US531651A - Electric block-signal - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 1 I G. H. SALLADA. ELECTRIC BLOCK SIGNAL-- 1 No. 531,651. Patented Jam 1, 1895.

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I UNITED STATES fPATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. SALLADA, on PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC BLOCK-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 531,651, dated January 1, 1895.

Application filed April 9 1894- Serial No. 506,963. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. SALLADA, a citizen of the United 'States, residing at 'Pittsburg,in the countyof Alleghenyand State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Block- Signals; and I do hereby declare the followin g to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improved elec! tric block signal for railways, and it consists in an apparatus arrangedalong the line of track, capable of sounding an alarm in the locomotive cab, together with certain details of construction and combination of parts as will be fully'described hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic View of a single track railway showing the apparatus and circuits both on the locomotive, and at each block along the track. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the track instrument for making and breaking the circuits. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same. Fig. i is a plan view of a turnout or railway switch, showing the manner of connecting the same with my improved block signal.

To put my invention intopracticewith a railway, I divide the same into blocks A' 13-0, 850., the one insulated from the other, and provide each of said blocks with a track battery 2. 'This battery 2 is connected'by wires 3 and 4: to .both railway rails 1 and is used for operating the track instrument to make and break the circuit as will be hereinafter described. Each block or section of the track is provided with four short contact rails 5-'6-7 and 8, two of which are arranged at the one side of the track and the others onv the opposite side. These short rails are located close to the track and parallel thereto, and constructed of a suitable conducting material, and project slightly above the general level of the said track rails 1. In connection with each block or section is an instrument such as shown at Figs. 2 and 3 on the drawings, which is adapted to make and break .the circuits while the brushes are in contact with the short contact rails. These track instru- -next adjoining block to the right.

\ the short-rail contact 6. V I the several track-instruments are the same in ments consist of a set of magnets secured in a horizontal position, adapted to operate a vertically arranged armature 11 for the purpose of making two contacts and thereby complete two separate circuits, These contacts 11' are attached to the armatures 11 and are brought against stationary contacts 14: 14', attached to the frame and projecting over the magnets. Suitable springs 12 attached to posts 13 and to the armatures 11, serve to withdraw the said armatures when the current is broken atanother point.

The magnets 10 ofthe track-instrument, say the middle one shown in Fig. 1, are connected bywires 16 and 17 with the rails of section B and are normally energized by the battery 2, connected with'the rails at the opposite end of the section B.

The contact-strip 14 has a ground connection 18 through local battery 15, and the moving contact at the opposite end of said strip is connected by a spring '12 to the post 13 which is connected by wire 19 with the con tact-strip 14. of the track-instrument of the The post 13 is also connected by a wire 19 with short rail-contact 5. The contact-strip 14: is con- 'nected with the strip to the left as has just been described .in connection with the strip 14 of the intermediate instrument, and corresponding movable contact 11' is connected through spring12,'post 13andwire 20 with The connections of all respects.

The two rails 7 and 8 on the opposite side of the track to the track instrument are each connected by wires 9 to the railway rails nearest the same. I

Arranged within the locomotive cab or other suitable point, either on the'engine or train, is a battery 21 used for ringing an alarm bell 22 and operating an instrument to complete certain circuits. This instrument consists of two sets of magnets 2630, each provided with pi voted armatures -27 one 25 of which is provided with an insulated hook 29 adapted to engage with the other armature 27 when the same has been attracted toward its magnets, and hold the said armature in contact with its magnets 26 after the circuit has been broken. The upper magnet 30 is used for the purpose of lifting the armature 25 and hook 29 from the armature 27, thereby allowing the same to fall back by gravity and thereby break the bell circuit. This bell circuit commences at the battery 21, thence by wire 28 to armat-ures 27 and 25, thence by wire 24 to and through the bell 22, thence by wire 23 back to the battery 21.

To operate the magnets 26 and thereby draw the armature toward the same to complete the above described circuit, the current commences at the battery 21, thence by wire 36 to and through the magnets 26, thence through wire 37 to a depending brush 38 attached in a suitable position on the engine in order that the same will be brought in contact with the short rails 7 and 8 while the train is moving over the same. From this brush 38 the circuit is extended to the short rail 8 and from thence through wire 9 to the railway rail 1, thence through the car wheel 35 to a wire 34 attached to its bearing leading back to the battery 21.

To release the hook 29 and break the contact of the two armatures 27-25 in blockO a circuit is commenced from the battery 15 of block B through contact strip 14, contact 11', spring 12, post 13 to wire 19, to and through contact strip 14' to contact 11', spring 12, post13 to wire 20, and thence to short rail 6 of block 0. When by the movement of the train the brush 33 similar to that before described is brought in contact with the rail 6 the circuit is continued from said brush 33 through wire 32 to and through magnets 30 to wire 31, to wire 34, to bearing of the axle 35 through wheels of the same, to ground and back to the battery 15. When this last described circuithas been completed the armature 25 is attracted to the magnets and the hook 29 released, which permits the armature 27 to fall and break the circuit.

The short rails 5 and 7 are duplicates of those at the rear, and will make and break the circuits with the brushes 33 and 38 in the same manner as previously described when referring to the contact rails 6 and 8. The i first rails 6 and 8 are used to give notice to the engineer whether the next block ahead is occupied, and the two rails 5 and 7 to give notice. for the first block ahead it occupied. For example atrain is moving in block G and another in A the bell 22 will commence ringing as soon as the brush 38 comes in contact with the rail 8 of block 0, and will continue to ring until the brush 33 is in contact with the rail 6 of the same block. If the bell still continues to ring after passing said rail 6, the engineer will know that there is a train in block A as the track rails 1 of block A, will short circuit the track instrument of block B, Y

and break the contact between the strip 14 and its contact 11 thus breaking the contact with rail 6 of block 0 and prevent the magnets 30 releasing the armature 27. When the brush 33 is in contact with rail 5 and the block B ahead clear, the bell 22 will stop ringing,

as the circuit will be-completcd to the magnets 30 to break the bell circuit. If the bell continues to ring after passing the said rail 5 of block 0, he will know that something is Wrong in block 13, such as an open switch,or a side-tracked car left too close to the main track. If, for further example, there are two trains, the one in block 0 and the other in 13, the engineer will get warning while the brush 33 is in contact with rail 5, as the bell 22 will continue to ring as the circuit to the magnets 30 will be broken at the contacts 11 and 14 of the track instrument of block B. The engineer will then stop his train until the bell 22 stops ringing, which will be when the train ahead has passed out of block B into block A.

By means of this block signal, the engineer will have notice of any train within two blocks ahead, and if the switches are left open the bell 22 will give warning by continuous ringing after passing the contact rails 5 or 6 of any of the blocks.

At Fig. 4 on the drawings I have shown a switch or turn out provided with my improved signal by means of which the trains will be protected and given notice should the said switch be opened or a car accidentally left pas tthe danger post. To accomplish this the switch lever 40 is provided with two contacts 44 which are made when the switch is properly closed, but are disconnected when the said switch is open. These two contacts 44 are connected by wires 41-42 to one of the rails of the main track 1, with insulation be tween the points of attachment. The same rail 1 of the main track is connected by a wire 43 to one of the switch rails, and the said rail insulated from the main track.

Should the switch be properly closed the current will pass from the main track rail 1 through wire 42, contacts 44, back to the main track rail 1 without interference, but should the said switch be opened the contacts 44 are separated and the circuit broken, and the en gineer will know by the constant ringing of the bell that there is danger at the switch.

If one of the cars on the siding or switch should be accidentally left too near the main 5 track the current will be short circuited through the wire 43 and the axleof the said 1 car, and the mechanism hereinbefore dei scribed and give warning of danger.

It is. obvious that this electrical block sysltem may be used on a. single track railway, by arranging a device or apparatus in the cab of the engine to make contacts at the lproper time with the several contact rails along the track, when the train is moving in tan opposite direction, or the engine running backward.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patcut, is-- 1. In a railway cab signaling system, a series of insulated track rail sections, contacts along the line of way connected to one line of rail of each section,atrack instrument for able contact to a second local contact along 7 the line of way, in combination with a movable object provided with contact brushes,

and a signal device on said movable object connected with said brushes.

2. In a railway cab signaling system, a series of insulated track rail sections, a series of sets of contacts along the line of way connectedv to the track section, a second series of sets of contacts along the line of way, a series of electrically connected track instruments each being connected with a set of the said second series of contacts, in combination with a movable vehicle provided with brush contacts, a signal circuit on the vehicle including two inter-locking armatures, and nor- .mally de-energized magnets therefor connected with the brushes.

3. In a railway cab signaling system, a series of insulated track rail sections, one line of rails of each section being connected with the ground and with brush contacts along the ,line of way, a series of inter-connected track devices comprising other brush contacts and operating batteries, in combination with a cab signal circuit, inter-locking circuit closing armatures included in said circuit, normallyde-energized magnets,'and brushes on the cab connected with said magnets and adapted to engage thecontacts along the line of way. i

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I hereunto affix my signature this 13th day of March, A. D. 1894.

CHARLES H. SALLADA. [L. s.] In presence of J AS. J. MOAFEE, ALBERT J. WALKER.

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