US605664A

US605664A - Charles h

Info

Publication number: US605664A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1898-06-14
Anticipated expiration: 1915-06-14

Description

(No Mddel.) O. H. DAVIS.

COMBINED TRAIN ARRESTING AND SIGNALING MECHANISM FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

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CHARLES H. DAVIS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

COMBINED TRAIN ARRESTING AND SIGNALING MECHANISM FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

. SPECIFIGATIOhIforming part of Letters Patent No. 605,664, dated June 14, 1898.

Application flled November 9, 1897. Serial No. 657,926. (No model.)

T coZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. DAVIS, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and usefultI nprovement in a Combined Train Arresting and Signaling Mechanism for Electric Railways, of which the following is a specification. My invention relates to electric railways wherein there is an electric-motor vehicle and a line conductor wherefrom the motor of said vehicle derives its actuatingcurrent.

My invention consists, first, in the improvement in the art of governing the movement of an electric-motor vehicle taking its actuating-current from a line conductor, as aforesaid, which consists in controlling the maintenance of'electrical circuit between said motor and said conductor at a point on said conductor from a station distant from said point; also, in the combination of -such a line -conductor and electric-motor vehicle, as aforesaid, with a signal in proximity to said conductor, of means for actuating said signal and alsofor simultaneously controlling the closing and breaking of electrical circuit between said motor-vehicle and said conductor at a point distant from said signal; also, in the construction and arrangementof the circuitbreaking devices, of the combined circuitbreaking devices and signal, of the circuitbreaking devices in combinationwith mechof a car on the main line, showing the contact-arm between car and third rail and the operation of said contact-arm to actuate the brakes.

Similar letters of reference'indicate like parts.

A represents the main railway-line.

B is a third railelevated upon a support, as C, and extending parallel to the track A. The third rail B is, as usual, insulated from the ground.

D represents a car, and E the driving electric motor thereof.

F is an arm pivoted at G in the car and provided with a retracting-spring H, normally operating to press it in contact with the third rail B.

It will be understood, therefore, that under normal conditions, with the car traveling over the track, circuit proceeds from the third rail B, through the arm F, to the motor E, and

so to the main track A and ground.

I is a signal-arm pivoted at the top of the post J and connected by a vertical rod K with one end of the bell-crank lever L. The other end of lever L is pivoted to the rod M, which extends below the third rail B. This rod M is pivoted to the lower ends of the pivot-levers N, the upper ends of which levers are all pivoted to a bar 0, preferably having an upper inclined surface P.

Turning now to the contact-arm F, Fig. 2, this is connected by pivot-levers Q to the ordinary conductors valve R of an air-brakesystem and so arranged that when said lever F is elevated into the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2, the said valve R will be opened to operate the air-brakes on the vehicle or train in the usual manner.

The operation of the whole device is as follows: Assuming the vehicle or train to be moving in the direction of the arrow 1, Fig. 1, let rod K, by any suitable means, be moved upward so as to bring the signal-arm I into the position I, dotted lines, this position being that indicating danger to the train approaching it. The elevation of the rodK then vibrates the bell-crank L, moving the rod M in the direction of the arrow 2, so turning the pivot-levers N and elevating the bar 0, so that its inclined upper surface P rises above the level of the surface of the third rail, as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 1. If then a vehicle provided with the arm F, as described, on coming up to the signal I and finding that signal set at danger I does not stop,its arms F will run up on the "elevated 'bar O and so be brought into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, thus breaking contact between the end of arm F and the third rail Band so breaking circuit through the motor E. The car would therefore stop on account of the cutting off of the sou-roe of energy; but

in addition to this, as already explained, the l with a line conductor and a movable guard arm F in rising operates the conductors valve R and so causes simultaneously the application of the brakes to the vehicle.

It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to any particular form of visual signal nor to any special means actuated by the contact-lever F for the purpose of insuring the application of the brakes.

I am aware that it is old to place stopsbeside the track of a steam-railway to cause a .closing or breaking of an electrical circuit on the locomotive through which a bell or whistle or some other alarm mechanism is actuated, also that it is old to place beside a track a movable projection which when struck by the vehicle and brought back to normal position actuates a switch or signal or analogous devices. These contrivances have no relation to electric railways and do not belong to the present art.

I am also aware that it is old in electrical railways to provide a fixed stop in proximity to a track or conductor whereby a shoe or trolley is temporarily held out of contact with the conductor at certain definite places, such as crossings or other points where it is de sired that there never shall be any electrical circuit between the motor and the line conductor, or, in other words, where it is always requisite that the current shall be broken.

The term line conductor as herein used means any conductor over which the current passes and from which it proceeds to the motor of the vehicle. The term signal means any kind of signalvisual, audible, or otherwise. The term vehicle does not necessarily mean one having wheels, but is used here simply as a convenient term to include any sort of compartment, car, chamber, or carriage which contains any electric contrivance capable of setting it in motion when energized by a current received from a line conductor.

I claim 1. The combination in an electric railway with a line conductor and an electric-motor vehicle receiving current therefrom through a traveling contact bearing on said conductor, of means for controlling the closing and breaking of electrical circuit between said contact and said conductor from a station on the line, thereby permitting continued progress of said vehicle over, or causing its arrest at, the point of circuit establishment and breakage, substantially as described.

2. The combination in an electric railway with aline conductor and signal in proximity thereto and an electric-motor vehicle receiving current from said conductor through a traveling contact bearing on said conductor, of means for actuating said signal and also simultaneously controlling the closing and breaking of electrical circuit between said contact and said conductor at a point distant from said signal, substantially as described.

The combination in an electric railway device, of a signal located at a distance from said guard device, and means for actuating said signal and said guard device simultaneously; whereby when said signal is set in danger position said guard device is also placed in position to separate and so break electrical circuit between said line conductor and a body moving upon and along the surface of said conductor and meeting the said device, substantially as described.

it. The combination in an electric railway of a line conductor and an electric-motor vehicle, a contact-arm on said vehicle normally closing circuit between said vehicle-motor and said line conductor, and a brake mcehanism 011 said vehicle controlled by said arm; the aforesaid parts being constructed and arranged so that when circuit is open between said contact-arm and said conductor said brake mechanism shall be controlled thereby to arrest the motion of said vehicle, substantially as described.

5. The combination in an electric railway of a line conductor and electric-motor vehicle, a movable arm on said vehicle normally closing circuit between said vehicle-motor and said line conductor, a stop movably sccured in proximity to said conductor, a signal in proximity to said conductor and means for simultaneously actuating said signal in predetermined manner and also for adjusting said step in position to cause said arm on meeting it to move out of contact with said conductor, substantially as described.

6. The combination in an electric railway of a line conductor and elcctricnnotor vehicle, an arm on said vehicle normally closing circuit between said vehicle-motor and said line conductor, a movable cam in proximity to said conductor having its upper surface normally below the upper surface of said conductor, and means for actuating said cam to carry its upper surface above the upper surface of said conductor, and thereby causing said arm in moving over said cam to break electrical connection with said conductor, substantially as described.

7. The combination in an electric railway of a line conductor and electric-motor vehicle, an arm on said vehicle normally closing circuit between said motor-vehicle and said line conductor, a signal in proximity to said line conductor, a movable cam in proximity to said conductor having its upper surface normally below the upper surface of said conductor, and mechanism for simultaneously actuating said signal in a predetermined manner and also for actuating said cam to carry its upper surface above the upper surface of said conductor and thereby causing said arm in moving over said cam to break the electrical connection with said conductor, substantially as described.

8. The combination of a line conductor, an electromotor-vchicle, a movable arm on said vehicle normally making electrical contact IIO said conductor, means for displacing said movablebody so that it shall move said arm out of contact with said conductor, and a brake mechanism on said vehicle; the said brake mechanism being controlled by said arm when moved as aforesaid, to arrest the motion of said vehicle, substantially as described.

9. The combination in an electric railway wherein current is taken from a charged conductor by a traveling contact thereon, of the conductor B, bar 0 having inclined surface P, pivoted levers N supporting said bar, and rod M for actuating said levers, substantially as described.

10. The combination in an electric railway wherein current is taken from a charged con- 20 ductor by a traveling contact thereon, of the conductor B, bar 0, pivoted levers N supportin g said bar,rod Mactuating said levers, pivoted signal-arm I, rod K for moving said arm, and mechanism for transmitting the motion of rod K to rod M, substantially as described.

11. The combination in an electric railway of a car, having a brake mechanism, a conductors valve Rcontrolling the same, a contact-arm F actuating said valve with conductor B along which said contact-arm F travels, bar 0 supported in proximity to said conductor, and means for raising said bar to move said contact-arm out of contact with said conductor, substantially as described.

12. The combination-in an electric railway of a car, having a brake mechanism, a conductors valve R controlling the same, a contact-arm F actuating said valve with conductor B along which said contact-arm F travels,

- bar 0 supported in proximity to-said conductor means for raising said bar to move said contact-arm out of contact with said conductor and a visual signal constructed to be eX hibited'in definite position by said means,subs'tantially as described.

CHARLES H. DAVIS.

Witnesses J. A. VAN WART.