US854398A - Safety appliance for railways. - Google Patents

Description

110.854.398. PATENTED MAY 2&1. 1907. B. L. BELL.

SAFETY APPLIANGE PoR RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED MAB.. 1, 1907.

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No. 854,398. PATBNTLD MAY 21, 1907. L. L. BELL.

SAFETY APPLIANCE POR RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1. 1907.

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. SAFETY APPLIANGE FOR RAILWAYS.

APPLIOATLON FILED MAE. *1, i907.

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PATENT orrion.

ENDO L. BELL, OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA.

SAFETY APPLIANCE'FOR RAILWAYS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1907.

Application l'ed March l, 1907. Serial NO- 360,022.

.T0 @ZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that l, ENDO L. BELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Berkley Station, Norfolk, in the ycounty of Norfolk and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Safety Appliance for Railways, of which the following is a s ecication.

. This invention has re erence `to improvements in railway safety appliances designed to be used in conjunction with block signals, switches, or any other part of a railway where it is desirable to stop a train at a 'certain point to protect the train or other trains from danger of collision or other accident.

The object of the present invention is to provide a mechanical means whereby, when the engineer of a train has failed to observe a danger signal, the train will be automatically stopped when the signal is set at danger, as inthe case of a block system, or whereI a switch toward vwhich the train is approaching has been closed to a siding, or under any other vcircumstances Where the oncoming train should be positively stopped whether or not the engineer observes or obeys the danger.

signal.

To this end, the invention comprises certain elements carried by the locomotive which, when operated, serves to put on the brakes, and, if desired, apply sand to thev rails, and certain other elements along the roadway movable into the path of the oncoming engine so as to engage and operate the necessary valves for the application of the brakes. That element of the device located along the roadway is connected with the semaphore-operating mechanism or with the switch-operating mechanism so as to be thrown into a position where it is in the path of the elements on the enginewhen the semaphore or target is putinto the danger position, and when the switch is closed so that the main track is open to traffic or when the semaphore is placed in the safety position the element along the roadway is moved out of the path of the element on the engine.

Provision is also made whereby the passage of the engine by the element alongthe roadway when this latter .element is set' to coact with the element on the engine .tostop the engine, will operate upon the element situated at the side of the roadway in such manner as to move it out'of the way of the cars or coaches following the engine and thereby prevent injury thereto.

Provision is also made b y the invention for the resetting of the element along the roadway after the same has been operated by the engine. y

The invention will be fully 'understood 'from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, 1n

which,- y

Figure l is a perspective view of a semaphore, a portion of a locomotive engine, and the coacting parts carried by the engine and semaphore post for causing the application of the brakes; Fig. 2 is a plan view Aof the same structures, the semaphore post being shown in section; Fig. 3 is a face view, with parts in section, of the parts carried by the .semaphore post and included inthe invention; Fig. 4 "is a ycentral vertical section through the parts shown in Fig'. 3 and Fig,l 5 is a perspective view showing a section of a railwayjwith the switch target and one of the elements connected therewith which, coacting with an element on the en ine, serves to cause the' application of the rakes on the train.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown the front portion 1 of a locomotive engine having thereon a pi e 2 in which is located a valve 3 so arrangedpwithrelation to the airbrake system that when this valve-3 is operated in the proper manner the air-brakes of the train will be, applied. In connectionv with the valve 3 there is another valve .4 in a pipe 5 and so arranged that on the proper manipulation ofthe valve 4 sand Will be directed to 'the track adjacent to the drive -Wheels of the locomotive. valves 3 and 4 are connected to a valve-operating arm 6 terminating at its outer end 1n a cross-bar 7 having at each end a'vertically extending armA 8 projecting both above and below the cross-bar 7. The engine also carries at some distance to the rear of the valveoperating arm 6 a rigid, laterally projecting roo bracket 9 from .the outer end of which risesl a post 10, the purpose of which will be hereinafter described. The parts thus far described with relation to the engine constitute those portions of the device included in the present 105 semaphore post 1 1 carrying near its upper end 1 1 o The stems of the nected by a link 13 to a rock arm 14 ivotally supported onthelpost and this roc arm is 'connected von opposite sides of its pivot by means of wires, cables or other suitable connecting devices 15 passing under pulleys 16 to a block station, orto a switch, or to any other point desirable from which the semaphore may be o erated. Or, in the case `oi thelsema hore eing located on or close to the'usuallblock station, the wires or cables 15 may be replaced by.links or rods leading directly into the house or tower forming the block station.-

' lFast upon the sema hore post 11 is a rectangular frame 17 belg tothe post by bolts 18 passing through ears'19 formed on one side of the frame 17 Near the u per end the inner faces ofthe sides of the ame are provided with bosses 20, the contiguous faces of which constitute cheeks between which `latter is pivoted an arm 21 'by means of a pivot pin 22 passing through the cheeks and arm therebetween.

Onone side of the pivot-pin the arm 21 is y formed into a head 23^arranged at an angle to the body of the arm 21 so that when this head-23. is..horizontal the arm 21 extends doWnwardb-theother side of the pivot 22 atan angle, and this lower end ofthe arm 21 is cdnnected by means of a link24 to the rock arm 14 at the end remote from that connected to the semaphore 12 by the link 13.

The arm 21;back of the head 23 carries a bracket 25 so that when the top of the head 23 'ishorizontal this bracket will be upright and abut against the cross memberof the f'rbme 17. Centrally through -the head 23 .extends a rod 26, and this rod carries two books 27 and 28, one above the other. The b ook 27 is provided on its upper face with t eth 29, and the block 28 is provided on its lo er face with teeth 30, and these teeth are arranged to interlock, as best indicated in Figi` 3. The block 28 hasa counter-sunk portion 31 surrounding the rod 26,which projects 'through this block, and in this counter-sunk portion 31 rests the lower end of a helical spring 32 surrounding the rod 26 and abutting at its upper end against a headiece 33 fast on the upper end of the rod 26. elow the head 23 of the arm 21, the rod 26 is surrounded by another lhelical spring 34 coniined between the head 23 and a tensionadjusting nut 35i-applied to the lower threaded end of said r'od 26.

The rod 26 conines the blocks 27 and 28 to the head 23, and the s rin s 32 and 34 co-` act to tend to maintain t e b ocks `28 and 27 in contact w1'. th their teeth intermeshing. but yielding to permit the block 2,7 to turn upon the rod 26 as an axis, under which conditions the block 28 will be lifted against the action of the springs-for a purpose Whch'will hereinafter appear.y The block 28 is provided with Win 's 36 straddlin the bracket 25 so that this lock 28 is hel thereby from rotation on the rod 26.

The top of the bracket 25 is formed witha bifurcated overhang 37 having pulleys 38 1n the free end of each le over which cords 39 pass and are connecte at diametrically o posite points to the block 28. These cor s are lunited and pass as a single cord over a pulley 40 mountedon a support 41 'fas.t on one side\of the bracket` 25, and this single cord 39 passes downwardl-A alongside the semaphore post 11 lto some convenient point of manipulation, as will hereinafter appear.

yThe block 27 carries a laterally extending frame composed of four parallel bars 42 having -the outer Iends of the top and bottom bars on one side bent laterallyin one directionv and the to and'bottom bars-of the other side bent aterally in the other direction, and these four bars are joined. at the outer` bent ends by junction pieces 43 44..

It is roposed to make these bars 42 of piping and iience they may be joined to the block 27 by ordinary straight couplings 45 and to the iunction pieces 43 .and 44 by' three-wayr elbows 46. The bars or pipes 42 are provided with a protecting covering 47, either throughout or fora portionoi` their length toward the outer or free ends. j v

yThe construction of the parts thus fardescribed is such that -when the semaphore or target 12 is raised to the horizontal or danger position the frame'carried bythe block 27 will be moved to a horizontal position over the railway track, as indicated in Fig. 1, from a pendent position alongside of the frame 17 which it occupieswh'en the. semaphore arm or target 12 is in the lower-- most or safety position. Now, let it beas- IOO- sumed that the semaphore is vat danger and vthe frame of pipes 42, or, as it may be termed,

the operating member of the device, rojects laterally over the track, as indicate in Fig. l. member. will be in the path of `the head 7-8 on the end'of the llever or arm 6 controlling the valves 3--4. If an engine equipped with the valve-o erating lever or arm approaches the sernap ore When the latter is'. set at danger and the engineer fails "to stop the en'- The outer'or free end of this operating' ine before reaching the semaphore,- whether rom negligence in\ observing the signals or from any other cause, th'evalve arm 6will be v engaged by the operating member projecting IIG from* the semaphore post and this valve arm ysuc will be moved operating member to a position to set the brakes and, 1f desired, apply the sand. Immediately after the brakes are set the post 10 engages. tlreg' erating member and moves it arouzhd the ro 26 as pivot and the inclined faces-6I' the teeth`29HV ride under the inclined faces of ,the teeth 3() and lift the block 28 upward against' the actionl of the springs 32 a'nehrLv-llhe,projectv ing arm or frame of the operating member is moved by the post 10 until the points of the teeth 29 have passed the lowermost edges of the-teeth 30 when the reaction of the springs 32 and 34 through the teeth 30 and 29 will cause the projecting frame of the operating member to move still further on its pivot 26 until it rests against the semaphore post, as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 2, parallelwith the railroad track and no longer over the same. In this position it is well out of the way of the cars or coaches of' the train it has just acted on.

' 0n each side of the frame 17 are arranged ,fixed brackets 43 to receive the laterally extending frame of the operating member when moved to aposition parallel to the railroad track. l

When the laterally extending frame has been engaged by an engine and moved to the position shown in dotted lines, Fig.- 2, it becomes necessary to reset this frame so that it will again -extend into the path of the valveoperating arm 6 on an engine when thesemaj.

phore 1s set at danger. cord 39 is to lift the Fory this purpose the grasped by the operator and pulled block 2S against thel action of the springs tending to de ress the same. When 30 are free from the this is done the teet teeth 29 'and the projecting frame of the o eratinv member may then be moved to t e desired position, after which the cord 39 may be released and the block 28 maybe moved b the springs into engagement with the b ook 27. A'

In Fig. 5 the invention is shown' connected to an ordinary switch tar et, In this figure the switch target is in `cated at 49 and needs no detailed descri tion. At the point where it is desired to rying a swivel plost 51 having a swivel'head 52 resting on t e pedestal '50 and provided with radially projecting arms 53 on each side ofvits Ahead.- These arms are connected by rods or wires or cables 54` passing over suitable supporting rollers 55 mounted on short -to safety in the usual manner the swivellpost posts 56 along the line of track to other arms 57 fast on amovable portion of the switchA target s o that when the switch target is roe tated from safety to danger or from danger ocate the operatingr Amember there is provideda pedestal 50 carracket 58 Icarrying a rod 26 uponv mechanism on the engine when the switch target is moved to a position to close the switch to a siding so that the oncoming train will be automatically stopped before it will be in danger of running into the siding, while when the switch is closed to the main track so that the latter is open to traflic tlieoperating member will then befmoved to one side out of' the path of the valve-operating mechanism on the approaching train.

1. In a' safety appliance for railways, a

A brake-operating mechanism carried by a locomotive engine, a fixed structure on the engine to the rear of and in line with the brakeoperating mechanism, and an arm located adjacentto the track in the path of the brakeoperating mechanism to engage the same and also in the path of the fixed structure on the A engine and movable thereby to an inoperative position.

2. A railway safety appliance coacting with a target or signal and comprising an arm movable to operative position over the track when the signal is set at danger and to an inoperative position when the signal is set at safety, a valve upon an engine, valve-operating means carried by the engine and located to engage the arm when over the track, and means upon' the engine for moving the arm out of operative position after it hasoperated the valve.

3. vIn a railway safety appliance, an arm pivoted formovement in a vertical plane, another arm pivoted to the first arm for movementin a plane perpendicular to the movement ofthe first arm, and a yielding lock for holding the second`- named arm against a certain force tending to move it but yielding to a greater force.

4. In a railway safety ap li'ance, an arm pivoted to move in a verticaijplane, a rod or bar on one end of said arm and movable therewith in the same vertical plane, a block pivotally mounted upon said rod and having teeth on one face, an arm or frame projecting from said block, another block moimted upon said rod and having teeth engaging the teeth of the first block, and a spring u on said rod tending to maintain the toot ed facesof the blocks in mesh; y

5. In a device of the character described,

.an operating valve on an engine having a Vvalve arm or lever normally extending to- 'ward the side of the roadbed,

a fixed structure also extending from the engine but to a greater extent than the valve larm, toward the side of the roadbed, an arm at the -side of the r'oadbed movable to project laterally to,- ward the track into the path of the valve leverand fixed structure on the engine, and a yielding lock for the arm at the sideof they IOO roadbed set to resist the pressure of the valve i lever and yielding to the impact of the fixed A structure on the engine.

6. In a device of the character described, an arm located at the side oT the roadbed and y movable to 'project laterally over thesame, a

toothed block carrying said arm and`pivoted for rotation about a vertical axis, .another toothed block held against rotation and adapted to the toothed 'face of the firstnamed block, a spring holding' the second block in normal engagement with the first block, 'means for m anually lifting the secondnamed block out of engagement with the irst-named block against the action of the spring, means on an engine in the path of the j arm When located laterally over the track for operating the air-brakes, and other moans on the engine to the rear of the first-named means and arranged to 4engage and move the arm about its pivot against the action of the Spring-pressed toothed block.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, l have hereto alliXed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

y ENDO L. BELL.

Witnesses ALPnEUs FIELDS, W. W. ELLIOTT.

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