US1085726A - Railway-signal. - Google Patents

Description

J. P. GOLEMAN.

RAILWAY SIGNAL. ALE'PLVIGATION FILED APR.14, 1913.

- Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES INVENTOR COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60., WASHINGTON, D. c.

J. P. COLEMAN.

RAILWAY SIGNAL. APPLICATION FILED APR.14, 1913*.

Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

2 SEEETS-SHEET 2.

I INVENTOR WITNESSES W 62 i -0LUMHIA PLANOURAPH CD..\\'ASHINGTDN. D c.

i no STATES PATENT canon.

JOHN IE. COLEMAN, OF EDGEWOOD BOROUGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNION SWITCH & SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A GOR- PORA'IION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 3,1914.

Application filed April 14, 1913. Serial No. 760,893.

and particularly to devices for holding a signal in the position or positions to which it is moved against its bias.

I will describe one form of railway signal embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a View showing in section one form of a railway signal mechanism having applied thereto one form of holding device embodying my invention, the semaphore being re moved. Fig. 2 is a View, showing in front elevation, 21 case for the mechanism of Fig. 1 together with a semaphore signal operated by the mechanism. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line III-III of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in each of the views.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, 27 is an outside signal case (only the front portion of which is shown in Fig. 1) within'which is mounted a gear-inclosing casing 13. The casing 13 is, as here shown, fixed to the front of case 27 by means of bolts 13. Mounted in suitable bearings in the casing 13 is a shaft 10 which projects through a suitable hole 4 in the case 27, and to the projecting end of which a semaphore 100 is fixed. The semaphore 100 is shown only in Fig. 2. This semaphore is biased by gravity to the horizontal or danger position, and is moved to one or more other positions by means here inafter explained. In the particular arrangement here shown, the semaphore is moved upwardly to a caution and a clear position, as indicated in dash lines in Fig. 2, but it is understood that the mechanism may equally well be arranged for the semaphore to be moved downwardly from the horizontal position tov its other positions of indication.

Fixed to the casing 13 is a cylindrical box 37 within which is journaled a spindle 15.

The spindle 15 is connected with the sema phore 100 by means of suitable gearing which, as here shown, comprises a segmental gear wheel 26 fixed 011 the shaft 10, a pinion 2a and a gear wheel 23 both fixed on a shaft 25 journaledin the casing 13, a pinion 22 and a gear wheel 21 rigidly connected and both mounted on ball bearings carried on the shaft 10, and a pinion 17 mounted on the spindle l5.

Mounted in the box 37 is an electric motor M, which is employed to move the semaphore 100 from its danger position to its caution and clear positions The rotating member 11 of this motor is mounted freely on the spindle 15 but is operatively connected therewith by means of a ratchet device B. This ratchet device is so arranged that when the motor is to move the semaphore 100, the rotating member 11 isoperatively connected with the spindle 15, but that the motor member 11 may rotate backward without an accompanying rotation of the spindle 15. It will be seen that by means of this ratchet device, the motor member 11 is rotated backwardly while the semaphore 100 is returning toward its danger position, but that when the semaphore is stopped during this movement the motor member 11 is left free to rotate idly until its momentum is absorbed, thereby avoiding injury to this member due to sudden stoppage. Also, it will be seen that by causing the motor member 11 to rotate backwardly during movement of the semaphore 100 toward danger position, the motor may, if desired, be employed to check the momentum of the moving parts as the arm 100 approaches the caution and the danger positions. Several means are known in the art by which this function may be accomplished. Mounted also in the box 37 is a holding device H the purpose of which is to hold the semaphore 100in the caution and clear positions. This holding device comprises a stator 29 and a rotor 18. The stator 29 is formed of soft iron laminations suitably clamped together eight in number, upon which poles is placed a stator winding 31, the winding being so arranged that the polarity of the poles 50 is alternately north and south. This windmg is energized from a suitable source of alternating current at such times as the act upon the crank 5 tending to holding device H is to hold the signal. The rotor 48 is formed of soft iron laminations held between two copper end rings 30 and mounted on a spider 12, which spider is mounted on the spindle 15 and is operatively connected therewith in a manner hereinafter explained. Embedded in the laminations of the rotor 48 are a plurality of copper bars 52, the ends of which are electrically connected with the end rings 30. The number of these bars is equal to the number of stator poles, and the bars are equally spaced around the rotor.

The action of the holding device in hold-- ing the signal is due to the fact that when the winding 31 is energized, the magnetic flux from poles 50 tends to hold the rotor in such position that the bars 52 are opposite the middle points of the poles 50, because this is the position in which no current is induced in the bars 52; considerable force is required to move the rotor from this position, and the required force increases as the bars approach the edges of the poles 50.

Operatively connected with shaft 25 is a circuit controller 28 for controlling the circuits of the motor M and holding device H. This circuit controller may be of any suitable type.

It is desirable that the rotor 48., instead of being rigidly fixed to the spindle 15, should be resiliently connected therewith. For this reason, I operatively connect these two parts by means which I will now explain.

Fixed to the spindle '15 by means of a pin 3-1 is a crank arm 5, the outer end of which is provided with a hole 35. Passing through this hole 35 is a curved rod'6 mounted in two lugs 9 and 10 provided on opposite legs of the spider 12. The size of the hole 35 is such that it passes freely over the rod 6. The radius of curvature of the rod measured from the center of spindle 15 is substantially equal to the radius of the central point of hole 35, so that the crank 5 does not at any time touch the rod 6. The rod 6 is properly located with respect to crank 5 by two cotter pins 36 passing through the rod, and the rod is held in this location by two nuts 32, 33, screwed on the threaded ends of the rod. These nuts are held from coming off by two other cotter pins 36 passing through the rod close to the nuts. Mounted on the rod 6 on opposite sides of the crank 5 are two coiled springs 7 and 8. One end of each of these springs abuts against a washer 38 which in turn bears against the crank 5, and the other end of each spring abuts against another washer 39, which in turn bears against cotter pin 36. The springs 7 and 8 are under compression, hence they hold it at substantially the middle point of rod 6.

The operation of the resilient connection which I have just explained, is as follows:

When the semaphore 100 is moved by the motor M from the danger (horizontal) position to the caution (inclined) position, the motor is deenergized by circuit controller 28 shortly before the caution position is reached, so that the momentum of the moving parts is substantially arrested by the time the semaphore reaches the caution position. Just as the caution position is reached, the winding 31 of the holding device H is energized from a suitable source of alternating current through the medium ofcircuit controller 28, and the rotor as of the holding device immediately attempts to assume such position that its bars 52 are each opposite the middle point of a stator pole 5O.- If at this time the momentum of the moving parts has not been entirely overcome, the spindle 15 will attempt to draw the rotor 48 beyond this middle position, and if the rotor were rigidly. connected. with the spindle the rotor might be drawn so far from the middle position that it would not be held by the corresponding pair of poles 50, and the semaphore 100 would continue to move until the rotor bars 52 had shifted to points opposite the next poles 50. Because, however, of the resilient connection between the rotor and the spindle, whatever momentum the moving parts might have after the winding 31 is energized can be expended in compressing oneof the springs 6 or 7 so that the rotor 48 remains in substantially such position that its bars 52 are opposite the middle points of poles 50, and after the momentum of the moving parts is absorbed the semaphore 100 settles back to such posi-' tion that the crank 5 is midway between the ends of rod 6.

WVhen the semaphore 100 is moved from the caution to the clear (vertical) position, the operation of the resilient connection when the semaphore reaches the clear position is the same as the scribed for the caution position.

'lVhen the semaphore 100 is returning from x the clear position and is to be stopped and held in the caution position, the momentum of the moving parts is arrested by some suitable means so that when 100 reaches the caution position the parts are substantially at rest.

The holding dethe semaphore operation just device H is energized just as the caution position is reached, and if the momentum of the moving parts has not been completely absorbed by the extraneous means, the remainder of the momentum is absorbed by the compression of one of the springs 7 0r8; the spring then compressed being the one which was not compressed when the semaphore was stopped at caution or clear posi tion during against gravity.

I do not make any claim forthe holding device comprising the stator. 29 and the the movement of the signal 7 rotor 4.8, this being the subject-matter of a co:pending application filed by John D. Taylor on August 28, 1912, Serial No. 717,436.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of railway signal embodying my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim 1s:

1. In combination, a signal biased to one position of indication, means for moving it to another position; and an inductive holding device for holding the signal in the latter position comprislng a stator, a rotor operatively connected with the signal and resilient means interposed between the signal and the rotor.

2. In combination, a signal biased to one position of indication, means for moving it to another position; and an inductive holding device forholding the signal in the latter position comprising a stator and a rotor, means interposed between the rotor and the signal for operatively connecting the two and for permitting oscillation of the rotor through a limited angle independently of the signal, and means for biasing the rotor to the middle point of said angle of oscillation. a

3. In combination, a signal biased to one position of indication, means for moving it to another position, a spindle operatively connected with the signal; a holding device for holding the signal in the latter position comprising a stator and a rotor, the rotor being mounted freely on the spindle, a crank arm fixed on the spindle, and two springs carried by the rotor and abutting respectively against opposite sides of the crank arm, whereby the rotor is resiliently connected with the signal.

4. In combination, a signal biased to one position of indication, means for moving it to another position, a spindle operatively connected with the signal; a holding device for holding the signal in the latter position comprising a stator and a rotor, the rotor being mounted freely on the spindle, two lugs fixed on the rotor, a curved rod mounted in said lugs the center of curvature of the rod being in the axial line of the spindle, a crank arm fixed on the spindle and having a hole through which the said rod passes freely, and two coiled springs on said rod one on each side of the crank arm, each of which springs abuts against the crank arm and one or the other of said lugs.

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

JOHN P. COLEMAN.

Witnesses:

P. U'rnn, A. HERMAN WEGNER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0."

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