US763540A - Railway-signal. - Google Patents

Description

No. 763,540- I PATENTED JUNE 28, 1904. J. P. COLEMAN. RAILWAY SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2. 190a.

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iir 763,546.

UNITED STATES.

Iatented June 98, 1964 PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN PRESSLEY COLEMAN, OF EDGEWOOD, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR- TO THE UNION SWITCH AND SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISSVALE, PENN- SYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA. V

RAILWAY- -SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 763,540, dated June 28, 1904.

Application filed February 2, 1903.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN PRESSLEY COLE- MAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Edge'wood, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Railway- Signals, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to railway-signals,and particularly to that class of railway-signals in which thecrnotive power therefor is in the form of fluid-pressure. a

I will describe a railway-signal embodying my invention and then'point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawing, the single figure is a view, partly in vertical section and partly in elevation, of a railway-signal embodying my invention. I have diagrammatically illustrated a section of railroad-track and such circuits and apparatus'to show how the railway-signal may be automatically con trolledby the movement of a train over the section of; railroad-track.

I will premise that whereverI herein use the term signal I mean to include a visual-signal device which by its color or by its position relatively to its support gives indication of the service condition of the railroad-track or section of railroad -track which it governs. Also wherever I herein use the term fluidpressure'jI mean a liquid or gas under pressure. I preferably employ a gas. Any gas may be employedas, for example, air or carbonic-acid gas-and under any pressure which is sufficient or more than sufficient to operate the apparatus or mechanism comprised in the railway-signal. If the pressure of the gas is above that required for the operation of the apparatus or mechanism, reducing-valves may beemployed in their proper places.

Referring now to the drawing, A designates a visual signal device, here shown as being of the semaphore type and comprising, as usual, a blade ct and a counterweight a, which is adapted to move the blade to one within which the piston moves.

a number of pipe-lines.

Serial No. 141,468. (No model.)

position of indication, generally to a horizontalposltion of indication, when the signal device is free to move. The signal device 1s 59 therefore biased to one position of indication,

signed to move the signal device from one position of indication to another.

D designates the fluid-pressure mechanism 5 or apparatus for moving the signal device from one position of indication to another.

It is here shown as being in the form of a motor comprising a piston d and a cylinder d,

Fluid-pres- 7 sure for operating the mechanism is here shown as beingsupplied from atank or reservoir E, which may be of any size or capacity, orthere may be a plurality of such tanks or reservoirs. The pressure of the gas may be maintained in any desired manner. In the case of carbonic-acid gas or any other similargas being employed to operate the fluidpressure mechanism it is preferable that the tank or reservoir be separately charged and V afterward connected with the fluid-pressure mechanism. Instea'd,however, a charging pipe or pipes (see dotted lines) may be connected .with the tank" or reservoir and the gas under pressure supplied to the tank or reservoir 5 through said'pipe or pipes from any suitable source. Any number of individual tanks or reservoirs may be supplied with the fluidpressure from a single source through one or The fluid-pressure 9 passes from the tank E to the fluid-pressure mechanism through a pipe or conduit 0, and its passage through the pipe c is under the control of an electrically-operated valve device D. This valve device may conveniently be substantially of the form and arrangement illustrated and described in United States Patent No. 357,109, issued February 1, 1887, to George Westinghouse, Jr., for electrical interlocking mechanism for switches and signals, to which patent reference may be had for details of construction and operation. It is only necessary to here state that the electrically-operated valve device should have the functions of opening the supply of fluid-pressure when the magnet comprised in the device is energized, of closing or cutting off the supply of fluid-pressure when the said magnet is deenergized, and of opening an exhaust port or passage through which the used fluidpressure may escape to the atmosphere. Any electrically-operated valve device having these functions may be employed. The fluid-pressure passes around the valve d comprised in the valve device and through a passage or conduit 6 to a chamber F, provided in a suitable form of casing F, which may be attached to the cylinder (Z or its support. It will be understood that the relative arrangement of the parts shown in the drawing may be departed from. The chamber F is in communication with the cylinder cl through a passage 0 and with a second fluid-pressure mechanism D through a passage 0*. This passage 6 is controlled by a valve (Z loosely fitted in the chamber F and which is so connected with the piston (Z as to be operated by the piston and yet permit the piston to move irrespectively of the valve. The form of connection here shown consists of a rod (F, fixedly connected with the valve (Z at one end of its ends, and having its other end extend into a chamber d provided in the piston (Z. A spring (Z surrounds that portion of the rod within the chamber d", and it is compressed between a head (Z on the rod and an adjustable-nut (I, provided for the end of the chamber. The operation of this form of connection is such that when the piston is in its lowermost position the valve (Z will be at the lower end of the chamber F and fluid-pressure will be free to pass through the passage 0 to move the piston (Z. As the piston is moved in the cylinder the valve (Z is moved with .t, and before the piston d has completed its full stroke the valve (Z will be seated to close the passage 6, and thus shut off the fluid-pressure from the cylinder The piston can, however, continue to move irrespectively of the valve by reason of the loose connection between the end of the rod d and the piston. The fluid-pressure remaining in the cylinder cl after the closure of the passage 6 by the valve d will escape from the cylinder past the packings of the piston. V

In this invention the fluid-pressure mechanism D is designed only to move the signal device from one position of indication to another, preferably from the danger position to the clear position. This is accomplished by a single stroke of the piston of the fluidpressure mechanism. After the signal device has been moved by the fluid pressure mechanism I employ means for locking the signal device in the position to which it has been moved, thereby permitting the fluid-pressure to be cut off from the fluidpressure mechanism. Whenever it becomes necessary that the signal device shall give an indication different from that given in the position to which it has been moved by the fluid-pressure mechanism, the said locking means are rendered inefl'ective, leaving the signal device free to be moved by its counterweight. The means for locking the signal device in the position to which it has been moved by the fluid-pressure mechanism are here shown as comprising the fluidpressure mechanism D and a locking means or device 0. The fluid-pressure mechanism D is here shown'as being in the form of a motor and comprising a diaphragm 6Z one side of which is acted upon by the fluid-pressure mechanism. The other side of the diaphragm is provided with a projection diwhich actuates a bell-crank lever d. The bell crank lever d in turn actuates a rod al one end of which is connected with a part comprised in the locking means. The locking means 0 are here shown as comprising a pawl c and a lever a in the form of a bell-crank, which engages the pawl. The pawl c is pivoted at one of its ends on a pin 0, carried in a yoke portion 0, formed in the rod B, preferably at its lower end, and it is provided with a toe portion 0 which is adapted to engage the lever 0". The lever 0" is pivoted on a pin 0 the ends of which are suitably held in some fixed part of the railwaysignalas, for example, the easing 0'. The lever c is also provided with a roller 0 suitably journaled in the lever and with which the pawl c engages, and with a stop 0 here shown as being the end of the lever, which abuts against the rod B or the casing C to limit the movement of the lever in one direction. The lever 0 is moved on its pivot in one direction through the agency of the rod al The side members of the yoke 0 are provided with longitudinally-extending slots 0', through which the pin 0 extends. These slots permit of the rod B and its connections moving independently of the pin 0 and the lever 0*. The efiective position of the locking means is shown in the drawing. In this position the rod B, the yoke 0, and the pawl 0 under the influence of the counterweight c, act downwardly to restore the piston (Z to the bottom of the cylinder. Such action, however, is prevented by the lever 0, which is engaged by the pawl through the roller 0 so long as pressure exists under the diaphragm of the fluidpressure mechanism D By reason of the relation of the journal of the roller 0 to the pivots 0 0 it lying outside of a line drawn through the pivots 0 0 the weight of the signal'and connected parts (rod B, &c.) is transmitted through the pawl c to-the periphery of the roller 0, and through its journal to the center 0 0f the lever 0* and tends to force the lever c outward on its center 0 and also to force the pawl o outward withthe' lever 0 to bring the toe portion 0 into engagement with the lever 0 The pawl 0 roller 0 and its journal, and the lever a form, in effect, a toggle-joint. When the pressure is relieved from under the diaphragm, the lever 0 moves outward on its pivot 0 and with it the pawl 0 thus bringing the toe portion 0 against the lever 0*. In consequence of this the roller 0 is moved from under the pawl and revolves on its journal and ceases to support the pawl, which swinging clear of the lever c and roller 0 descends and forces the piston to the bottom of the cylinder. The signal device is then in the danger position of indication. When fluid-pressure is again admitted to the diaphragm and to the cylinder OZ, the roller 0 is again moved inward, the stop 0 limiting its movement, and the piston moves the rod B upward and with it the pawl 0 which moves past the roller and is afterward moved over the roller by the spring 0 At about this time the fluid-pressure is cut off from the cylinder by the valve d but maintained under the diaphragm. The pressure being removed from under the piston, the .parts settle down and finally assume the position shown in Fig. 1. Any downward movement of the piston at this time will not operate the valve (Z owing to the loose or yielding connection hereinbefore described.

In order that the railway-signal may be antomatically controlled by train movements over the section of railroad-track which the signal device is intended to give indications of the service condition of the railroad-track, 1 include the electrically-operated valve device D in a circuit which includes an armature of a track relay-magnet. T designates a section of railroad-track which the railwaysignal device A is designed to give service conditions of the section of the railroad-track; TB, a track-battery therefor, the poles of which are electrically connected with the opposite lines of rail of the railroad-section, and TR the track relay-magnet for the railroad-section, the ends of the winding of which are also electrically connected with the opposite lines of rails. It will be seen, therefore, that if there is no break in the opposite lines of rails or in the connections between the battery and the relay or there is no short circuit for the battery current will flow from the battery and lines of rail to through the magnet, energizing it and causing it to attract an armature 9" and hold it against a front contact 1. The armature T and front contact 1 form part of a circuit which includes the valve device D'. The circuit starting from the battery Z or other source of electrical energy is wire 2, ar-

mature 7', contact 1, wire 3, magnet of valve device D,'and wire 4 to battery; Thus when the armature r is against the contact 1 the magnet of the'valve device will be energized and operate the valve d to admit fluid-pressure to the mechanisms D and D which operate in the manner hereinbefore described to move and hold the signal device in a position of indication, preferably in a position indicating clear, and in this position, as explained, fluid-pressure will be cut off from the mechanism D anddirected only onto the mechanism D, which, through the locking device C, holds the signal in the position to which it has been moved. Should, however, any break occur in either the track-circuit or the circuit of the controlling device or the track-circuit have a short circuitas, for example, a pair of wheels of a train on the opposite lines of railthe magnet of the valve device will be deenergized and allow the valve (2 to shut off the supply of fluid-pressure to both of the fluidpressure mechanisms and open the exhaust e The locking device C will then be ineffective and permit the counterweight to move the signal device to a position indicating danger.

The signal device will be maintained in this position so long as the fluid-pressure 1s cut off from the mechanisms. As soon, however, as

the circuits are again completedas, for example, by a pair of wheels passing off the lines of the rail of the railroad-sectionthe magnet of the valve device will again become energized and fluid-pressure again permitted to moving said signal device from one positionof indication to another, means for locking the signal device in the position to which it has been moved, a fluid-pressure mechanism for operating said locking means, a fluid-pressure supply, an electrically-operating valve device for controlling the supply of fluidpressure to both of said mechanisms, and a valve having a connection with the,piston of the fluid-pressure mechanism which permits of lost motion for cutting off the supply of fluidpressure to the fluid-pressure mechanism.

2. The combination in a railway-signal, of a signal device, a fluid-pressure mechanism for moving said signal device from one position of indication to another, means for locking the signal device in the position to which it has been moved, a fluid-pressure mechanism for operating said locking means, a fluid-pressure supply, a chamber connected with said fluid-pressure supply and with which both fluid-pressure mechanisms are in communication, an electrically-operated valve device for.

controlling the supply of fluid-pressure to said chamber, and a valve mechanically operated from the fluid-pressure mechanism for movpressure mechanisms are in communication,

an electrically-operated valve device for controlling the supply of fluid-pressure to said chamber, and a valve provided in said chamber and mechanically operated by the fluidpressure mechanism for moving the signal device for cutting off the supply of fluid-pressure to the said fluid-pressure mechanism.

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

JOHN PRESSLEY COLEMAN.

Witnesses:

GEO. E. CRUSE, W. L. MCDANIEL.

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