US1134982A - Absolute permissive block-signal system. - Google Patents

Description

S. N. WIGHT. ABSOLUTE PERMiSSlVE BLOCK SIGNAL SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JUL'YB. 19H.

Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

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IHVENTOR W) NESSES ATTZDRNEY s. NIWIGHT. I A BSOLUTE PERMISSIVE BLOCK SIGNAL SYSTEM. APPLICATIDII FILED IULY31 19H. 1,134 9 2, Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

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suitably located. signals indicate the occu parry ornonoccupany of a predetermined ABSOLUTE PERIIISSIVL" BECK-SIGNAL SYSEElVi'.

Specification 01' Letters Patent. 1

Application filefi l uly Sr 1911. Serial No. 637,457.

To aZZ whom it may 0071mm Be it knownthat L snnowron N. Wrcnr, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city of Rochester, in the county of;

spa e interval between trains on the same irachway, Whether on a single or multiple tract: line, by having eachone of aseries of section of the trackway. Great, variations exist in the kindof signals used. For exm-ple there is the one arm signal capable of ,idisplay in one-set position and one operated position only, this signal 'being capable therefore of giving two indications only,'

differently con strued according-as the signalisa home sigthese indications being nail. or distant signal, Then there is another one arm. s ig ia'l capahleof displaz in one set position and tw ooperated posit ons v and therefore capable'ofgiving all the indications provided by two, one arm signals. There is. further a, two, arm signal each arm 7 being capable of display in one set and one operated position, and-therefore, capable of giving the. same indications proii'ded by a one arm, threeposltion signal, Similar great variations exist in the character of the circuits controlling these various signals. from which we have What are commonly known as the simple overlap scheme withoutdistant signals; the overlapping scheme with an occasional distant signal;

the home and distant or the three position scheme Without overlap; the home and dista nt or the three position scheme Withoverlapand other schemes. But, whilein track circuit controlled block signaling signal hose, circuit isafiected or controlled part at that end of the tion.

the relay of that track circuit section, is

in nowisedependent upon the manner in which such train entered'the block; that is to say, the aspect of the signal willTbe't-he same under the condition noted, regardless of whether the train moved into the clock of Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

which the occupied track circuit forms a' clock Where'the signal is placed. or at the opposite end. In consequence of this characteristic of all block systems ofthe kind above described, many railways sufier great annoyance, inconvenienceand loss of time, as forexample wherever single track lines have employed such a bloclrsystem, in all such cases, an

engineinan finding a signal displaying that aspect which indicates that a section oftraclr governed b. that signal is occupied by another train, has no means of knowing whether such other train entered the block from the direction his train is pursuing or= from the other end of said block. In general, under such condlt ons such eng1neman. would be requiredin the interest of safety to oring his train to a stop at the signal and toremain there until a flagman goes a long distance ahead of him, Whereuponf he Would'he permitted to follow such flagman at a speed regulated by that of the lagman until he passes through the block. In many-locations this operation not only entails such loss of time but puts the train in danger of being wholly stalled or of breaking in two,all of which inconveniences' and dangers could bGPleYQDtQCl it a system of block were employed in which one aspect of the signal is shown when the block .1s occupied by a train that moved into the block atone end'thereof and 111 which another aspect of the signal is shown when any part of the same blockis occupied by a train that moved into the block from the opposite end thereof. The term block as us d above 'is meant to designate that part of a railway between two signals which govern the movement oftrafilc in the same direc- Gertain systems of single track auto,- matic block have been. proposed in which opposed mosements of trains are governed by signals situated at the ends of sections of single track; the space between these two opposing" signals being signaled for following trains in both directions in the usual manner. such systems the two entrance signals are usually inter-locked one with the other v so that when one gives the proceed indication the other must give the stop position and in consequence of the intermediate signals the entra ce signals will at; times give 1 an indication to ,a following which, if one were fully conversant with the circuits involved would enable them to de-;:

a train was in a certain duce the fact that part of the single track section and that it had entered that part from a certain d1rection. I To speak more positively, this indica tion of "direction is on one of the is only given while a train blocks and before or after the said train enters this particularblock there is no indication of the direction of'its that the trainjis present at all on any part'of the'interven movement or even the fact I mg space. There has also been inventnjsd a track circuit control for auto-x iiiatic block signals capable of a plurality" is a normal ,system of of aspects, one of which aspect as'usual and the other or others, 0perated aspects, whereby a train enterin upon a predetermined section of track v irom one end will cause thesignal 'to display-its.

normal bias aspect and entering nponthe same predetermined section from thel'other endwill cause the display of an'operated aspect. That invention consists primarily of a signal circuit adapted to be opened by a train.- on the track circuit sections of a block, and of a further signalcircuit adapted to be closed by a train which enters the block from one direction but is prevented from closing by a train which. enters, the

. block from the other direction.

reeted to the rails ofthe The primary object of the present inventhis specification, which will more fully ex plain'the invention. v

Figure 1 is a schematic viewillustrating .my invention applied as a normal danger system; Fig. 2 is a schematic view illustratinvention applied as a normal clear system. a I T 0onatmotioa.--Referring to Fig. 1, 1' and 2 designate rails of a track which are divided into sections A, B and G, by means of insu-. lation at the points 8, B and C formin a. blockcontrolled by signal 10 4, 511ml 6 d esignate relay soils the end-= of which are conrespective' section A, B and O; 7, 8'and 9 designate batteries the terminals of which are connected to the two rails of the respective sections A, B and C; '10 designates. a signal placed at; the em trance to sectionB and controlling the en- 'trance'thereto by reason of the distinctive positions which the caused to assume; 4 designates an armature controlled by relay coil 4:, being held in the upper-position as shown when the track circuit formed by the battery v7, the track rails v .1 and 2 and the coils are intact,.and no train j shunting battery 7 are or other means for 7 present. upon the rails of block section A; 5,-5 and 6 designate armatures Which-are controlled by 6 :11 designates a relay armature 11 which, in the energized conditionof coil 11 12" designates a. relay coil which controls armatnres 12 and 12 and whichin the normal condition of the 1s normally tery which is intendedt I furnish current for is in the position as shown; V v

arm thereof may be Y i the relay coils 5 and coil which controls system, are in the ing plind position as shown, as the relay'c'oil 12 I deenergizedyliidesignates a-bat- V the energization of relay'coil 11; 14 designates a battery which serves as a source of energy for the operation of signal '10, and-= also as'a means for furnishing energy to re- I lay coil 12; 15' 'designatesa circuit breaker which is designed to move in unison with the armof the signal 110, and in order to in dicate that it does soimove, it has been shown 1 a as being connected the signal 10 by means of in the diagrammatic View with the amt o the rod 16. s i

In the diagrammatic view accompanying this specification nodetails of a specific means for moving the arm of have been shown or described, for such means are, well. known and understood by those skilled in the. art and it suflices in describing this invention to represent the signal and the controlling wires therefor dia grammatically,

for it is wellunderstood by those skilled in the art how, by, the use of the same control wires represented by the applicant, a one arm signal two operated positions and same control wires two one-arm signals can the signal 10 may be moved to also how bythe be each moved to an operated position, so 7 that for the purposes of the invention it is H immaterial whether i-single arm signal is used or whether a two arm signal is used,"

I for, in either case a plurality of aspects may be obtained to which identical interpretations should be given.

. Operation-With no train on any part of 7 he diagram, all of 7 the track representedin t the parts would bein what mal position as ,shownin atrams'hould approachmoving in the direction of the arrow B as soon as the first pair of wheels pamed upon the rails .1 and 2, the current from battery 7 would be shunted is called thenor the drawing. If

from the relay coil l, consequently the armature l would fall and mahecontact with the wire '17, currentwould then flow from the positive side of the battery 1% in the following pat-h: wires 18, 19 and 20, armature 11 wire 21, signal 10, wire 17, armature 4 wires :22, 23, 24 and 25 to the negativetermi na'l of the battery 14. It' will be noticed that the path above traced has two points at which a possible break may occur, namely, armature 4 and armature 11 but with no train upon any one of the block sections A, B, C, the armaturell? would be in-the upper position as shown and so make contact with wire 21 as relay 11 would be energized by'neason of current flowing in the follow-'. ing path, positive side of battery 13, wire 26,

armature 6 wire 27, armature 5 wire 28, relay coil 11, wires 29,30, 24 and 31 to the negative terminal of the battery 13. The relayarinature 4: having made contact with Wire 17, as heretofore described, and current being caused to flow to the signal by means of Wire21, the arm of the signal 10 will be raised to the full clear or 90 position in a manner well known and understood by those skilled in the art, and, as current flowing in wire 21 does cause armof signal 10 to move to the full clear or 90 position, the wire 21 will be called hereafter the 90 control wire although as heretofore observed the signal ,10 may have 2 arms in which case the wire 21 would be a control wire forthe operated position of the upper arm and wouldcause that upper arm to be moved tofihny desired position. By reason of the movement of the arm of signal 10 asheretofore"described, a train upon reaching the entrance to the section B, will receive a clear signal and will so enter the section B at full speed. As soon as the-first wheels of the first truck pass upon the rails-1 and 2 of section B, current from the batteryB is'shunted from'relay 5, consequently the armatures 5 and 5 are dropped.- The armature 5 by droppingbreakscontact withthe wire 27,, consequently the current lowing from the battery 13 in 'the heretot'ore traced circuit has no longer a path open 3 3b itsthrough therelay coil'll', consequently ihe armature 11 is allowed to drop and. renai ns, in its lower osition j'ust so long as inylof'thewheelsoi the train are upon the ails'l and12.' 'lhe deenergization of relay .1 and the consequent dropping of armature l breaks the connection between armature v .1 and wire 2l, consequently current ceases 0 flow through the 90 control wire 21 and he arms of the signal '10, which was to the lealf position, falls "by grayity in the well.

:nown manner to the danger position, but hefsame actionupon' relay 5 which caused ignal arm to fall to the danger position also aused thearm'atu're 5 to drop and inform circuit in which current flows as follows; emembering that in the clear-position of the tact with contact 33 by the movement of the signal the arm 15 makes contact with the contact 33-; positive side of battery 14, wires 18, 19 and 3%, arm 15, contact 33, wire 35, armature 5 wires 36 and 37 relay coil .12, wires 38, 30 and 25 to the negative terminal of the battery ll. The current in the above traced path passing through relay coil 12 would energize the same and cause the armatures 12 and 12 to beraised to their upper posit-ions andthe instant the armature 12 is raised to its upper position another circuit would be formed, stick circuit which would continue the relay coil energized even though the just above traced circuit were broken, the circuit alluded to being as followsz-positive terminal of battery 14, wires 18, 19 and 20, armature o 11 which it must be remembered is in its lower position, wire 32,.armature12 which is now in its upper position, wires 39,

and 37, y

called technically, a

unison with the arm of the signal 10, so, al-

thought it is necessary to first have a circuit formed through the breaker 15 and the relay 1 armature 5 in order to energize the relay coil 12, after the relay coil has once been energized and the armathre 11 .is in its slower position it will remain energized even though the circuit breaker 1-5 is moved to the position shown inthe figure out of conarm of the signal 10 to the danger position. It will be noticed that two conditions precedent were necessary to be fulfilled before relay coil 12 couldbe initially energized; which conditions were first: the movement of the arm of signal 10 to the .full clear position thus closing contact between arm 15 and strip .33;-second: the subsequent dropping of armature 5 bthe entrance of a train upon block section As such conditions are necessary for the initial energize tion of'relay coil 12 and as such conditions can only arise by the movement of a train on to and through section A ontosection B, therefore the relay 12 cannot be initially energized by the movement of a train onto and through section C onto section B, for in case the latter'rnovement takes place, when the wheels of the train come upon the rails of section B one condition neces= 3 sary {hr the initial energization of relay coil 12 is not present, namely, the contact between arm 15 and contact 33,1 01: it is necessary that altrain benpon section A m order to clear the signal 10. A movement of a train in the direction ofthe arrow E upon to'sectien C would not cause an initialenergization of relay 12 for the 'eflect of such a train 11 on the circuits Would be merely-to drop t e armature 6 thus its armature 11 but such train would not,

while on section C cause relay armature contact 33. a

The train which .we have heretofore assumed'to pass upon the rails of section A- and then upon the rails of section B would,

: while any part of the same was upon section Bv 'cause to be continued the energiza- I tion oii relay coil 12 through the stick circuitfas during all the time that it is upon block B relay 5 would be "deenergized and 5 consequently relay; coil 11 would be de energized and armature '11? would make contact with wire 32 and as long as arma- .ture ll vmakes contact with wire 32 after the relay coil 12 has once been energized, the relay coil 12 will continue to be'ener gizedi, As the trainpasses upon the rails I I. of section 0',- the current from battery 9' 7 would be shunted from the relay coil 6v and I armature '6 Wouldbbreak contact between I wires 26 and 27 thus continuing the de q energization of relay ecu 11' and the :energization of relay coil 12 through its stick circuit and the train could be made to controlirelay coil 12 to any desired distance 30 beyond the section C in an obvious manner.

described and cause armature 12 and 12 ito' 'drop to their lower 'position as shown in thefigure, so that the system would again 1 be in'the normal conditionas shown in the figure Ifwhile a train moving in the diof sections B 01-0 and a-second train should -,fapproach in the direction of the arrow D ands-Pass upon the rails vof section A, the

- U mature 5P would againbe dropped and as heretofore fully explained the armature 12 being in its upper'position, a circuit would- -be formedas' follows: vpositive terminal of battery 14-, wires -1 8;-'and 40, armature'12 ,wi revnl, mechanism of signal 10, wire 17,

' am'nature4 3and wires-22,23, 24 and 25m ;'the= negativ e terminal of the battery. The current in 'the above traced path would causethe arm of thesignal 1 0 to move to the 45; or caution position, so that the train uponapproaching the signallO would be" confronted not'with a full clear or 90 positionaspect but witha 45-or; caution aspect indicating) that atrain was inv the, y' the'signal and it would be; governed -accord ingly.- If the second block controlled.

plete c rcuit would again be formed through. j the relayfll energizing the same-and caus circuit through the relay coil 12 heretofore rection of the arrow D were upon the rails train should pass upon' therails of section B' and a third train should then approach in the direction of the arrow D. andpass' upon the rails of sectionA, it likewise would 5' 5 to drop or arm 15 to make contact with be'given'a e5 or. caution aspectof the arm-,

. of the signal 10 unless all preyioustrains; '7

had passed beyond the limit of section C; The aspect given to a ,train followingan'f'f other train into the section B in the direc- .tion'of the arrow D, not only indicates that a train-isupon sections B orC, but it also indicates the equally "important "fact that, the-3' train which is upon sectionsB or C entered upon sections-B or G from the left hand-end as viewed in the figure,' fer as we haveseenlp unless the first traindidlso ente1"'section"B,-:

the relay coil 12 would not hayebeenener-l gized, consequently the armature 12 would not have been raised to its; upper position and consequently the circuit ,throughjthef 45 control wire 41 would not hayeybeen j. completed by the entrance of a subsequent;

train. moving in the direction -.o f thel arrow D unto section A. i

- It is well understood by'those skilled inJ-j the art that the mechanism for moving -fa i single "arm signal to two operated positions from anormal biasedpositi'on can be used-f 7 equally well to operate thearms ofa' 2 armi signal eachtoone operated position' frorn j their normal-biased positionv so that itlmus be well understood that 'thef4;5 control wire] a 41 could convey current to anothersignalfgarm to. move said-signal arm from a norm l, biasedpo'sition'toan operated position; Although applicant has. hereina'fteir'de-- scribed his invention as applied to a nor-{- mal danger signaling system, it'is fully"un]-" derst ood by those'skill'ed' in the art that. by; not usingrelay and its controlled arma'" ture and the connection of wire 23 withwirer l'f by means of wire 42 would transform! applicants embodiment shown from a 1710179," mal dangersystem to anormal clearjsystcm,g as shown by Fig. 2, and that'if-fsuch change )1 were made, the arm of signal winsteadiofF'; remaining in its biased position would nor-- mally stand in the fullclear 0 position and that the entrance of a train 'upon]sec tion B moving in the direction .of'the arrow 1] D under such conditions wouldl'cause the arm of the signal to move mime-a5 posi tion and that the arm onfsignal 10"wou'ld move to the fullnormal or danger positiononly upon the'movement of'a train into "sect; tion C-when moving in thedirection of'thef arrowE. It is furthermore to be observedthat: the'nspects of the signal would either, with the 'normal dangero'rjthe normaLclear j; systemsfie identical andthat under the same- ,1

'conditibn's 'asregard's the'pr'esenc'e of a train whmh-Iha'spassed the signal the aspect of the signalwou] d' c I It we 'cuit controlled by said first relay including License skilled in the art that relay 11 has been used merely because of the fact that the block controlled by the signal 10 includes two track circuit sections. It will be readily perceived by those skilled in the art that the principle underlying the use of circuit breaker 15 consists fundamentally of a circuit breaker which is governed asto its position by the condition of the circuit which to fall by gravity upon its back contact upon the deenergization of the relay controlling the armature. It is also to be observed that what applicant has shown and described is simply a unit of a system, and in order to create a system, the unit would need to be duplicated, with the usual overlapping as is well understood by thoseskilled in the art.

Having particularly described the construction and operation of. an embodiment of my invention and explained the opera tion and principle thereof,-what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Pat cut, is: a

' L'In a railway signal system, a signal.

having a biased aspect and a plurality of operated aspects, a closed track circuit, a relay controlled by said closed track 'circuit, anormally closed circuit containing a second rela controlled by the first relay,

a circuit inc uding said signal controlledby said second relay, a normally open cira third relay and a circuit breaker adapted to be closed in an operated aspect of the signal, said third relay adapted to be energized by the shunting of the track circuit when saidcircuit breaker is closed, a further normally open circuit including said third relay and its armature adapted to be closed when the track circuit is shunted and said third relay is energized adapted to maintain said third relay energized after said circuit breaker is opened while said track circuit is shunted, and a normally open circuit including said signal controlled by said third relay, means to furnish electrical energy to each ofsaid circuits.

2:, In a railway signal v system, a block,

a signal governing the entrance-to one end v of said block. and adapted to have a normal biased aspect and aplurality of operated aspects, a closed circuited track circuit of which the rails of said block form a part, .a source ofenergy in said circuit and a translating mechanism in said circuit, means controlled by the translating mechanism adapted for causing an operated aspect of said signal,- a second translating mechanism means controlled by the first mentioned translating mechanism'and the aspect of the signal adapted for energizing the second translating mechanism and means actuated by the energization of said second tran'slat ing mechanism to keep it energized while said first mentioned'translating mechanism is denergized, and means governed by said second translating mechanism adapted to cause another operated aspect ofs'aid signal.

3. In a railway signal system, a signal having a biased aspect and an operated aspect, a closed track circuit, a translating device'controlled by the closed track circuit, a normally closed circuit'containing a second translating device controlled by the first mentioned translating device, a circuit for controlling the operated aspect of the signal controlled by the second mentioned translating device, a normally open circuit controlled by the first mentioned translating device including a third translating device and a circuit controller adapted to be closed in the operated aspect of the signal, the third mentioned translating device adapted to be energized by the shunting of the track circuit when the circuit controller is closed, a circuit controller controlled by the third mentioned translating device, a normally open circuit includingsaidthird mentioned translating device and the, circuit controller controlled thereby adaptedto be closed-when the track circuit is shunted and said third mentioned translating deviceis'energi-zed adapted to maintain said third mentioned translating device energized after said first mentioned circuit controller is opened while said track circuit is shunted, a-normally open circuit for signaling controlled by said third mentioned translating device, meansto furbv the first mentioned track circuit, atranslating device controlled by the secondmentioned track circuit, a normally open circuit controlled by both of the translating de vices, said normally open circuit adapted to govern the signal, a. second. normally open circuit controllediby the second mentioned translating device including a third translating device 'anda circuit controller controlled by the aspect of the signal,said third mentioned translating device adapted to be energized by the shunting of the second men- 4 tioned translating device when the circuit controller s closed, a second c1rcu1tcontroller controlled. by the third mentioned translating device, a third normally open circuit including the third mentioned translating device and the second mentioned circuit -controller adapted to be closed when the second mentioned translating device is Y shunted and said third mentioned translat- 'ing device is energized and adapted. to main-- tain the third mentioned translating device energized after the first mentioned circuit controller is opened While the second mentioned translating device is shunted, a fourth normally open circuit for signaling controlled by the third mentioned translating device andthe first mentioned. translating device, means ,to furnish electrical energy to each of said circuits.

5. In a railway signal system, a'-closed' track circuit, a second closed track circuit, a normally closed circuit, means controlled bythe said normally closed circuit-for signal ing, means controlled by said track circuits for governing said normally closed circuit,

a normally open circuit including a relay,

means for closing said normally open circuit 1 "controlled by said normally closed circuit,

means including an armature of said relay to keep the relay energized, means controlled by saidrelay for signaling,

'a normal indication and a pluralityyof op-' a In a railyway' signal system, a vblock, a-slgnalmechanism governing the entrance to one end'of said block'and adapted to give erated indications, -a closed circuited track circuit of which the mills ofsaid block form.

a part, a s'ourcefof energy in said circuit and a translating mechanism n said circuit,

means controlled by the translating mech-x anism adapted for causing an operated indicatlon of saldsignal mechanism, a second ated indication of saidsignal mechanism.

7. In a railwaysignal system, a closed track circuit, a second closed track circuit, a normally closed circuit, means controlled by the said normally closed circuit for signaling, means controlled by said track circuits for governing, 'said normally closed circuit, a normally open circuitincluding a ..trac'k circuit, means including an armature of said relay to keep the relay energized,

relay, means for closing said normally open circuit controlled by said normally closed circuit and by the ,first mentidne'dclosedj means controlled by'said relay for signal-r i in o v i a railway signal system, va track circuitedtrackway, a normally closed circuit, means controlled by the said normally 7 I closed circuit for signalin means controlled bysaid track circuite' traclrway for c governing saldinormally. closed circult, a"

normally opencircuit including a' relay,

means for closing said normally open 0113- vcuit controlled-by said normally closed cit-r cuit, means including an armature of said relay to keep the relay energized, means controlled by said relay for signaling. 7

. 9. Ina railway signal system, a track circuited trackway, a normally closed circuit, means controlled by the said normally 3 closed circuit -for-signaling, means con-J 7,5 governing said normally closedcircuit, a

trolled by said track circuited trackway fornormally-open circuitincluding a relay and I two circuit controllers,-one of said'circuit' j controllers governed by the said track air-+1."

cuited trackway, the other of saidcircuit controllers governed by the normally closed ding an armature ofcircuit, means inclu aid relay to keep the relay ener ized, and j means ,controlled by saidrelay or; signalv v sjwcb In a railway signal system, a track 1 n ing; '10; :circuited trackway, anormally closed circuit, means controlled .bythe said-normally aling, means con- ,ao

closed; circuit for si trolled by said track clrcuited tracliwayfor governing said normally closed c1rc'uit,-,,a I

normally open circuit ncluding a relay,-'1. means including a circuit controller COD-1" trolled by said normally closed circuit for vclosing saidnormally open circuit, means including an armature of said relay to keep 95 7 means controlled the relay energized, and bysaid relay for-s1 al1ng..

witnesseszm V 1 LILnmnL. Pmnnns, ,GLAnYs RgTYLnn.

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