US852633A - Train-stopping apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

No. 852,633. 'PATENTED MAY 7, 1907.

' H. G. SBDGWIGK.

TRAIN STOPPING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION IILED Jun 14,1900.

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V aiboznm d No. 852,633 i PATENTED MAY 7, 1907;

H. G. SEDGWIGK.

TRAIN STOPPING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION mm mm: 14.1906.

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Witnesses WM -@M 779w PATENTED MAY v, 1907.

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glnvzutoz LET H. G. SEDGWIOK. TRAIN STOPPING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14.. 1906.

wit" eases atfoznoqy HIRAM cis'nncwioK, or MILL VALLEY, CALIFORNIA.

. TRAIN-STOPPING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 7, 1907. I

Annlication fil ed June 14,1906. Serial Ila 321,768.

To will iuhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, I'IIRAM G. SEDewIcK, a citizen of the United States of America, and

- a resident of Mill Valley, county of Marin,

State of California, have invented. certain new and useful Improvements in Train- Stopping Apparatus, of which the following is a full and clear specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in

which- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of, one block showing the arrangement of contacts and roadbed circuits, the signal devices at the head of the block being. omitted; Fig. 2 a similar view showing one end of the block and the signal devices connected thereto;

Fig. 3 a detail perspective View showing the motor circuits and cam device for raising the semaphore to danger; Fig. 4 is a view showing .a modified arrangement of the signal devices.

The object of this invention is to rovide an extremely simple block system 'or preventing collisions, means being provided particularly pointed out in the appended whereby each train as it proceeds preempts a block or section of the roadway, preventing any train coming from either direction from entering the block until it is free of trains, the means for preventing trains from entering the block while thus preempted being ontirely automatic and independent of all-signals and the actions of the train-crews, as more fully hereinafter set forth.

To the accomplishment of this object and such others as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists of the parts and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, and

claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, inwhich the same referencecharacters designate like parts throughout the several views.

This invention has special reference to the train-stopping system covered by my copending application No. 288,914, filed November 24, 1905.

One object of the present invention is to do away with the setting-contacts and the restore-contacts and to use in iieu thereof short insulated sections of the track rails, and another object is to provide that system with automatic signal devices, as more fully hereinafter set forth.

, This system like the system set forth in my aforesaid application is adapted to be used in connection with contacts or brushes carried by the locomotive or motor car, the locomotive being provided with a local circuit or ,circuits whereby when the brushes are bridged or metallically connected by the stopping-contacts on the roadbed, the train pipe will be vented and the brakes applied or other suitable train-stopping devices put into operation. In the present system the brake magnet is operated by means of a battery on the locomotive thereby doing away with numerous local batteries on the roadbed, and the locomotive is provided with duplicate pairs of brushes on each side and with means for cutting in one pair-of brushes and cutting out the other pair when the engine is reversed, so that the locomotive brushes will coact only with the contacts on the right side of the track looking in the direction in which the train is moving and whether or not the locomotive be going forward or backward.

In the present system the stopping-con tacts a are arranged, as formerly, at each,

end of the block and on opposite sides of the track and a short distance ahead of each pair of contacts is a pair of short rail sections 1)- which are adapted to be electrically connected by the wheels and axles of the trains and which are adapted 'to' set the stopping-contacts. The restore sections 0 of the rails are located between the stopping devices on the setting rail sections 1), so that a train before entering a block will pass over successively the stopping-contacts, the restore rail sections 0, and then the setting rails b, and on leaving a block a train passes over the rail sections in the reverse order. It will be'understood that the restore rail sections 0 are arranged at the end of each block while the setting rail sections are adapted to operate only as a train enters a block. It will be understood also that the stopping-contacts a at one end of the block-are adapted to cooperate only with trains going in one direc-- tion while the contacts at the other end of the block are reversely arranged in that they I oo are adapted to co-operate only with trains going in the op posite direction.

At the beginning of each block is conven iently placed a relayor switch box 11 preferably mounted on the usual telegraph poles adjacent to the roadbed and these boxes are connected by two line wires e, f. The re-. store rails c at the end of a blockandialso thestopping-contacts a and the setting rails b. at the beginning of the same block are connected by wires to the adjacent relay box.

The stopping-contacts areconnected by wires g 'to a switch h which is adapted to be closed by a magnet j and to be opened by a magnet Ir. When the switch It is closed the stopping-contacts are metallically connected and when the switch is open these contacts are rendered inactive, as is obvious. The setting rail sections 1) are connected. by wires Z"to a battery m, one limb of the circuit passing through the magnet of a switch n, this switch being preferably the ordinary telegraph sounder and having its lower contact connected to groundthrough a battery 0 and its upper contact connected to ground through a wire p. The armature. lever of this switch, which normally bears up against the upper contact is connected by a wire with switch r, this switch being preferably the ordinary relay circuitcloser used in telegraphy. The wire passes through the magnets of this relay and becomes the line wire f, which leads to the relay'box at the other end of the block and connects with the companion relay r in that box. The relay 7" when energized closes the circuit t of the closing magnet j, the wires of this circuit be- '1ng connected to the aforesaid battery m.

In each relay box (1 the above described mechanism is duplicated, the opening magnet 76 being connected by wires-u to a relay 1/- and a battery w, and one of thewires ac of this relay being connected through the armatitre lover of a switch y and a wire 2 to ground, while the other wire a of this relay goes out of the box and becomes the line wire e leading to the companion relaye at the other end of the block. The magnet of the sounder switch y is connected in circuit with battery to by the wires b with' the restore rail sections 0. The lower contact of each of the switches y is connected to ground through a battery 0 One limb of each of the circuits b has .in-

serted in it a circuit breaker b consisting of a stationary contact and a movable contact mounted on the armature lever of the sounder switch so that when the sounder switch is energized the circuit?) will be broken at b.

, With an arrangement such as described, it

will be observed that if switch h is closed and the stopping-contacts thereby bridged, a locomotive u on approaching the beginning of a blockwil be automatically stopped as soon as itscontact brushes strike the stopping-contacts. Should the stopping-contacts be inactivethe train will be permitted to pass along and bridge or connect all the.

rail-contacts in succession. The first pair. of wheels of the train that strikes the restore rail-contacts. cwiil close circuit 6 and draw down the armatureof switch y thereby sendssaess I by energized but inasmuch as switch h is already open no disturbance of the arrangement of parts Wlll occur; and as the current passes on through the relay 1)? in the box at v the other end of the block the same result will take place as the magnet circuit in that i box is alsoopen; this bridging oi the con tacts therefore performs no useful function nor does it disarrange any of the circuit-arrangements.

WVhen the wheels strike the contacts I) circuit Z is closed thereby energizing the magnet in'switch n which draws down the armature lever thereof thus breaking con tact b and opening circuit 5 the result of this being to put out of action the restorecontacts 0 and thereby prevent the intermittent making and. breaking of the cir= cuit b this repeated making and breaking of circuit 1') being objectionable in that it would soon wear out and disarrange the switch y by racking it. The contact-rails b are desirably made long enough to prevent the circuit Z being broken again until the entire train passes off these rail sections.

The bridging of the contacts 1) sends a cur rent from. battery 0 through wire (1 and. relay to line f, thus closing circuit t and energizing magnet j from battery m, which closes. switch it and renders the stoppingcontacts (1 active; the current passes on through line f to the relay box at the other end of the block and there performs the same operations as in the first box, thereby closing the other switch it and rendering the stopping-contacts on the other side of theroadbed active and thus guarding the. block against trains coming into it from the opposite direction.

At the end of the block the train passes over setting-contacts b but does not disarrange any of the circuits as the switches it are closed and the energizing of the magnet in switch a in this latter box simply repeats the operations which were performed when the train previously passed over the settingc'ontacts at the beginning of the same block. After the last pair of wheels have passed off these settingcontact rails the restore-contacts c at the end of the block are permitted to act thus restoring all the parts tonorrnal and rendering both stopping-contacts ino ening switch h) and thence backward trough line eso as' t0 perform the same operations in the box at the other end of the. block.

It will thus be olserved that by the ar-- rangement of switches and circuits above set forth 1 are enabled to employ as setting 1 motor. This half turn of the shaft raisesrod and restoring contacts insulated sections of the railway rails, thereby avoiding the necessity of employing separate contacts on the roadbed along side the rails and also avoiding the use of additional pairs of brushes for performing the setting and restoring. operations, the wheels of the trains serving as brushes. I

I may employ any suitable audible or visual signal arrangements with the present system, but I prefer the signaling arrangement shown. In my present arrangement 1 mount on a suitable poleat each end of the block a semaphore 2, which when at danger, as shown in Fig. 2, which is its normal position, closes acircuit 3 by means of contacts 4, said circuit being connected, with the stopping-contacts at the same end of the block, thereby rendering said contacts active so that a train cannot enter the block without first lowering the semaphore to safety and thus break the circuit 3. The semaphore is dropped to safety by means of a pair of rail-contacts 5 insulated from the main rails andlocated a suitable distance from the stopping-contacts in the adjacent block. Connected to these signal contact rails is a circuit 6 included .inwhich is abattery 7 and a magnetS and which is adapted to be opened and closed at switch h in the relay box at the adjacent end of the block, a suitable contact 9 being arranged. to closev this circuit when said switch is open and the stopping-contacts are inactive. When said ,switch h is closed to render the stopping-contacts at the head of the block. active said circuit 6 is broken at 9 so that the passage of a train over contacts 5 will not energize magnet 8. Should the switch hf be open and-the block thus be clear the energizing of magnet 8 will Withdrawv spring-actuated bolt 10 from under a rod 11 connected at its upper end to the semaphore, thus permitting the rod and the semaphore to drop to safety and indicate to the engineer that the block is clear and at the same time break circuit 3 and permit the train to pass into the block.

. suitably geared to an electric motor 14.

When the rod 1] drops it rests upon the cam 12 mounted upon a shaft 13 which is.

As the train passes over the setting-contacts b and closes circuit Z" it also brings contacts 15 together and closes a circuit 1p which includes abattery 17, a pair of spring contacts 18 and the motor 14, thus causing the motor to be brought into operation to rotatev cam 12 in the direction of'the arrow. The contacts 18 rest upon andare electrically connected by a semi-circular contact 19 carried 11 and permits spring-actuated bolt 10 to snap under it and thereby hold it up until it is again dropped by the energizing of the magnetS. When the cain is in this position its enlarged or semi-circular part will be directly under" the semaphore rod, so that it will be impossible foran oncoming train to drop the semaphore to safety, thus providing an additional safeguard against an oncoming train entering the block. The parts remain in this position until the train reaches the end of the block when it passes over the re-- store-contacts at that end and opens both switches 71. thus opening circuit 16 and closing another motor circuit 20 at contacts 21. This motor circuit includes a battery 22 ,'a pair of spring contacts 23 similar to contacts 18, and the motor 14, and thus again rotates the motor in the same direction; The contact fingers 23 bear upon a semi-circular c1r-.

cuit-closing contact 24 similar to contact 19 and mounted insulatedly on the'cam shaft, this contact 24 being so located that when contact fingers 18 drop ofi contact 19 these fingers 23 pass into their own contact 24 thus completing motor circuit 20' at this point. It will thus be observed that when circuit20 is thus closed at 24 and at 21 the motor will be caused to make another half turn of shaft 13 and then be stopped by the fingers 23dropping joif of-the other end of contact 24. This half" turn of the cam is an idle one and is simply for the purpose of carrying the straight shoulder of the cam around to the position shownin Fig. 1 where the enlargled part of the cam will not interfere with t e dropping oi the semaphore rod. This position of the cam is therefore the normal or safety position, the cam being brought to this position every time a train passes over the restore-contacts at the end of the block. It will be understood of course that the same operations take place at the same instant at both ends of the block and that the operations take place in the reverse order when a train passes through the block in a reverse direction, so that these signal devices provide an additional safe uard against the entrance of a train into a while that block is preempted by another train goin in either direction thereon. These signa 'devices of course will be placed at such .a distance ahead of each block as to enable a train to be stopped before it enters a preempted block, and, if desired, suitable lamp or other supplemental signals may be arranged to indicate to the blocked traini crew in which direction the train in the block is going, so that the blocked train-crews will know whether to stop and back or to go block I tacts 26, in whichjcircuit is included a suitable battery which is connected to the motor 14 and therebyoperates said motor to instantly raise the semaphore to danger. In

this arrangement the circuits 16 and 20 are done away with but the signal circuit 6 remains as before, so that if the block is preempted the circuit 6 cannot be closed and the s'emapl'iore cannot be dropped to safety.

But if circuit 6 is-closed the semaphore will be dropped and will instantly begin to rise through the motor, the motor continuin'gto rotate until the raising of the semaphore breaks the motor circuit zit-26, by'whieh time the semaphore rod 11 will have been elevated far enough to permit bolt to slip under the lower end of the rod and thus hold up the semaphore. Iln this arrangement,

therefore, the semaphore is restored independently of the restore contacts, and it 'will also be understood that in this arrangement the signal Willbe'located close enough to the stopping-contacts, if circuit 3 be im- 'ployed at all, to permit the train to pass over the stopping-contacts before the'circu it is closed again at 4.

It will be apparent to art that various mechanical embodiments of the invention are possible and Ltherei'ore,

'do not wish to be limited to the'exact arrange ment and construction shown. v

What I claim and desire to secure by Let ters Patent 18 1. In an apparatus orthe class set forth, a

block having stopping devices at each end thereof and at opposite sides of the, track, a air of insulated settin'g rail-contacts at'each end of the block inside of the stop )i'ng devices, a pair of restore rail-contacts etween those skilled in the each pair of setting-contacts. and theadjacent stopping devices, the stopping devices being arranged to co-operatc with sto' ping means on the locomotive and the rai -contacts being adapted'ato be bridged by the wheels and axles of the'trains, and electrical connections whereby the bridging of either pair of setting-contacts will setfb'oth the stopping, devices and the bridging of either pair-6f restore-contacts will restore both the stopping devices to safety, substantially as set forth.

' 2. 1n an apparatus of t-he'class set forth, a!

block having stopping devices at each-end thereof and at opposite sides of the track, a

means on the locomotive and iherar'.

pair of insulated setting rail contacts at each end of'the block inside of thestop ing devices, a pair of restore railcontactsetwecn each pair of'setting-contacts and the ad a-,

cent stopping devices, the stopping devices being arranged to .cooperate with stopping wontacts being adapted to be bridged by the wheels and axles ofthe trains, and electrical connections whereby the bridging of either pair of setting-contacts will set botlrthe.

stopping devices and the bridging of either pair of restore-"contacts will restore both thestopping devices to safety, these electrical connections including means whereby the bridging of the restore-contacts at the head of the block will be prevented from setting the stopping devices. I I

35in an apparatus of the class set forth, a block having stopping devices at each end thereof and at opposite sides of the track, a

pair of insulated setting rail-contacts at each end of the block inside of the stopping devices,

apair of 'restore'raihcontacts etween each pair of setting-contacts and the adj acent stopping devices, the stopping devices being arranged to co-operate with stopping'mea'ns on the locomotive and the rail-contacts being adapted to' be bridged by the wheels and axles of the trains; and electrical connections whereby the bridging of either pair of settingcontacts will set both the stopping devices and the bridging of either pair of restore-con- In combination with a train-stopping system embodying a block and electricallycontrolled means for preempting, the block by the entrance, of a train therein, of a signal appliance at each end of the block and means for maintaining it normally at danger, means outside of each'end of the block for bringing be restored to danger upon the entrance of the train into the block and be locked at danger while the train is in the block and be left said signal to safety if. the block be not preempted, and means whereby the signal will at danger when the train passes out of the block: i

6.- In anammratus of the class set forth, a block having stoppiiig devices at each end thereof, a pair of insulated setting rail-contacts at each end of the block inside of the stopping devices, a pair of restore rail-pontacts, the stopping devices being arranged to co-operate with stopping means on the locomotive and the rail-contacts being adapted to be electrically bridged by the wheels and axles of the trains, and electrical connections whereby the bridging of either pair of settingcontacts will setboth the stopping devices to danger and: the bringing of either pair-of restore-contacts willirestore boththe stopping devices to safety, substantially-asset forth;

Its

7. In an apparatus of the class set forth, a block having stopping devices at each end thereof, a pair of insulated setting rail-contacts at each end of the block inside of the stopping devices, a pair of restore rail-contacts ahead of or outside each pair of settingcontacts, the stopping devices being arranged to cooperate with stopping means on the locomotive and the rail-contacts being adapted to be bridged by the Wheels and axles of the trains, and electrical connections where by the bridging of either pair of setting-contacts will set both thestopping devices to danger and the bridgingqof either pair of restore contacts-- will restore both the stopping devices to safety, these electrical connections inclu dihgmeans whereby the bridging of the restore-contacts at the head of the block will be prevented from setting the stopping devices. 1

8. In' combination with a train-stopping system embodying sto ping devices and an electrical circuit theret br which is normally open, and means for rendering the stopping devices active when the block is preempted,

block system embodying stopping devices on the roadbed and means whereby these stoping devices are rendered active when the block is occupied, a signal and electrical means'operable by an approaching train and connected to the stopping system whereby the signal is moved to safety as a train enters the block if the block be unoccupied and be restored to danger and held there while the block is occupied. y

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix mysignature in the presence of'two witnesses this 7th day of April 1906.

. HIRAM G, SEDGWICK.

Witnesses:

S. H. ROBERTS, ERNEST J; Mom.

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