US740312A - Signaling mechanism. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTBD SEPT. 29., 1903 J. L. RIGKET'IS...

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PATENTBD SEPT. 29, 1901i! Napf/'40,312 Y s. L. R'IGKETTS.. Y

SIGNALING MEGHANISM.

APPLIOA'HON FILED AUG, 21,-1'902.

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UNITED STATES f Patented September 29,1903.

PATENT OEEICE.

SIGNALINGMECHANISM.

SPECIFIGATION formngpart of Letters Patent No. 740,312, dated September 2.9, 1903. Application led August 21, 1902. Serial No. 120,605. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may con-cern:

Be it known that l, JOHN L. RIoKnrTs, a citizen of the United States, residingin Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Signal Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.'

My invention relates to certain improvements in signal mechanism for railways, and more particularly consists of an improved de'- vice for use in connection with the electrical safety signal or alarm system described and claimed in my application for Letters Patent No. 9,386, filed March 19, 1900.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive mechanism which shall be operated by the passage of a locomotive or car through the agency of an electric current supplied by some suitable generator, preferably carried by said car, to set a signal to indicate danger andto operate other signals to indicate that the track is clear for a certain definite distance.

This object I attain as hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in whichy Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of my improved mechanism, partly in diagram, illustrating the device in the safety position. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of my improved mechanism, showing the various parts in the positions occupied when indicating danger. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the system as a whole, showing the applicationV thereto of my improved mechanism; and Fig.

a is a diagrammatic view of the apparatus` and connections therefor carried by a locomotive or car operating in connection with' my improved signal mechanism.

In the above drawings, A represents the rails of one track of a railroad which is divided int'o a number of so-called blocks, `at the beginning and-at the end of each of which is placed a'set of contact-plates ci and u', supported on one side of the track, it being assumed in the description of the lconstruction and operation of my improved system as hereinafter set forth that a train will normally runin the direction indicated by the arrow `shown on Fig. 3 and carrying a contactfinger of' metal the contact-piece on that side of the track having the plates a and a. At

the same time it will be understood that provision is made whereby the pressure of a train moving in a direction opposite to the above will be indicated, and for this purpose there rear and on the Vother side of the track, while the secondv plate as is connected Vto` the rplate a' two blocksA ahead and also on the other side of the track. This plan of connection is adhered to throughout the system, and at the beginning of each block .there is placed a main v'signal-box B, containing my improved mechanism, as well as an auxiliary signal-box B', connected to a main signal-box-two blocks distant. Y j

In Fig. 4 I have illustrated diagrammatically the apparatus and connections therefor carried by a locomotive or car for use inv connection with my signal mechanism, this apparatus consisting, essentially, of a battery or other generator M, having one of its ter.- minals connected to the frame of the car or locomotive, and hence to the ground or rail, and with its other terminal connected to a movable switch-arman, connected to a vertically-sliding contact-piece mf, which is provided at its end with a roller or other form of brush m? for engagement with the contact-y plates o, or a. A spring m3 normally retains the piece m' in a position such that the switcharm m is in electrical contact with a plate m4, which is connected to the generator at a point between it and the ground connections G through a permanent resistance N. It will be seen, therefore, that under normal conditions the generator M is short circuited `through the resistance N, but that when the brush m2 strikes one of the contact-plates c or cthe current from said generator passes into said plate and through any electric circuit which may be connected thereto, returning to the generator through the ground connection G; Y

There are three wires 5,6', and h2 extending from-the mechanism within the casingB to the track and its various contacts, the first of said wires being preferably connected at one end to a binding-post b5 on the metallic box C within the casi-ng B and grounded to one of the rails A at its other end. The wire h extends from a binding-post b3, supported on but insulated from the box C, to the contact-plate a two blocks ahead and on the side to engage the contacts carried by a train running in the normal direction, the said wire being also connected to a contact-plate as at the beginning of the block at which the casing B is placed and on the opposite side of the track from the contacts a. The wire b2 is connected to a binding-post b4, also insulated from the metallic box C, and has its other end connected to the contact-plate aat Athe beginning of the block which this particular casing B guards and also to the contact-plate a? on the opposite side of the track two blocks in front.

The circuit from the binding-post b4 passes through a magnet c in the box C, adapted to act upon an armature c', upon which also acts a weighted lever c2 through the medium of a pivoted lever c5, the weighted lever tending to raise the armature or move it in a direction contrary to that in which it is moved by the attraction of the magnet. Leading from the binding-post h3 is a circuit including a magnet d, which has an armature d,-acted upon by a weighted lever d2, tending to move it outward or in a direction contrary to the direction in which it is moved by the attraction of the magnet, this lever d2 being adapted to engage with a block d3 on the pivoted lever c5, so as to hold the latter in its depressed position against the lifting action of the lever c2. The magnet cl has one end of its Awinding connected to the metallic box C and from this to the ground through binding-post h5 and wire b, such connection being made permanently through a. wire d4. The winding of the magnet c is connected to a contact-piece c4, supported by but insulated from the casing C, and said piece is so placed as to be engaged by a plate c3, carried by the end of the lever c5, which is in electrical connection with the said casing. ,The lever c5 also carries a second and insulated plate c, adapted when the-armature is depressed to make contact with apair of plates e, insulated from each other and forming terminals in an electric circuit in which is contained a magnet E, provided with a movable core e', connected to a guide-rack e2, which meshes with a spur-pinion e3 on a rock-shaft carrying a counterbalanced lever e4, with a red banner e5, having a central disk e6,of red glass.

Secured to the casing B is a white banner be, having a central disk 57 of white glass, and behind this banner are a pair of incandescent lamps bs, connected in parallel with the same electric circuit which supplies current to the magnet E.

The wires of the circuit containing the magnet E are connected to a suitable electric generator e7 and are extended to an auxiliary signal-box B', placed two blocks in front of its main signal-box. This auxiliary box contains apparatus the same as that in the main box, except that the casing C, with its mechanism and connections, is omitted.

The safety position of the signal is that represented in Fig. l, the armature c', with its lever c5, being depressed and held in such position by the armature d so as to close the switches c3 c4 and cG e. This permits current to flow through the solenoids E both in the main and in the auxiliary casings, (it being understood that the lamps ha remain permanently lighted,) with the result that .the cores e are retained within their magnets, sol as to keep the banner e5 in its elevated or safety position. When, therefore, an engine or car carrying the mechanism shown diagram matically in Fig. 4 passes over the trackcontact at the beginning of the block, the electric circuit in which is the battery or generator M, carried by the engine or car, will be broken, while said generator will haveits circuit completed through contact-roller m2, contact a', and its connections, and finally through the ground connection G, with-the result that the magnet cwill be energized and the armature c' will be attracted, so as to release its lever c5 from locking engagement with the armature d, the latter then moving outwardly by reason, ot' the action of its weighted lever d2. As soon as the circuit of the generator M is opened by the passing of the car-contact roller off of the contact a. the magnet c will be denergized'and the armature c', with its lever c5, will be raised by the action of the weighted lever c2, so as to open the switch 0304 as well as the switch c6 e. This open circuits or denergizes the magnet E and permits the red banner e5, with its disk e6, to fall and cover the whitebanner h6 and disk 57, thereby giving the danger-signal, as shown in Fig. 2, both at the main signal-box B and also at the auxiliary signal-box B' two blocks ahead of said main box. The parts of this particular pair of boxes remain in the danger position until the engine or car on leaving the second block ahead grounds the circuit carried byit through the contact-plate a', wire b', and magnet d, whereupon the varmature d of said magnet will be attracted and the beveled end of the same, acting upon the correspondingly-beveled face of the block d8 upon the lever c5, attached tothe armature c', will depress and relock this latter, again closing the switches c3 c4 and c6 e, thereby permitting the current toV again pass through the magnet E, thereby raising the core or armature e and swinging Athe red banner e5, with its disk e6, to one side, as shown in Fig. l.

The operation of the system will be understood from the above description, and it will be seen that as a train enters each block it strikes the contact a and sets to the danger position the main signal-box at the beginning of that block as well as the auxiliary box two blocks ahead. Immediately thereafter it strikes a contact a. and sets to the safety po- IOC IIO

sitionamain signal-box ltwo blocks to the,

rear as Wellvas its. auxiliary box at the beginning of the block it is entering. train is 'running in the opposite direction on the same track,its con tact-roller m2 will strike the contacts a2 and as, setting to danger a main box two blocks ahead as well as its auxiliary box at the end of the block which it is entering and immediately thereafter lsetting to safety through the ontact a3 the ad jacentv main box at the end of the block entered as well as the auxiliary box two blocks in its rear.

I claim as my inventionl. In a signal apparatus, the combination of a magnet having an armature and a switchbar attached thereto, switch-contacts coperating with said bar, a pivoted lever carryinga weight and placed se that it engages the-switch-bar and tends to move it against the action of said magnet, a second magnet having mechanism for locking the switch-bar in a closed position, and an electroresponsive device in circuit with the sWitch-barand contacts, substantially as described.

2. Ina signal'apparatus, the combinationl If noWa` lposition to close both switches, an electromagnetic signal in circuit with one of the switches, the second switch being in the circuit oi' 'one'of the magnets, substantially as described. g

4f In a signal apparatus, the combination oftwo magnets, a pivoted bar attached to the armature of one of said magnets, a plurality ofindependent contacts placed to be simultaneously engaged by said bar, certain of said contacts being in circuit with one of said magnets, the second magnet having an armature `placed to retain the pivoted lever in a position to close the circuits of the said contacts,

a device tending to move the said lever away from the contacts and asecond device tending to move the armature of the second magnet from its locking position and an electromagnetic signal in the circuit of one of said contacts, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JOHN L. RICKETTS.

Witnesses:

FLORENCE HILLMAN, WILLIAM E. BRADLEY.

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