US1271831A - Railway saety-signal. - Google Patents

Description

W. 64 B. SWOBODA.

RAILWAY SAFETY SIGNAL.

APPLICATION mm JULY 1.19m.

1,271,831. Patented July 9,1918.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILHELM SWOBODA, OF ALTON, AND BOLESLAW SWOBODA, OF EAST ST. LOUIS, ILLINOIS.

RAILWAY SAFETY-SIGNAL.

Application filed July 7, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, lNILI-IELM SWOBODA, a citizen of the United States, residing in Alton, in the county of Madison and State of Illinois, and BOLESLAW Swonooa, a subject of the Emperor of Austria, residing in East St. Louis, in the county of St. Clair and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Railway Safety- Signals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railway safety apparatus such as employed for controlling trains passing along railway tracks. The apparatusas disclosed in the following specification is intended to cooperate with a switch, in such a way that if a switch ahead of thetrain is in an unsafe position, the engineer on the locomotive will be given a signal in time to prevent an accident. The apparatus for this purpose which is usually carried on locomotives frequentlyvinvolves the use of two or more solenoids or electromagnets and also frequently includes springs.

The general object of the present invention is to produce a very simple apparatus to be carried by the locomotive for the purpose stated and which will be reliable in operation, at the same time avoiding the use of a great number of parts, and springs.

Further objects of the invention will ap-.

pear hereinafter:

The invention consists in the general combination of parts and features to be described hereinafter all of which contribute to produce an efficient and reliable safety apparatus.

In the drawing which fully illustrates a preferred embodiment of our invention, the figure is a diagrammatic view indicating the general arrangement and details of our apparatus as applied to an ordinary locomotive.

Referring more particularly to the parts, 2 represents the rails of the track, along which the locomotive 7 runs. Ata suitable point on the track and at a considerable distance from the cooperating switch, we provide a track-device 19 to which is attached a conductor or wire 24: which leads forward on the track and is connected with the switch point adjacent the near rail, as viewed in this figure. Near the location of the track device the near rail is connected with the ground by a conductor 28. It should be un- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 1918.

Serial No. 107,921.

derstood that the conductors 21-, 2S and the near rail form parts of an electric circuit including a battery or other source of E. M. F said circuit being arranged so that when the switch point is in a dangerous position the circuit will be closed through the conductor 24 when the locomotive arrives at the track device 19.

In order to complete the circuit through the locomotive and cause an alarm to be given to the engineer we provide the locomotive with a contact device of any suitable construction, for example, comprising an arm 20 pivotally mounted on a bracket 23 secured near the forward end. of the locomotive, said arm 20 being provided with a contact roller 21 at its lower end and being constrained toward an inclined position by a coiled spring 22. When the locomotive arrives at the track device 19, the roller 21 rides upon the track device, thereby permitting the current to flow through a conductor 18 which is connected with the bracket 23. This conductor 18 is connected with a solenoid coil 12 which is preferably disposed with its aXis substantially vertical, and within the coil there is provided a core 13, the upper end of said core being provided with a head 14- of insulatingmaterial which is of suiiicient diameter to engage the upper end of a coil and support the core within the coil that is to say, it prevents the core from falling out of the coil. A similar insulating head 17 is provided at the lower end of the core, the function of which is to engage the coil when the coil is energized and thereby limit the upward movement of the core.

In a position adjacent to the solenoid we provide a switch which preferably includes a movable contact member 11 and a fixed contact member 15, both of which are mounted on an insulating block 10. When the coil 12 is not energized the movable contact 11 occupies a depressed position such as that indicated by the dotted line 11 At all times this movable contact 11 lies above and in the path of the upper end or head 14 of the solenoid but is unattached to the head. The contacts 11 and 15 are connected in the circuit 9 with an alarm device or electric bell 8, the said circuit being energized by a battery 16. The fixed contact 15 is constructed so that when the movable contact 11. rises it will resiliently engage the movable contact 11 and hold it by frictional contact in its elevated position.

One end of the solenoid coil 12 is connected by a conductor 25 with the axle of the locomotive, through the medium of a contact or brush 26, the circuit being completed through the rim 27 of the wheel, by its contact with the near rail 2.

In the mode of operation of the apparatus, if the switch ahead on the track is in a dangerous position, the circuit will be closed through the locomotive When the 10- comotive arrives at the track device 19, through the medium of the arm 20 and the conductors l8 and 25, This energizes the coil 12 and operates to move the solenoid core 13 into its elevated position, As the core rises its head 14: engages and pushes up the movable contact 11 in its path of movement until the movable contact comes into frictional engagement with the resilient fixed contact member-15. As soon as the locomotive passes beyond the track device, the solenoid core descends by gravity to its normal position, leaving the switch 111 57 closed. As soon as the switch 11-15 closes, it closes a local circuit through the alarm or bell 8 and an alarm is given to the engineer. Furthermore this alarm will continue until the engineer seizes the movable contact 11 and depresses it to its normal position, breaking its contact with the switchmember 15. i

It is evident that the means described are very simple indeed, involving the use of a single solenoid coil and avoiding springs such as are usually associated with apparatus of this character.

We claim 1. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a solenoid C il, a core within said coil mounted in a substantially vertical position so as to be raised by said coil when energized by the current, a movable contact member for closing a circuit, unattached to said core and lying above and in the path of movement of said core so as to be actuated to close the circuit by the upward movement of said core, and a second contact member cooperating with said movable contact member and operating by engaging therewith to hold the same up and thereby maintain the circuit closed,

Carie a thi p int m be attains? e .fi e

2. "In'apparatu s'of the class described, the

combination of a solenoid coil, a core with-' in said coil 'mounted in a substantially vertical position so as to be raised by said coil when energized by the current, a movable contact member for closing a circuit, unattac'hed to said core and lying above andin the path of movement of said core so as to be actuated to close the circuit by the upward movement of said core, and a second contact member of resilient material to engage said movable contact member, and operating by frictional contact with said movable contact member to hold the same up and thereby maintain the circuit closed.

In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a solenoidcoil, a core within said coil mounted in a substantially ver tical position so as to be raised by said coil when energized by the current, a movable. 7

contact member for closing a circuit, unattached to said core and lying in the path of movement of said core so as to be actuated to close the circuit by. the upward movement of said core, said core being freely movable so as to be returned by gravity after being raised by said coil, and having a head at its upper end to engage said coil and support the core in its depressed position.

4. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a solenoid coil, a core within said coil mounted in a substantially vertical position so as to be raised by said coil when en rg zed by th en a nwva e contact member for closing a circuit, unat tached to said core and lying in the path of movement of said core so as to be'actuated to close the circuit by the upward movement of said core, said core being freely movable so as to be returned by grav ity after being raised by said coil, and having a head at its upper end to engage said coil and support the core in its depressed position, said core also having a lower head for engaging the lower end of said coil to limit the upward'movement of said core,

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

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