US1385295A - Railway signaling - Google Patents

Description

E. P. A. ABRIC. RAILWAY SIGNALING. APPLICATION FILED SEPT 23, I9I8.

1,385,295. Patented 'July 19, 1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAILWAY SIGNALING.

Application filed September 23, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, EMILE Pmmm ANTOINE Annie, a citizen of the Republic of France,

an automatic block signal system which, al-.

though particularly applicable for use in subway or otherunderground systems, may alsobe used with surface lines, and which :involves only the use of electrical condisclosed.

nectors and lamps and avoids the use of mechanical devices, electromagnets, or other similar devices extensively used in block signal systems.

In my copending application Serial No. 250,596, filed August 19, 1918, a block signal system is disclosed in which a car or train entering a block automatically establishes an. electrical circuit through a plurality of lamps including a control lamp ahead of the train, and one or more signal lamps in the rear of the train. My present invention also involves the use of a plurality of lamps including control lamps adapted to be lighted ahead of a train entering a, certain block and si nal lamps behind the train to warn succee ing trains, but the present invention involves a different arrangement of electrical circuits hereinafter to be fully Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents diagrammatically a block signal system in which the blocking and control signal lamps of the same section are in series;

Fig. 2 is a similar view in which the lamps are in parallel;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2,but

showing an additional or safety lamp at each signal;

i Fig. 4 is a cross section through a railroad track showing a portion of one embodimellllt of the invention incorporated therewit r In the drawings the electric connector A is a continuous main running parallel to the track along its whole length, the trackway R itself constituting the return main. A conductor comprising insulated overlapping sections B' B B B, &c., is also parallel to the track R, the sections being preferably mounted on 'the cross ties between the rails, as illustrated in Fig. 4. Each of Specification of Letters Patent.

Eatented July 19, 1921.

Serial No. 255,317.

these sections is coextensive with two block sections, but has no definite length, the length of the block sections being determined by the grade of the track, its curva turc, the intended interval between trains, and the permissible speed.

At the ends of each block are located the signal lampswhich comprise, referring to Figs. 1. and 2, control. signals C, C, C and C and block signals D D D and D In Fig. 3 additional signals E, E, E and Ff are illustrated, which constitute safety signals adapted to be automatically illuminated when the lamps of: the corresponding block signals have been destroyed. Each of the sections B, B, 13 B and B is con-. nected to the continuous main A. In Fig. 1 the connection includes a control lamp and blocking lamp in series. In Fig. 2 each section is connected in two places with. the main A, one of said connections being through a control lamp and the other through a block signal lamp. The trackway as stated above, constitutes the return conductor and mounted upon each car of the line, one of which is indicated riliagrammatically at F, is a suitable contact brush which bears against both sections of the interrupted conductor running parallel to the track. The brushes are electrically connected to the wheels of the car so that as the latter enters a block, connection is es tablished between the mains A and R through two different connecting means. The brushes remain in contact with two sections of the sectional conductor so long as the car is traversing any given block, and at the end of the block the brushes pass over a gap between the ends of two of the sections, thus breaking the circuit through one set of lamps and creating a circuit through a new set.

In Fig. 1 the car F has established electrical connection between the trackway It and the main A through control lamp (1 and block signal lamp D and also between the mains through control lamp C and block signal lamp D These lamps are,

therefore, illuminated, warning a succeeding pose of enabling the operator of the train, who is looking ahead, to see whether or not proper electrical connection has been made between the two mains R and A as his train enters a block.

From the above it is apparent that the trains are separated by butter sections, that is, when the signals are working properly, a train approaching a block signal in which the lamp is illuminated will be warned that the preceding train is in the second block ahead and that caution should be exercised in proceeding, or that the train should be stopped entirely until the train ahead has proceeded to a third block ahead.

Safety lamps E, E, E E illustrated in Fig. 3, are illuminated when the block signal lamps D, D, D D are destroyed, being connected in shunt with the circuit through the block signal lamp. hen it is seen that a safety lamp is illuminated instead of block signal lamp, the latter should be immediately replaced.

For electric railways the third wire or trolley wire is used instead of the main A and, in case of the third wire the section conductor is preferably placed alongside the cable to subway systems, it may be utilized in connection with surface railways in which case the lamps are placed in a box which shields them from the daylight, and are visible only in'certain directions, for instance in the direction of the approaching train.

The advantages of the invention will be apparent from the above description. It is cheap to install in the first instance, there being nocomplicatedmechanism and no moving parts other than the brush or brushes carried by the train, the maintenance cost is extremely low due to the simplieityof the system,'and the danger of nonoperation of signals is reduced to a minimum. Other advantages will also be apparout to those skilled inthe art.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to beobtained by LettersPatent is:

1. Inblock signal apparatus for railroads, incombination, parallel continuous electrical mains, conductors divided into insulated overlap 'iing sections, an electrical connection, including a signal lamp, between each section of said conductors and one oi said mains, and means carried by a car for electrically connecting the other main simultaneously to one section of each of said conductors for the purpose set forth.

2. In block signal apparatus for railroads, in combination, parallel continuous electrical mains, conductors divided into insulated overlapping sections, a signal lamp at each end of each insulated section, an electric-d connection, including one of said signal. lamps, between each section of: said conductors and one of said mains, and means earricd by a car for electrically connecting the other main simultaneously to one section of each of said conductors, for the purpose set forth.

8. In block signal apparatus for railroads, in combination, parallel continuous electrical mains, conductors divided into insulated rn'erlapping sections, an electrical. circuit, including a signal lamp and a control lamp. between each section of said conductors and one of said mains, and means carried by a car for electrically connecting the other main simultaneously to one section of: each of said conductors, for the purpose set forth.

4. In block signal apparatus for railroinls, in combination, parallel continuous electrical mains conductors divided into insulated overlappii'ig scctionscach section being coextensive with two blocks, a signal lamp at each end of each insulated section, each lamp being electrically connected to one of the insulated. sections and to one oi? the mains, and means carried by a car for electrically connecting the other main simultaneously to one section of cach'of said conductors, for the purpose set forth.-

5. In block signal apparatus for railroads, in combination,parallel continuous electrical mains, conductors divided into insulated overlapping sections, each section being coextensive with two bloclrs, two signal lamps at each end of each block oneof these two lamps being a block signal for one block and the other being the control signal for the block behind, electrical connecting means be,- tween each of thesections of the'coiuluetor and one of the mains, through a control and a signal lamp, and means carried by a car for electrically connecting the other main simultaneouslyto one section of each of said conductors, forthe purpose set i'orth.

In testimony whercofl allix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EMILE PIERRE ANTOINE ABRIC.

lVitnesses PAUL COULOMB, JOHN F. Smroivs

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