US1174435A - Automatic locomotive-controlling mechanism. - Google Patents

Description

O. H. NAV|LLE.- AUTOMATIC LOCOMOTLVE CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION F ILED FEB. 27,1912.

Patented Mar. 7, 1916-.

3 Hue/M501 Wikweoow THE COLUMBIA Puu wsRAPu co., WASHINGTON, u c.

0. H. NAVILLE.

AUTOMATIC LOCOMOTIVE commune MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILE D 18.27; 1912.

1,174,435. Patented'Mar. 7,1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60., WASHINGTON. D. c

OSCAR H. NAVILLE, orLA FAYETTE, INDIANA.

AUTOMATIC LOCOMOTIVE-C ON-TROLLIN-G- MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented lVIar. v, 1916.

Application filed February 27, 1912. Serial 110.680364.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR I-I. NAVILLE, citizen of the United States, residing at La Fayette, in the county of Tippecanoe and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Locomotive-Controlling Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to railroad appliances, and particularly to means for automatically controlling the throttlevalve and air brake mechanismof a railroad locomotive.

The primary object of my invention is the provision of means whereby a. locomotive and its train of attached cars may be automatically stopped without the intervention of the engineer at a certain specified point or points along the railway line, thus preventing the train from entering a block upon which another train is standing, running by a stop signal either by accident or design, or crossing an intersecting track where there is danger of meeting another train thereon.

A further object is to provide a mechanism of the character described which will act to stop a train as above stated, and which is operable manually by a tower man or other employee.

A further object is to provide mechanism of this character which may be applied to any ordinary locomotive and which will necessitate very few changes in the construction of the locomotive cab and no change in the locomotive equipment. 7

A further object is to provide in this connection a locomotive cab provided with current actuated valves controlling the passage of air to the air brake mechanism and the passage of steam to the cylinders, said valves being so arranged that they may be operated upon the closing of a circuit but yet permit the manual actuation of the valves by the engineer whenever desired.

Further objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section through the upper portion of the cab of a locomotive showing my controlling mechanism in place therein. Fig. 2 is a partial vertical section; Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the armature carrying rod and the mounting for the same.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indiner from the roof of the cab about the boiler 17. The return wire from the electro-magnet passes .over to the other side of the .cab as'at 13 and extends down to the currentcollecting members on that side. It will be understood of course that these wires 18 and 13 are protected by insulation,

Interposed in the length of the wires 13* and 13 is a signal lamp 18, which when the current passes through the wires 18 13 is lighted so as to give a signal to the engineer. Mounted Within the cab is the ordinary throttle lever 19 of any usual construction and connected to a throttle valve rod 20. The throttle valve is also of any usual construction and therefore requires no special description. v

For the purpose of actuating the throttle valve when the electro magnets 15 are energized, Iprovide an armature 21 which is mounted upon .a transversely extending guide rod 22 supported in any suitable manner but illustrated as slidably mounted in depending guides 28 extending from the roof of the cab. The rod is formed on its outer extremity with a head 24, and disposed between this head andthe guide 23 is a coil spring 25 which acts to retract the rod 22 and the armature and hold the armature away from the lelectro-magnets when the latter are .d'eenergized.

Extending from the boiler 17 is a steam pipe 26 which extendslaterally and then downwardly and enters the forward end of a cylinder 27 which for the purpose of this description is designated as the main cylinder, the position and construction of the main cylinder being illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. In the length of thissteampipe is disposed .a valve 28 which is connected by means of an arm 28 to the rod 22 so that when the rod is moved toward the magnet 15, the valve 28 will be opened, permitting the passage ofsteam from the boiler to the forward end .of the main cylinder 27. When,

however, the magnet is deenergizedand the spring 25 retracts the rod 22, the valve 28 will be closed, cutting off the supply of steam to the main cylinder 27.

Disposed within the main cylinder 27 is a piston 29 having a piston rod 30 which extends out through the end of the cylinder and is connected by a link 31 to the throttle lever 19. This throttle lever is connected by the link 32 to the throttle valve in a manner evident to those skilled in the art. It will be seen then that when the valve 28 is opened the steam passes through the steam pipe 26 to the forward part of the main cylinder 27 forcing the piston 29 back to its full extent and drawing the throttle lever forwardly, thus closing the throttle of the engine and cutting OK the admission of steam to the cylinder.

Passing from a point intermediate the ends of the main cylinder 27 is a conducting pipe 33 which enters the forward end of a cylinder 34% which for the purpose of this description is referred to as the air brake cylinder and which is provided near its rear end with an exhaust pipe 35 leading to any suitable point of exhaust. Disposed within the air brake cylinder 34!: is a piston 36, and mounted between the piston and the rear end of the air brake cylinder 3 1 is a spring 37 which acts to force the piston 36 outward.

Attached to the piston 36 and projecting through the front wall of the air brake cylinder, is a piston rod 38 which is connected to an arm 39 forming the actuating arm for a valve 40 disposed in a by-pass 50. .This by-pass 50 is mounted upon the air pipe 51 leading to the auxiliary reservoir and connects this air pipe with a train pipe 52 leading to the air brake system of the engine. Ordinarily, passage of air to the air pipe from the train pipe is controlled by means of a handle 53, and when this handle is turned in one direction, it cuts off entirely the supply of air to the pipe 51. hen however the handle is turned in an opposite direction, the air brake system is set in operation. This by-pass 50 is intended to pro vide an automatic means for connecting the air pipe with the usual triple valve operating mechanism so that when the valve 10 is turned in one direction, the air brakes may be actuated while when turned in the other direction, the air brakes will remain unactuated.

As another signal to the engineer, when the throttle valve is turned to cut off communic-ation between the boiler and the cylinders of the locomotive and when the air brake is thrown on, I provide a whistle designated 5 and mounted upon a pipe 55 projecting from the pipe 26. As steam passes through this pipe 26 upon the opening of the valve 28, the steam will also pass through the whistle 54 and the whistle will be actuated.

The operation of my invention is as follows. When the block is closed to the train,

the signal-man sets the track apparatus so that immediately upon the entrance of the locomotive in the closed block, current will be sent through the wires 13 and 13 and the electro-magnets energized. Immediately upon the energizing of the magnets 15, the armature 21 will be drawn toward the magnets and will throw open the valve 28. Steam will then be admitted from the boiler to the main cylinder 27 and actuating the piston therein will draw over the throttle lever, thereby closing the throttle and cutting off communication with the engine cylinders.

hen the piston 29 is moved rearwardly beyond the end of the pipe 33 the steam will pass down through said pipe and into air brake cylinder 34, shifting the piston 36 therein rearward against the action of the spring 37. This shifting over of the piston will open the valve 40 through the by-pass 50 and permit the brakes to be actuated. A further movement of the piston 36 rearward to its full extent will permit the steam to pass out through the exhaust 35. Steam will continue to pass from the boiler through the cylinders 27 and 34: while the magnets 15 are energized. When the train backs out of the block or the track apparatus is restored to normal after stoppage of the train, the magnets 15 will be dele'nergized. The spring 25 will then retract the armature, and in doing so will shift the valve 28 to a closed position, thus cutting off the steam from the pipes 26 and 33. The engineer may then start up his engine by opening the throttle. This will cut off communication between the pipe 33 .and the pipe 26 and reduce the pressure in front of the piston 36, and hence the spring 37 will force said piston outward, closing the valve A0 and releasing the brakes.

My invention is of particular value in that it prevents an engineer running past a certain stopping point, either because he deliberately refuses to notice a stop signal, or because the stop signal is obscured, as in cases of fog, snow and the like. It will thus be obvious that a tower or signal-man, for instance, may control the train by setting the track apparatus and that the train cannot go forward again until the block has been opened by the tower-man.

My invention is exceedingly simple, may be applied to locomotives at present in use with very small change therein, and does not require any elaborate change in the roadbed or addition thereto.

What I claim is 1. A locomotive controlling mechanism including a pressure operated brake controlling valve, a valve controlling the sup ply offiuid pressure to said brake controlling valve, a throttle valve,means operable connected to the pressure controlling valve,

a reciprocally mounted rod terminating at one end in an armature and at the other end in a head provided with a slot through which the end of the valve lever is slidable, the valve lever being normally inclined-at an acute angle to the rod to facilitate its sliding in the slot of the rod, and an electromagnet in a normally open or denergized circuit operatively disposed With respect to the armature terminal of the rod to cause reciprocation of the rod.

2. A locomotive controlling mechanism including a brake controlling valve, a valve controlling the supply of fluid pressure to the brake controlling valve, a throttle valve, means operable upon the opening of the fluid pressure controlling valve for closing the throttle valve and opening the brake controlling valve, a swingingly mounted valve lever operatively connected to the pressure controlling valve, a bracket, a rod reciprocally mounted in the bracket terminating at one end in an armature and at the other end in an enlarged head provided with a slot through which the end of the valve lever is slidable, the valve lever being normally inclined at an acute angle to the plane of the rod to facilitate its sliding in the slot of the head, an electro-magnet in a normally open or deenergized circuit operatively disposed With respect to the armature terminal of the rod to efiect opening of the brake controlling valve, and a spring held between the bracket and head for normally holding the rod in position to keep said valve closed.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

OSCAR H. NAVILLE. [1,. s] Witnesses:

CHARLES E. THOMPSON, BESSE M. BIGANE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

Images