US892636A - Controlling apparatus for railway appliances. - Google Patents

Description

No. 892,636. PATENTED JULY 7, 1908.

H. C. WILLIAMS & P. B. HARRINGTON. CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY APPLIANCES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4,1907.

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HANDLE E. AHH WGTUNI 3% m ATTY PATENTED JULY 7, 1908. H. U. WILLIAMS & P.'B. HARRINGTON.

CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY APPLIANCES.

APPLIOATION FILED NOVA, 1907.

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IAZYENTUH 5 HJHAM CZ WILLIAM. m S m FRANCIS B. EZIHHINGTUZSZ.

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UNI ED STA. was PATENT OFFICE.

HIRAM C. WILLIAMS, OF IlTIOA, AND FRANCIS B. HARRINGTON, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY APPLIANCES.

\1\ .7 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 7, 1908.

Application filed November 4, 1907. Serial No. 400,646.

' To all whom it may concern:

terlocked levers for controlling railway aphances, and its object is to provide a timeimit device for insuring a certain interval between the operation of certain of the levers.

Such a time-interval is es ecially desirable between the operation of evers controlling respectively a slgnal and a switch, in order the flow of fluid from one c that the switch may not be thrown without giving suflicient warning to an approaching tram, by properly setting the sigma a certain le th of time before the switch is thrown.

ur invention consists in providing a timelimit circuit-closer operated by one of the levers, and comprising a receptacle containing a conducting fluid and having two chambers joined by .a restricted o ening, so that liamber to the other is retarded, and circuit-terminals in one chamber in circuit with an electromagnet controlling a lock for another of the levers.

Our invention will best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fi ure 1 shows diagrammatically a pair of inter ocked levers provided with time-limit controlling means arranged in accordance with our invention; Fig. 2 shows a front elevation, partly in cross-section, of the timelimit circu1t-closer; and Fig. 3 shows a sideelevation .of the same.

In Fig. 1, A and B represent a pair of levers interlocked in the usual manner by suitable apparatus, indicated diagrammaticallyat O. D represents asignal controlled by the lever A, and E a switch controlled by the lever B. F represents a time-limit circuit-closer, which is operativel connected to the lever A by a rack a, whic is moved by the lever and a pinion f on the circuit-closer. The circuit-closer is rotatably mounted so that when lever,A is shifted, raising or lowering' the rack 11, the circhit-closer" is rotated. This circuit-closer F-is' constructed, as will be hereinafter described, so that-a certain interval elapses between this movement and the closing of its circuit. G represents an electromagnet in circuit with the device F controlling a lock for the lever B. H represents the usual track-relay, which may control the slot mechanism J of the lever A, indicated diagrammatically at signal D, and also controls the lock-magnet G jointly with the device F, so that the lever B cannot be thrown when a train occu ies the tracksection to which the rela is connected.

In Fig. 1, the switch 1% is thrown for the main track, and the signal D stands at clear. If the operator desires to throw the switch. for a siding, he must first throw the lever A so as to set the signal D at danger, in order :that the lever B may be unlocked by the interlocking mechanism C. After the lever, A is thrown to set the si nal D at danger, the lever B cannot immediatel be shifted, because the circuit-closer F oes not immediately close its circuit when the lever .A is shifted. A certain time elapses before the circuit of the magnet G is closed so as to cause the magnet to unlock the lever B, and this time-interval either enables a train to stop at the signal D, or, if it is already passing the signal, to denergize the relay H, so as to prevent the magnet G from being ener ized, and to protectitself from having lever B thrown beneath its wheels.

The construction of the time-limit circuitcloser is shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The casing, or fitting, F of the circuit-closer is rotatabl mounted, and contains a receptacle K. aapted to contain mercury. This receptacle, which may be secured within the casing b cement, as indicated in Fig. 2, has two chambers, which are joined by a large openin or s out It, and a restricted opening 7c. Wlmen t e receptacle K is rotated'clockwise through ninety degrees from the position shown in Fig. 2, the mercury passes from the left-hand chamber through the openin or spout 10 into the right-hand chamber. lhis opening is large enough so that the transfer o cle through the restricted opening k. his

by Letters Patent of the 0 ening is so small that a considerable time c apses before suificient mercury can flow into the left-hand receptacle to connect the circuit-terminals L. These circuit-terminals may be connected to the opposite halves of the casing or fitting F if these halves are insulated as indicate by the insulating ring M of Fig. 3, and if the outer bearing for the fitting is also insulated'from the supporting bracket, as indicated at m in Figs. 2 and 3. By this construction'the necessity of em loying sliding contacts or. flexible lead s is avoided, and binding-posts O 0 may be employed for connecting the device in circuit.

Certain of the structural details of the circuit-closer, abovedescribed, we do not claim as our invention, the scope of which is pointed out in the annexed claims.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure United States, is,-

1. In combination with a plurality of 'interlocked levers for controlling railway appliances, a time-limit circuit closer comprising a receptacle containing a conducting fluid and having two chambers joined by a restricted opening through W -ch said fluid passes when sald receptacle is moved from one of its positions to the other, and circuitterminals in one of saidchambers, operative connections between one of said levers and said circuit-closer whereby said receptacle is moved when said lever is shifted, an electromagnet in circuit with said circuit-closer,and means controlled by said electromagnet for locking another of said levers.

2. In combination with a plurality of interlocked levers for controlling railway appliances, a time-limit circuit-closer comprising a receptacle containing a conducting fluid and havin two chambers joinedby a large opening an a restricted opening through which respectively the fluid passes when said receptacle is moved in opposite directions, and

circuit-terminals in one of said chambers, op-

erative connections between one of said levers and said circuit-closer whereby said receptacle is moved when said lever is shifted, aneletromagnet in circuit with said circuit-closer, and means controlled by said electromagnet for locking another of said levers.

3. In combination with a plurality of in terlocked levers for controlling railway appliances, a rotatably mounted fitting operativelyconnected to one of said levers, a recep tacle adapted to contain mercury carried by said fitting and having two chambers joined by a restricted assage, and circuit-terminals in one of said 0 ambers, an electromagnet in circuit with said terminals, and means controlled by said electromagnet for looking another of said levers.

4. Incombination with a plurality of interlocked levers for controlling railway appliances, a rotatably mounted fitting opera tively connected to one of said levers, a receptacle adapted to contain .mercury carried by said fitting and having two chambers joined by a large and a restricted passage, and circuit-terminals in one of said chambers, an

Y electromagnet in circuit with said terminals,

and means controlled'by said elcctromagnet for locking another of said leve'i-s.

In Witness whereof, HIRAM'C. WILLIAMS has hereunto-set his hand vember, 1907, and F RANGIS B. HARRINGTON has hereunto set his hand this first dav o November, 1907.

HIRAM C. WILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

F. E. 'HALL, L. SECOR.

FRANCIS B. HARRINGTON.

this first day of N o-

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