US811292A - Semaphore. - Google Patents

Description

No. 811,292. PATENTE) JAN. 3o, 1906,

C. HANSEL.

SEMAPHORE.

AIPLIUATION FILED JULY 20 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 1 PATBNTED JAN. 30, 1906. C. HANSEL.

SEMAPHORE.

APPLIOATION PlLBD JULY zo, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2,

WIM( @5,

CHARLES HANSEL, 0F ROCHESTER, NEWT YRK.

SENIPHORE.

ivo. 811,292.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 30, 1906.

Application filed July 20, 1904. Serial No. 217,360.

To all whom, t 77mg/ concern.'

Be it known that 1, CHARLES HANsEL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Semaphores, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to semaphores, and particularly to that class of semaphores cominonly called three position.

The object of the invention is to provide a signal of the greatest safety and certainty of indication and which also is moved from the horizontaler danger position to the highest position in order to give other indications, such as all clear and caution The invention embodies also other details hereinafter described and claimed.

ln the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a signal mechanism or mast, a portion of the casing being shown to exhibit internal construction. Fig. 2 is another elevation of the saine device seen on a line at right angles to the line of view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the same mechanism shown in Fig. 3, a portion of the outer casing or mast being removed. Fig. 5 is a view of the head and operating mechanism therein, the casing being shown in section and the parts in the normal or danger position. Fig. 6 is a like view of the same parts shown in the intermediateJ or caution position. Fig. 7 is a like view of the sameparts shown in the all-clear position, and Fig. 8 is a vertical section on the line 8 8 of Fig. 5, the position of the parts in both these figures be :ing the same.

In the drawings, 1 is a mast for supporting the semaphore, which in the present instance is tubular and is supported upon the base 2, containing a motor 3 for actuating the signal, which motor is connected to an up-and-down rod 4, which may be of wood, as is preferable, is guided in the tubular mast and supported so as to prevent its bending by means of a series of supporting devices consisting of a frame 5, adapted to be clamped upon the rod 4as, for instance, by being made of two parts attached together by the screws or bolts 6. The frame has a series of arms 7, (three in the present instance,) each of which carries an antifriction-roller 8 on its end, which roller bears against the inside of the mast 1. The roller, as shown, may be crowned for better operation. The interior of the frame 5 where it grasps the rod 4 may be serrated or other wise roughened, as shown. In the present instance the rod 4 is shown to be hollow in Fig. 3, and for lightness and stiffness a bamboo pole may be employed as the up-anddown rod 4. A socket 9 is attached to the lower end of the up-anddown rod 4 and is pivoted, as at 10, to the motor mechanism. It is preferable to employ a dasli-pot or buffer device for preventing too rapid motions of the apparatus andv to counteract shocks therein. Such a dash-pot 11 is connected to the casing and to the upanddown apparatus. At the upper end of the rod 4 it is fas tened by a suitable connecting-rod 12 to the actuating-bar 13, which slides in antifrictionguides 14 in a vertical line and bears studs or similar devices, such as the two rollers 15 and 16, on opposite sides of the bar for the purose hereinafter described.

In the head or upper casing 17 is a pivotpin 18 whose rear end 19 rests in the bearingblock 20, fastened in the casing 17. The other end of the pivot-pin 18 passes through and has its bearing in a sleeve 21 ,which lies in a bearing 22 in the casing. The pivot-pin 18 carries rigidly fixed upon it a striker or alliigator-j aw 23, adapted to be engaged by the stud or roller 16. The sleeve 21 carries rigidly fixed upon it a striker 24, adapted to be engaged by the roller 15. The sleeve 21 also carries the blade-grip casing 25 for the homesignal blade 26. The said'casing carries a lug 27, either integral with the said bladegrip casing or bolted thereto, and the spectacle portion 28, having holes in it for glasses as desired by the user. In the form shown three holes are shown in the apron adapted to carry lenses or glasses of different colors. Some users prefer only two holes and to show the natural light of the lantern 29 at the end of the api'on. rl`he blade-grip casing Si) of the second or distant-signal blade 31 is fastened upon the pivot-pin 18, and -said casing carries a lug 32 for engagement with the lug 27, above described, in the iiianner herein after set forth. The head or mast carries a supportSB for the lantern 29. When both blades are in the danger position, they are side by side, and thus registering with each other look like a single blade. The upper hole in the apron 28 is opposite the lamp. 1f the motor 3 or other manual or other automatic actuating means is operated ,the up-anddown rod 4 and IOO actuating-bar 13 are raised a predetermined distance, so that the stud or roller 15 engages the striker into the position shown in Fig. 6, which raises the home-signal blade 26 into the caution position, which is intermediate between the danger position and the all-clear position of this blade. The second or distant-signal blade 31 is not moved, because its pin or roller 16 does not engage the striker or alligator-j aw 23 until a further movement (not that just described) of the up-and-down rod and actuating-bar 13 occurs. The fact that the blade 31 remains in the normal danger position While the blade 26 is in the caution position, gives the engineer of the train a sure caution indication, because the two blades, as will be shown, are never in different positions except when indicating caution. At danger and at all clear the blades take registering positions. With the signal-blades in the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 6 the parts may take the safety position by a further upward movement of the up-and-down rod 4 and the actuating-bar 13. During this position the pin or roller 15 runs along a face 34 on the striker 24, which maintains the blade 26 in the caution position until the lug 32 comes into contact with the lug 27, in which position the two blades register at caution 5 but further upward movement of the actuatin -bar 13 lifts both blades together into the sa ety position shown in Fig. 7. On releasing the blades both fall to the danger position shown in Fig. 5, and the dash-pot 11 prevents any shock to the apparatus. Stopping means are provided for adjusting the parts in a suitable horizontal or danger position, such as the adjustable stop 35, which makes contact with the striker 23 or with some part connected with the pivot-pin 18, while in the danger position the lugs 27 and 32 are in contact.

To illustrate the operation of this device in connection with an automatic signal if the train enters the block with a clear signal, Fig. 7, the first pair of wheels on the usual insulated track-section releases and drops both arms to the danger position shown in Figs. 5 and 8, and as soon as the rear aXle of the last car in the train passes out of the first block the home-signal blade 26 is lifted through an angle of aboutV forty degrees, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6, while the other or distant-signal blade still remains horizontal. This gives a very clear and positive indication of caution, as we have the horizontal blade to compare with the other blade at an angle of about forty degrees to it. As the train passes out of the second block the distant or fish-tailed blade 31 is moved upward, and as it comes opposite the home blade 26 the lugs 27 and 32 engage, and both blades are raised until they have reached an angle of about seventy degrees (or any other desired predetermined angle) to the horizontal.

The colors of lights by night are adjusted to correspond with the position of the blades. These angles may be varied as desired.

It will be noted that in the case of any accident to the mechanism or in winter in case of the accumulation of snow and ice upon the semaphore-blades the tendency is always to drop to the danger position.

An ordinary electric slot mechanism may be used with this device, whereby when the caution position is reached the actuatingcurrent of the motor is cut out and the blade is held in the caution position by the electric slot. As the train passes out of the second block the motor is again energized and moves the up-and-down rod farther upward, carryin'g with it both blades to the safety position, and thus the current is then again cut out from the operating mechanism, and the electric slot holds both blades at the safety position until the train enters the block.

The device is equally applicable to all kinds of signaling, whether automatic, block, or otherwise. j

It will be noticed that in the safetyand caution positions the pressure on the operatingbar is downward, so that on any release of the 'up-and-down rod the blades will take the danger position.

What l claim is- 1. A railway-semaphore consisting of a pair of movable semaphore-blades, and a single actuating means for setting and retaining said blades ina registering position and in a separated non-registering position.

2. A railwaysemaphore consisting of a pair of movable semaphore-blades, and a single actuating means for setting and retaining said blades in one position in which both are visible, separated from each other,`from one point of view, and in one or more other positions in which only one blade is visible from the same point of view.

3. A railwaysemaphore consisting of a pair of semaphore-blades, means for setting one blade to a certain position, and means for setting the second blade, and with it the first blade, to another position.

1. A railway-semaphore, consisting of a pair of semaphore-blades normally supported in the danger position, means for setting one blade to the caution position, and means for setting the second blade, and with it the first blade, to the safety position.

5, A railway-semaphore, consisting of two semaphore-blades one on a shaft and the other ona sleeve surrounding the shaft, means for operating one blade by itself, and means for operating the first blade by the second blade.

'6. A railwaysemaphore, consisting of a pair of semaphore blades, pivoted on the same axis, a striker on each blade, and an actuating-bar adapted to engage first one striker and then the other striker.

IOO

IIO

7. A railway'semaphore, consisting of a gle actuating means for setting and retaining lo pair of semaphore blades pivoted on the said blades in two registering positions and in same axis, a striker on eaeh blade, an aetuatan intermediate, separated non-registeringl ing-bar adapted to engage 'lirst one striker position.

5 and then the other striker7 `and means for moving one blade by the other from an inter- CHARLES HANSEL mediate to a iinal position. Witnesses:

8. A railwaysemaphore consisting of a D. GURNEE, pair of' movable semaphore-blades, and a sinl C. W. CARROLL.

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