US1733980A - Interlocking system for railroads - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 29,1929- J. E. STEPHENSON INTERLOCKING SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS Filed March 27, 1926 Hal "LIT.

3B 35 mag Patented Get. 29, 192@ 1,733s8tif a JAMES-E. STEPHENSON,*OlWBOCHESTFE, 1012K, IKSSIGIIGEQTD :RAILWAY SIGN-AL 'GOMPANY, 0E ROCHESTEE, EZ'EVT Y INTERLOCKING srsrnra For. narrinoens Application filed. March 27,1925. "Serial- No. 97,911.

- vices oii of the same lever.

In accordance with v the present invention, it is proposed to construct an interlocking lever usableinxconnection with dynamic indication apparatus sov as to have, a normal middl'eposition and two reverse extreme positions, soas to make itin fact athree position lever. vMorev specifically, it isproposed to construct-.an-interlocking lever having an indicating'latch i'orci-bly moved :to its latchingposition as thelever is moved in either direction from its norm alposition, to. provide a latch dog whichis forcibly driven into its latch engaging position as the lever is moved fromits normal middle position in either direction, and to provide the necessary contacts to complete the necessary control and'dynamic indication circuits.

. Other objects, purposesand characteristic features of the invention will-appear as'the description thereof progresses.

Tn describing the invention in detail referencewill be made to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1. shoWs-anovel interlocking system according to the present invention, wherein two signal circuits are controlled by a single lever and in whichthe principle or dynamic indication is employed; 7

Fig. 2 illustrates the lever shown in Fig.

'1 to .awlarger scale; and

Fig. '3 illustrates a transverse section o'f the lever-taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 as viewed in the direct-ion of the arrows. v

In order to simplify-the description of the present invention, the mechanism of the signals whereby dynamicindication currentis generated has not been shown speciiicallynnd for this reason itis considered expe 'dientto briefly review; the principle of "dynamic indication. 1n interlocking practice, airs-eon. siderecl highly essential that theindication current shall, ii flpossi'ble, 'b.edistinctive l5 om the control current so that "the. 'intlicat'n current cannot readily,- or-even possibly-{flow as a result of 'a cross,-or 'the liikef Als'o,the source of indication currentjiiipossible, should not be present "'until the traific'con trolling device has responded to" the changed position inthe lever anther-owes In aecordance with K the dynamic indic'ation *pri'r ciple, both of these essentials are taken care of by requiring the 'trafiic' controllin'g clevice' itself to generate the, dynamic indication-cunrent afi'e'r it has practically completed its movement in response 't-o-a change i n the-positionof the lever; further, in having this tra -fiic contrdll'ing- 'd'eivice generate "a car rent of distinctive-polar i y, distinctivephasa if alternating currentfis us'ed, or the {like For further in formation regarding dynainic indication systems or the ty e mentioned rererence naybe had to-the p'aterrt' ito Fran-k Benedict No. 1,533,357 April] 14, 1925' the application of-P. Rice Ser. #624,265 fi'ledMarChIO, I923. I I V It the lever in such a -'dynamic indication system controls a signal, cl e case 'in the embodim nt o t'ilre'i-nvention strated in Fig. 1, the signal is: operatedto 't'he-clearpo sition by the application. current-to its con trolwire, and if'the signal is to be returned to its normal position, the-source of energy is disconnected, from the control wire, and the control Wire is'connected toganfindication magnet on the lever. l/Vlren fihe signal .has

almost completeditsretnrn movement, a circult 18 completed througl'i thisind-icatioa magnet'in which currentiioivs, due-to regeneration as'ta resultiof the signal moving, by 9 gravity,':a spring, or both, toitsnorrnal dane ger position rthe dynamicallygenerated nurrent flowing in the same direction through I the control wire as that flowing in' the control wire when the signal is cleared.

Structure Referring to Fig. 1, the invention has been shown in connection with a lever L controlling the entering (westbound) signal Z at the approach to a siding 1, the leaving (eastbound) signal Z of such siding, and the leaving (eastbound) signal Z of the main track 2 of such siding, this siding including a manually or power operable switch S. The control wire 3 leads directly to the signal Z, and the control wire 4 leads to the signal Z or the signal Z through wires 5 and 6, respectively, depending on the position of the switch box contact 7 controlled by the switch S.

Referring to Fig. 2, the control lever L comprises a main bar or lever 10 which is slidably supported between the frame pieces 11 and 12, (see Figs. 2 and 3), and is held down by a top plate 13 upon the interlocking frame portions 14 and 19.

This lever L is connected by a rod 15 to a contact block 16 for controlling the control and dynamic indication circuits, more specifically described hereinafter. This main bar 10 is thus slidably supported for endwise movement, and by the provision of the Z- shaped cam slot 17 is adapted to move the roller 18 up and down as the lever is pulled out and pushed in, respectively. This roller 17 operates the usual tappet bar of the interlocking machine, familiar to those skilled in the art.

The lever 10 has notches cut in its lower portion, leaving a lock lug 20, latch lugs 21 and 22, and a cam operating lug 23. Directly below this lever portion 10 and in the main frame of the interlocking machine is mounted an indication latch 25, pivotally supported by the pin 26, and spring pressed to its normal position as shown by the spring 27, this latch being adapted to be locked in its abnormal position by the indication dog 30 pivotally supported at 31 and 5 ring pressed to its latch engaging position y the free end of ti e same spring 27. Directly below the indication dog 30 is an indication magnet IllLha'ving an armature 33, which magnet if energized operates the latch to its disengaging po sition through the medium of a pm, as shown. Directly in back of the indication dog 30 is supported an indication cam 35, which is pivotally supported at 36, and is spring pressed to its normal position by the spring 37 contained on the spring plunger 38 slidably supported in the hole 39.

The mechanism just described is the well known indication locking mechanism which may be automatically unlocked by the indica- In addition to this locking mechanism, there is provided a lever latching means which is manually controlled by turning the handle 40. In the particular arrangement shown, this handle 40 is fixed to the rocking plunger 41 by a pin or screw 42. This tion 13 of the top handle 40 is normally held in its upright position by a spring 43, secured within the hollow portion of the rear end of the lever 10, and having its other end fastened through the head of a screw 44 fastened in the rocking plunger 41. This rocking plunger also has a collar 45 pinned thereto to prevent endwise movement thereof. To the upstanding porplate 13, is secured by screws 51 and 52, the slot structure 50, of a bayonet slot arrangement. This slot structure (see Fig. 3) contains a hole through which the rocking plunger 41 is adapted to slide as the lever 10 is moved back and forth, a keyway 54 being provided to allow one or the other of the keys 55 and 56 fixed to the plunger 41, to slide therethrough, depending on whether the handle 40 is tilted toward the right or toward the left, and whether the handle is pulled or pushed from its normal position. In order to aid the operator in tilting the handle 40 to the proper inclined position to register the key 55 or 56, as the case may be, with the keyway 54, lips 50 and 50 extending from the structure 50, have been provided, the upstanding portion 13 being hollowed out to provide clearance for the lip 50.

' Operation If the operator wishes to clear the signal Z, he turns his lever toward the right and then pushes the same. This causes the latch lug 22 to push the indication latch to its locked position, so that the projection 25' thereof moves upward on the left side of the lock lug 20. Upon further movement of the lever toward the right, the lock lug 20 engages the indication cam 35, thereby causing it to operate the indication dog 30 (if this has not already been operated by the end of spring 27), thus assuring that the indication latch is in its locked position. finally reached its extreme right hand position, a circuit is completed from the terminal 13 of a suitable source of energy, contact 57 of the cross-protection relay, wires 58 and 59, through contacts 60 and 61, wire 3, the operat ing motor of the signal Z, to a common return wire C connected to the other side of said source of energy. This causes the signal Z' to assume its clear or proceed position.

After the train has passed the signal, the, operator should not be able to return the dog 30 was previously forced to its engaging position. Further movement of the lever to- When the lever has signal-Z, wires 8. and '63,.contacts 6 l and'65,

wires '66 and 67, coilsof-theindication net 1M, wire 68, cross-protection relay CR, wire 69, to the common return wireC from which we started. 'VVhen the signal Z has almost reached its danger posit-ion, the mechanism of the signal completes a dynamic indication circuit, whereby the motor of the signal Z generates current which flows through-theindication circuit just traced and causes operation of 'the indication magnet IM, this current being in a direction (assuming a direct current system) so as not to. operate the cross-protection relay CR. This cross-protection relay OR, in a direct current system, is a polarized device,'and trips the contact 57 only if current flows as a result of 'the applicationgof the B terminal to'a part of the circuit such as the wire-67. Operation of the indication magnet 1M causesithe dog 30to-be movedout of-engagement with the latch -25, allowing the spring 27 to operate the latch; to its nonengaging position, whereby the operator. is

permitted to move the lever still further toward the left to its-normal posit10n,-in which position the roller 18 unlocks: all conflicting levers. I

If the operator desires to cleareither the signal Z or the signal Z depending on .theposition of the switch S, to allowa train to pass, he will tilt the handle 40 toward the left, thereby allowing the key 56. to enter slot 5 1, after which lie-may pull out the'lever toward the left, and in so doing cause the left hand end Jof the latch 25 to be forced down by the latch lug 21, this latch lug 21 engagingthe indicationlatch 25,therebymoving this latch 25 to its locking position. A

slight further movement of the, lever causes the cam operating lug 23 to engagethe indication cam 35, the operation of which mechanically forces the indication dog 30 into i its engaging position, if spring 27 'has'not already done so. As the lever Lis moved to the extreme left hand position, ,a.;circuitfor the signal Z? (assuming the switch S to be in its normal position), may be traced as follows :beginning at the -terminal B, contact 57 of the-cross-protectiondevice'GR,

wires 58 and 62,0ontacts 7 0-65, wireset'and 71, switch box contacts 7, wire 5 ,operating' mechanism of thesignahZv 'to the'commo'n return wireCr gThe'completion'of this cir- -This flow of current, being the operator.

euit causes: clearing of the signalZ permitting a train: to :proceed from left ito fright' on the main'track 2. i

Let us now: assume that: the train haszpass'ed as follows":beginning at the-common return wire C, IllEGllflTilSlIl-Of thG signal'Z wire5 contact 7 wires 71, t and' 7-2, contacts 60 and 73, wires :74- and 67 winding of the indication ma gnet 1M, wire 68, cross-protection relay GRfwire 69-back to-the common return wire 0. "When the signal Z has almost reachedits danger positiom by reason-(if the return of the signal "to its stop position by the action of gravityor a spring 'or both;

this indication circuit is completed in the signal mechanism, and this sig'n'al' mechanismcauses indicationcurrent to fiow which operates the indication magnet IM. The flow of this indication current raises the armature S3 forcibly for an instant, and in so doing disengages the dog 30 and allows the l'atch25to again assume itsnormal'posi 7 tion. Asthelever'is returned to its middle normal position, the rollerTlS operates the tappet bar to a position to unlock all conflictinglevers. I fthe switch Sis openwhen the lever is moved to'theentremeleft position the signal Z" is obviously cleared. instead of signal Z the operation of'which neednotbe specifically considered.

It should be noted that if the wire67 shou'ld'accidentally, (when lever L is imthe position shownin Fip'.

. 1) be connected to the terniinal B of the bat- V tery or other source of energ the current 7 due'to such connection couldflow to the sigdue to a cross, or the like,

1 its nals Zand Z and also through the indication magnet and the cross-protection relay.

operate the cross-protection relay, wouldacand the terminal would be entirel-y disconf necte d from "the interlocking systeinbefore v the signals could be cleared by "such unauthorized current. The raising of the latch 74 as av result'of the flow of thisunau'thorized current, allows the spring 75 to "move the contact 57 to its open position, where it will remain until it is manually'r'estored by Having'thus shown and 'clescribedone specific embodiment-of an interlocking system of the dynamic indication type in which [a singleth'ree-pos-i'tion lever may control a plu- '-rality"of -traffic controlling devices, it is-dein a direction to tuate the cross-protection relay very quic'lilv e sired to be understood that the specific arrangement illustrated has been shown for the purpose of illustrating the nature of the invention rather than its scope, and that various changes, modifications and additions may be made to adapt the invention to a system including a plurality of switch machines or other traffic controlling devices without departing from the scope of the invention or the idea of means underlying the same.

What I claim as new is 1. In an interlocking system, the combi nation with a plurality of traffic controlling devices of a single lever for controlling the same, a latch dog associated with said lever, said lever being movable into either extreme position from its normal middle position and being locked by said latch dog against movement thereof toward the middle normal position, and an indication magnet for striking said latch dog so as to move it out of its engaging position when a dynamic indication is received from one of said traffic controlling devices to permit said lever to be returned to its normal position.

2. In an interlocking system, the combination with a lever having an indication latch, of a lock dog for locking said latch and a cam for forcing said dog into engagement with said latch, said lever having a middle normal position and two extreme positions and having lugs for forcibly operating said latch and said cam into their active positions when said lever is moved to either extreme position from the middle position, an indication magnet which if momentarily energized operates said lock dog todisengage said latch, and two electrically operated traffic controlled devices capable of generating a dynamic indication current when they have almost completed their operation in response to a change in the position of said lever toward the normal position.

3. A lever for interlocking machines comprising, a lever bar slidably supported in a frame, a rock plunger rockahly supported on said lever bar and having its free end slidably supported in stationary means having a slot, a handle for said rocking plunger, and means associated with said rocking plunger for preventing said lever from being moved slidably unless said handle is first tilted from its normal position.

4. Locking means for reciprocable levers of interlocking machines comprising, a shaft s cured tosuch lever in a manner to pe init it to be rocked about its axis and so as to i have its axis substantially parallel to the direction in which said lever may be reciprocated, stationary means in which said shaft is adapted to slide having a slot therein, and

must be rotated to an extent to line said key up with said slot before said lever may be moved in a certain direction.

5. Locking means for reciprocal levers of interlocking machines comprising, a shaft secured to'such lever in a manner to permit it to be rocked about its axis and so as to have its axis substantially parallel to the direction in which said lever may be reciprocated, stationary means in which said shaft is ada ted to slide having a slot therein, and two eys projecting out of said shaft on opposite sides of said stationary means when said lever is in its middle position, said keys being out of alignment with each other, whereby said shaft must be rocked to different positions to permit said lever to be pulled and pushed respectively.

' 6. An interlocking lever comprising, alever bar supported for slidable endwise movemen-t, a rock shaft supported by said lever bar against endwise movement With respect to said lever bar and so as to have its axis parallel to the direction of movement of said lever bar, a handle on said rock shaft for reciprocating said lever bar, stationary means in which said shaft may slide provided with a slot therein, and a key projecting from sait shaft out of alignment with said slot so that said handle must be tilted to permit said key to entersaid slot before said lever bar can be moved in a certain direction.

7. An interlocking lever comprising, a lever bar supported for slidable endwise movement, a rock shaft supported-by said lever bar against endwise movement with respect to said lever bar and so as to have its axis parallel to the direction of movement of said lever bar, a handle on said rock shaft for recoprocating said lever bar, stationary means in which said shaft may slide having a slot therein, and two keys projecting from said shaft on opposite sides of said stationary means-when said lever is in its middle position, said keys being out of alignment with each other, whereby said handle must be tilted in one direction or the other as the lever bar is operated'in one direction or the other.

8. In an interlocking system. a three position lever for controlling two electrically operated traffic controlling devices, the middle position of said lever putting both of said devices in their normal condition, movement to oneextreme position of said lever putting one of said devices in its abnormal condition, and movement of the lever to its other extreme position putting'the other of said devices in its abnormal condition; and manually operable mechanical means for preventing said lever from being moved from one extreme position to the other extreme position by a single movement. 1

9. In an interlocking system, a three position lever for controlling two electrically locking means by current generated dynam ically by one or the other of said traflic controlling devices depending on from which extreme position said lever has been moved to the middle position.

10. In an interlocking system, a three po sition lever for controlling two electrically operated traflic controlling devices, the normal position of said lever putting both of said devices in their normal condition, movement of said lever to one extreme position putting one of said devices in its abnormal condition, and movement of said lever to its other extreme position putting the other of said devices in its abnormal condition; and means for checking said lever against movement to the normal position by dynamic indication current derived from the tra'flic controlling device last changed.

11. In an interlocking system of the electrically operated dynamic indication type, a three position lever for independently operating two traffic controlling devices, and means for checking said lever against movement to the normal position by dynamic indication current derived from the trafiic controlling device last operated.

.12. In an interlocking system, in combination, a plurality of tratfic control devices capable of generating indication current, a single control lever for the same having a normal and a plurality of reverse positions, and latch means, responsive to said indication current, for preventing movement of the lever to the normal position.

13. In an interlocking system, in combination, aplurality of traffic control devices, a single control lever for the same having a normal and a plurality of reverse positions, latch means for preventing movement of the lever to the normal position, and release means for said latch means, operable by dynamic indication current, for allowing movement of the lever to its normal position.

14. In an interlocking system, in combination, two trafiio control devices, a single lever for controlling the devices, energizing circuits for said devices, a check relay controlling s'aid circuits, and energizing circuits for the check relay including contacts controlled by said single leverand portions of said ener gizing circuits for the control devices.

15. In an interlocking system, a plurality of trafiic controlling devlces, a single lever for controlling said devices and having normal and reverse controlling positions, and means, operable by current generated in accordance with the condition of said controlling device, for checking said lever against movement to normal position.

16. In an interlocking system, a plurality of trafiic controlling devices, a single lever for controlling said devices and having normal and reverse controlling positions, and means to check the lever against movement to normal position controlled by dynamic indication current produced by one of the traffie controlling devices. v

17 In an interlocking system, a plurality of traiiiccontrolling devices, a single lever for controlling said devices and having normal and reverse controlling positions, and means to check the lever against movement to normal position controlled by dynamic indication current produced by trafiic controlling means.

18. In an interlocking system, a plurality of traffic controlling devices, having means for generating an indication current upon signature.

JAMES E. STEPHENSON.

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