the arm of thewhite'semaphore W, .con-' ductor 22 to the lower right hand control electromagnet S through therheostat R to earth, thus operating the trol magnet and causing i rotate the momentum disk d'from rightto left, momentarily breaking the circuit between .the terminals 26 and the bridging contact plate t and simultaneously closing the circuit between the elongated contact plate 27 and the stationary terminals 28,

thereby closing a circuit from" the trolley wire T by the conductor L, terminals-28, contact plate 27, line wire 30, through the Zoperating electromagnetM'of the red semaphore, through the operating electromagnet M of the .wbite sema l1ore at the Idistant station, terminals 26,*l )ridging contact plate t, by rheostat R to earth at E This prolonged impulse, therefore, rotates the two cam disks 13 at the incoming station one step to the right in the direction of the arrow, thereby lowering the white semaphoreat the incoming station and restoring the disk'13 for the red semaphore at the incoming station with the pin 15 in operative relation to the proper cam disk, the movement of the like disk at the outgoing station being the reverse of that by the impulse transmitted when the car time. limit conarmature A to with the pin 15 in operative relation therewith, so that all of the apparatus stands now in its normal position, the same as though the car had not entered and all of the signals and lamps are, thereiore, in normal or safety condition with no current flowing in the system. Suppose now that '16 cars, the limit number, have all entered the protected section and that a car following should enter on the right. In this event attention is directed to Fig. 5 of the drawings and to the fact that when the cam disks have been rotated by the entry of cars through practically 180 the pin 15 which controls the movement of the red semaphore at the incoming station, comes into contact with a cam-like elevationQO which is sufficie'ntly high to break the circuit between the contact terminals 24 and the contact plates 16 carried by the corresponding red semaphore arm Rf thereby permanently breaking the circuit to the conductor 21 running to the incomin switch see so that no effect will be or can had upon the signals by cars entering in this direction until one or more of the 16 cars already entered shall have passed through. He then simply awaits the indication by the signals to note when he may proceed. Therefore, as the cars pass out the cam disks will be successively rotated in the proper direction and the mechanism ultimately put in its normal condition of safety. Under no ClI'Cllnlstances, however, is it possible-if he obeys ordersthat he can rightfully proceed until -he shall have received a proper indication that alliof the cars have passed out; or that the limited number of 16 cars are not in the section. Suppose now that the protect,- ed section is clear and that two cars enter in opposite directions and at such 'time that both of the two point switches at the opposite ends of the protected section are actuated atiidentically the same instant of time. In this event reference is had to Figs. 4 and. 6 of the drawings and it will be noted that when such simultaneous entrance of cars occurs the electromagnets M- and M at the opposite ends of the section will be simultaneously actuated, as will be apparent on tracing out the circuits from the two switches isw, in opposite directions, as indicated by the upper arrow on the right and lower arrow on the left pointing in opposite directions. \Vhen this occurs and the proper magnets are energized the two step b step mechanisms actuated by the two e ectromagnets will act simultaneously and the differential gear will obviously impart no motion in either direction to the disks 13 so that the cam eflect thereof will be nil and no signals will be operated at either end and both motormen will be warned of the fact that the signals have failed to operate so that they must both withdraw their cars;

therefore, the one who now enters first will set the signals in Warning to the other and he may properly dproceed until he passes out at the distant en It will also be apparent that the differential action of the gearing illustrated in Fig. 6 will permit either of the disks 13 to be operated by its proper operating magnet when such ma et is operated alone, in which event tie idle pinions 11 act as fulcrumed levers to impart the proper motion to the disk it is intended to rotate.

It is to be observed that with the arrangement of circuits and control and operating mechanism disclosed in the drawin s and hereinbefore described it is not possi le for mot'ormen, if they follow orders, to wrongfully enter a section if they observe the signalsas disclosed when they enter, no matter in which direction the cars ma be traveling; nor is it possible for more t an the limited number of cars to enter a section without .yiolating orders. Furthermore, it is to be noted that the time limit control mechanism illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9 of the drawings is of such a nature that no matter what the speed of a car may be when entering a section or passing out of the same in either direction this time limit mechanismwill surel establish an interval of closing of sufliclent length to effectually energize the necessary elcctromagnets either for control or for the operation of the signals.

In the practical use of the invention hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings I propose to utilize time limit mechanism in connection with the trolley actuated switches like that disclosed in patent to Oviatt, Latimer and Grunow, Jr., but preferably like that described in a pendingapplication filed by me on the 10th day of May, 1911 and bearing Serial No. 626,312, such time limit mechanism making it absolutely sure that the 'circuitsnvill be closed from the trolley wire or from any other source of electrical energy which may be utilized for a sutlicient len th of time to assure the operation of both t 1e signal control and signal operating electromagnets. I further propose for certainty of operation to inclose not only'main line circuits 30, 30, but all of those conductors leading from the trolley wire or source of electrical energy to the signal boxes in'iron or other metal conduits and to connect the same with earth,

either witlrthe track rails or in any preferred manner, such conductors being well insulated, my ob ect in this particular being to absolutely prevent any possibility of op oration of the apparatus ct ier than through the current from the source of electrical energy utilized to that end, such as the trolley wire or other supply that to be used, the signal boxes also being connected to earth by conductors, thus avoiding any possibility of wrongful operation due to induced currents,

, leakage currents, or from any extraneous cars have passed out of the section, either in advance or by withdrawal. Obviously'also the combination of operating electromagnetsj or electromotive devices generally for manipulating or operating signals when combined with electromagnetically controlled time limit mechanism as I have com- I bined these features may be utilized with other systems, and my claims are also generic as to these features and as to the use of the devices in railway signal appliances generally; or as to the. use of such devices as I have described in connection with signal appliances in the arts generally.

' Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is .1.-In a railway block-signal system, the combination of two signals at each end of a block, actuating electro-magnets for said several signals, a main circuit, two line wires extending throughout the block, each grounded in series with an electro-Inagnetat each end thereof, circuit controllers for breaking such grounds and establishing electric connection between the main circuit and line wires, electro-magnets for actuating said circuit controllers, branch circuits for said controller electro-magnets, and switches actuated by the cars for closing said branch circuits.

2. "In a railway block-signal system, the combination of two signals at each end of a block, actuating electro-magnets for said several signals, a main circuit, two line wires extending throughout the block and each normally groundedthrough an electromagnet atv each end thereof, circuit controllers for breaking such grounds and establishing electrical connections between said main circuit and line wires, and means actuated by the cars for operating said circuit controllers. v

3. In a railway block-signal system, the combination of two signals at each end of a block, actuating electro-magnets for said several signals, a main circuit, two line wires extending throughout the block and each normally groundedthrough an electromagnet at each end thereof, circuit controllers, electro-magnets for actuating said'controllers to break such grounds and establish electrical connections between said main circuit and line wires, branch circuits for said controller electro-magnets, and switches actuated by the cars for closing said branch circuits.

4. In a railway block-signal system, the combination of two signals at each end of a block, actuating electro-magnets for said several signals, two' main line circuits, each in series with an electro-magnet at each end of the block, controller electro-magnets, and time interval mechanism actuated by said controller magnets for maintaining said main line circuits closed during predetermined, uniform periods of time.

5. In a railway block-signal system, the combination of two signals at each end of a block, actuating electro-magnets for said several signals, two main line circuits, each in series with an electro-magnet at eachend of the block, time interval mechanism for maintaining said main line circuits closed during predetermined,uniform periods of time, controller electro-magnets for actuating said time interval mechanism, branch circuits for said controller electro-magnets,

and switches actuated by the cars for closing said branch circuits."

6. In a railway block-signal system, the combination of two signals at each end of a block, actuating electro-magnets for said several signals, a main circuit, two line wires extending throughout the block, each in series with an electro-magnet at each end thereof, controller electro-magnets, and time interval mechanism actuated by said con troller magnets for, maintaining said line wires in electrical connection with said main circuit during predetermined, uniform periods of time.

7. In a railway block-signalsystem, the combination of a pair of distinctive signals, differential gear and intermediate mechanism for selectively shifting said signals respectively according as the mechanism is moved in one directionor the other, a pair of magnets and intermediate mechanism for actuating-said differential gear in opposite directions, and means controlled by the cars for operating said electro-magnets.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

, WILLIAM- e'aniiow, JR.

Witnesses C. J. KINTNER,

M. KnA'rmc.

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