US768206A - Automatic train-stop. - Google Patents

Description

.PATENTED AUG. 23, 1904.

' L. H. THULLEN. AUTOMATIC TRAIN STOP.

AIPLIOATION FILED DEC. 23. 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

. PATENTED AUG. 23, 1904.

L. H. THULLEN.

AUTOMATICv TRAIN STOP.

APPLIUATION FILED DEC. 23, 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATBNTED AUG. 23, 1904,

- L. H. THULLEN.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN STOP.

APPLIOATION FILED DBO. 23. 1903. NO- MODEL. I I 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3. F33 1 H 0 w I a) aim-sea.- F

No. 768,206. Patented August 23, 1904.

UNITE STATES. PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS H. TH-ULLEN, OF EDGEWVOOD, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNQR TO THE UNION SWITCH-18a SIGNAL (30., OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A COR- PORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA. 1

AUTOMATIC TRAIN-STOP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 768,206, dated August 23, 1904. 7

Application filed December 23, 1903. si fll 8 ,3 del-1 T aZZ whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LOUIS H. THULLEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Edgewood, in the county'of Alleghenyand State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Automatic Train- Stops, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an automatic trainstop. 1 I will describe an automatic train-stop embodying my invention and a modification of my invention and then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying. drawings, Figure 1 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in vertical section, of an automatic train-stop em- I bodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a View of the construction shown in Fig. 1 in a plane at shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Figs. 3,4, and 5 are each detail views showing a modification of my invention. Fig. 6 is a detail view showing a different position of certain parts shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Figs. 7 and 8 are diagrammatic views of portions ofarailway-track and of circuits for controlling the position of the 4 of the train, or both. In'another position it will not engage the lever. The dotted position L -in Fig. 1 is its operative position and the other dotted position in the said figure is its inoperative position. The stop or trip L is rigidly mounted upon a shaft Z, which shaft is suitably journaled adjacent a railway-track, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. A counterweight Q is also connected with the shaft, and this right angles to Fig. 1. Fig.2 is a detailed perspective view of a part of the apparatus,

In one position the counterweight normally acts to move the stop or trip to its operative position.

r The stop or trip may be moved out of its operative position by any desired means; but I preferably employ automatically-operated means; In Figs. 1, 2,'and 2 the stopis moved to its inoperative position through a rod A,

' which has a suitable connection with the upand-down rod ofan automatically-operated semaphore-signal, and the stop is held in its inoperative position by an arrangement of parts electrically controlled and generally termed in the art an electric slot mechanism or an .electric locking means. The end of the rod Ais provided with an elongated slot P, through which a pin or studNeXtends. which pin is carried by a rod B, connected with an arm 6, rigidly mounted on the shaft Z. l The arrangement of the pin N and slot P is such that whenthe pin P is at the lower end of the slot in the rod A a movement of the rod A will cause a movement of the rod B, and should the rod B be held in the position to which it has been moved by the rod A the rod A will be free to move downwardly again without in any Way afiecting the rod B. The rod B is here shown as consisting of two parts, between which the end of the rod A is placed, the pin N serving to retain the two parts of the rod in their relative-positions. Each of the parts of the rodB is provided with a hinged catch 0, although, if desired, only one such catch may be employed. Springs 0,

carried by each part of the rod B, bear upon the catches C and tend normally to force them outward, this outward movementbeing limited by a stop 0, also carried by each part of the rod B. I

D designates a lever hinged to a fiXPJClbI'ZtCkGi] I d. The lever D is connected to a chain of levers G, H, and K in a manner substantially similar to that shown and described in United States Patent No. 611,943, issued October 4:, 1898, to J. G. Schreuder. The end of the lever K is provided With a catch which is adapted to be engaged by a hook N of the armature'F,provided for electromagnets E. The arrangement of the levers G, D, H, and K and the armature F and their operation is substantially the same as that l set forth in the patent above'referred to, and this arrangement of parts is generally termed in the art an electric slot mechanism or an electric locking means. When the arma ture F is attracted to the electromagnets E, the lever D will be held from movement, so that the catch or catches C may engage the lever and will be prevented from any return movement. Any other electrically-controlled means for holding the stop in an inoperative position may be employed.

The operation of the parts just described is as follows: Assuming the stop or trip to be in its dotted position L and the rod A in such position that the end of its slot P will receive the pin N, then upon a movement of the automatic apparatus connected with the signal to which the rod A is connected the rod A Will move and carry with it the rod B, so as to move the stop L to its inoperative position. WVhen the stop has been moved to its inoperative position, the catches C will be forced into engagement with the lever D, which will then support the rod B. hen the trip L is to be set to its operative position, it is only necessary to deenergize the electromagnets E to have them release the armature F and permit the lever D to move on its pivot and become disengaged from the catch or catches C. (See Fig. 6.) With the lever D disconnected from the catch or catches G the counterweight Q Will move the rod B downward and the stop or trip L to'its operative position. The circuit of the electromagnet C may be controlled in any desired way. An arrangement of circuits for the electromagnets E is shown in Fig. 7.

Referring now to Fig. 7 X designates a portion of a railway-track, one of the rails of which is divided into sections by means of insulation to form block sections. 1 indicates one of said sections, and 2 3 parts of adjacent sections. If desired, both the rails may be divided by insulation. Each of the bloek-sections is provided with a battery 1 at one end, a relay y at its other end, which may be provided with a number of the contacts. In the drawings it is shown as being provided with three contacts Which are controlled by armatures 1 3 y*, it being understood in practice that there will be only one armature to control the three contacts in their desired order. A plurality of armatures may be employed. A function of each relay y is to control a local circuit, including the operating mechanism for the semaphore-signals S or S In the arrangement of the circuits shown in Fig. 7 the local circuit for each signal comprises an armature of the relay of the block-section which it immediately controls and the armature of the relay of the blocksection next in advance. Therefore if a train is on either block- section 1 or 2 the circuit for the signal S will be open and the signal at danger. The circuit, including the electromagnet E of the slot mechanism for each train-stop, is controlled by the relay ol' the block next in advance. For example, the stop located adjacent the signal S is controlled by the relay of the block-section 2. ll desired, the electromagnets E of the slot-contact may be controlled also by the relay ol' the block-section 1. In fact, it may be controlled from any one or a mnnber of trackrelays y.

Assuming that there is no train on blocksections 1' and 2, the signals S and S" will he in a clear position of imlication and the trainstops adjacent these signals will be in their inoperative positions. It may be mentionwl here that my invention in train-stops may be employed in a normally clear system of signaling or a normally danger system of signaling. As shown in the drawings, the trainstop is employed in connection with a normally clear system of signaling. As soon as the train enters the block-section l the relay 1 will be short-circuited, and the armature will fall away to open the three contacts. The signal S will go to danger. As soon as the train leaves block-section 1 and enters block-section 2 the relay of block-section 2 will be short-circuited and will drop its armature to open the local circuit of the signal S and also to open the circuit of the electromagnets E of the train-stop adjacent the signal S. The signal S will not clear after the exit of the train from its block, as its local circuit is carried through the armature of the relay y/ of block-section 2. As soon as the train leaves block-section 2 the signal S will clear, and in clearing it will move the trainstop adjacent it to its inoperative position, and it will be held in this position because the circuit of the electromagnets will be closed at relay 2 of block-section 2.

Referring now to Fig. 3, the levers l), (l, H, and K are carried by a lever J, which is fulcrumed to a bracket j, provided in a suitable casing located adjacent the rail\ wry-track. One end of the lever is connected with an arm l), carried by a shaft 1, and the other end of the lever is adapted to engage catches (3, suitably hinged in the casing. The red A is slotted, as shown in Figs. land 2, and engages with a pin (0, carried by the lever J.

In Fig. 4 substantially the same arrange.- ment is shown as in Fig. 3. The lever J, however, is pivoted at one of its ends and is provided with a slot (1, in which a pin 03, carried by the rod A, moves.

The form of invention illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 may be employed in the same arrangement of circuits as that shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 5 illustrates a further modification of my invention. Substantially the same form of mechanism is employed for moving the stop or trip L to its inoperative position as that shown in United States Patent No. (llhflrlJ-K,

lOO

issued October 4, 1898, to J. G. Schrender. In this form of the invention an electric motorR is employed for moving the lever J. As the lever J is lifted by the gearing S and T, Operated from the motor B, it operates-a circnit-controllerWto open a circuit on the motor. An arrangement of circuits in which the contacts shown inFig. 5 may be employed is illustratedin Fig. 8. The signals S and S are controlled in the same way as illustrated "in Fig. 7

What I claim as my invention is 1. The combination with a stop located adjacent arailway-track, of automatically-operated means for moving it to and holding it in an operative position comprising an electric slot mechanism.

2. The combination with a stop located adjacent arailway -track, of antomatically-operated means connected with said stop for moving it to an inoperative position, and an elec-' tric slot mechanism for holding the stop in an inoperative position.

3. Incombination with a stop, a weight for moving it to an operative position, an automatically-operated means for moving it to an inoperative position, and a slot mechanism for holding it in an inoperative position.

4. In combination with a stop, an automatically-operated meansfor moving it to an inoperative position, and means electrically controlled for holding the stop in its inoperative position.

,5. In combination with a stop, an automatically-operated means for moving it to an in operative position, means electrically controlled for holding the stop in its inoperative position and a track-circuit and means for controlling the means for holding the stop in its inoperative position.

6. In combination with a stop, aweight for moving it to an operativeposition, a signal mechanism for moving it to an inoperative position, and a slot. mechanism controlled from a track-circuit for holding the stop in an inoperative position.

7 In combination with a stop, an automatically-operated signal mechanism for moving the stop to an inoporative position, and means electrically controlled for holding the stop in its inoperative position.

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

- LOUIS H. THULLEN.

' Witnesses:

W. L. MODANIEL, GEO.= MCCORMICK.

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