US470065A - Train signaling device - Google Patents

Description

(N0 Model.)

J. LYNCH. TRAIN SIGNALING. DEVICE.

Patented Mar. 1. 1892.

INVENTOH:

M/M MJ A TTOHNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN LYNCH, OF JAMESTOWN, NORTH DAKOTA.

TRAIN SIGNALING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 470,065, dated March 1, 1892.

I Application filed June 11,1891. Serial No. 395,955. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN LYNCH, of Jamestown, in the county of Stutsman and State of NorthDakota, have invented a new and useful Train Signaling Device, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

In the operation of railroads itis usual to indicate bya visible signal at stations on the line of road when trains are to be stopped for orders, this being imperative on railroads that are using the block system.

The code of signals ordinarily employed on railroads has white as asafety signal, and as the track is always clear when said signal is displayed at a station it is obviously the cor: rect signal to exhibit when there are no orders for a train boundin either direction on the road, while red being the danger-signal, in all cases where it is employed the display of such a colored signal is a proper notice to train-men on an approaching train that orders await said train and that it is dangerous to proceed without them.

In view of the foregoing it is the object of this invention to provide a simple and inexpensive device which will afford means to reliably signal either by night or daylight that the track is clear or that train-orders are awaiting a train or locomotive from either direction of travel on the road.

To these ends my invention consists in the construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device projected from the side of a station-building shown in part, the signal being shownas set to indicate safety. Fig. 2 is aplan view of the signaling mechanism on a bracket-arm shown in part and adjusted to indicate safety by a white light. Fig. 3 is a side view of the signaling device set to indicate danger on a bracket-arm shown in part. Fig. 4 represents the interior of the station-building wall, a window therein, and levers used to set the signals, that are exterior of the-building and projected over the track or near thereto;

vice is to be operated. From the exterior of the wall A a strong horizontal bracket-arm B is outwardly projected toward the railroadtracks (not shown) which are to be guarded by the signal. On the outer end of the arm B a standard B is erected, the use of which will be further explained.

An extension-limb 0, consisting of a metal bar, is firmly secured to the bracket-arm B by the bolts or rivets a, which limb is bent edgewise downwardly and outwardly,as at a, which will dispose the main portion of the limb in a lower plane than the arm B.

Two similar rock-shafts D are provided, which are preferably formed of round metal bars that are of sufficient length to extend from the inner side of the wall Am the outer end of the limb O, which latter should reach outwardly a proper distance to conspicuously display a signal placed on it, as will be described.

The rock-shafts D are each furnished with a double crank I), located at proper and equal distances from their terminal ends, and are supported to rock below the bracket-arm B by boxes 0 c, that are affixed to the under side of the bracket-arm, and also by their loose engagement with an integral perforated crossblock 0 formed on the outer end of the limb C, the offset produced at b in said limb permitting the rock-shafts to freely enter central perforations in the cross-block, so as to receive rotatable support therefrom, the rods ranging on a center line drawn longitudinally through the extension limb on each side thereof, as indicated in Figs. and 5. From the position given to the cranks b they will lie near to the outer end of the bracket-arm B.

Upon the outer end portion of the extension-limb O a plate-metal semaphore-blade E is secured in a vertical plane. Said blade, being preferably given a square outline, is affixed in place upon the limb so that two of its corners will conform with the longitudinal center line of the limb and the other corners of the blade be in a vertical plane, as shown in Fig. 1.

Two similar auxiliary signal-blades F are provided, which are of a triangular form, and in dimensions each equals the area of onehalf of the main signal-blade E.

The auxiliary signal-blades F are secured firmly by any proper means on the outer portions of the rock-shafts D by their longest edges, so that each auxiliary blade will hang or extend in the same direction and plane with the double crank b on the shaft it is affixed upon, and, furthermore, so that the upper or lower half of the main semaphoreblade E will be entirely covered by an auxiliary blade, the concealment of either half-section of said main semaphore-blade E depending upon the relative position given to the auxiliary blade by a rocking movement of the shaft it is supported upon, this being equally true with regard to both faces of the main semaphore-blade.

The upper half of the main semaphoreblade E is given a red color and the lower half awhite color on each side, and the outer surface of each auxiliary signal-blade F is colored red, which side is exposed outwardly when said auxiliary blades are in a pendent position, and their inner faces are colored white, so that the elevation of an auxiliary blade on either side of the main blade will denote safety or no orders to a train approaching the station and so signaled, and the pendent position of either auxiliary blade will indicate danger or orders for a train receiving such a signal, which it is imperative for the trainmen on the signaled train to receive by an arrest of the train and a visit to the office.

As a preferred means to rock the shaft D independently and thus enable an operator in the office to show a red signal for orders on one side of the main semaphore-blade E and permit the other side to remain white in color and thusindicate no orders or safety there is a crank-arm (Z attached to the inner end of each rock-shaft that is located in the office, of which A is the wall, said cranks being so secured thereon that when inclined upwardly, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the auxiliary blades F will be rocked into an upright position, so as to conceal the upper half-sections of the main semaphore-blade E and therefore indicate safety or no orders.

On the outer end of each crank-arm cl a pendent pusher-bar e is pivotally secured, which bars are perforated at proper points to loosely engage the projecting pins g, that are aflixed in the upright wall A at such points as will retain the pn sher-bars and crank-arms in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 4:, so that by an elevation of either or both of the pusherbars and their removable attachment to the pins the semaphore-signal will be set on one or both sides of the same to indicate safety or no orders, and it will be seen that the release of the pusher-bars is all that is necessary to set the signal to danger on both sides of the same, as the parts will fall into position to display a red signal by their gravity, when free to do so.

The construction of parts which has been described is mainly instrumental in the displaying of colored signal-blades for the indication of danger or safety signals by daylight; but by the addition of other simple features the moving of the pusher-bars e and attached rock-shafts D will serve to indicate safety, or danger, orders, or no orders at night also. To this end an ordinary signal-lantern G is utilized, which lantern is located upon an upwardly-project ing pin it, that is formed on or secured to the upper surface of the limb C, as shown in Fig. 3, by the breaking away of the lower part of the lantern to expose said pin, the lantern being thereby retained in an up,- right position with its glazed sides '5 opposite the railroad-track, so as to be seen on either side of the signal device when the lantern is lighted at night. The position of the signallantern G is so removed from the standard B that freedom is afforded for the vibratory movement of two levers I, that are pivoted by one end of each oppositely on the vertical face of the standard and have such a proportionate length as will allow the similar translucent signal-disks m, that are affixed one on each lever end, to completely coverthe glazed faces ofthe lantern when the levers are caused to vibrate on their pivots, so as to effect such an adjustment of the disks, which latter are of a red color. Theleversl are each attached loosely to one end of a link a, that is connected to the crank Z) of a rock-shaftD on the same side of the standard with regard to the lever connected thereto, so that the manipulation of the pusher-bars e, or either of them, will cause the vibration of the connected levers or lever and thus display a red light through the disk that is caused to cover the lantern-face.

It will be evident that the auxiliary signalblades F will be manipulated simultaneously with the colored disks m and that when the levers I,.or either of them, are lowered to cause a red light to be exhibited on one or both sides of the signal the auxiliary blades will be correspondingly moved and thus expose a red surface on the semaphore-blade, of which they are supplementary portions, and, furthermore, that the removal of the disks 0% will show a white or uncolored light through the plain glazed surfaces of the lantern G and indicate safety or no orders at night as well as by daylight.

As a matterof convenience the pusher-bars 6 may be arranged close to a window J and table M, the latter containing the usual telegraphing-instruments, (not shown,) the window affording means to inspect the track and dinarily used on railroads and can be placed in position and removed to light and trim it by using a pole that is adapted to hook into the bail-handle 0 of the lantern When thelatter is to be changed in position.

The simplicity and practical nature of this signaling device are manifest points of excel- .lence, cheapness and non-liability of derangement, owing to its few Working parts, that are durable, forming additional features of advantage.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a train signaling device, the combination, with a supported horizontal bracket-arm and a rectangular main semaphore-blade on the outer end of the arm, affixed with two corners in avertical plane,having its upper half colored White, of a pendent auxiliary blade on each side of the main semaphore-blade, colored red on the sides that are shown when pendent and white on the sides displayed when rocked upwardly, a rock-shaft for each auxiliary blade, journaled to rock on the horizontal bracket-arm, and a device for rocking each shaft from its inner end and lockingit, substantially as described.

2. In a train signaling device, the combina-e tion, with a vertical wall of a building, a horizontal bracket-arm thereon, a standard on the outer end of the arm, and a square semaphore blade secured on the standard to pro ject therefrom and having two of its corners in a vertical plane, of two similar rock-shafts horizontally journaled in the depending end of the standard and outer end of an extension limb of the bracket-arm, each having a double crank in its body near the outer end of the bracket-arm, a triangular auxiliary blade for each rock-shaft, secured on their ends, extend- Vers to indicate danger or orders simultaneously, substantially as described.

3. In a train signaling device, the combination, with a flat main semaphore -blade of square outline having-a fixed support on an arm extended from a building toward a railroad and colored red on each side above a center line and white below said line, of two rotatably-supported horizontal rock-shafts parallel with each other and aligning with the opposite sides of they main semaphore-blade, a triangular auxiliary semaphore-blade affixed by its largest edge to the outer end portion of each rock-shaft and adapted to cover either the lower or upper half of each side, of the main semaphore-blade when rocked by the shaft, one side of each auxiliary blade having a red color and the opposite side a white color, the red color being shown when the auxiliary blades are pendent and the white color when they are elevated, a fixed crank-arm on the inner end of each rock-shaft, a pendent pusherbar pivoted to the free end of each crank, and means for retaining said bars in elevated adjustment, substantially as described.

JOHN LYNCH. Witnesses: 1

PIERCE} BLUVETT, HUGH MoPHEE.

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