US331463A

US331463A - Electric signaling apparatus

Info

Publication number: US331463A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1885-12-01
Anticipated expiration: 1902-12-01

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

J. P. TIBRE LL. ELECTRIC SIGNALING APPARATUS.

No. 331,463.. Patented 1360.1, 1885 WITNESSES N. PETERS phowinhugrnylhen Washmgkm. Dr C.

(No Model.) 2 Sh,eetsSheet 2. J. P. TIRRELL. ELECTRIC SIGNALING APPARATUS.

No. 331,463. Patented Dec. 1, 1885.

lNVENTDR' *WITN'EEEES NY PEYENSI Fholuiilhogmphcr. Washmglou. D. c.

llr-irrlen Srares a'rnrvr Orrice...

JACOB P. TIRRELL, OF BOSTON, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO JAMES F. EMERSON, OF WAKEFIELD, GEORGE O. CARPENTER, OF BOSTON, AND JOHN \V. CARTER, OF NENVTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRIC SEGNALENG APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 331,4:63, dated December 1, 1885. Application filed December 18, 1884. Serial No. 150,624. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, JACOB P. TIRRELL, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented certain Improvements in Electric Signaling Apparatus, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of electric signals which are capable of giving automaticallyaseries of signals in accordance with a prearranged schedule or timetable, the

invention being chiefly intended to give warning and departure signals for railroad-trains.

The inventionhas for its object to provide a simple and effective apparatus of this class;

and to this end'it consists in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improved apparatus. Fig. 2 represents a sect-ion on line 00 00, Fig. 1, looking toward the right hand. Fig. 2 represents a similarf section showing a different position. Fig. 3 represents a section on line 2 3 y, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 represents a section on line z .2, Fig. 2, looking downwardly. Fig. 5 represents an end elevation of the apparatus. Fig. 6 represents a top view of the same, and Fig. 7 represents a perspective view of a portion of the apparatus.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In carrying out my invention I take a strip, or, preierably, an endless band, a, of paper or 5 other suitable material which is a non-conductor of electricity, and suspend the same from a drum, 1), which is rotated step by step at a predetermined rate by mechanism hereinafter described, the movement being in the present case one step per minute. The strip a is perforated at regular intervals to receive spurs on the drum Z), the paper being thus positively engaged with and moved by the drum. The band passes from the drum 1) over suitable pulleys, whereby its length is conveniently disposed, and is kept taut by a weighted pulley hung on a bight of the band. The edges of the band are graduated, the subdivisions being of the same length as the movement imparted to the band by each partial rotation of the drum. Each subdivision represents one minute, and there are as many subdivisions in the entire length of the band as there are minutes in twenty-four hours. The band is wider than the drum b,and projects 5 from the periphery thereof at both sides. In the edges of the band are cut notches 00, each notch being the length of one subdivision. The notches are cut in accordance with the series of signals to be given, a circuit being 6 closed through a signal gong when each notch reaches a given point, as hereinafter described. The notches in one edge of the band (the left-hand edge, as seen in Fig. 1) give the signals for week-days, while the notches in 6 5 the other edge give the signals on Sundays, automatic mechanism, hereinafter described, being employed, whereby the closure of the circuit through the gong is governed for six successive days by the notches in the one edge 7Q of the band, and on the seventh day by the notches in the other edge.

01 represents a lever pivoted at e to one of the plates of the supporting-frame, and provided with two spring contact-arms, e e, which project over the drum 1), and are depressed once each minute by a time mechanism hereinafter described. W hen the contactarms are depressed, the arm 6 coincides with any notch in the weekday edge of the band that may be under said arm, and the arm 6 coincides with any notch in the Sunday-edge. I

f f represent contact-points placed under the projecting edges of the portion of the band that rests on the drum 1), the pointf being in position to make contact with the arm e when the latter is depressed, and coincides with a notch, a, while the point f makes contact under similar circumstances with the arm 6. Vhen either of the arms 6 c in descending 0 does not coincide with a notch in the band, it is separated and insulated from the corresponding contact-point by the band.

YVhen the apparatus is in condition for weekday use, the contact of the arm 0 with 5 the point f closes an electric circuit through said point, a wire, 2, connected to it, a post,

3, to which said wire passes, a movable switch,

4, then in contact with an arm, 5, on said post a spring, 6, wire 7, electric gong 9, wire 10, battery 11, wire 12, the metallic frame of the apparatus, the lever (Z, and the arm 6. When the apparatus is in condition for Sunday use, the switch 4 is moved from the arm of the post 3 and makes contact with an arm, 13, on another post, 14. The contact of the arm 6 with the point f closes a circuit through wire 15, post 14:, arm 13, the switch 4, the gong, the battery, the metallic frame, the lever d, and the arm 6, the pointf being cut out by the described movement of the switch, so that no effect is produced by contact of the arm e with it, while the pointf is cut out when the switch is in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 5. It will be seen, therefore, that when the apparatus is in condition for weekday use the circuit is closed and the gong sounded by each contact of the arm a with the point f, the times of said contacts being determined by the number and position of the notches in the week-day edge of the band. When the apparatus is in condition for Sunday use, the circuit is closed and the gong sounded by each contact of the arm 0 with the point f. The progressive movement of the band one step in each minute and the depression of the arms 6 0 once each minute insure the coincidence of each arm with all of the notches with which it is intended to co-operate. The arms 6 e and contact-points f f constitute the separable terminals of two branches of the circuit.

I will now specifically describe the mechanism whereby the drum b is rotated step by step. The arms 6 e are depressed and the switch et is moved to alternately throw each branch into and out of the circuit.

9 represents the drum on which is wound the cord h of the impeding-weight. (Not shown in the drawings.) Said weight impels a timetrain composed of a gear, Z, affixed to the drum 9, a pinion, j, on an arbor, 7c, meshing with the gear 1, a gear, Z, on the arbor k, a pinion, m, on an arbor, a, meshing with the gear Z, a gear, 0, on the arbor n, and a piniomp, on an arbor, q, meshing with the gear 0. The arbors of this train are journaled in the metal plates r 1". The arbor 7c supports and rotates the bandcarrying drum Z),while the arbor q is provided at one end with a cam, 8, against which contact-arm the lever dis held by a spring, Z.

To the arbor q, near its opposite end, is affixed an arm, a, which is alternately held and released by a let-off mechanism which releases said arm once each minute, allowing it to make a complete rotation with its arbor q,and then rearresting it, the entire train being impelled by the weight while the arbor q is released. The impulse thus given the train rotates the drum b one step, or the length of one minutedivision on the band a, and causes the cam s to depress the lever (Z and contactarms c e, the lever being raised by its spring t after it is depressed by the cam.

The letotfmechanism is composed of a rockshaft, a, having an arm, I), on which are two pallets, 0' (Z, and an arm, j, having a stud, 9, an arbor, it, having a cam, 1', against which the stud g bears, an escape-wheel, on the arbor h, an escapement, Z, and a pendulum, n, whereby the rotation of the arbor h is governed, and a spring, 0, secured at one end to a collar on the arbor q of the train above described,.and at its other end to a collar on the escape-wheel arbor h. (See Fig. 3.) When the train is released, the rotation of the arbor q winds up the spring 0 and causes it to impeel the arbor h, which rotates the cam t" at a rate governed by the escapement and pendulum, the cam making a complete rotation once each minute. WVhen the cam is in the position shown in Fig. 2, its recessed portion receiving the stud g on the arm j of therockshaft a, the other arm I) of said rock-shaft is held in position to present its outer pallet, d, to a stud, p, on the arm a of the time-train arbor q, as shown in Fig. 2. As the escapewheel arbor 71/ rotates from the position shown in Fig. 2 the arm 7" is moved outwardly, and the arm I) is raised, as shown in Fig. 2, thus allowing the arm a to pass the outer pallet,d, and bring up against the inner pallet,c. When the cam again reaches the position shown in Fig. 1, the stud of the arm j drops abruptly into the recessed portion of the cam, thus depressing the arm I) and causing the pallet c to release the arm u,and the time-train,which is impelled with the above-described result until the arm a is again arrested by the pal.- let d.

The movement of the timetrain is regulated by an escape-wheel, r, on the arbor q, and an escapement, s, secured to a short pendulum, t, pivoted to one of the plates 1".

The intermittent movement of the time-train may be used to close electric circuits for other purposes -for example, through electric dials, the hands thereof being moved once each minute by the closure of the circuit.

The means whereby the switch 4 is automatically operated are as follows To the switch is attached an arm, 17, of non-conducting material, which is ordinarily held by the spring 6 in the position shown in Fig. 1, the switch being in contact with the post 3, as required for week-day operation. A wheel, 18, having teeth out in its periphery, and a projection, 19,011 one side, is journaled in abracket on the supporting-base of the apparatus. The arbor of the drum 9 has a single tooth, 20, Fig. 5, which engages with a tooth of the wheel 18, and gives the latter a partial rotation once during ea ch complete rotation of the drum 9, the wheel 18 thus being completely rotated once each week. The projection 19 occupies one-seventh of the diameter of the wheel 18, and is formed to come in contact with and displace the arm 17 after the apparatus has been in operation for six successive days, the displacement of the arm continuing while the wheel is making one-seventh of a rotation and causing the switch 4 to make contact with the post 14, thus adapting the apparatus for Sunday use.- When the projection 19 leaves the arm 17 at the end of Sunday, the spring 6 restores the arm and switch to their week-day position. I prefer to provide the band a with notches arranged to give two signals in successionone being a warning-signalthree minutes prior to the departure signal.

It is obvious that the arrangement for giv ing a different order of signals on Sunday may be dispensed with in an apparatus intended for giving signals according to only oneschedule.

Any desired number of hands a may be op erated by a single timetrain, a separate circuit being employed for each band. Thus in stations used by several railroads one time mechanism can be made to give the signals for trains on all the roads.

It is customary to give two or more blows on a gong as awarning or departure signal in railway-stations, and often the warning and departure signals differ in the number of blows given. In electric signal apparatus heretofore used a separate closure of the circuit has been required for each blow on the gong. Thus in giving three blows the circuit must be closed and broken three times in rapid succession.

My apparatus closes the circuit only once in each minute, as above described, and to enable this single closure to cause any desired number of blows on the signal-gong I employ an improved gong-striking mechanism described and claimed in another application for Letters Patent filed with this application. Said striking mechanism is normally held by an armature-detent, which, when attracted to an electro-magnent by the closure of the circuit, releases the mechanism and is prevented from returning to its holding position after the circuit is broken by mechanical devices operated by the striking mechanism, until the required number of blows have been given, when the detent resumes its normal position and arrests the striking mechanism.

I claim 1. In an electric time-signal, a flexible strip or band having notches or perforations arranged in conformity to a schedule or timetable, combined with mechanism, substantially as described, for moving said band progressively at a predetermined rate, so that each notch will be in a given position at a given minute, and an electric circuit, includ ing a signaling device and having terminals which are separated by the imperforate por tions of the band and are permitted to meet and close the circuit through the signaling de vice by the notches or perforations oftheband, as set forth.

2. In an electric time-signal, a flexible strip or band having notches or perforations arranged in conformity to a schedule or timetable, combined with mechanism,substantially as described, for moving said band progres sively step by step at a predetermined rate, an electric circuit, including a signaling device, and having terminals which are separated by the imperlorate portions of the band, and mechanism, substantial] y as described, whereby one set of terminals is depressed at regular intervals corres ionding to the intervals between the movements of the band, as set forth.

In an electric signal, the combination of a flexible strip or band having two series of notches or perforations, mechanism, substantially as described, for moving said band step by step, an electric circuit, including a signaling device, and having two branches, each having terminals which are separated by the imperforate portions of the band, and are permitted to meet, by the notches or perforations thereof, one series of notches co-operating with one branch and the other series with the other branch, and an automatic switch mechanism, substantially as described, whereby each branch is alternately made operative and inoperative, as set forth.

a. In an electric signal, the combination of the flexible band having notches or perforations, the electric circuit, including a signaling device, and having terminals which are separated by the imperforate portions of the band and are allowed to meet by the notches or perforations thereof, one of said terminals being capable of. oscillating a time-train having on one of its arbors a drum which moves the flexible band, and on another a cam which depresses the oscillatory terminal, and a let-off mechanism,substantially as described, whereby the train is allowed to operate once in each minute, as set forth.

5. The combination, with the time-train, of the signaling mechanism operated thereby, an arbor, h, connected by a spring, 0, with one of the arbors of said train, and provided with a cam and an escape-wheel, an escapement and pendulum, whereby the rotation of the arbor h and its cam is regulated, and mechanism,substantially as described, controlled by said cam, whereby the timetrain is alternately released and arrested, the spring 0 being wound by the movement ofthe timetrain, and thus caused to impel the arbor and cam, as set forth.

6. The combination,with the time-train hav ing the arbor q and the arm a on said arbor, of the arbor it, having the cam z" and escapewheel an escapement and a pendulum governing the rotation of said arbor, the spring 0', connected at one end to the arbor q, and at the other end to the arbor h, and the rockshaft a, having the arm j bearing against the cam i, and the arm I), having the arrestingpallets c d, as set forth.

7. The combination of the time-train, the toothed wheel 18, rotated thereby, the pivoted non-conducting arm 17, the switch 4, secured to said arm and pressed normally toward the wheel by a spring, 6, the projectionli) on said wheel,whereby the arm 17 is displaced during a part of a complete rotation of the wheel, and

a two-branched electric circuit, the branches whereof are alternately cut out by the movename to this specification, in the presence of ments of the switch, as set forth. two subscribing witnesses, this 1st day of De- 8. Atimetrain combined with let-offmecheeniber, 1884.

anisrn, substantially as described, whereby In testimony whereof I have signed my o said train is released and allowed to move JACOB TIRRELL' once each minute, combined with an electric Witnesses:

circuit or circuits closed by each movement I O. F. BROWN, of the time-train, as set forth. R. J. POWERS.