US1140227A - Railway signaling apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

W- WRIGHT & L. LANGFORD.

RAILWAY SIGNALING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUGJ, I914.

Patented May 18, 1915.

E? i A H J7z r672 Z07 a Md pw W? .4m 5. j

THE NORRIS PErEres cc, WASHINGTON D. c.

WALTER WRIGHT, OF KALGOORLIE, WESTERN AUSTRALIA, AND LOUIS LANGFORZD, OF SOUTH YARRA, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA.

RAILWAY SIGNALING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, WALTER WRIGHT, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, &c., residing at Kalgoorlie, in the State of Western Australia, Commonwealth of Australia, and LOUIS LANGFORD, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, &c., residing at South Yarra, in the State of Victoria, Commonwealth of Australia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Signaling Apparatus; and we 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 appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to apparatus of that class which has for its object the prevention of railway train collisions, and other accidents, andthe promotion of safe train running. The great prevalence of railway train collisions, in which many are killed, shows that, so far, there is urgent need for many trains to be fitted with an apparatus which would render these accidents impossible.

The improvements in apparatus about to be explained will enable the driver of a train to be effectively warned, by means of an electric bell or the like on his engine, when another train is too near.

Conducting wires provided extend longitudinally alongside. of the railway track, and are divided into sections, each suitably located and of convenient length, and such that no two trains ought to be simultaneously upon any such section, and if they come to be so, then dangerous further movement of either or both should be prevented; and these improvements are such that signals will be produced in the engines of both such trains when they become too close for safety. In various other cases also in which it might not be safe for an engine driver, when his train reaches a particular section, to pass on, the apparatus (which includes what we'term a collector, for brevity though it is in fact a special contact making device) will cause the driver to receive warning, as by a bell in his engine cab ringing. Thus this specification refers, later on, to the use, at times, of a collector on the guards van, or a car of the train, the engine of which has collectors.

Of the apparatus about to be described,

to the rails of the specially important features are certain electric current collectors and their combinations with conducting wires alongside the railway track, and with bell ringing or like danger indicating apparatus on the engines. Various other electrical devices have from time to time been proposed for use in connection with railwav tracks and locomotive engines for safety purposes, but so far as our inquiries show none with details as hereinafter claimed. Thus our collectors are not mere brushes, but have special details suited for actual service conditions. Two collectors are to be attached to each engine, one at each side, though the collector at one side only of each engine is in operation at one time. This collector has means of contact with two electric conducting wires set some distance apart. The collector at the unused side of the engine does not contact with any wires, but will be ready for making automatic contact with such wires when the engine moves on another track having such conducting wires on the side of that collector.

The drawings herewith show the construction used, and are largely diagrammatic. In these, Figure 1 shows a front elevation of a collector, part being in vertical section, and Fig. 2 shows the collector in vertical middle section through a control spring. Fig. 3 illustrates a front view of part of a railway engine on its rails, with our apparatus in position. Fig. 4 shows in side view a detail of Fig. 3. The figures are not drawn to exact scales, but Figs. 1 and 2 are on the same scale.

The collector has two downwardly extending tubular casings h, if, each hinged or pivoted at its upper part 7, to a frame 6, which is secured to the engine frame 0, and insulated therefrom by suitable material 0 Each casing contains a plunger n, which is pressed with moderate force downward by a spring m within the casing, this spring at one end bearing against the inside of the casing top, and at the other end against a washer or abutment 0.

72 is a slot (in each casing) through which projects a bolt or cotter 0 secured to the plunger, and forming a seat for washer 0. The bolts 0 and slots 3) limit the plunger movement, and also prevent the plungers from rotating. The latter is important as each plunger at its base carries a roller 1' I as 19 set up in sections were provided and factory working. 4.0

the collectorrollers and frames.

always reliable, but in practice one wire is not suliicient for safety unless it be at specially cared for locations such as at railway stations. We do not claim single wire apparatus. These rollers have end flanges and are obliquely set with their lower ends nearest to one another. They are comparatively wide, and will keep in contact with conducting wires 19 and 20 notwithstanding divergences of the wires from their proper normal positions-parallel to the near rail, which divergences will in practice actually occur. The rolling contacts keep the wires 19 and 20 clean and also the roller surfaces, allowing electric current to pass readily, notwithstanding adverse weather influences. Casings h, h have, between their lower parts, a connecting bar 71, having a part j (shown as a slot) entered by a bar spring 70, which is between the casings, and so protected, and is secured to framing, as at 7:2 The effect of this spring is to ordinarily hold casings h, h, in their normal positions, such as vertical, but to allow of the said casings yielding either forwardly or backward to obstructions or unusual forces. When so yielding'they will swing on pivots V The spring will then hasten. the return of the casings to normal. The spring also prevents that vibration of the casingswhich otherwise would occur, and prevent satis- Wires 19 and 20 are put oneanother by means of At 0 the steps of a locomotive which may have wheels 6 and an axle c are shown, with collectors attached below them, in Fig. 3, but any other convenient part of the engine may be used for attachment purposes.

1 is a wire from one collector, meeting 1 a wire from the opposite collector, and joining the terminal of a brush 'w 'of a commutator w.

2 is a wire from part of the engine to bell 4L and connected by arm 3 in parallel to a bell 5. Bell 1 is a non-trembler bell, from which a wire 6 extends, and from bell 5 a wire 7 '7 extends, these wires connecting to the commutator brushes c0 and e0 respectively, see Fig. 1. A wire 8 branching from wire 7 connects to a primary battery 9, or other suitable source of electricity, and at into circuit with 8 continues to the commutator brush w The commutator rotates with axle 0 and overcomes the polarity difliculty which would be apt to exist if two different engines in the same section merely had a primary battery each. This coimnutator transforms the direct current of battery 9 to an alternating one, so that no difficulty connected with polarity can occur.

0 is a frame on the locomotive carrying the commutator brushes.

If a locomotive enters a section in which its collector contacts with wires 19 and 20, then when'a signal 15 at that section, is at danger, current will flow from battery 9 in the engine along wires 8 and 7, the brush 00 then the brush wl through the commutator, and along wire 1 to the collector, then by wires 19 and 20 to .wire 17 to the switch on signal post 15 and by wire 16, and rail 18,

and the wheels Z) to the engine 'frame and.

, travels from a moving engine toa stationary engine (and not through the signal post switch as last described), the circuit is as last described from battery 9 up to thepoint of the current reaching wires 19 and 20; it then goes through the collector of the stationary engine, to its wire 1, brush we, brush 10 wires 7 and 7, bell 5, wire 3 and wire 2, to the engine frame, wheels, and rail 18, then as before. When current passes from onemoving engine to another moving engine, then it traverses from a battery 9 as before to section wires 19 and 20 to a collector of the other engine, then by wire 1 to brush w then through the commutator to brush 10 along wire 7*, wire 8,,to battery 9 of the second engine, the wire 8*, brush cu out by brush w wire 6, through bell 1, and by wire 2 to the frame of the engine,'wheels, and rail 18, and as before to form a complete circuit. v

For use on a guards van or other train vehicle, in addition to the apparatus already described a collector is fitted in some cases without any battery or commutator.

The van collector is in electric contact with the van. wheels, but in its normal position it is held up onits hinges as by pulling'a cord connected to it, above the section wires as 19 and 20, inv a position to be lowered to meet the same at will, as of the guard. 'Then if breakage, or break away, or other division of a train occurs, or if the guard wishes to signal to his engine driver, he will lower the collector till it is in contact with section wires as 19 and20. Current will then flow from the engine along section wires 19 and 20, through the van 001- lector and wheels to rail 18, and back to the engine and its battery thus sounding a bell therein, or giving such signal as may be provided for.

Having described this invention what is claimed is:

1. A current collector including a base, a telescopic arm hinged to said base, wire engaging means carried by. said arm, a

spring urging said arm into extended position, and means yieldably holding said arm from movement on its hinge.

2. A current collector including a base, a tub hinged to the base, a plunger in the tube, a spring in the tube urging said plunger outward, a rod carried by said plunger and projecting from the tube, a trolley Wheel on the outer end of the rod, and means yieldably holding the tube from movement on the hinge.

3. A current collector including a base, a pair of telescopic arms, each having one section hinged to the base, and a second section slidable longitudinally With reference to the Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the first section, trolley wheels mounted on the outer ends of the second section, springs urging the first and second sections into extended positions, a yoke connecting the first sections and provided With a centrally disposed slot, a lug on said base, and a leaf spring having one end fixed to the lug and its other end extending through the slot.

In testimony whereof We atfix our signatures in presence of tWo Witnesses.

WALTER WRIGHT. LOUIS LANGFORD. Witnesses:

MARGARET J. F EY, IVY O. DONOHUE.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

Images