US1292987A - Automatic train control and signal apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

W. E. 'BACKUS.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN CONTROL AND SIGNAL APPARATUS.

APPLICATION me!) nor. 20. 1911.

1 292 9 1 Patented Feb. 4, 1919.

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w E. BACKUS.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN CONTROL AND SIGNAL APPARATUS.

- APPLICATION FILED OCT. Z6, 19!]- Patented Feb. 4: 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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OF F-ITCHBURG, MASSACHUSETTS AUTOMATIC TRAIN CONTROL AND SIGNAL APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 4, 1919.

Application filed. October 26, 1917. Serial No. 198,710.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. BACKUS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fitchburg,.in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Train Control and Signal Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in automatic train controlling and signaling apparatus.

The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which may be used either with or without the ordinary block signaling instrument without in the least interfering with the said block signaling instrument to apply the brakes on a train which is approaching dangerously near or within a predetermined distance of a train ahead.

Another object of the invention is to provide means arranged'within the. operating compartment of the train and adapted to be operated simultaneously with the train controlling means for operating a signal for the purpose of Warning the operator of the train that there is danger ahead.

The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts set. forth in the following specification and particularly pointed out inthe claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic view of the control valve of an apparatus embodying my invention and shown connected with an engineers valve and a portion of the brake pipe of the train, the housing for the control valve being shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a truck, showing the arrangement of the brush and its relation to the contact member.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic plan view of a single track system equipped with an apparatus embodying my invention.

g. 4 is a diagrammatic view of a two track system equipped with my device.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

In the drawings, 1 is a valve casing which is connected by a pipe 2, with an engineers valve 3. A brake pipe 4:, sometimes referred to as the train pipe, is connected with the casing 1 and also communicates with the brake reservoir 5, preferably through a triple valve 6, all of which parts, except the and well known to those skilled in the art. The casing 1 also has connected therewith a pipe 7 which has, at its end, a whistle 8.

-Within the valve casing 1 is a rotary valve 9, preferablya two-way valve, having a passage 10, which, under normal conditions, is adapted to provide communication between the pipe 2 and the pipe 4 and at other times said passage is adapted to be moved so as to provide communication between the brake pipe 4 and the Whistle pipe 7 The valve 9 has a lever 11 attached to the spindle 12 of said valve, said lever having a handle 13 by means of which the lever 11 and said valve may be set, by the operator of the train in a position to provide communication between the pipe 2 and the pipe 4:, which position is shown in Fig. 1. A spring 1 1 is attached to the lever 11 and also to a bracket 15, clamped to the pipe 2, and this spring is arranged to exert a yielding pressure upon said lever lltending to close said valve and thereby cut off communication between the pipe 2 and the pipe 4 and to open communication between the pipe 4: and the pipe 7.

It is therefore necessary to provide means for holding the lever 11 in the position shown in Fig. 1, and for this purpose a trigger 16 is pivoted at 17, preferably upon a bracket 18, clamped to the pipe 41-. The trigger 16 has a tooth 19 adapted to engage a corresponding tooth 20 on the lever 11.

spring 21 yieldingly maintains the trigger 16 in engagement with said lever 11, thus holding said lever in its open position.

At the proper time the trigger 16 is adapted to be tripped, preferably by electro-magnetic means, including a coil 22 which is preferably attached, by means of clamps 23, 23, to the pipe 4:. This coil, when energized, is adapted to attract an armature 24 attached to the end of the trigger 16.

The mechanism hereinbefore described is preferably inclosed in a casing 25 with only the pipes 2, 4: and 7 and the handle 13 protruding therefrom, thus preventing the operator from interfering with said mechanism. This casing 25 and the engineers valve are arranged in the operating compartment of the train or within the locomotive, whichever the case may be, and said electro-magnetic device is connected, by means of suitable conductors, with contact I devices carried by a truck of rolling stock.

The preferred means employed in carrying out this part of the invention consists of a conductor 26 attached at one end to a binding post 27 on the casing 25, said binding post being connected, within said casing, to the coil 22, bymeans of a wire 28. The other end of the conductor 26 extends downwardly and is attached, preferably at 29, on the frame of a truck 30.

Mounted upon the truck 30, on brackets 31, 31 fast to said truck, is a running board 32 constituting a support for a contact member, preferably a brush 33, and this brush is mounted to slide vertically in an insulat ing bushing 34 attached to said running board, and a spring 35 maintains said brush in its lowermost position.

The upper end of the brush 33 is attached to one end of a conductor 36, the other end of said conductor being attached to one pole 37 of a switch 38 mounted upon the exterior of the casing 25. The switch 38 is a knife blade switch and the knife blade thereof is pivoted to the pole 37 and adapted to be moved into engagement with a contact 39 attached to said casing.

-A wire 40 provides communication between said contact 39 and the coil 22 so that when the electric circuit, including said coil, is closed said coil will be energized and the armature 24 attracted thereby. The wheels 41 of the truck 30 are adapted to roll along a track 42, consisting of rails 43 and 44. The rail 43 is constructed of a series of rail sections electrically connected together inthe usual manner and the rail 44 is constructed of a series of rail sections insulated from each other at predetermined intervals, as shown at 45.

Arranged along the side of the track 42 and at predetermined distances apart are contact members 46, preferably consisting of short sections of rails, mounted upon suitable brackets 47 and'beveled at their forward ends at 48 so that the brush 33, which is adapted to engage said rail, will ride upwardly on said beveled portion to the upper edge of said rail and pass along said rail to the end.

The contact members 46 are each connected by a conductor 49, preferably with a storage battery 50, arranged at suitable points along the track and each battery is, in turn, connected by a conductor 51 with one of the insulated sections of the rail 44, preferably the section in advance of the one which lies adjacent to the contact mem ber 46.

The contact members are disposed far enough from the insulated section, to which they are connected, to permit a train to come to a stop before it reaches said insulated section after. engaging the contact member 46. This system is adaptable either to a, single track railroad, as shown in Fig. 3, or to a double track railroad, as illustrated in Fig. 4. When applied to the single track system it will be necessary to provide a second set of contact members. The first set, which is shown beneath the rail 44, takes care of traflic moving in the direction of the arrow (1, but when the trafiic is going in the opposite direction, as shown by the arrow 6, the second set of contact members, which are indicated by the numeral 46, will be utilized.

These members, however, are connected in the very same manner to the insulated section 44 as described in connection with the contact members 46, for instance, the member 46 is connected, by a conductor 49". to a battery 50 and the battery 50 is connected, by a conductor 51, with the insulated rail section 44 just in advance of'the insulated section lying nearest to the contact member 46.

In Fig. 4, A represents a track with sections which are the equivalent of those used in the form shown in Fig. 3 when traffic is moving in the direction of the arrow A, and the track shown at B is utilized, and substantially identical with the form shown in Fig. 3, when traffic is moving in the direction of the arrow B, the only exception being that the insulated rail sections 44 are placed nearer to the contact members 46 instead of necessitating the conductors 51 being carried underneath the track to the opposite rail, as shown in Fig. 3.

The movement of the truck 30 of the rolling stock, with a brush 33 attached thereto, along the track, causes said brush to suecessively engage the contact members 46. If there is no obstruction in the section directly ahead nothing will happen but should there be a train, car or locomotive in the section immediately ahead of that into which the train is just entering, electrical connection will be provided between the rail 43 and the opposite section 44, through the wheels and axle, for instance, in Fig. 3 30 represents a truck of a train which has stopped at the point indicated. This train may have been going in the direction of the arrow at or 7). 30 indicates a train, car or locomotive which, we will assume, is traveling in the direction of the arrow 6 with the brush 33 on the right side thereof, which is the correct position of the brush. lVhen said brush is moved into contact with the contact member 46 of the insulated rail section 44 next to that engaging the truck 30 an electric circuit will be completed, through the conductor 49, battery 50 and conductor 51 of the rail sections 44, thence across the track, through the axle and the Wheels of the truck 30*, to the electrically connected rai'l sections 43, from whence it passes to the wheels of the truck 30 upwardly, through the conductor 26, binding post 27 andwire 28 to the coils 22, thence '14:, to rotate thevalve 9 to cut ofi communication between the brake pipe 4: and the engineers valve 3, but to open communication between the brake pipe 4: and the whistle 8.

When communication between the brake pipe 4 and the whistle pipe 7 is completed I the pressure of air within said brake pipe is decreased by reason of the air escaping through the whistle 8 and in consequence thereof the brakes of the train will be applied in the usual manner and also the whistle will be sounded, indicating to the operator that there is danger ahead and not only indicating to him this fact but also in applying the brakes to stop the train. This is accomplished without interfering in the least with the engineers valve, thereby maintaining pressure in the main reservoir of the brake system and permitting only the air within the brake reservoir and brake pipe to reduce in pressure.

It will be noted, however, inFig. 1, that the port 52, through which the air must pass, is very much reduced in size and this reduction is for the purpose of retarding the escape of air between the brake pipe so as not to apply the brakes too suddenly and not to permit all of the air within the brake reservoir to discharge within a reasonable time, that is, within a time sufiicient to permit the operator to reset the valve 9 by moving the lever 11 into its supporting position, as shown in Fig. 1. This the operator does immediately after the train comes to a stop or is slowing down and after the whistle blows, and must be accomplished before the brakes can be released and the train again started.

If, for any reason, the operator does not wish to have the device operate automatically these instlrumentalities may be disabled by opening the switch 38 and the circuit, including the electro-magnetic device and brush, will be broken.

Having thus specifically described my invention what I claim and desire by Letters Patent to secure is:

1. In an apparatus of the class described a valve casing, an engineers valve having communication with said casing, pipe connected with said casing, a whistle also connected with said casing, a two-way valve arranged within said casing, adapted to provide communication either between said brake pipe and said engineers valve a brake or between said brake pipe and said whistle, a lever attached to said valve, a trigger adapted to engage said lever to hold said valve in the first named position, a spring attached to said lever, and an electro-magnetic device adapted to operate said trigger to release said lever, whereby said spring may move said valve to the second named position.

2. The combination of a casing, an engineers valve, having communication with said casing, a brake pipe connected with said casing, a valve arranged in said casing, adapted to be operated to open and close communication between said engineers valve and said brake pipe, means for holding said valve in its open position, normally inactive elecflro-magnetic means adapted to release said holding means, a track, a contact member arranged adjacent .to said track, means for providing electrical connection between said track and said electro -magnetic means and between said contact member and said electro magnetic means, a piece of rolling stock on said track, and means carried by said rolling stock, adapted to provide electrical connection between said contact member and said track, whereby said electro-magnetic means may be operated.

3. The combination of a track including a pair of rails, one of said rails constitutlng an electrically united series of rail sections, the other of said rails consisting of a plurality of insulated rail sections, a contact member arranged adjacent to said track, means for providing electrical connection between said contact member and one of said insulated sections at a predetermined distance in advance of the insulated section adjacent to said contact member, a piece of rolling stock, adapted to move along said track, and a brush carried by said rolling stock, adapted to contact with said contact member and provide electrical connection between said contact member and the electrically connected -rail sections.

4. The combination of a track including a serie of electrically connected rail secelectro-magnetic device when a connection is made between said electrically connected sections and the insulated section in circuit with the contact member engaged by said brush.

5. The combination of a track including a series of electrically connected rail sections and a series of insulated sections; contact members disposed adjacent to each of said insulated sections, means for electrically connecting-each of said contact members With I an advance insulated section, a piece of rolling stock, an electro -magnetic device carried by said rolling stock, means, including portions ofsaid rolling stock, adapted to electrically connect aid el ectro-magnetic device with said electrically connected rail sections, and a brush having insulated connection With said rolling stock, adapted to engage said contact member to complete an electric circuit, through said electromagnetic device when a connection is made between said electrically connected sections and the insulated section in circuit With the contact member engaged by said brush.

6The combination of a track including a series of electrically connected rail sections and a series of insulated sections; contact members disposed adjacent to each' of said insulated sections, means for electrically connecting each of said contact members with an advance insulated section, a pieceof rolling stock, an electro-magnetic device carried by said rolling stock, means, includ- When connection is made between said electrlcally connected sections and the insulated section in circuit With the contact member engaged by said brush.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

WILLIAM E. BAGKUS. Witnesses:

S. Ln RoY LoNcLnY, MONROE J. 'BACKUS.

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

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