US644790A - Railway signaling system and apparatus therefor. - Google Patents

Description

No. 644,790. Patented Mar. 6', I900.

H. BEZER.

I RAILWAY SIGNALING SYSTEM AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.

(Application filed July 22, 1893. Renewed Oct. 11, 1898.)

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet I.

m5 NDWRIS PETERS can worn-L mo. wAsHmc-Tcm u c.

No. 644,790. Patented Mar. 6, I900. H. BEZER.

RAILWAY SIGNALING SYSTEM AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.

(Application filed July 22, 1893. Renewed Oct. 11, 1898.)

(No Model.) 5 sheets -shgaet 2.

' LHJAHW ms NORRIS Farms 00., I'HOYG-LITHO., WASHVNDTGN, n. c.

No. 644,790. Patented Mar. 6, I900. H. BEZER.

RAILWAY SIGNALING SYSTEM AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.

(Application filed July 22, 1893. Renewed Oct. 11, 1898.)

(No Model.) 5 shunts-Sheet 3.

No. 644,790. Patented Mar. 6, I900.

H. BE-ZER.

RAILWAY SIGNALING SYSTEM AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.

(Application filed July 22, 1893. Renewed Oct. 11, 1898.) (No Model.) 5 Sheets8heet 4.

"' I I M m: NORRIS PETERS co, PHOTOILITHOH WASHINGTON. n. c.

No. 644,790. Patented Mar. 6, I900..'

H. BEZE'R.

BA'ILWAY SIGNALING SYSTEM AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.

(Application filed. July 22, 1898. Renewed 00C. 11, 1898.) (No Model.) 5 Shank-Sheet 5.

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Tu: "cams PETERS ca. PHOTO-LlTHO-,WASHINK1TON. a. c,

NrrnD STATES PATENT OFFIQE,

HENRY BEZER, OF NElV ROCHELLE, NElV YORK.

RAILWAY SIGNALING SYSTEM AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 644,790, dated March 6, 1900. Application filed July 22,1893. Renewed October 11, 1898- Serial No. 693,266. (No model.)

Railway Signaling Systems and Apparatus 'Therefoigof which the following, taken i 11 connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification. My invention relates to railway signaling systems and apparatus therefor and includes an improved signaling system adapted for use at road-crossings and also includes an improved relay. I

The object of my improved signaling system is to automatically give a warning-signal to passengers upon the road at the approach of a train and at the same time to notify the engineer of the train that the signal for the road has been given. I accomplish this result, as herein set forth, by providing a signal for the road, preferably an audible signal,

such as a bell, which is included in an'electric circuit operated by a train as it approaches the road a nd rendered inoperative by the train as it passes beyond the road. Operatively connected with the road-signal I provide a signal for the train which indicates to the engineer of the approaching train whether or not the road-signal has been given, so that in case the roadsignal has failedfor any reason the engineer may slow down histrain at the crossing or otherwise protect the crossing.

The invention consists of the means and their arrangement hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings, in which corresponding parts are designated by like characters, Figure 1 is a plan view of. the relay, with its operating-circuit in diagram. 'Fig. 2 is a sectional View of the relay, taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 1 of a modified form of relay, with circuits therefor. Fig. tis a' longitudinal section of the relay shown in Fig. 3, on the line 3 3 thereof. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic View of the circuits of the crossing signaling system as adapted for a single-track road. Fig. 6 is a diagram of the same system adapted for a double-track road. Fig. 7 is a diagram of a somewhatsimilar arrangement of circuits for a singletrack road, but including a slight modifica tion.

Referring now to Fig. 1, A and B are opposing coils of a relay having a non-biased armature 0, provided with a circuitcontroller O, vibrating between the contacts a and b.

These coils are in series in a normally-closed circuit 1, including the battery 2. A branch circuit-wire 4, which may include the battery 5 and a normally-open circuit-controller having the contacts 6 and 7, is arranged, when closed, to shunt the coils A of the relay, and

a branch circuit 8, which may include the battery 9 and the normally-open circuit-conture. As thus arranged this spring conspires with the coils severallyjin holding firmly the circuit-controller Oupon whichever of the contacts a or b thecoils place it. If the circuit-controller is upon contact a, the line of the springs pull isabove the pivotal point of the armature, and the spring acts to hold the circuitcontrollcr up against point a; but if it has been put upon point I) the line of the springs pull is thrown above the pivotal point of the armature, and the spring acts to firmly hold the circuit-controller down on point I). The effect of each pair of coils upon the circuit-closer is thus intensified by the spring. In place of the spring a weight may of course be employed,arranged, like the spring, to bias the circuit-controller in opposition to its initial movement.

The operation of the coils and their circuits as thus described is as follows: The circuit 1 being normally closed, both coils A and B are It may, for example, be upon contact IOO When the shunt is broken at 10, the coils A and B are equally energized; but the armature being nearer coils A than coils B and being assisted by spring D the circuit-controller is held upon a. SpringD maybe omitted, however, and the same effect will be produced by the action of the magnets alone. When it is desired to return 0 to 7), the points 6 and 7 are closed and coilsA are now shunted and the coils B alone energized, overcoming the spring D and drawing the circuit-controller 0" back upon point I), where the springD conspires with coils B to hold it. One advantage of thisarrangement of the spring is that a comparatively-weak battery may be employed in the normally-closed circuit of the coils, a few more cells of battery being only temporarily employed to assist in shifting the circuit-controller G.

In the form of relay shown in Fig. 3 the spring D is substituted for the spring D of Fig. 1. This spring is attached to the stud o and to a stud con the base at a point between the stud and the pivotal points of the armature G and so arranged that it exerts a constant pull upon the circuit-controller C to maintain it between the contact-points a and Z). In place of-the springaweightmayot' course be employed, arranged, like the spring, to bias the circuit-controller inopposition to I its initial movement. This relay is provided I with the same circuits as the relay shown in magnet, including the batteries 2 and 9 and the normally-open circuit-closer 11. The operation of this relay is as follows: -When the contacts 6 and 7 are closed, the coils B are energized, the coils A being shunted, and the circuit-controller O is put upon contact I) in the same way as explained in reference to Fig.1. If now circuit-controller 12 is closed, the batteries 2 and 5, which are energizing coils B, will be short-circuited through wire 11, and the circuit-controller C will be returned'by spring D to its place between c011- tacts a and b. In the same way to energize coils A and put circuit-controller 0 upon point a the circuit-controller 10 may be closed, and to deenergize these coils A and return 0 to normal position the shunt 11 13 may be closed at circuit-controller14. Moreover, the circuit- controllers 12 and 14 operate in the manner just described, whether or not the corresponding circuit- controllers 6, 7, and 10 are closed or open. Thus we have secondary shunt-circuits, which may be operated to shunt the primary shunts of the main normally-closed circuit. Again, on account'of the proximity of the armature to one of the coils which may have attracted it the armature will remain in its position of attraction even after both coils are included in the circuit of the battery2 and despite the action of the spring D. The magnet must be actually denerged before the armature will be re leased.

Referring now to Fig. 5, A and B are the coils of the relay having armature C and circuit-controller 0 playing between the contacts a and I). These coils are in the normallyclosed circuit 1, which includes the battery 2. Instead of making the earth a part of this circuit 1 I substitute in place thereof a section of the common wire 15, that extends along the track E from ground through a track instrument 16 on one side of a cross-road F to ground-through a track instrument 17 on the other side of this road. The circuit-wire 4 extends from one end of the coils A through the contacts 6 and 7 to ground through battery 5, as in Fig. 1. The contact 6, however, is here an armature of a magnet 6, one end of whose coils is connected to wire 4, between the armature and battery 5, the'other end being connected by wire at to line-wire 15. The armature 6 plays between contacts 7 and 7, the contact 7 being connected to the pivotal point of circuit-controller 0, whose contacts av and Z) are connected to ground, the former directly through ground-wire and the latter through wire 17 and spring 18, circuitoperating armature 19, and magnet 20 of the bell G. The magnet 20 is in the ground-wire 21, tapped onto the circuit 22, which includes magnet 23, battery 24, open contact 25, and armature 19. The free end of the armature carries the bell-hammer. The magnet 23 controls the armature 26, providedat one end with a dash-pot and adapted to make and break contact with aspring 27, connected to wire 17. The pivotal end of the armature 26 isconnected to ground through a wire 28, which includes the'normal danger-signals H H, one on each side of the road beside the track. The circuit 8, which may include the battery 9 and track instrument 10,is the shunt around the coils B,correspondin'g to the circuit 8' in Fig. 1. Connected to the wire 8',- between its battery and track instrument, is a circuit-wire 29, including a track instrument 30 and connected to the wire 15 at 31, and including the track instrument 33 and connected to wire 15 at 34:. The armature O is non-biased, but rests normally on contact a. I have not shown any spring whatever in Fig. 5, because in this arrangement the IIO spring could be omitted, or, if desired, the

then closes track instrument 16 and energizes magnet 6, the circuit being from track instrument 16 through wires 15 and 4E, magnet 6, wire 4, battery 5 through ground back to track instrument 16. Circuit-closer 6 is then moved from its normal contact with 7 and put upon. contact 7. The magnet Ais thereby shunted and a circuit traverses the magnet B as follows: from ground through battery 5, contacts 6 7, wire 4, battery 2, wire 1, magnet B, wire 15, track instrument 16 to ground. Circuit-controller O is then put upon contact I), and the train having now passed beyond track instrument 16, allowing armature 6 to return to contact 7, a circuit through the magnet 20 of bell G is then closed as follows: from ground through battery 5, contacts 6 7, circuit-controller 0, wire 17, spring 18, armature 19, wire 22, magnet 20 to ground. The bell then rings, giving notice to passengers on the road that a train is approaching the crossing, and the bell continues to' ring until the circuits are altered, as hereinafter explained. At the first tap of the bell G the armature is closed upon contact and the local circuit 22 is closed, thereby energizing magnet 23 and drawing its armature to the contact-spring 27. As the ar mature 19 of the bell vibrates it makes and breaks the circuit 22; but the dash-pot prevents the armature 26 from falling away from its contact 27. A circuit is therefore made through the signals 11 and H, which is as follows: from ground through battery 5, contacts 6 7, circuit-controller C, wire 17, contacts 27 26, wire28, signals H and H" to ground. The signals are then thrown to safety, notifying the engineer of the train that the road-signal has been given, and the mediately. the track instrument 30 is closed.

and this shunts the magnetB, holding circuitcontroller Cupon contact a, the circuit being from track instrument 30 through wires 29, 8, 1, and 15, including batteries 9 and 2. This prevents the bell ringing and the signals going to safety. The circuits are now left in normal position. Exactly the same operation would take place, only reversed, if the train were traveling in the opposite direction.

From the above description it will be seen that I have a double-coil relay in a closed circuit, a normally-open shunt around one pair of coils, and a normally-open shunt around the other pair of coils, and that the closing of one shunt operates the bell and signal circuits and that the closing of the other shunt returns the circuits to normal position.

The circuits shown in Fig; 6 are essentially the same as those shown in Fig. 5, except that they are arranged for a double track. In this case the circuit-wire 29 and track instruments 30 and 33 are unnecessary, and have arrangement of circuits adapted for a single track. In this arrangement the line-wire 15 passes to ground through its track instruments 16 and 17 and normally-closed circuit breakers 35 and 44, one on each side of the road and provided, respectively, with dashpots 36 and 43. The circuit- breakers 35 and 44 are controlled by magnets 39 and 42 in local circuits, including, respectively, normallyopen track instruments 37 and 40, located a short distance nearer the road F than the track instruments 16 and 17, respectively. A trainoperating track instrument 16 energizes the magnet 6, which closes a circuit through batteries 5 and 2 and coils B, drawing the circuit-controller 0 upon contact I), as heretofore explained in reference to Fig.5. As soon as the train strikes track instrument 37 magnet 39 breaks the circuit of line-15 at the I circuit-breaker 35, thereby denergizing mag net 6" and closing the circuit through the bell and signals, as heretofore explained. the train strikes t he track instrument 10, the circuits, bell, and signals are restored to normal. When the train operates track instrument 40, the ground-tap of line 15 at circuitbreaker 44 is removed, and when the train closes track instrument17 it is unable to operate the circuit of line 15, the dash-pot 43 preventing circuit-breaker 44 froinclosing the ground-tap till after the train has passed by. A traingoing in the opposite. direction operates the circuits in the reverse order, but with the same result.-

In the several modifications shown and described in Figs. 5 to 7 the circuit for the trainsignal H is operatively connected with the circuit of the bell or audible signal for road passengers, so that when a train approaches When ICO

the cross-road it operates the audible signal, I notifying road passengers of the trains approach and clears its signal notifying the engineer that the road-signal has been given. When the train passes the road, the signals and circuits return to normal. The trainsignal may be located at any convenient distance in the rear of the road, so that the engineer in case the signal does not clear for him may slow down and come to a full stop before reaching the road or otherwise protect the crossing. V

In each of the several modifications in which I have herein set forth my system I have shown electric circuits as the sole means for operating the signals. It is clear, however,

that in its broad interpretation my invention is not limited to electric circuits for this purpose nor to just those circuits herein shown. Any means, whether electric, pneumatic, mechanical, or otherwise, could easily be substituted for the signal-operating means, and I do not therefore wish to be limited to the precise embodiment of my invention herein set forth.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a relay, the combination of a pair of opposing magnet-coils arranged in series in a normally-closed circuit, and an armature between said coils, and means for actuating saidarmature' by shunting the circuit of one of said coils, substantially as set forth.

2. A relay comprising opposing magnetcoils and an armature between said coils, both of said coils being arranged in series in a normally-closed circuit andonc of said coils being included in a normally-open shunt-circuit, substantially as set fortl 3. In a relay, the combination of a pair of opposing magnet-coils, included in a normally-closed circuit, and a normally-open shunt-circuit for each member of said pair of coils, substantially as set forth.

4. In a relay, the combination of a pair of opposing magnet-coils included in a normallyclosed circuit, and a normally-open shunt-circuit including a source of electric energy for each member of said pair of coils, substantially as set forth. I

5. In a relay, the combination of a pair of opposing magnet-coils included in a'permanently-closed circuit, and a normally-open shunt-circuit for each member of said pair of coils, substantially as set forth. I

6. In a relay, the combination of a pair of opposing magnet-coils included in a permanently-closed circuit, and a normally-open shunt-circuit including a source of electric energy for each member of said pair of coils, substantiallyas set fort-l1. I

7. In a relay, the combination of a pair of opposing magnet coils, included in a normally-closed circuit, an armature for said coils operating a circuit-controller biased to oppose the initial movement thereof, and a normally-open shunt-circuit for each member of said pair of coils, substantially as set forth. 8. In a relay, the combination of a pair of opposing magnet-coils included in a permaopposing magnet-coils included in a normallyclosed circuit, an armature for said coils operating a circuit-controller, a spring attached to saidcircuit-controller opposing the initial movement thereof, a normally-open primary shunt-circuit for each member of said pair of coils, and a normally-open secondary shuntcircuit for each primary shunt-circuit, substantially as set forth.

11. In an electric signaling system for roadcrossings, the combination of a signal for the road and a circuit therefor, a signal for the track and a circuit therefor, said circuits operatively connected together, whereby theinitial operation of the track-signal depends upon the operation of the road-signal, a circuit-controller for said circuits, opposing e1ectromagnetic coils controlling said circuit-controller, and circuits for said coils controlled by a passing train, substantially as set forth.

12. In a railway signaling system, the combination of a crossing-signal and a track-si'g-.

nal, said signals being provided with connected means whereby a failure of the train to properly operate the crossing-signal causes the track-signal to show danger, substantially as setforth.

HENRY BEZER.

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