US588965A - Municipal signal system - Google Patents

Description

M n d 0 M 0 m No. 588,965. vPatented Aug-.31,189'7.

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ERBATON. MUNICIPAL SIGNAL SYSTEM.

No. 588,985. Y' Patented Aug.l81, 1897.

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UNITED STATES EErcE.

PATENT IIOIVARD EATON, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO MULFORD M.-DUNN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

MUNICIPAL SIGNAL SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part-f Letters Patent No. 588,965, dated August 31, 1897. Appiicaion filed Novembr'zt, 1888. Renewed February 1,1887. seria No. 821,552. (No model.)

To ,af/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD F. EATON, of

Cambridge, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Municipal Signal Systems, of which the following description, in connection With the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters and figures on the drawings representing like parts.

In a municipal telegraph system such, for instance, as lshown and described in United States Patent No. 359,687, dated March 22,

1887, the special and patrol signals are transmitted from the signal-boxes and received at the central station and an audible alarm or vindicating-signal is provided at the central station, which is, responsive to some of the signals and not others-as, for instance, responsive to the special signals only. Suitable means are shown for carrying out the invention. In other patents other means than that shown in the aforesaid patent are shown for the attainment of the same end. I

This invention has for its object to provide a different form of apparatus at the central station than any noW known to me, adapted to call into operation or to operate an audible alarm or indicating-signal for some of the signals and not others-as, for instance, for the special signals. A

In accordance withV this invention the signals are transmitted by changes in the condition of the circuit, as by interruptions, and those signals that it is desired the alarm shall respond an additional number of changes are effected. The signals are received at the central station upon any suitable or Well-known form of register or other receiving instrument, and a step-by-step device is also employed at the central station, which is affected by the changes in the circuit and which upon a given number of changes or impulses calls into operation the audible alarm orA indicating-signal. Meansare also provided at the central station for detecting a broken Wire, as will be described.

Figure l shows in diagram a signal-transmitter at one ofthe boxes and the receiving instruments at the central station; Fig. 2, an enlarged detail of the apparatus at the censhown comprising a series of break-Wheels 1 2 3 4 5 6 and a series of contact-pens 7 8 9 10 11 12, and as elements not shown a selectingcylinder and pointer, all substantially as represented in United States Patent No. 320,032,

dated June 16,' 1885.

The signal-wl1eels are differently formed to transmit a different number of impulses for the different signals.

For the regular patrol-signals signal-Wheels 1, 3, 5, and 6 are used, the Wheel 6 representing the box-number, and for the special signals, as Wagon and telephone, the Wheels 2 and 4 are used, these Wheels having thereon many notches, so that the-condition of the circuit may be changed many times in succession.

The Wagon Wheel 4L is herein shown as provided with twelve notches and a cut-away portion Which corresponds to the projecting portion of the boX-number wheel, and the telephone Wheel 2 has eleven notches preceded by a short dash as a distinctive character.

As the signals are transmitted from the boxes the armature of the receiving-relay c responds, closing a local circuitd, including a local battery d and an electromagnet of IOO its upper end a pusli-pawl t', which is normally pressed against a guide-pin i by a spring r.

The pawl has on its under side a cam or projection which comes in contact with the guide-pin as the armaturefis moved, so as.

to move the pawl on its pivot.

The pawl when moved forward, as by the attraction of the armature, engages the teeth of a ratcliet-wlieel i3, lined to a shaft i". A signal or circuit wheel t5 is also secured to the shaft i4, which, when the shaft has been revolved a determinate distance, makes contact with the pen t6. A pawl is, having an extended slianl; portion t9, is adapted under the action of its spring to engage the teeth of the ratchet-wheel 'i3 to insure forward motion only of the ratchet-wheel when the pawl is in engagement; but when the armature is retracted from the poles of the magnet e the upper end of the bar f strikes the shank portion i9 and diseiigages the pawl from the ratchet-wheel 3. A cord (see dotted lines) passes around the shaft i4, to which is attached a weight @'10, so that when the ratchetwheel is disengaged by the pawl t8 it will be restored to its normal position.

In operation when a wagon-signal is transmitted twelve impulses are transmitted in succession, and the bar f will be moved upon the occurrence of the first impulse, so that its pawl t' will engage and move the ratchetwheel 'i3 forward one step. The time which elapses between the several impulses is not sufficient for the armature to resume its normal position, and hence vibrates in a limited field before the poles for the several impulses, and each impulse feeds the ratchet-wheel forward one step. The box-number follows this series of short impulses, but a sufficient interval of time elapses previous to the boxiiuinber for the armature to return to its normal position, and causes the upper end of the bar f to disengage the pawl i. vlVhen the ratchct-wlieel is has been moved upward a definite distance step by step, the circuitwheel t5 closes a local circuit 15, containing the local battery 16, the magnet 17 for an annunciator-drop, and the magnet 18 for a bell, so that a bell will be sounded for all signals which have as a part of them a large series of short impulses. rlhe bell 18 herein shown constitutes one form of a special indicating device actuated by the series of short impulses. I have also'herein shown a creeper comprising a segment n and milled wheel n', said segment operating to lift the pen 'n2 in contact with the pen n3, as upon the occurrence of a long dash, such as might be caused by a broken wire, to thereby close the local circuit n4, containing the local battery n.5, the magnets n of an annunciator-drop, and the magnet ni of a bell.

I do not desire to limit my invention to the precise construction herein shown for carrying out this invention, as it may be changed in many ways and yet accomplish the result which forms the essential feature of this inven tion.

In Fig. 3 the armature of the electromagnet c is shown upon the opposite side of the barf, so that the said inaguet maybe included directly in the main circuit in eontradist'inction to being placed in a local circuit, as shown in Fig. 2.

I do not claim the ereeper herein shown.

I claim- 1. In a municipal telegraph system coinprising a central station and several substations connected by an electric circuit, a multiple-signal transmitter at each substation constructed and arranged to transmit a series of impulses constituting the substation-number and adapted at times to transmit another long seiies of short successive impulses, coinbined with a register to receive the signals transmitted by said transmitters, and a special indicating device unaffected by one of the series of impulses but affected by the long seiies of short successive impulses, substantially as described.

2. In a municipal telegraph system comprising a central station and several substations connected by an electric circuit, a multiple-signal transmitter at each substation constructed and arranged to transmit a series of impulses constituting the substation-number and adapted at times to transmit an' additional long series of impulses, combined with a register to receive the signals transmitted by said transmitters, and a special indicating device unaiiected by the series of impulses constituting the substation-number but affected by the additional long series of short successive impulses when the latter are transmitted in conjunction with the substation-number, substantially as described.

3. In a municipal telegraph system comprising a central station and several substations connected by an electric circuit, the multiple-signal transmitters at the substations for transmitting in conjunction with some of the signals several regular impulses, combined with a register for the signals, the electromagnetically-movable circuit-wheel 5, a bell, the circuit of which is controlled by said wheel the creeper n, wheel a', and the bell controlled by it, substantially as described.

4. In a municipal telegraph system comprising a central station and several substations connected by an electric circuit, multiple-signal transmitters at the substations constructed and arranged for producing in conjunction with some of the signals a large number of impulses iu succession, combined with a register for receiving the signals, and with an electroinagnetically-inovable circuitehanging device comprising the magnet c, its armature, and bar f, a pawl carried by it, the cscapement for rctarding the movement of the bar f, and the ratchet-toothed wheel and circuit-wheel 5, and bell in circuit controlled by said circuit-wheel, substantially as described.

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1o it, the escapement for retarding the movement of the bar f and the ratchet-toothed wheel and circuit-Wheel 5, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of I5` two subscribing Witnesses.

HOWARD F. EATON.

Witnesses:

JAS. H. CHURCHILL, FREDERICK .L. EMERY.

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