US833776A

US833776A - Automatic switch-indicator.

Info

Publication number: US833776A
Application number: US29222405A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edward F Coffin
Original assignee: CAREY SHAW
Current assignee: CAREY SHAW
Priority date: 1905-12-18
Filing date: 1905-12-18
Publication date: 1906-10-23
Anticipated expiration: 1923-10-23

Description

PATENTED OCT. 23, 1906.

E. I. COFPIN.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH INDICATOR.

APPLIOATION FILED DEC. 18. 1905.

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' No.833. 776- A PATENTBD'0GT.28,1906.

E. F. GOFIIN.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED 1330.18. 1905.

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No. 833,776. PATENTED 001?. 23, 1906. E. P. GOEPIN. AUTOMATIC SWITOHINDIGATOR.

APPLICATION FILED DEG-18. 1906.

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LII

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD F. COFFIN, OF COLUMBUS, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FIFTH TO CAREY SHAW AND ONE-FIFTH TO SAMUEL GREEN, OF COLUM- BUS, TEXAS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 23, 1906.

Application filed December 18, 1905. Serial No. 292,224.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD F. OOFFIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at C0- lumbus, in the county of Colorado, State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Switch-Indicators; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic switch-indicators, and has for its object the pro vision of means for preventing accidents resulting from misplaced switches, due to the carelessness of the railroad employees or the inability of the engineer to see the customary track-signals, by providing a device which will automatically indicate by the ringing of a bell in the cab of a locomoti ve or other vehicle when a switch is open in due time to allow the engineer to stop the train in approaching a switch on the main line or after entering or leaving a siding. It will thus be seen that it w1ll be impossible for a train to enter or leave a siding and leave the giwciltch open without the engineer being noti- It also has for its object to provide an indicator which is exceedingly simple and durable in construction, cheap to install and maintain, practical, and easy, positive, and

reliable in operation.

The invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of the several parts, as more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 1s a diagrammatic view of a switch with my invention applied thereto, showing the contact device, be battery, &c., designed to be mounted on a locomotive and the connecting circuit-wires; Fig. 2, a top plan view, partly in section, of the switch-contacts; Fig. 3, a top plan view of the contact-shoe to be used on a locomotive; Fig. 4, a side view of the contact-shoe; Fig. 5, an end view of a contact-shoe having a modified form of contactsprings, and Fig. 6 a detail section of one of the sleeves and plugs of the contacts of the switch.

In the drawings, in which like numerals of reference denote like parts throughout the several views, 1 and 2 represent the rails of a main track; 3 and 4:, the usual points of a switch-rail for connecting the main track with a siding. v

' The stationary members of the switch-contact comprise a casing 5, secured to the under side of the base of one of the rails of the main track by bolts or otherwise and having a hole 6 therein. In this instance the casing is shown as secured to the rail 1 of the main track, and mounted in said casing is a rod 7, provided with a head 8, having a hole 9 and a screw-threaded shank 10, which passes loosely through the hole 6 of the casing and has nuts 11 11 adjustable thereon. Aplate prise two

plugs

18 and 19, of insulating material, mounted on and projecting laterally from a block 20, secured to the under side of the base of the point of the switch-rail 3, said plugs being provided with grooves 21, in which are seated springs 22, connected by a vwire 19 and designed to contact with the inner surface of the sleeves when said plugs are forced, therein by the movement of the switch-point.

The extreme ends of the

plugs

18 and 19 are normally seated in the

sleeves

14 and 15, respectively, with the springs 22 out of contact with the sleeves, so that no electrical circuit will be established until the plugs are pushed inward and the springs contact with said sleeves. 23 and 24. are contact-plates, the ends of which curve outwardly at front and rear, as shown at 25, said plates being secured to the ties outside of the tracks and at a sufficient distance from the switch to enable the train to be stopped after the signal is pilot of a locomotive or any other convenient place and which of course must be in line with the said plates, so that it will engage and passbetween the same.

27 and 28 are wires connecting the

sleeves

14 and 15 with the contact-

plates

23 and 24, respectively.

The contact-shoe 26, above referred to, consists of a double-pointed block havin curved leaf contact-

springs

29 and 30 secured to the sides thereof by screws 31, said shoe being reciprocally mounted on a vertical rod 32, attached to the locomotive and normally held in its lower position by a spiral spring 33, located on said rod.

34 represents elongated slots in the ends of

springs

29 and 30, and 35 represents pins mounted on the sides of the contact-shoe and engaging said slots, by means of which the springs are prevented from moving sidewise, but are free to move lengthwise.

A bell 36 and battery 37 are mounted in the cab of the locomotive and connected by a wire 38, the battery being connected to the spring 29 by a wire 39 and the bell being connected to the spring 30 by means of a wire 40.

The object of having the plate 12 capable of being laterally adjusted by means of the screw-nuts 11 11 is to provide for rails of different weight and width, and the object of pivoting the plate 12 on the head of the rod 7, by means of the pin 13, is to allow" said plate to automatically adjust itself so that the

sleeves

14 and 15 thereon will always be in alinement with the plugs 18 and 19-, no mat ter what position the switch-rail occupies.

A modified form of the contact-

springs

29 and 30 is shown in Fig. 5, in which the ends of the springs are made curved in cross-section for the purpose of assisting in holding the contact-plates in engagement therewith.

In operation, the switch being open and the springs22 of the

plugs

18 and 19 in electrical contact with the

sleeves

14 and 15, when the shoe 26, which is in electrical connection with the bell and battery by means of the wires 38, 39-, and 40, enters between the contact-

plates

23 and 24 it closes and completes the circuit between the switch and the bell and rings the bell in the cab of the locomotive, and thereby notifies the engineer that the switch he is ap preaching is open and enables him to stop the train before reaching the switch and close the same.

If the bell does not ring on approaching a switch, all the connections being in order, the engineer knows that the switch is closed and set and locked for the main track, and he can proceed without danger.

The

wires

27 and 28 will be suitably incased and insulated and placed underground or otherwise, and the switch-contacts will be covered or incased by any suitable moisture and rain proof material to protect the same from becoming short-circuited.

Any or all the parts of my invention can easily be removed and examined and new parts substituted, if found necessary, without requiring the services of a skilled mechanic or electrical expert.

I do not wish to be limited to the precise form and details of construction, as the same may be changed somewhat without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is 1. A switch-indicator comprising a circuit-closing device, a battery, a sounding apparatus and a shoe in circuit, contacts adjacent the rails of a track, a contact device at the switch one part provided with plugs having springs, a wire connecting said springs, and the other part of said contact provided with adjustable sleeves, and wires connecting each of said sleeves with one of the contacts adjacent the rails, substantially as described.

2. A switch-indicator comprising a circuit-closing device, a battery, a sounding apparatus and a shoe in circuit, contacts adj acent the rails of a track designed to be engaged and make electrical connection with the shoe, a contact device at the switch one part provided with plugs having springs connected by a wire, and the other part provided with pivoted sleeves, and wires connecting each of said sleeves with one of the contacts adjacent the rails, substantially as described.

3. A switch-indicator comprising a contact device at the switch one part provided with plugs and the other part provided with selfadjusting sleeves, substantially as described.

4. A switch-indicator comprising a contact device at the switch one part provided with plugs and the other part provided with sleeves mounted on a pivoted plate for the purpose of keeping the plugs and sleeves in alinement irrespective of the position of the switch-point, substantially as described.

5. A switch-indicator comprising a con tact device at the switch one part provided with plugs and the other part provided with self-adjusting sleeves, designed to receive said plugs, substantially as described.

6. A switch-indicator comprising a contact device at the switch one part provided with self-adjusting pivoted sleeves and the other part provided with means for engaging said sleeves, substantially as described.

7. A switch-indicator comprising an electrical contact device at the switch one part attached to one of therails of the main track and comprising an adjustable rod provided with a pivoted plate having sleeves thereon, and the other part attached to the switchpoint and comprising plugs provided with contact-springs, designed to make electrical: contact with said sleeves when the switchpoint is thrown to its open position, substantially as described.

8. A switch-indicator comprising an electrical contact device at the switch one part of which is pivoted and self-adjusting, substantially as described.

9. A switch-indicator comprising an electrical contact device at the switch one part carried by a pivoted plate whereby it is adjusted automatically and kept in alinement with the other part, substantially as described.

10. A switch-indicator comprising a contact-shoe on a moving vehicle in circuit with a battery and sounding apparatus, said contact-shoe being provided with springs on its opposite sides connected to said circuit, contact-plates adjacent the rails with which said shoe is designed to make electrical contact, and a contact device at the switch connected to said plates whereby when the shoe contacts with the plates adjacent the rails and the switch is open the sounding apparatus on described.

11. A switch-indicator comprising a contact device at the switch one part provided with plugs having springs and the other part provided with self-adjusting sleeves designed to receive said plugs and contact with said springs, substantially as described.

12. A switch-indicator comprising a con-- tact device at the switch one part provided with plugs having springs and the other part provided with sleeves mounted on a selfadjusting plate, said plate being pivoted on a rod, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature 3 5 in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD F. COFFIN.

Witnesses:

S. H. SIMPsoN, W. S. MILLER.