US450645A

US450645A - Railroad signaling apparatus

Info

Publication number: US450645A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1891-04-21
Anticipated expiration: 1908-04-21

Description

(No Model.)

J. D. TAYLOR. RAILROAD SIGNALING APPARATUS.

No. 450,645. Patented Apr. 21, 1891.

AM/n/ 1/1115 Jl LL,

G W/f ATTORNEYS PATENT JOHN D. TAYLOR, OF PIKETON, OHIO.

RAILROAD SIGNALING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters latent No. 4;50,645, dated April 21, 1891.

Application filed July 18, 1890. $erial No. 359,151. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN D. TAYLOR, of Piketon, in the county of Pike and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Railroad Signaling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which is a side elevation with one half of the receivinginstrument separated and dropped below the other half to more clearly show the connections.

My present invention is an improvement on the invention for which Letters Patent of the United States No. 420,255 were granted to me January 28, 1890.

The object of my invention is to provide means whereby signals may be transmitted with certainty and accuracy.

My invention consists in the combination of a polarized relay for receiving the signal from the main line and operating the local circuit and electrically-operated signal receiving and transmitting devices, all as hereinafter more fully described.

The signal is received from the main line M L by the polarized relay R.

In describing my improved apparatus I assume that it is in use at a station whose call or signal is the combination of two negative impulses and one positive impulse, which in the single-needle telegraph code is the letter G. The relay R is provided with two levers Q and Q, having the usual contact-points and retractile springs and provided with armatures K and K. The armature K is made of soft iron, and is attracted by the magnet R of the relay R whenever the said magnet is energized by either a positive or anegativeimpulse. The armature K is a permanent magnet, which is arranged relative to the poles of the magnet R. of the relay, so that a negative current sent through the relay-magnet will cause the armature to be attracted and a positive current will cause it to be repelled. The poles of the magnet R are extended laterally at the upper end of the magnet, so as to allow the armatures K and K. to approximate them. The yoke, cores, and pole-pieces of the magnet R are of soft iron. \Vhen a signal is sent over the main line, the first impulse, which is a negative one, causes the armatures K, and K both to be attracted and brings the contact-points of the levers Q and Q, into contact with the bar I. This operation closes the circuit of the local battery B through two channels, one through 1 I Q 2, the magnet M, 3, a, X, Z, and 5, back to the battery B, the other through 1 I Q, 6, magnet M, 7, i, X, Z, and 5 back to the battery B. The current passing through the magnet M causes the armature-lever L to be drawn down, and the said armature-lever, acting through the pawl (2, moves the ratchet-wheel G forward one tooth.

The armature-lever L is provided with the usual limiting-stops (not shown) for preventing it moving too far in either direction vertically and to keep the armature within the field of the magnet M. It also has a beveled projection :0, which drops between two of the teeth and prevents the momentum of the ratchet-wheel G from carrying it forward more than a single tooth at a time. The said projection is therefore in the nature of a detent, and it will be noted that it requires to be of such length as will enable it to engage the wheel G the instant the latter has moved the distance of one of its teeth.

The ratchet-wheel G, the spur-wheel F, and the wheel D are all attached rigidly to the shaft A. The wheel D is perforated in its periphery with a number of equidistant radial holes, the number being equal to the number of teeth in the ratchet-wheel G. Metallic pins, preferably of platinum, are driven into certain of these holes, the remaining holes being left blank. The pins project about a sixteenth of an inch beyond the pe riphery of the wheel D. The said wheelD is placed on the shaft A in such a position that each stroke of the armature-lever L brings one of the holes or one of the pins of the said wheel directly under the contact-screw w, carried by the armaturelever N of the magnet M. All of the wheels O, D, E, F, and G are represented in the drawing as being at the zero or starting point. The current of the battery B in passing through the magnet M, as described, causes the lever N to be drawn down. The motion of the lever N is limited, and upon each upward stroke it acts through the pawl c to move the wheel O forward one tooth. The contact-screw 20, carried by the armature-lever N, is adjusted so that when D under the contact-screw 11;, so tnatthe armature-lever N does not make contact with the wheel D. \Vhen the electrical impulse ceases, the armature-levers L and N return to their former position under the influence of their respective retractile springs. The wheels G and C are held in their new positions by the retaining-pawls d and Z), respectively. The second impulse, being also negative, acts in precisely the same manner, bringing the second hole in the periphery of the wheel D (which in this case is also va cant) under the screw to, at the same time moving the ratchet-wheel C forward another space. The third impulse, secured by a positive current passing over the. main line, causes the armature-lever K to be attracted, but repels the the armature K. Under these conditions the current from the battery B flows through the magnet M only, the circuit being from the battery B, through 1, I, Q, 2, M, 3, 4, X, Z, 5, and B. The movement of the armature-lever L under this impulse brings the pin w in the periphery of the wheel D under the screw to; but as the arinz'ttur'e-lever N is not affected by this impulse it does not come into contact with the said pin a; of wheel D.

To make the action of the machine perfectly reliable, the signal is repeated twice more, the repetition, as already described, in each successive impulse (positive or negative) bringing successive holes in the periphery of the wheel D under the contact-screw w. The holes corresponding to the negative current are blan k, and those corresponding to the positive current contain pins. Each negative impulse moves the wheel forward one space. About one-half of the upward stroke of the armature-lever N at the cessation of the last. negative impulse in the call brings the platinum pin 7o, carried by the wheel G, into contact with the spring-pressed lever X. This operation closes the circuit of the battery B through the signal S, the circuit being from the battery B through 8 V, the lever T 9 1O 7 X C k 11, switch S s 12 S 13, back to the battery B, the lever T being held normally in contact with the contact-screw V by a spring. The remainder of the upstroke of the armature-lever N separates the spring-pressed lever X from the contact-point Z, thus breaking the circuit of the batteryB between the leVerX and the con tact-screw Z, so that the magnetsM and M are not further affected by both iInpulses passing over the main line.

The signal will remain in the circuit until the knob of the key S is momentarily depressed, bringing it into contact with the point 8 and separating it from the'contact-point s. The circuit is now from the battery B through 8 V T 9 10 X C 11 S s 14, magnet M 15 13, back to the battery B. This energizes the magnet M causing the armature-lever P to be drawn forward. The armature-lever P is connected through the lever f and the Wire 0 with the pawl-releasing lever e, and-through the wire (1 with the pawl d, which also acts as a releasing-lever for the pawl c. The forward motion of the lever P pulls the pawls a and 17 away from the ratchet-wheel G, and the said ratchetwheel G and the wheels D and F return to the point of starting under the influence of a spiral spring attached to the shaft A, the spring being omitted in the drawing. The pawls c and cl are also pulled away from the ratchet-wheel O, and this ratchet-wheel returns to the starting-point under the influence of a spiral spring. The ratchet-wheel O is stopped at the proper place by the pin m,

insulated electrically from the wheel 0 and V engaging the lever X. The wheel D is stopped at the proper place by the pin to, engaging the leverT,which is thus thrown against the back contact-screw T. The circuit of the battery B is broken by the separation of the lever T and the contact-point V, and the lever P is released. The relative positions of all the parts are now the same as at the start.

Having described the manner in which a signal is sent by means of a proper call, Irwill now describe how a signal is prevented when a call other than the proper one for that instrument passes over the line. Suppose the instrument is set for G, (two negative impulses and one positive impulse,) as before, and that the call W (one positive impulse and two negative impulses) is sent. The first impulse, which is a positive one, moves the wheel D one space, but will not affect the ratchet-wheel O, as before described. The next character (which is negative) moves the wheel D another space, and at the same time moves the ratchet-wheel 0 one space. The third impulse (which is also negative) moves the wheelD anotherspace and brings the pin as under the contact-screw w. This last impulse also causes the lever N to be drawn down, bringing the screw to into contact with the pin cc, closing the circuit of the batter T B, so that the curren't'fiows from the said battery through 8 V, the lever T 9 16, the lever N, screw to, pin 0c,the wheel D 17 14:, the ma net M 15 13, back to'the battery B, thus causing the armature-leverP to be drawn toward the magnet M pulling the pawls d and 19 away from the ratchet-wheel G, and removing the pawls c and (Z from the ratchet-wheel 0, allowing the wheels to return to the point of starting.

To cause the armature-lever P to be retained a sufficient length of time to allow the wheels G D O to return to the point of starting, a spring 19, attached to the armature-lever P, is brought into contact with the contact-screw 0' on the forward stop 0 when the armature-lever P begins to approach the magnet M thereby closing the circuit of the battery B, so that the current flows through 8 V, the lever T 9 18, forward stop 0, the spring 1), the armature-lever P 19 17 It, the magnet M 15 13, back to the battery 5. This causes the armature-lever P to be retained until the circuit is broken by the removal of the lever T from the contact-screw V, as before described. Suppose now the instrument to be set for as before, but the signal or call D, which is made by one negative and two positive impulses, is required to be sent. The first impulse (which is negative) will move the wheels D and 0 each one space, as before described. The second and third impulses, being both positive, would each move the wheel D one space, but would not affect the wheel C. The second and third set of impulses, representing the letter 1), would act in the same manner, each moving the wheel D three spaces and the wheel G one space. Thelast positive impulse of the last set of signals brings the pin under the contact-screw ur, the same as in the case of the letter G, but the wheel C has moved only three spaces instead of six, the number required to throw the signal into the circuit, and the next negative impulse which passes over the line brings the screw 10 into contact with another pin, as each hole beyond thepin z is provided with apin. This operation throws the magnet M into the circuit and releases the wheels D and O, as before explained. In the same way it may be shown that any combination of'impulses other than those for which the instrument is arranged would bring the lever N and wheel 1) into contact before the wheel 0 had moved far enough to throw the signal into the circuit.

Unison between the transmitter and the receiving-instrument is effected by means of the segmental spur-wheel E, which meshes into the spur-wheel F upon the shaft A. The spur-wheel F has the same number of teeth as the ratchet-wheel G, and in order that the segmental Wheel E may drop into place when it is returned to the starting-point the said segmental wheel is required to make only a part of a revolution, and the side opposite that provided with teeth is furnished with a weight TV to return it to the point of starting when it is released from the spur-wheel F. The segmental wheel turns on a stud projecting from the upper end of the lever J. The said lever .I is pivoted near its center to a fixed support projecting from the base of the instrument. A spring .1 is arranged to press against the lever J and hold the segmental wheel E in engagement with the spur-wheel F A pin 7L projects from the segmental wheel E in position to engage the lever J, so as to stop the segmental wheel E when it is returned to the point of starting. The lower end of the lever J is connected by a wire 3 to an arm n projecting downwardly from the armaturelever N. Another wire 9' connects the upper end of the lever J with the armature-lever P of the magnet M so that whenever a negative impulse is sent over the line or the mag net M is in circuit the segmental wheel E will be pulled away from the spur-wheel F, and consequently allowed to return by its own gravity to the point of starting, as already described. The pin carried by the segmental wheel E, comes into contact with the post g, support-ed by the base piece, whenever the segmental wheel E is moved to its extreme forward limit. The pin j is placed at such a distance from the post g that when the segmental wheel E is at the starting-point it will require a greater number of positive impulses than can occur in succession in the call for that instrument.

To make the same device of general application, a greater number of positive impulses than occur in succession in any call on the line are required to bring the pin j into contact with the post g. For example, suppose this number to be six and the pinjis placed six spaces from the post g. Then when the segmental wheel E is at the starting-point six positive impulses sent over the line will bring the pin j into contact with the post g, closing the circuit of the battery B through 8 V, the lever T 9 18 20, the post 9, pinj, the wheel E 21 17 ll, magnet M 15 13, back to the batteryB. This causes the armature-lever P to be drawn toward the magnet M releasing the wheels D, O, and E, when they all return to the point of starting.

The manner of proceeding when it is desired to throw any signal into the circuit is to first send a negative impulse. This will release the segmental wheel E, as above described, allowing it to return to the point of starting. Six positive impulses are then sent. This brings the pin j into contact with the post 9, thus closing the circuit through the magnet M releasing the segmental wheel E, the wheel D, and the ratchet-wheel 0, all of which return to the point of starting. As the pin j is placed at the same distance from the post 9 in all the instruments on the line they will all be set at zero by making a signal consisting of one negative and six positive impulses. Thus by repeating the call for any office on the line three times the signal at that office will be thrown into the circuit.

I do not limit or confine myself to the exact construction herein shown and described, as I may in practice modify the construction to adapt the instrument to use under different conditions. I may also use the equivalents of the mechanism herein described in lieu of that shown in the drawing.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In railroad signaling apparatus, the combination of the relay R, having a double contact-bar and two armatures, one of which is polarized, with the circuit-controlling armature-lever N, the Wheel D, provided with a series of equidistant peripheral holes and a series of contact-pins 00 y, &c., inserted in certain of these holes, means for acting on said wheel to rotate it, and an electrical circuit, including said relay, lever, and wheel, in the manner shown and described.

2. In railroad signaling apparatus, the combination, with the ratchet-wheel G, of the armature-lever L, having the hinged pawl a,

and the rigid (lete-nt w, adapted to successively engage said wheel for moving and locking' it, as specified, and the wheel D, having a series of peripheral contacts and mounted rigidly on the same shaft with the aforesaid ratchet-wheel, the armature-lever N, having the contact w, the magnets M M, and suitable electrical connections, as shown and described.

JOHN D. TAYLOR. Witnesses:

JOHN I. VANMETER, W. M. SEYMOUR.