US356787A - Automatically-adjustable locosviot - Google Patents

Description

(No Mdel.)

H. L. PYLE. AUTOMATIGALLY ADJUSTABLE LGGUMOTIVE HBM) LIGHT.

Patented Reb. l, 1887.

FII/gt3.

Y N. PUERS. Pmmfmhegrzym. vlamingen D. C.

llnirrno dresses Ainsi @reiten noivnno L. PYLE, or Annen, onto.

srncirrcn'ron farming para of Leners Patent No. 356,787, dated February" l, 1887.

Application tiled March 514, 189.6. Serial No. 195,387. (lo model.)

To LZZ whom if; 'mcy concern;

Be it known that I, Hoivrinn L. PYLE, a citizen ol' the United States, residing at Akron, in the county of Summit, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Antoinatically-Adjusted Locomotive Head- Lights, ol' which the following is a description.

My invention relates to improvements in lo coinotive heed-lights; and it consists in so constructing and arranging the entire lamp that the light and its reflector and their supports, or a separate structure placed with each lamp, will he automatically moved and adjusted so as to thronv the light across the chord of the circle as the locomotive begins to turn a curve, and in that manner so divert and direct the beam oilight that the track will he illuminated in front of the train even on the sharpest curves.

l uni anare that it is not new to inonnt a head-light pivotallyY upon the front portion of a locomotive, and to provide a rod or hor extending hack to Within reach of the engineer, so that he might turn the head-light and directthe benin of light issuing therefrom in the desired direction infront oi' the engine. It has also been proposed to mechanically connect a pivoied head-light with sonic portion `oi" the iront truck of a locomotive so that as the truck turns under the engine in rounding curves the headlight would he directed in the direction of the curve, and so illuminate the track in front of the train. A serious objection to this latter method consists in the fact that at highest speeds the action will necessarily he spasniodie and violent; and7 further, there being so many different patterns of trucks nonY in use, tho application thereto of such an arrangement would require an ininiense amount oi' fitti ng and a greet many mechanical complications. l have there-fore embodied my invention in a forni free from such defects, the mechanical device hy which my head-light is automatically moved in the direction of the track being operated by the swaying ol the locomotive as it responds to the increased height ot 'the enter rail on a curve, and cousisting in a swinging weight, which may oe operated hy centrifugal action or take the iorni oi' a pendulum. "W ith either forni the neoveroent Vof the parts is directly in proportion to the radius of the curve as exemplified by the height of the outside rail, rand therefore antoznaticelly adj nsts itsell` to the varyin g demands resulting freni the variations in the radius of the curve and the speed of the train, as will he hereinafter more folly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, which forni a part of' this specilication, Figure l is a View in elevation showing the front portion of a locomotive provided with my improved antoinntieelly-adjnsted head-light. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, also in elevation, of the headlight shown in Fig. l, the exterior casing thereot being removed. Fig. 3 is a central transverse section through the reliector shown in Fig. 2. Fie. l is a top plan view of a lamp with exterior casing attached, exhibiting a modification oi' the arrangement shown in the th ree preceding iignres. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the devices shown in Fig. fi, a portion ofthe redeetor being broken sway for convenience.

Similar letters denote like ports throughout.

A represents the front portion of the smokehox of a locomotive, upon which isl mounted in the usual or an y well-known manner aheadlight, of which B is the fixed outer casing. \Vithin the casing B, and mounted upon a suitable base, C, is a parabolic reflector, D. This reflector is preferably iixed upon its base, and is supported thereon in'nny suitable inanner-ns, for inst-ance, by the post d, at its rear end, and an ongle-plate, d', :it its front edge, said front portion being covered and protected from the Weather by the usual glass screen, which is carried by the exterior casing, B. A suitable aperture, E, is provided near the rear end of the redentor D, through which the illnininating medium, which may he on electricare light or ani7 other desired illuniinator, is introduced.

Close to the front edge of the reflector is placed a small vertically-pivoted rod, F, to which is secured a thin` light metallic blade or vene, f,\vhiel1 extends from its Support F rearwardly to a point near the focus of the re- Hector, and is rounded at its edges, so that hy means of its support it can he srvnng from side to side Within the reflector. The vane is to loe either composed entirely of or covered with sonic metal capable of receiving and retaining a high polish ond forming a good reflector.

The lease C is a fixture, and to it is secured the longitudinal shaft G, from which extends a crank-arm, g, Which engages an arm, H, which is secured to and projects laterally from IOC log

the vertical rod F. A pendulum, I, is secured to and depends vertically from the shaft G, lying in front of the end ofthe boiler-extension, in which position it is 4free to swing to one side as the engine leans over on leaving the straight track and rising onto the high rail placed on the outside of all curves. The swinging of the pendulum I is communicated to the shaft G, oscillating the crank g, rotating the rod F, and moving the vane toward that side of t-he relector nearest the outside of the curve, the effect of which will be to divert the beam of light ordinarily projected directly in front of the train to one side and in the direction of the curve being traversed.

The ordinary rocking of the locomotive, while in some instances both frequent and severe, is usually as much iu one direction as the other, and will not materially affect the described arrangement, as there will not be a sufficient amount ot' time between the movements from one direction to the other to allow of anyimportant shifting of the vanef or penduluml. Being very thin, and polished on both sides, the vanef, when in its central position, will absorb little or no light and not interfere to any material extent with the light thrown forward.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown a modification of the foregoing, in which the base K is pivoted at its forward end and provided with suitable anti-friction rollers to support its rear portion. A iixed base, L, supports the movable one, K, and is provided with a track, Z, for the rollers, attached to the under side of the movable base, and a suitable socket, M, for. the pivot m, secured to the under side of the aforesaid movable base K. 'In a suitable support, N, attached to the boiler-extension or some ixed portion ot' the casing of the headlight, is a bearing, within which is pivoted a weight, O, arranged to swing horizontally therein. To the base K is secured the bolt P, which projects downward through a radial slot in. the fixed base L and into a longitudinal slot in the weight O. Tensionsprings Q Q are attached at each side of the weight 0, near its outer extremity, and are adjust-ably secured in suitable brackets fixed l at the under side of the fixed base L. A frame or track, q, depends from the base L and supports the roller R on the under sideot the weight O. Vith this construction the direction of the lamp as a whole is altered and made to correspond with that of the curve upon which the locomotive is running, the centrifugal action of the weight O propelling the reflector in the opposite direction and producing the desired result whenever the direction ot' the locomotive varies from a direct line. By means of the tensionsprings Q the /weight is always brought back toa central polsition, and the 'vibration and ordinary movements of the locomotive caused by slight irregularities in the track are absorbed and prevented from affecting the direction in which the light issues.

It will be obvious that many modifications and changes may be made in the above-described apparatus without in any way departing from the spirit of the invention-as, for instance, it is immaterial where the pendulum I or weight O are placed ,the positions shown are convenient; but they may equally well be placed above, behind, inside, or at the side of the exterior easing of the headlight. So, also, with the movable vane. It may be placed out-. side and in front of the casing, and may be centrally pivoted, instead of as shown.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination, with a pivoted reflector and source of light, ofan arm weighted at one end and pivoted at or nearits other and carried by the locomotive, the said reflector being pivoted at or near its front and positively connected with the weighted arm, whereby the light is directed in a direction opposite to the movementof the weighted arm, substantially as set forth. i

2. lThe combination, with a fixed reflector and suitable source of light, of a pivoted auxiliary reliector in frontof the burner, whereby the beam of light can be directed away from the stationary plane of projection, subst-auf tially as shown and described.

3. The combination, with a reflector and a suitable source of light, of an auxiliary reector pivotally mounted within said reflector, whereby the light can be directed away from the stationary plane of projection, substantially as shown and described.

4.A The combination, with the locomotive, of ahead-light provided with a suitable parabolic reflector and a source of light, an auxiliary reflector pivoted within the reliector, andan arm weighted at one end and pivoted at or near its other and carried by the locomotive, the pivoted reflector being connected in the rear of its pivot with the weighted arm, whereby said auxiliary reflector will be swayed from one side to the other, in accordance with the swing or lean of the locomotive when moving upon a curve, substantially as shown and described.

5. The combination, with the moving vehicle, of a parabolic reflector and a suitable ICO IIO

source of light, an auxiliary reflector pivoted Y

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