US530763A - And george m - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

U. J. FRY & G. M. BASFORD. BLOGK SIGNAL APPARATUS.

Patented Dec. 11, 1894.

fa W

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

URIAS J. FRY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, AND GEORGE M. BASFORD, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS.

BLOCK-SIGNAL APPARATUS.

SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 530.763, dated December 11, 1 894.

Application filed September 1'7, 1894- Sen'al No. 523,205. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, URIAS J. FRY, of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, and GEORGE M. BASFORD, of

Oak Park, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Block-Signal Apparatus; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to electric block signal apparatus of the general character shown and described in our application, Serial No. 479,553, filed July 5, 1893, and consists of cer- 2o tain improvements hereinafter particularly described and pointed out in the claims, the main objects of such improvements being to render the operation of apparatus of this class more certain and safe by making it 2 5 more automatic and preventing the unauthorized operation of signals through the collusion of two or more operators.

In the accompanying drawings like letters designate the same parts in both figures.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of our improved apparatus, comprising two stations and an intermediate section or block of a single track railway, and Fig. 2 is a detail View of a track instrument constituting a 3 5 part of such apparatus.

Referring to Fig. 1, Aand B designate two stations at the ends of a block or section, and a. the intermediate block or section of a single track railway, provided adjacent to such 0 stations with the usual side tracks, a a.

Each intermediate station between the terminals of a railway equipped with our apparatus, is furnished with two separate sets of apparatus for controlling the blocks or sec- 5 tions on opposite sides, and the terminal stations are each provided with a single set of apparatus, as shown in the diagram. The several sets of apparatus being alike, we will describe but one in detail: that at station A for operation in connection with that at station B for governing the intermediate block or section.

C designates a signal such as an ordinary semaphore which in one, or normal position, denotes danger and indicates to the engineer of an approaching train that the section of track in advance is blocked; and in another, or abnormal position, denotes safety and indicates that the section of track in advance is clear.

D is a lever or other mechanical device for manually operating the signal.

E is a locking device for holding the signal and its operating connections in normal position at danger.

e is an electro magnet for releasing said locking device.

F is a polarized magnet or relay, having a fixed and movable contact connected by the wires 6 of a local circuit with the windings of the magnets and the opposite poles of the main battery G.

H is a pole-changing switch having two movable arms or contacts constantly connected with the opposite poles of said battery G, two of its fixed contacts, h and it connected respectively by a wire, 1, with the ground, and a wire Z with the main line or electric circuit between the two stations, and another fixed contact h connected with the movable part of a circuit breaker I, which controls the ground connection of said pole-changing switch for a reversed current.

J is a locking device for holding the circuit breaker I open. It is arranged to be moved into engagement with and to open the circuit breaker I by a hook 77. connected with the pole-changing switch when the latter is shifted from normal to abnormal and again returned to normal position. 90

L designates a telegraphic transmitting and receiving instrument or instruments in a branch 1 of the main circuit for communication with station B.

M is aswitch having two fixed contacts, one connected with wire 1 and the other with the windings of the polarized magnet F and a movable arm or contact connected by a wire at with one contact of acircuit breaker N, which has another contact permanently connected with the main line, and is arranged to be antomatically opened by the movement of the semaphore to danger. It is preferably applied to the semaphore post as close as practicable to the semaphore arm.

The construction and arrangement of the parts above mentioned are like or similar to those shown in our former application hereinbefore referred to.

The magnet K, which controls the locking device J of circuitbreakerl, is placed in what may be designated a primary local circuit 70,. provided with a battery 75 and two circuit breakers 7& and k one of which is controlled by a magnet O in a train circuit 0, furnished with a battery 0, and the other by a magnet P in an auxiliary or secondary train circuit p, furnished with a battery 19".

0 is another circuit which may be desig nated the secondary local circuit, including the windings of magnet O, and the battery 0, and provided with two circuit breakers 0 and 0 the first of which is controlled and closed by the pole-changing switch H in normal position, while the second is controlled by the magnet O.

The wires of circuit 0 are connected with contacts t and t of a track instrument T, which may be like or similar to that shown in detail in Fig. 2, located just outside of the yard limit of the station indicated by dotted line X, Fig. 1. The instrument T, as shown, consists essentially of a lever 25 one end of which is held normally by a stiff spring t a little above the adjacent track rail in the path of wheels running thereon, while the other end projects be tween contact springs 25 and t and of fixed contacts i and t with which said springs engage when released by lever 25. In the normal position of said lever, the spring i engages the contact 25 thus closing circuit 3, but when said lever is depressed by the passage of a car wheel, it moves springt away from contact 15 and allows spring 25 to engage contact t thereby temporarily opening circuit sand closing circuit 0. The wires of circuitp are preferably connected with insulated rails a a of the main and side tracks within the yard limits, said insulated rails being located a sufficient distance from the instrument '1 to permit the switching of trains from the main to the side track without passing over said track instrument.

q is a circuit breaker controlling the connection of the contact 7L2 of the pole-changing switch with the main line through branch Z for a reversed current from battery G to the main line. It is controlled bya magnet Q in a normally open local circuit q, furnished with a battery g and connected with the contact h and a contact h of the pole-changing switch H. The connection of the main line through branch Z with contact it includes the windings of said magnet Q, and the contacts k and h are so arranged that one of the movable arms or contacts of the pole-cha'nging switch will bridge the space between them and thus temporarily close the circuit q when said switch is shifted from normal to abnormal position, said circuit 1 being thus closed until the other movable arm or contact of the switch engages with the contact 7L3, thereby closing the main circuit through the coils of magnet Q before the local circuit q is broken. By this means, in connection with the circuit breaker N at the next station, the operator is prevented, by collusion with the operator at that station, from retaining his pole-changing switch in abnormal position so as to again release the signal at the distant station after it has once been released to admit a train into the intervening block until that train has cleared the block.

R is a switch connected with and operated by the pole-changing switch II. Its movable arm or contact is permanently connected by a wire 1' with the movable part of the circuit breaker I, and one of its fixed contacts 0' is connected by a wire fwith the coils of the polarized magnet F, while its other fixed contact 7" is connected by a wire 0' with the branch Z of the main circuit. The contact 0" is so located as to be engaged by the movable arm or contact of the switch R while the pole-changing switch bridges the contacts 7L2 and 71 but to be cleared by said movable arm or contact as soon as the pole-changing switch clears the contact 7L4. By this means the operator is prevented from releasing the signal at the distant station by holding his polechanging switch in position to close the circuit g, because in this position the switch R will short circuit the battery G, as hereinafter explained, and thus prevent sending a reversed current through the main line.

S is an electro magnetic device for severing the connection between the lever D and the signal, and allowing the latter to resume its normal or danger position when said lever is left in abnormal position. It is included ICC in a local train circuit 5 furnished with a 1 battery 3 and connected with contacts t and t of the track instrument T. By this means a train entering the block at that station is enabled to automatically restore the signal to danger if the operator neglects to do so.

To remind the operator to return his sig nal lever D to normal danger position, the branch I of the main line is connected with the ground by a branch U, which has a circuit controller U held open by the signal locking device, or other convenient part connected with lever D when said lever is in normal position, but closed, and thus shunting or short circuiting the transmitting and receiving instrument L when said lever is in abnormal position, thereby cutting 01f communication with the next station.

To prevent the accidental disengagement of the signal locking device E by the polarized magnet F when an abnormally strong current passes in the required direction through the main line, as when an electric light wire or other conductor of a strong ourrent crosses or comes in contact with the main line of our system, we provide in the local circuit e a circuit breaker e held normally closed against a contact a by a spring, and carrying the front stop or contact of the polarized magnet. The tension of this spring is such that the ordinary current employed to operate the apparatus will not overcome it andopen circuit e, but will yield to an abnormally strong current, open said circuit 6 and render the releasingmagnet e inoperative. The operation of our improved apparatus may be explained as follows: The several parts being in normal position, as shown in Fig. 1, with the signals at danger, suppose that a train wishes to enter the block between A and B at A, the operator at A asks the operator at B to release his signal. The intermediate block being clear, the operator at B so informs the operator at A, and thereupon shifts his pole-changing switch H into abnormal position in engagement with the contacts 71, and h thus reversing the poles of his battery G to the main line. The operator at A at the same time shifts his switch M to connect his polar relay F with the main line. The circuit 6 being thus closed, energizes magnet e, releases the locking device E and lever 'D. A then moves his signal by means of said lever to clear and permits the train to enter the block. As it passes over the track instrument T it will temporarily open the circuit 5, disengage the releasing device S, and allow the signal to resume its normal danger position if it has not already been restored to that position by the operator. At the same time the track instrument T will temporarily close the circuit 0.

This operation however, as well as the temporary closing of circuit 10 by'the passage of a train in this direction, is immaterial under the conditions mentioned, because the circuit breakers k and 0 were already closed. The operator at A in clearing his signal 0 for the train to enter the block toward B, breaks the main circuit at N, so that if the operator at B has held his pole-changing switch in abnormal position, the magnet Q will be de-energized and the main circuit for a reversed current at B will be opened by the circuit breaker q and cannot be'again restored by either operator until the train which has just entered the block at A clears it at B.

As hereinbefore stated, while the polechanging switch closes the circuit q, a reversed current cannot be sent to the main line because the main battery G is short circuited by the switch R, the current flowing from said battery through one arm of the pole-changing switch, contact 71 wire T the arm of switch R, contact r, wires r and Z, circuit breaker q, the windings of magnet Q, a part of the circuit q, contact h and the other arm of the pole-changing switch, thence to the battery. To effect the reversal of the current through the main line, it is therefore necessary to complete the movement of the pole-changing switch to its abnormal position, and by so doing the hook 71. is engaged with the locking device .I. If now said switch is moved back toward its normal position sufficiently to close the circuit q, the looking device J will be carried into engagement with the movable arm or contact of circuit breaker I and break the ground connection, or circuit of the pole-changing switch and battery for a reversed current to the main line. By moving the pole-changing switch out of normal position, the circuit breaker o is permitted to open the secondary local circuit 0 thereby de-energizing magnet O and permitting the circuit breakers I62 and o to open. The disengagement of the circuit breaker I from the locking device J is thus prevented, and the connection between the pole-changing switch and battery, through wire 2' with the ground, at B, is positively held open until the train which has entered the block at A clears it at B. In this way the admission of another train at A is prevented while the block is occupied. \Vhen the train passes over the track instrument T at B, it temporarily closes the circuit 0, energizes magnet O and closes the circuit breakers k and 0 at B, thus placing the primary local circuit in condition to be controlled by the circuit breaker 70 The action of the train in temporarily opening the circuit 8 in this case is immaterial, because the signal at B is already at danger. As the train passes over the insulated rails a either on the main track a, or side track a, it closes the circuit 12 and energizes the magnet I, which in turn closes the circuit breaker k The magnet K is thus energized and releases the movable arm of circuit breaker I from the locking device J, whichis retracted byaspring. The circuit breaker I is, however, held open by the magnet K while any part of a train is upon the insulated rails 00*, and the operator at B is thus prevented from sending a reversed current to the main line and releasing the signal at A until the train has cleared theinsulated rails a By this means, it the train passes upon the side track it must completely clear the main track before another train can be admitted to the block at A. As soon as the insulated rails a are cleared by the train, the circuit breaker I closes automatically and establishes the ground connection of the polechanging switch and battery at B for a reversed current. VVhen a train approaching a station clears the track instrument '1, the circuit 0 will be opened at that point, but the pole-changingswitch H,having been returned to normal position, closes the circuit breaker 0 and the circuit 0 through battery 0', thereby energizing the magnet 0 so as to hold the circuit breakers 70 and 0 closed when the circuit 0 is opened by the track instrument T. While the train which has entered the block at A occupies the block, another train cannot be admitted in the opposite direction at B, because the circuit breakerl which has been opened at B to admit the train at A remains open, as above explained, till that train clears the track at B, and not only breaks the circuit of the pole-changin g switch and main battery at B for a reversed current to the main line, but also breaks the ground connection or circuit of the polarized magnet F at B; such circuit being from said magnet F, through the wire f, switch R, wire 7*, circuit breaker I and wire 1'.

Portions of main battery G may be utilized for any or all of the local circuits.

It will be understood that the signal locking mechanism E, and the several circuit controlling devices, are to be suitably inclosed so as to prevent unauthorized access thereto by the operators and any unwarranted interference with the circuits controlling the operation of the signals.

We claim- 1. In block signal apparatus, the combination with a main line or electric circuit connecting stations, each of which is provided with a signal, an electro-magnetic signal look ing device and means of releasing the look ing device of the distant station; or" a circuit breaker adapted to render the signal releasing means inoperative after it has been operated, a magnet controlling said circuit breaker in a local circuit provided with two circuit breakers, which are controlled by separate train circuits or track instruments, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In block signal apparatus, the combination with a main line or electric circuit connecting stations, each of which has a suitable signal, an electro-magnetic signal locking device and means of releasing the locking device of the distant station; of a circuit breaker adapted to render said releasing means inoperative after each operation thereof, a magnet controlling said circuit breaker in a local circuit provided with two circuit breakers, magnets controlling said two circuit breakers in separate train controlled circuits and a secondary local circuit including the windings of one of said magnets and provided with two circuit breakers, one controlled by the included magnet and the other by the signal releasing means, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In block signal apparatus, the combination with a main line or electric circuit connecting stations, each of which is provided with a signal, a signal locking device, a polarized magnet controlling said locking device, and a pole changing switch; of a circuit breaker controlling the main circuit for reversed currents and arranged to be opened by the operation of the pole changing switch, a locking device for holding said circuit breaker open and a magnet controlling said locking device in a local circuit, having two circuit breakers, controlled by separate train circuits, whereby the passage of an approaching train over two points in one direction only is necessary to close or restore the main circuit, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4, In block signal apparatus, the combination with a main line or electric circuit connecting stations, each of which is provided with a signal, a signal locking device, apolarized magnet controlling said locking device, and a pole changing switch; of a circuit breaker controlling the main circuit for re versed currents, and arranged to be opened by the operation of the pole changing switch, a locking device for holding said circuit breaker open, a magnet for releasing said locking device in a primary local circuit having a circuit breaker, a magnet controlling said circuit breaker in a train circuit, and a secondary local circuit, having two circuit breakers, one controlled by the magnet in the train circuit and the other by the pole changing switch whereby the pole changing switch opens the primary local circuit when the current is reversed in the main line, but cannot close it, and an incoming train alone is enabled to close said primary local circuit,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In block signal apparatus, the combination with a main line or electric circuit connecting stations, each of which is provided with a signal, a signal locking device, a polarized magnet controlling said locking device, and a pole changing switch; of a circuit breaker controlling the main circuit for reversed currents and arranged to be opened by the operation of the pole changing switch, a locking device for holding said circuit breaker open, a magnet for releasing said locking device in a primary local circuit having two circuit breakers, train circuits having magnets controlling said two circuit breakers, and a secondary local circuit having two circuit breakers, one controlled by a magnet in one of the train circuits and the other by the pole changing switch, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. In block signal apparatus, the combination with an electric circuit connecting stations, one of which has asignal,asignal looking device and a polarized magnet controlling said locking device, and the other, a pole changing switch; of a circuit breaker in the circuit of said pole changing switch for a reversed current, a magnet controlling said circuit breaker and having its windings included in the same circuit and a circuit breaker at the distant station arranged to be opened by the admission of a train at that station into the intervening block and to deenergize the magnet controlling the circuit breaker at the other station, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. In block signal apparatus, the combination with a main line or electric circuit connecting stations, each of which has a signal, a signal locking device, a polarized magnet controlling said locking device and a pole changing switch; of a circuit breaker controlling the main circuit for a reversed current, a magnet controlling said circuit breaker and included in said main circuit, and a local circuit also including said magnet and rendered effective to close said circuit breaker by the movement of the pole changing switch from normal to abnormal position, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

S. In block signal apparatus, the combination with a main electric circuit connecting stations, each of which is furnished with a signal, a signal locking device, a polarized magnet controlling said locking device and a pole changing switch; of a circuit breaker controlling the main circuit for a reversed current, a normally open local circuit arranged to be closed by the pole changing switch in its movement from normal to abnormal position, a magnet controlling said circuit breaker and included both in the main and local circuits, and a switch or circuit controller operated by the pole changing switch to short circuit the main battery connected therewith when the local circuit is closed,

substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

9. In block signal apparatus, the combination with a main electric circuit connecting stations, each of which has a suitable signal, and a signal locking device, of a magnet for releasing said locking device in a local circuit, provided with a circuit breaker, and a polarized magnet adapted to be connected through the main line or circuit with the distant station, and arranged when energized by a normal reversed current to close said local circuit, but when energized by an abnormally strong reversed current, to operate said circuit breaker and open the local circuit, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing as our own we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

URIAS J. FRY. GEORGE M. BASFORD.

Witnesses:

L. THOMAS,- H. B. GREGG.

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