US513496A

US513496A - Semaphore operating device

Info

Publication number: US513496A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1894-01-30
Anticipated expiration: 1911-01-30

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. H. PRISOHEN. SBMAPHORE OPERATING DEVIOE.

No. 513,496. Patented Jan. 30, 1894.

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2 t e e h S .w e e h S M N E H G S I R F H 1 (No Model.)

SBMAPHORBOPERATING DEVICE.

Patented Jan. 30, 1894;

IN VENTOR dxmmmwgww WITNESSES ATTORNEY m: NATIONAL mnoaruruma OOMPANY.

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J OHANN HEINRICH FRISOI-IEN, OF BERLIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO SIEMENS &

I-IALSKE, OF

SAME PLACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 513,496, dated January 30, 1894.

Application filed March 30, 1893. Serial No. 468,385. (No model.) Patented in Switzerland January 16, 1891, No. 3,228; in Austria-Hungary January 24, 1891,110. 5,429 and No.22,4=21; in England February 4, 1891,11'0. 2,068 in Belgium February 13, 1891,11'0. 93,747,and in Germany June 20,1891, No. 57,225.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHANN HEINRICH FRISGHEN, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at Berlin, Germany, have invented newand useful ImprovementsinSema' phore Operating and Releasing Devices, (patented in Germany, No. 57,225,'dated June 20,

1891; in Belgium, No. 93,747, dated- February 13, 1891; in Austria-Hungary, No. 5,429 and No. 22,421, dated January 24,1891; in Switzerland, No. 3,228, dated January 16, 1891, and in Great Britain, No. 2,068, dated February 4, 1891,) of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for operating semaphore signals of railways, and has for its object to provide a simple and efficient apparatus of this character, by means of which the semaphore will be automatically set from the line clear to the danger position by the passage of a train and will be reset automatically by operation of the ordinary pull Wire lever.

The invention consists in the combination 2 5 with the ordinary pull Wire lever, of a carrier lever fulcrumed to it and having a pin and slot connection with the semaphore, and a trigger lever coupled to the carrier lever and adapted to a sector detent, and whereby as 0 the detentis released automatically and either electrically or mechanically by the passage of a train, or directly by hand, the semaphore signal will be set to danger position.

The invention will first be described and 5 then will be particularly defined in claims 5 danger position, Fig. 3 showing the trigger lever tripped from the detent to allow the semaphore to automatically take the danger position. Figs. 4. to 7, inclusive, are detail views showing how the ordinary duplex ments. Fig. 8 illustrates a signal arranged to indicate all clear by a downwardlyinclined position of the semaphore, and embodying my improvements; and Figs. 9 to 13 inclusive, illustrate a modification in which the semaphore may be set in three positions, viz., a horizontal danger position and upwardly and downwardly inclined positions for giving all clear or other signals.

Referring first more especially to Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings, it will appear that the semaphore or signal proper l is fulcrumed by a shaft or pin 2 to a post 3, and to this shaft is also held loosely the lever 4 which has at: tached

pull wires

5, 5 leading to any approved pulley and lever mechanism (not shown) and by which the semaphore may be operated or set by hand. A rod 6 connected to the semaphore has play in a pivoted bearing 7 held to the post 3, and also has an expanding buffer spring 8 and

suitable stops

9, 9, easing the fall and limiting the movements of the semaphore. To the pull wire lever 4c is fulcrumed by its central pin or stud 10 whatI term a carrier lever 11 having two rigid arms, one arm hav in g a curved or elbow form and provided with a corresponding curved slot 12 receiving a pin 13 fixed to the semaphore 1, and the other arm having a pivotal connection by a rod 14 with the central portion of a trigger lever 15, which is fulcrumed at 16 to the post 3. The trigger lever is adapted to engage a rocking detent 17, which has a slot or cut-away portion leaving a semicircular or sector catch portion which the lever 15 is adapted to engage. The detent has a tail piece 18 against which a suitable arm or spring 19 fixed to the trigger lever 15 is adapted to strike, for turning the detent to cause automatic engagement of the lever with it. To the rocking detent o 17 is fixed an armature 20, adapted for attraction by a suitable electro magnet 21 in electric circuit controlled by any suitable track pedal or other device operative by a the armature spring to draw it from the magpull wire lever may be used with my improve- 50 passing train, to break the circuit and allow net and simultaneously turn the detent 17 to trip the trigger lever and allow the semaphore to fall to danger position.

In Figs. 4 to 7 of the drawings, the pull wire lever is made in two pivotally connected parts 4*, 4", operating in the usual manner of such duplex levers to allow the semaphore 1 to fall to danger position, should either of the

pull wires

5, 5 break. Otherwise the construction is similar to that above described.

The operation is as follows: When the semaphore has been set to the danger position and the trigger lever 15 has been re-engaged with the detent 17 and the armature 20 is attracted by the magnet 21, the parts have relative positions shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings and the pivot connections 22 of the carrier lever 11 and rod 14 are then axially aligned with the pivot 2 of the semaphore. WVithout changing the relative positions of the

levers

4, 11, and while the semaphore pin 13 rests in the shorter portion of the carrier lever slot 12, the

wires

5,5 may be operated to raise the semaphore from the danger position to the safety or all clear position, shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. If now the passage of a train opens the electric circuit to the magnet 21, or if this circuit be otherwise opened, the spring of the armature 20 draws it backward and thereby rocks the detent sufficiently to allow the trigger lever 15, which had pre- Viously retained the semaphore 1 in the all clear position, to escape past the detent, thereby permitting the semaphore to drop by gravity as its pins 13, by slipping in the lever slot 12,carries the lever 11 downward, while the mechanism assumes relative positions shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, with the pin 13 resting at the outer end of the carrier lever slot.

After passage of the train which had set the semaphore to danger as above described, the mechanism maybe readjusted to the relative positions shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings by simply pulling the wires 5 to carry the lever 4: back to the position therein shown. This operation will push the rod 14 downward and adjust the carrier lever 11 mainly parallel with the lever 4E, and about as the shorter straight portion of the slot 12 of lever 11 engages the semaphore pin 13,the down wardly moving trigger lever 15 will pass by the sector detent which then has the position shown in Fig. 3, whereupon the lever spring 19 will strike the detent tail 18 and turn the detent in front of the lever 15, which then engages the detent as shown in Figs. 1 and2 of the drawings, and the armature 20 will again be attracted by an electric current in the magnet 21. When the pull wires 5 are again drawn upon, while both levers 4, 11 are locked together and the semaphore pin 13 remains in the shorter straight part of the slot 12 of lever 11 and the lever pivot 22 remains axially aligned with the fulcrum 2 of the semaphore, the semaphore will be carried upward to the all clear position shown in Fig. 2, and all is ready for tripping of the trigger lever 15 from the detent 17, by the passage of the next train, or by any mechanical means or by hand, to allow the semaphore to again fall to the danger position shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

The operation of the modified semaphore shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings is substantially similar to that above described, with the exception that the semaphore 1 has a tail piece beyond its fulcrum to which is connected a rod 23 suspending a weight 24, which, when the trigger lever'15 is tripped from the detent 17, automatically carries the semaphore 1 from its normal lower angular all clear position shown, to a horizontal danger position.

Inthe modification shown in Figs. 9 to 13 of the drawings, the carrier lever 11, instead of being provided with one partly straight and partly inclined slot 12, as in the lever 11 above described, has two

slots

12, 12 open at the inner end and adapted for operation with two

pins

13, 13 fixed to the semaphore. The semaphore and the duplex pull wire lever are indicated by dotted lines in these views. A counter-balancing weightnormally tending to return the semaphore to a horizontal danger position is also shown in dotted lines in said views. the semaphore is indicated when the normal danger signal is shown, while the trigger lever 15 is in engagement with the detent 17 and the pull wire lever is in a horizontal posit-ion. wire lever is drawn down by the wire 5, the carrier lever 11 raises the semaphore to the upwardly inclined all clear position shown in Fig. 10, in the manner described with reference to Fig. 2. Then when the trigger lever is released by the passage of a train, the semaphore falls to the danger position shown in Fig. 11, the pin 13 simultaneously riding down the slot 12*, and thereby rocking the lever 11 and raising the rod 14. If the pull rod lever is then drawn to a horizontal position, the parts will resume the positions shown in Fig. 9. Fig. 12 shows the inner end of the pull wire lever drawn down to indicate that the line is clear, the carrier lever being simultaneously drawn down, as shown. Now if the trigger lever 15 is re- In Fig. 9 the position of 1 When the outer end of the pull leased by the detent 17 upon the passage of a train, or in any other manner, the semaphore arm will return to its normal horizontal danger position, the inner pin 13 riding up the upper slot 12 and drawing the carrier lever to the position shown in Fig. 13. When the pull wire lever is again drawn to a horizontal position, and the trigger leveris re-engaged by the detent, the parts will be returned to the normal danger position of Fig. 9. It will thus be seen that the all clear signal may be shown by either an upward or a downward inclination of the semaphore and that from either of these positions said semaphore will be returned to a normal horizontal danger position by gravity.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is g 1. In semaphore signal apparatus, the combination with the semaphore, of a pull wire lever, a carrier lever pivoted to the pull wire lever and having a slot engaginga pin on the semaphore, a trigger lever connected to the carrier lever and a detent adapted to engage and release the trigger lever, substantially as described.

2. In semaphore signal apparatus, the combination with the semaphore, of a pull wire lever, a carrier lever .pivoted to the pull wire lever and having a slot engaging a pin on the semaphore, a, trigger lever connected to the pull wire lever, a rocking detent for the trigger lever carrying an armature, and an electro magnet attracting the armature, substantially as described.

3. In semaphore signal apparatus, the combination with the semaphore, of a pull wire lever, a carrier lever pivoted to the pull wire lever and having a slot engaging a pin on the semaphore, a trigger lever connected to the pull wire lever and having a projecting arm, and a rocking detent for the trigger lever having atail piece to which said arm is adapted for automatically setting the detent to retain the trigger lever, substantially as described.

4. In semaphore signal apparatus, the combination with the semaphore, of a pull wire lever,a carrier lever pivoted to the pull wire lever and having aslot engaginga pin on the semaphore, a trigger lever connected to the pull wire lever and carryinga projecting arm, a rocking detent for the trigger lever having a tail piece to which said arm is adapted for automatically setting the detent to retain the trigger lever, said detent also carrying an armature; and an electro magnetattracting the armature, substantially as described.

5. In semaphore signal apparatus, the combination with a support 3, of a semaphore 1 fulcrumed thereto and having a pin 13, a lever 4 fulcrumed to the support 3, pull wires 5 on the lever 4, a carrier lever 11 pivoted to the lever 4 and having a slot 12 receiving the pin 13, a trigger lever 15 pivoted to the support 3, a rod 14 connecting the

levers

11, 15, and a rocking detent 17 to which the trigger lever 15 is adapted, substantially as described.

6. In semaphore signal apparatus, the combination with a support 3, of a semaphore 1 fulcrumed thereto and having a pin 13, a lever 4 fulcrumed to the support 3, pull wires 5 on the lever 4, a carrier lever, 11 pivoted to the lever 4 and having a slot 12 receiving the pin 13, a trigger lever 15 pivoted to the support 3, a rod 14 connecting the

levers

11, 15, and a rocking detent 17 carrying an arma ture 20; and an electro magnet 21 attracting the armature, substantially as described.

7. In semaphore signal apparatus, the combination with a support 3, of a semaphore 1 fulcrumed thereto and having a pin 13, a lever 4 fulcrumed to the support 3, pull wires 5 on the lever 4, a carrier lever 11 pivoted to the lever 4 and having a slot 12 receiving the pin 13, a trigger lever 15 pivoted to the support 3 and having an elastic arm or spring 19, a rod 14 connecting the

levers

11, 15, and arocking detent 17 havinga tail piece 18, substantially as described.

8. In semaphore signal apparatus, the combination with a support 3, of a semaphore 1 fulcrumed thereto and having a pin 13, a lever 4 fulcrumed to the support 3, pull wires 5 on the lever 4, a carrier lever 11 pivoted to the lever 4 and having aslot 12 receiving the pin 13, a trigger lever 15 pivoted to the support 3 and having an elastic arm or spring 19,

arod 14 connectingthe levers 11, 15, a rocking detent 17 having atail piece 18 and an armature 20, and an electro magnet 21 attracting the armature, substantially as described.

9. In semaphore signal apparatus, the combination with the semaphore, of a pull wire lever, a carrier lever pivoted to the pull wire lever and having a slot engaging a pin on the semaphore, a trigger lever connected to the carrier lever, a detent adapted to engage and release the trigger lever, and buffer devices cushioning the fall of the semaphore to danger position, substantially as described.

10. In semaphore signal apparatus, the combination with a support 3, of a semaphore l fulcrumed thereto and having a pin 13, a lever 4 fulcrumed to the support 3, pull wires 5 on the lever 4, a carrier lever 11 pivoted to the lever 4 and having a slot 12 receiving the pin 13, a trigger lever 15 pivoted to the support 3, a'rod 14 connecting the

levers

11, 15, a rocking detent 17 to which the trigger lever 15 is adapted, and

buffer devices

6, 7, 8, 9 between the semaphore and its support, substantially as described.

11. In a semaphore signal apparatus, the combination with the semaphore, of a pull wire lever, a carrier lever pivoted to the pull wire lever and having oppositely disposed, similar slots upon each side of the pivotal point adapted to engage with co-opera'ting pins on the semaphore, a trigger lever connected to the carrier lever, and a detent IOC adapted to engage and release the trigger le- I ver, substantially as described.

12. In a semaphore signal apparatus, the combination with the semaphore, of a pull wire lever, a carrier lever pivoted to the pull wire lever and having oppositely disposed, similar slots upon each side of the pivotal point adapted to engage with co-operating pins on the semaphore, a trigger lever connected to the pull wire lever, a rocking detent for the trigger lever carrying an armature, and an electro-magnet attracting the armature, substantially as described.

13. In semaphore signal apparatus, the combination with the semaphore, of a pull wire lover, a carrier lever pivoted to the pull wire lever and having oppositely disposed, similar slots upon each side of the pivotal point adapted to engage withco-operating pins on the semaphore, a trigger lever connected to the pull wire lever and having a projecting arm, and a rocking detent for the trigger lever having a tail piece to which said arm is adapted for automatically setting the detent to retain the trigger lever, substantially as described.

14. In semaphore signal apparatus, the combination with the semaphore, of a pull wire lever, a carrier lever pivoted to the pull wire lever and having oppositely disposed, similar slots upon each side of the pivotal point adapted to engage with co-operating pins on arm, a rocking detent for the trigger lever having a tail piece to which said arm is adapted for automatically setting the detent to retain the trigger lever, said detent also carrying an armature; and an electro-magnet attracting the armature, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHANN HEINRICH FRISOI-IEN. Witnesses:

MAX WAGNER, GEO. H. BENJAMIN.