US694008A

US694008A - Automatic audible signaling on railways.

Info

Publication number: US694008A
Application number: US8744501A
Authority: US
Inventors: John Goode
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1901-12-27
Filing date: 1901-12-27
Publication date: 1902-02-25
Anticipated expiration: 1919-02-25

Description

"0. 694,008. Patented Feb. 25, I902.

' J. GUODE.

AUTOMATIC AUDIBLE SIGNALING 0N RAILWAYS.

(Application filed Doc. 37, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

' -(No Model.)

No. 694,008. Patented-Feb. 25, I902. J. GO0DE.

AUTOMATIC AUDIBLE SIGNALING 0N RAILWAYS.

(Application filed Dec. 27,.1901.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

);/"TNE.$5.ES.' v I IVET mukuw 7 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN GOODE, OF COLWALL, NEAR MALVERN, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO DENIS RIPLEYBROADBENT, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

AUTOMATIC AUDIB LE SIGNALING ON RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 694,008, dated February 25, 1902. Application filed December 27, 1901. Serial No. 87,445. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN GOODE, engineer, a subject of His Majesty the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at The Stone,

Oolwall, near Malvern, county of Hereford, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Automatic Audible Signaling on Railways; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to automatic audible signaling on railways, and is more especially intended for use in foggy Weather in substitution for the ordinary detonators. It may, however, be employed at all times, either in place of or in addition to the usual visible signals or semaphores.

According tothis invention two inclined or curved platesl(hereinafter termed strikingplates) are arranged side by side close to or Within the four-foot way and extending longitudinally thereof in such manner that they may be moved in a direction at right angles to the rails to predetermined positions by means of suitable connections controlled from the signal cabin and preferably operated from the usual weighted lever of the corresponding semaphore-signal. Each strikingplate should incline upward from both ends to the center, and one striking-plate extends higher than the other, both plates being preferable higher than the rails. Dependent from some convenient part of the locomotive is a lever, (hereinafter termed the strikinglever,) at the lower end whereof is mounted an antifriction roller or wheel adapted to ride up one or other of the inclined striking-plates aforesaid, according to their position, as the locomotive passes over them, the said striking-lever being thereby movedto a greater or less extent, according as it is actuated by the higher or bythe lower strikingplate. By means of suitable connections the striking-lever is by its movement caused to open a whistle-valve when lifted by either of the striking-plates, the said valve being arranged to close automatically, as by a spring or weight or other suitable means. The whistleoperating mechanism comprises a locking device, which only comes into action when the whistle valve is opened through the agency of one of the striking-plates and then keeps the said valve open until released by the driver, the said locking device remaining inoperative when the whistle-valve isopened through the agency of the other strikingplate, so that in the latter case the whistle- Valve will close again immediately the striking-lever has left the striking-plate. Two distinct whistle-signals are thus automatically given, according as the higher or the lower striking plate is brought by the signalman into position to make contact with the striking-leverviz. ,a continuous blast,which may correspond to danger, and a short note, which may indicate line clear or caution. tion, then no note at all will be sounded for line clear. I

I will now fully describe the invention and the manner of performing the same, having reference to the annexed drawings, in which similar letters refer to corresponding parts in all the figures, and wherein- If the short noteindicates cau- Figure 1 is an elevation show'ing clearly the general arrangement of the invention. Fig. 2 is a View at right angles to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan showing the striking-plates arranged by the side of the four-foot way, and Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are details.

a a are curved striking-plates, whereof one plate or extends higher than the other. These striking-plates are movable together at right angles to the rails of the four-foot way along 7 suitable guides b by means of the connectingrod 0, reciprocated through the lever d from the usual weighted lever d of the semaphoresignal.

Dependent from the locomotive-frame is the striking-lever 9, having at its lower end the antifriction roller or wheel e, which rides up one or other of the striking-plates aforesaid as it passes over them. By means of the rods f g and lever h the striking-lever e actuates the sector-shaped lever-arm 2', Figs. t'an'd 5, which opens and closes the valve of the whistle Z, Fig. 1. Bearing with slight'spring-pressure on the periphery of the sector-shaped leverarm 2' is the dog or catch-bolt m, which when the sector vlis moved upward to the full extent or receives excess motion, owing to the striking-lever e riding over the higher striking-plate a, shoots forward, as shown in Fig. 5, and locks the sector t', so that it cannot descend again to close the whistle-valve until the driver releases the catch m by pulling on thebuttonn. Whenthestriking-levererides over the lower striking-plate to, since it is then raised to a less extent, the sector '5 will not be lifted sufficiently to clear the dog m, so that the latter will remain inoperative, and the sector will fall again to close the whistlevalve, either by the weight of its operating parts or by a spring, if needed, directly the striking-lever leaves the striking-plate a. The said striking-plates are so arranged that when the semaphore-signal is at danger the higher plate a will be in position to contact with the striking-lever, (see Fig. 2,) and thereby cause a continuous whistle blast, while when the semaphore indicates line clear or caution the lower striking-plate Ct will then be in position to contact with the said lever, and thus cause a short or abrupt whistle-note.

'In Fig. 6 there is shown a modified or alternative construction and arrangement of whistle-operating mechanism. In this arrangement the striking-lever e when lifted by either of the striking-plates causes the lever o to bear on the end of the valve-spindle p of the whistle Z and to open the same against the pressure of the spring 9". Resting lightly on the top of the lever 0 is the horizontal arm of a freely-pivoted dog or catch-lever t. When the striking-lever rides up the higherstriking-plate a, the lever 0 receives excess motion and is moved sufliciently to clear the end of the said horizontal arm which then through the action of the spring 3 drops behind the lever 0 and looks it against backward movement, thereby keeping the whistle-valve open until the dogt is released from the lever 0 by the driver pushing the release-rod a, which terminates in a handle or button u, conveniently arranged in the cab, and is returned to its normal position by the said spring 3, or the dogt may be arranged to drop behind the lever 0 when the latter receives excess motion by its own weight, its horizontal arm being made sufficientlyheavy. In this case the release-rod a would not be connected with the vertical arm of the dog, but would terminate a short distance therefrom, so as to permit the dog the play required. When the strikinglever is moved to the lesser extent by the lower striking-plate a, the lever 0 will not receive sufficient motion to clear the end of the horizontal arm of the dog 1, which will in consequence remain inoperative, so that the whistle-valve will close again the moment the striking-lever leaves the lower striking-plate.

I do not confine or restrict myself to the precise construction and arrangement of the whistle-operating mechanism illustrated in the drawings. Other suitable devices may be substituted, provided they fulfil the couditions set forthviz., to cause tl1ewhistle= valve to remain open until closed by the driver when the striking-lever is actuated by one of the striking-plates and to give a short note on the whistle when the other striking-plate raises the striking-lever.

Both striking-plates should be" above the level of the rails, so that the free end of the striking-lever may clear the rails at crossings and points. The striking-plates may also be arranged within the four-foot way in lieu of at the side of the track, as illustrated in the drawings, the striking-lever e being conveniently arranged to suit this disposition of the striking-plates.

If desired, the semaphore-signals may be dispensed with and the invention employed for signaling at all times.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States of America,

1. The improvements in or relating to an tomatic audible signaling on railways, comprising inclined or curved striking-plates of different height arranged parallel with the track and movable at right angles thereto by connections controlled from the signal-cabin, in combination with a lever dependent from the engine and adapted to be actuated by one or other of the striking-plates according to their position, mechanism connecting said lever with the whistle-valve, a device for locking said mechanism against return movement when it has been actuated through the agency of one of the striking-plates, and means con trolled from the engine-cab for releasing said locking device by hand, the locking device remaininginoperative when the whistle-valve is opened through the agency of the other striking-plate, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth. 7

2. In apparatus or means for automatic audible signaling on railways, the combination with inclined or curved striking-plates of different height movable in a direction at right angles to the track by connections controlled from the signal-cabin, of a striking lever de pendent from the engine and adapted to be actuated by one or other of the striking=plates according to their position, mechanism connecting said lever with the whistle-valve, a catch or dog which, when brought into action by the excess motion transmitted to the whistleoperating mechanism by means of the higher striking-plate, locks the said mechanism in position to keep the whistle-valve open, and means for releasing said catch or dog by hand, the catch or dog remaining inoperative when the lower striking-plate actuates the striking-lever, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

3. In apparatus or means for automatic audible signaling on railways, the combination with inclined or curved striking-plates a ct of different height movable at right angles to the four-foot way by connections controlled from the signal-cabin, of a striking-lever e 694,008 Y is dependent from the engine and adapted to the sector-lever against return movement unbe actuated by one or other of the strikingtil released by the driver,substantia1ly as deplates according to their position, a sectorscribed and for the purpose set forth.

shaped lever t' actuating the whistle-valve, In testimony whereof I affix my signature 5 connections between said sector-lever and the in the presence of two Witnesses.

striking-levere anda sprin -controlled catch i t or dog m bearing on the edge or periphery of v J GOODE said sector-lever c, which when the sector- Witnesses:

lever receives excess motion from the higher 7 HARRY S. CHARLESWORTH,

1o striking-plate a, shoots forward and locks GEORGE WILLIAMPLOWMAN.