US676343A

US676343A - Means for preventing collisions of railway-trains.

Info

Publication number: US676343A
Application number: US1334400A
Authority: US
Inventors: Johann Skopec
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1900-04-18
Filing date: 1900-04-18
Publication date: 1901-06-11
Anticipated expiration: 1918-06-11

Description

No. 676,343. Patented lune u, |901. J. sKoPEc.

MEANS FOB PREVENTINE CULLISIDNS UF RAILWAY TRAINS.

(Application led Apr. 18,1900.) A

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

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No. 676,343. v Patented lune Il, l90l. J. SKOPEC.

MEANS FOR PHEVENTING CULLISIONS 0F RAILWAY TRAINS.

(Application filed Apr. 18, 1900.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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No. 676,343. l Patented :une n, lem.

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MEANS FOR PREVENTING CULLISIJNS 0F RAILWAY TRAINS.

(Application filed Apr. 18, 1900.)

(No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

O A ZL l ,EX C i A Lft Il (j z i m 411 1- e m3 o 0 rz 1 E O l 1 Q Il? l INVENTOR lUNITED STATES PATENT Critics.

JOHANN SKOPEG, OF VIENNA, AUSTRIA-HUN GARY.

MEANSA FOR PREVENTING COLLlSlONS OF RAILWAY-TRAINS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 676,343, dated J une 11, 1901. Application tiled April 18, 1900. Serial No. 13,344. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHANN SKOPEC, me-

chanic, a subject of the Emperor of Austria` Hungary, residing at Vienna, in the Empire of Austria-Hungary, have invented Improvements in Means for Preventing Collisions of Railway-Trains, of which the following is a specilication.

The present invention consists of an im# proved means for preventing collisions of rail- Way-trains and other cars running on one and by stopped automatically and to causerthe steam to be shut off from the cylinder, these acts being accomplished without the ,intervention of the engineer as soon as the trains approach near enough to each other, thereby adverting a collision.

The invention consists in providing each engine or motor-car with a suitable auxiliary motor provided with an electric starting dcvice, the electric energy required for setting this starting device in motion being derived from a source carried by each train, or the current is derived from the station through suitable connectin g-circuits. The electric circuit thus provided passes through the coils of an electromagnet which forms part of the start'- ing device for setting the aforesaid motor in motion and passes thence over a suitable contact-shoe, which is well insulated from the me-` tallic mass of the engine, to a contact-rail, a movable portion of said motor being provided with actuating-pins which act successively on` levers that are connected with the Whistle or signal, the motor proper of the car or vehicle, and the brakes. The contact-rail is arranged between the two existing line-rails, well insulated from themlatter, and consequently forms an electricicondu'ctor for the operating-current, the return-currenttlowing along the two rails and the metallic mass of the engine. It now a metallic contact is established at any place between the two rails and the contactrail by a second train, the circuit is thereby closed between the engines of the two trains. As the current passes through the coils of the electromagnets of the starting devices the -two electromagnets of both engines will be excited and attract each armature forming part of the starting-and-stopping device of the auxiliary motor, which is thus set in mo'- tion and made to act on the mechanism to be manipulated in order to stop the train.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is `a side elevation of a steam-locomotive provided'with means for preventing collisions according tothe principle of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a ,rear elevation of a locomotive, showing the interior of the cab. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional side elevation of the operative'parts of the apparatus proper. Fig. 4 is a detail view showing more particularly the connection between the operating-levers of the auxiliary motor and the controlling-levers of the steam cylinder and the valve which leads from the air-compressor to the brakes. Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively detail side and plan views of contact-rails forming an electric conductor.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates a steam-locomotive of well-known construction, or it may indicate an electric or other motor car, according to the application of my invention.

In carrying the invention into effect a base plate B is fixed Oon the steam-boiler of the locomotive or in some other suitable position, on which an auxiliarymotor is arranged, said motor consisting, in the case of a steam-locomotive, of an auxiliary steam-cylinder C, in which is guided a piston-rod C' of a piston C2, opcratingin the steam-cylinder. Steam is admitted into the steam-cylinder C by means of a pipe D, which communicates directly with the steam-boiler A. The steam-pipeD is provided with a cut-'oft valve d, that may be operated by hand by means of a handelever D', which is actuated in one direction by means of a spring D2, said spring having the tendency to maintain the said valve d in open position. The said lever D' is maintained in the position shown in Fig. 3 against the tendency of the spring D2 by means of a second lever E, which is retained by the mechanism of the electric starting device by ineans of a second lever E', which is under the control of a third IOO lever E2, that is provided with an armature e, attracted by an-electromagnet e. Said levers are suitably pivoted to the supporting-plate B referred to. The lever E2 is held down by a spring e2 as long as no current is iiowing through the coils of the electromagnet; but as soon as the electromagnet is excited the armature is attracted, releasing lever E from the lever E2, which in turn is moved in outward direction by means of an actuatingspring e2, so as to release its toe e4 from the lever E, said lever E being adapted to be thrown in upward position by means of a spring e5, so as to release its toe e? from an arm d on the cut-olf valve CZ. The said arm CZ being released, the spring D2 acts on the lever D and opens the valve CZ, so as to admit steam into the cylinder C. The piston-rod C is caused by the admitted steam to rise simultaneously with the piston and to transmit its motion to a suitable intermediate mechanism acting on the parts which must be manipulated in order to stop the train.

In the presentinstance three appliances are required to be brought in actioni. e., the alarm or steam-whistle WV, the throttle-valve V of the steam-cylinder of the engine, andthe brake X of the train, Whether steam or air. To this end the piston-rod C of the auxiliary motor is provided with three tappets or pins f, g, and h, which are adapted to successively act upon the forked ends of the actuatinglevers F, G, and H, suitably pivoted to the supporting base-plate B. It will be noticed that the forks of the levers F, G, and H are successively Wider apart-that is to say, the gaps between the tines or bifurcations are .graduated in size, so that the pinsf, g, and h may successively act upon the levers F, G, and Hin the order named. The lever F is connected by a suitable pull-cord f with the valve-lever -W of the steam-whistle W, so that the first movement is' to sound the Whistle. The lever G, which controls the steam only, as is shown moreA clearly in Figs. 3 and t, is adapted te engage at its outer end with a suitable bellcrank lever or other equivalent device, such as g', one arm of which lever is adapted to engage with the throttle-lever G of the steam-cylinder. The third actuatinglever H is connected by means of a link 71, with a bell-crank lever h2, one arm of which is connected by means of a second link h2 with the operating-arm 71,4011 the spindle of the 4valve'of the air or steam actuated brakes X.

"It will be assumed that all trains which approach cach other to within four hundred yards, Whetherin opposite direction or behind each other, are to be stopped by the automatic devices. 'In this case the contact-rail, which is not new in itself, but is shown in Figs. 5 and6 for the purpose of a clear understanding of the invention, is made out of thin strips of iron of detached sections S S', which are connected by suitable insulation-strips S2, so thatthe electric current cannot pass from one section to the other. Consequently, the circuit can only be made by trains approaching each other, so as to set the apparatus in action if both trains are running on the identical four hundred yards length of contactrail.

. In Fig. 2 the circuit is shown in which the electromagnetcis arranged; The circuit comprises a Wire 71;, which includes the battery 71; and is connected with the coil of the electromagnet e, while another Wire k2 is connected with the other coil of the said electromagnet and also at a suitable point Withthe metallic mass of the engine. The wire 7c leads in a Asuitable manner to a metallic and well-insulated contact-shoe z', which is suitably ixed on the under part of the locomotive, so as to contact with the conducting-rail S. The circuit having been closed by the contact-shoes of two cars or locomotives the steam will be admitted into the auxiliary motor-cylinder C, as previously described, thereby in turn sounding the steam-whistle through the medium of the lever F, shutting oil the steam from the steam-cylinder through the medium of the lever G, and applying the brakes through the medium of the lever Il.

The time-or the distance within which the train must be pulled up will be determined by thesize of the orifice through which the steam passes through the valve CZ to the cylinder'C. Trains traveling at a low rate of speed may have a small orilice, While fast trains should have a larger orifice in order to be pulled up Wit-hin actually the same distance as the slow trains. The action of the automatic stopping arrangement may be arrested at any time by the engineer, so that the train need not be stopped. This is effected by depressing the lever D', whereby it is made to again enter the toe e6 of the springactuated lever F., so as to be retained there- IOO by in the position shown in Fig. 3, so that the y steam will again be cut off from the steamcylinder C.

After the train or car has stopped and it is desired to return the parts to their normal position the steam is exhausted from the cylinder C by the following devices: LL indicate suitable rotary valves provided with L-shaped or angular passages and jou rnaled in suitable valve-casings l Z on the exhaust side of the cylinder C. A steam-passage m leads from the lower end of the steam-cylinder C to the valve L', and still another passage m' communicates both with the valve L by means of a duct m2 and with the valve L by means of a duct m2. The valves are retained normally inthe position shown in Fig. 3 by means 0f springs n n', acting respectively onthe levers N N of the valves L L. If now it be desired to exhaust the steam from the cylinder O, the lever N is lowered, thereby opening the valve L and connecting the passage m with the passage m2, so that the weight of the piston and its rod will' cause the piston to force the steam under thesame through `the passage m, the passage of the valve L', the

IIO

duct ms, and the passage' m2 into the upper part of the cylinder C, so that the steam is transferred from one to the other side of the piston. This having been accomplished the engineer releases the lever N', and the springs n n' automatically move the valves L L into the position shown, thereby opening the eX- haust-pipe m4 to the exhaust-passage m and permitting the steam in the upper part of the chamber to escape. In the case of trains which are not run by steam, but by electric or other motive power, this power may be utilized for Working the mechanism to be manipulated in order to stop the train. If the trains are Worked by electricity, the auxiliary motor is set in motion as soon as the electric starting device releases a suitable switch, which is turned by mechanical means'in a similar way to the valve-lever D", whereby the circuit leading to the motor driving the car is broken and part of the current feeding the latter is conducted to the auxiliary motor, Which on being set in motion will act onthe appliances to be manipulated to bring into action a signaling device or alarm and to actuate the automatic brake. It is evident that the apparatus may be provided with a recording device of any suitable construction affording means to ascertain Whether the apparatus has been in action or not during the journey.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In means for preventing collisions of railway-trains, the combination of a suitable auxiliary motor, provided with a slide-rod carrying a suitable number of tappets, means for actuating said motor automatically, and a set of levers connected respectively with the signaling device and the brake mechanism, said actuating-tappets being located at graduallyincreasing distances from the set of levers, so

as to engage the levers in succession, sub` stantially as set forth.

2. In means for preventing collisions in railway-trains, the combination of a motor pro- JOHANN SKOPEC,`

Vitnesses:

ALvEsTo S. I-IOGUE, ALBERT BENCKE.