US381086A - sherman - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 3 sheets-sheet .1. W. -B. SHERMAN, Deod.

M. E. & c. G. F mn, Administratbrs.

RAILROAD SIGNAL. No. 381,086. 5 1 Patented Apr. '10, 1888;

N FnEnsjPhumL-mu mn Wiuhlnglnn. me.

(No Model.) 7 3 Sheets.$he et 2, I W; B. SHERMAN, Decd.

M. E. & C. G. FOLAND, Administrators.

. I j RAILROAD SIGNAL. 7 I No. 381,086. Pgdtented Apr. 10, 1888,

WITNESSES: I

N. PEYERS. Plgobulmgnpher Washinglan. (10.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3. r

(No Model.) A

W. B. SHERMAN, Decd.

M. E. & 0. e. FoLANb, Administrators. RAILROAD SIGNAL. No. 381.086. Patented Apr. 10, 1888.

I UNITED" STATES p PATE T OFFI E I WARDELL B. SHERMAN, OF ONEIDA, NEW YORK, MARION E. FOLANDAND Q CHARLES G. FOLAND ADMINISTRATOBS [OF SAID SHERMAN DEOEASED.

RAILROAD-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 'aaroasjaatea April 10. 1888.,

To all whom it may coficern:

Be it known that I, WARDELL B. summit,

' of Oneida, in the county of Madison, in the State of the same.

line a: :0, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal secof New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Signals, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and extion of the counter-shaft with its appurtenances. Fig. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the shaft which'transmits motion' from the spiral to the counter-shaft, and Fig. 6 is a detached side view of the clock-work. 1

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

It represents one of the rails of a railroadtrack, along the outer sideof which and axially parallel therewith is a spirally flanged shaft, A, pivoted at opposite ends insuitable supports, S S. Said spiral is in sufficient proximity to the top of the rail R to receive along the edge adjacent to the rail the pressure of the car-wheels passing over said rail,

and the movement of said pressure from end to'end of the spiral causes the same to rotate on its axis. Axially in line with the spiral A,

and extending from one end thereof, is'a shaft,

D, which is prevented from rotating, and is arranged movable longitudinally and crowded toward the spiral by means of a spring, I),

' pressing against the end of said'shaft.

On the shaft D is pivoted a pinion, O, which is provided with a clutch-face, 0, adapted toengage a clutch-face, 'c,'secured to the spiral shaft A,

as bestseen inFigoof the drawings.

At one side of the shaft .D, and parallel therewith, is a counter-shaft, B, journaled in suitable'bearings secured to standards m m.

To this counter-shaft are rigidly secured a 5 Applicationfiled Apri111.1B87. SerialNo.234,357. (No model.)

drum, H, and a ratchet-wheel, e, 'and'onv the Q 'hub of the latter is loosely mounted a gear-v 7 wheel, F, which meshes inthe pinion O. f By,- means of a pawl, f, connected'with th'e wheel Fand engaging the ratchet-wheel e, motion is transmitted from the spiral shaft Ato the counter-shaftB when the clutch c c is in engagement and a car or englne moves over the rail R in the, direction indicated by an arrow in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

Back of the drum II-"s another drun1,.H, mounted loosely on the counter-shaft, so as to allow it to slide/longitudinally thereon. It is compelled tov rotate zsynchronously with the drum H by means of a sl'iding'couplingcon- V sisting of a pin, 13, projecting from the end of the drum H and intoa prolonged channel, Z,

in the, adjacent endof the drum H, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. At the rear end of the drumHthe counter-shaft B isprovided v with a screw-threaded portion, B, on. which I I works a nut, I, which is coupled to the drum H by an undercut flange, n, on thegnutinten' looking with a flanged projection, n, on the drawings.

' By means of an arm, N, projecting from the nutI and sliding on the shaft l), the nut is prevented from turning, and thus said nut is. caused to travel longitudinally on the counter I shaft when the, latter is rotated. "Iothe shaft 1) are rigidly secured two shoulders, la a, between whichthe arm N moves. during the travel of the not I. By the collision ofthe said arm with the rear shoulder, a; the shaft D is crowded back in opposition to the spring I), and thus the clutch-face .o of the pinion O. is drawn out of engagement with the clutchfaces of the spiral shaft A. To the supporting-standard of the rear end of theshaft D is secured a spring-catch, d, which is adapted to engage the shoulder a of the aforesaid-shaft when pressed back in the manner aforesaid;

To the arm 'N is secured a tripper-arm,. t,

which lies under'the catch d, and in the movement of the nut I toward the spiral A' said ment with the shouldera, and thus releases the. shaft D and allows the same to be presse 'tripper-arm lifts theca'tch (1 out of engagetoward the spiral, so as to cause the clutchface 0 to engage the clutch-face c by the pressend of the drum H, as shown in Fig. 4. of; the 7 ure of the spring b on the rear end of said shaft. 7

Back of the screw-threaded portion B of the countershaft is a spiral spring, k, which presses on the back of the nut I, so as to prevent the same from losing its hold on the screw-threaded portion B of the counter-shaft.

On the two drums H and H are wound, respectively, the ropes or chains h and g in one and the same direction. The rope or chain h passes over a pulley, U, mounted on an elevated support, and to the free end of said rope or chain is secured a weight, V, for the purpose hereinafter explained. The rope or chain 9 passes over suitable guiding-sheaves, p p, and a drum, 0, upon which latter it is wound and secured. Theshaft of said drum is journaled in a suitable frame, L, on which latter is mounted a suitable clock-work, consisting, chiefly, of a spur-wheel, w, attached to the shaft of the drum- 0. A spring-restrained bell-hammer, j, is arranged to be actuated by the aforesaid spur-wheel, and a bell, M, arranged in position to be struck by the aforesaid hammer. Another drum, 0, is secured to the shaft of the drum O,and has a rope, g, wound upon it in the opposite direction from the winding of the rope g on the drum 0, and to the free end of the rope g is attached a weight, V. In order to render the motion of the aforesaid clock-work more uniform,ashaft, 1, is arranged parallel with the shaft of the drum 0 O, and has secured to it a pinion, 2, which meshes in the spur wheel w. Another spur-wheel, w, is secured to the shaft 1 and meshes in the pinion 3, secured to a shaft, 4, which is parallel with the other shafts and has aflixed to it the fan 5. Similar governing devices may be connected with the gear-wheel F, hereinbefore described, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, wherein 6 denotes a pinion mounted on the shaft 7, which is parallel with the counter-shaft B, and has rigidly secured to it the spur-wheel F. The pinion 6, meshing in the gear-wheel F, transmits motion to the shaft 7. The spur-wheel F meshes in the pinion 8, secured to the shaft 9, which has also secured to it the fan 10.

Inasmuch as in many cases the signal or alarm is located from a fifth of a mile to a mile or more from the track-instrument or spiral A, and the rope g is required to be maintained at a uniform tension, I connect to said rope at proper intervals ropes 2', running oversheaves Z, and having connected to their free ends weights 1;, as illustratedin Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The operation of my invention is as follows: As a car or engine passes over the rail R in the direction indicated by an arrow in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the pressure of the wheels upon the edge of the spiral A imparts rotary motion to the same. The clutch-faces c a, being normally in engagement with each other, cause the pinion G to partake rotary motion from the spiral A, and the gear-wheel F transmits motion from the pinion O to the counter-shaft B. During the rotation of the latter the screwt-hreaded portion B thereof causes the nut I to travel toward the rear end of the shaft B and draw with it the drum H. The two drums H H receiving simultaneously rotary n1ot1on, causes the two ropes g and h to be wound upon said drums, the rope h drawing up the weight V, while the rope gimparts rotary motion to the drum 0 and causes the rope g to be wound upon the drum 0. As the nutI recedes from the screw-threaded portion P of the counter-shaft B, the arm N encounters the shoulder a, and thereby pushes the shaftD in opposition to the spring b. The catch d, hooking onto the shoulder (1, serves to retain the shaft D in its retracted position, and by the aforesaid movement of the shaft D the clutchface cis thrown out of engagement with the clutch-face 0, thus liberating the pinion O and allowing the counter-shaft B, with the drums H H, to be rotated by the draft on the ropes g and h produced by the weights V and V. During this latter motion the spur-wheel w of the cl ockwork actuates the bell-hammer j and causes the same to strike the bell, and thus sound the alarm. During this reverse movement of the counter-shaft B the nutI is caused to travel toward the drum H, and by means of the arm N and tripper t, connected therewith, the catch d is thrown out of engagement with the shoulder a. The shaftD, being thus released from the catch d, is then forced toward the spiral A by the spring b, and thus the clutch-faces c and c are thrown into engagement and ready again to transmit motion from the spiral A to the counter-shaft B by a car or engine passing over the rail R in the direction indicated by an arrow in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

Having described myinvention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

' 1. The combination of a spirallyflanged shaft pivoted at the side of the railway-track and axially parallel therewith, a pivoted counter-shaft, gears transmitting motion from the flanged shaft to the counter-shaft, a drum on the counter-shaft, signaling mechanism provided with actuating-drums, and a driving cord or chain connecting said drums, as set forth. V

2. In combination with the spiral A, a. pin ion arranged rotatable independent of said spiral, a clutch adapted to connect and disconnect said pinion and spiral,a counter'shaft, a gear on the counter-shaft engaging the pinion, a pulley or drum mounted loosely on said shaft, screw-threads on a portion of thelength of the counter-shaft, a nut working on said screw-threaded portion and coupled with the aforesaid pulley or drum, and an arm projecting from the nut and adapted to shift the aforesaid clutch, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In combination with the spiral A, the shaft D, movable longitudinally and provided I to said shaft, the gear-wheel F, mounted loosely connected with the shaft D and adapted to with the shoulders a a, the pinion O, mounted loosely on said shaft, clutch-faces a c, respectively, on the pinion and spiral shaft,the spring I), arranged to force the shaft D toward. the spiral, the catch d, adapted to engage the shoulder ill, the counter-shaft B,provided with the screwthreaded portion B, the ratchet-wheel O, fixed onthe counter-shaft and meshingin the pinion O, the pawl f on said gear-wheel, the drum H,

rigid on the counter-shaft, the drurirH, loose on said shaft, a longitudinally-sliding coup ling between said .drums, the nut I, working on the screw-threadedportion of thecounter-. shaft and coupled with the-loose drum, the arm N, projecting from the nut and movably encounter theshoulder a, and the tripper t, connected with the arm N and adapted to trip the catch d, substantiallyas described and shown a 1 I 4; In combination, with the spiral A, counter-shaft B, drum H, and mechanism for transmitting motion from the spiral to the countershaft, signal or alarm mechanism, clock-work arranged tooperate said signal or alarm mechanism, the drums O 0, connected to said clock-work, the rope or chain g, connected at opposite ends with the'drums H and O,the

rope-g', connected to the drum 0,-and the weight V, connectedto said rope, substan-l tially as hand for the purpose set forth.

7 5. In combination with the spiral A, counter-shaft B, drums'HHQnnd mechanism for 7 5 I transmitting motion from the spiral to the counter shaft, a signal mechanism, clock-work arrangedfto operate said signal mechanism,

the drums O and 0, connected to said clock- -work, the rope or chain 9, connected with the ,7

drums H'and O, the rope 9, connected to the drum O, the weighty, attached to the free end of said rope, the pulley U, the rope or I -chain h, connected to the drum-H and runn ng I over the pulley'U, and the weight V, attached s 45 to the free end'of the rope or chain h, substantially asde'scribed andshown. V In testimony whereoflhave hereunto slgne my name and affixed my seal, in theprese nce of-two'attesting witnesses, at Syracuse, in the r I

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