US1304035A - engleb and julius i - Google Patents

Description

W. F. ENGLER A'ND J. M. RUEDY.

RAILWAY CROSSING SIGNAL.

APPLICATION man JULY 9.1911.

garded.

Unrrnn erstens PATENT onnron.

WILLM F. ENGLER MI D .TULIUS M. RUEDY, 0F LOS ANGELES, CAL:[ECltllli4 narriwnro'nossme siGNAL.

recenser Specification ef Letters Patent.

' Patented May 20, 191% To all tf/mm. z'z may Concern:

Be it known that' we,l `W1LL1AM F. EN- GLnu and JULiUs M. RUnni', both citizens of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Railway-Crossing Signal, of' which the tollowing is ay specification.

Our invention relates to the art of preventing persons andvehicles from entering a railway crossing during ay delinite'period before and during the time that a train or other-'vehicle is passing the crossing.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a railway crossing signal oi' simple construction and operation which is so placed that it cannot be readily disre- Referring to the drawingswhich are for illustrative purposes only:

'Figure 1 shows a strc-et intersection with the railway crossing provided with a single signal.

Fig. Q shows an elevation of the same signal.

Fig. 3' shows a diagram of connections,

and

Fig. l shows rather diagrammatically a method of operating the limit switches.

AFig. 5 is an enlarged view of the winch.

ln the form of' the invention illustrated in these drawings, the signal proper consists of' a crossl bar 11 having a warning signal 12 secured thereon and a. series of pendent .lanterns '13, each lantern being equipped with a suitable incandescent lamp or other luminous source. The'bar 1l is suspended hy means. of' flexible cords 14 from any suitable structure` these cords passing into a case l5 in which is located a standard winch or winding rigr operated by an electric motor 1G. This electric motor is preferably of the series type and consists of a field 17 and an armature 17. Suitably located at some point on one ot the cords 14 are three buttons 18, these buttons being so placed that they operate a limit switch lever 19 and a limit switch lever 20. Secured on the limitswitch levers 19 and 2O are insulating blocks 21 to which are fastened conducting blocks These conducting blocks 2Q serve to malte contact between fingers 23 and 2st., and

25 and 26, as shown in Figs. 3 and l. A'

battery or other source of .;electric power 27 is supplied, and a relay 2S may also be used. The. relay 2S consists of a winding 29 surlower end of which is provided with a guard for thelamp consisting of semi-circular wire mesh 46 secured to the shell 45 in any well known manner. These lanterns are so arranged as' to hang in their lowered position, s o that vehicles such as automobiles or cars, may Vpass freely thereunder.- In the event, however, that higher objects, such as a load of hay, come into contact with one or more of the lanterns, the flexible suspension will bend, and allo-w the objects to pass. A battery 50 is provided, and insulated rail sections 51 and 52 are also provided.

The method of connection is as follows:

Winding 29 of the relay 28 is connected through the battery 50 with the rail 51, and through a. wire 53 with 'the rail 52, the wheels and axle 54 of the vehicle using rail sect- ions 51 and 52, serving to connect the sections 51 and 52 together, and to actuate the relay 28 by raising the core 30.

The armature-17 is connected on one side to the finger Q4, and on the other side to the finger 25'.

The `field 17 is connected on one side to one terminal of the battery 27. the other side of this battery being connected to the terminal The other sident the field 17 is connected to the terminal 36. The finger 40 is connected to the linger 2G, and the finger 41 is connected to the finger 24:. The finger 39 is connected to the finger 25, and the finger 3S is connected to the finger 23.

The method of operation is as follows:

`With the parts in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2, and the electrical apparatus` in the position shown in Fig'. 3 the following condition of affairs will be seenl position by the central button 18, which is in its left-hand position. All. circuits 'are' .open until the wheel 'and axle54 connect the rails 51 and 5'2 together. Whenever this oc` Wie curs, relay Q8 is actuated and contaclors and are pulled up` makiingr contact with the ripper fingers 38 and 39, respectively. The current then flows from the batterg.7 2T through the tield 17 to the terminal through the contactor 33 to the finger 39, through the armature 1T", through the fingers 28 and and block Q2, to the finger 38., and through the contacter 32 and the tlexibleeord 3l to the terminal 35 which is connected tothe other side of the battery, thus-completing the circuit.

Theniotor being actuated through thev current flowing in the armature 17 and field 1'?, the winch is actuated to lower the har 11 through the iexible cords 14, these cords morini]r in the ldirection of the arronT A, as shown tln Fig. l. This lowers the lanterns 13 from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2 to the position shown in dotted lines in that ligure, lllhenever the flexible cord' 14 vreaches this position, one of the end buttons 1S strikes lever 1l) and opens the circuit to the motor by throwing the bloclc 2Q away from between fingers 23 and 24; Simultaneously with this movement, the other end button 18 strikes the switch lever 20 and throws the. block Q2 into contact with fingers 25 and 26. The lanterns 13 then hang suspended just above the tops of passing vehicles. Incandescent lamps may be provided in lanterns 13, and suitable switch mechanism may be provided for turning them on and oli", these lamps being lighted' when lanterns are in their extreme lower position, or while being lowered.

f' s through the field 17 to the terz inal gli, and through the contacter 33 to linge lli, From this linger it flows au the armature 17 to the finger 25 the linger 2G. From the finger 2(3it flows to the linger ell). and through the contacter 31E and the terminal 35 lo the other side of the battery 2T. This starts the winch, thus raising the liar 11 through the tlcxilile cords ll. This continues until one ot the outside buttons 18 strikes the lever 20, opening the circuit between the hngcrs Q5 and 2li, the central button 18 siniultaneouslrr striking tho lever 19 and closing the circuit lwtwccn the. fingers 23 and 24. The circuit bring open between the lingers and 2li, the motor will stop and the signal will remain in its raised position until such time as it is again actuated by the wheels and axle 5l ot a succeed ing train.

lVe claim as our invention A crossing signal comprising` a stationary supporting structure located at either side of a roadway which it is desired to protect and extending across said roadway at a sufiieient height to give ample clearance to the tratlie on said roadway; a cross bar substan tialljyv parallel with the surtace ot said roadway and ol suliicient length to cover the major portion of the width ot said roadway; a series of pendant lanterns ou said cross b ar; two pulleys each secured to said structure over said roadway, said pulleys being separated from each other ly a distance slightly less than the lengthot said bar; two flexible cords each secured to said har near the end thereof and each passing' through one of said pulleys; winding` means secured in said structure for raising and lowering said cross bar in a position snbstantiallji' parallel to the surface ot said roadway by winding up or unuinding said tlexililc cords each substantially thc same distance and means for arresting the movement, ot said bar at a suilicicntv height above the roadw: to allow vehicles to pass under said. aindat lanterns.v

ln testimony i'\\'hereol we have set our hands al' lios i'ngcles, l' this 22nd day ot lulv 1917.

hereunto z, litornia,

winnaar r. snoeien. sinnlos n. nunnr.

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