US417258A - Railway-signal - Google Patents

Description

' 4SheetsSheet 2. I. W. LOY & R. OTOOLE.

RAILWAY SIGNAL.

No. 417.258. Patented Dec. 1'7 1889.

(No Model.)

FIG. 4.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

1. WE L'OY & R. OTOOLE.

RAILWAY SIGNAL.

No. 417,258. Patented Deal 17, 1889.

"g ill! INVENTOR Armin/5Y6.

(No Model.)

. 4 Sheets-Sheet 4; I. W. LOY & R. OTOOLE.

RAILWAY SIGNAL. No. 417,258. Patented Dec. 17, 1889.

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IRVIN \V. LOY AND RICHARD OTOOLE, OF MECHANICSTOWN,ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO JOHN E. li'lATI-IEVS, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

RAI LWAY-SIG NAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 417,258, dated December 17, 1 889. Application filed June 29, 1889. Serial No. 316,007. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern: I

Be it known that we, IRVIN \V.'LOY and RICHARD OTOOLE, citizens of the United States, and.residents of Mechanicstown, Maryland, have invented certain new and usef ul Improvements in Devices for Giving Notice of the Approach of a Railroad-Train to a Station or Crossing Automatically, of which the following is a full and complete specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

Our invention relates to that class of devices which are employed for giving notice at a railroad station or crossing of the approach of a train, and this is done automatically by the train itself as it passes over a device located by the side of l the track some distance away from the station or crossing.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a plan view of the track with our devices in diagram, showing the location of the contactmaking devices and the way in which they are connected with the bell-ringing device. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a section of track with the circuit-closing device beside it. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the same section of track with a modified form of circuitclosing device beside it. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the actuating-bar of the closing device with a modified form of spring. Fig. 5 is an elevation of thebell-ringing device. Fig. 6 is a detail elevation of one of the wheels of the bell-ringing device.

Referring to Fig. 1, 1. is the track. 2 2 are circuit-closing devices located at any desired distance on either side of a station or railroad-crossing. 3 4 are wires connecting one of said circuit-closing devices with the bellringing device. 5 and 6 are wires connecting the other of said circuit-closing devices with the bell-ringing device.

Referring to Fig. 2, 1 is the track. 7 is a plate secured to the cross-ties beside the track. 8 8 are right-angle irons bolted to the plate. '7 next to the track, one arm of which is vertical. 9 9 are links pivoted to the vertical arm of the angle-irons 8 8. 10 is a trackbar pivoted at either end to one of the links 9 9,, and standing in a horizontal position a little above the level of the track 1. 11 is a lug or plate bolted or riveted to the trackplate 10 at about its center on the side away from the track. 12 is a chair bolted to the plate 7 at about its center and having vertical extensions at either end which form journals for the shafts 13 and 14. The end of said shafts next to the track are extended and bent up vertically, and the end of said vertical extensions 15 and 16 bear against the extremities of the lug 11. 17 and 18 are helical springs coiled around the shaft 13'and 14, one end of which is secured to the rear vertical extension of the chair 12 and the other end to collars 19 and 20, secured to the shaft 13 and 14 by set-screws. The spring 17 and 18 must be coiled upon the shaft 13 and 1-4 in opposite directions, so as to cause the vertical extensions 15 and 16 of said shaft to ap-' proach one another and exert a pressure upon the ends of plate 11 from opposite directions. On the rear end of the shaft 14 is secured the finger 21, to which by a binding-post is secured the wire Said finger, or at least the end of it, must be insulated from the shaft 14. Secured to the plate 7, immediately beneath the finger 21, is the contact-plate 22, which is made of conducting material, preferably copper, and maybe in the form shown in the drawings, Fig. 2, or any other convenient form. To this contact-piece 22 is secured the wire 4. 23 and 24 are steps secured to the vertical extension of the chair 12, next to the track, and limiting the motion of the vertical extensions 15 and 16 of the shaft 13 and 14.

Referring to Fig. 3, which shows a modified form of circuit-closing device and spring arrangement for maintaining the track-bar 10 in itshighest position, 25 is a chair bolted to the plate 7 and having a vertical extension at either end, in which is journaled the shaft 84, which forms the pivot of the end next the track of the links 9, which said link is keyed. to it. 26 is a crank keyed to said shaft 34. 27 is a pit1nan-rod connected to said crank. 5 28 is a contact-slide pivoted to the pitinanrod. Said slide 28 is preferably made of copper and insulated from the pitman-rod. It works in the guide 29, to which is connected the wire 4, by binding or otherwise. 30 is. another guide similar in character to 29, located immediatelybeyond it and in line with the slide 28, in position in which the slide 28 will enter it and make contact with it, and thus make electrical communication between it and the guide 29. To the guide 30 is secured the wire The guides 30 and 29 must be both insulated from the plate 7. 31 and 32 are flat springs rit'eted to the plate 7 and bearing against the side of the link 9 9, so as to exert a pressure upon the ends of the trackbar 10 in opposite directions. These springs are of equal strength and maintain the trackbar 10 atits highest elevation.

Fig. 4 shows a modified form of spring 33 and 33. These springs, instead of pushing against the link 9 9, pull upon them, but serve an equivalent function with the forms shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

Referring to Fig. 5, 35 is an electro-magnet, as shown in the drawings. It is wound with two wires 3 and 6, which enter it at the lower extremity and leave it at the upper extremity. 39 is the armature of said electro magnet, which is pivoted on rock-shaft 41, as will be hereinafter described. 36 is a battery. 37 and 38 are binding-posts which form the terminals of the battery, one being connected to the positive pole and the other to the negative pole of the battery. It will be remembered that the wires 3 and 4 conneet with one of the circuit-closing devices, which may be designated as that down the track, while Figs. 5 and 6 connect with the circuit-closing device which we will call that up the track. From the binding-post 38 proceed two wires 3 and 5. 3 proceeds from the binding posts to the electro-magnet 35, is wound upon it, leaves it at its upper extremity, and proceeds down the track to the circuit-closin g device, and then back again .to the bell-ringing device as wire 4, and to the battery through binding-post 37, or to the ground, if the line be grounded. The other wire 5 proceeds from the binding-post 38 directly to the line up the track, to the circuit-closing device, back again as wire 6 enters the electro-magnet at the same point at which wire 3 entered it, is coiled upon said magnet side by side with wire 3, leaves the magnet at its upper extremity, and goes to the battery or ground through the bindingpost 37. It will be observed that the device just described contemplates that two wires shall be wound upon the magnet, making two en tire independent circuits. This, however, is unnecessar as the wires 4 and 6 may be connected at the lower extremity of the magnet to a single wire wound upon it, and said wire proceed from the magnet to the battery. The wires 3 and 5 may go direct to the lines up and down the track, as illustrated in Fig. 7. The bell mechanism is operated by the same battery which is closed by the contact devices on the line, a portion of the current being shunted for this purpose. 54 is a bar secured to the binding-post 38 by an electrical contact, or it may be a stationary pin of copper or other conducting material secured to the supporting-board of the device at the point occupied by the extremity of rod 54, as shown in the drawings, said pin being connected by a wire with binding-post 38. 55 is a spring made of copper or other conducting material rigidly secured to the supporting-board by a post 56, and, when permitted to do so, rests in its extremity against the end of the bar 54. The post 56 is connected by the wire 59 to one extremity of the electromagnet 58. Said wire is coiled upon said magnet and leaves its other extremities. It is then connected to the post 60, through which passes the screw 61. Said screw atits extremity forms a contact-point for the spring 62, which is secured to the pivoted armature 5]. of the electro-magnet 58. The spring 62 is, however, insulated from the armature 51, and to it is connected the wire 63, which returns to the post 37, whence it goes to battery or ground. 51 is the armature of the magnet 58, pivoted to 52, and provided on its upper extremity with rod 50 and on its lower extremity with rod 66, to the end of which is secured a hammer 67. 68 is a gong secured to the supporting-board of the device and in position to be struck by the hammer 67 on the armature 51, if vibrated. The armature 39, as above described, is supported upon a .bar 40, which is secured to the rock-shaft 41.

To said rock-shaft 41 is also secured the de tent-hook 42, which engages a notch in the detent-wheel 43,which is keyed to a shaft 69. To said shaft 69 is also keyed the gear-wheel 44. Said gear-wheel is shown in full elevation in Fig. 6. On one side 45 several of the teeth are removed, while to the opposite side is secured a weight 46. 47 is a lantern-pinion secured to the shaft 48. 49 is a ratchet-wheel, also keyed to shaft 48. 7 U is a vibrating pawl-hook pivoted to the rod 50 and engaging the teeth of ratchet-wheel 49. 53 is a spring-pawl, which also engages the ratchetwheel and is secured to the supporting-board and prevents the ratchet-wheel from turning backward. 64 is a spring secured to the rod 50 at one end, and to the post 65 at the other.

Said post is screwed in the supporting-board. The operation of the device is as follows: When a train approachesast-atiou, the wheels of the engine strike upon and depress the track-bar 10. It will be noticed by reference to Figs. 2 and 3 that if the links 9 9 are deflected in one direction they will cause the circuit-closing device to close the circuit. If, however, they are deflected in the opposite direction, the circuit will not beclosed. This fact is made use of in locating the circuitclosing devices in relation to the station, as it is desired to give the signal when the train is approaching the station and not when it is going away from it. In Fig. 2 if the train is moving in one direction the vertical end 16 of the shaft 14 will be pressed downward, the finger 21 pressed downward and the circuit closed, and a signal consequently given. If, however, a train were moving in an opposite direction, the end 16 of shaft 14 will not be moved; but the end 15 of shaft 13 will be depressed and remain so until the wheel has passed over the track-bar, when the spring 17 will cause the vertical end 15 to press the track-bar back to its point of highest elevation. '80 with the device shown in Fig. When the train is passing in one direction, it will cause the crank 26 and the pitman 27 to push the slide 28 into the guide 30, thereby closing the circuit and giving the signal \Vhen, however, the train moves in the opposite direction and strikes upon the track-bar 10 and moves it in an opposite direction to its former position, the crank 26 and pitman 27 will simply draw the slide 28 farther out of the guide 29 and no contact will be made. As soon as the train passes, the spring 31 and 32 will cause the barlO to resume its position of highest elevation. It will be seen that if the bar is not of such a length as to be held down by the front and rear truck of a passenger-car a separate operation of the device will take place each time a truck passes over it, thus subjecting it to considerable wear. If, however, the bar be made as long as a passenger-car, this difficulty will be avoided Referring to Fig. 5, the current passing from binding-post 38 through wire 3 around the electro-magnet, out of its upper extremities,v

down the track to the contact device, will return through the wire 4 to binding-post 37. Passing through the magnet, it will energize it, cause it to attract its armature 39, and thereby turn the rock-shaft 41 and raise the detent-hook 42 out of its notch in the detentwheel 43, freeing the train. At the same time the extremity 57 of armature 39, which, when the apparatus is not in operation, holds the spring 55 out of contact with the bar 54, will, when withdrawn by the attraction of the mag- -net, permit the spring 55 to fall upon and make contact with rod 54, thereby closing the shunt-circuit. The current as it passes through the wire 59 and then around the magnet will energize said magnet and cause it to attract its armature 51 and strike the bell. The attraction of the armature 51 will break the contact between the spring 62 and the screw [31, thereby breaking the circuit, the magnet will release its armature, and the spring 64 will draw it back to its former position and re-establish the contact between the screw 61 .and spring (32, thereby re-establishing the circuit. The armature will be then again attracted and the bell struck, and this reciprocation will continue as long as the current continues to pass. After a train has once closed the circuit when approaching a station or crossing, it is desirable that the gong should continue to ring for a suflicient length of time to give ample notice of the approach of the train. This is accomplished in the following manner: The wheel 44 (shown in Fig. 6) is provided, as described, with a weight 46 on one side and a space be tween the teeth on the other from which several teeth have been removed. The detentwheel 43 is keyed to the same shaft as the wheel 44. Said wheel 44 will hence be held by the detent-hook 42 when it falls into the notch in wheel 43. The wheel 44 is so located upon shaft 69 that the beginning of the space 45 will be in contact with the lantern-pinion 47 when the detent-hook rests in its notch. As soon, therefore, as the detent-hook is raised and the detent-wheel released, there beingno teeth in engagement with the lantern-pii'iion, the wheel 44 will be caused to revolve upon its axis by the weight 46, carrying with it the detent-wheel 43 as far as the space 45 011 the periphery of wheel 44 will permit. This space is arranged to be of such a length as to insure the detent-notch passing so far beyond the detent-hook 42 as to prevent said hook from falling into it. The endof the detenthook will therefore rest upon the periphery of wheel 43 until that wheel has made a complete revolution. The raising of the end of the detent-hook when it rests upon the periphery of the detent-wheel will so rock the shaft 41 as to cause the armature 39 to be removed from beneath the spring 55, thereby permitting said spring to make contact with the bar 54 and close the bell-circuit. As soon as said circuit is closed the reciprocation of armature 51 will begin and continue so long as the circuit remains closed. The reciprocation of the armature 51 will reciprocate the rod 50 and the detenthook 70 and cause said detent-hook to revolve the ratchet-wheel 49. The shaft 48, upon which said ratchetwhcel is keyed, will turn the lantern-pinion 47 and that will turn the gear-wheel 44 and cause the revolution of the shaft 69 and detent-wheel 43 until the notch of said Wheel stands beneaththe end of the detent-hook 42, when the weight of the armature 39 will cause said hook to fall into said-notch and stop the train at the same time that theinsulated end 57 of the armature 39 engages the spring 55 and breaks the contact between it and the bar 54.

Having thus described our lI1VOl'ltlOI1,WlJ2Lt we desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is-- 1. In an apparatus for giving an automatic signal of the approach of a railroad-train, the

combination of a track-bar mounted upon rocking supports, a'eireuit-closing device connected to and operated by the motion of the track-bar, springs. operating upon said trackbar, so as to maintain it atits highest elevation, and an electric circuit, including the circuit-closing device, and an electro-magnet the armature of which is secured to a rockshaft, "to which is also secured a detent-hook which engages a notch in a detent-wheel which is a member of a train operated by the vibrating armature of a'magneto-electric bell, the circuit of which is closed when the armature of the electro-magnet in the main line is attracted and the detent-hook raised, releasing the train, and which is broken by the armature of the main-line magnet when the detent-hook falls back into its notch.

2. In an apparatus for giving an automatic signal of the approach of a railroad-train, the combination of a track-bar mounted upon rocking supports, a circuitclosing device connected to and operated by the motion of the track-bar, springs oo-operating with said track-bar to maintain it at its point of highest elevation, and an electric circuit, including the circuit-closing devices, and an electro-magnet, a shunt-circuit, an electro-magnet included in said shunt-circuit, and a pivoted armature provided with mechanism forbreaking the circuit when attracted and closing it again when released by the magnet, one end of said armature being provided with a hammer which engages a bell, and the other end being provided with a detent-hook which engages a ratchet-wheel and operates a train, one member of which is a detent-wheel having a detent-notch which is engaged by a detent-hook secured to a rock-shaft, to which is also secured the armature of the main-line magnet, a circuit-closing device included in the shunt-circuit and operated by the mainline armature to close the shunt-circuit when the said armature is attracted and break it when the armature is released, provided the detent-hook can fall into its notch in the detent-wheel, substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus for giving an automatic signal of the approach of a railroad-train, the

combination of a track-bar mounted upon tro-magnet, ash nut-circuit, an electro-magnet included in said shunt-circuit, and a pivoted armature provided with mechanism for breaking the circuit when attracted and closing it again when released by the magnet, one end of said armature being provided with a hammer which engages a bell, and the other end being provided with a detent-hook which engages a ratchet-wheel which. is one of the members of a train, the other members of which are a pinion keyed to the same shaft as the ratchet-wheel, and meshing with a gear-wheel which is mounted upon a shaft, to which is also keyed a detent-wheel having a notch which is engaged by a detent-hook secured to a rock-shaft, to which is also secured the armature of the main-line magnet, a circuit-closing device included in the shunt-circuit and operated by the main-line armature to close the shunt-circuit when the said armature is attracted and break it when the armature is released, provided the detentwheel has turned sufficiently to permit the detent-hook to fall into its notch, substantially as described.

4. In a train of gearing for a signaling device, the combination of a detent-hook, a detent-Wheel, and a gear-wheel keyed to the same shaft as the detent-wheel, said gear bein g mutilated by the removal of several teeth from one side, and being provided with a weight attached to it on the side opposite to the mutilated portion, substantially as described.

IRVIN W. LOY. RICHARD OTOOLE.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM MOORE, J. E. MATHEWS.

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