US1646420A - Railway signaling apparatus - Google Patents

Description

1 646,420 1927' L. H. PE'FER RAILWAY SIGNALING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 26, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lNVENTORt 5 Q,- KW M z z ATTORNEY 1,646,420 0. 25, 1927. PETER RAILWAY SIGNALING APPARATUS Filed D 26. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 my. 4. I

, 2 "'l'll' 15 1 6 7 f INVENTOR'.

Pam, ug-M Patented Get. 25, 1927.

UNITED srares PATENT FFICE.

LESLIEIIURST PETER, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE UNION SWITCH & SIGNALCOI'IIPANY, OF SWISDVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A

CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY SIGNALING APPARATUS.

Application filed December 26, 1924, Serial No.

cut signal indications,and has for its object to provide simple and effective arrangements for electrically transmltting to any desired point an indication of the part cular signal or signals which .isvor are operative at any time.

According to my present invention this is effected by causing the phase or magnitude of an electric current transmitted from the signal to the point at which indication is desired to be varied in accordance with the particular signal or signals which is or are operative this current being supplied to an indicating device which is so constructed as to be responsive to the phase or magnitude of the current.

My invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, of which Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive are diagrammatic views of various arrangements of apparatus which may be employed in carrying my invention into practice.

Referring now first to the arrangement shown in Fig. 1, it will be seen that a signal actuating apparatus S is provided comprising a local energizing winding 1 and a'control winding 2, the winding 1 being permanently connected to a source of alternating current which may be constituted by transmission conductors. The winding 2. is also supplied with alternating current from the same or another source, the current traversing this winding being controlled from any suitable point such as a signal cabin, so as to cause the signal apparatus S to give one or another of three diiferent illuminated signal indications. For instance, the signal apparatus S may be arranged to eiiect the setting of a signal arm spectacle so as to bring one or another of three differently colored discs in front of the signal lamp in the usual. manner. The operation of the signal apparatus S is indicated at the pointof control or other selected point by means of an indication device I which may comprise, as indicated diagrammatically, a power factor meter having an element connected with a source of energy of known phase relation with respect to the source connected with winding 1 and 758,068, and in Great Britain February 29, 1924.

adapted to. give four different indications,

viz, one when the current suppliedto the device I is zero, a second indication when this current is of unity power factor, athird in: dication when the current has a laggingpower factor, and a fourth indication when the current hasa leading power factor;

The indication device I is connected to the signal apparatus S by two conductors 3, 4, one, 3, of which is connected to one of the terminals of the winding 1. An intermediate point in. this winding is connected by'means of a conductor 5' through switch cont-acts 6 to a contact arm 7 adapted to be operated by the signal arm carrying the spectacle above referred to. r The switch contacts 6 are arranged to be closed only when the signal lamp is illuminated and the contact arm 7 is arranged to engage with one or other-of three fixed contacts 8, 9 and 10, according to the signal indication exhibited, that is to say, according to the position of the signal arm spectacle.

The contact 8 is connected through an inductive resistance 11 to the conductor-4, the contacts 9 and 10 being alsoconnected to the same conductor through a non-inductive re-' sistance 12, and a condenser "13 respectively.

In operation it' willbe understood that when the signal lamp of the apparatus S is not illuminated the switch contacts 6 are open and current is consequently not supplied to'the indication device I, and the latter accordingly gives a corresponding indication. If, however, the signal lamp is illuminated so that the contacts 6 are closed and the signal arm spectacle occupies a p0sition corresponding, for instance, to a danger signal indication the contact arm 7 being in the position shown in the figure that is to say, is in engagement with the contact 9, current is supplied from the winding 1 to the indication device I, and owing to this circuit including the non-inductive resistance 12 this current will be of unity power factor. The indication device I will accordingly give the second or danger indication above referred to. l

In the event- Of the signal arm spectacle occupying a position in which the contact arm 7 is in engagement with the cont-act 8 corresponding, say, to a .cauti.on signal indication, the current supplied to the indi- L'JI cation device I will traverse the inductive resistance 11, and Wlll consequently have a lagging power factor, so that the device I will give the third indication.

Finally, if the signal arm spectacle assumes a position in which the contact arm 7 is in engagement with the contact 10, corresponding, say, to a proceed signal indication, the current supplied to the indication device I will traverse the condenser 13 so that this current will have a leading power factor and the device I will give the fourth indication.

It will thus be seen that four different conditions or settings of the signal apparatus S can be indicated at the desired point by the use of two transmission conductors connecting this point to the signal apparatus S.

I11 the arrangement shown in Fig. 2, the same result can be achieved with a single conductor 4; connecting the signal apparatus S to the indicationdevice I, the other terminal ofthe latter device being connected by a. conductor 1% to the middle point of an inductive bridge 15 connected across the control conductors 16 leading from the point of control to the winding 2.

The middle point of the latter winding is connected by means of a conductor 11 to an intermediate point in the winding 1,, and the conductor 5 is connected to one of the ter1n1 nals of the winding 1, as indicated in the figure.

The operation of the arrangement shown in Fig. 2 isthe same as that described above with reference to Fig. 1, it being understood that one of the conductorsconnecting the signal apparatus S to the, indication device I is constituted by a phantom circuit through the conductors 16. v

V In the arrangement shown in Figs. land 2 it will be seen that the indicationdeviee I is adapted to be operated to give different in.- dications in accordance with the phase of the current transmitted thereto from the. signal apparatus S. The different positions of the signal arm spectacle may, however, be indicated at the point of control by varying the volt-age of the current transmitted to the indication device as in the system illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 3.

In; this arrangement the contacts 8, 9 and 10. one or another of which is adaptedto be engaged by the contact arm 7 in accordance with the. position of the spectacle, are connected by means of conductors 17, 18, 19 respectively to points ofdifferent voltage in an alternating current transformer winding which may, as shown, he the winding 1 of the signal apparatus S..

The indication device I is in this case constructed as a voltmeter or ammeter, being thus capable of giving different indications in accordance with the particular signal which is operative at a time. In other respects the operation is the same as that of the arrangement above described and will be obvious from the drawing.

The arrangement shown in Fig. 4 is similar to that of Fig. 3, except thata phantom return circuit is utilized as in the arrangement shown in Fig. 2.

Referring now to the arrangement shown in .Fig. 5 which is similar to that of Fig. 1, the signaling apparatus S is shown as comprising three signal lamps 20, 21, 22, adapted to give correspondingly different signal indications, each of these lamps being provided with its own energizing circuit conductor 23, 2&1, 25, and a common return conductor 26. The circuit of each of the lamps 20, 21, 22 includes the winding of a relay,

the movable contacts 27, 28, 29 of which are adaptedwhen the relaysare energized to. engage with fixed contacts 8, 9, 1O respec-.

tively, and thus complete a circuit from the secondary winding 30 of a transformer through an inductive resistance 11 or a noninductive resistance 12 or a condenser 13, according as the lamp 20 or the lamp 21 or the lamp 22 is operative. One terminal of the transforn'ier winding 30 is connected to the common conductor 31 and the other terminal to the conductor 4 leading to. the indication device I. The other indication conductor 3 is connected to the relay contacts 27, 28, 29 and the primary winding 32 of the transforn'ier is connected to any suitable source of alternating current. V

In'operation it will be understood that when none of the signal lamps 20, 21, 22 is supplied with operating current all the relays are tie-energized, and current is not sup plied from the transformer winding 30 to the indication device I, which accordingly gives a corresponding indication.

If, however, one or other of the lamps 20, 21, 22 is energized current of lagging, unity, or leading power factor will be transmitted to the device I, and, a corresponding indication given.

The arrangement shown in Fig. 6 is similar to that shown in Fig. 3, except that one or another of the points of different voltage in the transformer winding 1 is arranged to be connected to the conductor 1- leading to the indication device I when a corresponch lng relay contact 27, 28, 29 is closed, this re- 7 lay being energized when current is supplied to the corresponding signal lamp 20, 21, or 22. y

The conductor 3 leading to the indication device I in this case also serves as a return conductor for the signal lamp circuits as will be readily understood.

Referring now to the arrangement shown in Fig. 7 the indication device I employed is in this case of the direct current type being adapted to give one on another of four Jun different indications according as the device employed for operating the indication deviee I, one terminal of the secondary33 being connected through a conductor '34:, a rectlflier and a conductor 36 to a fixed contact 8. The other terminal of thesecondary '33 is connected through a conductor 37, a rectifier 38,'a conductor 39 and a resistance 40 to a second fixed contact 9, the conductor 39 being also connected to a third fixed contact 10, as shown in the drawing. The middle point or the secondary 33 is connected to the indication conductor 4 and the middle point of the winding 2 is connected through switch contacts 6 to a contact arm '7 adapted to engage with one or another,

of the fixed contacts 8, 9, l0. Thecontact arm 7 is arranged to be operated 1n accordance with the movement of the-signal arm spectacle as above described with reference to Fig. 1.

In operation it will be understood that when the si nal. lamp isnot illuminated the contacts 6' are open so that current is not supplied to the indication device I which accordingly givesa corresponding indication.

lVhen the spectacle occupies a position corresponding to a danger indication the contact arm 7 is in engagement with the fixed contact 8 so that current is supplied from the secondary 33 through conductor 34, rectifier 35, conductor 36, fixed contact 8, contact arm 7, closed switch contacts 6, the two halves o'fthe winding 2 and the con ductors 16 and inductive bridge to the indication device I, the return circuit be ing from the conductor 4 to the middle polnt of the secondary 33.

The rectifiers 35 and 38 are each arranged;

to suppress dillerent halves of the alternating current wave, the rectifier 35 being, for instance, arranged to suppress the negative half with the result that the current traversing the indication device throughthe circuit above described will be of positive polarity and w I accordingly. I

lVhen the signal arm spectacle occupies a position corresponding to caution the con tact arm 7 will be in engagement with the fixed contact 9, so that a circuit will be com pleted from the secondary 33, through conductor 37, rectifier 38, conductor 39, resistance 4.0, fixed contact 9, contact arm 7 and switch contacts 6 to the indication device I as above described. Therectifier 38 being ill operate the indication device adapted to suppress the positive halves of the alternating current wave it will be clear that thecurrent supplied to the indication 'device Iin these circumstanceswill be ot negative polarity, and; since the circuit traversed by this current includes the resistance 40 will be of less than the normaltvalue tliusgiving a corresponding indication at the device I. I 7

When the signal arm spectacle occupies a position corresponding to proceed the contact arm 7 will 'bein engagement with the fixed contact 10', whereupon current of negative polarity will flow from secondary .33, through conductor 37, rectifier 38, conductors 39 and 39, fixed contact 9, contact arm 7 and switch contacts 6. to device Ias above described, the-resistance 40 in this case, l1owever, not being included in the circuit so that the current supplied to'the indication device will be of negative polarity and of normal value, and will cause a corresponding indication at this device.

i The rectifiers indicated'at 35, 38 are preterably of the type described in the specification ot'British Patentv No. 194,653.

It will be understood that various modifications of the arrangements above described may also be employed for instance, in the case in which each signal indication is given by a separate lamp the relay connected in the lamp circuit may bereplaced by a thermo-sensitive device arranged adja cent to the lamp so that the heat generated thereby when the lamp is operative will cause the closure the, character of the current transmitted to the indication device.

Again, it will be evident that multiple as-j pect working of the signal can be indicated,

of contacts for varyingv if desired, the indicating device, whether 0t 3 factor corresponding to a lead of 45 in phase to be transmitted to the indication device and a correspondmg indication given 7 thereby.

In theseand other respect-s my invention is not limited to the particular arrangements above described and illustrated by way of example, which may be varied as desired in order to meet particular conditions withouteXceeding the .scope of my invention.

Having now particularly described and. ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:

1. In combination, a signal capable of displaying three indications, an indicator'responsive to the phase or the current supplied thereto, and means for connecting said indicator with a source ofalternating Voltage through a non inductive resistance, an inductive resistance or a. condenser depending upon the indicationdisplayed by the signal.

2. In combination, a signal capable of displaying three indications, an indicator responsive to the presence or absence of cur rent supplied thereto and also tot-he phase relation of the current supplied thereto, a source of energy having one terminal 0011 -stantly connected with one terminal of said the remaining terminal of saidindicator, a

movable contact connected with the remaining terminal of said source when said signal displays any one of said indications and arranged to engage the. tree terminal of Silld non-inductive resistance said inductlve resistance'or said condenser depending upon the indication displayedby the signal.

I Intes t-iniony whereof I affix my signature LESLIE URs'r PETER.

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