US360077A - Railway-signal - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. H. WRIGHT.

RAILWAY SIGNAL.

No.360,07'7. Patented Mar. 29, 1887.

Witnesses InUentur;

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(No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2. G. H. WRIGHT.

RAILWAY SIGNAL. No. 360,077.

Patented May. 29, 1887.

: s Witnesses: InUEntnr:

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N. PETERS. Pholwmm n lm, Wnhinghm. u. C

(No Model.) 3 Sheets---Sheet 3.

G. H. WRIGHT.

RAILWAY SIGNAL.

No. 360,077. Patented Mar. 29, 1887.

N FETERS, PhnloLrihogu hcr. Walhingxnn, 0.6.

NITE STATES ATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE II. WRIGHT, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 360,077, dated March 29, 1887.

(No model.)

To (LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. WRIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco,in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented a new and useful Electric Time Danger-Signal for Railways,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the ac companying drawings in three sheets.

My invention relates to improvements made in automatic mechanism for operating dangersignals on railway-lines and my improvements consist in certain novel construction and combination of a system of electric batteries placed along the line of the traclgconnecting with a time mechanism to operate a lever having a signal of danger thereon. This deviceis placed along the track at suitable distances apart, and is operated by the driving wheels of a locomotive passing over a trans mitter at one end of the line of track, which form the electric circuit, and cause the danger-signal to be displayed at the opposite end of the line, which it encompasses, to a train approaching in the opposite direction.

The nature of these improvements and the manner in which I proceed to construct, combine, apply, and use the same to accomplish the desired end and object are fully set forth in the following description in said drawings, being referred to by figures and letters.

Figure l is a plan of my electric railway time danger-signal system. Fig. 2 is a View in elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a crosssection through railway-track. Fig. 4 is a front view of a time signal-lever-operating mechanism. Fig. 5 is a top view of the same. Fig. 6 shows the means by which the electric circuit is formed.

Let A A represent the rails of a line of track in a railway. Upon the inside of one rail, at a point where the flange or tire of the driving-wheel of alocomotive will strike or impinge, I place two fiat upwardly-curved transmitter-springs, B 13*, to the outer ends of which are attached the respective wires which connect with a battery, 0, which latter may be placed at any convenient point in the road-bed. The wires in turn connect with the electromagnetic coil D in a signal-stand, E, whence the returning wire of the battery will form an electric circuit as soon as the drivingwheels of the locoi'notive pass over the transmitter, or other pressure he brought to bear upon the springs, which depresses them, and therefore brings them in contact. The electric current being established will pass through the electromagnetic coil D and attract its armature F, which latter is mounted as a lever, F*. The outer end of this lever or armature connects with the end of a shaft, G, placed across the upper end of a time mechanism, the uses and operation of which will be hereinafter more fully described.

The sigualstand E contains a clock mechanism, 13*, consisting of a series of toothed wheels actuated by the cord and weight H, by which the time danger-signal is operated. The clock mechanism is wound up at certain intervals of time, and may be geared to run ten days or more, if required. The lever F rests against the inner end of the transverse rod or shaft G, placed across the front of the time mechanism, to the outer end of which is connected a ball or weight, G*, as shown. Around this rod or shalt is coiled a spiral spring, I, which draws the shaft G back end wise toward the outer end of the lever or arm F, and away from the magnet immediately after the magnetic action upon the armature has ceased. From the transverse shaft G extends at a right angle an arm, J, having a bent end, which latter engages with the flywheel K of the clock-movement and arrests its progress, when the weight G is prevented from dropping. From the weighted shaft G extends a curved rod, L, which passes down and engages with a series of projecting pins, M, upon the inner face of the cog-wheel M.

To the front of the time mechanism is connected a diaIplate, N, having upon its front face a series of lugs or cams, N N placed at a suitable distance from each other. These lugs or cams are coincident with the pins M upon the cog-wheel M*, and are placed at equal distances apart.

\Vithin a suitable casing at the side of the signalstand is placed the danger-signal 0, connected to a lever which operates upon the pivot or pin O of the casing. The inner end of the lever is weighted and extends back upon the dial-plate a sufficient distance to be engaged by the lugs or cams upon its face, by which the signal is lowered.

It-should here be observed that in operating my time danger-signal two sets of instruments and their connections are employed, placed at suitable distances apart along the track or railway-line and connected by wires, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so that if two opposing trains are approaching each other upon the same track the one passing over the transmittingsprings first will cause the danger-signal to be raised at the opposite end or station of the system, and vice versa, as follows: If the drivingwheels of the locomotive pass over the tran mitting-springs upon the track, they are borne or pressed down and come in contact, and the electric circuit is established through the me dium of the wires, the battery, and electromagnetic coil, which latter attracts the armature F, pressing back the oppositeend of the lever F which will force back the weighted shaft G and disengagethe rod L from the lugs or projections on cog-wheel M therefore causing the weighted shaft G to turn until the rod L is brought up against the stop P. At the same time the turning movement of the shaft Gr will cause the rod J to be lifted from the fly-wheel K and set the clockwork in motion, by which action the inner arm of the time signal-lever will be released and drop down to the next cam below, exposing the danger-signal at the opposite end of the signal-lever to view. As the faceplate, N of the clock-work continues to turn, the signal will be slowlylowered again. This movement is such as to keep the signal exposed to view for a certain space of time.. The spiralspring I having pushed the weighted shaft G toward the leverarm F immediately after the magnetic action of the armature has ceased the said shaft G will be brought in proper position again to be acted upon by the projections on the cog-wheel M These succeeding projections on wheel M will then engage with the curved rod L on shaft G, forcing the same from it. Therefore the shaft G will be carried back to its original position, which movement will cause the other arm J on shaft G to drop, and so arrest the motion of the clock-work until the electric circuit is again established.

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

1. The herein-described time danger-signal for railways, which consists of signals carried by suitable arms, two clock mechanisms having disks provided with lugs or cams to engage the signal arms, and electric circuits for each clock mechanism, which are composed of a separate system of wires connected with the mechanism, a battery, an electromagnet, and the curved springs B B located close to the rail-flange, said circuits being adapted to be closed by the contact of the locomotive-wheel with the springs B 13*, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination of the signal-stand E, containing a clock mechanism, E the dangersignal-O, carried by alever pivoted at 0*, said lever being arranged to be operated by the clock mechanism, the electric circuits connecting the clock mechanisms with the rails, and intermittently closed by the locomotive wheels, which circuits include the wires, batteries, electro-magnets, and springs B B", the lever F armature F, transverse shaft G, weight G and spring I, all arranged to operate substantially in the manner shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand and seal.

GEORGE H; WRIGHT. [L. s.]

Witnesses:

O. W. M. SMITH, GHAs. E. KELLY.

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