US359990A - baeeett - Google Patents

Description

2 SheetsSheet 1.

(No Model.)

J. A. BARRETT.

RAILWAY OAR TELEGRAPHY.

Patented Mar. 29, 1887.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)-

-J. A. BARRETT.

RAILWAY GAR TELEGRAPH.

No. 859,990. Patented Mar. 29 1887.

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JOHN A. BARRETT, OF IE? YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE RAILYVAY I TELEGRAPH COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

RAILWAY-CAR TELEGRAPHY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 359,990, dated March 29, 1887.

Application filed April 1, 1885.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN A. BARRETT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Communicating by Electricity with Vehicles in Motion or at Best, of which the following is a specification.

My invent-ion relates-to apparatus for maintaining electrical communication with a moving vehicle without the necessity of a traveling or moving electric brush or contact, and its object is to utilize in a simple and effective way the principle of electromagnetic induction.

It is well known in the electrical art that a current of electricity in a conductor will produce magnetic effects in a bar or mass of iron in the neighborhood thereof, and that changes of magnetic condition in said baror mass may be detected by the mechanical eli'ects produced either through disturbance of surrounding air or other material in contact with the bar of iron, producing what is sometimes called the magnetic tick, or by the magnetic attraction of the bar or mass for a piece of iron or steel termed an armature and placed in proximity to one of the magnetic poles of the bar. In the former case it is supposed that the sound is produced by the changes of molecular condition inthe bar,producing an elon gation in the direction of the magnetic axis when the magnetization increases and a con traction when the magnetization decreases. It the changes of condition recur with sufficient rapidity a musical tone will be produced. If an armature be placed in proximity to a pole or poles of the magnetized bar or mass the change of magnetic condition may be utilized .directly, if sufticiently strong, in moving the armature, so as to operate an electric contact, or to re-enforce the sounds produced through the change of magnetism in the bar.

In carrying out my invention I propose to utilize the changes in the bar in either way, and in my claims the reciting of either form is to be taken as including the other as an equivalent.

My invention consists in the combination,

Serial No. 160,881. (No model.)

with a vehicle, of a fixed conductor parallel to the path over which the vehicle moves and a bar or mass of iron supported on the vehicle so as to be affected through electromagnetic induction from any electric current in the conductor, and provided with suitable means whereby the sounds produced by the changes of magnetic condition in said bar may be heard.

My invention consists, further, in the combination, with a vehicle, of a conductor supported parallel to the path over which the vehicle moves and in suitable proximity thereto, a bar or mass of iron supported on the vehicle and in such relation to the conductor as to be affected through electromagnetic induction by currents in said conductor, and an arinature of any desired kind,as hereinafter de scribed, for said bar or mass of iron.

My invention consists, further, in the combination, with the conductor supported on the road-bed and the bar or mass of iron supported on the moving vehicle in such relation to the conductor as to be affected through electromagnetic induction, of a suitable hearing tube or earpiece, whereby the sounds produced by said bar on changes of magnetic condition may be heard.

My invention consists, also, in certain combinations of apparatus and devices that will be specified in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a cross-section of a vehicle upon a line of rails, and illustrates one method of carrying my invention into practice. Fig. 2 is a modification showing another way of supporting the bar or mass of iron. Figs. 3 and 4 show in elevation and plan a further modification, in which a number of bars are combined. Fi 5 illustrates another manner of supporting the bar or mass of iron. Fig. 6 shows a modification of the invention. Fig. 7 illustrates an arrangement in which there is combined with the bar an armature for re-en forcing the sound effects. Fig. 8 shows the armature applied to control a circuit. Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating the connection and arrangement of devices upon the car or vehicle, and at a fixed statiousuch, for instance, as a train dispatchers office.

V In this specification I-use the term iron as including that combination of iron and carbon known as steel, and also wish it to be understood that instead of iron I-contemplate theemployment of any material which, like iron, may be magnetized.

Referring to Fig. 1, which shows the application of the invention to a railway-vehicle, BB indicate in crosssection the line of rails over which the vehicle moves, while A indicates a conductor supported on the road-bed in any suitable manner, and connected with a station-such, for instance, as a train dispatchers office. The conductor A is here shown as an insulated conductor placed in a.

depending from the car-bottom, and prefera-:

bly inclosed in a casing. The bar is of any desired length, and it is supported by preference in a line transverse to the line of the conductor A;

G indicates a casing of any desired kind around the bar, and E a rubber tube communicating with the space surrounding the bar, or with a space at the end thereof, or

with said bar in any other way, so that the sounds produced by the changes of magnetic condition in the bar may be taken up and conveyed through the tube to an ear-piece, F, placed in the car upon an operators table, or otherwise located. The bar is preferably inclosed in sound-insulatingmaterial. The tube may be composed of such material, or may be packed with the same.

In the modification of my invention shown in Fig. 2 the conductor A is supported by posts beside the track, and the bar is supported upon the car-roof in suitable proximity thereto. Instead of a single bar, a number of bars of iron, making agang, may be supported from the car-bottom, or otherwise, as indicated in Fig. 3, each set of bars having, if desired,.a separate sound-conveying tube, all merging in a common tube connecting with an ear-piece, after the manner indicated in Fig. 4 in plan.

The bar 0 might be supported upon the upper side of the car-bottom, as indicated in Fig. 5; but in this case, of course, the energy of the electromagnetic induction from the conductor A would be considerably lessened. Instead of a bar of the shape indicated in Fig. 1, one of the shape indicated in Fig. 6 may be employed. In this case the baris lengthened andbent around so that its end may project up through the car-bottom and terminate, if desired, at the top of the operators table, where it is provided with suitable means,

so that the sounds produced by changes of.

electrical condition thereon may be observed by the operator.

To heighten and rc-enforce the effects, as well as to provide a means wherebyan electric circuit upon the car may be controlled or diaphragm of a telephone, the sounds produced through thelchanges of magnetic condition in said bar being conveyed to the ear of the operator through said tube.

The armature may be modified in form for the purpose of controlling an electric circuit; or the disloarmature itself. might beused for this purpose. The latter form might be preferable where the bar was used for taking up through induction telephonic currents upon the lineconductor A, so that the sounds transmitted from a fixed station might be heard upon the vehicle without employment of a traveling or moving electric contact rubbing upon the line-conductor.' InFig. 8 I have shown a typical arrangement for this purpose, N indicating the armature,andR the localcircuit, including the elcctromagnet T, which latter may constitute, in effect, the/receivinginstrument, and be of any desired kind or form.

I lof course do notlimit myself; to the particular kind of signaling or communicating apparatus employed, but design using any kind whereby, through electrical action, communication may be had from a fixed station, such as. a train-dispatchers office, with a person upon the moving vehicle. illustrated, for sake of example, one arrange ment of devices that might be employed for this purpose.

XV indicates a fixed station-such, for in? stance, as a train-dispatchefis offico-and S an.

electric switch connected with the line-conductor A, and serving to place said line in communication either with a receivinginstrument, consisting, preferably, of a telephone,

T, or with a communicating apparatus,c0n-- sisting of a transmitting-key, K, a battery, M B, and an electromagnetic vibrator,.V. The latter is of any desired form, and is provided,

as shown, with an armature, which is kept in vibration through the automatictmakes and breaks of circuit, andlserves to throw the current from the battery M B into rapid pulsations or vibrations upon the circuitA, so as to produce the effect of a musical tone inany receiving-instrument connected with said conductor or affected thereby. The apparatus upon the car consists of the bar 0, provided with suitable means, as already described, whereby the sounds produced thereon by the vibrations or pulsations upon the conductor A may be heard, and a key, K, vibrator B, and

In Fig. 9 I have IIO main battery M B, the circuit of the latter devices being in this instance through a coil, M, on the bar 0. The pulsations or vibrations in the local circuit upon the car, passing through the coil 0, produce rapid changes of magnetic condition in the bar 0, and through magnetoelectro induction set up corresponding pulsations in the conductor A.

I do not desire to limit myself to devices such as I have 3' ust described for holding communication from the vehicle to the fixed station, but may use any other devices independent of the bar O--such, for instance, as those described in prior patents to L. J. Phelps.

I do not desire to limit myself to any particulanlocation of the bar or mass of iron, or any particular disposition thereof with relation to the line-conductor, as it is only necessary, in order to carry out the principles of my invention, to so arrange the bar that the electric currents upon the conductor A shall, by electromagnetic'induetion, affect the bar or mass of iron 0 in such way that the changes of magnetic condition thereon maybe heard directly or indirectly through a tube or carpiece, or may affect an armature for the purpose of controlling a local circuit or for height ening the sounds produced by said bar.

It may be desirable in many cases to use a permanent]y-magnetiaed bar of iron, and in this case an ordinary receiving telephone formed withfa straighbhar magnet may be found sufficient for all purposes.

I prefer to employ a system of communication such as indicated in Fig. 9, in which the signals are sent by musical tones or vibrations of greater or less duration, according to the character of the signals to be sent. I

I am aware that it is not new to place on a moving vehicle a bar oi iron surrounded by a coil or a magnetic needle arranged in proximity to the line-conductor, and I do not claim either of such arrangements, broadly, my invention relating more especially to an arrangement whereby the changes of magnetic condition in the bar may be utilized in a mechanical vay and directly through the action of the bar upon the air or upon a suitable armature.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is-* l. The combination, substantially as described, of a line-conductor supported upon the road-bed and parallel to the path of the vehicle, a bar or mass of iron supported upon the vehicle in inductive relation to said conductor, so as to be affected by electromagnetic induction, andsuitable means, as described, whereby the changes of magnetic condition in said bar may be through mechanical action observed.

2. The combination, substantially as described, of a line-conductor, a bar or mass of iron upon a vehicle arranged so as to be affected through electro-magnetic induction from said conductor, and an armature for said bar or mass of iron.

3. The combination, substantially as described, of aline-conductor, a bar or mass of iron supported upon the vehicle and arranged, as described, so as to be affected through electromagnetic induction from the conductor, the sounds produced by changes of condition in said bar being received directly by the op erator.

4. The combination, with the line-conductor, of a bar or mass of iron, (3, supported upon a vehicle, as described, and a hearingtube or ear-piece, whereby the sounds produced by said bar through changes of magnetic condition therein may be heard.

5. The combination, with the line-conductor, of a bar or mass of iron, G, as de scribed, carried upon the vehicle in inductive relation to the conductor, and an armature for said bar, as and for the purpose described.

6. The combination of a line-conductor and a vehicle supporting a magnetized bar of iron in inductive relation to said conductor and transverse thereto, as and for the purpose described.

7. The combination, substantially as described, of a line-conductor, a bar or mass of iron permanently magnetized and carried upon the vehicle transversely to the conductor, and an armature for said bar.

8. The combination, substantially as described, of a line-conductor, a vehicle carrying a permanently-magnetized bar or mass of iron arranged transversely to the line-conductor, a disk or diaphragm, armature for said bar, and an earpiece or hearing-tube, as described.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of NeWYork, this 25th day of March, A. D. 1885.

JOHN A, BARRETT.

Witnesses:

Tnos. TOOMEY, W L. CANDEE.

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