US355548A - meyer - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets- Sheet 1.

A. MEYER.

I I SIGNALYBOX. 110.355.5423, Paten tedJanA, 1887.

N. FETEIIS. Phflo-Lnhographun Walhinglcn, D. (L

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. MEYER.

SIGNAL BOX.

.No. 355,548. Patented Jan. 4, 1,887.

ilill mu III! lllll e l l t witmwm I ga we'wboz 7%QW UQVMIM/MK mflmq/ 5 N. PETERS. Phululilhographer. Wznhinglon 04 Q UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST MEYER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO J. FRANK MORRISON, OF SAME PLACE.

SIGNAL-BOX.

SPECIFICATION .mitting any one of several different signals at will for indicating the character of servicere- 'quired and also the number of the district or sub-station where the signal box or transmitter is located, and, further, to provide for signaling back from the central station to the substations.

The invention consists, in general terms, in providing a circuit-closing device with two operating mechanisms, one of which may be set in any one of several positions, and when released serves to send a corresponding number of impulses, while the other is constructed to transmit an arbitrary group or combination of impulses by actuating the circuit-closing device each time the instrument is operated. The two devices are actuated by independent springs and are dependent upon each other to the extent that the variable signaling device is prevented from acting until the group or station signaling device commences to operate, and the movement of the former is to ajoertain extent controlled by that of the latter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the operating mechanism, partly in section, and Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same. Figs. 3 and 5 are details of the wants'ignaling device, and Fig. 4 is a side view of the apparatus.

Referring to the figures, A and A represent two handles or arms, designed, respectively, to set the variable or want signaling device and the arbitrary station-signaling device in condition to operate. The handle A is pivoted upon an arbor, a, extending through the frame of the instrument. It carries a toothed rack or segment, a, which engages the teeth of a pinion, ad. The arbor of this pinion carlies a earn, a, shown in this instance with two forming part of Letters Patent 310,355,548, dated January 4, 1887. Application filed October 20, 1886. seriainofaimo (No model.)

widened surfaces. This cam serves, when the pinion is revolved, to drive an arm or spring, a, to and fro. An arm, a rests at one end in the arm a and extends to a flexible arm, b which carries an insulated ci rcu it-closing plate, 0. The movement of the arma, occasioned by the revolution of the arbor a, will thus cause the plate a to be thrown into and out of contact with two circuit-closing springs, c and c, bridging across the same. It will be seen thus that the number of times a circuit is thus completed between the two insulated arms a and a will be dependent upon the arc through which the arm A is moved. A scale, (i is provided for determining in which one of several positions the arm A shall be set for giving the desired signal. As the arm A is set in position the pinion a will be revolved,

- and the cam a would actuate thespring b were it not that this spring is during suchtime pressed toward the Contact-springs-c' and c, as will hereinafter appear. The turning of the cam against the springrfiwill, however, give a series of mechanical impulses to the handle, and by means of these it may readily be determined by the person using the box d surrounding the arbor a, tends to return the arm to its normal position but this movement is prevented by reason of a detent, d, carried upon an arm, (1 which arm is pivoted upon an arbor, d. A pin, (1, carried uponan arm, d extending from the arbor a, enters a slot, d formed in the arm (1 When the arm A is moved toward the right hand the pin d moves the arm (2 toward the axis of the circuitrcontrolling wheel E, which will be hereinafter described. A wheel, E, upon the same shaft has a series of curved lugs, e 6 6 e, upon its face, and the arm d is made sufficientlyresilient to allow the detent d to ride over these lugs, which it will do by reason of the beveled face of the detent. This detent,how-

ICO

, arbitrary station-signal.

cession, thus gradually nearing the periphery of the wheel and permitting a number of revtuate the circuit-closing plate. 0 in the same manner as is accomplished by the arm or rod 0.". The teeth ff are arranged upon the periphery of that portion of the wheel E diametrically opposite the portion of the wheel E whichis occupied by the lugs e e e 0, so that the signals occasioned by the handle A and cam a. will first be sent, then subsequently the A wide tooth, f, upon the wheel E stands beneath the tooth b when the instrument is at rest, and holds the plate cjagainst the springs c and 0", thus causing the circuit to becomplete.

For the purpose of actuating the wheel E, the lever or handle A is employed. This lever is carried upon an arbor, h, from which an arm, h, extends at right angles. The arm h extends between the fingers of a forked arm, h, which turns upon an arbor, h When the crank is drawn downward, Fig. 1, the arm h is moved forward and the pawl h engages a tooth of the ratchet-wheel k, which is fixed upon an arbor, h The movement of the arbor h thus occasioned winds the spring k, one

end of which is fast to the arbor, while the other end is fastened to a gear-wheel, k sleeved upon an arbor. The spring tends to drive the wheel k, and, through a suitable train, to turn the circuit-controlling wheel E in the direction indicated by the arrow.

For the purpose of preventing the device from operating until a full movement of the arm A has been accomplished, the retainingpawl k of the wheel It acts to move the circuit-closing point 0, the office of which will be presently described, against two contact arms or springs 0 and 0 and at the same time to hold the plate 0, which carries the point 0, in such position that a pin, p, projecting therefrom shall engage a block, 1), upon one of the wheels B of the train. WVhen the apparatus is at rest the pin 19 engages a lug, 1), upon this wheel, this latter lug being located nearer the periphery of the wh eel than the lug p Upon the first movement of the plate 0, occasioned by the pressure of the pawl h the pin 1) releases the lug p, but again arrests the wheel B by standing in the path of the lug 1) before the tooth f of the wheel E has passed from beneath the tooth b, and thus the wheel B is held until the pawl h has fallen behind a tooth of the wheel 70. A spring, 19 thereupon tends to return the plate 0 to its former position. This action is prevented by reason of a cam or plate, 12, carried upon the arbor of the wheel E, a section of which is cut away for allowing a pin, 11 on the plate O to approach the arbor when the'apparatus is at rest. When, however, the plate 0 has been thrown back and the wheel B has completed its first movement, the edge 12 of the cam will have passed beneath the pin p and it will hold the plate 0 in its backward position until the wheel E has nearly completed its subsequent revolution. In this manner the connection between the points 0 and 0 will remain complete until after the signal has been transmitted.

The springs 0 0* are respectively connected with opposite terminals of the coils of an electro-magnet, B. This magnet is employed for actuating a hammer, r, of a bell, r. The object of this bell is to render it possible that signals shall be transmitted from the central station to the sub-station when the apparatus is not in use for transmitting a signal, and for this reason the electro-magnet is normally in the circuit of the main line, but when the plate 0 is placed against the springs 0 and o in the manner described the magnet R is shunted, so that the impulses transmitted to line by the instrument itself do not necessarily operate the bell.

vice and a want-signaling device, of independent actuating devices, springs for the same, and an escapement device for said wantindicating device, said escapement device being controlled by the station-indicating device.

3. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, with a circuit-closing arm, of a wheel foractuating the same, means for revolving said wheel, a cam, means for revolving said cam when said wheel is operated, and a mechanical connection between said cam' and said circuit-closing point, whereby the latter is operated independently of said circuitclosing wheel.

4. The combination of a circuit-controlling wheel, a spring for actuating the same, an arm for winding said spring, a restraining device for said wheel, a variable signal-transmitting device, a step-by-step escapement for saidvariable signaling device controlled by said circuit controlling wheel, and an independent arm for setting said variable signaling device.

5. The combination of a toothed rack, a pinion engaged by the same, a cam moving with said pinion, a'lever or arm actuated by said cam, a circuit-closing point, and a mechanical connection between said point and arm, substantially as described. 7

6. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a toothed rack, a pinion engaged by the same, a cam moving with said pinion, a lever or flexible arm actuated by said cam, a circuit-closing point, a mechanical connection between said point and arm, a spring, an arm, a toothed wheel engaging said arm, a

pawl engaged by said toothed wheel, a plate engaged by said pawl, atrain of wheels actu ated by said spring, normally prevented from operating by said plate, an escapement device for said rack controlled by one of the wheels of said train, and a second signal-transmitting device controlled by the movement of said train. e

7. The combination,'with a circuit-controll-' ing wheel, of a spring for actuating the same, a toothed wheel, pawl, and lever for winding said spring, a retaining-pawl for said toothed wheel, and a releasing device for said circuitcontrolling wheel controlled by the said retaining-pawl.

8. In a variable signal-transmitter, a revolving wheel, a lever, a pawl moved by said lever, a series of lugs upon said wheel, any one of which may be engaged by said pawl and thereby hold said lever in any of several different positions, and means for releasing said wheel,

substantially as described.

9. The combination, with the circuit-controlling wheel of a signal-box, of curved lugs upon said wheel concentric therewith, the

successive lugs increasing in length gradually toward the periphery, a lever, and a pawl actuated thereby, said pawl engaging with said lugs.

10. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the handle A, the rack cf, the yielding arm (1*, actuated by said handle, a pawl, d, the lugs e e? e e, the wheel E,

upon which said lugs are carried,and a spring,

d, for actuating said handle.

11. The combination, with a signal-box, 0f 40 an 'electro-magnet normally in circuit,contactsprings connected with the respective termi- AUGUST MEYER.

Witnesses:

FELIX R. SULLIVAN, O. (IPOULTNEY.

Images