US1163190A - Railway-signal. - Google Patents

Description

E. WOLTMANN.

RAILWAY SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6. 1909.

1,163,190. Patented Dec. 7, 1915.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH (20., WASBlNGTON. n, c.

ERNST WOLTMANN,

OF NEW YORK, N. ASSIGNOR TO AUTOWIATIC TRAIN STOP COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNST WoL'rMANN, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of New York in the borough of Manhattan and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Signals, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to train control systems, being a system or installation by which signals and other prescribed trafiic conditions are automatically enforced. In my pending applications Nos. 466,233 and 478,869, and in Patent No.'875,028, there are set forth installations having certain broad features or principles by which a sectional third rail or trolley of an electric railroad is made use of as a line conductor for the power current transmission. The installations above referred to have certain common dominant characteristics, which have been set forth with particularity in the cases above referred to, and to which reference may be made for a more extended cons1deration of these general principles The invention of the present application relates primarily to securing the principal functions of the foregoing cases and some additional functions with normally closed operating circuits throughout, whereby all parts come to train stopping conditions in. case of breakage of any circuit or conductor, or short circuiting or failing of current in any source. The present invention also secures its purposes without'any change in the track constructions and usual signal connections of a railroad, assuming that the latter has been equipped, as is generally the case, with some block signal system. In

other words, all the features of the present.

invention can be secured by simply adding to the circuits already present in existing block signal systems where one track rail is divided into blocks or sections with the usual track relays in circuits extending from each end of each section.

It is a furtherobject of my invention to secureall the above mentioned purposes by circuits and apparatus of exceedingly simple and reliable character. p

Among the broadly stated functions which are secured by the present apparatus, are first properly stopping trains under any and all conceivable circumstances which might arise where it is proper that a train Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented nee. 7,1915.

5 Application filed November 6,1909. Serial No. 526,494.

should be stopped, supposing the apparatus to be without fault or defect or breakage.

case of any fault, defect or breakage in the apparatus, of such a nature as to interfere with its proper Working as first mentioned. Third, to provide a self restoring action of all the circuits and parts to their normal conditions as soon as normal traffic conditions are resumed. If these characteristics are satisfied, it is evident that apraotically perfect system is attained.

The drawing shows, somewhat diagrammatically, a practical installation embodying the principles of my invention.

Referring to the drawing in which like partsare designated by the same referencesign, '1 designates a trackway. Many elec-, tric roads have two trackwavs and commonly a much greater number. Each trackway has a usual third rail or trolley 2. The third or power rails or trolleys ordinarily employed,: are heavily made to stand the rough usage-to whichthey are exposed in the engagement with the contact shoes of trains and other ways, so that they necessarily have a large current carrying capac ity; that is to say, each power rail or trolley, if continuousthroughoutits length, is adapted to serve admirably as a line conductor for the power transmission. system.

Second, to cause a train stop actuation in It is practically important, however, to

havethe third rail ,ortrolley made in sections which can be cut out when desired. In the present case the third rail or trolley is made sectional, but the sections are normally joined together to constitute a line conductor for the power current transmission. In conjunction with this sectional third rail or trolleythere is pr ovided the various apparatus for carrying out the train stop functions already alluded to.

A, B, C and D denote blocks into which the trackway is divided, there being the usual. semaphore signals A, B, C, etc, 10-

. cated in the customary way at the block enf trances. One of the, track rails has insu-.' lated joints l at "the entrancetoeachblock' section, and has additionally insulated joints 1 between the respective joints 1:, producing what may be equal rail subdn visions throughout the length of thetrackway. This latter plan is adapted to, present railways where the tracks are usually already laid with one rail divided into equal subdivisions. It is merely requisite inany case that the joint 1 be located in advance of the joint 1 a distance greater than the braking or train stopping distance of a train entering the block section at full speed. On the other hand, each joint 1 is locatedin advance of the joint 1 a distance equal to the length of the longest train. The third rail 2 is divided into sections 2*, 2", 2, 2? of a length corresponding to the lengths of the blocks A, B, C and D, all spaced back both at the entering and issuing ends of the block a distance greater than the length of the longest train. All the third rail sections are normally interconnected along the same trackway, and may be between different trackways so that they form in effect, a single system of power distribution. The connection between adjacent rail sections 14: of the same trackway is established by branch wires 3 and switches 4. I

My Patent 1,111,344 describes track connections which are applicable to the present system and which need not be here described, as their applicability to the present arrangement is obvious.

The various switches 1 are capable of being opened so as to cut out any third rail section. The means which I have adopted for operating the switches 4 is designed to operate with normally closed circuits throughout, so as to produce a train stop actuation in case of any defect whatever.

10 denotes magnets which maintain the switches 4 in their circuit closing relations against gravity or any equivalent means adapted to open the said switches upon failure of current in the magnets 10.

Z denotes circuits or lines through which current normally flows from the third rail sections 2, 2, 2, 2 through the magnet 10 at the entrance to such section to the ground or return track rail 1. The circuits Z are, however, adapted to be opened to open the switches 4: whenever trains are improperly located on the trackway. The circuits l are opened by the action of additional circuits or branches of circuits generally denoted m, n, 0 and p. 1

m and n are local circuits including track relays 15, 16, joining the track rails at the ends of each block section, the track rails being normally electrified by batteries 17 or any other desired way. As already mentioned, these circuits and track relays are ordinarily already provided in railroad systems for the purposes of the usual semaphore signals, so that for the purposes of the present invention, it is merely necessary to add contacts or armatures to the track relays already provided and denoted 15, 16, in the present case. The armatures or contacts provided for the magnets 15, 16 by the present invention are denoted 18, 19 and 20, 18 and 19 being normally lifted by the mag net 15 against their front stops, while 20 is normally lifted against its front stop by magnet 16. These armatures or contacts are included in the circuits 0 and p, which are really branches of single circuits 0, as will later appear.

The circuits 0 are continued through relay magnets 22 and line wires 0 0 0, 0 to relay magnets 23 located at the entrance to the preceding block section, and thence to the ground or return rail 1. In this way each circuit 0 traverses two relays, respectively at the ends of the block section. Failure of current in these relays is adapted to open the circuits Z and thereby the switches at the ends of this block section, thereby cutting out the third rail thereof. 'Each magnet 22 23, has an armature, respectively denoted 25, .26, and when these armatures are against their front stops as is their normal position, a circuit is established from the third rail at the point 27, or other current source, through the wire Z, armatures 26,25,wire Z, magnet 10, to the ground or return rail. It is evident that the movement of either armature 25, 26, away from its front; stop opens this circuit and thereby the corresponding switch 4:. In accordance with my invention, however, each relay 22, 23, has a back stop denoted 32, 33, respectively joined to the front stop of the opposite relay. That is to say, back stop 32 is joined to the front stop of relay 23 and back stop 33 is joined to the front stop of relay 22.

The circuits C) may lead from a control line Q which may also be a feeder for the signal system, it being understood that ordinary signal systems have a feeder constituting a source of current throughout the system. From the leads 0 each branch circuit 0 extends through the armature 18, thence through 0 O O, O and magnets 22, 23, as already described. The circuits 2) also originate in the feeder Q and include both the armatures 20 and 19 joining the above circuits 0 through the magnets 22, 23, at the points 35, the latter points being one block section back from the location of track relays 15, 16, which control circuits 0 and p.

In normal conditions, when everything is clear and. trains are nowhere in the system, the track relays 15, 16, are energized and current flows through each lead 0 and armature 18 and through magnets 22 23. Current also flows from the feeder Q, through armatures 20 and 19 and wire 39 backward to the next preceding block entrance and thence'through magnets 22, 23, of a preceding block section. It is evident, therefore, that each magnet 22, 23, derives current from two separate branch circuits which must fail conjointly in order to deprive the magnets 22, 23, of current, and thus produce a train stop actuation.

Assuming now that a train is present in block C, having just entered the same. The.

effect is to deenergize track relay 15, which I have illustrated opposite joint 1 of block C. Under these circumstances, the circuits 0 and p, which are controlled by this track relay, are opened. There is no other re sult however, because magnet 22 of wire 0 still derives current from the wire 0 at this block entrance, and the magnets 22, 23, of wire 0 derive current from wire p leading backward from the next section in advance. None of the magnets 22, 23 are therefore deenergized and no switch 4 is opened to cut out any third rail section, a train stop actuation not being requisite, except in case two trains become improperly located too closely together. I have illustrated a following train near the end of block A, block B being entirely clear of any train, which is a proper traflic condition. The location of a train in block A at this point deenergizes track relay 16 opposite joint 1 of block A, thereby causing failure of current in circuit p, which leads back from this point. This latter condition is immaterial, however, because the magnets 22, 23, at the preceding sections which are adapted to be supplied by this wire 29 have additional sources of current supply, so that the opening of wire 72 produces no effect at the rear of train 1. The location of train 1 at this point is without any other effect, so that no train stop actuation is produced. If, however, train 1 passes forward into block section B, it

causes the deenergization ofthe magnet 15 oppositeinsulated'joint 1 of block B, and thereby failure in the corresponding circuits o and 79. Under these circumstances currrent fails simultaneously in the relays denoted Y and Z, which happening concurrently, deprives magnets 22, 23, of wire O of current. This causes the release of the corresponding armatures 25, 26, and the opening of the corresponding circuits l.

and switches 4: at the ends of the power section 2 thereby cutting out the third rail section 2 and stopping the train.

It will be observed that in the foregoing actuation the magnet 23 in wire 0 is not deenergized. It is possible, however, to de energize this magnet also by opening the circuit of the feed wire Q, which of course deprives all of the magnets 22, 23, of current throughout the system. In this case both of the armatures 25, 26, move against their back stops and it will be noted that each circuit Z is again closed, but in this case through the back stops instead of the front stops. This provides a means for restoring all the switches 4 to closed position under any circumstances whatever under the control of the train despatcher. In case this wire Q forms a feeder for the signal system employed, it will be evident that all the signals will be brought to danger under the circumstances just mentioned. It is evident that the switches A are, however, in all cases self-restoring as soon as traffic conditions are resumed on account of the renewedpassage of thecurrent in such case energizing all the track relays of the system and reestablishing the conditions which were first described in the present specification.

It is unnecessary to trace the various other trafiic conditions which occur and show that the present system provides for all conditions and dispositions of trains which may arise. of joints 1' from joints 1 is more than a train braking or stopping distance, insures against a train which has been deprived of current, as above, moving far enough to obtain current from a rail section in advance.

On the other hand the advance from joints 1 to 1 being greater than any train length, prevents the track rails from being connected in any other way than as already de scribed. Inasmuch as a following train can never get past its proper train stop position as above described, it follows that a clear block section will always be preserved between trains as is desirable. This fact further makes it unnecessary to consider any other locations of trains than those already considered. I

lVhat I claim is 1. A railway block system having a sectional power conductor, switches for normally connecting the sections of said power conductor together, normally closedcircuits, one for controlling each of said switches, two normally closed contacts in each of said circuits, and means including a circuit controlled by two trains spaced along the trackway for controlling the opening of one contact in each of two adjacent circuits to thereby open their corresponding switches and cut out a section of the power conductor, and connections for again closing each of said normally closed circuits if both of its contacts are in open position. i

2. A railway block system. having a sectional power conductor, means for normally connecting the sections of the power conductor together, said means including normally The fact that the advance energized circuits, a plurality of normally I circuit having two branches electrically connected to the winding of said relay, and means for de'c'nergizing one of the branches of said circuit by a train in one block and means for deenergizing the other branch of said circuit by atrain in the block in advance and a second relay for controlling each of said first named circuits havingits winding connected in series with the second named circuit for the block in advance.

4. A railway block system comprising a sectional conductor, switches for normally connecting the sections of the conductor together, means for controlling each of said switches, each of said means including a circuit having two normally closed contacts therein, and means for simultaneously opening one contact of a circuit for one block and another contact of the circuit for the block in'advance when two trains occupy the said blocks.

5. A railway block system comprising a track-way divided into blocks, each block comprising two insulated sections of different lengths, the length of one section corresponding to the distance required to stop a train and the length of the other to a train length, a sectional conductor, means for normally connecting the sections of said conductor together, the sections of the conductor being each located opposite two sections of adjacent blocks, and means for cutting out a section of the conductor when a train is on any of the insulated sections of a block in advance and a second train enters the block.

6. A railway block system having a plurality of insulated track sections to a block, a sectional power conductor having sections one for each block of a length corresponding to the length of a block, means for normally connecting the sections of the power conductor together, and means for cutting out a section of the power conductor of a block when a train is on any of the track sections of a block in advance and another train enters the block.

7. A railway block system comprising a sectional power conductor. switches for normally connecting the sections of said sconductor together, means including a normally energized circuit for maintaining each of said switches closed, each of said circuits having a pair of normally closed contacts therein, means for maintaining said contacts in closed position, said means including two normally energized circuits, each Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by 'addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washingtoml). G. i

controlling one contact in each of two ad a train respectively, a sectional power con-,

ductor, the sections of said conductor being each disposed opposite track sections of two adjacent blocks, means for connecting the sections of said conductor together, and means for cutting out a section of said power conductor said means being controlled by two trains in two adjacent blocks.

9. An electric block system comprising two insulated track sections to a block, a sec tional power conductor having sections each disposed opposite two track sections, one from each of'two adjacent'blocks, means each including a normally energized circuit for normally connecting each ofthe sections ofthe power conductor to an adjacent sec tion, two normally closed contacts in each of said circuits; means for controllingone of said contacts from either of two track sections of the block in advance and from the first track section of the block, and means for controlling the other ofsaid contacts simultaneously with the control of the first named contact of the block in advance,

10. An electric block system comprising two insulated track sections to a block, a sectional power conductor, means for normally connecting each of the sections of said conductor to the adjacent section, including a normally energized circuit having a plurality of normally closed contacts therein, means controlled from either of the track sections of the block in advance for controlling the opening of one contact of the normally energized circuits at the beginning and end of a block, and means controlled from a track section of said block for also controlling the opening of said last named contact, the presence of two trains on the two blocks controlling said contacts and thereby controlling the cutting out of

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