US1153449A - Railroad signal device. - Google Patents

Description

W. E. SAUERMAN.

RAILROAD SIGNAL DEVICE. APPLfCATlON FILED SEPT- 21. 1914.

1,158,449; PatentedSept. 14, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

L W a l L II L 7 W. E. SAUERMAN.

RAILROAD SIGNAL DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 21. 1914.

1,153,449., PatentedSept. 14, 1915 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C01, WASHINGTON, D. c.

arn'r ri.

WILLIAM E. SAUERIVIAN, OF OGDEN, IOWA.

RAILROAD sienna nnvioii.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 14:, 1915.

Application filed September 21, 1914. Serial No. 862,821.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, /VILLIA M E. SA ERMAn, a citizen of the United'States, residing at Ogden, in the county of Boone and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Railroad Signal Device, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a railroad signal device of simple, durable, and inexpensive construction, adapted to visibly indicate at railroad crossings or the like, the presence of an approaching train.

More particularly it is my object to provide a railroad signal device so constructed and arranged that certain parts of said device may be engaged by coacting devices on an approaching train for changing the signal at a crossing or the like, from a position indicating clear to a position indicating danger, also so arranged that parts of the device may be engaged by coacting de vices on the train after the train has passed the crossing for moving the signal back to its position indicating clear.

A further object is to provide such a device having its parts so constructed and an ranged that they can be made in standard sizes and shapes for use by trains passing in either direction.

A further object is to provide such a device including mechanismadapted to be installed on a train so'arranged that the coacting devices on the train may be set in an operative position on either side of the train, or if desired may be placed in inoperative position.

Still a further object is to provide. such a device employing simple mechanical means, not likely to get out of order and not requiring maintenance of an electric circuit or similar means. i

My invention consists in certain details, in the construction, combination and arrangement of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l'shows a top or plan view of a section of railroad track equipped with a signal device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 shows a detail sectional view of the track on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and illustrating.

the signal device in side elevation. Fig. 3

shows a detail view of one of the engaging devices along the track. Fig. lshows a vertical sectional view through a car, showing the coacting engaging devices installed on the car. Fig. 5 shows a detail view of a portion of the side of a car illustrating a part of the engaging device mounted thereon.

In the accompanying drawings I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate. the ties of the railroad track, which support the 1 rails 11. Standing adjacent to the railroad track is an upright supporting post 12, having at itsupper end the bifurcated arms or members 13. A portion of the body of the upright post 12, between and below the arms 13 is cut away, forming a notch 14: 21 shown in Fig. 2.

Pivoted between its ends between the arms 13 is an indicating or signal bar 15, arranged in a vertical plane parallel with the track, and arranged to tilt from its position shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2 to the position shown by the full lines in said figure.

Mounted on the signal bar 15 is a cylinder 16, having an open end which is normally closed by a stop device 17 of any suitable kind. The cylinde'r lfi contains a plurality of comparatively heavy balls'18. The signal. bar and the parts thereon just described and the post 12' are so constructed and arranged that when the signal bar is let downward to its position shown by the full lines in Fig. 2, the balls 18 will move toward the, right hand end of the cylinder 16, the signal bar will engage the body of the post 12 at the bottom of the notch 14, and will be held by gravity in, its position shown by said full lines. hen the signal bar is in what I shall call its raised position, which is the positionshown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, the parts are .so. arranged that the bar engages the body of post 12 at the top of the notch 14, and then stands in the position inclined out-y wardly from its left hand end to its right hand end, as viewed in-Fig. 2. V Whenin the latter position, the balls .18 will move by gravity to the lefthand end of the cylinder 16, and will hold the signal-baror arm 15 in what I have calledits raised-position;

Secured to the post 12, below its upper end, are oppositely extending brackets 19 and 20, extending away from the post .12

parallel to thetrack. Pivoted to the ends -.The respective flexible devices 22 are secured to the signal arm or bar at points on opposite sides of its pivotal point.

Suitably mounted below the brackets 19 and 20 adjacent to the post 12, are trans verse shafts 22 and 23, which may be as longa-s desired depending upon Whether the signal is employed on a double track or on both sides of the track, etc.

Fixed on the shafts 22 and 23 are upwardly extending lever arms 24 and 25.

Pivoted to the lever arms24 and 25 are nected as shown to the lever 25 bymeans of ing arms forming bearings 32;

pins. 25 in said lever which travel in elongated slots 28 and 29 in the ends of said rods,'and extend longitudinally along the track in opposite directions. In connection it should beunderstood that whilethe rods are shown pivoted to the lever 25, they may be operatively connected with the shafts 23 and 22 in any suitable way for rocking said shafts, and allowing proper play of the parts. Atthe outer ends of said rods 28 and 29 are mounted suitable engaging devices which will now be described. 7

Theengaging devices include supporting brackets 30 having parallel laterally extend- Suitably mounted in the arms 32 are upright shafts 33, having formed at difierent points thereon the cranks 34 and 35 one below the other.- Formed on the upper crank 35on each shaft is an engaging arm 36 extending inwardly toward the track, and then upwardly as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. V

The cranks on the engaging devices hereinbefore described are similar in construction and are normally extended outwardly away from the track asshown in Fig. 3. The obyect of such constructionis to cause *the engaging devices, when struck by the coacting engaging devices on the train, to impos'eon the rods 28 and 29 a pull rather than a push, when it is desired to raise the signal to danger position.

Mounted on the upper bearing member 32 are opposite laterally extending arms 37, having-at their ends upwardly extending lugs 38. Secured to the lugs 38 are coil springs 39 extending toward and secured to the crank 35 of the shafts 33. The springs 39 serve as shock absorbers, and also yield- 1 singly to holdthecranks 34 and 35 in their normal positions at right angles to the track.

designedto carry certain equipmentfor coactmg with the engaging devices along the roadway. Such equipment consists of an upright rod 40 mounted in suitable bearings,

. able universal joint 43, which is shown as a ball and socket joint. The other member of the arm 41 is secured by the universal joint 44 to a link 45.

Rotatably mounted on the frame of the car 46 at each side thereof, is a rod 47 arranged longitudinally of the car. The rod 47 is bent outwardly at its central portion to form a V-shaped engaging member 48. One end 49, of the rod 47 is bent at right angles to said rod in the opposite direction from but in the same plane as the V-shaped portion 48.

The members 49 are pivoted by universal joints 50 and 51 to the links 42 and 45. The weight of the members 48 is such that they tend by gravity to drop to a downwardly hanging position.

The equipment on the car is so constructed and arranged that when the handle 41 is turned in one direction of its movement one of the members 48 stands in a horizontal position as shown in Fig. 4, and the other member of the V-shaped portion 48 hangs downwardly as shown in said figure. By turning the handle 41 in the opposite direction to the other limit of its movement, the

positions of the portions 48 are reversed. It will thus be seen that by manipulation of the handle 41 and the rod 40, the members 48 can be so positioned that the car will operate the devices along the track on one side of the track only.

In this'connection it may be said that my improved signal device may be adapted for use on both sides of the track, or for either double or plural tracks, by simply extending the rods 23 and placing the engaging devices at different points along the track. 011 the shaft 24 is an upwardly extending lever arm 24 adapted to be struck by the bearings 46 of the car wheels.

It will thus be seen that when the engaging devices are installed and the member 48 on the right hand side of the car traveling over the rails 11 in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1 is in its lowered or clear position, then as the car approaches the signal the member 48 will strike the member 36 on the rod 33 supported on the post 31, and will impose a pulling motion on the rod 28 thereby operating the members 25, 27 and 21 for pulling the left hand endof the signal arm downwardly, the balls 18 will roll to the left hand end of the cylinder 16 and the arm 15 will rest in the danger position. When the train reaches the signal the bearing 46* will strike the lever 24* and thereby raises the signal arm to clear or lowered position. When the car reaches the engaging device on the left hand of the signal arm, the member 48 engages the member 46 on said engaging device, and pulls the rods 28 and 29 longitudinally, but the slot 29 allows sufficient play to prevent interference with the signal. The spring 39, returns the arm 29 to normal position. Should the trainmen desire to back the train past the signal, it will be seen that the engaging device on the right hand side of the train would then operate the engaging devices along the roadway in a similar way.

It will be understood that some changes may be made in the details of the construction of my device without departing from its essential features, and it is my intention tocover by this application any such changes which may be included within the scope of my claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described, a

post designed to be placed along the road-' way of a railroad, an arm pivotally mounted thereon, a plurality of weights mounted on said arm and adapted to move freely past the pivotal point thereof, oppositely ex-' tending brackets on said post below said arm, bell crank levers pivoted to the respective brackets, flexible devices secured to the arm on opposite sides of the post and to the respective bell crank levers, rock-shafts, arms thereon, links connecting said arms and the respective bell crank levers, and means whereby passing trains operate said rock-shafts.

2. In a device of the class described, a

post designed to be placed along the roadway of a railroad, an arm pivotally mounted thereon, a plurality of weights mounted on said arm and adapted to move freely past the pivotal point thereof, oppositely extending brackets on said post below said arm, bell crank levers pivoted to the respective brackets, flexible devices secured to the arm on opposite sides of the post and to the respective bell crank levers, rock shafts, arms thereon, links connecting said arms and the respective bell crank levers, rods slidably and pivotally mounted on one of said arms on one of said rockshafts adapted to be extended in opposite directions along the track, engaging devices adapted to be mounted adjacent to the track, pivoted to the respective rods for drawing them away from the post when struck by an approaching train.

3. In a device of the class described, a post designed to be placed along the roadway of a railroad, an arm pivotally mounted thereon, a plurality of weights mounted on said arm and adapted to move freely past the pivotal point thereof, oppositely extending brackets on said post below said arm, bell crank levers pivoted to the respective brackets, flexible devices secured to the arm on opposite sides of the post and to the respective bell crank levers, rock shafts, arms thereon, links connecting said arms and the respective bell crank levers, rods slidably and pivotally mounted on one of said arms on one of said rock shafts adapted to be extended in opposite directions along the track, engaging devices adapted to be mounted adjacent to the track, pivoted to the respective rods for drawing them away from the post when struck by an approaching train, and yielding means for returning said engaging devices to their original 7 positions after they have been operated.

4. In a device of the class described, an engaging mechanism adapted to be placed on a car comprising an upright rotatably mounted rod, a handle thereon, a pair of members adapted to be mounted at the side of a car, and means for operatively connecting said rod with said members, whereby when the rod is rotated in one direction, one of said members is moved to horizontal position extending away from the car, and

when the rod is rotated in the other direction, the other of said members is moved to horizontal position, while the first of said members is adapted to be dropped to de- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the G'ommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

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