US1114432A - Automatic signaling device. - Google Patents

Description

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AUTOMATIG SIGNALING DEVICE.

APPLICATION EILED JAN. 6, 1913.

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lll I Patented Oct. 20, 1914.

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AUTOMATIC SIGNALING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 6, 1913 1,114,432. v Patented Oct. 20; 1914.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

BLOC/f1 BLOC/{E /.9 u'lilllllllll 20 /2 M KKA BLOC/f1? Emma C. L. BOPP.

AUTOMATIC SIGNALING DEVICE" APPLICATION FILED JAN. 6, 1913.

1,1 14,432. Patented Oct. 20, 191.4.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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8 n we M501 CLINTON L. BOPP', 0F WATERLOO, IOWA.

AUTOMATIC SIGNALING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Pat ented Oct. 20, 1914.

. Application filed January 6, 1913, Serial No. 740,528.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CLINTON L. Borr, a citizen of the, United States, residing at Waterloo, in the county of Blackhawk and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Signaling Devices; and I do hereby declare the following-to be a full, clear, and exact description. of the invention,- such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertainsto, make a-nd'u'se the same.

This invention relates to improvements in railway signaling systems, and one object is to provide novelmeans for transferring the signal from a point on the track to a moving locomotive.

Another object of the invention is to use a magnetically defiectable member for transferring signals from an intermittently energized magnetic field to the locomotive circuits. I a

A still further object of the invention is to inclose a magnetic member or members in a housing in such a manner that the housing, together with the magnetic members, may serve practically to form a closed magnetic circuit, which construction will steady the swinging of the magnetic members.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means for acting upon a deflectable member at a predetermined time.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction as hereinafter shown and described, and then specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, where like reference characters designate corresponding parts: Figure 1 is a detail perspective view of a portion of a track showing part of my invention ap lied -thereto;-Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through one rail and the adjacent magnets showing the method of securing the magnets to the rail; Fig, 3 is a diagrammatic view of the magnets showing the method of winding the same; Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view showing my invention applied to a railway system comprising four blocks; Fig-5 is a detail partly in perspective, partly diagrammatic of a magnet and track r'elay located at the end of one block; and, F'g. 6 is a diagrammatic view of the loco-moiive circuits. Fig. 7 is a vertical section through the housing for the needles showing the relative positlon of the stationary magnets for actuating the needles. Fig.

. signals.

- 8 is a fragmentary vertical section of one of the needle-carrying; cases mounted upon the locomotive.- i

This invention depends for its operation upon the same principle of electro-magnetism shown in my co-pending application No. 711,746, filed July 26, 1912, where a single magnetic needle is shown asbeing adapted to reduce the resistance of a high potential circuit, this reduction in resistance of circuit being accompanied by the giving of certain In that application the needle forms part of a high potential circuit, and does not make actual contact with a low potential signaling circuit. The needle in the above-referred to application, depends for its deflection upon the fldwing of current in one of the rails of the track, and is not afi'ected by a field set up by an electromagnet. c

The present invention involves the use of a needle or needles'in a manner somewhat similar to that of the application already onfile, but certain improvements have been made, one of which is to obviate the necesslty of a high potential circuit and enable the needle to form part of a low potential circuit. These needles in the present application, are also housed in a casin made of magnetic material so that when t e needles are arranged end to end with the outer ends of the outer needles adjacent the sides of the casing, a magnetic circuit which is practically complete, is formed, this practical alinement of the magnetic lines of force serving to steady the needles and prevent any swaying. The method of deflecting the needles in the present instance, is to provide a difi'erential magnet, both windings of which normally carry current, but one winding of which is adapted to be opened when a signal is desired to be passed from the track to the cab or locomotive.

- Referring to Fig. 4:, one arrangement of the circuits at the end of each block of the system will be described. The rail sections, 1, 2 3, 4; 5, 6; and, 7 and 8 form respectively opposite members of blocks,'the track being shown as divided into four of these blocks. Shown as located at the end of each block, are batteries or other sources of current, 9, 10, 11 and 12, connected to the blooksI, II, III and IV respectively. One pole of each source of current is connected through a magnet 13 to one of the parallel track members of the block, the magnet 13 being connected to the rails 1, 3, 5 and 7 of the four blocks respectively. Insomuch as the Wiring in each block is the same, like reference characters will be usedfor corresponding parts of each block, the diifering reference characters for the respective sources of current being sufiicient to differentiate between the blocks. By having reference to block III, it will be seen that the opposite side of the source of current 11 has leading therefrom a wire 14 which divides at point 15, one wire leading from the point 15 through a non-inductive resistant 16, a wire 17 to a contact point 18. from-the point 15 divides to form two windings of a differential magnet 19, one of these windings terminating in a wire 20, and the other terminating in a wire 21, which latter wire connects with the contact point 22, which is normally held in contact with an armature 23 held in raised position by an electromagnet 24. The pivotal point 27 of the armature 23 has leading therefrom, a wire 28 which connects with rail section 6 of block III, which in turn connects with a wire 26 leading to a trackrelay 24 of block I, and from thence back to rail section 5 of block III by means of wire 25, and from rail section 5 backto the battery through wire 29 and track magnet 13. From the circuits so far described, it will be seen that when no train is in the system, current will flow from each battery through the track magnet 13 and differential magnet 19 at the station at which the source of current is located, and also through track relay 24 which is located at the second block behind.

By referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the track magnet13 may be formed of a plurality of magnets having their like poles connected to parallel iron bars 30 and 31, these bars being suitably supported to the cross ties by means of brackets 32. It is to be understood that any other arrangement of the track magnet than that shown in Fig. 1, could be used so long as the energization of the magnets 13 will produce an appreciable external magnetic field. The differential magnets 19 have iron bars 33 and 34, as in the case of the magnet 13,,the method of supporting these bars 33 and 34 with their magnets, being shown more particularly in Fig. 2, where a bracket 35 having a Ii 36 engaging the upper part of the foot 0 the rail is shown as provided with a bore in the lower side thereof, a bolt 38 being adapted to pass through thebore and held by any suitable means, such as a nut. The upper end of the bolt 38 has a bent end 39 which is adapted to fit over the top of the foot of the rail in a manner similar to that shown in connection with lip 36, this construction evidently admitting of longitudinal adjustment of the magnets 19. As shown in Fig. 3, the two windings 40 and 41 of the magnets The other wire leading 19 are wound in two separate coils so that the current will flow through them in opposite directions, the reason for this being that when current flows through both of the windings 40 and 41, it is desired that the end bars. 33 and 34 shall be deenergized, and that when one of the differential windings is open, the current flowing through the other will set up an external magnetic field between the end bars 33 and 34.

By referring to Fig. 6, it will be seen that there is mounted upon the locomotive a pair of casings, preferably of a magnetic material, these casings 42 and 43 having mounted therein magnetic needles 44, 45 and 46, 47 respectively, the needles as shown, having their ends of unlike polarity adjacent, and having their outer ends adjacent the casing which contains them. By reason of this particular arrangement, it will be seen that the magnetic lines emanating from the lower end of needle 45 for instance, can return to the negative end of needle 44 by passing through both sides of the housing, the magnetic'field set up in this way tendin to hold the pivoted needles in osition. .lhe cas ing carrying the needles 44 and 45 is adapted to pass over the differential magnet 19, while the casing 43 containing the needles 46 and 47, is adapted to pass over the track magnet 13. The needles 44 and 45 are each provided at their ends with contact points 48 which are adapted to engage other contacts 49, each of the latter contacts leading to a magnet 50, the magnets 50 all being connected to a' wire 51. Referring to housing 43, it will seen that the magnets 46 and 47 are each provided with a contact 52 at each end thereof, these contacts being adapted to engage contacts 53 which connect with one end of the windings of magnets 54. The outer ends of the windings of magnets 54 connect with the wire 55, as in the case of the magnets 50. The magnets 50 and 54 are so wound that the end of the magnet presented to each end of the magnetic needle will be of opposite polarity to the magnetic needle, 'so that when the needles are deflected, contact will be made through the magnets and magnetism will beset up in such a direction as to attract the ends of the needles. While not shown in the drawing, it will be'entirely possible to have the needles 45 and 47 asso-v ciated with other magnets 50 and 54 respectively, so that they will act as a check upon the needles 44 and 46. The bottom of each of the casings 42 and 44 is preferably open or closed by a non-magnetic non-conductive material as shown at N in Fig. 8.

Having further reference to Fig. 6, and tracing the normal circuits of the cab when moving in a clear block, it will be seen that generator or other source of current 56, will send current through brush 57, wire 58, wire 59, contact 60,- which is secured to but insulated from-a pivoted arm 61, through con- 6 2, wire-63', 'at which point the current d1v1des,part of it going through wire 64,

' 5, wire 66 to'poiat 6?, and P .going throu h wire 68, solenoid 69, wire. 70,.

'wire71,-bac to point 67, from which point current flows to brush 72 and returns to generator. The current flowing in this circuit normally energizes the ct-ear signal 65, which in this case is a white light, and also normally energizes the solenoid 69 of an air brake and the electromagnet 24 which'the train happens to be passing, is energized. Assuming now that a train is in block III'and moving in the direction indicated. by the arrow, current will flow from/battery 11,

wire 14, diiferential magnet 19, point .27 ,1. wire 28, rail 6 through the axle of the car I bars 33 and 34, they will be deflected to one to rail 5, wire'29, track magnet 13 back to Y the opposite side of battery 11. It will be seen that current flowing in this circuit energizes both windings of the difierential magnet 19, energizes the track magnet13,"and flows through the. axles of the train, thereby short-'circuiting the . wires 25 and 26 connected to rails 5 and 6 respectively, and thusdepriving electromagnet' 24 of block "I of current. It will-be seen therefore, that a train'traveling over the'system in the direction indicated, will pass over track magnet 13 and difierential magnet '19, but insomuch as differential magnet'19 has 'no external ma etic-field, the needles 44 and 45 .ca'rrie by the cab will not be 'afi'ected. However, the track magnet 13 is energized, and.

therefore the needles 46 and 47 also carried by the locomotive, will be deflected in one direction or the other, depending upon the polarity of the batteries or other sources of current. In endeavormg to trace the circuit from the'negative end of needle 46, it

. will be seen that the circuit passes through the needle through wire 73 to contact 74, which is open insomuch as the arm 75 is normally held open by a suitable spring. Therefore, none of the cab circuits are affected when the locomotive passes over a clear block. a

Assumenow that a second. trainenters block I, while block III is occupied by train 1. By reason of the circuits traced in the previous paragraph, the ,electromag'net 24 of block I will be deener ized and the armature 23 at this block will be in contact with point 18. Tracing the circuit now, it will be seen that the current passes from battery 9 of block I, through wire 14 to point 15, at which point it divides, part ofthe current going through the ave dropped so as to non-inductive resistance 16, wire 17, contact 18, armature 23, to pivot point 27, while the remainder of the current goes through wind- :ing 41 of the diflerent'ial magnet 19, wire 20 to point 27, and from thence the reunited currents pass over wire 28'of rail 2, through the axles of the train to rail 1, through wire 29, track magnet 13, back to the opposite side of the battery 9 a block I. Itwill be seen that whenthe armature 23 drops, the contact 22 is broken so that'the circuit through the differential winding is "broken, and therefore the bars 33 and' 34 Tare energized by currents flow-. ing through the windings41. In order that the circuits of. the magnetic field of track magnet 13 may not vary, the, resistant 16 is made equal-to the resistance of the winding 40, and the resistances. of windings 40 and 41 are also preferably .made equal. By reason of the circuits, just described, tlIGI'Q'WI'll. be amagnetic field about track magnet 13 and difi'erential magnet 19.

When the needles 44 and 45 pass over the side or another, so that one of the cdntacts 48 will be closed upon one ofthe contacts 49,

fin which case the following circuit will be closed Current will start from generator 56,

' pass over brush 57 through wire 58, wire 76,

electromagnet 77, wire 78, contact spring 79, which is secured to but insulated from the pivot arm 61, contact 80, Wire 81, wire 82,

needle 44, contact 48, contact 49, one or more of the magnets 50, wire 51, wire 71, brush 72 back to the generator 56. The result of current flowing in this circuit is to energize magnet 77, which. attracts its armature 83.

, As soon as armature 83, which carries a retaining lug 84, is drawn upwardly, the pivoted arm 61 swings outwardly from under the projection 84 under the influence of a spring and breaks contact upon points 62 and 80, but makes contact with point 85,

Inasmuch as the circuit through the clear signal 65 and the solenoid 69 passes through the contact 62, it will be apparent that now, as contact 62 is broken, there will be no current through either of the devices 65 or 69. Simultaneously with the breaking of the. current through the lamp and solenoid, contact is made with point-85,at which time the following circuit is completed: generator 56, wire 58, wire 86, pivot point 87, through the arm 61, point 85, wire 88, red light or other danger si al 89, wire 66, through point 67 to brus 72, thus returning to the generator 56. Current flowing in this cir cuit energizes the danger signal 89.

After the operation justdescribed the arm 61 is drawn back by its spring and arm 75 is in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 6, this being the normal position for 'theiarm 75. If, at this juncture, the engineer should desire to proceed, he'would.

push a button 90', which is designated as a" proceed button. When this has been done, the arm 75 will move to engage a collar 91 formed one, link 92 pivoted at any convenient point to the arm 61, the outer end of the link 92 passing through an ori- I 'fice 93 formed the arm 75. Thus, it will 'be seen that when the proceed button 90 has that to maintain the redlight 89, current is made to pass through contact oint 97 and said redlight by means of the allowing circuit: generator 56, wire 58, wire-86, pivot .point 87 of arm 61, wire 98, arm 75, contact point 97,. wire 88, redlight 89, wire 66 through point 67 to brush 72, back to the generator. Current flowing through this circuit maintainsthe redlight 89 energized after contacts-have been broken on point 85. Insomuch as the arm 61 has been thrown back to the position shown in full lines in Fig, 6, the circuitspreviously traced through the white light 65 and'solenoid 69 will be completed, so that these devices will be energized simultaneously with the redlight 89, which condition of operation will indicate caution to the engineer. If this locomotive should pass one of the energized differential magnets 19, the same result will be produced as though the arm 75 were in the position shown in full lines, and the white light and solenoid will become deenergized, thus indicating afresh to the en gineer that the block ahead is .in danger.

Assume now that the first train has moved ahead several blocks so as not to affect any of the electromagnets 24 shown in'the drawing, and further that train 2 isat the end of block II, and is just passing over the energized track magnet 13, and the deenergized bars 33 and 34 of the diflerential magnets 19. When the needles 46 and 47 pass over the magnets 13, they will be deflected so that vone or more of the points 52 will make contact with the points 53, in which case the following circuit will be closed: Current will start from generator 56, wire 58, wire 86,

pivot point 87, wire 98, arm 75, contact 74, wire 73, needle 46, contact .52, contact 53, through one of the magnets 54, wire 99, magnet 96, wire 100, wire 66, point 67, brush 7 2 back to the generator 56. Current flowing in this circuit will energize magnet 96, which. in turn will attract its armature and release the arm 74, so that the said arm will be moved from position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6 to the full line position, thereby breaking contact points 97 and74. Insomuch as'track magnets 19 are denergized 7 neither of the needles 44 nor 45, will be deflected, so that the-magnet 77 will not be ener ized. For testingthe circuits, there are provided buttons 101, and 102, which buttons are connected in circuit with the. 7 needles 44-7-45 and 46, 47, respectively, to close the circuits normally closed by these needles when they are deflected, this closing of the circuits by the test buttons causing current to flow, as though the needles had 3 been deflected, thus providing a convenient test.

The particular form of track circuits shown herein may be varied to meet operating conditions, and I do not wish to be lim- ,1; ited to any specific track wiring.

I claim:

1. In a cab signal, a pivoted magnetic needle, a contact carried by, the needle, a signal circuit adapted to be closed by the .9 contact as the needle deflects, means for defleeting the needle, -and means interposed in the circuit for holding thezneedle in deflected position.

I -2.- In a cab signal, a pivoted magnetic ii needle, means for deflecting the needle, a contact carried by the needle, :1 signal circuit adapted to be closed by the contact as the needle is deflected, and an 'electro-magnet interposed in' the signalcircuit and ad- 1 ja'c ent one end of the needle.

3. In a cab signal, a pivoted magnetic needle, means for deflecting the needle, 9. contact carried by the needle at each end thereof, a signal circuit ada "ted to be closed I by the contact as the need e swings, and a pair of electro-magnets interposed in the circuit, one adjacent each end of the magnetic needle, the ends of the electro-magnets adjacent the needles being of opposite I polarity. I r

4. In a cab signal, a plurality-of magnetic needles arranged end toend with unlike poles adjacent one another, means for deflecting the needles, contacts carried by one '1 -or both ends of each of the needles, an

electric circuit adapted to be closed by the contacts as the needles deflect and means interposed in the electric circuit'for hold- '1g the deflected needles in deflected posi- 1 t1on. K Y

5. In a block signal, a source of current, a'magnet in circuit with the source, a differential magnet one windingof which is in circuit with the aforesaid magnet, means 1 forbreaking the circuit through the other differential winding, and magnetic needles adapted to pass in proximity to the magnets.

56,; Ina block signal, a magneti ally com 1 trolled contact, a magnet, a differential magnet one winding of which is in circuitwith the aforesaid magnet, a battery in circuit with said magnets, the other winding of the differential magnet having contact closed thereon by the magnetically closed contactin one position, and a resistance equal to the resistance of the latter winding adapted to be thrown in circuit when the contact is in its other position. I

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses, CLINTON L. BOPP.

Witnesses:

FRED W. EKLU D, V. J. RECHTFERTIG.

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