US147396A - Improvement in railroad-signals - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets--Shet1l E. L. HPKINS 8|. H. P. NORTON.

Railroad-SignaIs.

Patented Feb.10,1874.

Nui/17,396.

Q QM@ aw m'bzassas:

rTnn STATES PATENT OFFICE..

ESICK L. HOPKINS, OF HOMER, AND HABLAN I). NORTON, O F IONIA, ASSIGN- ORS TO THEMSELVES AND GEORGE C. OVERHISER, OF IONIA `OOUNTY,

MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILROAD-SIGNALS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 147,396, dated February 10, 1874; application ltd March 8, 1873.

To all whom it may concern s i p 3e it known that we, Esteri L. Hopkins, of Horner, in the county of Calhoun and in the State of llIichigan, and HABLAN I. NORTON, of Ionia, in the county of Ionia and in the State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Danger-Signals for Railway- Curves and Railway-Crossings; and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon, and being a part of this specification, in which- Figure l, Sheet 1, is a perspective view of our system of semaphores as arranged to indicate the presence of a locomotive on a curve of the line of rails to warn the engineer of an approaching or following train. Fig. 2 is a like view of said signals as applied at a railroadcrossing. Fig. 3 shows in perspective the post, rock-shaft, lever, 85e., employed for operating the curve-signals. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the post, operating-lever, &c., employed for operating the signa-ls at a crossing. Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of one ofthe curvesignals, and Fig. 6 is a like view of a tripping-plate to be secured to or upon the side of the engine.

Like letters refer to like parts in each figure.

The nature of this invention relates to an improved system of railway-track and railwaycrossings danger-signals, by means of which, when a railway-train is 011 a curve in the line of the railroad, that fact is made known to an approaching train in either direction. It also -relates to a modification thereof, to be usedat railway-crossin gs, for indicating the approach of a train by means of seinaphores actuated.

jonrnaled in uprights at cach end of the system, and in a trip-lever and face-plates, which, being actuated by a double-incline plane or stationary cam affixed to and project-ing from the alon gside of which'the poles B or the telegraphpoles are erected. `To the sides of these poles, which are set around a curve, we secure two pairs of brackets, C, projecting toward the rail.- road-track. In the lower brackets we pivot, by means of a stud at the top and bottom of each, the semaphores D D, etc., all of which are connected by a wire, a, running along onel side, and by similar wire b at the other side. Thesewires and the semaphores, as established, extend around the curve of the railroad until the end semaphores are visible on the str. ight track of the road, where their ends are secured to the ends of a double rocker-arm, E, keyed on a rock-shaft, F, journaledin the posts G, projecting through that one nearest the railroad-track, and carrying at that end a faceplate, H, having a hook, d, at one side. On the end of the shaft, outside the face-plate, a

trip-lever, I, is pivoted, to the lower end oflstationary cam, J, Fig. 2, with a projecting rib or flan ge, which should overrun the top of every lever at the end as it approaches it and, as the locomotive or cam progresses, depresses it (the lever) to the positions shown at the left of Fi 1 in passing it when going in either direction. In all the wires there should or may be between their connections 011e end of each piece of the wire formed into a coil, C, to allow for expansion and contraction 'under variations of temperature, and to ease the sudden strain or shock thrown on the connections by a train passing at high speed.

Then all the semaphores are in line or parallcl with the track oi' the road, as is the upper series, D it will indicate that the track is clear to the engineer otl an approaching train. New, it' a train approach the curve, going t'rom lci't to right, its cam J will overrun and depress the lever I in the opposite direct-ion from that shown by the first lever without moving the rock-shaft F', as the piu e travels away from the hook d ot' the face-plate H 5 passing on, it depresses the lever Ito the position shown; it moves the rock-shaft, drawing the wires ,which rotate the semaphorcs on their axis a quarterre-volution, and thus present their broad sides to the View ot' the engineer ot' an approaching train from either direction, and so warn him that the curve is occupied. It' one side of cach semaphore be painted white, it will denote that the train is ahead of him. By painting thc other side red, it will warn him that a train is approaching him. The train passing onto the end ot' the cur\e,'co1ning in contact with the lever I, returns the semaphorcs to their normal position parallel with the track. A train entering the curve from the right actuates in like manner the upper series ot' scinaphores.

y Over the scmaphorcs we can place any convenient cover or ln'otcction, to keep out the snow and rain, and thus guard against any interference in the workin g ot' our system vlfroni icc; and over the other parts oi' our mechanism covers or guards can be placed for like purposes.

le have shown in Fig. 5 how the rain cap or cover can be applied to the semaphore. cZ the cap or cover, which rests abovc or over the pivot, and sheds off the rain and snow. Both ends ot' the pivot may be provided with this protection. These caps over the pivots or pivotal caps are usually constructed of metal and as shown at c2, and t'astei'ied to the brackets C,

.or cast with them, and have suitable indentations to allow the journals or pivots of the semaphore to rest and turn in. rlhus construeted, they are not only very durable, but they are of a shape and size .not in any manner to interfere with the sight of the signal or its operation or use.

Our said signal may be operated in the single set, as in the description before given; and in that case we use a face plate, 1'1", with a double shoulder or projection, d, as shown in Fig. 4, and this signal will be opened or displayed by the approach ot' the train, and closed as the tra-in passes the opposite end 5' or we may use, as we have already fully described, a double set of semaphores, one placed above the other, and so arranged that trains'approaching from one direction will operate the upper series, and those approaching from the opposite direction will operate the lower series. Either of these plans is the counterpart of the other, for the mechanism is the same, and the detail. ot' arrangement of the several parts almost identical. So, also, we can arrange the semaphorcs as that they will answer for highway-crossings. In this case, we use the same mechanism before described; but we group the semaphores together, so that the letters or signs painted on them shall bear any convenient signal or warning, as in Fig. 2. Thus the approach ing train sets the semaphores broad side to the carri age-road, givin g the needed warnin The two signals can be readily used together or separately, as occasion may require.

Having thus fully set forth the nature and merits ot' our invention, what we claim as new 1sl. A series ol' pivoted signals suitably` painted or lettered, and arranged by the side of the rail way, and connected with cach other by wires, and operated by the passing trains by means ot' the lever and face-plate and suitable mechanism placed at each end ot' said series, substantially in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

2. The pivotcd disks having a ca-p, c2, above their journals, and painted or lettered, and arranged in a series by the slide ot' the rail, and connected together by wires for simultaneous operation, and cach rotating at a right angle with its plane when moved by passing trains, by the means and in the manner set i'orth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing wc have hereunto set our hands this 30th day ot' January, 1873.

ESR/K L. HOPKINS. HABLAN l. NORTON.

Witnesses T. S. Donsnv, E. l). PATTER, NATI-IANIEL BEATrrn, J. S. NEWLAND. v

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