US483256A - Train signaling apparatus - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 3 Sheets$heet 1.

H. R. MASON.

TRAIN SIGNALING APPARATUS. No. 483,256. Patented Sept. 27, 1892.

mm m I! i \j I x 12252? 111mm (No Model.) SSheets-Sheet 2. H. R. MASON.

TRAIN SIGNALING APPARATUS.

No. 483,256. Patented Sept. 27, 1892.

. UNITED STATES PATENT FFICT.

HARRY R. MASON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TRAIN SIGNALING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 483,256, dated September 2'7, 1892. Application filed February 15, 1392. Serial No. 421,616. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, HARRY R. MASON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Train Signaling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

Myinventionrelatestoanimprovementupon apparatus for use more especially in connection with a signaling system for-railway-trains in which the main train orbr ake pipe is employed for signaling purposes. In Letters Patent of the vUnited States No. 450,335,

granted to me April 14, 1891, I have described and shown means for-preventing sounding of the signal when the engiueers brake-valve is turned from release to running position. Another means for the same purpose is described and shown in Letters Patent of the United States No. 463,065, granted to me November 10, 1891. i 1

My present object is to provide mechanism for the same purpose of a construction somewhat more simple than that of my patent, No. 463,065, and which shall be equally effective in its operation.

My object is, further, to provide certain other changes in the construction described in Patent No. 463,065 to the end of adapting the same more perfectly to its purpose.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic View, broken in places, and illustrating an air-brake and signaling system involving my improvements, the features to the right of the pipe-coupling shown being located upon the locomotive and the features to the left upon each of the cars of a passenger-train or the caboose of a freight-train. Fig. 2 is an enlarged top plan View of the lower portion of the engineers brake-valve, parts being broken away for the purposes of illustration; Fig. 3, a broken top plan view of the rotary regnlatingwalve which seats upon the valveface shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a bottom plan View of the regulating-valve; Fig. 5, a plan sectional view of the engineers brake-valve, the section being taken just below the valvescat shown in Fig. 2 in a downward direction; and Fig. 6, a View, partly in section and partly in elevation, of the signal-valve and attachments therefor forming part of my present improvement. 1

Referring to Fig. 1, A is the engineers brake-valve; B, the main air-reservoir; O, the main train or brake pipe, which is also the signaling-pipe; D, the signal-valve; E, a signal; F, a supplemental or signal reservoir; G, a venting-valve or conductors signalingvalve; 1 1, a conductors valve, (for braking purposes,) and I the triple valve, auxiliary reservoir, and brake-cylinder upon a car of the train.

Airfrom the main reservoirB passes through a pipe B to the engineers brakevalve, entering the lattcrthrough a cored passage h,which terminates in a chamber above the regulating-valve. On the pipe B is a branch pipe to, to which is attached the main-reservoir pressuregage. The valve-seat t of the engineers brake-valve has a direct application and supply-port s, which communicates througha passage 3 with the train-pipe C, a

direct exhaust-port r, leading to the outside air, a service-stop exhaust-port g, which communicates through a passage cored in the valve-shell at q with a pipe (1 a small exhaust-port p, a port 0, communicating with a passage 0', which leads to a pipe 0 and a service-feed or running position port it, leading to a chamber at, and thence through a passage 91 and the passage 3 to the train-pipe O. In the face of-the valve-seat t is a se mental recess m. Extending through the regulating-valve Z is alarge passage Z and a small passage Z and in the lower face of the regulating-valve are segmental recesses Z Z and F. In the side wall of the chamber it (see Fig. 5) is a groove n and the chamber contains a valve 71 which is maintained normally by a spring n against a stop it. hen seated against the stop it, the valve 02 is beyond the end of the groove n and operates to close COLD- mnnication between the port it and passage m The spring 17, should be capable of bold ing the valve n in the position shown against a pressure, say, of twenty pounds to hold back that extent of pressure when the engineers brake-valve is turned to running position, and thereby permit the main-reservoir pressure to be raised twenty pounds above the pressure in the train-pipe. In the end of the chamber 'lt' opposite the stop a is a seat n against which the valve 71. may be driven against the resistance of its spring to close the passage from the port n to the train-pipe.

The signal-valve D is substantially of the form shown and described in my aforesaid Letters Patent, No. 450,335, and comprises a shell provided with a chamber 70, which at its upper end is in open communication with the train-pipe C. In the lower part of the chamber is a port 70, leading to a pipe F',which extends to the supplemental or signal reservoir F, and with the pipe g which extends to the service-stop inlet-port q in the seat t of the engineers valve. Centrally of the lower end of the chamber is is an outlet-port 70 from which extends a pipe E to the signal E. Cored in the shell of the valve D is a passage 70 extending from the train-pipe O to the lower part of the chamber k, and in the said passage is a valve H, which opens under pressure exerted against it from the train-pipe and closes under pressure exerted against it from the signal-reservoir, as hereinafter described. Extending through the valve is is a small open passage which prevents the valve when closed from shutting off entirely the flow of air through the passage k In the chamber 7a is a diaphragm 7c upon a stem 76 The diaphragm 7c is adjusted to prevent leakage of air past it, and its stem k" extends through a guide 768 and seats at its lower end normally over the port 70 to close the latter.

Upon the signal-valve device D is a valve device K, which, as shown in the drawings, may be constructed substantially integral with the signal-valve. It comprises a casing having chambers 71 and 2'', divided from each other by a movable diaphragm t which is preferably a flexible diaphragm secured in the shell around its edge, as shown. The chamber 11 is separated from the chamber 70 of the signal-valve by a diaphragm i also preferably flexible and secured around its edge to the shell. The diaphragms i and i are secured at their centers to a stem 1 which at its upper end abuts normally against a stop 7) in the chamber 1', and at its lower end terminates normally a short distance above the center of the movable diaphragm k in the chamber is. The pipe 0 leads to the chambert'above the diaphragm F. The diaphragm i is of greater area than the diaphragm i and the said diaphragms are held in the position wherein the stem '6 abuts against the stop 6 by pressure exerted against the diaphragm i from the train-pipe O. The chamber 2" is in open communication with the outside air through a passage i whereby the said chamber is always at atmospheric pressure.

The regulating-valve is turned by means of the usual handle provided with the usual spring indicator or catch which moves against the rim h of the valve-casing of the engineers brake-valve. The rim is formed with stops y, y, g g and 3 with which the spring indicator or catch registers to indicate the position of the regulating-valve Z with relation to the ports in the valve-seat t. The direction of extent of the operating-handle and the position of the indicator spring or catch thereon with relation to the regulating-valve is shown by the line m, Fig. 4. \Vhen the indicator is turned to the stop y, the valve is brought into release position, causing air from the main reservoir to pass through the opening Z of the regulating valve to the groove m in the valve-seat, thence through the groove Z in the regulating-valve to the port 3, and direct to the train-pipe. When in this position, the ports r, q, p, and n are blanked and the passage Z registers with the port 0. Air from the main reservoir besides passing direct to the train-pipe, as described, will also flow through the passage 0' and pipe 0 to the chamberi of the valve device K. The pressure thus exerted against the diaphragm '1? will cause it to reciprocate the stern downward against the diaphragm 70 and prevent the latter from being raised to'open the outlet-port k to the whistle. WVhen the indicator is turned to the stop y, the valve is at running position and the ports 3,1", and q are blanked, the regulating-valve passage Z registers with the port n, andthe recess Z opens communication between the port 0 and exhaust-port 19. When the valve is in this 'posi tion, the pressure in the chamber 71 of the valve device K retrogresses through the pipe 0 and escapes at the port p, relieving the pressure against the diaphragm i and causing the stem 2' to be raised out of contact with the diaphragm 70 by the pressure which is exerted against the diaphragm i from the train-pipe. Airfrom the main reservoir flows through the passage Z in the regulating-valve and port n to the chamber n.

In practice the engineer will not turn the valve from release position until he sees by his pressure-gages that snfficient pressure has flowed into the train-pipe to release the brakes. When the valve has been turned to running position, the brakes are all released, and the pressure in the main reservoir may be raised in excess of train-pipe pressure to an extent equal to the resistance of the valve n, which, as before stated, is usually twenty pounds. When the pressure in the main reservoir has been raised above twenty pounds in excess of the pressure in the train-pipe, the valve n will be moved against the resistance of its spring a and permit pressure to pass through the groove n to the train-pipe. It is the ordinary practice to maintain a pressure of ninety pounds as standard in the main reservoir and a pressure of seventy pounds as standard in the train-pipe. When the mainreservoir and train-pipe pressures are at standard, therefore, the valve 01. will balance between the two pressures and rest normally IIO against the stop at". Any reduction of pressure in the train-pipe, due to ordinary leakage, or the slight venting of pressure for signalingpurposes, will be overcome immediately through the valve a In the event of the train-pipe being broken or a coupling parted between cars, the sudden great exhausting of the train-pipe will cause the pressure from the main reservoir to drive the valve 72 to its seat W and thus shut off the escape of press ure through n n to the train-pipe and prevent the main reservoir from being exhausted.

When the regulating-valve is turned so that the indicator engages the stop f, the valve is on lap and all the ports are blanked, except p and 0, which still communicate through the recess Z Should the engineer turn the valve quickly from release to lap position, and thus pass running position, he will not prevent all the pressure from being discharged from the chamber 1' of the valve device K.

When the indicatoris turned to the stop f, the engineers brake-valve is at service-stop. In this position the recess 1* will open communication between the ports q and r. All the other ports are virtually blanked. The recess Z will register with the ports 0 and n, and while this will cause the small amount of air under pressure between the ports 0 and valve or to expand into the passage 0 it will not be sufficient to disturb the diaphragm t in the chambert'. W hen the valve is turned to service-stop, as described, pressure retrogresses from the train-pipe through the passage 75 0f the signal-valve, opens the check-valve 7t, and passes through the pipe (1 to the port q and out at the port r. The supplemental 0r signal reservoir will be vented at the same time and in practice somewhat faster than the train-pipe, so that when the engineers valve is turned back to lap the cutting off of the fiow of pressure from the train-pipe to the service-stop inlet-port q will cause no rebound which might lift the diaphragm 7c. and actuate the signal.

Turning of the indicator to the stop 1 brings the valve to emergency stop, which causes all the ports, except 0" and s, to be blanked, and opens communication between the ports 3 1" through the recess Turning of the valve to emergency-stop, as described, causes the pressure in the train-pipe to retrogress rapidly from the pipe 0 and escape through 3 l r to the outside air.

In Fig. 1 the train-pipe O is shown to be convoluted between the engineers brakevalve and the signahvalve I). These convolutions are for the purpose of elongating the pipe to increase the distance between the engineers brake-valve and the signal-valve. Ithas been found in practice that by thus increasing the length of the train-pipe O a better operation of the signal-valve and sharper and clearer sound of the whistle are produced than where the pipe is not thus elongated.

In practice I prefer to lengthen the pipe C between the engineers brake-valve and the signal-valve to about sixty feet, althoughl do not limit myself to any particular length.

In operation when a conductors signalingvalve G on a car is opened a limited amount of air only is vented from the train-pipe, and the impulse thus generated travels to the signal-valve D. The reduction produced on the upper side of the diaphragm it causes the signal-reservoir pressure to exert its force against the under side of the diaphragm 7136 before pressure can retrogress through the small open passage 10 The rise of the dia phragm opens the outlet-port 70 to the signal, and that port will remain open until the pressure in the reservoir F has escaped through the port 10 and retrogressed through the opening it suificiently to lower that pressure and permit the diaphragm 7t to drop again. In its rise the diaphragm 70 strikes the lower end of the stem t". hen the engineers brake-valve is at running position, any reduction of pressure which takes place in the train-pipe is overcome by the passage of pressure thereto through the port it, which opens the valve 72* and passes through the groove 12. as before described. It the signalvalve is close to the engineers brake-valve, the impulse of reduction effected in the trainpipe when a conductors signaling-valve is opened is felt at the valve or at very nearly the same time as it is felt at the diaphragm 711 As a consequence the train-pipe pressure upon the signal-diaphragm is brought up to standard almost instantly and the port k closed. It is desirable that the whistle shall give a sharp clear sound, and to effect this the outlet 70 must not be closed too suddenly. By increasing the length of the trainpipe 0 between the signal-valve D and the engineers break-valve the distance which the impulse has to travel beyond the former to reach the latter and friction both con tribute to delay replenishment of pressure over the diaphragm 7:. from the main reservoir, and thus increase the time during which the signal will sound.

It will be understood from the foregoing description that when the engineers brake valve is at release position the chamber 1' is filled with pressure from the main reservoir, causing the stem k to be pressed to its seat at the outlet k by the stem 2'. this is to prevent sounding of the signalwhen the engineers brake-valve is being turned from the release position. As I stated in my patent, No. 463,065, in the sudden cutting off of the flow of pressure from the main reservoir to the train-pipe the inertia of the air that has entered the train-pipe will cause it momentarily to decrease in pressure at the forward end of the train. A momentary reduction of the pressure is thus created over the diaphragm 7c, and the momentary superior pressure of the supplemental or signal The eifect of turned from release position, arrives at running position, by which time the fluctuations of pressure over the diaphragm will have ceased or become reduced to an extent which will render them harmless. When the engineers brake-valve reaches running position, the pressure from the chamber 7, escapes and the stem i is raised out of contact with the diaphragm 70 as before described. In this way the signal-valve is locked when pressure is directed into the chamber 1" and unlocked when pressure is vented from the chamber 6.

The term locked is used advisedly and in the sense of maintaining the signal-actuating valve closed by a positive force independent of the train or signal pipe and signal-reservoir pressures, whereby such preponderance of pressure as there may be for a time in the signal-reservoir cannot open the valve.

I do not confine my invention to a signaling system in which the signaling-pipe is also employed for train-braking purposes nor to the particular construction of the valves shown and described for the reason that valves of any other form which in their operation would be substantially the equivalents of those shown may be employed instead.

My invention involves a new'method of preventing the untimely operation of the signal by the fluctuations of pressure at the signal-actuating valve following the cutting off of the inflow of compressed air to the signal pipe, and the method consists in automatically locking the said valve before the fluctuations commence to render the valve for the time being inoperative and then automatically releasing the valve to place it in operative condition again after the fluctuations have ceased or become sufficiently reduced to be harmless.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

1. The combination, With a pipe, means for charging the same with fluid under pressure, and a signal-actuating valve communicating with the pipe and operated by impulses of reduction of pressure in the pipe, of automatic locking mechanism connected with the said valve and operating, as described, to lock the said valve when the inflow of charging-pressure to the pipe is out off, substantially as set forth.

2. In a pneumatic signaling system, the combination, with the signal-pipe and signal-actuatin g valve communicating therewith, of signal-valve automatic locking mechanism and a valve governing said locking mechanism, said governing-valve operating in its movement to actuate the locking mechanism and thus throw the signal-valve into and out of operation, substantially as described.

3. In a signaling system, the combination, with the signaling-pipe, compressed-air-supply valve governing the inflow of pressure from the said supply to the pipe, venting-valve upon the pipe, and signal-actuatin g valve communicatin with the pipe and operated by impulses generated at the said venting-valve, of locking mechanism for the signal-actuating valve, controlled by movement of the said governing-valve, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4:. In a signaling system for railway-trains, the combination, with the train-pipe and the engineers brake-valve and signal-valve communicating therewith, of signalvalve-locking mechanism controlled from the engineers brake-valve and operated thereby in its movement to and from release position to lock and unlock the signal-valve, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. Ina signaling system for railway-trains, the combination, with the train-pipe and the engineers brake-valve and signal-valve communicating therewith, of signal-valve-locking mechanism comprising a chamber pro vided with a diaphragm movable under airpressure, having a stem which extends into the signal-valve to engage and release the valve mechanism therein in the movement of said diaphragm, the said diaphragm-chamber communicating with the engineers brakevalve to be charged with pressure when said brake-valve is turned to release'position to lock the signal-valve and be vented of pressure when the said brake-valve is turned from release position to unlock the signal-valve, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a signaling system for railway-trains, the combination, with the train-pipe and engineers brake-valve, of a signal-valve having a chamber communicating with the train-pipe, containing a valve m'ovable by differential pressure, and an escape-port from said chamber to the signal controlled by said valve, and a shell containing a diaphragm-chamber communicating with the engineers brake-valve, to be charged with and vented of pressure thereby when said brake-valve is turned to and from release position, and having a diaphragm moved in one direction by pressure entering its chamber and movable in the opposite direction when pressure is vented from its chamber, and provided with a stem which extends into the signal-valve chamber to engage and lock the valve therein when moved by pressure entering said diaphragm-chamber and to release said valve when pressure is vented from said diaphragm-chamber, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

HARRY R. MASON.

In presence of M. J. Fnoscr, J. W. DYRENFORTH.

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