US918229A - Signal system. - Google Patents

Description

J-. R. WALSH.

SIGNAL SYSTEM.

' LPPLIOATION FILED OCT. 6,1905. 918,229.

Patented Apr. 13,1909.

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918,229. Patented Apr. 13, 1909.

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JOHN R. WALSH, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SIGNAL SYSTEM,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 13, 1909.

Application filed October 6, 1905. Serial No. 281,587.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN R. WALSH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, county of Suiiollz, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Signal Systems, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like numerals on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to a signal system by which the various points along the route at which a train or car is to stop can be automatically announced within the train or car.

In my Patent No. 777,760, dated December 20, 1904, is shown an apparatus by which both the route may be indicated and the sta tions along the route automatically announced, and the present invention is in some respects similar to that illustrated in said patent.

The patented device comprises the routeannunciator in the station and the stationannunciator in the train. The routeannunciator in the station comprises a plurality of signs each connected to and operated by a separate circuit which is automatically closed and opened by the car as the latter enters and leaves the station. Each circuit includes two contact devices adapted to be struck by a tappet on the car, the engagement of the tappet with the contact devices operating first to close the circuit and thus exhibit the signal therein, and thento open the circuit. There are as many circuits and as many tappets on the car as there are routes for the cars to travel.

The station-annunciator shown in said patent comprises a plurality of circuits, each including a signal, and a commutator device operated automatically as the car approaches each station or stop for directing the current into any one of the various circuits, thus eX- hibiting the signs in succession.

The present invention has these same essential features, but differs from the patented device in many ways all of which will be more fully hereinafter described and then pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of one circuit of the station annunciator showing the circuit-closing and circuit-opening devices, and also showing diagrammatically the circuits of the station annunciator on the car;

Fig. 2 is a detail showing the way of operating the signs; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of one end of the station indicator; Fig. 4 is a front view thereof with a part broken out, said figure also showing in side view the commutator device in the station indicator circuit; Fig. 5 is a detail on an enlarged scale showing the mechanism for operating the signs; Fig. 6 is a side view of the commutator device shown in Fig. 4E.

The station indicating mechanism comprises a plurality of drops or plates 3 each bearing the name of a stop or station. These plates or drops are preferably all arranged in a single casing 39, and when each is lowered it can be seen through an opening 40 in the front of the casing by the passengers in the car.

As herein shown each end of each drop has secured thereto a flexible cord 4 which is connected to a piston rod 5 of a piston 6 operating in an air cylinder 7. These parts are shown diagrammatically in Fig. 2 and on an enlarged scale in Fig. 5. I

The piston is operated in the cylinder by air pressure or any other suitable fluid, and its movement is controlled by a valve operat ing in a valve-chamber 8. The valve is a piston-valve, it having two heads 9 and 10 which are adapted to control ports 11 and 12 leading to the cylinder. The motive fluid is admitted to the valve-chamber 8 through an inlet-pipe 13. As the valve is shown in Fig. 5, the motive fluid is admitted to the cylinder through the port 11, and the piston will be forced upwardly, thereby lowering the sign 3. If the valve is shifted to carry its heads 7 ast the ports 11 and 12, then the port 11 wi 1 be opened to the atmosphere through an exhaust-port 14 and motive fluid will. be ad mitted through the port 12, thereby forcing the piston down and raising the sign behind the screen. The valve is shown as being operated by means of an electro-magnet 15, the armature 16 of which is connected to the valve-stem 17. When the magnet is energized, the valve is lifted and the plunger forced downwardly, while when the magnet is denergized, the armature is thrown into the position shown in Fig. 5 by any suitable means such as a spring 18.

It will be understood that there is one cylinder 7 and one magnet 15 for each sign, and

as there is a sign for each stop or station, there will be as many cylinders and magnets as there are stops or stations on the route.

The circuit of the magnet 15 for each cyl inder is adapted to be closed at the proper time, thereby to cause the corresponding signal to be exhibited by an automatic circuitclosing device carried by the car and shown in detail in Figs. 4 and 6 and diagrammatically in Fig. 1. I would here remark that the circuits shown below the track in Fig. 1 are those of the station indicator which is carried by the car. The circuit closing device coniprises a plurality of contacts 44 insulated from each other, each being connected by a suitable wire 45 with the corresponding magn t 15- 46 designates a rotary member carrying a contact plate 47 which is adapted to engage the various contacts 44 successively.

The plate 47 is electrically connected to a distributing ring 48 which is in constant engagement with a shoe or brush 49, the latter being electrically connected in any suitable way, as by a wire 51, with the wheel, shoe or other device 50 which engages the conduct The coils of each magnet are connected to a common return 52 which connects with a tappet 35 carried by the car. This tappet 35 is adapted to engage insulated contacts 34 arranged along the track, and the contacts 34 are connected by means of circuits 31, 32, with the rail or main return. It will thus be seen that whenever the tappet 35 engages a contact in the track the circuit is closed through the wire 51, distributer or commutater, one of the magnets 15, return wire 52, tappe't 35, contact 34, and in the present embodiment of my invention through one of the two circuits 31 or 32.

There are two contacts 34 for each station 28, one on either side thereof, so that one contact may be engaged when the car is approaching the station and the other when the car leaving the station. It is necessary, however, to change the sign in the car only once between stations, and therefore I have so constructed the rotary member 46 that it is moved two steps forward for each contact 44, and have made the contacts 44 of such length that it takes two forward movements of the member 46 to carry the blade 47 out of engagement with any contact 44. One step forward of the member 46 carries the blade 47 into contact with a contact 44 as shown thereby closing the circuit through a magnet 15 in Fig. 4, and the next step forward advances the blade 47 along the contact 44 but does not carry it out of engagement therewith. The third step forward however, carries said blade out of engagement with said contact and into engagement with he n x c n c 4- The rota y mem er 46 has tche e h 53 thereon and is operated intermittently by the pawl 54 carried by a reciprocating member 55 which forms the core of a solenoid or magnet 56. This magnet 56 is in the shunt circuit 57 between the wire 51 and the return wire 52, and therefore the magnet 56 is energized each time that a contact 34 is passed or once before a station is reached, and then again after a station has been passed. There are twice as many teeth 53 on the rotary member as there are contacts 44 so that it takes two impulses of the magnet 56 to carry the blade 47 from one contact 44 to the next. As a result whenever the train or car leaves the station and the contact 34 for the circuit-opening magnet 23 is engaged by the tappet, the shunt circuit 57 is closed, and the magnet 56 operates to give the member 46 a step forward, thereby bringing the blade 47 into engagement with a contact 44 and thus causing the sign in the car indicating the next station to be exhibited. As the car approaches the station indicated by the sign, the tappet engages the other contact 34 and thus causes the member 46 to advance a second step, but as the blade 47 is still in engagement with the contact 44 the sign in the car is not changed until the car leaves the station and the tappet thereon engages the next contact 34.

I have above described the station indicators for a single route. I propose, however, to use as many such indicators as there are routes so that the same car may be driven over any one of a number of routes and yet be equipped for indicating the stations along either route. To accomplish this I employ a plurality of sets of drops or plates, each set comprising the drops imprinted to designate the stops on any particular route, and will have as many different commutator devices as there are sets of drops. There will also be as many contacts 34 at each side of the station as there are sets of drops and commutator devices.

In the drawings I have shown three contacts 34 which would be the arrangement where there are three different sets of drops in the car and three diiierent commutator devices. I have shown, however, only two commutator devices in Fig. 1, the third being omitted to avoid confusion. Each commutator device has its own return circuit 52 and its own tappet 35.

I propose to employ in the car a switch 60 by which the current from the trolley shoe or other conductor may be directed through any one of the commutator devices according to the route over which the car is travel-- ing, so that it will be possible to run a car equipped with my apparatus on any route and yet have the signs properly displayed. 1 have also shown in the drawings a route indicator which may be used in connection with the stat n ind o his r u indtator being adapted to indicate in the station the route over which the incoming car is about to travel. There may be a route indicator in each station, and each indicator will comprise a plurality of drops similar to the drops 3 and operated in a similar way. The magnets for the drops of the route indicator are each controlled by a separate circuit which includes electrically operated circuit closing and circuit opening devices.

19 designates the circuit for controlling the magnet which governs the operation of one drop for instance, and said circuit includes a circuit-closing switch 20 operated by a circuit-closing magnet 21, and a circuitopening switch 22 operated by a circuitopening magnet 23. The circuit-closing switch is normally open and the circuitopening switch is normally closed. When the magnet 21 is energized, the switch 20 is closed onto its contact 24, and since the switch 22 is normally closed, this operation will close the circuit 19 including the signal. The closing of the circuit energizes the lock ing magnet 25, the coils of which are in the circuit, and said magnet when energized attracts its armature 26, as shown in Fig. 1, thereby swinging the locking-latch 27 over the end of the switch-arm 20 and locking said switch-arm in engagement with the contact 2 1. The magnet 21 is energized automatically by the car as it approachesthe station 28 and therefore, as stated above, the energization of said magnet closes the circuit 19 and thus sets in operation the mechanism for lowering the sign indicating the route that the car is to take. As the car leaves the station, it automatically closes the circuit through the circuit-opening magnet 23, thus energizing the latter and opening the switch 22. This breaks the circuit 19, thus deenergizing the signal-operating magnet and the locking magnet 25 therein. As soon as the signal-operating magnet is deenergized, the piston is lowered and the signal lifted behind the screen, and as soon as the locking magnet 25 is deenergized, the locking pawl 27 is released by a suitable spring or other means 29, thus permitting the switch 20 to open under the influence of a spring 30.

The circuits 31 and 32 of the magnets 21 and 23 may be closed by the car in any suitable way. As herein shown, one branch of said circuit is connected to the track 33, and the other to one of the insulated contact devices 34. As soon as the tappet 35 engages the contact 34, the circuit through the magnet is closed, as will be obvious. The circuit 32 of the circuit-opening magnet is also connected by another contact 34 adapted to be engaged by the tappet 35 of the car.

The parts thus far described constitute the operating mechanism for one signal, and there are as manysuch circuits 19 and circuit-closing and circuit-opening devices as there are routes to be indicated, and also as man contact pieces 34 as there are routes.

In order to save confusion of the drawings I have illustrated in Fig. 1 only one complete circuit 19, but have shown diagrammatically three indicators and three contacts 34:- I propose to use on each car or train as many tappets as there are contacts 3 1 so that one tappet will be depressed when one route is to be indicated, and another tappet when another route, etc. he tappets may have any suitable or usual construction, such, for instance, as shown in my prior patent.

Although I have described my invention as it is used for indicating stations in a car, it will be obvious that by suitable modifications the apparatus herein shown could be used for indicating signs other than those indicating stations or routes.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a signal system, the combination with a car, of a station indicator carried thereby and comprising a plurality of movable signs, flexible connections by which the signs are suspended, a plurality of air cylinders each having ports in each end, a piston in each cylinder connected to the flexible connections for the corresponding sign, a valve for each cylinder, a magnet controlling each valve, and an electrically-operated commutator controlled as to its operation by the movement of the car for directing the current into the various magnets in the proper sequence.

2. The combination with a car, of a plurality of station indicators carried thereby, one indicator for each one of a plurality of routes, each indicator comprising a plurality of pneumatically operated signs to designate the stations on its route, electrical devices for controlling the operation of the signs, and a switch to connect the electrical devices corresponding to any route with the source of electrical energy.

3. In a device of the class described, a plurality of movable sign plates, electrically controlled pneumatic means to actuate each sign plate, and a commutator to which each of said electrically controlled means is connected and by which its time of operation is governed.

4. In a signal system, a plurality of movable sign-plates, a flexible connection by which each sign-plate is suspended, a cylinder for each sign-plate, a piston in each cylinder connected to the corresponding flexible connection, a valve for each cylinder, a magnet for controlling each valve, and a commutator to which all of said magnets are connected.

5. In a device of the class described, the lcombination with a car, of a plurality of &

movable sign plates carried thereby, electrically-controlled pneumetlc means to actuate each sign plate, and a commutator to which each electrically-controlled means is con-I nected and by which its time of operation is governed, said commutator being controlled as to its operation by the movement of the car.

LOUIS G SMITH, I BERTHA F. HEUSER.

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