US1097080A - Railway signaling system. - Google Patents

Description

G. J. COLEMAN.

RAILWAY SIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION I'ILED JULY 24,1906.

Patented May 19, 1914.

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k u w coLpMBIA PLANOORAPH COL,WASHINGTON, D. t.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

CLYDE J. COLEMAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIG-NOR TO THE HALL SIGNAL COMPANY,

' A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

RAILWAY SIGNALING SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 19, 1914.

Application filed July 24, 1906. Serial No. 327,557.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CLYDE J. COLEMAN,

a citizen of the United States,'residing at and useful Improvements in Railway Signaling Systems, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates broadly to railway traffic-controlling apparatus, such, for instance, as traflic-controlling apparatus which governs the movement of trains or railway vehicles by the display of visual semaphore signals, and as to certain features my invention relates particularly to home-anddistant railway block signaling apparatus. Also as to certain features my invention relates particularly to traf1ic-controlling or signaling systems for electric railways.

Generally designated the objects of my invention are reliability and economy in operation, simplicity and economy of construe tion, and simplicity and economy in maintenance.

It is a particular object of my invention to economize in consumption of traffic-controlling or signaling currents in traiiic controlling rail circuits which include as conduc-' tors the track rails of the railway in order that such rail circuits may be governed by the passage of a train or railway vehicle along the track.

Another object which may be especially designated is to economize in the installationcost of the sources of traflic-co-ntrolling current for such circuits, particularly when such sources are embodied in alternating current transformers for supplying alternating traflic-controlling or signaling current to the traflic-control ing or signal-controlling rail circuits of electric railways.

To the foregoing ends my invention broadly comprehends many features, a few of which will now be enumerated, while many others will appear in the light of the complete description following this pream- Me.

My invention comprehends the combination of two electro-translative devices or relays connected with the track rails at points on the railway separated by a considerable distance, the relays in the illustrated embodiment being thus connected with the track ralls through interposed static receiving transformers, and a common source of traflic-controlling or signal-controlling electric current connected with the track rails at a point between the connections of the electro-translative devices therewith, so as to feed traffic-controlling or signaling ourrent through the track rails in opposite directions and to both such electro-translative devices or relays in common, the electrotranslative devices being arranged in control of suitable traflic-controlling apparatus or signals governing traflic along the railway, and such a source of traffic-controlling or signaling current being embodied in a static supply transformer in the illustrated example of my invention.

In the illustrated embodiment of my invention the two electro-translative devices or relays receive trafiic-controlling or signaling current from the termini of the rails of a given block or section of the railway track, the source of traffic-controlling current for such section being connected to the rails thereof at a point midway between the ends ofthe section, and in the illustrated embodiment both such elect-ro-translative devices commonly control one traflic controlling or vention the receiving transformers which receive signaling current from the termini of the block rails and deliver signal-controlling current to the signahcontrolling relays, have their primary coils arranged and adapted to act as conductive cross-bonds between the opposite rails of a given block or section for cross-bonding conduction of traction current flowing through the track rails as return paths, such primary coils in this specific instance being also arranged and adapted to act as conductive section bonds to conduct such return traction current from the rails of one block or section to the rails of the next adjacent block or section; and in this particular instance the secondary coil of each supply transformer which feeds signal-controlling current to the rail circuit of a block is also arranged and adapted to act as a conductive cross-bond for the conduction of traction current between the opposite rails of such block.

In traflic-controlling or signaling rail circuits such as mentioned above, the loss of electrical energy by leakage of traflic-controlling or signaling current, from rail to rail through the rail ties and the ground, is not merely proportionate to the distance of transmission through the rail circuit from the source of current to the point where it is received from the rails by the electro-translative device, but, if such distance of transmission or length of rail circuit be increased by a given ratio, the electrical losses incurred by such leakage of current will be increased in a much greater ratio; and, conversely, if such distance of transmission be decreased in any given ratio, the electrical losses will in consequence be disproportionately decreased, so that, by placing a source of tratlic-controlling current in the middle of a block and thus reducing the distance of current transmission to one-half, I have succeeded in eii'ecting a very considerable saving of electrical power and a very'considerable increase in efiiciency. And all this is particularly true in its application to cases wherein alternating or periodic tIflfl'lC-CO11- trolling or signaling current is employed in the traiiic-controlling or signaling rail circuit, because in such cases the ohmic resistance of the circuit is supplemented by the inductive resistance or counter electro-motive force of self-induction in the iron track rails and through portions of the complete circuit so as to increase the proportion or percentage of leakage current which passes from rail to rail through the leakage paths or circuit-branches which are substantially non-inductive resistances.

In the diagram I have illustrated an ad aptation of my broad invention to a home-anddistant block signaling system for an electric railway. The diagram indicates a succession of signaling blocks or sections demarcated by successive home and distant signaling apparatuses A, B and C.

M and N represent the track rails. The track rails of adjacent sections are insulated from each other in the usual way by interposition of insulations located substantially at the signal posts.

Step-up receiving transformers, such as 15, 15 and 15, have their primary coils, such as 16, 16 and 16, bridged across the rails of successive signaling blocks at the advance ends of such blocks; and similar step-up receiving transformers, such as 18, 18 and 18 have their primary coils, such as 17, 17" and 17 similarly bridged across the rails of the successive signaling blocks at the rear ends of such blocks. Thus are provided, at the junctures of the adjacent blocks, two receiving transformers, the primary coil of one being connected in the rear end of the rail circuit extending in advance and the primary coil of the other being connected in the advance end of the rail circuit extending in rear, and these primary coils also have their neutral points connected together by suitable conductors as indicated, whereby such primary coils not only act as traction current cross-bonds between the opposite track rails, but also actas traction current section bonds for conductively connecting the track rails of adjacent sections. Stepdown supply transformers, such as 3 3' and 3, have their secondary coils, such as at. at and 4, bridged across the rails of the successive blocks at points substantially in the middle of such blocks. These secondary coils are preferably of such length and crosssection as to constitute effectual traction current cross-bonds between the opposite track rails.

The t'ain D is represented in the block in advance of the signals C and the electric traction system can be clearly understood by tracing the traction circuit for this train, which is as follows: from one terminal of the traction current generator I, which in the present instance is represented as a direct current generator, through the trolley wire K out along the railway to the point where the train D is located, and thence through the trolley wheel G carried by such train, conductor connected to such trolley wheel, motor field F, motor armature E, current conductor leading to the axles and wheels D, and from such wheels to the track rails M and N, and through such track rails, in parallel, rearward to the rear end of the signaling block upon which the train is located, and thence through the two divisions of the primary coil 1'? demarcated by its neutral point, and thence through the section-bonding connection to the neutral point of the primary coil 16, and thence in parallel through the two halves or sections of such primary coil to the rails M and N of the block BC, and thence rearward through such rails in parallel to the rear end of such block BC, and thence in parallel through the two sections of the primary coil 1'? of the receiving transformer 18 and from the neutral point of such coil 17 through the section-bonding conductor to the neutral point of the primary transformer coil 16*, and so on rearward through the block AB and through the two sections of the primary ductor L, the opposite terminals of such signaling generator J being connected re spectively to such trolley wire K and extra line conductor L. The primary coils of the supply transformers are connected with this signaling current supply transmission line K, L, by suitable branch conductors, such as 6, 7 and 6 7 and 6, 7.

The signal-controlling currents delivered by the secondary coils of the supply transformers traverse the track rails in opposite directions from such secondary coils to the opposite ends of their respective blocks and through the primary coils of the receiving transformers connected with the termini of the block rails. Such alternating currents in the primary coils of the receiving transformers energize the secondary coils thereof to deliver signal-controlling alternating currents to the relays, such as 8, 9, 8 9 8, and 9, one of which is connected in series with the secondary coil of each receiving transformer. 7

It is obvious that, when a train is present in any block of the system, its wheels and axles must of necessity efiectually short circuit the current of the supply transformer, from one or both of the receiving transformers of such block, so that one or both of the relays energized by such receiv ing transformers must of necessity be deenergized when a train is in the block. When either relay of a given block is deenergized, the circuit-controlling contacts governed by such relay are of necessity open so as to keep open the circuit of the line relay such as 12, 12 or 12 at the rear end of the block; but when there is no train present in a given block, for instance when the block 136 is clear of trains, the supply transformer of such block will effectually energize the receiving transformers at both ends thereof so as to effectually energize the relays at both ends of the block and close the contacts of such relays, whereupon the circuit of the line relay 12 of such block will be closed so as to energize such relay and clear the home signal at the rear end of the block, while the distant signal located on the same post will assume clear or danger position according as the block next in advance is clear or occupied, all of which will appear from a consideration of the circuits which will now be traced.

When the block BC is clear of trains, as above noted, the traction current generator I delivers current through the trolley wire K to the branch conductor 25 connected with such trolley wire at the signaling station G, and from such conductor 25 the current passes through the resistance 13, conductor 22, contacts 21, 20. controlled by the advance track relay 8 of the block BC, and thence through the line conductor 2", line relay 12 at the rear end of the block, conductor 29, contacts 28", 27 controlled by the rear track relay 9 of the block BC, and thence through the conductor 26 to the section-bonding conductor which joins the neutral points of the primary coils 17 and 16 of the receiving transformers 18 and 15 and thence the current passes through the regular return path for traction current already traced back to the, traction generator. Currentin the foregoing circuit of the line relay 12 magnetizes the core of such relay with suflicient intensity to bring its Contact fingers 23 and 30 into contact with their respective contact stops 24 and 31". When such contacts are closed the home-signal semaphore 11 is cleared through the sema-' phore-actuating circuit traceable as follows: from the traction generator I through the trolley wire K, conductor 25 contacts 24:", 28 contacts 30 31 conductor 32 motor or equivalent electric semaphore-actuating device which clears the semaphore 11 and thence through the conductor 33 to the section-bonding conductor joining the neutral points of the receiving transformer coils 17 and 16", and thence back to the traction generator I through the regular return path.

The distant-signal semaphore 10 of the signaling apparatus B must remain in its danger position so long as the block second in advance is occupied by the train D, but

as soon as the train D emerges from such block, tlic line relay 12 of the signaling apparatus C will be energized in the same manner as the line relay 12 of the signaling apparatus B, whereupon such line relay 12 will close its contacts 24?, 28 and 31, 30, so as to clear the home-signal semaphore 11 through agencies corresponding exactly to those by which the home-signal semaphore 11 has been cleared; and at the same time, the closure of the contacts 2 23 will effectually short-circuit the resistance 13 so as to cut this resistance out of the circuit of the line relay 12 and increase the current strength in such line relay sufficient to attract its distant-signal clearing contact finger 8 into position of contact with its cooperating contact stop 35, such distant-signal clearing contact finger 3? being, of course, adjusted so that it cannot respond to the initial energization of the line relay which priorly actuates its contact fingers 23 and 30*. hen the distant-signal clearing contact finger 3 1" is thus actuated, the distant-signal semaphore 10 is cleared by current in the following circuit: from the traction generator I through the trolley wire K, branch conductor 25 contacts :24", 23, contacts 34:, 35", conductor 36*, motor or equivalent device which ac-tuates the semaphore 10, and thence through the conductor 33 back to the traction generator through paths already traced.

The diagram shows the distant-signal semaphore 10 of the signaling apparatus A already cleared by closure of the distantsignal clearing contacts 34:, 35, of the line relay 12 of such signaling apparatus A, such line relay 12 being energized to full strength by closure of the ontacts 23 2%" of the line relay 12" next in advance, such contacts 24:", 23* serving to efi ectually short-circuit the resistance 13 which, of course, is included in the circuit of the line relay 12 until such contacts 2 t 23 are closed by energization of the line relay 12 which, in turn depends upon a clear condition of the block BC.

To those versed in the art it will be apparent that the rudiments of my invention may be utilized in various embodiments difi'ering in specific or particular form and arrangement, all such other embodiments coming, however, fully within the broad principles, scope and purpose of my broad invention.

hat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A home-and-distant railway block signaling system comprising home-and-distant signaling apparatuses located at the termini of successive signaling blocks or sections, for each block two relays connected to the track rails substantially at the opposite ends of the block, for each block a source of signalcontrolling current common to both relays of the block and connected to the rails thereof at a point between its ends, for each home-and-distant signaling apparatus a signal-controlling circuit in control of such apparatus and extending through the block next in advance thereof and in turn controllable by both relays of such block to govern the home-signal indication of such apparatus, and for each signal-controlling circuit means subject to condition of the block next in advance of such circuit for controlling such circuitto govern the distant-signal indication of its signaling apparatus.

2. Ahomeand-distant railway block signaling system comprising home-and-distant signaling apparatuses located at the termini oi successive signaling blocks or sections,for each block two relays connected to the track rails substantially at the opposite endsof the block, for each block a source of signal-controlling current common to both relays of the block and connected to the rails thereof at a point between its ends, and for each home-and-distant signaling apparatus a signal-controlling circuit in control of such apparatus and extending through the block next in advance thereof and in turn controllable by both re lay. of such block to govern the home-signal indication of such apparatus and controllable also by the signal-controlling circuit of the block next in advance to govern the distant-signal indication of the home-and-distant signaling apparatus.

A combined railway electric traffic-com trolling and traction system comprising traffic-controlling apparatuses arranged to govern traffic at the termini of successive blocks or sections of the railway track, a trafficcontrollingcurrent supply transmission line including a source of tratlic-controlling current of given character and extending along the railway, trafiic-controlling current supply transformers having their primary coils connected with the transmission line and having their secondary coils connected with the rails of the various track sections at points between the termini thereof and adapted to act as conductive cross-bonds between such rails for conduction of the traction current hereinafter mentioned and also adapted to deliver trafiic-controlling current to such track rails, for each section two re ceiving transformers having their primary 7 coils connected to the rails of the section at the termini thereof, for each receiving transformer a traffic-controlling relay connected with the secondary transformer oil and arranged in control of one of the traflic-controlling apparatuses, and an electric traction circuit including a source of traction current different in character from the trafficcontrolling current and including as return conductors the rails of the successive track sections and the primary coils of the various receiving transformers.

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

CLYDE J. COLEMAN. Witnesses ALBERT V. T. DAY, BERNARD CowEN.

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

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