US282776A - Elias e - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

B. E. RIBS.

AUTOMATIC ALARM DEVICE FOR RAILROAD GROSSINGS. 'No. 282,776. Patented Aug. 7. 1883.

hlF

e in:

z: z WITNESSES. ag g A ZINVEN% ATTORNEY UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELIAS n. RIES, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC ALARM DEVICE FOR R AILROAD-CROSSINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 282,776, dated 'August 7, 1883.

Application filed August 31, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELIAS E. RIEs, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Alarm Devices for Railroad-Crossings, of which the'following is a specification.- 4

This invention relates to an improved automatic alarm or signal device for railroad-crossings, whereby the whistle of the locomotive is automatically blown when the train approaches out in the claims.

In the accompanyingdrawings, Figures 1 and 2 represent, respectively, a double track and a single track, with the projections arranged in relative position to the crossings for giving the alarm-signal. Fig. 3 is a side View of part of the locomotive'with' my improved alarm or signaling mechanism arranged thereon, and shown in the act of being operated by one of the projections alongside of the track.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of my improved alarm.

device, partly in section, on line 00 00, Fig. 3. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are details of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

My improved alarm-signal device for railway-crossings is intended to be applied to each locomotive at any suitable point of the same, and is operated automatically by sounding the stea1n-whistle of the same when approaching the crossing. The sounding of the whistle begins at some distance from thecrossing, and is discontinued when the locomotive arrives at or near the crossing. For this purpose a projection, a, is arranged alongside of the track at a suitable distance from the crossing, and a second projection, a, alongside of the track close to the crossing at either side of the same,

as shown in Fi s. 1 and 2, in which the disposition of the actuating-stops is shown, respectively, for a double and single track. The proj ections a a may be made of any suitable shape;

preferably, however, in the shape of a spur or ported alongside the track.

The whistle-actuating mechanism proper is composed of three cam-whecls, b b If, which are keyed to a shaft, (1, that is supported in bearings d, secured to the fire-box or frame of thelocomotive. The outermost cam-wheel, b,

I is provided with four equistant cams or teeth extending at right angles to each other, and is arranged at such height above the track and at such lateral distance therefrom that one of the cams will engage the projections to a as the train moves past the same and'gradually turn 7o the cam-wheel b by contact therewith through one-quarter of a revolution, the cam just engaged passing clear over the projection a, and

placing the next cam or tooth in position to be engaged by the next projection along the track. 7 5

The innermost cam-wheel, b is provided in similar manner, like the cam-wheel b,with four cams and intermediate depressions, and acted upon at diametrically-opposite sides by friction-springs e, which are attached at one end in proper relative position to the cam-wheel I)" on the locomotive-frame or other support of the whistle-actuating mechanism. The friction springs e serve for the purpose of permitting the cam-wheels I) and b to be moved through one-fourth of a revolution only, so as to place the next cam of the cam-wheel b in position for being engaged by the next following projection a or a; As the springse engage on the turning of the cam-wheel b through 0 an angle of ninety degrees the next adjoining depressions, as shown in Fig. 5, and prevent thereby. the cam-shaft d and its cam-wheels from turning beyond the proper distance by the force of concussion between the teeth of 5 cam-wheel b and the projections to a, the illtermediate smaller cam-wheel, b, is only provided with two cams and intermediate depressions, and is shown in detail in Fig. 7.

cam-wheel is placed in contact with an anti- Ioo friction roller, f, at the lower end of a Vertically-guided actuating-rod, f, which is forced in downward direction, so that its roller f is always in contact with the cainwheel b, by a This spiral spring, f, interposed between a fixed collar, f, of the rod f and a guide-collar of the frame, as shown in Fig. 4. The upper end of the vertically-guided rod f is connected by a suitable intermediate lever mechanism, 9, with the steam-whistle of the locomotive, so that the steam-supply valve of the frame is opened' when the rod f is forced down by the action of its spring f but closed when, by the next engagement of the cam-wheel 1; with a projection, a a, the latter is turned through the second quarter of its revolution, as there by one of the cams of cam-wheel I) raise the vertical rod f and discontinue the sounding of the steam-whistle. By means of the described position of the cam-wheels of theactuating mechanism the whistle is sounded when a locomotive approaches a crossing, as the outermost cam-wheel, b, is turned by the projection to through one-quarter of a revolution, the act: uating-lever mechanism of the whistle being held in position by the cam-wheel b, so that the whistle continues to blow until the 1000- motive has passed the crossing and the outer cam-wheel is struck by the stop a at or near the crossing. This has the effect of throwing the intermediate cam-wheel, Z), into its second position, so that the sounding of the whistle is interrupted.

The parts composing the whistle-actuating mechanism are so constructed as to operate in the same manner whether the locomotive runs forward or backward, the automatical sounding and stopping of the whistle being accom: plished in both directions.

As it may sometimes be necessary to throw the whistle out of operation when it is not desired to sound an alarm for any reason, a handlever, f, is pivoted at one end to the actuating-rod f, while theopposite end is located at a convenient point in the cab of the locomotive, so that the engineer can, by a slight-pressure on the lever f, overcome the resistance of tinuously blown from the moment when the projection farther from the crossing opens the steam-valve of the same up to the moment when the steamsupply is interrupted, the whistle may be blown several times in sue? cession, in which case a number of successive projections have to be arranged along the track.

In this manner an alarm or signal is furnished which is operated automatically and entirely independent of the locomotive engineer, and which gives reliable and timely warning of the approach of a train at such a dis tance from the crossing that accidents may be avoided.

I do not claim, broadly, the combination of projections arranged alongside of the track, a shaft on thelocomotive having radial arms to be engaged by said projections, a cam-wheel upon said shaft,a spring-brake and alever mechanism operated by the cam to throw the whistle in or out of action.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. In an alarm device for railroad-crossings, the combination of the raised stops or projections (4 a, arranged alongside of the track, a cam-wheel, b, keyed to a shaft, d, supported in bearings of a locomotive, cam-wheel b, keyed to shaft (Z and retained by springs e 6, intermediate cam-wheel, b, keyed also to shafts d, vertically-guided and spring-presser rodf, and intermediate lever mechanism, 9, connecting'the rod f with the valve of the whistle, substantially as specified.

2. In an alarm device for railroad-crossings, the combination, with raised stops or projections a a, of toothed cam-wheel b, keyed to a ELIAS E. RIES.

XV itnesses:

PAUL GoEPEL, SIDNEY MANN.

shaft, (1, supported in bearings of the locomo-,

Images