US785098A - Railway-signal. - Google Patents

Description

` No. 785,098.' l 1 ATP1111EDI MAR. 21, 1905.

411.11. HANLON.

RAILWAY SIGNAL.`

APPLIOATIQN FILED AUG. 11,1904

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N0. 785,098. f I PATENTED MAR. 21., 1905'.v

M. D. HAN-LUN. l

RAILWAY SIGNAL., APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 11.1904.

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IIIHII PATENTBD MAR. 21, 1905.

. M. D. HANLON.

RAILWAY SIGNAL.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG.11.1904.

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vea ATTORNEY www. MW/ www W UNITED STATES Patented March 21, A1905.`

PATENT OFFICE.

MARQUIS yD. HANLON, OF WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNION SWITCH AND SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISSVALE, PENN- SYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA. i

RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 785,098, dated March 21, 1905. Application filed August 1], 1904. Serial No. 220,351.

To all whom it may concern:

My invention relates to railway-signals, and.

particularly to that class of railway-signals in 1 o which the motive power therefor is in the form of Huid-pressure.

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

I In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a vertical sectional view of a portion of a railway-signal embodying my invention and showing more particularly the operating mechanism thereof. lThe several parts of the 2o operating mechanism are in the positions they occupy when the signal device of the railwaysignal is in a position indicating dangen Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l, but taken in a plane at right angles to the plane of section of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on .the line 3 3 of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail view. Fig. is a detail horizontal sectional view taken on 3o the line 6 6 of Fig. l, showing an arrangement of ports and passages for the supply of fluidpressure to different fluid-pressure apparatus comprised in the operating mechanism. Fig. 7 is a view similar to Figs. l and 2, drawn to 3 5 a smaller scale, but showing the several parts in the positions they occupy whenv the signal device is in a position indicating clear or safety Fig. 8 is a detail view.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the figures.

I will premise that wherever I herein use the term signal I mean to include any visual-signal device which by its color or by its position relatively to its support gives indications of the service conditions of the railroadtrack or section of railroad-track which it governs, also wherever Iuse the term fluidpressure I mean a liquid or gas under pressure. I preferably employ a gas. Any gas may be employed*for example, air or carbonic acid gas-and under any pressure which'is suiicient or more than suficient to operate the apparatus employed for moving the signal device. If the pressure of the gas is above that required for the operation of the 5 5 apparatus employed in the railway-signal, reducing-valves may be employed in their proper places. An auxiliary reservoir may also be employed between the reducing-valve and the fluid-pressure apparatus.

A (see Fig. 7) designates a visual signal, here shown as beinga semaphore, and comprising,

'as usual, a blade a and a counterweight a.

The counterweight a' is adapted when the v semaphore is free to move on its pivot a2 to 65 move the blade a, to a horizontal position,which position generally indicates danger or stop when the railway-signal is placed in service beside a railway. In this invention the blade a is moved from its horizontal posi- 7o tion to an inclined position by a fluid-pressure apparatus through the medium of a verticallyarranged rod B, generally termed an up-anddown rod. When in an inclined position, the blade indicates safety or caution The rod B is operatively connected with the semaphore at one end and with the piston of the fluid-pressure apparatus at its other end.

D designates a fluidpressure apparatus which is employed for moving the signalfrom 8o one position of indication to another-that is, from a horizontal position to an inclined position. It is here shown as being in the form of a motor comprising a piston CZ and a cylinder d', within which the piston moves. The 8 5 motor is mounted on a base d2, supported on and secured to suitable brackets. The base d2 is provided with a passage cl3', which is in communication with a controllable source of Huid-pressure supply, a passage d* in com- 9o munication with the passage (Z3, and a second fluid-pressure apparatus E, to be hereinafter more particularly described, a passage d5 in communication with the passage d3 and with a chamber (Z6 through va port (Z7, and a passage (ZS leading from the chamber (ZG to a passage UZ, which latter passage opens into the cylinder (Z beneath the piston. A doubleacting valve F, to be hereinafter referred to, located in the chamber (Z6, upon positive operation in opposite directions opens and closes the passage (Z'5 and port (Z 7 to control the supply of Huid-pressure to the cylinder OZ and an exhaust passage or port (Z 1, leading from the chamber (Z to the atmosphere. The valve F is so arranged that when the port (Z7 is closed the passage (Z 1 is opened, and vice versa. Fluid-pressure for operating the apparatuses D and E may be supplied from any suitable source through a pipe or conduit @10, which is in communication with the passage (Z3, and its flow through the passage (Z 3 is under the control of an electrically-operated valve device G. This valve device may conveniently be substantially of the form and arrangement illustrated and described in United States Letters Patent No. 357,109, issued February 1, 1887, to George Westinghouse, J r., to which patent reference may be had for details of construction and operation. It is only necessary to here state that the electricallyoperated valve device should have the functions of opening the supply of huid-pressure when the coil g5, comprised in the device, is energized and of closing or cutting off the supply of fluid-pressure when said coil is deenergized and of opening an exhaust port or passage through which the used Huid-pressure may escape to the atmosphere. Any electrically operated valve device having these functions may be employed. The fluidpressure passes around the valve g, comprised in the valve device G, into a passage g', which is in communication with the passage (Z 3. The valve g2, comprised in the valve device G, controls the escape of gas from the passages (Z3 and (Z4 to the atmosphere through a port g3. The valves g and (/2 are so arranged that when one is seated the other is unseated or opened, and vice Versa.

In this invention the fluid-pressure apparatus D is designed to move the signal (in this example the blade (Z) from one position of indication toanother, preferably from the danger position of indication to the safety or clear position of indication, by a single upward stroke of the piston (Z. After the signal has been moved by the piston OZ it is locked and held against return movement by suitable lookingl means operated from the liuid-pessure apparatus E. The fluid-pressure apparatus E, as here shown, comprises a diaphragm e, located in a chamber formed in part by a portion of the under side of the base (Z2, and a cap-plate e, which parts also serve to hold the peripheral edge portion of the diaphragm. The diaphragm is provided with a projection (f2, which bears upon and moves a lever e3 when Huid-pressure is admitted onto the diaphragm through the passage (Z 4. The ends of the pin e* are mounted in the brackets supporting the base (Z2.

The locking means here shown comprises a pawl 03 and a lever 0*, which is preferably in the form of a bell-crank lever. The pawl c3 is arranged on a pin 012, which is mounted at its ends in the stem of the piston, which, as shown, is in the form of a cylinder C2, in such manner as to have a swinging movement. The pawl (3 is limited in its radial movement in one direction on the pin cl2 by a projection c2", which may be integral with the pistonstem. The lever c4 is arranged on a pin (2, which is mounted in such manner as to have a rocking movement in some fixed part of the railway-signal-for example, a casing C, suitably mounted on the upper end of the cylinder (Z'. The pin extends through elongated openings c', provided in the piston-stem, in order that the piston and the parts connected therewith may have movement without hindrance by the pin c2. The lever c4 is provided with a roller 05, which when the piston has completed its upward stroke to move the semaphore on its pivot, and with it the pawl c?,

moves beneath a shoulder (21, provided on the pawl. (See Fig. 7.) The lever c4 is rocked by the Huid-pressure apparatus E through the lever e3 and a rod e5. The eliecti've position of the locking means is shown in Fig. 7 In this position the rod B, piston (Z, and pawl (3 under the influence of the counterweight (Z act downwardly to restore the piston (Z to the bottom of the cylinder (Z' and the blade (Z to its horizontal position. Such action, however, is prevented by the lever c* and rod e5 so long as fluid-pressure is acting on the diaphragm e. By reason of the relation of the journal of the roller c5 to the centers of the pins cl2 c2, it lying outside of a line drawn through the centers of the pins cl2 c2, the weight (Z of the semaphore,` rod B, and piston, &c., is transmitted through the pawl c to the periphery of the roller c5 and through its journal-pin to the pin (2 of the lever c4 and tends to force the lever c" outward and the pawl coutward with the roller c5 and to bring a toe portion cl3 on the pawl c3 into engagement with the lever c4. The pawl 03, roller c5, the lever 04, and its pin c2 form, in effect, a toggle-joint. When the diaphragm is relieved from pressure, the lever c4 moves outward on its pivot c2, and with it the pawl c3, thus bringing the toe portion cl3 against the lever c4. In consequence of this the roller c5 is moved from under the pawl and revolving ceases to support the pawl, which, swinging clear of the lever c4 and roller c, descends with the rod B. The rod B under the influence of the counterweight a forces the piston to the bottom of the, cylinder and moves the blade (L to its horizontal position, which indicates danger. The parts are then in the positions shown in Figs. land 2.

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In order to provide for cutting off the 'supply of Huid-pressure to the cylinder after the lever c4 has been moved under the pawl c3 and still retain the Huid-pressure on the diaphragm to render the locking means effective, I providethe valve F and operate it through independent means from the fluid-pressure apparatus E. These independent means preferably comprise a block H and a spring es, carried thereby. The stem f2 of the valve rests on the spring e8, or it may be provided with an adjustable stirrup f3, (see Fig. 8,) in which the spring es extends, and when the block H is moved by the diaphragm the valve F will be moved to shut or out off the supply of Huid-pressure from the cylinder. As soon as the diaphragm is relieved from fluid-pressure a spring e, here shown as surrounding the stem of the valve, acts to move the valve F to close the passage d10 and open the port d. The block H is located in a slot e1", provided in the lever e3, and is so arranged therein that the projection e2 bears on it, as well as the adjacent end of the lever e3. By this arrangement the valve Fcan be positively actuated independently of the signal or its operating mechanism or its movement and only when the signal has been completely moved.

The valve F is located in the chamber d and is shown as being provided with a stem f2 and two valve-faces ff', one, f, to open and close the port Z7 and the other, f', to open and close the entrance to the passage d10, which leads to the atmosphere.

The operation of the valve F by the Huidpressure apparatus E is as follows: When the parts of the railway-signal are 1n the positions shown in Figs. l and 2 upon the energization of the coil comprised in the valve device G,

the valve g2 will be closed and the valve g opened. Fluid-pressure will then flow through the passages CZi3 and el'LV to the diaphragm e and through passages d5, port CZ?, past the valvef, which will be in its open position, (see Fig. 2,) into the chamber Zand through the passages d8 d" into the cylinder d under the piston LZ, thereby causing the piston to.

block H is actuated by the diaphragm to positively move the valve F to close the port 7, and thereby shut off the supply of fluid-pressure to the cylinder and open the exhaustpassage 0310, so that the Huid-pressure in the cylinder beneath the piston may exhaust to the atmosphere. When the supply of Huidpressure is cut o from above the diaphragm, and this is'due to a denergization of the coil comprised in the valve device G, the lever ci will move from beneath the pawl, and in doing so it causes the lever e3 to rock downward. The spring e also acts at this time to open the valve F and return the operating parts of the valve F to the positions shown in Fig. 2.

The coil of the valve device is included in a circuit which may be opened or closed in any desired manner-for example, by the armature or' a relay, the coils of which are included in a track or other circuit.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is* 1. In a railway-signal, the combination of a signal; a {luid-pressure apparatus for moving the signal; means for locking the signal in the position to which it has been moved;4 a fluid pressure apparatus for moving said means; aiuid-pressu re supply for both of said apparatuses; a valve for cutting off the supply of iiuid-pressure to the irst-mentioned.

{luid-pressure apparatus after the signal has been moved and locked; and means, independent of the signal and its huid-pressure apparatus and means for locking the signal, actuated by the Huid-pressure apparatus of the locking means for operating said valve to close it.

2. In a railway-signal, the combination of asignal; a fluid-pressure apparatus for moving the signal; means for locking the signal in the position to which it has been moved; a

fluid-pressure apparatus for moving said means; a iiuid-pressure supply for both of said apparatuses; avalve for cutting 0H.2 the supply of fluid-pressure to the first-mentioned fluid-pressure apparatus after the signal has been-moved and locked; means, independent of the signal and its Huid-pressure apparatus and means for locking the signal, actuated by the Huid-pressure apparatus of the locking means for operating said valve to close it, and a spring for operating the valve to open it.

In testimony whereo'il I have signed my name' to this specification in the presence oi' two subscribed witnesses.

y MARQUIS D. HANLON. Witnesses:

A. HERMAN WEGNER, FREDERICK A. BOOTH.

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