US1335330A - Apparatus for suppressing false signals - Google Patents

Description

c. E. GOINGS. APPARATUS FOR SUPPRESSING FA'LSE SiGNALS. APPLICATION FILED MAR 22, l9l5.

1,335,3 30. Patented Main 30, 1920.

Mag;

v NITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE E. GOINGS, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA. ASsIGNoE, BY vIEsNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE POSITION-LIGHT SIGNAL COMPANY, A coRPoRATIoN 0F To all whom itmay concern:

Be it'known that I, CLARENCE GorNos,

a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain new, and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Suppressing False Signals, of which the following is a specification. v

In the use of a light signal, for daylight indication, difliculties are met with'due to the tendency of internal parts of the several units making up the signal to reflect back light falling on them in such a way as-toshow an in fact the unit is not lighted. v

I refer, as an example of a daylight signal, towhat is known as the position-light signals recently installed in the Pennsyl- Vania railroad near Philadelphia, and in which. the indication is 'ven both for day and night signaling by t e relative position of light-emissive surfaces, Each light'surface forms .part of a corresponding unit which comprises a sourceof illumination, either in the form of a lamp '(or it might be in the form of a reflect r serving to reflect the light from" a common source) a lens for concentrating and .directi'ngthe emergent beam, and a cover glass to protect the lens, and by preference a reflector to con ,centrate the rays and throw themout through the lens.

IVith units of this character a part of the light falling upon the cover glass from thefront thereof may, under some conditions, and especially when the sun is near the opposite horizon, be reflected from the front surface thereof, and so illuminate it that it appears as if it were illuminated by and from the source of light located in its rear.

Again, another part of such .light at such.

time may pass farther into the unit and, af-

ter being reflected and concentrated by in'-' ternal surfaces thereof, be reflectedback to likewise cause a false indication, standard signals the dificulties pointed out may to a great extent be avoided by the us of hoods which, by projecting forwardly over the cover glasses, shield the latter from the sun, but with dwarf signals the use of hoods is impossible.

My invention has come the difliculties abovepointed out as due'to reflection, and while it is especially applicable to dwarf-position-light signals, it

arentl li htedlun'it whereas I pp y g bered 850,817.

With

for its object to over- APPARATUSFOR SUPPBESSING- FALSE SIGNALS.

, is capable'of use in connection with standout may be presentin such signals.

The process and means employed by me for the purpose stated will be described in connection with the accompanying drawing which is a sectional view showing my 1I1V8I1- tion as ap lied to a signaling unitof a .position-lig t signal, as is shown in an application filed by 'William Churchill and Alexander H. Rudd in the United States Patent Office, 'July'13, I914, serially num- In this drawing, which illustrates one embodiment of the invention, 1 is a'suitable lens located inan openin in the case 2. In the case behind the lens 1s a lamp 3, while located above thelamp is a reflector 4. In front ofthe lens is a concavo-convex cover glass 5, the cover glass and lens being held within the opening of the case by a mounting The face 7 of the casing is preferably blackened to kill reflection therefrom and to afford a background against which the illuminated unit may be seen,

In the accompanying drawings, the reflector is shown as above the lamp, and is adapted in connection with the lens used,

Specification '0': Letters Patent. Patented Mar. 30,1920.- Application filed- March 2 2, 1915. Serial No. 16,176.

to reflect the rays diverging upwardly and located near the ground, and which is to be seen from above, the location of the reflector will be changed, so that in connection with the lens used, the signal can be seen from above when near the signal.

I have found that by interposing between thelens and cover glass one or more thickmesses of thin fabric 8, the reflections, which itis the object of. this invention to overcome,

are either suppressed or reduced to such an extent as to be unobjectionable. I have found that black chiflon is suitable for the purpose indicated, and that a unit, having the chiffon at the point indicated, appears, even when viewed with a strong light falling thereon, as not only .unilluminated, but as black, simulating theappearance of the blackened surface of the case,

Inasmuch as the fabric absorbs a certain portion of the light emanating from the lamp 3 in signaling, care should be had to have the lamp of suflicient high candlepoWer to give illumination effective for the desired signaling distance.

It will be noted that light passing through the ,coverglass from the front and tending after passing therethrough to be reflected back through the cover glass by the interior faces of the unit, (such as of the lens of the lamp and of the reflector, all of which may serve as condensing elements therefor), is when the fabric is employed, compelled to pass therethrough. The fabric either absorbs to a greater. or

I less extent these relatively feeble beams incident thereon, before they are concentrated by the 'refiecting and condensing faces in the rear thereof, or else,,by diffusion, so alters the direction of the incident rays as to prevent the same being concentrated by the reflecting faces, to give the false indication. In either case, the incident beams are destroyed and broken up.

It will be noted that the llght absorbing medium which is permanently located in front of the lens, does not cover such unit in the sense of shutting off the beam produced by light originating within the unit, its nature being such that it at the same time prevents the passage of such light While intercepting light falling thereon from the front sufliciently to prevent reflections from the unit.

I am aware that it is old to'interpose in the path of a beam of light, issulng from a signaling lamp a colored roundel or a colored cloth screen for the purpose of giving a characteristic color indication to the Sig: nal, but so far as I know such prior struc tures have not contemplated or embodied the prevention of the giving false signal indication by incident light, as is herein described.

By the above illustration and description of a specific embodiment of. my invention, which is made in accordance with the requirements of the statiites, I do not desire to be understood as limiting my invention thereto, as the latter is susceptible of other embodiment, but whatI do claim is,-';

1.'As a means of absorbing light falling upon and into a signal unit, having light-reflecting and condensing surfaces in its interior, a light absorbing medium located in front of such reflecting and condensing surfaces, and intercepting'light on its passage thereto, but permitting the passage of light of greater intensityoriginating in the unit.

upon and into a signal unit having light reflecting and condensing surfaces in its 1n- 'terior, a light-absorbing, medium consisting of a layer of Woven fabriclocated in front.

2; As a means of absorbing light falling of such reflecting and condensing surfacesv and intercepting light on its passage thereto, but permitting the passageof light of greater intensity originating in the unit.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two wit-

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