US1252758A - Mechanical movement. - Google Patents

Description

S. A. WILLIAMS.

MECHANICAL MOVEMENT.

APPLICATION FILED ma. s. 191e.

Patented Jan. 8, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I 8A TTER v S. A. WILLIAMS.

MECHANICAL MOVEMENT.

AAPPLICATION Flu-:D FEB. 3. Isle.

1.252.?58. Y Patented Jan. 8,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

y Zi 27 .15 plane ofthe inclosing case and the mechawere i Tv a SAMUEL A. `i7I1'.|LI..llIS, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

MECHANICAL MOVEMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 8, 1918.

Application filed February 3, 1916. Serial No. 75,944.

To all whom it mag/ concern:

' Be it known that l, SAMUEL A. WILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles, State of California, have invented a new and useful Mechanical Movement, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to railroad crossing signals, such as are used where highways cross railroad' tracks. The principal objectI of the invention is -to provide an audible and visible signal which Will warn highway trallic of the approachof a train.

A further object of my invention is to provide a signal that will be very conspicuous and which will be operated by a simple mechanism.

rl`he railroads atthe present time have adopted a stationary warning signal consist ing of two signboards set at 45o with the vertical and suitably inscribed. A further object of my invention is to provide a signal -Avhich, atrest, will look exactly like the standard sign-board now in use so that in case of accident to the mechanism the signal will be exactly equivalent to such standard sign-board.

.l`he invention consists broadly of a pair of sign-boards set at right angles to each other and provided with means for oscillating them upon the approach of a train. It consists further of an illuminated pendulum swinging a red light below said sign-boards upon' the approach of a train, and it con-` sists further in the addition of a gong or other audible device actuated slmultaneously Y `with the sign-boards.

In the drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only:

- Figure `l is a side elevation of thesignal as mounted on suitable supporting structure. Fig. 2'is a partial section on an enlarged `scale on a plane represented by the line :c2- m2 of Fig. 1.

F 1g. 3 1s an enlarged section on the same nism contained therein.

Fig. 4 is an elevation, partly 'in' section, on a plane representedby the line :v4-mt of F ig.

Fig. 5 is a diagram of connections.

lln these drawings, a supporting pole 11 is supplied to which bracket arms 12 are secured by means of U-bolts, these bracket arms being partly supported by braces 14,

arranged in the form of a cross and having suitable warning legends painted thereon. Secured outside the 'hubs 25 are sockets containing a pair of incandescent lamps 28. Pendulum arms 29 are secured in the shaft 24, these pendulum arms consisting of 1101- low pipe and extending down inside the sign boards 27 to'a Y 30, this Y being connected through a short length of pipe 31 with a pendulum 32, this pendulum consisting of an inclosing casting 33 having face plates 34 secured thereon, each of these face plates having an opening covered bya lens 35 preferably formed of colored glass, each of these lenses being shielded by a ShadOW bOX 36. Located inside the pendulum 32 are a pair of incandescent lamps 37. rl`he lamps 37 are provided with suitable wiring, not shown, which runs up through the pipe 31 and arms .29, and the interior of the shaft 24 being taken out through the opening 38 in the shaft 24. The lamps 28 are also connected to suitable wiring, not shown, which runs back through the shaft 24 and outwardly through the opening 38. Secured on the shaft 24 is a liber spool 39, this spool having an opening therein which registers with the opening 38, and through which the wires for the lamps 28 and 37 are brought. These wires are coiled around the spool 39 several times, being then taken to binding posts 41 which are secured on a slate or porcelain slab fixed to the upper Wall of the case 20, as shown in Fig. 4. The object of the spool 39 is to provide some slack so that current can be supplied to the lamps 28 and 37 as the shaft 2l turns. Riffidly secured to the shaft. 24 isa crank 42, this crank having a crank pin 42 on which one end of a connecting rod 43 is pvoted. 'll`he other end of the connecting rod 43 is pivoted on a pin 44 carried by a crank disk 45. The crank disk 45 is rigidly secured to a Worm gear shaft 46. Formed on the exterior of the crank disk 45 are a` succession of ratchet teeth 47. A striking lever 48 extends out of the ratchet teeth 47 and is provided with a hooked end 49 coperating therewith. The lever 48 is pivoted on a pin 50 secured on an extension 51 formed on the bottom 21. The bottom 21 forms a base for the mechanisnt Rigidly secured on'the lever 48 is a striking rod 52, this rod extending downwardly through an opening 53 in the base and inside a gong 54 which is secured by means of a bolt 55 to a boss 56 formed on the underside of the bottom 21. spring 57 is secured at 58 lto the bottom 21, the other end being secured to a pin 59 se; cured in the lever 48. Located on and surrounding the shaft 46 is a quill GO, this quill turning freely on the shaft 46 and having a Worm gear 61 secured thereon. The quill 60 turns in bearings 62 formed on the bottom 21, ball bearings being supplied, as shown, if desired. Rigidlyf secured on one ,I of the bearings 62, by means of screws 63,

is a magnet case 64 which contains a coil 65. Turnlng inside the magnet case 64, and

secured to the quill 60, is an armature 66,-

and secured to the shaft 46 is a keeper 67. The armature 66 1s formed of non-magnetic material having a section of magnetic material 68 inserted therein. A worm gear 70 is formed on a shaft 71, this shaft being carried in bearings 72 formed on the bottom 21 and being connected through coupling 72 with a motor 74. One of the binding posts 41 is connected externally through a wire 100 With one terminal of a battery 101 the other terminal .of which is connected through a Wire 102 with a switch or relay 103 which is in turn connected through a Wire 104 with the other binding post 41. Internally one of the binding posts 41 is connected through a Wire 105 with one terminal of the coil 65, the other terminal of which is connected directly to one terminal of the motor 74. The other terminal of the motor 74 is connected through a Wire 106 With the other binding post 41.

The signal is normally in the positionl shown in Fig. 1. In'this position the magnet is not energized and there is no adhosionbetween the armature 66 and the keeper 67, so that the shaft 46 is free to turn inside the quill 60, and the sign-boards are free to ssume their normal position` as shown in `ig. 1. Whenever it is desired to actu'ate the signal, which may be done automatically by any of the well known means, or which may be done by a gateman, or other person, employed for the purpose, current is supplied A tension turning the gear 61 through the Worm 7 0 and thus turningfthe quill 60 and the armature 66. rl`he magnet 65 being simultaneously energized With the motor 7 4, the armature 66 becomes energized.

The armature 66 attracts and grips the keeper 67 Which is formed of steel or cast iron. This results in locking the armature 66 and the keeper 67 together, thus causing the quill 60 and the shaft 46 to rotate together. As the shaft 46 rotates the pin 44 moves in a small circle, thus pulling one end of the connecting rod 43 back and forth. The crank 42 has a larger radius than that of the pin 44, so that -the pin 42 is pulled back and forth through an are of approximately 90 degrees. This back and forth nately into the vertical position and throws the pendulum 32 back and forth, thus furnishing an unmistakable visible warning signal. At the same time the rotation of the crank disk 45 causes the gong 54 to ring, the teeth 47 alternately lifting and dropping the end 49 of the lever 48, the movement. of this lever causing a clapper on 'the end of the rod 52 to strike sharply on the inside of the gong, thereby causing it to emit sound. This movement of the sign-boards 27, the illumination of the lamps 28 and 37, and vthe sounding of the gong 54 continues as long as current is supplied tothe binding posts 41. Whenever current is shut olf from the binding posts 41, the lights goout, and the motor stops. There is, however, considerable inertia in moving` mechanism of this kind, and the motor-may continue to rotate, andthe sign-boards to move for a considerable time. after the current is shut oil". The cutting off of the current from the binding posts 41 also cuts off current from the magnet 65, and releases the magnetic gripping action between the armature 66 and the keeper 67, so that the sign-boards 27 are mechanically disconnected from the motor. The result is that these sign-boards come to rest in the position shownl in Fig. 1, the weight of the pendulum v other end of said connecting rod pivotedi said motor with said quill; a clutch so arranged as to lock said quill and said driving shaft together; and electromagnetlc means for locking said quill and saifl clutch together.

lln testimony whereof, I have hereunto Set 51@ my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 26th day of'January,l9l6. l

SAMUEL A. WILLIAMS.

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