US923793A - Automatic signal device for railways. - Google Patents

Description

a. w. JOHNSON. AUTOMATIO SIGNAL DEVICE FOR BAILWAYS. APPLIOATION Hum NOV. 21,1908.

Patented June 1, 1909.

7g anmmlroz siding at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny'and State of Pennsylvania, have in:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. JOHNSON, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THOMAS J.

McGALL, O'F PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC SIGNAL DEVICE FOR RAILWAYS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1, 1909.

Application filed November 21, 1908. Serial No. 463,862.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. JOHNSON, a citlzen of the Umted States of America, re-

vefiedj certain new and useful Improveme teem-Automatic Signal Devices for Railways, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to an automatic signal device for railways, and the object of my invention is the provision of'positive and reliable means in connection with a track and a locomotive for automatically sounding a signal that will notify the engineer or operator of the locomotive to. proceed with caution or to entirely stop the locomotive, as prearrangement of the signals may denote.

My invention aims to eliminate the use of torpedoes and similar devices that are placed upon the rails of a track and by their detonation caused by a locomotive passing over the same, notifying the engineer to stop or proceed with caution. Numerous accidents occur in the placing of torpedoes, besides other accidents occurred by wrecks due to failure on the part or the engineer to hear the detonation of the torpedo. Torpedoes containing explosives are also dangerous for atlorage purposes and require careful han- It is in view of the above facts that I have devised my automatic signal, which can be placed in an operative position by a tower- Inan or switchman and positively notify an engineer by an audible signal that can be readily heard above the noise of a moving train.

The above and other objects are accomplished .by a device that will be hereinafter described and then claimed.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is an elevation of the locomotive and track equipped with the automatic signal, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of that portion of the signal carried by the locomotive, Fig. 3 is a plan of the signal actuating device, as arranged relative to a track, Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the same,

and Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of a valve body forming part of the audible signal.

To put my invention into practice, I provide a tie or sleeper 1 adjacent-to a rail with bearings 2 having oil cups 3.- In the bearings 2 is journaled a shaft 4 having a hand Wheel 5, whereby said shaft can be easily rotated. Upon the shaft and between the bearings 2 is mounted a cam 6. Pivotally connected to ties or sleepers at v the sides of the tie 1 are auxiliary rails 7 having the confronting ends thereof resting upon the cams 6. 'By turning the shaft 4-. the auxiliary tracks 7 can be raised to an inclination with the confronting ends thereof on a level or slightly above the tread of the rails upon which a locomotive travels.

The locomotive equipment comprises an audible signal, such as a whistle, supplied with steam or air from the locomotive, the supplying of steam or air to the whistle being controlled by mechanism carried by the 10- comotive and actuated by the inclination of the auxiliary rails 7.

The running board 8 of the locomotive is provided with a bearing 9 for a pivoted arm 10, said arm being further supported by a stirrup 11 carried by the running board 8. The upper end of the arm 10 is provided with a lever 12 and revolubly supported by the lower end of said lever is a wheel 13 ada ted to engage and ride over the auxiliary rai s 7. The upper end of the lever 12 is adapted to impinge a latch 14, carried by the running board 8, and release a lever 15 normally suported thereby and pivotally connected to a caring 16, carried by the running board. The pivoted lever 15 is limited in its downward movement by a stirrup 17 carried by the running board 8, and the free end of said lever is provided with a weight 18. This weighted free end of the lever 15 is adapted to strike an extension 19 of the bell crank lever 20 pivotally mounted in a hanger 21, carried by the running board. The bell crank lever 20 is pivotally connected to a slide valve 22 arranged in a whistle body 23, secured to.v the-locomotive, as at 24. The

Whistle body connects with the steam chest Connected to the weighted end 18 of the lever 15 is acable 26, said cable extending upwardly into the cab 27 of the locomotive, Where said cable is fixed to a drum 28 so that the engineer or operator of the locomotive can rotate said drum to raise the weighted end of the lever 15. Under normal conditions the cable 26 is slack, whereby the whistle actuating mechanism can be operated in the following manner :-\Vhen the towerman or switchman sets the auxiliary rails 7 at an inclination, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, said rails are in the path of the wheels 13, but as the locomotive passes by the auxiliary rails 7, the inclination of said rails raises the lever 12 and causes said lever to releasethe latch 14. The weighted end 18 of the lever .15 then drops and strikes the bell crank lever 20, and this lever forces the slide valve 22 inwardly and allows the steam or air to pass into the whistle head 25 and sound the same. The whistle continues to blow until the engineer or operator of the locomotive has heard the same, and then the engineer or operator winds the cable 26 upon the drum 28, elevates the lever 15 and restores the parts of the mechanism to their normal position. When the lever 15 is elevated the latch 14 assumes its normal position by gravity" and supports the lever 15, while the lever 10 is supported by the stirrup 11. in order that the slide valve 22 will be returned to its normal position, I can place a spring 29 between the bell crank lever 20 and the whistle body 23, this spring forcing the slide valve to its normal position when the lever 20 is released. If it is desired to dispense with this spring, the weighted end 18 of the lever 15 can be connected to the bell crank lever 20. After the engineer of the locomotivc has been duly notified by the sounding of a whistle, the towerman or switchman can restore the auxiliary rails to their normal position by turning the hand wheel 5.

While in. the drawings forming a part of this application there is illustrated the preferredembodiments of my invention, it is-to be understood that the same can be varied or changed as to shape, proportion and manner of assemblage without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having now described. my invention what I claim as new, is

1. In an automatic signal, the combination with a track and a locomotive ada )ted to travel thereon, of a whistle carried by said locomctivc, a slide valve for controlling the eaavee operation of said whistle, a bell crank lever for moving said slide valve, a pivoted weighted lever .for'actuating said bell crank lever, a latch for normally supporting said Weighted lever in an elevated position, a lever supported by said locomotive for releasin said latch, 21. wheel revolubly supporte by the lower end of said lever, adjust- .able auxiliary tracks arranged adjacent to the locomotivetrack and adapted to be impinged by said wheelfor raising said lever and releasing said latch to allow said weighted lever to move said slide valve through the medium of said bell crank lever, manual means in connection with said auxiliary rails for setting said rails at an inclination, and means in connection with said locomotive to restore said weighted lever to its normal position. A

2. In an automatic signal, the combination with atrack and a locomotive ada ted to travel thereon, of a whistle carried )y said locomotive, a slide valve for controllin the operation of said whistle, a bell crank ever for moving said slide valve, a lVOll-( weighted lever for actuating said he crank lever, a latch for normally su porting said weighted lever in an elevated position, a lever supported by said locomotiv for releasing said latch, a wheel revoluily supported by the lower end of said lever,- adjustable auxiliary tracks arranged adjacent to the locomotive track and adapted to be impinged by said wheel for raising said lever and releasing said latch to allow said weighted lever to move said slide valve through the medium of said bell crank lever, and manual means in connection with said auxiliary rails for setting said rails at an inclination.

In an automatic signal for locomotives, the combination with a whistle and a valve for controlling the operation of said whistle, of a weighted lever carried by said locomotive for moving said valve, a latch for normally supporting said weighted lover, a pivoted lever carried by said lor'zomotivc for releasing said latch and allowing said weighted lever to move said valve, a rovolublo wheel carried by said pivoted lever, auxiliary adjustable rails arranged in the pathol' said wheel and adapted to be impinged by said wheel for elevating said pivoted lever and rcleasing said latch, means fonadjusting said auxiliary rails, and means in connection with said locomotive for restoring said weighted lover to its normal position in engagement with said latch.

4. In arnautomatic signal for locomotives, the combination with a whistle, and a valve for controlling the operation of said whistle,

of a weighted lever carried by said locomotive for moving said valve, a latch for normally supporting said weighted lover, a pivoted lever carried by said locomotive for releasing said latch and allowing said weighted 1 lever to move said vah e, a revoluble wheel I In testimony whereef I my signature carried by said pivoted lever, auxiliary ad- 1n the presence of two witnesses.

justable rails arranged in the path of said wheel and adapted to be impinged by said JOHN JOHNSON 5 Wheel for elevating said pivoted lever and re- Witnesses:

leasing said latch, and means for adjusting MAX H. Snomvm,

said auxiliary rails. C. V. BROOKS.

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