US385964A - Eidward a - Google Patents

Description

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' E ,A. SHARP. y n ELECTRIC SIGNAL POR RAILWAYS. No. 385,964. Y Patented July 10, 1888.

lll l nimvAnDl A. SHARP, or Roenes PARK, ILLINOIS, AssIGNon- UNITED STATES* 'ro WILLIAM B. STERRETT, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIQ SIGNAL FOB-HRAILWAYS.

speen-@Arron forming. part of Lettemratem No. 385,964, dated July 1o, lese.

` Application iiledMarch 30, 1888.

.zo @ZZ whom #may concern:

i Beit known that l., EDWARD A. SHARP, of Rogers Park, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented an Improvement in Electriel Signals for Railways, ol' which the following is aspeciiication.

This electric signal is made forthe purpose of changing the circuit-connectionby the action ofthe locomotive-wheels or car-wheels.

upon a train, sothata bell may be rung at a crossing or annunciator operated at a signal-A springs-and the box for holding the same, and

Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating the manner in which this signal apparatus mayv be ,made use of with a system of signals.

I make use of circuit-closing springsin pairs, and between the same is an insulated conduct- 1ngbar, and said bar is moved by the action 'of the passing train so as to break the contact' with one pair of springs and close the circuit through the. other pair of springs, and then to break the circuit vbetween theA iirst pair of springs.` Thereby the electric current is not interrupted,but the current is diverted from one circuit into another by the passing train. One rail oi" the track is represented at E, and the cross-ties are shown at F, and I make use of a box, B, extending from one tie to the other and secured in place by the screws or spikes 2. This box is preferably of cast-iron, and the upper surface is protected by a plate or shoe, G, of steel, and this plate and the upper surface of the box B are inclined in both directions, so that a passing wheel may run up the incline, should such wheel be worn s0 that the outer rim thereof is larger than the tread or portion of the wheel resting upon the .rail E.

The box portion containingrthe circuit-con'- nectious comes between one tie and the next, as

svt-rial No. 268,968. (No model.)

indicated in Fig. 1,and this is of a sufficient size for receiving the parts hereinafter described.

Thereis a vertical hole passing through the box B,and into this is received the plunger H,

the head 4 of which is larger'than the shank 5, and there is a projecting pin Vor stud, 6, at

the upper end passing through a hole in the l .shoe or plate G and projecting above the same a .properflistanca so that when the wheel passes over the apparatus such plunger' H will be depressed until the top surface of the stud 6 is level with the top of the shoe G.

The shank 5 of the plunger His preferably screwthreaded,and itpasses down through the bottom pf the box B into the conical socket C, that is bolted upon tbe under side of the box B', and these bolts may be provided with holes through the heads for the reception of a wire threaded through the same to prevent the bolts turning or working loose by the jar to which.

they are exposed. Within this conical socket C is a spring, 8,-aroundtheshank 5, and there are jam-nuts 9, against which the upper end of the spring 8 acts to raise the plunger H after it has been depressed, so as to constantly force the stud 6 above the su rface of the shoe G. The circuit-closing springs are in pairs,

ingsupport, 12, and the springs 13 and 14 'being onan insulating support, 15, and the circuitwires are connected to the respective vsprings by the screw-clamps at I, as repre' sented in Figs. 2 and 4, and these pairs of springs are one over the other, and between them is a metallic bar, O, upon an arm, 18, of insulating material,which arm isA connected to the stem 5,and held by clamping-nuts 19 and 20, so as to be rigidly aiflxed to the plunger H and moved with it. v

In its normal position the bar O inaintainsa closed circuit through Ithe springs 10 and 11; but when the plunger H is depressed such bar O first cornes into contact with the springs 13 and 14, closing the branch or looped circuit through said springs 13 and 14 before breaking the circuit between the springs 10 and 11.

the springs 10 and 1]; being upon an insulat- It is now to be understood that the electric circuit upon the libe will not -be interrupted by the passage of a train and the depression of the plunger H; hence one train does not in ALoo' terfere with the signaling by another train, and I am enabled to make use of several cir* cuit-closing devices in one electric circuit, and thereby I can place the battery in a convenient position for working the signalsnpon a line of several miles in length. NVhen the plunger H is elevated Aand the current passes through the springs 1() and 11 and the wires connected with the same,l the electric current is in such a condition that any other signal-box muy be brought into action by the wheels, and when the plunger H is depressed and the bar brought into contact with the springs 13 and M the current through the line remains unbroken, but the current is divided through the loop or branch to give asignal-such as the ringing ol a bell-at Va crossing or the display of lights or other signals, or the registering of the passage of the train or the movement oi' an annunoiator in a sn'itolrhnuse.

The Wires are preferably laid in iron pipes, and they are coated with insulating material. l', have ahrnvn a portion of one pipe at 26 connected with au ion', 257, the latter passesthrough the bottoni ol' the box B, and it is held inv place byjaxn-nnls .23 and 24, so as to make a water-tightjoint with the box B. in Fig. 5 I have illustrated the electric circuit connections which may be made use of in a system of signals. ln this the passage of the train sets a visuahsignal in the rear, and this may remain in position until the advancing trainlins reached a safe disice and passed over a second cireutclosing on', so to remove the dangervsignaland :indicate safety. These electric signals may be of any desired charactcr--sneh, for instance, thai'I represented iii 'mynpplicatioin fihrial No. 266,942, filed Mai-'oh 12, 1888.

and thiuible 28, and

l claim as iny invention 1. The combination, with the box B, fastoued to the railway-ties of the plunger H, passing vertically through the box, and having a projecting stud, 6, at the upper end and a shank, 5, at the lower ond, of the spring 8, for raising the plunger, theipairs of oircuitclosing springs 10 l1 and 13 14, the conducting- 'bar O between the ends of the said springs,and an insulating-arm connecting the bar O with the plunger, substantially as set forth. l

' 2. The box B, with bevel ends resting upon the crossties and the shectslcel shoe, (l npon the surface of the same, in combination with the plunger lil, passing vertically through the box and the shoe, and the conical socket C, attaehled below the box B, the nuisf) and spring 8, for raising the plunger, the circuit-closing springs 10 1l and 13 14 in pairs, and the conducting'bar 0 between the ends ofsuch springs, and the arm connecting the same with the plunger, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the box B, plunger H, arm 18, and bar O, of the cironitelosing springs, in pairs and insulated, the bai: O being between the moving ends of such springs, and the pipe 26 and thimble 28 passing through the bottom of the box B, and thejamnuts for holding thethimble firmly to the box, andthe conductors passing through such thimole and pipe, substantially as set forth.

Signed by nie this 16th day of March, 1388.

EDXVARD A. SlIAlLL.

ii/'iin csscs:

ARTHUR. X. l1'.ir.r.srnoir,

C. Sinin?.

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