US552776A - Electric signaling - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets- Sheet 1. F. G. PRATT.

ELECTRIC SIGNALING.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. F. G. PRATT. ELEOTRIG SIGNALING.

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FRANK G. PRATT, OF REVERE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNION SXVITOII AND SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SIVISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC SIGNALING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,776, dated January '7, 1896.

Application filed August 20, 1894. Serial No. 520,799- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK G. PRATT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Revere, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massa- 5 chusetts, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Signaling, of which improvements the following is a specification.

The invention described herein relates to I certain improvements in electric signaling, and has for its object such an arrangement of relays and their circuits as to require the dos ing of the circuits in a certain. definite predetermined order, before the signal-circuit proper can be closed so as to clear the signal after it has been shifted to danger. I

In general terms the invention consists i such arrangement of the relays and circuits that the armatures of the former will, when released by the breaking of the circuits, as sume an interlocking relation to each other, thereby requiring the closing of the circuits of the relays in a certain predetermined order and consequent movements of the armatures, before the signal-circuit can be closed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 shows one arrangement of the relays and armatures and the several circuits employed, and Fig. 2 3 shows a second arrangement of the same.

In the practice of my invention the relays 1, 2, and 3 are so arranged that the armatures and 6 are at right angles, or approximately so, to the armature 4. The free end of the armature 5 extends over the end of the armature 4, so as to be engaged therewith when 'the relays 1 and 2 are demagnetized and to drop behind the armature 4 when the latter is drawn toward its magnet, and therebypre- 4 vent a return of the armature 4 against the contact-point 7, until the armature 5 is drawn to its magnet. The magnet 3 with its armature 6 is so arranged with reference to the armature 4 that if the magnet is demagnetized subsequent to the demagnetization of magnet 1 and the consequent movement of the armature 4 against the back contact-point '7, the free end of the armature 6 will drop upon the block 8 of insulating material se- 50 cured to the armature 4. If the magnet 1 should be excited while the magnet 3 is demagnetized, the block 8 will be drawn away from the armature 6, which will thereupon be drawn against the back-stop 9, and while in such position will prevent a return movement of the armature 4 against the contactpoint 7, if the magnet 1 should be demagnetized.

At suitable intervals along the line of track A are placed suitable devices 10, 11, 12, and 13, such as are well known in the art and adapted to be operated by the passage of trains along the track A, to make or break electric circuits, as hereinafter described for the operation of the signals B and C.

The circuit for the magnet or relay 1 is formed by wire 14 connected to one pole of main. batteryX,wire 15, binding-post 16, magnet 1, binding-post 1'7, wire 18, movable member 19 of track-instrument 10, contact-point 20, common wire 21, and wire 22, connected to opposite pole of main battery. The circuit of magnet or relay 3 is formed by wires 14 and 15, branch wire 23, binding-post 24, magnet 3, wire 25, magnet 50, wire 26, movable member 27 of track-instrument 12, contact-point 28, common wire 21, wire 22, and main battery.

The circuit of magnet or relay 2 is formed by wire 14, binding-post 29, magnet 2, binding-post 30, wire 31, contact-point 32, pin 33, carried by but insulated from armature 5, conducting-strip 34, wire 35, contactpoint 36, armature 37 of magnet 50, wire 38, supplemental battery Y, wire 39, movable member 40 of track-instrument 11, contact-point 41, common wire 21, wire 22 and main battery. The circuit for thesignal B is formed by the wires 14 and 15, branch wire'42, armature 4, contactpoint 7 wire 43, contact point 44, spring 45, an armature 5 having the spring attached thereto, wire 46, signal B, common wire 21, wire 22 and main battery.

It will be observed that the circuit through the magnet or relay 2 is normally closed and the circuit through the magnet or relay 1 is normally open, thereby maintaining the circuit through the signal B closed and the sig nal at safety. As a train passes over the track-instrument 10, it will so shift the movable member 19 thereof as to close the circuit through the magnet 1, causing said. magnet to attract the armature 4, thereby breaking the circuit through the signal at the contactpoint 7, and causing the signal to go to danger. The movement of the armature 4 toward its magnet moves the block 3 away from the free end of the armature 6, permitting the armature to drop under the block 8 against the stop 9, the circuit of the magnet 3 being normally open. Vhile the armature 6 is in this position, the armature 4 cannot return into contact with the point 7, to close the signal-circuit, even if the circuit through the magnet 1 be again broken by the passage of the train from off the track-instrument 10, until the circuit through magnet 3 be closed,so that its armature 6 will be shifted out of line with the block 8 on armature 4. The circuit through magnet 3 will remain open until the train reaches track-instrument 12 in the circuit of magnet 3. The operation of this instrument by the train closes the circuit through magnet 3, thereby causing such a movement of its armature as will permit the armature 4 to drop onto contact 7 and close the signal-circuit at that point. It is not desirable, however, to clear signal B until after the train has passed some distance into the section next adjacent to that controlled by signal B, or in other words some distance beyond signal 0, which is arranged near instrument 12. In orderto provide for holding the signal B at danger until the train has passed a sufficient distance beyond O, the track-instrument 11 is arranged between the signals 13 and C. The operation of this instrument by the train breaks the circuit through the magnet 2, and the consequent movement of its armature not only breaks the signal-circuit at contact 44, but also breaks the circuit of magnet 2 by the movement of the spring 34 away from the contact-point 32, so that the restoration of the instrument 11 to normal condition on the passage of the train off of it will not close the circuit through the magnet 2. As long as the circuit through the magnet 2 is broken, and its armature held against its back-stop by its retracting-spring, the signal-circuit will remain broken at 44.

The magnet 2 is included in the overlapcircuit consisting of battery X, wire 14, magnet 2, wire 47, movable member 48 of trackinstrument 13, contact-point 49, common wire 21, and wire 22 to battery. As a train passes over this instrument 13 it closes the overlapcircuit through magnet 2, causing it to attract its armature, by whose movement the signal-circuit is completed at 44 and the main circuit of the magnet 2 at 32, so that said magnet will remain excited after'the overlapcircuit has been broken by the return of instrument 13 to normal position on the passage of the train off of it.

On some roads having the block system the rules permit a train, after waiting a certain time, to run past a signal, even if at danger; but the train must run under control. I11 such cases provision must be made to prevent the removal of the overlap protection of the second train. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 2, the first train having passed over instruments 10, 11, and 12 has so operated the devices as to require only the operation of instrument 13 to clear the signal. The entrance of a second train into the block and its passage over trackinstruments 10 and 11, while the first train is between track- instruments 12 and 13, would, by closing the circuit of magnet 1 at 10, break the signal-circuit by movement of armature 4 away from contact 7, and said armature would be held away from said contact by the automatic action of armature 6. The operation of instrument 11 by the second train would not have any effect, as the circuit of magnet 2 had already been broken by the first train. If while the second train is between instruments 11 and 12 the first train should move on over instrument 13, the overlapcircuit of magnet 2 would be closed and the consequent movement of armature 5 would close the main circuit of magnet 2 and the signal-circuit at 44, so that it only remains to close the circuit through magnet 3 to so shift its armature 6 as to permit armature 4 to drop onto contact 7 to close the signal-circuit. net 3 would be effected by the passage of the second train over instrument 12.

It will be readily understood from the foregoing that as soon as the first train has passed track-instrument 13 and the second train has passed instrument 12 the signal 13 will be cleared, and a following train will not have any indication of the presence of a train between instruments 12 and 13.

In order to prevent such a break in the proper protection of trains on roads using permissive blocking, a make-and-break device controlled by track-instrument 12 is introduced into the circuit of magnet 2. A form of such device is shown in Fig. 2, and consists of the armature 37 and contact 36 of magnet 50, which is included in the circuit of magnet 3 and controlled by track-instrument 12. If in using this arrangement the first train should pass over instrument 13, closing the circuit of magnet 2, as stated, the subsequent operation of track-instrument 12 by the second train will close the circuit through the magnets 3 and 50, thereby so shifting the armature 6 as to permit the armature 4 to drop onto contact 7, and also the armature 37, so as to break the circuit through the magnet 2, by the movement of whose armature the signal-circuit is again broken at 44, and cannot be closed until the second train passes over instrument 13, thereby closing the overlapcircuit through magnet 2.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 1 the magnet 50, its armature and the circuits connected therewith are omitted, and the circuit from track-instrument 11 is formed-by movable member 40 of said instrument, wire 39, supplemental battery Y, wire 35, conductingstrip 34, pin 33, contact-pin 32, wire 31, binding-post 30, magnet 2, binding-post 29, wire This closin of circuit of 1n a 14, main battery X, Wire 22, main Wire 21 and contact-point 41. The circuit from track-instrument 12 passes directly by wire 26 to one pole of magnet 3, in lieu of passing through magnet 50, as in the arrangement shown in Fig. 2. With the exceptions noted, the circuits shown in Fig. 1 are the same as those shown in Fig. 2.

In order to maintain overlap protection for a second train passing signal B before the preceding train has passed track-instrument 13, a short or shunt circuit around magnet 2 is provided. This shunt-circuit, starting from main battery X, consists of wire 14, bindingpost 29, Wire 51, armature 6 of magnet 3, front contact 52, wire 53, binding-post 30, wire 31, contact-point 32, pin 33, conducting-strip 34, wire 35, supplemental battery Y, Wire 39, movable member 40 of track-instrument 11, contact-pin 41, main wire 21 and wire 22 to main battery.

The operation of the shunt-circuit for the protection of a second train passing beyond track-instruments 10 and 11 before the preceding train has passed track-instrument 13 is the same as hereinbefore described-as, for example, the first train having passed over instruments 10, 11, and 12 has set the signal at danger, and has so shifted the different parts of the apparatus that its passage over the instrument 13 will clear the signal. Before the first train passes over instrument 13 a second train enters the block and passes over instruments 10 and 11, thereby producing a second break in the signal-circuit at contact-point 7 before the break at contact 44 has been closed. While the second train is between instruments 11 and 12, the first train passing over instrument 1.3 closes the break in the signal-circuit at 44, so that the shifting of the armature 6 out of line with the block 8 on armature 4, due to the passage of the second train over instrument 12, permits the armature 4 to drop and close the signalcircuit at contact-point? The closing of the signal-circuit is prevented or the signal-circuit is immediately broken by closing the shunt-circuit around magnet 2 by the same movement of the armature 6 that releases the armature 4, as described. The closing of the shunt-circuit cuts out magnet 2, so that its armature will be shifted away from contact 44, breaking the signal-circuit at that point. As soon as the second train passes off of instrument 12, the shunt-circuit will be broken, so that the operation of instrument 13 by the train will close the circuit through magnet 2, and thereby effecting a closure of the signalcircuit at 44 unless a third train has entered the block under time allowance.

It will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that any number of trains may follow each other through the block under time allowance, and that each train will have overlap protection.

In case the main battery X should be shortoircuited, so that the magnet 2 would be practically demagnetized, the successive and orderly operation of the several trackinstruments would be necessary after the fault had been corrected to clear signal B were it not for the supplementary battery Y. This battery is so arranged in the circuit of the mag? net 2 as to reinforce the main battery in the orderly operation of the system and in case of a short circuit of the main battery to maintain the magnet 2 in an excited condition, so that as soon as the fault is corrected the normal operation of the system can be renewed.

I claim herein as my invention- 1. In a railway signaling system, the combination of a signal circuit, a magnet having its armature and a contact point included in the signal circuit, a make and break mechanism included in the circuit of said magnet and controlled by the passage of a train, a make and break mechanism in the signal circuit, a relay controlling said make and break mechanism, a circuit for the magnet of said relay including as a part thereof the armature and a contact point of the relay, and a make and break mechanism included in said relay circuit and controlled by the passage of a train, substantially as set forth.

2. In a railway signaling system, the combination of a signal circuit, a magnet having its armature and a contact point included in the signal circuit, a make and break mechanism included in the circuit of said magnet and controlled by the passage of a train, a make and break mechanism in the signal circuit, a relay controlling said make and break mechanism, a circuit for the magnet of said relay including as a part thereof the armature and contact point ofthe relay, a make and break mechanism included in said relay circuit and controlled by the passage of a train, and an overlap circuit including the magnet of the relay, and a make and break mechanism included in the overlap circuit and controlled by the passage of a train, substantially as set forth.

3. In a railway signaling system, the combination of a signal circuit, a make and break mechanism included in said circuit, a magnet controlling said make and break mechanism, a make and break mechanism included in the circuit of said magnet and controlled by the passage of a train, a lock for controlling the make and break mechanism of the signal circuit, a magnet controlling said lock, a circuit for said magnet including therein a make and break mechanism controlled by the passage of a train, a second make and break mechanism in the signal circuit (as at 44), a relay controlling said make and break mechanism, a circuit for the magnet of said relay including as a part thereof, a make and break mechanism controlled by the armature of the relay, a make and break mechanism (as at 11) included in the circuit of the relay and controlled by the passage of a train, an overlap circuit including the magnet of the relay, a make and break mechanism included in the overlap circuit and controlled by the passage of a train, and a make and break mechanism at 30) in the relay circuit and operative simultaneously with the make and break mechanism controlling the locking magnet, substantially as set forth.

i. In a railway signaling system, the combination of a signaling circuit, a series of two or more make and break mechanismsincluded in said signal circuit and arranged to operate in a certain predetermined order to effect a restoration of the signal circuit and a series of track instruments for operating the make and break mechanisms in such predetermined order, substantially as set forth.

5. In a railway signaling system, the combination of a signaling circuit, a series of two or more make and break mechanisms in said signaling circuit, electromagnets controlling the make and break mechanisms, a series of track instruments included in the circuits of said magnets and arranged to effect the operation of the make and break mechanisms in a certain predetermined order, substantially as set forth.

0. In a railway signaling system, the combination of a signaling circuit, a series of two or more make and break mechanisms included in the signal circuit, electroniagnets controlling the make and break mechanisms in a circuitin a predetermined order, a series of track instruments included in the circuits of said magnets, one of said track instruments so 0011- trolling the circuits of two of the magnets, that one Will be demagnetized simultaneous with the completion of the circuit of the other magnet, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

FRANK G. PRATT.

Witnesses LLOYD BRIGGS, JOHN V. YOUNG.

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