US699119A - Automatic signal for electric railways. - Google Patents

Description

Patented Apr. 29 I902.

c. H. STORM. AUTOMATIC SIGNAL FOR, ELEGTR|C RAILWAYS.

(Application filed 'Jan. 19, 1901.)

3 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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No. 699,!l9. Patented Apr. 29, I902.

I c. H. STORM.

AUTOMATIC SlG-NA L FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

(Application filed Jan. 19, 1901.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. i

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Patented Apr. 29, I902. c. H. STORM. AUTOMATIC SIGNAL FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS (Application filed .nlm. 19, 1901.

3 SheetsSheet 3.

(No Model.)

IN VENTOR A ENE) UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. STORM, OF WATERLOO, IOvVA, ASSIGNOR TO-RALPH L. STORM,

OF WATERLOO, IOWA.

AUTOMATlC SIGNAL FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPEUIFIGATION formingpart Of Letters Patent No. 699,1 19, dated April 29, 1902.

Application filed January 19, 1901. Serial No. 43,857. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. STORM, a

- citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the city of Waterloo, Blackhawk county, Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Signals for Electric Railways, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic signals for electric railways; and the object of my improvement is to provide a device whereby a signal is set when one or more cars enter a track-section in order to prevent head-end collisions caused by cars approaching each other from opposite directions. I attain this object by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of this apparatus. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective detail of the parts of the circuit-closer slightly-separated, andFig. at

is a diagram showing the method ofpconnecting the circuit-closers and switches with the lamp-signals. I v Similar letters and numbers refer to similar parts throughoutthe several views.

Attached to suitable "supports on the frame aare two electromagnets n-an'd 0, having their armatures movable in a vertical direction within the spools. To the lower endsot the said armatures are pivoted the operating pawls q and 1", which respectively engage the teeth of the ratchet-whe'elsl.s and t. The ratchet-wheels sand 15 are separately mounted, so as to be revoluble about the bolt 00, the latter being set in standards b, attached to the frame 0..

Attached to the standard 0 are the flat springs u and 2;, their free ends bearing, respectively, against the lower teeth of the ratchet-wheels s and t. The ratchet-wheels s and t are provided with drurns extending inwardly toward each other and are entirely constructed of any suitable non-conducting material.

The outer periphery of the drum on the ratchet-wheel sis nearlycovered with a strip stant contact with the bolt ac, upon which it rotates, but is separated from the drum of the ratchet-wheel tby means of the non-conducting drum of the latter. An insulated stud 27 on the inner face Ofthe drum of ratchet-wheel t is so placed as-to engage with the edge of the shoulder 11 when said ratchet- ,Wheel .9 is rotated under impulse of the current caused by thereleasing mechanism at the releasing-switch. At this time the proj ecting piece 9 is in contact with the non-conducting surface 10 and-in a'position to be reset. The conducting-stripe surrounds the entire outer periphery;.of the' drum of the ratchet-wheel t and has-aprojecting piece 9, which extends over the hub of the ratchetwheel 8 and comes'into frictional contact with it. r

A metallic conducting band or brush w is so attached to thestandardsd and c as to bear against the lowersurface of the strip .2. g is a setting-lever pivoted in'bea'rings in a box f, and its lower portion passes through and extends below an opening in the frame a, to a sufficient distance to allow it to rest upon the upper side of the trolley-wire when the frame has been properly suspended over said wire. The upper end of the lever g is surrounded by a conducting-cap 11, permanently connected with the trolley-wire 1 by wire 8. The lever g iskept normally in a vertical position by means of the springs in k, which bring a light pressure to bear against its opposite sides. by means of staples 11. The springs j' and m are also attached at their base to the frame a. and are terminal conductors communicating with the wires 5 and 6, respectively.

The single- lamp signals 16 and 18 are of red or any other colored light, while the multiple-lamp signals 17 and 19 are intended to emit a white light or a light of any color dis- The said springs are kept in position I tinguishable from that of the one-lamp signals. 13, 14, and are conducting-wires supported on insulators at one side of the track-section, the wire 13 being a continuous feed-wire and the wires 1 1 and 15 extending only from the devices at one end of a block or section of those at the other.

Each end of a section of track is provided with one of the switches reversed in position in relation to each other.

Vhen properly suspended over the trolleywire, the different parts of the switches are connected together and to each other and the lamps in circuit as follows: The wire 2 serves to carry the current from the trolley-wire 1 to the brush w, strip .2, projection 9, strip 1 disk 120, bolt 00, wire 3, and lamp 16. Thence the current is carried to the lamps 19 at the opposite end of the section by the wires 23 14 26 and thence to the ground by wire 4 to the rail 22. The wire 6 connects the tcrmi nalj with the electromagnet n. The wire 1 also grounds the current, which may pass through either of the electromagnets. The wire 7 on the clearing-switch serves to connect the clearing-terminalj by means of the wire 13 with the wires '7 and 6 and the electromagnet n on, the setting-switch.

For the purpose of setting the signals on the section when it is clear by car entering from the opposite side to that described the wire 3 conducts the current from switch to single lamp l8. Thence the current is carried by means of wires 25, 15, and 21, to the multiple-lamp signal 1'7, thence to ground by wire 4.

The car 21 is represented as just entering upon a track-section 22, its trolley-wheel 2O havingjust passed under and actuated the setting-lever g of the setting-switch and illuminated the single red-lamp signal 16 at the hither end and the white multiple-lamp signal 19 at the farther end of the track-section.

The operation of the signals is thus described: The trolley-wheel 2O impinges upon the setting-lever g, throwing it back into contact with the terminal 171, establishing a circuit through the wire 5 and electromagnet 0, drawing up the movable armature p, and by means of the pawl 1' rotates the ratchet-wheel 15 through the space of one tooth, causing the projection 9 to pass over into contact with the surface of the conducting-strip y, as is indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1. The current passes thence through the disk 12 (shown in Fig. 3) to the bearing-bolt as, then to the wire 3, and thence to the single red lamp 16, illuminating it. The current then passes by way of the wires 23,1 1, and 26 to the white signal-lamps l9, lighting them, and then passing to the ground-Wire 4. Then the car 21 arrives at the other end' of the section, the trolley-wheel 20 impinges upon the releasing-lever g of the second switch, throwing it back into contact with the clearing-terminalj, creating a circuit through the wire 7 on the clearing-switch, the wire 13, and the wires 7 and 6and electrom'agnet n on the settingswitch, raising the movable armature p, and by means of the pawl q rotates the ratchetwheel .9 through the space of one tooth, bringing the non-conducting surface 10 under the projection 9, thus breaking the circuit and extinguishing the lights in signal- lamps 19 and 16. The red lamp 16 by its light informs the motorneer of car 21 as it enters the tracksection 22 that the circuit is complete through both lamp-signals l6 and 19 and also gives notice to the motorneerof a following car that a car precedes it, moving over the section in the same direction. The illuminated lampsignal 19 also warns the motorneer of a car coming toward the section from an opposite direction that a car is on the section approaching him.

The great advantage of this over other systems is in this, that where it is necessary to have several cars on a track-section at one time the first car entering a clear section sets the signal and the motorneer of each successive car becomes aware as his car approaches the section that it is clear of cars coming toward him, but has one or more ahead of him: proceeding in the same direction. The red signal thus becomes an index of safety; but

should the unlighted multiple-lamp signal under the red signal become illuminated it warns the motorneer that a car is approach-- ing from an oppposite direction. As each car enters a section whose red signal indicates the track clear ahead except for cars moving forward in the same direction its trolleywheel by impinging upon the setting-lever givesamomentaryimpulse ofcurrentthrough' the electromagnet 0, which, by means of magnet-controlled pawl 2*, moves the ratchetwheel t through the space of one tooth, causing a like movement of the tongue-piece or projection 9 over the strip y. If ten cars pass over the section, the ratchet-wheel t is rotated through a space of ten teeth. WVhen the tenth and last car by means of its trolley-wheel impinging upon the releasing-lever releases the ratchet-wheel s, it allowssaid ratchet-wheel s to rotate until it has passed over a space of ten teeth and then is locked by the engagement of the stud 27 with' the shoulder 11, leaving the projection 9 over the non-conducting surface 10. The circuit is thus broken and the signal-lights extinguished. It is obvious that any number-of cars may thus be permitted to enter a section of track, proceeding in the same direction, and limited only by the number of teeth in the ratchet-wheels in the operation of the system. In the event that it becomes necessary to turn back one or more cars which have already entered the traek-section the car or cars turned back clear the signals by means of the setting-switch in the same manner as if they had passed off going in the other direction.

The claims below are intended to cover the construction of the circuit-closcrherein shown I do and described when used in connection with a switch such as shown and described herein or of any other construction which is covered by the terms of the claims themselves. No

claim is made in this application to any of the I circuit-closer covered in this case.

What I claim as new is' 1. A switch in'constant circuit with a trolley-wire and adaptedto' be moved by a trol magnets combined with a circuit-closer comprising two drums mounted on a common shaft and each havinga ratchet-wheel, pawlsfor said wheels actuated 'by'the'armatures of said magnets, fiat springs also engaging said wheels for preventing retrograde movements, an insulated hub fast on one drum and standin g between the two, mechanism whereby the drums are thrown into and out of electrical connection with each vother through step-bystep rotation, asource of electrical power in circuit with one drum, and a circuit leading from the other drum through the work to be performed, as and for the purpose set'forth. 2. A switch adapted to be moved bya trolley-wheelpassing in either direction, two electromagnets, terminals at opposite sides of the switch, and electrical connections between them and the magnets; combined with a cir-, cuit-closer comprising two drums mounted on' a common shaft and one of them in electrical connection therewith, mechanisms whereby said drums are rotated bystep-by-step move ments by the armatures of said magnets, an insulated hub faston one drum and standing between the two, a disk between this hub and the other drum, a shoulder connecting the disk with the metallic face of its drum, a stud on the other drum adapted to be engaged by this shoulder, a projecting piece on the lastmentioned drum adapted to contact Withthe face of'the other drum or to rest in an insulated space therein when the shoulder en gagesthe stud, electricalconnections between this piece and a source of power, and electrical connections'betwee'n saidshaft and the workto bep erformed, as and for the purpose.

set forth.

3. A circuit-closer consisting of ashaft in circuit with the work to'be performed, two insulated drums mounted thereon and having metallic faces, one having an insulated space and the other'bei'ng solid, a piece projecting fronrthe solid face and adapted to rest 'on said broken face or' stand in such space,

mechanisms for rotating-said drums by stepby-st'ep movements, an insulating-hub of smaller diameter than and secured to the inner end of the drum which has the broken face, a disk at the inner end of this hub in electrical connection with the shaft, a metallic shoulder standing on the periphery of the hub and connecting its face with said disk, an insulating-stud in the inner end of the other drum adapted to be struck by said shoulder when the projecting piece stands on the insulation, a brush bearing on the unbroken face of the last-mentioned drum, and-electrical connections'leading from this brush to a source of energy, as and for the purpose set forth.

I 4. In a block-signaling system, difierentlycolored lights at opposite ends of each block those of one color at one end being in circuit with those of a different colorat the remote end, a-switch in circuit with a source of energy and adapted to be moved in either direction by the passing trolley-wheel, and ter minals at opposite sides of said switch; com bined with a circuit-breaker consisting of two drums mounted on a common shaft andinsulated from each other, electrically-operated mechanisms connected with saidterminals" for rotating said drums independently with a steprby step movement, means for making, and breaking electrical connection between the drums at certain points, positive mechanism forlreestablishing this connection after it is broken, connections from a source of power to one drum, and connections from the other drum through one pair of signals to the ground, as and 'for'the purpose set forth.

' 5. In a'block signaling system, diflerently coloredlights at opposite ends of each block, those of one color at one end being in circuit with those of a different color' at thev remote end, a switch in constant circuit with a source of energy and adapted to be-moved in either direction by the passing trolley-wheel, and terminals at opposite sides of said switch; combined with acircuit-breaker consisting of two drums mounted on acom'ino'n" shaft and insulated from each other, electricallyoperated mechanisms connected with said termiuals for rotating said drums'independently with a step bystep movement, means for breaking electrical connection between the drums 'at certain points, connections from a source of power to onedrum, and connections from the other drum through one'pair'of sig nals to the ground, as andfor the purpose set forth. i i

Signed at Waterloo, lowa,this 19th day of December, 1900. i iv 4 I CHARLES H. STORM. Witnessesz' CLYDE ALLEN,

M. E, KENN DY." V

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