US906799A - Lock and block signal system. - Google Patents

Description

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 10, 1908.

Patented Dec. 15, 1908.

llllll-lfllllll drawing and will thereafter point out my 1n- A. UNITED l bi x in B Toall whom it may concern: Beit known that I, ROBERT J. Hnwnrr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Westfield, in the county of Union and State 5 of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Lock and Block SignalSystems, of which the following is a secification,reference being'had therein to t e accompanying. drawings, forming part thereof. y "My invention relates particularly to elec triizally-controlled manually-operated signal lock-and-block systems for use in connection {with single-track railways, but it embodies various novel features applicable to systems of other types. 1 I One object of the invention, is to produce a sig( al system in which a track circuit and 'trac ,battery are used and in which a high degree of economy. in the use, of the track battery is secured, and to this end the invention comprises a, system in which the track battery is normally inactive, and in which the track battery, after being thrown into circuit is again thrown out of circuit immediately upon the entrance of a train to the block,so that the battery is shortcircuited only for the instant required for the operation of theelectrical apparatus, and is in operation only in the'short interval of time betweenthe release of a signal and the entrance of a train to the block. I Another object of the invention is to produce a system in which cut-section track- .circuit repeaters. are so arranged, in connection with the route circuit as to set up automatically a track circuit in the right direction according to the direction in which a signal release is transmitted.

Other objects and features of theinvention will be noted in connection withthe description of the illustrated embodiment of the invention; y

I will now describe the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the accompanying ventioniin claims. y

The drawing is a diagram of a single-track,

e'lectricall controlled, manually-operated,

lock-andlock signal system.

I The rails 1 and 2 of the single track form parts of a track circuit, and they. are divided and insulated at points 3 at the ends ofthe block, and at one v or more intermediate points. Two stations, designated as fSta-;

CO t i Q Tm F MA NE 2"" f LocKsIGNansYs'rn-Mcwi f w D,.N1W ..TERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE m tt si'eniiii M, onrof LttersPatent.-' -=z= 'i atentee*nea In -196s. Applicationflled. January 10, 1908. Seri'a1No.410,277.

tion A and -Station B are represented in the diagram and the epparatus involved in the mutual operations of these stations is shown, while the apparatus by which each station cooperates with the next station beyond is omitted, as it is merely a duplication of the apparatus shown. 1

} Each .station is provided with. a west bound signal 5, and an east-bound signal 6.

The signals are of the normal danger type,; and are electrically controlled by a control, ling device 7. This device may be an electric. slot, in which case it will be applied directly to the signal post asshown, or an electric lock applied in the usual manner to the sigr al-operating mechanism, or it may be a sig nal-actuating device. In any case the essential characteristicis the fact that the signal cannot beset or maintained at safety position except when the electric control device is energized. 1 f

' To prevent interference between trains moving in 0 posite directions each signal is provided wit a circuit breaker 8 connected directly with the semaphore or the semaphore rod. These circuit breakers are. included in the route circuit and are closed when the signals are at danger osition.

g Each station is rovided wit a track relay 9, which is inc uded inv the track circuit and controls contact fingers 10. A signalis finally established. A route-circuit relay 14, energized by the closing ofthe route-circuit, controls contact fingers 15, and an indicator 16 which indicates the closing of the route-circuit to transmit a release, and is also 9 preferably provided with a backstroke bell 17 for a purpose to be referred to later.,

. Thev manual control of the electrical apparatus is effected by a plunger circuit closer 20.. When the plunger is pulled it closes'one circuit and assists in the transmission of a release, and-when it is pushed it closes, another circuit and assists in the receptionof a release. It is normally held in neutralinoy erative position by aspring or other suitab e arrangement. r p i 1 The stations are connected by a normall open route-circuit comprising route wires. 2

' and 23, and the operatorscommunicatewith the rails and controlled by the polarized re-' lay. A condenser bridges the relay 26 to avoid resistance the operation of the telephones.

The circuits connecting the apparatus above referred to can be described most conveniently in connection with the description of the operation of the apparatus.

When an operatorat either station wishes to set his incoming signal to safety toadmit a train to the block he must secure a release of his signal or signal-operating mechanism by the slot 7, and for this the conjoint action of the operators at both, ends of the blockis necessary. The electrical operations by which a release is effected involve three dis-- tinct steps.

The first step is the establishment of the route-circuit by the action of the operators, the second ste isthe automatic establishment of the trac circuit resulting from the establishment of the route-circuit,

' and the third step is the establishment of a local circuit through the slot resulting auto matically from the establishment of the track circuit.

The operation'of the apparatus will now be more specifically described. Suppose the operator at A wishes to set his incoming signal 6 atsafet to admit an east-bound train to theblock -13. He communicates with o eratorB by telephone, and if everything is c ear the operator B pulls his plunger 20, while operator A pushes his plunger. The route-circuit is now established as follows: from'station battery 21, at station B, by wires 38 and 39, to the magnet of relay 14,

thence to pull-contacts, 40 of plunger 20,

which are now connected by the pulling of the plunger, thence, through wire 41, to a normally-closed contact finger of track relay 9, thence to the circuit breaker 8 on signal 5, thence by wires 42 and 43, to the circuit breaker 8 on signal 6, and thence by wire 22,

through the magnet'of relay 26, and on by.

the W1I822 to" station A; at station A the circuit passes through the circuit breaker 8 on signal 5, thence, by wires'44 and 45, to the push contacts 46 of plunger 20, thence, by

" wire 47, to the magnet of a relay '18, and

thence back to station B by a wire 48 and-the route wire 23.

' The energization of the route-circuit relay 14 at station B i has three immediate eflect's.

This- The indicator 16 moves'to indicate the comone of the contact fingers 15, which has been raised to engage a front contact, andthence, by wire 49, directly to wire 41, "thereby bridging the plunger 20, so that the movement of the indicator 16 notifies the operator that he may release his plunger without breaking the circuit. I 1

The track circuit established by the relay 14 at station B passes from the track battery 36,'by wire 50, to-a back-contactand contact finger 19 of a normally deenergized relay 18, thence, by wire 51, to the second contact finger of relay 14, thence, by wire 52, to contact fingerlqof track relay 9, andfthence, by wire-53 and rail 1,;to cut-section 4. Here the relay 26 has already been energized, by the closing of the route-circuit through wire 22, so that contact fingers 28 are in closed position', and contact fingers27 are in righthand position as shown in the drawing. From rail 1 the track circuitfpasses through the wire 54, a contact finger'28, wire 55, a contact finger 27, wire 56, the magnet of relay 31, wire 57, and rail 2, and thence, at station I B, by wires 58' and 59, back to battery 36.

The energization of therelay 31 causes the breaker'key 63,to be referred to later, thence,

by wire 64, toa contact finger 19"of relay 18, which has previously been raised to engage a front contact by the closing ofthe route-circuit through the relay 18, thence, by wire 65, rail 1, and wire 66at the cut-section, to contact finger 28, thence, by wire'67', to contact finger 27, by wire 68, to contactfinger 32, and thence back to battery 33.

The second step in" the operation of the ap: paratus is now completed, and the third step results from the energizing of trackrelay 9 at station A. Contact fingers 10 are raised and have two immediate operations. One of these is to close a branch circuit through wire 69 by which the plunger 20 is bridged, so that the operator may release the plun er without breaking the route-circuit. T e other operation of the contact-fingers 10 is to complete a local circuit through the: signalcircuit relay 11. This'circuit is from battery 21, at station Afthroughwire 71, the magnet of relay 11,- wire 72, contact finger.

10,"wire 7 3', wire 74 and wire 23 back to the battery. 'Relay 11 thereupon transmits releasing current to the signa by a branch from wire'7-1- byway of the contact finger 13 and release ea no' wire 75 and from the turns tli' ugh;

shortf-ci'i-cuiting of track relay 9 .by the llhe efl ect'of this is' to release contact 10} thereby" allowing them to fall and I "p I tli' sticik circuit of the relay 1.8 thi-joug h wire" 692? The route-circuit being i'us' alr the, relays are deenergized an'd th app at returns to normal condiez'fi g'. :5. I. I

As long as the train remains in'the block a 2oi tion Plays;

by the return of indicator sition, and t now becomes erator to-commumcate eastin'orderto seciire a release of his signal 6.

1f the-next communication between stati ons A 'a'iid 'B isa'release in the same direc- '-tion as before' the polarized contact fingers 27 of rela "26remai'n' in right-hand osition, but 'if'a-re ease is to be "transmitted rom station A to station B to admit a west-bound train, the current in the route-circuit is opposite to its first direction of flow, and contact fingers 2 7 are reversed,'so as to put'the cut-section apparatus. into condition to establish a track"- circuit from battery 34 to station B. The operation of the station a paratus is, in such a case, in all respects ana ogous but opposite to the operation in transmitting a .release from B to A.

The contact fin ers of the'track relays 9, in addition to contributing to the normal operation of the apparatus in the ways hereinbefore describe are also included both in the track circuit from battery 36 and in the route circuit. This is. not essential to" the operation of the apparatus,but is ,merely a safeguard to revent the-transmission of releases in both 'rections at onceand the possible entrance of two trains at once into the block from opposite directions.

' In some cases it may be desirable, after a release has been secured, to return the apparatus again to normal condition, as, for examdple, when a train expected to enter a block is iverted or sent back so as not to enter and release the apparatus in the normal manner.

For this pur ose the manual recall ke 63 is provided. y depressing this key t e circuit through the track relay 9 is interrupted,

with the same effect as when the relay is 6 v short-circuited by a train.

' Vi gets, na'lsa ttmanealtyrat V W p 5 #11. -Y. d ately upon. the entrance ot atra Fwiththejoperato at the next station to the,

Ti es? the fact block'and cannot be set clear-in hithefdnection until thetrain has passed e'i'itir'ely from the block." As all batteries are normally inoperative the current consumptionis very small, and the reliability of the system is increased. et

It is obvious that various.jmodificatidns' may be made in the'systeinhereinbeforede' scribed and illustrated in the drawing within the nature and scope of the invention asidefined in the claims. i

I claim 1 1. An electric lock-and-block signal sys? tern comprising a signal," an electric signalcontrollin device, a route circuit connecting two sign'a stations, a track circuit, means for closing the route circuit, meanscperating automatically u on the closing of the route circuit to close t e track circuit; and'nicans operating automatic-ally, upon the closing pt the track ci'rcuit, to operate the signal-controlling devicetorelease the signal.

2. An electric lock-aml-blocksignalsystem comprising a signal, an'c'lectriq signalcontrolling device, a route circuit connhcting two si mi stations, manually operable means or closing the route circuitfrn'eans o crating automatically, uponthe closing-to i -",.-.t e route circuit, to close thetrackcircuit,

and means acting automatically, upon the closing of the track circuit, to operate the signal-controlling device to release the signal.

3. An electric lock-and-block signal system comprising a signal, an electric signal- ,controlling device, a route circuit connecting two signal stations, a track circuit, manuallyoperable means at both stations operable simultaneously to complete the route circuit, means 0 crating automatically, upon the closing 0 the route circuit, to close the track circuit, and means acting automatically, upon the closing of the track circuit, to operate the signal-controlling device to release the signal.

4. An electric lock-and-block signal system comprising a signal, an electric signalcontrolling device, a route circuit, a continuous track circuit, normally open, automatic means for closing the track circuit upon the closing of the route circuit, means acting autornatically, upon the closing of the tract: circuit, to operate the signal-controlling deviceto release the signal, and means operating automatically to open the track circuit when a train enters the block.

5. An electric lock-and-block signal sys- 131} tem comprising a signal, an electric signal controlling device, a routecircuit, normally open, connectlng'two signal stations, a contmuous track clrcuit, normally open, means for closing the route circuit, means operating automatically, u on the closing of t circuit, to close t e trackcircuit, means acte route ing automatically, upon the closing of the track circuit tooperate the signal-controlling.

the closing of t e route circuit, to close the track circuit, means acting automatically,

cuit when a train enters the block;

device'to release the signal, and means oper- .ating automatically to open the track circuit gird/lire route circuit when a train enters the oc 6. An electric lock-an(lblock signal system comprising a signal, an electric signalcon'trolling device, a route circuit, normally open", connecting two signal stations, a con.-

tmuous track circuit, normally open, manually-operable means for closing the route circult, means operating automatically, upon the closing of the route circuit, to close the track circuit, means acting automatically,

upon theclosing of the track circuit,'to opergl ate the signal-controlling device to'release the signal, and means operating automatically to open the track circuit-and the route cir .7. An electric lock-and-block signal system comprising a signal, an electric signalupon the closing of the track circuit, to operate the signal-controlling device to release the signal, and means operating automat ically to open the track circuit and the route circuit when a train enters the block;

8. An electric lock-and-block Sigi al system comprising a continuous trac circuit provided with a cut section,"a track battery at one end of the track circuit for energizing the track circuit to the cut section, a battery at-the 'cut section for energizing the track circuit from the cut section to the other end of the block, a route circuit connecting the signal stations, and a relay at the cut section interposed in the route circuit and operating to control the track circuit from the cut section to the end of the block.

9. An electric lo'ck-and-block si al system comprising a continuous 'trac circuit provided with a cut section, track batteries at the ends of the block for'energizing the track circuit to the cut section, track relays and batteries at the cut section for energizing the track circuit from the cut section to the ends of the block, a route. circuit connecting the signal stations, and a polarized relay at the cut section interposed in the route circuit and connected with the track relays so as to opcrate to determine, according to the direction of the current in'the'route circuit, the direction of operation of the track' relays.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses. 5 ROBERT J. HEWETT. Witnesses:

BERNARD CoWEN, WM. ASHLEY KELLY.

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