US2061871A

US2061871A - Signal

Info

Publication number: US2061871A
Application number: US741178A
Authority: US
Inventors: Loring B Hester
Original assignee: ROBERT R WOOTEN
Current assignee: ROBERT R WOOTEN
Priority date: 1934-08-23
Filing date: 1934-08-23
Publication date: 1936-11-24
Anticipated expiration: 1953-11-24

Description

' Nov. 24, 19316. B HESTER 2,061,871

SIGNAL Filed Aug. 25, 1934 the??4 Patented Nov. 24, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT (')FFIQEy one-third to Robert R. Wooten,

Fla.

Tallahassee,

Application August 23, 1934, Serial No. 741,178

Claims. (Cl. 246-477) This invention relates to a safety signal device n adapted to be placed on a rail of a track for the purpose of indicating to the engineer or other occupant of a train, the fact that the train should 5A be brought to a stop.

It is a further object of the. invention to provide a device of this character which serves to hold a visual signal which can be locked to the device and thus held against unauthorized removal.

With the foregoing and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the. accompanying drawing the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

in said drawing Figure l is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section showing the signal block in position on a track rail.

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is' a section on line 3-3 Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective View of the filling block forming a part of the device.

Figure 5 is an enlarged section on line 5 5 Figure 2.

Referring to they figures by characters of reference, I designates an elongated block which is formed of hard wood. This block has a straight bottom face adapted to rest on a rail R. The top of the block is gradually inclined as indicated at 2 so as to provide a high rear end 3 and a low front end Il, the front end being preferably bevelled as shown. The ends, top and sides of the block are covered with metal sheathing in the form of an inverted box 5 of sheet steel or the like and this sheathing is held to the block by means of transverse bolts or rivets 6 which are embedded in channels 'I within the upper and lower faces of the block. The channels are so located and proportioned that when the rivets or bolts are seated therein portions thereof will be flush with and exposed within the respective upper and lower faces of the block.

The sides of the sheathing 5 are extended downwardly at the sides of rail R and are provided with depending wings 8 adapted tov extend between the ties T on which the rail R is mounted. A key 9 is insertable transversely through these wings and is adapted to be secured at one end by a removable lock I0. The other end of the. key can be enlarged as shown so as to provide a head II.

The key is located where it will extend under the rail R after the block has been placed in 5 position. Consequentlyafter the key has been secured by means of lock I0 it becomes impossible to remove the block from the rail.

An opening I2 is extended downwardly through the block I and its sheathing near the high end 10 thereof and this opening is adapted to receive the shank I3 of a plate I 4 adapted to be used as a flag or visual signal. A ring I5 can be extended from this plate for supporting a signal lantern locked thereto if desired. l5

The shank I3 has a hole I6 extending through the lower end portion thereof. This hole is adapted to receive a pin I7 which can be inserted into the hole after the shank has been inserted downwardly into the opening I2. When the safety 20 signal device is placed on a rail the pin II will be housed within a recess I8 in the bottom of the block and will prevent the shank from rotating and from being withdrawn from the block as long as the block is secured in position. 25

In practice the shank is fastened to the block as explained and said block is then placed on a rail at a point where it is intended to signal a train. The block should never be placed on the outside rail of a curve but should be used only on 30 a straight rail or on the inside rail of a curve.

Should a train pass the signal it would not be derailed thereby. Instead one or more of the wheels would ride on the block and drop off the high end thereof back onto the rail. The severe 35 jolt to which the car would thus be subjected serves as a signal to its occupant. The occupant is also provided with a further signal in the form of the ag or plate I4 and, under some conditions, a lamp suspended from the ring I5. 40

Shank I3 can be of such a nature as to be bent over by the wheel of a car when travelling along the block so that the jolting action heretofore described will not be interfered with.

By arranging the bolts or rivets 6 so that they 45 will be iiush with the top and bottom surfaces of the block I an important result is obtained. Those bolts or rivets in the bottom portion of the block constitute spaced non-yielding means for gripping the top surface of the rail while the 50 bolts or rivets in the top portion of the block constitute spaced non-yielding means for engaging and supporting the top or load carrying portion of the sheathing.

It has been found in practice that the present 55 invention can be used to advantage as a blue flag to indicate that track repairs are being made. After a crew of men have been put to work, the device can be attached to the track as heretofore explained and the signal applied thereto. A signal of this type is of great value when used as stated because it cannot be removed except by the foreman or other person holding the key and unless it is removed the stoppage of an approaching train will be assured.

What is claimed is:

l. A signal device of the class described including a relatively long block adapted to r-est upon and extend longitudinally of a rail with its inner side substantially parallel with the inner side of the head of the rail, said block having a high end and a low end joined by an inclined upper surface, a sheathing on and securely fastened to the block and adapted to straddle and extend below a rail, and means for locking the sheathing to the rail.

2. A signal device for lifting a car wheel olf of a rail and dropping it back thereonto, comprising a relatively long block having a high end and a low end connected by an inclined upper surface, the inner side of the block being substantially parallel with the inner side of the head of the rail, sheathing upon and securely fastened to the block and having depending side portions for receiving portions of a rail therebetween and holding the block upon the rail and longitudinally thereof, depending wings on the sheathing adapted to extend below the rail and between its sup porting ties, and means for extension under the rail and engaging the wings for locking the device to the rail.

3. A signal device for lifting a car wheel olf of a rail and dropping it back thereonto, comprising a relatively long block having a high end and a low end connected by an inclined upper surface, the inner side of the block being substantially parallel with the inner side of the head of the rail, sheathing upon the block having depending side portions for receiving portions of a rail therebetween and holding the block upon the rail and longitudinally thereof, means extending transversely of the sheathing and embedded in the tcp and bottom surfaces of the block for joining the sheathing to the block, those means in the top surface of the block being exposed in said surface and providing spaced non-yielding supports for the sheathing, and those means in the bottom portion of the block being exposed in the bottom surface and constituting non-yielding rail engaging elements, depending wings on the sheathing adapted to extend below the rail and between its supporting ties, and means for extension under the rail and engaging the wings v for locking the device to the rail.

4. A signal device of the class described including a relatively long block adapted to rest upon and extend longitudinally of a rail with its inner side substantially parallel with the inner side of the head of the rail, said block having a high end and a low end joined by an inclined upper surface, a sheathing on and securely fastened to the block and adapted to straddle and extend below a rail, means for locking the sheathing to the rail, a shank detachably secured within the block 'at the high end thereof, and visual signal means carried by the shank.

5. A signal device for lifting `a car wheel off of a rail and dropping it back thereonto, comprising a relatively long block having a high end and a low end connected by an inclined upper surface, the inner side of the block being substantially parallel with the inner side of the head of the rail, sheathing upon the block having depending side portions for receiving portions of a rail therebetween and holding the block upon the rail and longitudinally thereof, means extending transversely of the sheathing and embedded in the top and bottom surfaces of the block for joining the sheathing to the block, those means in the top surface of the block being exposed in said surface and providing spaced non-yielding supports for the sheathing and those means in the bottom portion of the block being exposed in the bottom surface and constituting non-yielding rail engaging elements, depending wings on the sheathing adapted to extend below the rail and between its supporting ties, means for extension under the rail and engaging the wings for locking the device to the rail, a shank removably secured within the high end portion of the block, and a visual signal carried by the shank.

LORING B. HESTER.