US413600A - Railway-station signal - Google Patents

Description

`(No Model.)

. B. F. FREELAND.

RAILWAY S'JTAJHON SIGNAL.

Patented ont. 22, 1889.

'I 44UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE.

BUCKNER F. FREELAND, or vIsTULA, INDIANA;

RAILWAY-STATION SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part f Letters Patent No. 413,600, dated October 22, 1889.

a Application filed December 28, 1888. Serial No. 294,844. (No mdel.)

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it `known that I, BUCKNER F. FREELAND,

- a citizen of the United States, residing at Vis tula, county of Elkhart, State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Railway-Station Signal, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to construct Va signal employing signal-arms which move toward and from each other, but independently of each other, whereby a greater variety of signals may be given than with arms attached to an axle common to both.

A further object consists in producing a signal having such arm and providing the latter with lights to be employed in connection with a light-house light in a manner to enable the operator to give the same signals by night with the arms that he does in the day-time.

In the drawings formingapart of this speciiication, Figure l is an elevatiomparts being broken away; and Fig. 2 is a cross-section on line 2 2 in Fig. l, looking from a point above.

Referring to the lettered parts ofthe drawings, T r are hollow standards ofA the frame, four preferably being employed. Y

At C is a dial-case in the frame, four hollow standards T being below said caseA and four such standards r above. This case C shows that a time-register may be connected with the signal, allA in one construction, the dials of the case not being here shown.

At P is a hollow pipe, in which a verticallyplaying rod R is placed, which rod R is shown broken below the surface of the ground, or a platform, as the case may be. In use mechanism for operating this rod will be attached to it at the lower end, but not here shown. The upper end of the rod P opens into a chamber S, in which chamber other signal-lights may be placed, as heretofore, but serving as well to house the lower end of the branches t U of the rod R. These branches-two in number-pass up through the dial-case C, the standards r, and terminate (in the light-house B) inracks c. The standards r support the light-house and open into it. Journaled in the light-house isk a hollow shaft a; and a shaft d within the shaft Each shaft has a gearwheel u at one end within the light-house, and an arm c, rigidly Asides to each other.

attached to the same end, outside of the two opposite walls of the light-house B.

It will be observed in Fig. 2 that the racks c are at two diagonal corners of the lighthouse, and hence the branches/U o of the rod R pass up two of the standards r, which are diagonally opposite to each other. The racks c thus mesh with their gears u on opposite Thus when the rod R is moved up and down, the gears and their shafts d revolve in opposite directions and swing the arms a a downward,.or away from each other-that is, cause their free endsv to approach or recede from each other during their action above and belowahorizontal plane occupied by said arms in Fig. l. These arms may be of a desired color--say red, to illustrate-and when in their various positions, some of which are illustrated in dotted positions in Fig. l, they indicate to the-train-men certain signals, instructions, dac., as preagreed upon or established by the railway officials. When the arms are raised, they describe a letter V, with avarying angle at the sides, according to the particular position at which they are fixed, untilv they assume an upright position, one behind the other. position of the red arms indicates danger, if so agreed upon, and when the arms hang down they pass behind the white wings A and are hid from View, and this would indicate, for instance, the track is clear. The down position of the arms c. themselves may indicate this or other signals, and the wings A be dispensed with entirely.

When the arms a are between their hori- 4zontal and down position, they describe an inverted letter V, thus A, and the various positions the arms take in this respect may be adopted to indicate other instructions. The positions up, down, horizontah upward oblique, and downward oblique are the iive leading positions, and possibly the only ones which would be adopt-ed. I provide the outer end of each arm with a light o, and these lights, in connection with the light ein the light-house, indicate in the night-time the positions the arms occupy, and hence signify the same as day signals. The three This upright lights in a horizontal row would signal same as the horizontal arms. A single light would down, for if up the light e would be hid, and if down the lights o would be hid.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isl. The combination of a suitable support having a wing on each of the two opposite sides, and two signal-arms, each having an independent axle, said axles having bearing in said support on a like plane, and the arms, axles, and wings being so arranged that both arins will be visible at the same time or invisible at the same time, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a suitable support, independent shafts having bearings in said support, the outer end of each shaft having attached thereto a gear-wheel and a signalarm, and a vertically-playing rod provided with racks to mesh with the gears, one on one side of one gear and the other on the other side of the other gear, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a support having hollonT upright standards, a chamber supported by said standards, two independent shafts having bearings in said chamber, the gear and arm on the outer end of,each shaft, a vertically-playing rod having the branches passed up through the two, diagonally opposite of said standards, and the racks terminating the end of said branches and meshing on f a side of each gear opposite to each other, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the support or tower,

consisting of the lower corner standards, the

hollow rod opening beneath the base-support or ground, the chamber above said rod and into which chamber it enters, the dial-case, the hollow standards above said case, a chamber supported by said latter-named rods, the 4o signal-arm shafts having the gears in said chamber, the vertically-playing rod within the lower hollow rod, the branch rods extending from the lower chamber up through the dialcase and the upper hollow rods, said branches terminating within the upper chamber in the rack-gears, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a support, a lighthouse supported thereby, the two signal-arms having each an independent axis and adapted 5o to swing toward and from each other, as stated, and a light at the free end of each arm, substantially as set forth.

In testimony of the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name in presence of two witnesses.

BUCKNER F. FREELAND. Vitnesses:

S. E. MARTIN, M. H. IIASS.

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