US267195A

US267195A - Railway-signal

Info

Publication number: US267195A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1882-11-07
Anticipated expiration: 1899-11-07

Description

(No Model.)

G. 0., J. P. A. 8v J. F. HANLON.

RAILWAY SIGNAL.

No. 267,195. Patented Nov. 7, 1882.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

GEORGE O. HANLON, JOSEPH P. A. HANLON, AND JOHN F. l-IANLON, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

RAlLWAY-S|GNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No 267,195, dated November '7, 1882.

Application filed September 2, 1882.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE 0. HANLON, J OSEPH P. A. HANLON, and JOHN F. HANLON, of Cambridge, Middlesex county, Massachu- 5 setts, have invented anlmprovement in Railway-Signals, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

Ourinvention relates to asignal for railways; to and it consists mainly in a lantern or light-inclosing case having segments of different color, mounted to rotate so as to bring the said segments successively in the path of the rays of light. The said lantern is actuated by an electro-magnet, which at each impulse moves a sufficient distance to present anew segment before the light, and thus give a different signal from that displayed before the said movement takes place. A locking device engages 2 the rotating lantern when it is moved a sutficient distance to change the signal, the said locking device being automatically released when the electro-magnet begins to move the lantern. An electric switch is employed to send the successive electric impulses required to move the lantern, the said switch indicating by its position theposition occupied by the lantern.

Figurel is avertical section ofa sufficient por- 30 tion ofa signal-lantern and its operating mechanism to illustrate this invention; Fig. 2, an end elevation of the device actuated by the electro-magnet, and Fig. 3 a plan view of the key or switch by which the electric impulses are sent to operate the lantern.

The globe or lantern is composed of segments cc, of different color-one, for instance, being clear glass and the other red or greenthe said segments being shown as each form- 4o ing one-fourth of the said lantern, which may globe is also provided near its lower end with (No model.)

a flange, d, fitting tightly in a socket, 0, upon a bevel-gear wheel,], the central hub of which forms the socket for the carbon or support for other illuminating apparatus, and has a bearing at 2 upon the frame-work A, the said gearwheel f and frame-WorkA being made open, or having spokes beneath the globe ca, in order to supply air, if oil or other fuel is used for illuminating. I

The said bevel-wheel f meshes with the bevel pinion g, mounted on a tubular spindle, h, and connected by a train of gearing, i t 6' 5 with a shaft, j, having mounted thereon an actuating toothed or ratchet wheel, k, the teeth of which are engaged by a pawl, Z, carried by a rod, m, connected with the armature a of an electro-magnet, 0, the said armature being shown as having cylindrical poles moving axially into the hollow coils of the said magnet, in order to give a long range of movement to the said armature. When the armature a is attracted by the magnet o the pawl Z, engaging the teeth of the actuating-ratchet 70, moves it for the space of one tooth, and thus,through the intermediate gearing, rotates the gear f and lantern a a thereon for the space of a quarterof a revolution, or are, which may be occupied by a segment of one color in the said globe, so that the light proceeding in a given direction has its color changed, and consequently affords a different signal.

The gearfis provided witha series of studs, 12, corresponding in position with the arcs occupied by the different sections a a of thelantern, the said studs being engaged by a looking device, (shown as a lever, r,) pivoted at 4, and provided with a pawl, t, engaged by a projection, to, on the rod m, so that when the said rod begins its upward movement under the influence of the magnet 0 to rotate the wheel 7c and lantern the sail lever r is disengaged from the projection 12, permitting the gear f to rotate freely after the said lockinglever r is thus disengaged. The pawl t, in the further upward movement, engages a projection, '0, on an arm of the frame-work A of the apparatus, and is thus disengaged from the projection to on the rod m, permitting the lever 0*- to return to its normal position (shown in the drawings) under the action of the spring 1", so as to engage the next studp on the lantern, thus arresting its movement at the proper time. When the magnet 0 is demagnetlzed the armature r, with its rod m, is retracted by its .weight, assisted, if needed, by the force of a spring in the usual manner, and engages the next tooth of a ratchet, [0, ready to actuate the lantern when the magnet 0 is again magnetized. The currents are sent for the purpose of magnetizing the said magnets by means of a switch, 8, (see Fig. 3,) pivoted at 6 and connected with a suitable battery. The metallic portion of the said switch, in moving across between the letters W It, makes contact with a button, s, connected with the line leading to the magneto, thus sending a current through the said magnet and causing it to rotate the signal-lantern,as before described. The let-- ters it WV are intended to represent red and white-the colors of the segments a a of the lantern usually employed; and it will be seen that the position of the switch 8 adjacent to one or the other of the'said letters will indicate the position of the lantern, as the said lantern will always change its position when the said switch is changed from one to the other of the said letters.

We claim 1. In a signal, the globe or lantern composed of segments of different color, mounted to rofate in its frame-work, combined with an actuating-magnet and intermediate mechanism between the armature of the said magnet and the said lantern, whereby it is rotated to present a different segment in the path of the light when the said armature is moved, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the lantern composed of segments of different color, of a supporting gear-wheel for the said lantern, and an actuating-ratchet operatively connected with the said gear-wheel, and an eleetro-magnet and its armature provided with a pawl to engage the teeth of the said ratchet and rotate the said lantern, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the lantern having segments of different color, mounted to rotate, as described, and provided with locking-projections, with an actuating clectro-magnet,its armature, and a locking device for the said lantern operated by the armature of the said magnet, as described, whereby the said lan tern is released when the magnet begins to rotate it, and is engaged and locked at the end of thesaid rotation, substantially asdescribed.

4. The lantern composed of segments of different color, mounted to rotate upon a pivoted wheel provided with locking-projections, combined with an electro-magnet, its armature, intermediate mechanism between the said armature and supporting-wheel for the lantern, and a pivoted locking-lever normally in the path of the said projections and operated by the said armature, whereby itis removed from the path of the said projections when the armature begins to move the signal, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE OTTO HANLON. JOSEPH P. A. HANLON. JOHN F. HANLON. Witnesses:

Jos. P. LIVERMORE, BERNICE J. NOYES.