US1214440A - Electric-trolley-railway signal system. - Google Patents

Description

B. M. DOWNS & W. S. COOK.

ELECTRIC TROLLEY RAILWAY SIGNAL SYSTEM.

APPLICATION HLED NOV. 1?. 1915.

3. 2 l 4, Patented Jan. 30, 1917,

INVENTDRE W146 THY ATTGRNE x5.

pairs are PATENT onion.

BENJAMIN M. DO'WNS, OF BUFFALO, AND WALTER S. 080K, LACKAVTANNA, NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 17, 1915.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, BENJAMIN M. DOWNS, a citizen of the United States, residin at Bult'alo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, and WALTER S. COOK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lacka wanna, in the county of Erie and Eltate of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electric-Trolley-Railway Signal Systems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an electric trolley railway signal system which is designed more particularly for use in a one track railway having sidings at intervals to enable cars or trains to pass each other, although this system may also be used in other railway installations.

it is the objectof this invention to provide a simple, ellicient and comparatively inexpensive signal system whereby a car or train entering a certain block of the railway system will automatically give a signal at the opposite end of this block and thus notify the operator of a train or car at the last mentioned end of the block to remain on the siding or keep out of the way of the train first to enter the block, said signal system being so designed that when the car or train which gave the signal leaves the opposite end of the block the signal will be automatically cut out.

The accompanying drawing represents a diagrammatic View showing the preferred embodiment of our invention in a railway system containing a single main track and one or more side tracks, the main track and the side tracks forming difierent sections of the railway which enable trains or cars to pass each other while going either in the same or in opposite directions.

In the drawings, 1 represents the main track forming one section of the railway and 2, 3 sidings arranged at opposite ends of a block of the railway and forming sections of the same which may be taken by cars or trains in order to permit different trains or cars to pass each other while moving either in the same direction or in opposite directions. In the drawings the main track is so constructed that the same gives the right of way over the same for cars passing from leftto right while the sidings are constructed so that they are taken by cars pass ing from the right to left.

SYSTEM.

Patented Jan. 36), 1917.

Serial No. 61,917.

at represents an electric trolley car running on the main track at the left of the siding 2 and engaging its trolley 5 with the main overhead trolley wire 6, and 7 represents a trolley car running on the main track at the right of the siding 3 and engaging its trolley 8 with the main trolley wire. The car a is about to enter a block of the railway system at the left hand end thereof and the car 7 is about to enter the same block at the right hand end thereof. The trolley of the car 4: passing from left to right remains continuously on the main trolley wire while this car travels over the main track, but the car 7 while taking the sidings 2, 3 of the railway track engages its trolley with trolley wire sidings or sections 3-), 10 corresponding to the sidings 2, 3 of the railway track. All of the foregoing may be of any suitable and well known construction such as are now commonly found in electric trolley railway installations.

Our improved signal system which is combined with the electric trolley railway system just described is preferably constructed as follows: 11, 12 represent two electric signal devices arranged adjacent to opposite ends of a block of the railway system so that they may be observed by trains or cars approaching this block from opposite ends. These signal devices may be of any suitable character so as to give either an audible or visible indication but the same preferably consist of electric lamps each of which has one of its sides or terminals connected with the railway track by a wire 13 or otherwise. H represents a main line closing con tact arranged adjacent to the main trolley wire at the left end of the block and connected by a wire 15 or otherwise with the opposite side of the signal lamp 12 at the other end of the block, and 16 represents a closing contact arranged adjacent to the siding section 10 of the trolley wire at the right hand end of the block and connected by a wire 17 or otherwise with the opposite side or terminal of the lamp 11 at the left end of the railway block. The main line closing contact 14: is arranged so close to the main trolley wire that the same will be engaged by the trolley 5 of the car 4 moving from left to right over the main track and thereby close the electric circuit between the trolley wire and this closing contact and causing the lamp 152 at the right hand end Cir of the block to be illuminated, whereby the conductor of a train 7 occupying the right hand siding 3 or about to enter the same is notified to take this siding and stay there until the left hand car 4 has passed toward the right over the main track beyond the right hand siding. In like manner the left signal lamp 11 is illuminated when the right car 7 takes the siding 3 and its trolley 8 connects the siding closing contact 16 with the trolley wire siding section 10, thereby notifying the conductor of the left ear 4 to remain on the main track between the ends of the siding 2 in order to permit the cars to pass each other in this block.

inasmuch as the connection between the main closing contact 14 and the trolley wire is again broken immediately after the trolley of the left hand car passes toward the right beyond this contact, the right hand signal lamp 12 would immediately become eatinguished if no means were provided to maintain this lamp lighted until the left hand car passes this lamp at the right. hand end of the block. In order to keep this right hand lamp lighted until the left hand car has passed the right hand siding, retaining means are provided which comprise an electrically operated switch having two contacts the fixed member 18 of which is preferably connected byv a branch wire 20 with that side of the right hand lamp 12 with which the main closing contact 14 is connected while its movable contact 19 is connected by a wire 21 and other conductors with the trolley wire. The movable contact 19 is normally held out of engagement from the fixed contact 18 by a spring and the same is preferably constructed to also form part of the armature 23 of a retaining electromagnet by pivoting this movable contactadjacent to the pole of the coil 24 of this magnet. One end of this coil is connected with the railway track by a wire 25 while its opposite end is connected by a wire 26 with the right hand lamp '12 on that side of the latter with which the contacts 14, 19 are connected. It follows from this construction that when the circuit through the right hand lamp 12 is closed from the trolley wire to the railway track by engagement of the left hand trolley 5 with the left hand main closing contact 14, that a part of this current also passes through the wire 20, coil 24 and wire 25 to the railway track, whereby this coil attracts the armature 33 and causes the movable contact 19 to move forward and the fixed contact 18. The circuit across the trolley wire and tracks including the right hand signal lamp 12 and the coil 24 now remains closed notwithstanding that the left hand trolley 5 leaves the left hand main closing contact 14 so that the right hand lamp remains lighted and the left hand retaining coil 24 remains enerhand signal lamp 12 will be extinguished gized, at which time the current passes through a divided circuit which includes the wire 21, armature 23, contacts 19, 18 and wire 15 to one side of the right hand lamp 12 and wire 26, coil 24 and wire 25 to the railway track.

Means are provided whereby when the left hand trolley car 4 reaches the right hand end of the respective block the right automatically, the means for this purpose being preferably constructed as follows: 27, 28 represent the movable and fixed contacts of a restoring switch which upon be- I ing engaged with each other form part of the auxiliary circuit of which the wires 20 21, left coil 24, right lamp 12, the retaining switch contacts 18, 19 and the armature 23 also form a part. The movable restoring switch contact 27 is preferably formed on an armature 29 which is adapted to be attracted by the pole of an electromagnet the coil 30 of which has'one end connected with the railway track by the wire 25 while its opposite end is connected with a restoring electric contact, 31 arranged adjacent to the main trolley wire at the right hand end of the block. The armature 29 is preferably pivoted and normally held in its retracted position by means of a spring 52 so as to engage the contacts 27, 28 when the restoring coil 30 is not energized.

A ssuming that the trolley of the left hand car 4 upon entering the corresponding end of the block has engaged its trolley 5 with the left closing contact 14 so asto light the right lamp 12 and energize thevleft retaining coil 24 and engage the contacts 18, 19, and this trolley has passed toward the right beyond this closing contact and thereafter the closing of the circuit across the trolley wire ant track for illuminating the right lamp is due to the attraction of the coil 24 which closes the contacts 18, 19, then the 7 parts remain in this position until the trolley of the left car engages with the restor ing contact 31 at the right hand end of the block. When this occurs an electric cur; rent is conducted from the main trolley wire through the restoring coil 30 and to the track which causes the restoring coil to become energized and attract the companion armature 29, thereby disengaging the movable contact 27 from the fixed contact 28 and breaking the auxiliary circuit across the trolley wire and track containing the left retaining coil 24 and the right lamp 12. This lamp is now extinguished and the left coil 24 is deenergized whereby the armature 23 of the latter is retracted by the spring 22 and the contacts 18, 19 of the companion switch are separated, thereby restoring the signal mechanism to its normal inoperative position. The instant the trolley of the left hand car 4 escapes from the right hand 1 restoring contact 31 the restoring coil becomes deenergized and its armature is again retracted by the respective spring 52 so that the restoring switch contacts 27, 28 are again engaged preparatory to forming part of an electric circuit across the trollev wire and track.

l/Vhen the right hand car 7 is the first to take the right hand track siding 3 the signal lamp 11 at the left hand end of the block is illuminated in the same manner so as to notify an approaching left hand car or train to keep on the main track between the ends of the left hand siding 2 in order to permit the cars to pass each other. The closing of the left hand signal lamp 11 for this purpose is effected by engagement of the trolley 8 of the right hand car 7 with the siding closing contact '16 arranged adjacent to the right hand siding trolley wire section 10, whereby a circuit is established across the trolley wire and the track which includes the wires 13, 17, left hand signal lamp 11 and causes the latter to be illuminated. Part of this cross current from the trolley wire to the track due to engagement of the right hand trolley 8 with the siding closing contact 16 passes through the coil 32 of a right hand retaining electro-magnet, and wire 25 to the railway track which last mentioned retaining coil when energized operates to attract an armature 33 which is pivoted adjacent to the pole of this coil and is normally held in an attracted position by means of a spring et. As the armature 33 moves forward under the attraction of the coil 32 a retaining switch composed of a movable contact on this armature and a fixed contact 36 are engaged so as to close an auxiliary retaining circuit which is formed partly by a wire 37 connecting the fixed contact with the wire 17 and a wire 38 connecting the armature 33 with the armatures 23, 29 so that when the right hand trolley8 leaves the siding closing contact 16 a circuit across the trolley wire and track will still be maintained which includes the right hand closing coil 32 and the left hand signal lamp 11 and thereby keeps the latter illuminated.

hen the right hand car 7 reaches the siding at the left hand end of the block its trolley 8 engages with a restoring contact 39 adjacent to the left hand siding section 9 of the trolley wire which contact is connected by a wire 40 with that side of the restoring coil 30 opposite to that which is connected with the track, whereby the last mentioned coil becomes energized and at tracts its armature 29 so that the contacts 27 28 of the restoring switch are separated and the auxiliary circuit across the trolley wire and track containing the right hand coil 32 and left signal lamp 11 is broken. The armature 33 of the right hand closing coil is now retracted by its spring 3e and the switch contacts 35, 36 are separated and the left hand signal lamp 11 is extinguished, thereby restoring the parts to the normal position preparatory to giving the next signal.

It will be noted from the foregoing description that each car or train upon entering one end of the block illuminates the signal lamp at the opposite end of the block and when this car leaves the block the signal thus given is automatically extinguished. In the particular organization of our invention which is shown in the drawings one of the retaining magnets operates to close a retaining switch which holds the companion lamp in circuit after the trolley of the respective car or train has temporarily closed the electric circuit through this coil and the companion lamp, but the restoring switch 27, 28 controlled by the restoring electromagnet coil 32 operates to automatically break the circuit through both of the closing coils and the signal lamps at opposite ends of the block when trolley cars pass out from the block at either end thereof.

The several electro-magnet coils which electrically operate the retaining and restoring switches are so wound that they offer a comparatively high resistance and each coil is arranged in a circuit directly across the trolley wire and track, so that only a small amount of the electric current passes through any one of these coils when the same is in circuit, and only that coil is energized which is included in a direct circuit across the trolley and track while those coils which are not in a direct circuit across the trolley wire and track are not energized. By this means the engagement of a trolley with either of the trolley wire closing contacts 14: or 16 at one end of the block will only illuminate the signal lamp at the opposite end of the block.

.Ve claim as our invention:

1. An electric trolley railway signal system comprising an electric signaling device having one terminal connected with the railway track upon which the car runs, a closing contact connected with the other terminal of said signal device and arranged adjacent to one part of the trolley wire so as to be electrically connected therewith by the trolley of the car as the latter passes the respective part of the track and trolley wire, a closing electro-magnet having an armature and a coil one end of which is connected with said track while the other end is connected with that side of said signal device with which said closing contact is connected, a retaining switch having contacts which are adapted to be engaged by the forward movement of said armature when attracted by energizing said coil and one of which is connected with said trolley wire while the other is connectedwith said signal device and coil on the same side as said closing contact, an opening contact arranged adjacent to another part of said trolley wire and adapted to be electrically connected therewith by the passage of said trollcy an opening electro-rnagnet having an armature and a coil one end of which is connected with said opening contact and the other being connected with said railway track, and a restoring switch which is arranged in the circuit of said retaining switch and the contacts of which are adapted to be separated by the forward movement of the restoring armatur under the attraction of the restoring coil when the latter is energized.

2. An electric trolley railway signal system comprising a track having different sections over which cars are adapted to run in opposite directions respectively a trolley wire having sections which are engaged respectively by the trolley of said cars running in opposite directions two pairs of trolley contacts arranged at opposite ends of a railway block and each pair comprising a closing contact which is adapted to be electrically connected with one section of the trolley Wire by the trolley as a car moves in one direction on one track section and an opening contact which is adapted to be electrically connected with the other sec tion of the trolley wire by the trolley as the car moves in the opposite direction on another track section, two closing electromagnets each having an armature and a coil, one end of both coils being connected. with said track and the other end of one coil being connected with the closing contact at one end of the railway block while ing two contacts one of which is connected with the trolley wire and the other with that side oi one of the signal lamps and the companion closing coil with which one of the closing contacts is connected and the contacts of each retaining switch adapted to be engaged by the forward movement of the armature of one of said closing coils when the latter becomes energized an opening electro-magnet having an armature and a coil one end of which is connected with said track while the other end thereof is connected with both of said opening contacts at opposite endsot said block, and a restoring switch which is arranged in the circuit of both of said retaining switches and the contacts of which are adapted to be separated by the forward movementof the restoring armature under the attraction of the restoring OOll when the latter is energized.

BENJAMIN M. Downs. WALTER s. coon.

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

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