US273517A - William hadden - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

w. HADDEN. V 1 RAILWAY SIGNAL APPARATUS.

No; 273,517. Patented Mar;6,1883.

Wit uesses, A I

Inventor. IVzllliam Hwdden.

\flttys.

N. PEIERS. Phnwmho npher. Washington. D. c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. HADDEN.

RAILWAY SIGNAL APPARATUS. No. 273,517. Patented Mar.6,1883.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC I WILLIAM HADDEN, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN RAILWAY SIGNAL COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

RAILWAY SIGNAL APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 273,517, dated March 6, 1883.

Application filed May 1, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WiLLIAM HADDEN, of Brooklyn, Kings county,- State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Railway Signal Apparatus, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification;

My invention relates to a railway signal apparatus of that class in which the signals are normally retained in the safety position by the attraction of an electro-magnet, and moved to the danger position by the action of gravity or other retracting force when the said magnet is demagnetized, as by a circuit-breaker 1 operated by a train entering the block-section guarded by the signal, the said circuit-breaker being normally closed except while the train is acting upon it.

The, present invention consists in the combination, with the signal-actuating magnet, of an electric switch or relay operated by the opening of the circuit when the train passes, as just described, to introduce resist ance in the line, and thus reduce the powerof 2 the signal-actuating magnet, so that'it will not be able to move the signal back to its safety position after the train has ceased to act on the circuit-breaker, the signal being thus permitted to remain in the danger position while the train traverses the section. As herein shown, the electric switch employed for thus introducing theresistance is the arma' ture of a polarized relay, it being held by the normal current, when the signal is at safety,

in the position to close a direct circuit not containing the resistance; and the invention further consists in the combination, with the signal-actuating electro-magnet, or other magnet in circuit therewith, of a pole-changing 4Q device operated by the armature thereof to reverse the polarity of the current when the said armature is retracted, the said reversed current acting upon the polarized relay to cause it to introduce the resistance, and thus 4 5 prevent the attraction of the armature by which the pole-changin g device was operated.

The invention further consists in the com bination, with the signal-actuating magnet and the electric switch'in circuit therewith and resistance controlled by the said switch,

of tn-independent branch circuit between the said resistance and the actuating-magnet, with its battery, and a circuit closer in the said branch circuit, by which the said battery is caused to act on a magnet without the resistance, and consequently with sufficient power to attract the armature, thus restoring all parts to their normal condition.

Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating this invention; Fig. 2, a detail showing the pole- 6o changing device employed on a larger scale; and Fig. 3, a front elevation of the signal-actuating magnet and lever and the pole-changing device and their circuit connections on a larger scale than in Fig. 1. 6

The signal apparatus S comprises the signal a, consisting of the usual colored banner or disk supported on an arm, I), pivoted at 2 in a fulcrumpiece, c, adjustably connected with the frame-work by the screw or clamp 61, the said arm I) being connected by a link, 6, with an armature-lever, f, pivoted at 3 in an adjustable pivot-piece, g, mounted on framework. The said lever f carries the armature h of the signal-actuating magnet M, and is overbalauced by the weight of the signal a, which thus operates as a retractor for the armature h, removing it from the poles of the magnet when thelatter is demagnetized. The said armature-leverf,in its movements to and So from the poles of its magnet, operates a polechanging deviceto reverse the connection of the poles of the battery with the line external thereto. The said pole-changing device consists in this instance of two levers, tj, piv- 8 oted-to move simultaneously, the said levers being composed of electrically-conductive material, insulated from one another, and connected with the two ends of the main-line circuit that are to be thereby connected with the go poles of the battery or source of electrical energy. The said levers ij are connected by a link, It, with the armature-leverf, so as to be rocked from the full to the dotted line position, Fig.2, as the armature his retracted from the poles of the magnet. The said levers H are provided with contact-points l in and n 0, respectively, at their opposite ends, those at one pair of adjacent ends of the two lovers, as m- 0, being adapted to dip into mercury in the cups 1) I when the levers ij are in their normal position, shownin full lines, Fig. 2, the signal being at safety, and the ones I nat the other ends of the said levers dipping into the mercury in the cups q s'when the said levers are in the dotted-line position, Fig. 2, and the signal a at danger, one of the said pairs of contact-points being removed from the mercury in the corresponding cups just after the other pair enters it in the other pair of cups. The cups 1') r are connected with the opposite poles of the battery--for example, the former with the positive and the latter with the negative pole-so that when the levers 'ij are in their full-line or normal position the lever 41 and end of the line connected therewith receives the positive, and the lever j and other end of the line connected therewith receives the negative electricity from the battery. The cups q s, at the other end of the levers t j, are respectively connected with the opposite poles of the battery to the ones 12 r, so that when the levers t'j are in the dottedliue position they will be in electrical connection with the opposite poles, respectively, to what they were when in the full-line position,

,and the current will traverse the line in the opposite direction.

The main circuit is as follows: Starting from one pole of the main battery B (as, for example, the one marked it passes by wires 12 13 to the mercury in the cups 1) and s, and when the signal is in its normal or safety position the latter is insulated, and the circuit is continued from the former cup, 1), to the lever i, and thence by wire 14 to the magnet M, and thence by wire 15, which constitutes the main line, to the other end of the section, where it passes through the coils of a polarized relay, R, fromwhich it is continued by awire, 16, to the armature-lever t of the said relay, and by a wire, 17, to the resistance-coils u, and thence to the ground at E. The armature-lever t of the relay E has acontact-pointconnected with a wire, 18, leading to the ground at E, so that when the said armature is in the position shown in full lines the current has a direct path from the main-line wire 15 through the wire 16, armature t, and wire 18, to the ground, and is not weakened by being obliged to traverse the resistance'u This, is the normal position of the armature of the relay R under the action of the current which traverses the line when the pole-changer, operated by the armature-leverf, is in its normal position, the signal a being at safety. The other pole of the battery B is connected by wires 20 21 with the cups r g, respectively, and when the levers 2' are in the normal position the said pole of the battery connected with the cup 1' has its circuit continued through the contactpiece 0 and lever j to the line-wire 22 .on the opposite side from the line-wire 15, the said wire 22 being connected with the ground E, from which the circuit is completed through the ground to E; or, if desired, a wire may be employed, instead of the ground-connections at E E, when a wholly metallic circuit is desired.

As herein shown, the apparatus is arranged to operate in connection with a single-track railway over which trains pass in both directions. Another signal apparatus, S, similar to the one already described, with the omission of the pole-changing device, is placed at the other end of the section,its actuating-magnet M being included in the line-wire 15, and it will be seen that as many actuating-magnets as may be desired may be included in the said line-wire, the entire series of signals being operated simultaneously by the changes in condition in the said circuit.

The main-line circuit is provided near either end of the section with circuit-breakers 1) b which are normally closed, but are opened by the train entering the section from either end, they being of any convenient construction, numerous instruments for this purpose having been heretofore used. When one of the said circuit-breakers is opened-as by the entrance of a train into the section-the magnets M M are demagnetized and the signals drop by the action of gravity into the danger position. In this movement the position of the polechanger is changed to that shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2, the negative pole of the battery being now connected by the wire 21, contactpiece 1, and lever i with the line 15, and the positive pole being connected by the wire 13, contact-piece n, and lever j with the wire 22, so that the current now traverses the line in the opposite direction to that in which it did before the circuit-breaker was opened, thus causing a movement of the armature t of the polarized relay R out of contact with the conductor 18, so that the current is now compelled to pass by wire 17 through the resistance u, and is so weakened by the said resistance as to be insufficient, in acting on the magnets M M, to move their armatures and restore the signals to safety position after the circuit is closed by the passage of the train beyond the circuit-closer b or b. The signals are restored to their safety position by means of branch circuits between the battery B, with the magnet M, by which the polechanger is operated, and the resistance it.

In the arrangement shown for single track there are two of these branch circuits, 25 and- 26, one at each end of the section, connecting the line-wire 15 at a point between the resistance u on one side and the battery B, with the magnet M, by which the pole-changer is aetnated, on the other side, with the earth at E or E, or with the wire 22 or 17, forming the circuit to the other pole of the battery. The said wires 25 and 26 are provided with normally-open circuit-closers c 0, located so as to be operated after the corresponding circuit-breakers, b b, at the same end of the section by a train leaving the section, but before the circuit-breakers by a train entering the section.

In operation, when a train enters the sec- IIO tion with the signals in their normal or safety position, it will first operate one of the circuit-closers, as c, producing no efiect on the signals, and after-it has passed the said circuit-closer it will open the circuit-breaker 1), setting the signals to danger, as before described, they, being thereafter retained in the danger position by the interposition of the resistance a in the circuit while the train traverses the section, and in passing off it will first operate the circuit-breaker b producing no efi'ect on the signals, and then, in its further movement, it will close the circuit-closer 0 thus completing the circuit from E by wires 22 and 13, battery B, wires 21 and 14, magnetM, and wires 15 and 26, to the ground at E, so that the battery acts upon the said magnet M with its full power, attracting the armature thereof, restoring the signal to the safety position and restoring the polechanger to its normal position, so that the current is reversed, and the small portion of'it which passes through the coils of the relay R, wire 17, and resistance a is sufficient to restore the armature tof the said relay to its normal position in connection with the wire 18, thus removing the resistance a from the circuit, or, more properly speaking, providing an additional circuit without the said resistance, so that the battery acts with its full force to retain the signal in its safety position. It may be that the relay R will not be affected by the portion of current passing through branch 17 a while the branch 26 is closed; but the moment the latter is opened the said relay will be affected, closing the branch 18 before the armature of the magnet M is moved sufficiently to again reverse the pole-changer.

When desired the signals can be operated otherwise than by the passage of the train'by other circuit-controlling instruments operated by hand or operatively connected with the mechanism by which the rails of a switch or the bolt or other movable portion of a drawbridge is operated. Such a circuit-controlling instrument is shown at d, it consisting of an electric switch forming a portion of the mainline circuit, it being connected at one end with the wire 15, and removable to and from an anvil, 6, connected with the other portion of the wire 15. When it is moved off from the said anvil e, as shown in dotted lines,it opens the circuit, and thus demagnetizes the signal-operating magnets and permits the signals to be moved to the danger position; but it does not necessarily affect the relay R or introduce the resistance a into the line, as it is not necessary to close thefcircuit until it is desired to restore the signals to safety.

In closing the circuititis necessary that the polechanger should be restored to its normal position before the current passes through the relay It, in order to prevent the latter from introducing the resistance a. This is accomplished by means of the anvil-piece f, con nected by wire 27 with the ground E or returnwire between the wires 22 and 17, if one be employed, so that in the return movement of the electric switch (1 from its dotted to its full line position, Fig. 1, it will close a circuit including the batteryB and magnet M before it arrives at the anvil e and closes the main circuit, and consequently the pole-changer will be restored to its normal position before the main line is closed and the relay R affected by the current therethrough.

It is obvious that a separate magnetincluded in the main circuit might be employed to control the movement of the pole-changer, instead of employing the magnets by which one of the signals is actuated, it being necessary only that the armature by which the pole-changer is operated should remain retracted when the line is open or the resistance a is included therein and attracted at other times.

It is also true that the pole-changer may be omitted and the relay R itself operated by the opening of the circuit and closure of a branch circuit, such arrangement not being, however, herein specifically illustrated or claimed, as it will form the subject of a separate application.

The relay R, herein shown, 'may have retractive force applied to its armature t, tending to remove it from connection with the wire 18 when the circuit is opened, the said armature being retained in such position by'the reversal of the current caused by the pole-changer, and restored to the position in connection with the said wire by the normal current, which 7 should be suflicient to overcome the said retractor, even whenacting through the resistance a.

When a hand-operated circuit-closer, as the one 61', is employed, there will usually be a signal apparatus used in connection. with it, as at S it being operated by a magnet in the main circuit to indicate the condition of the section.

Such a signal may be of small size, as it is not to be viewed by the engineer ot'a passing train.

When the apparatusis to be used on a doubletrack railway, where the trains pass over each track in one direction onlyas' from the signal S toward the relay R in Fig. 1the branch 25, with its circuit-closer a, may be omitted, as well as the circuit-breaker I) at the other end of the section, the signai S being retained or omitted, as may be deemed expedient.

I claim- 1. In a railway signal apparatus, the signalactuating magnet in a normally-closed circuit, combined with a circuit-breaker and relay or circuit-changing magnet in the said circuit, and resistance interposed and retained therein by thesaid relay when the said circuit is broken and subsequently closed, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The signal-operating elect-ro-magnet and relay, combined with branch circuits from the said signal-operating magnet of diiferent resistance, closed respectively by the armature of the said relay when in its different positions, substantially as described.

3. The signal-actuating magnet, the relay, the pole changer is reversed by the demagnetiand the resistance interposed in the circuitofthe said magnet by the said relay, combined with an independent circuit and closer, including the said signal-actuating magnet and battery without the said resistance, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. .Theelectro-magnet and pole-changer controlled by it, combined with the polarized relay and resistance controlled by it in accordance With the condition of the said pole-changer and its controlling-magnet, substantially as described.

5. The electro-magnet and pole-changer controlled thereby, and the polarized relay controlled by the said pole-changer, combined with resistance interposed by the said relay when zation of its controlling-magnet, and an independent branch circuit and circuit-closer between the said magnet, with its battery, and the resistance whereby the magnet is caused to attract its armature, and thus cause the pole-changer and polarized relay to be restored to their normal'condition and the resistance removed from the circuit, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two sub scribing witnesses.

WILLIAM HADDEN.

Witnesses:

J 0s. P. LIVERMORE, W. H. SIGSTON.

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