US752081A

US752081A - Car-signal

Info

Publication number: US752081A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1904-02-16
Anticipated expiration: 1921-02-16

Description

PATENTED' FEB. 16, 1904;

G. 'M. LANE. GAR SIGNAL. nruomxon mum MAY 14. 1903.

no MODEL;

w. m in a @3 5 I; masses BATENTED. FEB. 16, 1904 G:- M. LANE. GAR SIGNAL. APPLICATION FILED MAY 14. m3.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- 1m MODEL.

Wihmaaeo UNITED: STATES Patented February 16, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

CAFE-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 752,081, dated February 16, 1904. Application filed May 14, 1903. Serial No. 157,188,: (No model-J To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LGEORGE M. LANE, a citi:

zen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn,

' -in the countyof Kings and State of New York,

have irivented certainncw and useful I mprovements in Car-Signals, of which the following is-a specificatio The primary object of this invention is to reduce and minimize the casualties resulting from inattention to signals in railroading and to provide a system in which the engineer is but the emergency-brakes"automaticallyset not only admonished of impending danger,

should the engineer neglect to apply same.

' In accordance with this invention a signal 15 located at every dangerous polnt 1n the line of a railway and an electric circuit provided for cooperation wit-h the signal to be closed at one point thereby, the locomotivg being provided with a signal-circuit forming a part of the circuit located at the danger-point and adapted to be closed by suitable circuit-closing means when the train is passing by the danger-point, so as to advise the engineer of danger ahead. A local circuit applied to the locomotive is controlled by the signal-circuit to effect actuation of the emergency-brakesetting lever even though the engineer should neglect or from other cause fail to apply the brakes when the danger-signal is set.

Fora full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the-means for effecting the result reference is to be had to the following description and drawings hereto attached.

- While the essential and characteristic features of the invention are susceptible of modification, still the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a detail view of the invention in operative relation, the same being illustrated in connection with the rear portion of a locomotive and a section of railway-track. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the operating parts applied to the cab of the locomotive and cooperating with the emergency-brake lever.

Fig. 3 is a detail view'of a section of railway- -5 ;track, showing the portion of the signal-circuit applied thereto. Fig. 4 isa detail view of. the release mechanism for controlling the circuitcloser of the emergency-brake-setting means. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the contacts for connecting the parts of the signal-circuit applied to the locomotive and railway-track.

Fig. 6 is a side view of the swinging contacts the train to which the signal maybe applied. Contacts 4 and 5 may be of'any construction and'are pivotally mounted, so as to yield and prevent injury thereto when meeting an obstruction or the fixed contacts applied to the road-bed of the railway-track.- For convenience of illustration swinging contacts at and (rare illustrated as mounted upon rod 6, sup-- ported by one or more brackets 7, attached to thetruck or other convenient part of the 10- comotive. One of the contacts, as 5, 1S electricallyinsulated from rod 6 by sleeve 8, of

insulating material.

A part of the signal-circuit is applied to the locomotive, and another part is applied to the railway-track and point adjacent thereto and comprises conductors 9 and 10, battery 11,

contacts 12 and 13, and other contacts 14 and 15. cated at the point along the railway to indicate danger, and the movable arm 1 7 thereof is adapted to make'electrical connection with contacts 12 and 13 and close the signal-circuit at this point. When the electrical conductors 9 and 10 are closed by electrically connecting contacts 12 and 13, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 3, the signal-circuit is nevertheless open at thecontacts l4 and 15 and is not closed until the train reaches this point and contacts .4 and 5 make electrical connection Withcontacts 14 and v15. When this takes A signal 16 of the semaphore type is loand 37 into en a ement.

place, the signal applied to the locomotive or train is operated and the engineer apprised of danger. For a purpose presently to be eX- plained a series of pairs of electric contacts 18, 19, 20, and 21 are connected to electric conductors 9 and 10 by means of

branch conductors

22, 23, 24, and 25.

The usual eniergency-brake-setting lever is indicated at 26, and for automatic operation thereof the following means have been devised: Lever 27 is fulcrumed at 28 intermediate of its ends and is provided with weight 29 or like operating means, link 30, pivoted to lever 27, being constructed to engage with lever'26, so as to throw the latter forward when lever 27 is released from catch 31 or other restraining means. Electromagnet 32 is included in a local circuit comprising wires 33 and 34 and battery 35.

36 and 37 indicate the terminals of the local circuit, which are adapted to be electrically connected for energizing elcctromagnet 32, whereby catch 31 is attracted and operatinglever 27 released, so as to automatically throw lever 26 and set the brakes.

An electrically-controlled release mechanism is included in the signal-circuit applied to the locomotive and comprises electromagnet 38,- catch 39, spring-actuated disk 40, and circuit-closing arm 41, attached to part 40 and adapted when released to bring contacts 36 Disk or plate40 is provided with a series of notches 42, corresponding in number to the series of pairs of electric contacts applied to the road-bed of the railway. v Notches 42 constitute stops for cooperation with catch 39, whereby circuitclosing arm 41, is held away from

contacts

36 and 37. Spring 43 normally tends to rotate plate or disk 40, so as to bring arm 41 in position to press

contacts

36 and 37 into engagemerit, so as to close the local circuit including electromagnet 32. Spring 43 is of the spiral type, one end being attached to plate or disk 40 and the other end being connected to part 44,.which may be a, bracket or other fixed part of the frame. When the signal-circuit is closed by contacts 4 and 5 sweeping over contacts 18 and 19, electromagnet 38 is onergized and attracts catch 3!), thereby permitting plate or disk 40 to move forward one step. When the signal-circuitis closed asec- 0nd time by contacts 4 and 5 sweeping over contacts 14 and 15, electromagnet 38 is a second time energized and attracts catch 39, thereby permitting part 40 to move forward a second step. \Vhen the signal is operated a third time by contacts 4 and 5 sweeping overcontacts 2 21, electromagnet 28is a third. time energized and attracts catch 39, thereby lilmrating part 40, which turns under the action of spring 43, so as to throw arm 41 around and effect closing of

contacts

36 and 37, whereby the local circuit is closed and elm-ironmguet 32 energized and catch 31 attracted and operating-lever 27 released and emergency-brake-setting lever 26 automatic ally operated to set the brakes. The number of stops applied to part 40 will depend upon the number of contacts in the series applied to the railway-track, thereby affording opportunity for the vigilant engineer to set the brakes at the first intimation of danger; but should the brakes not be applied by the engineer the automatic actuating means will be brought into play independent of the engineer, so as to set the brakes.

The contacts 4 and 5, applied to the locomotive, are pivotally mounted and are provided with cross-arms 45, which are connected by springs 46 to a part of the, engine-frame, whereby said swinging contacts are held perpendicular and in position to make electrical connection with the track-contacts whether the locomotive is advancing or backing, said contacts 4 and 5 being free to move or yield in either direction.

Having thus described theinvention, what is claimed as new is- 1. In combination, means for checking the speed of a moving train, automatic actuating means therefor, a restraining device for normally holding the said automatic actuating means out of action, a local circuit applied to the train and including an electromagnet for liberating the said restraining device, means for controlling the said local circuit to liberate the aforementioned restraining device, and operating means for imparting a step-by-step motion to the said local-circuit-controlling means, substantially as specified.

2. In combination, means for checking the speed .of a moving train, automatic actuating means therefor, a restraining device for normally holding the said automatic actuating means out of action, a local circuit applied to the train and including an electromagnet for liberating the said restraining device, means for controlling the said local circuit to liberate the aforementioned restraining device, an

electric circuit including an electromagnet an.

ranged to operate the said local--eireuit-controlling means, and circuit-geverning means along the track for effecting successive makes and breaks of the said electric circuit to cause the local-circuit-closing means to receive a step-by-step motion, substantially as specified.

3. In combination, means for checking the speed of a moving train, automatic actuating means therefor, a restraining device for normally holding the said automatic actuating .means out of action, a local circuit applied to the train and including an electromagnet for liberating the said restraining deviee,a springactuated arm for controlling the said local circuitto liberate the aforementioned restraining device, a notched plate and catch for retarding the forward movement of the springactuated arm, an -electric circuit including a signal and an eleetnnnagnet,the latter ar- IIO ranged to effect opel atioli of the 'cath, a;hd ln testimony whei'eof I affix my signature in means along the track for etfectingsucces'siv- 'presg he of two witnesses.

.v 4 makes and breaks'of the electric circuit tbsi- 1 O M L multaneously operate the signal and the catch v v 5 in consonance with the'make's and breaks of .Withessesz' the circuit, substanpially as amf for the pur- J L MURRAY LAKE, pose-specified. jJAMEs F. WHELAN.