US1176119A

US1176119A - Railway signal and stopping mechanism.

Info

Publication number: US1176119A
Application number: US59718710A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frank C Williams
Original assignee: SAFETY BLOCK SIGNAL Co
Current assignee: SAFETY BLOCK SIGNAL Co
Priority date: 1910-12-14
Filing date: 1910-12-14
Publication date: 1916-03-21
Anticipated expiration: 1933-03-21

Description

F. C. WILLIAMS.

RAILWAY SIGNAL AND STOPPING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 14. 1910.

5 SHEETSSHEET I.

b a s Q WITNESSES 7 .HM v

A TTORN E Y F. C. WILLIAMS.

RAiLWAY SIGNAL AND STOPPING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION HLED DEC. I4, 1910. M 1,1? 8 1 19., Wanted Mar. 21, 1916.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTCR g fliil MAI 1 0111451 ATTORNE Y F. C. WILLIAMS.

RAILWAY SIGNAL AND STOPPING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. I4. 1910.

L W, 1 I 9 Patented Mar. 21, 1916.

5 SHE-ETSSHEET 3.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY F. C. WILLIAMS.

RAILWAY SIGNAL AND STOPPING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 14. 1910.

IL II 7% II 1 o Patented Mar. 21, 1916.

5 SHEETSSHEET 4.

F. C. WILLIAMS. RAILWAY SIGNAL AND STOPPING MECHANISM.

APPLICATI ON FILED DEC.I4, 19H).

Patented Mar. 21, 1916.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5- A; LE. w

d V IN VE IV To R 6. Wl/Qaufl WITNESSES A TTORIVE Y an s'rnrns rarest c r FRANK C. WILLIAMS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE SAFETY BLOCK SIGNAL COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

RAILWAY SIGNAL AND STOPPING MECHANISM.

Patented Mar. 21, 1916.

' Application filed December 14, 1910. Serial No. 597,187.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK C. WILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Signal and Stopping Mechanism, whereof the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention particularly relates to railway signals' which are normally maintained in a safety position by a closed electric circuit, and which are arranged to shift by gravity to the danger position by short-circuiting or breaking said circuit, and which are connected with means cooperative with means on a car or train to stop the same.

The principal objects of this invention are, to provide means arranged'to automatically control the motive power, and to actuate the brake setting mechanism of a car or train in accordance with the position of signals suitably disposed at intervals adjacent to the track, and normally maintained in a safety position bv a normally closed electric circuit, and arranged to be shifted to the danger position by short-circuiting or breaking said circuit; to provide auxiliary signals which are operatively connected with each of the first mentioned or main signals, and which are normally maintained in the danger position by gravity, and arranged to be shifted to safety position by a normally open local electric circuit, closed by the movement of their respective cooperative main signals to the full danger position; to provide said car or train with a normally closed electric circuit, operative to maintain the motive power and brakesetting mechanism'in a position to permit the free movement of said train, and arranged to be short-circuited by said signal when in danger position, to effect the actuation of mechanism operative to stop said car or train; to provide said car or train with a projecting member arranged to be shifted to efl'ect the actuation of mechanism to stop the same; to provide mechanism mechanically connected with each of said signals to-be shifted in accordance with the position thereof, into or out of the path of the projecting member carried by said car or train to effect the stopping of the same; and to provide simple and eflicient mechanism operative to effect the movement of said signals.

The form of this invention hereinafter described provides a railway, which is div 1ded into blocks or sections, with a main signal station located near the end of each block, each station comprising a semaphore normally maintained in safety position by a closed electric circuit; an auxiliary signal station, comprising a semaphore, which is connected to be shifted in opposition to the semaphore at the main signal station; connections controlled by said semaphore to control the movement of cars or trains, and mechanism to shift said semaphores and maintain them in safety position, comprising a train of gears operatively connectmg a motor with each semaphore, and pro vided with a ratchet and a loosely mounted gear movable with respect to said train of gears, and carrying a pawl in engagement with said ratchet, a normally open electric circuit local to said station, and including said motor, a lever or switch arranged to be shifted to close said circuit, and having a detent operative to maintain the semaphore in safety position when shifted thereto by the action of said motor.

This invention also includes all of the various novel features of construction and arrangement hereinafter more definitely specified.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional elevation of a locomotive and tender, together with a diagrammatic illustration of a block signal unit; Fig. 2 is a transversevertical sectional elevational view showin the front of a locomotive, and the signal in position to stop the same; Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing the wiring of the block signal system, extended in a plane; Fig. 4 is an enlarged elevational view of the mechanism at one of the signal stations, having one side of its casing removed to show the mechanism contained therein; and Fig. '5 is a transverse vertical sectional view of said station taken on the line 55 in Fig. 4.

In said figures, the locomotive 6 and tender 7 are arranged to traverse the track rails 8 and 9, which are divided into blocks or divisions, by having the adjacent ends of one of the rails of each block separated by insulation 11, as best shown in Fig. 3. Disposed along the track and local to the ends of the adjacent blocks are the main signal stations 14, as best shown in Fig. 1, and

the shaft 17, which is rovided with a brush wheel 18 and the stop lever 19 arranged to limit the rotarv movement of the shaft 17 by engagement with the pin 20,-in the down ward movement of said semaphore 16, to the danger position, shownin Fig. 4, and at the right hand side of Fig. 3.

The brush wheel 18 is provided with a.

contact brush 22, which is arranged to engage the sectoral plates 23, 24 and 25, which are alined concentric with respect to the shaft '17, and said brush is onerativevto contact with the sectoral plates 26 and 27, which extend concentrically arallel with the plates 23', 24 and 25, as best shown in Flg. 4, the

functions of which will be hereinafter described in detail.

The brush wheel 18 is in toothed engagement with the pinion 28 on the shaft 29,

which is journaled in the frame 30. Said shaft 29 is also rovided with the gear 31, which is in toothed engagement with the pinion 32 on the shaft 33, which is also journaled in the frame 30 and wh1ch carrles the gear 34, the ratchet 35, and the gear 36, which latter is loosely mounted on said shaft 33, and carries a pawl 37 in operative engagement with said ratchet 35, to permit the relative rotation of the train of gears in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 4,

and to prevent their relative rotation in opposition to said arrows.

' The gear 34 is in toothed engagement with the pinion 38, which is secured on the shaft 39, journaled in the frame 30, upon which shaft is secured the fly fan 40 arranged to retard the too rapid movement of the gearing mechanism, and to prevent the Jarrmg of the semaphore when dropping to the danger position by gravity.

The gear 31, above referred to, is m toothed engagement with the gear 41 on the shaft 42, which is journaled in the frame 30, and which carries the gear 43 1n toothed engagement with the gear 44 on the shaft 45 of the electric motor 46, whereby the train of gears above descrlbed may be actuated to raise the semaphore 16 to its safety position, when said motor is energized, in a manner hereinafter described.

The semaphore 16 is provided with a rearwardly extendingtail piece 48 carrying the weight 49, arranged to counterbalance said semaphore, and said tail 48 is also provided with the colored glass pane 50, which is presented in front of the bulls eye 51 of the lamp 52 when said semaphore 16 is disposed in the danger position. Said lamp 52 is supported upon the bracket 53 secured to the signal casing55, which, as best shown in Fig. 5, is provided with a removable side wall 56.

The mechanism at the auxiliary station 15 is electrically connected with the mechanism at the main static" 14, and comprises gearin g'similarto the earing in said station 14, and therefore the specific description of said gearing at the station 15 is deemed unnecessary, and any reference to the parts thereof will designate the same reference, numerals of the corresponding parts in the mainsignal station above described. It is to be noted that the semaphore 65 at said auxiliary station 15 is normally to engage the teeth of the gear 36 and WhlCh,

at the main signal stations, is normally 1 maintained in engagement with said gear by the magnet 75, which is energized by its connections through the

wires

76 and 77 w1th the respective track rails 8 and 9, which are contmuously charged by the batteries 78 of the respective blocks.

The detent lever 72 is pivoted at 80 to the contact terminal 81, and is provided with a weight 82, arranged to counterbalance the free end of said lever, which is provided w1th a contact finger 83 arranged to engage the point -84 on the terminal contact 85, WlllCh is connected by the wire 86 with the shaft 17, which latter is grounded by its connection with the undivided track 9 through the wire 88. 9

The semaphores 16 at the main signal stations 14 are released only by the presence of a car or train in the block protected thereby, which short-circuits the line, including the wires 7 6 and 77 and the magnet 7 5, and permits the detent lever 72 to shift to the position shown in Fig. 4, and at the right hand side of Fig. 3. t

The movement of the mechanism at the slgnal station 14 to the danger position, closes the circuit through the wheel 18, brush 22, contact plate 23, wire 90, including the battery 91, magnet 92 and wire 93, which effects the movement of the detent lever 94 at the auxiliary signal station 15 to the position shown in Fig. 3, whereby thesemaphore 65 is retained in the safety position in the same manner that the semaphore 16 at the signal station 14 is maintained in said safety position, as above" described.

The movement of the semaphore 16 at the main signal station 14 to the safety position, is effected by restablishing the circuit through the magnet 75, which occurs when the car .or train in the block protected bysaid semaphore passes from said block, and which effects the movement of the detent lever 72 to the position indicated at the left hand side of Fig. 3, to afford contact between the contact finger 83 and the point 84 of 'the contact plate 85, thus forming a circuit, in-

cluding said contact plate 85, through the wire 86, wheel 18, brush 22, wire 95, including the battery 96, to actuate the motor 46, v

the wire 98, terminal contact 81, and detent lever or switch 72. i

As will be readily seen, the rotatlon of the motor 46 will rotate the train of gearing in the direction of the arrows indicated thereon in Fig. 4, independently of the gear 36, which is maintained in locked position I by the detent 73, during the rotation of said gearing train 11. v

The closing of the circuit, including the motor 46 and the battery 96, is dependent upon the contact of the brush 22 with the contact plate 26, and, therefore, when the semaphore 16 reaches the position where said brush encounters the dead plate 27, said circuit will be broken and the motor will therefore cease to rotate, to prevent further movement of the semaphore, which will be maintained in the position to which it has been shifted by said motor, by the engagement of the pawl 37 with the ratchet wheel 35.

The semaphore 16 will be maintained in the safety position by the closed electric circuit, including the

wires

76 and 77 and the magnet. 75, so long as the section or block protected by said signal remains clear, but the moment that a train or car enters said block, the battery 78, which is connected to the rails of said block, is short-circuited. The magnet 75 being thus denergized, permits the lever 72' to drop to the position shown in Fig. 4, which effects the release of the gear 36 and permits rotation of the gearing train, and, consequently, the movement by gravity of the semaphore 16 to the danger position shown in said figure.

It will be seen that the circuit, including the motor 46, although connected through the contact plate 26 and the brush 22, when said semaphore is in the danger position, is not closed until the circuits, including the

Wires

76 and 77, are reestablished, which is effected by the movement of the car or train from the block protected by said semaphore into the adjacent block, whereupon the magnet is energized to effect the movement of.

of the train,

contact plates

100, 101 and 102 are disposed in alinement between the rails 8 and 9, the plates 100 and 101 being disposed at one side of the insulation to eflect the stopping of the train before reaching the signal station, and the plate 102 being disposed at the other side of said insulation to effect the stopping of the train in event of the semaphore remaining in a safety position after being passed by said train.

As best shown in Fig. 2, the contact plate 100 is connected by the wire 103 with the contact plate 23 at the main signal station 14; the contact plate 101 is connected by the wire 104 with the insulated section of track rail 8 of the adjacent block, and the contact plate 102 is connected by the wire 105 with the contact plate 25 at said signal station 14.

The contact plates 100 and 101 are so disposed as to be engaged by the contact roller 108 carried by the tender 7 before reaching the insulation 11, which separates the ends of the adjacent blocks, when a train is traveling toward the left in Fig. 3, as indicated by the arrow in said figure, and the contact plate 102 is disposed in such relation to the insulation 11 as to be engaged by the con tact roller 108 after the train has passed into, the section of track protected by the signal just passed. The longitudinalpositionof said contact plates is dependent upon the speed of the trains and the curves and grades of the road.

The stopping mechanism carried a, the locomotive 6 is connected to actuate the throttle valve lever 109 to shut off the motive power and to contemporaneously actuate the train pipe valve 111 in the train pipe 112, to apply the brakes. Said stopping mechanism comprises the cylinder 113, whose piston is connected with the valve 111, and is arranged to be actuated b the air pressure from the air brake system. The cylinder 113 is connected by the pipe 114 with the air pressure reservoir 115, which is included in the air brake system.

The air pressure is admitted to the cylinder by the slide valve 116, which is connected with the piston and shifted in accordance with the movement thereof to admit and ex haust the pressure to and from the said cylinder 113. The train pipe valve 111 is provided with the lever 117, connected to be oscillated by the reciprocation of said piston to alternately open and close said valve to effect the gradual setting of the brakes.

The admissionof pressure to the cylinder 113 may be manually regulated by the valve 118 in the pipe 114, and automatically controlled by the motor valve 119, which is provided with the operating arm 120, arranged to be shifted by a weighted ball carried thereby, and normally tending to rotate the valve 119 by gravity to the open position.

The arm 120 is normally retained in po- "sition to close the valve 119 by the magnet 122, which is included in a circuit comprising the wire 123, wheel 124, frame 125, wheel 126, wire 127 having the battery 128, contact 101 or 102, and completes the circuit of least resistance through the signal station mechanism, which short-circuits the battery 128 and denergizes said magnet 122 to release the arm 120, which immediately'drops by gravity to a osition to open the valve 119 and admit air pressure from the reservoir 115 to the motor cylinder 113.

The valve 119 is arranged to be automatically closed by the rack bar 133, which is provided with a projection 134 extending into the path of the lever 120, and arranged to engage said lever and shift it to its normally closed position. Said rack bar 133 is provided with rack teeth and is intermittently shifted toward the right, with respect to Fig. 1, by the pawl 132, pivoted on the lever 117 in engagement with the teeth of said bar, until the projection 134 has shifted the lever 120 to the position to close-the valve 119, and to be held by the magnet 122.

The valve 111 may be shifted to the closed position by the manual actuation of the resetting slide bar-135, which is arranged to engage the pawl 132, to uplift the latter from engagement with the teeth of the rack bar 133, so that said rack bar 133 may be shifted with respect to said pawl to its normal position, by engagement of the projection 140, on the slide bar, with the abutment 141 on the rack 133. In shifting'the rack bar 133 to its normal osition, the abutment 141 engages the end 0 the pawl 132 to effect the movement of the lever 117 to its normal position to close the valve 111, whereupon the brakes'may be manually controlled by the operator through the valve 136 in the pipe 142, which connects the reservoir with the train pipe 12.

The motor mechanism may be actuated independently of the valve 119 in the pipe 114, which is provided with a by-pass connection, including the pipe 144, which is provided-with a valve 145 having a controlling vlever 146, extending oppositely from the center of oscillation, and provided at one end with a weight 147 tending to open the valve 145 and at the other end with a notch 148 arranged to receive one end of a centrally pivoted lever 149, which is pivoted to the bracket 150 and arranged to maintain the valve closed, and has its free end normally projecting laterally from the engine, and arranged to be actuated in a manner to be hereinafter described.

The motive power of the locomotive is arranged to be shut off by the air pressure from the pressure reservoir 115, and to effect such shutting off of the motive power a cylinder 152 is provided, which is supported on the boiler of the locomotive and is provided with a piston 153, which is conj' if ment of the piston 153 to release the lever bolt 156 from said sector, to permit the lever 109 to automatically shift to a position to shutofl the motive power.

As shown in Fig. 2, the semaphore 16 is connectedby thelink 160 with the cell crank lever 161, which is pivoted at 162 in the casing 163 and connected by the link 164 with the bell crank lever 165, pivoted at 166 in the casing 167, and provided with the weight 168, tending to shift said semaphore to the danger position shown in said figure.

, The link 164 is provided with a $105170,- which is engaged by a pin 171 on the lever 172, carried on the vertical shaft 173, which is journaled in the bearing 174 and provided with the arm 175, arranged to swing in a horizontal plane into the path of the lever 149 of the valve 145 in the by-pass connection pipe 144. If the engine proceeds to pass the arm 175, the lever 146 is engaged thereby and shiftedto open the valve 145, which connects the reservoir 115 with the cylinder 113, whereby the stopping mechanism is operated to stop the train, as

above described.

It will be obvious that the arm 175 is shifted in accordance with the position of the semaphore 16, and when said semaphore is shifted to the danger position, shown in Fig. 2, the arm 175 connected therewith will be shifted into the path of the lever 149, as shown in said figure, to efi'ect the opening of the valve 145,. but when said semaphore is shifted to the safety position, the arm connected therewith will be similarly shifted to a plane parallel with the track. To prevent the accidental displacement of the arm when in operative position, the lever 172 is provided with a hook 176, arranged to be engaged with a detent 177, which is pivoted at 178, and arranged to be uplifted by the projection 179 on the lever 165. i

tion 15 is similarly connected with the arm 180, which is operative to be swung into the path of the lever 149 to effect the stopping of the train, and, as before noted, the semaphore 65 is normally in the danger position, and consequently the arm 180 will be in the danger position until shifted. to the safety position by the movement of the semaphore 16 to the danger position, and if for any reason the semaphore 16 fails to be shifted to said position, to protect the train which has just passed said semaphore 16, the arm 180 will be effective to stop said train.

The mechanism above described operates as follows: Assuming the semaphore 16 to occupy the danger position, as shown at the main signal station at the right hand side of Figs. 1 and 3, and in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and the operator, disregarding the warning signal, endeavors to enter the next block or division protected .;by said signal, the contact roller 108 engages the contact plate 100, which short-circuits the battery 128 through the wire 103, contact plate 23, brush 22, wheel 18, wire 88, rail 9 and wheel 126, which denergizes the magnet 122 and permits the arm 120 to drop to the position to open the valve 119. If, however, the semaphore 16, for any reason, fails to drop to the danger position when a train occupies the block protected thereby, and a second train is .permitted to pass the contact plate 100, the engagement of the contact roller 108 with the contact plate 1.01 will short-circuit the battery 128 through the wire 104, track 8, the axles of the car in said block and track 9, which will effect the stopping of the car in the same manner as when the battery 128 was short-circuited through the signal mechanism. Likewise, in event of the semaphore failing to drop to the danger position after a car has entered the block protected thereby, the contact roller.108 will engage the contact plate 102, and the battery 128 will be short-circuited, through the wire 105. contact plate 25 in the signal station. brush 22, wire 88, track 9, and the wheels of said car. to effect the actuation of the stopping mechanism, and prevent the car from proceeding through the block which has not been properly protected.

If from any cause, such as the breaking of a wire, the polarizing of the batteries, etc., the signal system is rendered inoperative. it will be noted that the semaphore 65 and the arm 180 connected therewith, being normally maintained in the danger position. will be effective, visually, to indicate to the operator that the signals are not in properworking order, and will also be effective to automatically stop the train by the engagement of said arm 180 with the valve lever 149, to open the pipe 118 through the by-pass connection 144. Similarly, if the operator endeavors to pass the semaphore 16 in danger position, and for any reason the contact roller 108 fails to make contact with the contact plate 100, the am 175 will engage the valve lever 149- to effect the stopping of the train mechanically, in the same manner as when engaged by the arm 180 connected with the semaphore 65.

It is not desired to limit this invention to the precise details of construction and arrangement herein set forth, as it is obvious that various modifications may be mad therein without departing from the essential features of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention,'I claim:

1. In signal mechanism for railways, the combination with a track divided into blocks and arranged to be traversed by a car or train, of a main signal station comprising a train of gears, a semaphore connected with one of said gears, means connected with said gears to shift said semaphore to the safety position, and means to retain said semaphore in said safety position, a normally closed electric circuit including the rails of said track, and arranged to control said last mentioned means, and an auxiliary station comprising a train of gears, a semaphore connected with one of the gears and normally maintained in danger position by gravity,and means operative to actuate said gears to shift said semaphore to safety position, and controlled by the semaphore at the main signal station, and arranged to be shifted in opposition thereto.

2. In signal mechanism for railways, the combination with a track divided into blocks and arranged to he traversed. by a car or train, of a main signal station comprising a train of gears. a semaphore connected to be shifted by said gears to the safety position, means arranged to normallv retain said semaphore in said safety position, an auxiliary signal station compris ng a semaphore, gears connected with said semaphore, means operative to actuate said gears to shift .said semaphore to safety position, and means to retain said semaphore in safety position, and means operatively connecting said stations arranged to effect the actua ion of said semaphore at the auxiliary stationjn opposition to the semaphore at the main si nal station.

3. In signal mechanism for railways, the combination with a track divided into blocks and arranged to be traversed by a car or train, of a main signal station comprising a train of gears. means including a normally open electric circuit operative when closed to actuate said gears to shift said semaphore to the safety position, a normally closed electric circuit including the rails of said track operative toclose said normally open circuit when said semaphore is in danger a train of gears, a semaphore operatively connected therewith, a normally open electric circuit including means operative to actuatesaid gears when closed, and a normally open electric circuitronnecting said stations and arranged to be closed by the movement of the semaphore at the main signal station to the danger position, to close the normally open electric circuit at the auxiliary signal station, to shift said semaphore at said auxiliary station to safety position, and to retain it in said safety position while the semaphore at the main signal station remains in said danger position.

4. In signal mechanism for railways, the combination with a track divided into blocks arranged to be traversed by a car or train, of a main signal station comprising gears, a semaphore. connected with one of said gears, means. including a normally open electric circuit arranged to actuateisaid gears to shift said semaphore to the safety position, a normally closed electric circuit including the rails of said track, arranged to close said normally open electric circuit when said semaphore is in danger position, to shift said semaphore to the safety position, and means connected with said semaphore to break said normally open electric circuit when shifted to said safety position, anauxiliary signal station comprising gears, a semaphore, means including a normally open electric circuit arranged to actuate said gears to shift said semaphore to the safety position, and a normally open electric circuit connecting said signal stations, operative to be closed by the movement of said semap ore at the main signal station to close the normally open electric circuit at' the auxiliary signal station to shift the semaphore at said auxiliary signal station to the safety position, the circuit connecting said stations being broken by the movement of the semaphore at the main signal station when shifted to safety position to release the semaphore at the auxiliary signal station and permit it to drop to the danger position.

'5. In signal mechanism for railways, the combination with a track divided into blocks and arranged to be traversed by a car or train, of a main signal station comprising gears, a semaphore connected with one of said gears, contact plates local to said signal station, a brush carried with said semaphore, a normally open electric circuit local to said station, including means operative when closed to actuate said gears to shift said semaphore to the safety position, and means arranged to be shifted to close said local circuit and to retain said semaphore in the safety position to which it is shifted by the closing of said circuit, a

normally closed electric circuit, including the rails of said track, arranged to shift said means to close said local circuit, and arranged to be short-circuited by said car or train to release said semaphore and permit it to drop by gravity to the danger position, an auxiliary signal station comprising gears, a'semaphore arranged to .be shifted thereby, contact plates, a brush carried with said semaphore operative to engage said contact plates, a normally open electric circuit,'including one of said contact plates and means arranged to actuate said gears to shift said semaphore to the safety position when closed, and arranged to be broken by the movement of said semaphore to said safety, position, and means operative to close said local circuit, a normally open electric circuit, lncluding one of the plates at .the main signal station, arranged to be closed gears, a semaphore connected to be shifted by said gears to the safety position, a

motor arranged to actuate said gears, a contact plate, a brush carried with said semaphore arranged to engage said contact plate, a normally open electric circuit, including said motor and contact plate, arranged to shift said semaphore to the safety position when closed, and-to be broken by the disengagement of said brush from said contact plate when in said safety position, means operative to make and break said local circuit, independently of said brush, a normally closed electric circuit, including the rails of said track, arranged to actuate said making and breaking means to close said local circuit, means engaged by said making and breaking means operative to retain said semaphore in safety position, and arranged to be released to permit said semaphore to dropto the danger position by short-circuiting said normally closed electric circuit, which is normally effected by a car entering the block protected bysaid plate, a brush carried by said auxiliary semaphore and operable to engage said lastnamed contact plate, a norinally open electric circuit local to said auxiliary station, and including said brush and last named contact plate, and arranged to be closed when said auxiliary semaphore is disposed in the danger position, means to make and break said local circuit, and to retain said auxiliary semaphore in safety position, independently of the brush carried therewith, and a normally open electric circuit arranged to shift the making and breaking means to close said local circuit to actuate the gears to shift said semaphore to the safety position at the auxiliary station, when the semaphore at the main signalstation is shifted to the danger position,

a and to release said semaphore at the auxil iary station, by breaking the circuit connecting said stations when the semaphore at the main signal station is shifted to the safety position.

7. In signal mechanism for railways, the combination with a main signal station comprising a semaphore, and an electric circuit arranged to control said semaphore,

of an auxiliary signal station on the same side of the track as said main signal station comprising a semaphore controlled by said first mentioned semaphore and arranged to be automatically shifted in opposition thereto as a result of the shifting of said first-mentioned semaphore.

8. In signal mechanism for railways, the combination with a main signal station comprising a main semaphore, and an electric circuit arranged to control said semaphore, of an auxiliary signal station comprising an auxiliary semaphore, on the same side of the track as said main semaphore, and an electric circuit controlled by said main semaphore and arranged to shift said auxiliary semaphore in opposition to said main semaphore as a result of the shifting of said main semaphore.

9. In signal mechanism for railways, the combination with a main signal station comprising a main semaphore, and a normally closed electric circuit arranged to control said semaphore, of an auxiliary sig nal station on the same side of the track as said main signal station comprising an auxiliary semaphore, and a normally open electric circuit controlled by said main semaphore and arranged to shift said auxiliary semaphore in opposition to said main semaphore.

10. In signal mechanism for railways, the combination with a track arranged to be traversed by a train, of a main signal station comprising a main semaphore, and an electric circuit connected to said track and arranged to control said semaphore, of an auxiliary signal station on the same side of the track as said main signal station comprising an auxiliary semaphore and an electric circuit connecting sald auxiliary semaphore to said main semaphore and arranged to be controlled by said main semaphore to shift said auxiliary semaphore in op osi tion to said main semaphore as a resu t of the shifting 'of said main semaphore.

11. In signal mechanism for railways, the combination with a main signal station comprising a main semaphore, and an electric circuit arranged to actuate said semaphore, of an auxiliary signal station comprising an auxiliary semaphore on the same side of the track as said main semaphore controlled by said main semaphore and arranged to be automatically shifted in opposition thereto as a result of the shifting of said main semaphore.

12. In signal mechanism for railways, the combination Wltl I a main signal station comprising a sem' said semaphore, of an auxiliary signal station on the same side of the track as said main signal station comprising an auxiliary semaphore controlled by said main station and arranged to be automatically shifted in opposition to said main semaphore as a result of the shifting of said first-mentioned semaphore.

13. In signal mechanism for railways, the combination with a track divided into blocks and arranged to be traversed by a train, of a main signal station comprising a semaphore, means to shift said semaphore to the safety position, means to retain said semaphore in safety position, and a normally closed electric circuit connected to said track and arranged to control said last mentioned means, of an auxiliary signal station on the same side of the track as said main signal station comprising a semaphore normally maintained in danger position, and'means controlled by said main semaphore to shift said auxiliary semaphore in opposition to said main semaphore.

14. In signal mechanism for railways, the combination with a main signal station comprising an element movable from a safety position to a danger position, of an auxiliary signal station on the same side of the track as said main signal station comprising an element movable from a dam ger position to a safety position, and means including an electric circuit controlled by said first-mentioned element and arranged to shift said second-named element in opposition to said first-named element as a result of the shifting of said first-named element. I

15. In signal mechanism for railways, the combination with a main signal station comprising an element movable from a safety position to a danger position, and normally maintained in safety position, of

phore, and meansto shift an auxiliary signal station on the same side of the track as said main signal station com-' prising an element movable from a danger position to a safety posltion, and normally maintained in a danger position, and means including an electric circuit controlled by said first-named element and arranged to shift said second-named element in opposition to sald first-named element as a result ofthe shifting of said first-named element.

16. In signal mechanism for railways, the combination with a main signal station coinprising an element movable from a safety position to a danger posltlon, of an auxiliary signal station on the same side of the track as said main signal station comprisin an element movable from a danger POSI- tion toa safety position, and means including an electric circuit controlled bytsaid first-named element and arranged to shift said second-named element in opposition to said firstrnamed element as a result of the shifting of said first-named element, and

" means controlled by said second-named element for stopping a car,said last-mentioned means being moved from an inoperative positionto an operative position asthe result of p the movement of said second-named element from a safet osition to a dan er y P I position.

17. In signal and stopping mechanism for railways, the combination with a track ar ranged to be traversed by a train, of a main signal station comprising a main sema bore auxiliary semaphore, arranged upon the same side of -sa1d track as said mam semaphore, and an electric circuit connecting said auxiliary semaphore through said main semaphore and arranged to be controlled by said main semaphore to shift said auxiliary semaphore in opposition to said main semaphore.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this fifth day of December, A. D.

- FRANK C. WILLIAMS. Witnesses:

ALEXANDER PARK, CLIFTON C. HALIDWELL.