US906800A - Lock and block signal system. - Google Patents

Description

R. J. HEWETT.

LOOK AND BLOCK SIGNAL SYSTEM.

APPLIGATION FILED JAN. 10, 1900.

906,800. Patented Dec. 15,1908

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Wham ,YmtiTmB R. J. HEWETT.

LOGK AND BLOCK SIGNAL SYSTEM.

APPLICATION mum JAN. 10, 1908.

906,800. Patented Dec. 15, 1908 B SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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LOCK AND BLOCK SIGNAL SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.10,1906.

906,800. Patented Dec. 15, 1908 6 SHEETS-SHBBT 3v EEEIM 3 Patented Dec. 15, 1908 R. .T. HEWBTT.

LOOK AND BLOOK SIGNAL sr" APPLIUATION FILED JAN. 10, 190B.

R. J. HEWETT.

LOCK AND BLOCK SIGNAL SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED 11. 10, 1908.

906,800. Patented Dec. 15. 1908 6 SHBETBSHBET 6.

Gu w w R. J. HBWETT.

LOOK AND BLOGiI SIGNAL SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 10, 1908.

0 906,800. Patented Dec. 15,1908

6 SHEBTSSHEET a. 78 otlnd.

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Miwmw AYtationA jiwentor UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE? ROBERT J. nnwET'r, OFJWESTFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOB To THE HALLFsi N L comriuvi conrosi'rion minis Loox AND 31.001; SIGNAL 528mm;

Specification ot-Lettem Patent.

Patented Dec. 15, mos;

Application filed. January 10, 1908. Befiul No. $10,278..

To all whom it may concern:

Be' it known that I, ROBERT J. Hmwnr r, a

citizen of the UnitedStates, residin at VVestfield, in the county of Union an 1 well to double-track systems.

One object of the invention is to produce a, signal system in which the operation is part automatic and. partly manually-controlled, but in which th'e'various ortions of the up paratus are so CODDGCEQL that any failure either in the apparatus itself or in the accuracy of thesignal operator in the performance of his duties will result in leavin the signals in danger position, to which they liave' a normal bias, so that the operator is constrained. to perform all his duties in. roper' order and to maintain every part of t e ap paratus in working condition in order to clear the signals and admit trains to the block.

The system, as applied to a single-traek road, is designed to )revent the admission of a train at either end of the block as long as any portion of the block is occupied, but it comprises arrangements by which a train diverted from the main line to a siding may automatically eiierl a release of the signaling apparatus in the h'zlifle manner as if the train had passed through the block.

Another object, of the invention is to secure economy b'oth in line construction and in consumption of current The apparatus so constructed that a single circuit clone ncressory to connect the stations for all operations relating to traffic in both dirccticms, thd'nccessnry chan es in the condition oi. the apparatus at the intercommunicuting stations being secured by three conditions of this circuit with respect to the flow of current therein. In the preferred form oi the invention these three conditions are, first, that. in which no current flows-the normal condition of the circuitsecond, that in which a. current of comparatively small strength flows, and, third, that p p State of New Jersey, have nvented a certaln ncwand in which ii current ofcorn 'aratively great strength flows. Currents op ositepolan ity may, however, be substitute for the cur--' rental of different trength of the second and third conditions, y the. use of suitable polarized a pa mtns, as is hereinafter .more pam tioular. y set forth. ,The economy in currentconsumption is effected b .tl1e use of apps;- ratus for automatically re ucin'g the line current to a minimum by the use of resistance except at the moment when the maximum current is necessary for the initial actuation of the. epperatus. I

The invention comprises various' co'mbinatious and arrangements of apparatus which will be more specifically described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figures 1 and 2 are diagrams of two signal stations located at opposite ends of a block, showing so much of the apparatus at each station as is necessary to t eir cooperation, the apparatus being represented in its n'or-' mal condition. Figs. 3 and 4 are diagrams showin the condition of the apparatus after a signs has been set to admit a west-bound train to theblock. Figs. 5 and 6 show a modified form of apparatus.

The drawin s show the arrangement of the apparatus of t e two si nal stations at oppo s te ends of the same block. The apparatus is shown com letelyin so far as it pertains to the control 0' this block, but apparatus and circuits which would be stations for communication with the next stations beyond are omitted, to simplify the drawings.

A single track 1 serves for traffic in both directions, and is provided with a siding 2 at each station, and the sidi'ngs' and their switches are interconnected electrically with the signal system. At station A there'is a West-bound si al 3 and an east bound signal 4. The signs 3 is connected, by mechanical connections 4, with a signal lover 5 by which it may be actuated. Its operation is dependout, however, on an electric slot 6, which serves, in a. well known manner, to connect the signal and the signal lever when the slot is-energized. The si 121 hes a= normal bias to danger, so that w enthe slot is deenergized the signal movesrau'tomatically to dainger 'osition. The signal 4'is controlledun a. sirm' or manner, but its electrical connections are omitted for the reasons heretofore stated.

provided at these ratus is effected by a The manual control of the electrical appalunger 17, which is normally held in neutra position by a spring 20, but may be pushed to actuate a circuit closer 18, in receiving arelease, or pulled to actuate a circuit closer 19, in sending a release to station B. v

Cooperatin with the plunger is an automatic device or locking It-after it has been pulled to transmit a release, in order to lock the apparatus until the train has left the block. This device comprises a plunger-lock magnet 21 which controls an armature or looking lever 22 provided with a tooth 23 The admission of a west-bound train t block extending to the east of station A is indicated by a west-bound indicator I5, ac:-

tuated by a relay 14. The circuit including.

the magnet 01' this relay is omitted, but the magnet, normally .denergized, is ener ed by the operation of transmitting a re case from statlon A to the next station on the east. This relay controls the circuit through the magnet of relay 11 by means of a contact finger 16 which is normally open."

1n transmitting a releasethe plun or 17 closes a circuit through the magnet o a relay 28, which is normally denergized and actuates three contact fingers 29 controlling various circuits. Relay 28has two coils, one of relatively high and the other ofrelatively low resistance, which are connected, respectively, with wires 166 and 167 and have a common return wire 168.

The adtnission of an east-boundctrain to the block at B is indicated at A by an eastbound indicator 26 actuated by a relay which has' a contact finger '27. The. circuit controlled by this contact finger is omitted however, as it does not pprtain to the control A of trai'lic in the block A v The plunger 17 is normally unlocked, the magnet 21 being energized by a local circuit indicated inhea lines, Fig, 2,. This circuit passes, from attery 33, through a contact finger of relay 28, through magnet 21,, through a contact fingerlof a circuit controller 24 which is actuated by locking lever 22 and thence back to the battery. V

At station B the app'aratusis similar in every respect to that at A but" the arrangement of the drawing is difl erent, for convenience in representation. .Here a plunger 62 corresponds to plunger 17 at station A, and

the normallocal circuit is from battery 59 corresponding to relay 28, through plungerlock magnet 86 and circuit contro lerflO, and back to the battery. The stations are connected by line wires 36 and 37, and provided with telephones 34 which bridge the line circuit through condensers 35.

' Certain ready described will be referred to in co ection'with the description of the operation of the apparatus as a whole:

Suppose a train previously admitted to the block to the east of A reaches the end of the block and it becomes necessary for operator. A to set si nal 3 to admit the train to, block A B. AM is time the apparatus is all in the normal position of Figs. 1 and 2, except that west-bound indicator relay 14 ut'station A has been ener ized by the previous opera tion of transmitting a release from A to the parts of the apparatus not 9.1-;

next station on the east, so that contact fins,

ger 16 is raised; closing its circuit. Operator A new telephones to operator B for a release, and o erator B responds, if the line is clear, by

pushes p unger 17. A circuit is now com pleted in the line wires between the two stations. This circuit is shown in Figs. 3 and 4. In these figures heavy lines indicate closed circuits, and the broken portions of the heavy lines indicate portions of-the circuit which are ,merely temporary, bein ucceeded by alternative aths afforded the' succeeding operation oi the apparatus. The line circuit, starting from batte 59 at sta-' tion B, passes through the big -resistance coil of line rela 60, correspondin to relay 28 atstation A t ence to circuit 0 oser 63, actuated by plunger 62, and thence to a normally-closed contact piece of a multiple circuit controller 64 whichis connected with and actuated by the signal lever 169 which actuates east-bound signal 123. From circuit controller 64 thecn'cuit passes throu h a circuit breaker- 170, which-1s operated v mg plunger 62, while operator A signal 123 and is closed when the signal is in normal danger position. From circuit. breaker 17 0 the circuit passes through a contact finger of slot-indicator relay 65, corresppnding to relay 11 at station A, and then t ough a contact finger controlled by a track relay 66. a The track relay is connected with an insulated. track section 180 and is normally energized by a track battery 190. From rela '66 the circuit passes by line wire 37, throng a switch contact 55 located at the si ing land controlled by the siding switph. This contact is normally closed, but is opened by theopening of the switch. From switch contact 55 the circuit passes, by line wire 37, through switch ontact 67 at thoth d of the block to station A. Here it passes through a normally-closed contact finger, of track relay 44, to wire 171, represented by a broken line, through a circuit controller 8 ac-- relay 11, through contact fin er 16 of west bound indicator relay 14, and ack to station B through line wire 36.

The c osing. of the line circuit has no immediate effect at station A, for the reason that the current is not at first of sufficient strength to actuate slot-indicator relay 11 owing to the fact that only the high-resistance coil of relay 60 at station B is mcircuit upon the first closing of the circuit. At station B, how ever, relay 60 is at once energized, raising its contact fingers 67, with the double effect of breaking the local circuit through lunger: lock magnet 69 and of closing a sticE circuit for relay 60 throu h wire 73.

Although the p unger-lock magnet is deenergized the locking lever 69' cannot fall until the plunger is released by the operator and permitted to return to normal position. This the operator is free to do at once, however, owing to .the closing of the stick circuit through wire 73, and as soon as the plunger returns the lockin lever falls. The release is now transmitted automatically by the action of circuit controller 70, which is actuated by the locking lever. A branch circuit through the low-resistance coil of relay 60 is thereby formed, by wayofwires 79 and 100, circuit controller 70, and wire 72.v This so augments the strength of the current in the linecircuit that slot-indicator relay 1 1 at station A is. energized, thereby raising contact fingers 13. Bythis operation a path is afforded for the currentthrough wire 17 2 instead of wire 171, directly to the magnet of relay 11, so that operator A. may now release lunger 17. If new operator A presses a foot liey 7 nearsignal lever 5 a local circuit is comleted through slot 6. This circuit passes,

rom battery 33, through wire 74, and a contact finger of relay 11, thence to foot key 7, thence, by wire 75, to slot 6, and thence, by Wire 76, back. to battery. The operator may now set si nal 3 at safety by means of signal lever 5,. liy the movement of the lever a branch circuit 77 is closed, through the action ofa contact iece of circuit-controller 8,

which is actuate by lever 5, and this branch circuit renders unnecessary the further retention of foot he 7 in operative position. After it is returner to its neutral osltion the plunger 62 at station Bis locked y the locking lever 69 being released and its tooth engaging the notch in the lunger as the result of the contact finger 67 eing raised and the circuit through the magnet 86 being opened thereby, as before stated, in consequence of the act of the o erator in pulling the plunger in response to t e request of operator A for a release, etc.

As soon as the train has passed the signal at 'A the operator may restore the lever 5 and the signal to danger position, but if he fails to do so the signal is released automatically by the passage of the train over insulated section 42 of the track. The train shortcirciiits the track relay 44, which is normally energized by a track battery 43, and the contact fingers 45 thereupon fall and interrupt the current through the line wire. The slotindicator relay 11 is thereby denergized, and the contact-fin ers 13 fall, interru ting the current in the ocal circuit through the slot and releasing the signal, which returns, owin r to its normal bias, to danger position.

The interruption of the current in the line wire operates also to set the west-boundindicator at station E to indicate the approach of the train. The relay 60 is dener ized and the contact fin ers 67 fall. A loca circuit is thereby established from the battery through a contact finger 67, by wire 78 to the magnet or relay in icator 79 through the circuit controller 70, and back, t rou wires 80 and 81 to the batter ,and the indicator is set by the relay 79. T e operator thereupon communicates with the next station on the west to release his west-bound signal apparatus, by means of a plunger apparatus similar in all respects to plunger 62 and its connections.

The unlocking of the plunger62 at station E and the restoration of the a paratus to normal condition depends upon t e operation of the signal operator conjoint y with the au-.

tomatic action of the train in passing over'an insulated track section 85 in the rear of the signal. Supposing the west-bound signal 82 to have been set to safety by the operator, the contact pieces or circuit controller 84, connected with the signal le-rer 83, are moved to the right from their position in 'Fi 3.

Now when the train nox'es upon an lnsu ated track section 85in leaving the block, it shorb circuits the battery 86 connected. therewith,

and deenergizes the track relay 87, thereby allowing contact fingers 88 to fall. A local circuit is thereby'established which energizes a releasin relay89, as follows: from battery 59 through wire 79, the magnet of relay 39, ".iIB 90, one of contact fingers 88, wire 91, circuit controller 84, wires 92, 93 and 81, and.

energized, and itscontact, fin ers 94'are raised. Theimmediate effect 0 this operation is merely to render relay 89 self-sustaining by formin an alternative path for the current throng resistance coil 95 and one of contact fingers 94, and to completethe operathus back to the battery. The relay '89. is

energized in consequence of the passage 0 the train from the insulated trac section 85. As soon as these erents have occurred a local circuit is completed from the battery through a contact finger 67 of relay 60, wire 96, plunthe normal circuit through the plunger-lock block,

. magnet by way of wire 80, and it also acts to deenerglze relay 89 by shOrt-circuiting it through wires 100 and 101. The circuit controller 94 falls, and the entire apparatus is then in its'normal position again.

It will be seen which-the plunger is unlocked'are such that after a release has been given by operator B to operator A, resulting, usually, in the ad-.

mission of a west-bound train to the block, the lunger remains locked and o erator B is prec uded from givinganother re ease to admit a second train, until all the usual and proper operations have been performed in the passage of the train into the next block, including the setting of the west-bound'signal at B. to safety to pass'the train out of the the passage of the train over insulated track section 85 at the end of the block AB, and the return by operator B of his westbound signal to danger. If the train should stop for any reason on the track section 85 signal lever to instead of assing completely out of the block, the re ay 89 would operate but the circuit throu h the piling? ,-lo'ck magnet 68 would not Ea made until e train left section 85. The same result occurs if a portion of the train breaks loose and remains on the section. If the operator neglects to return the operate the rected. V

When a train is diverted to the siding at station B, as, for example, when an eastbound train and a west-bound train meet there, the plunger 62 must be unlocked by means operat' independently of the track relay 87, and this function is performed by a siding relay 51. .When the siding switch is opened for the entrance of the train on the siding, a switch contact 50 is closed. As soon as the train makes contact with the insulatedrail sections 46 and 48 the relay 51 is energized by a circuit completed from the battery 49 through the switch contact 50, wire 106, a contact fin er 54' of a normally denergized relay 53, tfirough" wire 102, the magnet of relay 51, wire 103 to rail 48, and thence through the car wheels and rail 46 and the battery. The contact fingers 52 are raised, and the local circuit throu h releasing relay 89 is thereb completed y ay of wires 90, 104, one oi contact fingers 52, wire 105, and line wire 36. At the same time relay 51 becomes self-sustaining by the formation of an alternative return. forthe plunger until the omission is corthat the arrangements byanger. position heis unable to at the siding axles to current of battery 49 by way of a contact finger 52 and wire 110. When the siding switch is closed after the passage of the train upon the siding and the switch contact 50 is opened, the relay 51 is deenergized, the con tactfingers 52 fall, and the plunger-lock releasing circuit is formed by way of a contact finger67 of relay 60, Wire 96, plunger-lock magnet 68, wire 97, a contact finger 94,0f relay 89,wire 98, Wire 109, a contact finger 52 of relay 51, wire 105, and return wire 36 to the battery, and the plunger is released and the apparatus returned to normal cone dition.

The function of the relay 53 is to prevent the operation of the siding relay 51, and the release of the plunger, when a train 'on the' sidin is passed to the main track. The switch contact 50 being closed, by the open ing of the switch, as soon as the train touches the rails 46 and 47 a circuit is completed by way of the switch contact, wire 106, contact finger 52, and wire 107 to the magnet of relay 53and thence back to the battery by wire 108, rail 47, and rail 46. The contact. fin ers 54 of the relay 53 are thereby raised, an the formation of a circuit through the magnet of relay 51 is prevented, While the relay 53 becomes self-sustaining by the formation of an alternative return for the cur? rentby way of a contact finger 54, wire 110, and rail 46. The relay 53 is deener ized again by the closin of the switch an the opening of the switc contact 50.

At station A is shown another arrangement for effecting when the train enters the siding, this arr e.

ment being manually operated. A telephone apparatus 111 and ahand key 112 are located switch. A contact finger 114, in circuit with the hand ke is'sustamed by a relay 113 which is norma ene ed by a battery 119 connected witli ins ated secthe release of the plunger-lock,

tions 1 20 and 121 on the main track and the siding respectively. When'a train has passed to the sidin the'switch operator communicates by telephone with the operator presses the'key 112 while the signal operator presses a hand key 117. The plun er-lock magnet 21 is thereupon enerized by a circuit completed as follows;

'rorn battery 33 through a contact finger 29 of line relay 28, wire 115, plunger-lock magnet 21, wire 116, key 117, a contact finger of track relay 44, line wire 37, key 112, contact finger 114, common return wire 36, and wires 118 and 76 back to the battery. The plunger-lock magnet is energized and the arts returned to normal position thereb f it be attempted to secure this result wh' e a1 0 er-' ator, and by mutual arrangement t e switch a train is still upon the switch or the adjacent portion of the main line this is prevented owing to the fact that the relay 113 is shortcirculted' and denergized by the presence of the train on the track sections 120 and 121, and contact finger 114 being thus released, the circuit cannot be completed by plosing the hand keys.

- The switch contacts 55 and 67, located in as in the arrangement first described, and is du 'ilicated at station E.

.n the o eration of this a paratus, the operator at 11., to secure a re ease, pushes his plunger, and operator B ulls his. The line 70 ally, the same resu t may j 50 changing switc ,of the current apparatus.

, the line Wire 37 and connected, as before described, with the siding switches, are for the ggrpose of preventing any communication tween the stations whilea siding switch is 16;open, 't o insure against the release of the signaling apparatus at such time. To clear A the east-bound signal 123 at station B to ,admit an east-bound train into the block the o BEB/LIOHS heretofore described are reversed,

15. t e plunger 62 being pushed and the plunger 17 pulled, and the succeeding operations occur as before described but withthe stations in reverse relation.

Instead of lockin the plungers mechanicbe accomplished by breaking the circuits including the lunger-operatefl circuit controllers. Sue an arrangement is illustrated in the modified form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 5

and 6. Referring to Fig. 6, the plunger actuated circuit closers 18 and 19'are connected with their respective circuits through the circuit breakers 125, which are controlled by the plunger-lock magnet 21. When the magnet is deenergized and the lockin lever 22 falls, these circuit breakersfall an open their respective circuits, and thereafter, although theplunger may still be pushed or u'lled, no effect will be produced. A simiar arrangement'is shown at station E, in

Fig. 5, the circuit breakers being designated by reference numeral 136.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 the two operative con- 40 ditions of the circuit involve the passage of currents of two different stren ths, as before described, but a similar resu t may be secured in other ways, as, for example, by the use of currents of different polarities, and

. 'Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate an arran ement in which this, is accomplished by t e use of .polarized'relays and pole-changing switches. Referring to Fig. 6, the line relayZS has, i in this case, 0111K a single winding, but a pole- 126, actuated y a magnet 127, s useo to reverse the direction of the current in the line circuit, this reversal producing,the same efiect as the au mentation reduced in the ot er form of T e slot circuit is controlled by arelay 128, which has two polarized contact fingers 129, which tend normally to assume battery 59, at station B, through the magnet ofline relay 60, wire 131,, pole-changing switch 132 .wire 133, circuit closer 134, wire 135, circuit breaker 136, wires137 and 138, circuit controllers 64, circuit breaker 139 on signal 123, wire 140, one of neutral contact fingers 141 controlled by polarized relay 142, which corresponds to relay 128 at station A, through wire 143, a contact finger of track relay 66, and line wire 37 to station A. At station A the circuit includes a contact finger of track relay .44, wires 144 and 145, circuit controller 8, wire 146, circuitcloser 18, wire 147, circuit breaker 125, wire 148, the mag net of relay 128, wire 149, a contact finger of relay 11, wires 150 and 151, contact finger 16 of indicator relay 14, wire 152, and, by line wire 36, back to station B. At station B the line relay closes its stick circuit, by a contact finger 67 and wire 73, and opens the local circuit through lock magnet 86, so that the locking lever, 62 falls and the circuit breakers 136 open both plungencontrolled circuits, thereby flocking' the plunger. At station A the polarized relay 128 raises the contact fingers 130, but the contact fingers 129 are not at first affected, as the initial currentis not of the pro )er polarity. Upon the release and fall of the locking lever 62 and the circuit controller 70 at station B, the pole-changing switch magnet 153, however, is energized by a local circuit formed as follows: from battery 59, through wires 79 and 100, circuit controller 70, wire 154, magnet 153, wire 155, contact finger 156 controlled by west bound indicator relay 79, and thence, by wires 151 and 81, back to the battery. The ma net 153, being energized, raises the pole-c anging switch 132, and the current in the line circult is thereby reverser. passing now from battery 59 throu h the magnet 61 relay 60, wire 131, switc 132, wires 158. 159, and 36 to station A, and, returning, through wire 37, a contact finger of relay 66, wire 143, a contact finger 141 of relay 142, wire 140, circuit breaker 139, circuit controller 64, wire 138, contact fin er 67, wire 73, pole-changing switch 132, an wires 151 and 81 back to the battery. This reversal causes the polarized contact fingers 129 of the relay 128 at station A to move to the ri ht and close the local circuit through the s otthe open-circuit osition of the drawings, but

.moveto the rig t to close the circuits con- -'60,.trolledby them upon the passage through the relay of a current of suitable polarity. The relay 128 controls also neutral contact fingers-130, which are responsive to currents ineither direction in the relay magnet. The apparatus is otherwise, in general. the same One of the contact fingers 13 acts, also, to cutout the wires 149 and 150, so that the line circuit is directed through a resistance coil 163, with the ob'ect of economizing current. The reopening oi automatic action of the train, and the automatic release of the plunger at B occur, through the o eration of the track relays, in substantially lllie same manner as in the firstdescribed arrangement, and need not be particularly described. This olarized arrangement has the advantage that it reduces the danger of an accidental release through crossingof the line wires with other conductors, or by the action of lightning.

T e resent-invention provides a system in which tlhe signaling operations aresafe-guarded at eve oint, the accomplishing of a release requlrm g the proper condition and operation of every portion of the'apparatus, the proper performance of his duties by the operator, and the absence of reviously admitted trains from the block. It is a articular advantage of the arrangement escribed that the transmission of a release is not directly accomplished by the action of the plunger, but only b and simultaneously with the o eration o the lunger-locking device, so t at in case the atter fails to work no release is transmitted. Another advanta e of the system results from the fact that t e line circuit is normally 0 n,the batteries being in circuit only wit the station apparatus, which is of comparatively high resistance, so that the normal current con 'sumption is slight.

It is obvious that various modifications may be made in the embodiment of the invention herein described and illustrated in the drawings within the nature and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims. 4

In the claims the term lock, as applied to the manual controlling member, is intended to designate any operation by which an actuation, or an attempt to actuate, such member is rendered ineffective, whether by locking themember mechanically, or by in term ting the circuits controlled by it.

1. In an electric lock-andeblock signal system, a circuit connecting signal stations, 8. manual controlling member operative indirectly to transmit a release, circuit breakers interposed in the circuit and controlled b the traffic, and means acting automatica ly, upon the operation of the manual controlling member, to lock the same and transmit a release.

2. In an electric lock-and-block signal system, a circuit connecting si al stations, circuit breakers interposed in t e circuit and controlled by the traiiic a manual controlling member operative to close the circuit, and means acting automatically to lock said the-line circuit at A by the member and transmit a release when the circuit has been so closed.

3. In an electric lock-and-block signal system, a circuit connecting signal stations, a manual controlling member operative to close the circuit, circuit breakers interposed in the circuit andcontrolled by the ,traflic and means acting automatically to lock said manual controlling member and transmit a release when the circuit has been closed by said member.

4. In an electric lock -andblock signal system, a manual controlling member operable either in receivin or transmitting a release, and means acting automatically to lock said member .upon its operation to transmit a release.

5. In an electric lock-and-block signal s stem, a manual controlling member opera le either in receivi or transmitting a release, and means acting automatically to lock said member in neutral position after its operation to transmit a release. a

6. In an electric lock and-block sign s stem, a manual controlling member opera le either in receiving or in transmitting a release, means actingautomatically to lock said member in neutral position after the transmission of a release, and tralfic-controlled means for effecting the unlocking of the manual controlling me her.

7. In an electric lock-and-block signal system a circuit, normally open, connecting signal stations, circuit breakers interposed in the circuit and controlled by the traflic manual controlling members at the stations a controlling the circuit and c njointly operated to close the circuit and efiect a release, and means operating automatically to lock one of said members upon the transmission of a release.

8. In an electric lock-and-blocksignal system, 'a circuit, normally open, connecting signal stations, circuit breakers inte osed in the circuit and controlled by the tra 0 man ual controlling members at the stations controlling the circuit and conjointly operated to close the circuit and effect a release, means operating automatically to lock one of said members uglon the transmission ofa release, and tra c -controlled means for effecting the unlocking of said member.

9. In an electric lock-and-block signal system, a circuit, normally open, connecting two signal stations, a manual controlling member at one station, electrically-controlled means for locking said member,

electrically-controlled signa -releasi1!g,means at the other station, a circuit controller operated by the manual controlling member and acting to transmit through. the circuit a current operative to throw the locking means into operation but not to effect the signalreleasin means, and a circuit controller operated by the locking means and acting to transmit 1L uurreiit V pcmtive to effect the signal-releasin [11911 IN,

10. In an e ectric lock and block signal system, 11 main track, signaling devices controlling ti'uflic thereon, u siding. trufiic-c0ntrolled means coi'incctecl with the main track for rcleusiiig' the sigi'u'iling devices u )on the passage of u 1min fi'nni 1L block over the main track, and ll'ilillQ-C()fll,l()llGLl means connected with the siding and, operating to release the signaling devices when a train pgsses from the main line to the siding but inoperative when a train passes from the siding to the main track.

In testimony whereof I affix my signaturedf:

in presence of two witnesses.

ROB ERT i J. HEWETT Witnesses:

BERNARD COWEN,

WM. ASHLEY KELLY.

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