US1842510A - Electric signal system - Google Patents

Description

3am. 26, 1932. s. G. DOWN ELECTRIC SIGNAL SYSTEM Filed April 7. 1927 RD. T

o@ M TY NE EN Wm s latented dan. 26, 1932 UNiTED STATES PATENT FFICE SIDNEY G. EUWN, OF EDGEWOOID, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNGR TO THE WESTINGHOUSE .A1122 BRAKE COMANY, GF WILMERDING, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA ELECTRIC SIGNAL SYSTEM Application filed April 7,

This invention relates to signal systems, and more particularly to an electric signal system adapted tor use on railway trains.

The principal object of my invention is to 3 provide an electric train signal system having means `tor indicating to a trainman when the automatic train control apparatus operates to apply the brakes.

ln the accompanying drawings; Fig. 1 is m a diagrammatic view oi an electric signal system embodying my invention; Fig. 2 a section on the line 2 2 ot Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 a section on the line 3-3 ot Fig. 1.

iiiy invention is shown applied in the drawings to an electric signal system of the character covered in a patent to Clyde C. Farmer and Thomas l-l". '.lhomas, Patent No. 1,778,108 otl Oct. 11, 1930. According to the above pending application, there is provided on no each car oi' the train a buzzer device comprising an electroanagnet 1 having two magnet windings or coils 2 and 3 and a pivoted armature l, movable in one direction by a Spring 5, when the magnet is deenergized and in the opposite direction when the magnet is energized. One terminal of each coil 2 and 3 is connected to a single train wire 6, and the other terminal oit coil 2 is connected to a wire 7 which leads to a contact 8 controlled by a to plug` switch device comprising a casing 9 having tapered bore adapted to receive a removable switch plug 10. rlhe switch plug 10 carries contacts 11 and 12.

A branch wire 13 leads 'from wire 7 and has a terminal Contact 111- controlled by a switch device comprising a casing 15 containing a sliding contact member 16. Said contact member 16 is provided with an operating stem 17 adapted to be depressed by a lever eo 18 having two operating arms 19 and 20, each adapted to be connected to an operating cord and having two ulcrum pins 21 and 22, so disposed that when the arm 26 is operated, the lever 18 turns about the ulcrum pin 22 is to operate the stem 17 and when the arm 19 operated, the lever 18 turns about the pin 21 to operate the stem 17.

The contact member 16 is provided with cont-acts 23 and 24C and is normally main- 5c tained in the position shown in the drawings 1927. Serial No. 181,761.

by the action of a. coil spring 25. When the member 16 is moved downwardly a predetermined distance, a yielding` stop member 26 is engaged, said stop member being subject to the pressure of a coil spring 27. In order to prevent rotative movement ot the contact member 16, said member is provided with a spline 28 which engages in a groove cut in guide bushing 29 having screw-t-hreaded engagement in the casing 15. The switch plug 10 may also be provided with a spline 30 adapted to engage in a groove in the casing 9, so as to ensure that the plug will be inserted in the proper position.

The contact 24 controls circuit wires connected to the contact 14, to contact 31 which is connected to wire 82 leading to one terminal of magnet coil 3, and to contact 33 which is connected to wire 34 leading to the positive terminal of a battery 35, or other source of electric current.

The contact 28 controls circuit wires connected to contacts 36 and 37, the contact 36 being connected to a wire 38, leading to the negative terminal of the battery 85, and the Contact 37 being connected to a wire 39 which connected to ground at 40 and which also leads to a contact 111 controlled by the contact 12 ot the switch plug 10.

The wire 311 is also connected to a contact t2 controlled by the contact 11 of the switch plug 10, and the negative terminal of the battery 85 is connected by wire 113 to a contact 1.4 controlled by contact 12 of the plug switch 10.

On the locomotive, there is provided a switch device comprising a casing ll5 in which is slidably mounted a contact member 46 having a contact 4:7 and normally maintained in the position shown in the drawings by the action of a coil spring 48.

The train wire 6 is connected in parallel with two buzzcrs 19 and 50, of the well known type, which operate by making and breaking the electric circuit. The buzzer 49 is connected through wire 51 with a contact 52 and the buzzer through wire 53 with a contact 54e. In normal position of the switch member 46, the contact 47 connects contact 52 with a contact 55 having a connection with a wire 56 leading to ground at 57 and when the member 46 is depressed, the contact 47 connects contact 54 with a contact 58, also connected to ground wire 56.

The buzzer 49 on the locomotive and the coil 2 of each electro-magnet 1 on each vehicle of the train are of su'lhciently hioh resistance, so that even if all the plugs 10 on the train are inserted, there will not be enough current liowing through the buzzer 49V to cause same to operate. n

In operation, a plug 10 is inserted in the casing 9 by a trainman on each vehicle of the train at which it is desired to receive signals originated by the engineman.

If the engineman desires to signal, he depresses the switch member 46, so that a circuit is closed from the ground 57 through the buzzer 50 to the train wire 6, while the circuit through the buzzer 49 is opened.

On cars in which the plug 10 is inserted, a circuit will then be completed from the train wire 6 through magnet coil 2, wire 7, Contact 11 of the plug switch, wire l34, battery 35, wire 43, contact 12 or" the switch plug 10, and wire 39 to ground at 40.

The buzzer 50 on the locomotive is thus caused to operate and in operation, it makes and breaks the circuit, so that the circuit of the coil 2 is likewise made and broken and thereby the armature 4 is caused to operate as a buzzer andA thus a signal is given on cars inthe train in which the plug 10 is inserted.

rl`he buzzer 50 also operates as a signal to the engineman that the apparatus is working properly and that a signal is being made on the cars of the train.

l/Vhen a trainman desires to signal the engineman, he causes the lever 18 to be operated so as to depress the stem 17, until the contact member 16 engages the stop 26. This completes a. circuit from ground 40 tothe train wire 6 through Contact 23, wire 38, battery 35, Wire 34, contact 24, wire 32, and magnet coil 3. On the locomotive, the switch member 46 being in normal position, as shown in the drawings, the train wire is c-onnected to ground through buzzer 49, wire 51,` Contact 47, and wire 56 to ground at 57.

The magnet coil 3'is of low resistance as compared with magnet coil 2 and such that sufficient current will flow through thebuzzer 49 to cause same to operate and thus signal the engineman. rllhe buzzer 49 being in circuit with the coil 3, will, by its operation, cause the circuit through the coil 3 to be made and broken and thereby the armature 4 will be caused to vibrate.

It will be noted that a trainman may nal the engineman as above described, regardless ot whether or not the plug 10 is inserted in the operating position.

It after trainman has signalled the engineman, the trainman wishes the engineman to answer at the point from which he signalled the engineman, the trainman will further depress the switch member 16, so as to move the yielding stop 26 downwardly.

A circuit to the train wire 6 is then completed from the ground 40 through contact 23, wire 38, battery 35, wire 34, contact 24, wire 13, wire 7, and through the magnet coil 2, to the train wire 6. On the locomotive, the circuit is completed through the buzzer 49 and the switch member 46 to the ground, and since the buzzer 49 will not Yoperate withthe magnet coil 2 in circuit, and since the circuit of the coil 3 is now open, the armature 4 will cease buzzing when the contact switch member 16 is fully depressed, and thus will indicateto the'trainman that he has properly depressed the switch member 16 to permit the engineman` to signal back.

It, with the switch member 16 fully depressed, the engineman depresses the switch member 46, a circuit will be completed on the locomotive through the buzzer 50 and through the magnet coil 2 on the car, and the circuit throughthe coil 2 and the battery 35 being closed in the fully depressed position of the switch member 16, as above described, the

operation of the buzzer 50 on the locomotive makes and breaksthe circuit through the coil 2 and thus causes the armature 4 to act as a buzzer and as a signal from the engineman to the trainman.

A rectifier 60er other means for permitting flow of current only in one direction may be interposed in the wire 34, so that should'the voltage of the battery 3501i one car be in tion of the brakes, the switch device 45 will be operated, so that a signal is made on`vehicles of the train and the trainman is thus notified that the train control apparatus has operated.

For this purpose, a cylinder 60 is provided on the locomotive and in said cylinder a piston 61 is disposed. Said piston is provided with a piston stem 62 adapted to engage lever arm 63, which has one end pivotally mounted on the cylinder 60 and has its opposite end adapted to engage the push button 64 of the Contact member 46. A coil spring 65 is disposed in the cylinder 60 and acts on piston 61 to normally maintain said piston in itsv retracted position as shown in the drawings. A pipe 66y leads to the chamber at one side of piston 61 and said pipe is connected to the automatic train control apparatus (not shown) in such a way that when the train control apparatus operates to effect an application of the brakes, fluid under presliti lla

sure Will be supplied to pipe 66 and thus to piston (il.

ils an example ot a train control apparatus which will function as above described, refer ence is made to Fatent No. 1,309,787 of Walter '1.7. Turner, issued July i6, '1919. In this patent, there is a passage which is connected to a reduction reservoir, and normally said reservoir and seid passage are connected to the atmosphere through a cavity in a slide valve of an application valve device, and an exhaust port controlled by a train control magnet. lil/Then the train control magnet is deenergized to efiect an automatic train control application of the brakes, a piston is operated to actuate said slide valve, so that said reduction reservoir and said passage are connected to a normally charged -equalizing reservoir. lluid under presure is thereupon supplied troni the equalizing reservoir to said reduction reservoir and to said passage, so that by merely connectingpipe G6 of my device With said passage, the pipe 6G is supplied with fluid ander pressure when an automatic train control application of the brakes is effected.

lllhen fluid under pressure is suppied to piston 6l, said piston is f'orced outwardly and the stem 62 then moves the lever arm 63, so that the push button 64 is depressed and the switch member elfi is moved to its loiver position. in which a signal is made on those vehi cles of' the train in which the plug l0 is inserted in the switch device 9, in the same manner hereinbefore described when the engineman manually depresses the push button (il.

@n cars Where a plug 10 is inserted, a trainman, if present, will hear the signal sont to the engineer by a particular trainman. This Will do no harm, hoivever, since a code oi' signals is employed, the same as with pneumatic signals, and any trainman vwill know by the character of the signal, according to the code, that it is a signal to the engineer, in tact it is desirable that the other trainmen should be aware that a signal is being sent to the engineer.

lllhile all other traininen on cars Where the plug' l0 is inserted will hear a signal sent out by the engineer, no confusion Will result, because trom the signal code above relerred to, other traimnen Will merely be made aware (which desirable) that the engineer is signalling to a trainman.

rlhe reason Yfor using the plugs 10, is that on sleeping cars, Where it is not desired to disturb the passengers at night any more than is necessary, the plugs l() may be re moved, except on any particular car where traininan, happening to be on the car, de sires to be kept advised as to any signals which may he transmitted. There is not a trainnian on every car and there may be only three or i'our on the Whole train and they carry plugs 10, `which they can insert at Will on any cars Where they happen to be.

Vhen an automatic train control application of the brakes is effected, the arm 63 is depressed, so that a signal is made which is transmitted to the trainmen. `When the en gineer makes a brake application by the operation of the usual engineers brake valve, no signal is transmitted, because the arm G3 is not depressed unless the brake application is eflected by the train control apparatus.

The trainman Willknow that it is a. train control initiated brake application, because when the engineer makes a brake application, no signal is transmitted. The trainman Will also distinguish this signal from any signal made by the engineer, because When the engineer signals the trainman, he employs the established signal code, so that the trainman always recognizes Whether the signal is due to a train control application or is due to the engineer signalling. l3`urthermore, the signal made by a train control application being initiated is peculiar in that it Will be a continual signal, so long as fluid pressure remains in the chamber 60, and such a signal Would be entirely different from a code signal, Which is based on the number of impulses and the duration, Whether long or short.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In an electric train signal system, the combination With an electric train circuit, of an electrically controlled signal device on one car of a train and connected to said circuit, a switch device on another car of the train and normally operable manuallyfor controlling the operation of said signal device, an. automatic train control device operative to effect an application of the brakes, and means controlled by said train control device for automatically operating said switch device.

2. In an electric train signal system, the combination With a train circuit, of an electrically controlled signal device on one car of a train and connected in said circuit, a manually operable switch device on another car of the train for controlling the operation oiC said signal device, and means operated by fluid under pressure for also controlling the operation of said switch device, and means for supplying fluid under pressure to said fluid pressure operated means when an application of the brake is effected through the operation of an automatic train control apparatus.

3. In an electric train signal system, the combination With a train circuit, an electrically controlled signal device connected to said circuit on one car ot a train, a switch on another car of the train and in circuit with said signal device for controlling the iii operation of said signal device, and a push button for manually opera-ting said switch, of a lever engaging said push button, a rod engaging said lever, a piston operated byl iiuid under pressure for actuating said rod to operate said lever and thereby said push button and means for supplying fluid under` pressure to said piston upon an automatic application of the brakes.

In testimony whereof I my hand.

have hereunto set SIDNEY Gi DOWN.

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