US585999A - allen - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) A 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

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APPARATUS FOR SIGNALING 0N RAILROADS. No, 585,999.

Patented July 6, 1897.

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G. V. ALLEN. APPARATUS FOR SIGNALING 0N RAILROADS.' No. 585,999. Patented July 6, 1897.

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f f f NITED STATES GEORGE V. ALLEN, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR SIGNALING ON RAlLROADS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 585,999, dated July 6, 1897.

Application filed December 7, 1896. Serial No. 614:,857r (No model.)

To ctZl whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE VERNON AL- LEN, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Signaling on Railways, of which the following is a speci- V fication.

. in advance of the main-signal post a movable stop adapted to engage and operate one or other of a set of depending armson the engine, so arranged that when either of them is operated it causesaplate corresponding to the position of the signal to be displayed in view of the driver. This plate remains in view until it is put back into its normal position by the driver, ready to receive another signal- The said arms may also be caused to operate a bell, whistle, or other audible signal to call the drivers attention to the fact that one of the signal-plates has been actuated.

The invention will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a plan and side view of a portion of a railway-line, illustrating diagrammatically theworking of my improvements. Fig. 3 is also a diagram matic view of the arrangement of the depending arms and signal apparatus on the engine. Figs. 4-and 5 are front views of the said signal apparatus, showing the manner in which the signals are displayed; and Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse central section of Fig. 4, showing the internal construction. Figs. 2

and 6 are partial detail views of Figs. 2 and 6, respectively, drawn on an enlarged scale. A represents the main signal, B the rails, and O the engine approaching the signal.

a is the movable stop, which consists of a vertical rod secured upon a sliding bar or position.

plate I), working transversely of the rails B in suitable guides c, and connected with and actuated by the wires 0 for working the main signal. The arrangement is such, for example, that when the latter is at danger the movable stop will be brought into the center of the track, while when it is at line clear the said stop will be moved to one side.

61 cl are the downwardly-depending arms upon the engine, of which there are advantageously three working in both directions, the center one d giving the danger signal, while each of the outer pair d is arranged to actuate the line-clear signal, thus providing for the engine traveling either in the ordinary manner or tender first. The arms are each pivoted in brackets d carried by a crossbar d on the engine, and at their lower ends they are provided with rollers d which may be rubber-tired to prevent friction and to avoid undue shock or jar against the stop a.

d are springs connected to any convenient part of the engine-framing, by which the arms are kept normally in a practically vertical The arms (1 (1 may be turned or bent at their lower ends, as shown in Figs. 2 and 2 The signal apparatus c on the engine con-.

sists of an outer casing having in its front a glazed opening (2 and in which are arranged a pair of plates f f, having the necessary signals marked thereon and working in guides f Each-of them is connected to springs f adapted to raise it up in front of the glazed opening on the releasing of a spring bolt or catch g. This bolt or catch is connected to a bell-crank lever h. The lever of the front plate f is connected by a wire 6, passing over suitable guide'pulleys, with the center arm d, as seen in Fig. 3. The lever of the rear plate f is connected in a similar manner by a wire i with each of the outer levers d.

It will be seen that when either of the arms at d is turned on its pivot by coming against the movable stopits upper end will, in moving to one side, exert a tension on the wire connected with it, which tension will be transmitted to the corresponding bell-crank lever h and will draw out the bolt 9, connected with it, thus allowing one or other of the sig nal-plates to be operated. The plate will remain raised after the arm resumes its normal position until the driver moves it down, to facilitate which the top of the case is left open.

When the driver receives the danger-Sig nal from the stop a, he will bring the train to rest at a point between the said stop and the main signal. It is necessary, therefore, to provide means to notify him in this position when he can proceed. In order to accomplish this, I arrange a series of rising and falling rails or bars 79 (of which only one is shown in the drawings) at or near the place where the train. will be brought to rest. These bars 70 are carried by short arms or levers 70, connected with the wires 0 of the main signal in such a manner that they are raised when the signal is at line clear and are lowered when it is at danger. The position of these rails 76 corresponds to or is in alinement with that of the line-clear po sition of the stop 60, (indicated by the dotted circle, Fig. 1,) so that one or other of the rods d will pass over them. Suppose the train, therefore, has been brought to rest. When the main signal is put to line clear the rails 79 are raised and press against the roller of that one of the outer arms d which happens to be above them, which depends on whether the engine or tender is leading. The

' rails 70 and levers 79 are so arranged that in rising their motion is in a backward direction to that of the train, and consequently when they meet the roller they cause the lever d to turn on its pivot in the same direction that it does when engaged by the stop a, so causing it to release the plate f and give the line-clear signal to the driver, even although the main signal might still be invisible from the position at which the train had come to rest.

Obviously the wires 1' 7." might be arranged to operate a miniature signal-arm on the engine, if desired, or instead of the plates ff differently-colored disks could be employed. Moreover, instead of three depending arms on the engine only two might be used, but this would necessitate the employment of a pair of stops at to allow for the engine traveling tender first.

By the use of my invention the driver is rendered entirely independent of the main signals and can work as well in densely foggy weather as in clear weather. Moreover, the audible alarm provides a very efficient safe guard against inattention on the drivers part to the signal that is being given.-

Havingfully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patcut, is-

1. In apparatus for signaling on railways, the combination of a main signal, a stop movable transversely to the track, a verticallymovable rail or bar between said main signal and stop, means for operating said stop, rail or bar, and signal in unison, a signal apparatus on the engine forindicating both danger anc safety, and means for causing said stop and rail or bar to operate such signal apparatus, substantially as described.

2. In apparatus for signaling on railways, the combination of a main signal, a transversely-movable stop which is brought midway between the rails when the signal is at danger, and to one side when it is at line clear, a rail or bar which is raised when the signal is at line clear, means for operating said signal, stop, and rail or bar in unison, a series of depending arms on the engine adapted to be operated by said stop and rail or bar, and a signal apparatus, also upon the engine, operated by said arms and indicating the same signal as that given by the main signal, substantially as described.

3. In apparatus for signaling on railways, the combination of a series of depending arms on the engine, means working in unison with the main signal for operating one or other of said arms, aspring-actuated signal apparatus on the engine, and means for causing the arm which has been operated to release the said signal apparatus, substantially as described.

4.-. In apparatus for signaling on railways, the combination of a series of three depending arms on the engine, a signal apparatus comprising a pair of spring-actuated plates normally kept in their lowered position by springcatches, means for causing the center arm to release the catch of one of the plates, and either of the outer arms to release the catch of the other plate, a transversely-movable stop and a rising-and-falling rail or bar for operating the arms according to the signal which is being given, substantially as de scribed.

5. In apparatus for signaling on railways, a signal apparatus on the engine, comprising an outer casing e having a glazed aperture 6, a pair of plates f, f, corresponding to the signals, apair of springsf for raising said plates, spring bolts or catches g for holding them down, bell-crank levers h connected with said bolts or catches, and wires 2', 2', leading to depending arms on the engine, said arms serving, when operated, to release the catches, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE V. ALLEN.

Witnesses:

CHAS. B. BURnoN, FRED C. HANES.

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