US389258A

US389258A - Automatic railway-signal

Info

Publication number: US389258A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1888-09-11
Anticipated expiration: 1905-09-11

Description

(No Model.)

A. B. SNYDER.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SIGNAL.

Patented Sept. 11 1888.

WIT/M8858:

N. PETERS. Pnmum n am. wmimm 11c ATENT @FFICEQ ABRAHAM B. SNYDER, OF LOUISVILLE, OHIO.

AUTCJMATIO RAILWAYHSIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 389,258, dated September 11, 1888.

(No model.)

$0 mil whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, ABRAHAM B. SNYDER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Louisville, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Railway-Signals; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the let ters and figures of reference marked thereon, in which Figure l is a side elevation, showing parts in section. Fig. 2 is a top view.

The present invention has relation to automatic railway-signals; and it consists in the different parts and combination of parts hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In the accompanying drawings,A represents a pivoted or hinged bar located at the side of one ofthe railway-rails, substantially as shown in the drawings. To the free end of this pivoted or hinged bar A is attached the rock-bar B. Said rock-bar is securely held in proper position by means of the bearings a a. Said bearings are securely held to the block 0 or its equivalent in any convenient and wellknown manner. The rock-bar B is provided with the arm or crank b, the free end of which has pivotally attached the bar D. The opposite end of the bar I) is pivotally attached to the plunger E. The air-cylinder F may be substantially of the form shown in the drawings, and is located at the side of the track proper. Within the air-cylinder F is located the plunger E, which is substantially of the form shown in Fig. 1. This plunger is so adiusted that it will draw air into the cylinder F and force air as hereinafter described. Between the plunger E and the shoulders I; is located the helical spring G, which is for the purpose of forcing the plunger E backward or away from the shoulders c after said plunger has been released.

To the cylinder F is attached the inlet-valve I, which may be constructed in the ordinary manner.

The opening K is provided for the passage of air into the cylinder F, and may be located as illustrated in Fig. 2; or said opening may, if desired, be located at one'side of the valve. For the purpose of preventing dirt from being drawn into the cylinder,the opening K should be protected by a suitable screen.

To one end of the cylinder F is attached the conduit L, which extends along the side ofthe railway-track to the place where it is desired to locate a signal, and, if desired, said pipe may be under ground.

The cutoff valve (1 may be located substantially as shown in the drawings, and is for the purpose of holding air in the conduit L after it has been forced from the cylinder F by means of the plunger E. The signal end of the conduitLis bent or curved upward,as illus trated in Fig. 1, and may extend to any desired height. To the top or upper end of this bent or curved portion of the conduit L is attached the cylinder M, which may be sub stantially of the form shown in Fig. 1.

\Vithin this cylinder M is located the valve 6, which has securely attached thereto the rod or barf, which extends up through the top of the cylinder M. To the top or upper end of this rod or barf is attached the nut g, which is for the purpose of holding the valve 6 in the position shown in Fig. 1 when the airpressure is normal. Around the rod or bar f is located the helical springh, the ends of which press against the valve 6 and the cylinder M. To one side of the cylinder M is attached the pipe i, and to the outer endof this piped is at tached the whistle N. This whistle is preferably located from one hundred to three hundred feet away from the highway. In use, as a train of cars passes over the barA the wheels will press said bar downward, thereby forcing the plunger E forward by means of the rockbar B, thus contracting the helical spring G and at the same time forcing air into the con duit L through the check-valve d, and as soon as a wheel has left the bar A the spring G will react, thereby pushing the plunger E backward and elevating the bar A; and as the plunger moves backward air will be drawn into the cylinder F, and as the next wheel passes over the bar A the air will be forced through the valve (1, the operations being substantially the same as in an ordinary airpump. As the air is compressed or forced into the conduit L it will press against the Valve 6, elevating or forcing said valve past the opening in the pipe 5, when the air is free to enter and sound the whistle N, thereby indicating the approach of a train. It will be understood that the strength of the helical spring h may be increased or decreased, so as to regulate the pressure of air in the conduit L, thereby holding or confining compressed air in said pipe at all times, so that the whistle will sound as the wheels strike the pivoted or hinged bar A. As the train leaves the signal the bar A will be forced away from the railway-rail by means of the wheels pressing against the angular portion of said bar A. This bar A is automatically replaced by means of the springjj. It will be understood that a signal is to be placed upon each side of a street.

The pivoted end of the bar A is provided with the elongated slot k, which is for the purpose of allowing said bar to move back and forth the distance traveled in operating the rock-bar B. The free end of the pivoted or hinged bar should extend about two inches above the top of the railway-rail. It will be understood that the springsjj should be properly housed or covered, so as to protect them from snow, ice, or dirt, said housing or covering being so constructed as not to interfere with the longitudinal or lateral movements of the bar A. The length of the crank is so adjusted that it will give the plunger E the desired length of stroke.

To the open end of the cylinder F is attached the elastic packing Z, which surrounds the plunger E, and is held in proper position by means of the cap n. The cap it is held in proper position by means of the set-screws 0. Said cap is adjusted from time to time as the packing becomes worn.

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

The combination, with the hinged bar A, connections B b D, air compressing cylinder F, signal N, and a conduit, L, between said cylinder and signal, of the check-valve d and valve 6, for maintaininga constant pressure in the conduit, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed myname in the presence of two witnesses.

ABRAHAH B. SNYDER.

Witnesses:

L. O. Wrsn, FRED W. Bonn.