US933369A - Electric alarm-signal. - Google Patents

Description

H. J. HOVEY.

ELECTRIC ALARM SIGNAL. APPLwATIoN FILED JULY-18, 1908.

933,369. 3 Patented Spt.7,1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H. J. HOVBY.

ELECTRIC ALARM SIGNAL. APPLIOATION FILED JULY 18, 1908. 933,369,, Patented Sept. 7, 1909. ZSHEETS-SHEET 2.

l I l llhuunmmum UNITED snares PATENT i HENRY I. I-IOVEY, OF EVANSTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR '10 BRYANT ZINC COMPANY, OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS- ELECTRIC ALARM-SIGNAL.

Patented Septrt, 1909.

Applicationfiled July 18, 1908. Serial Not 444 176.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I HENRI J. HOVEY, a citizen of the Uni ted States, residing at Evanston, in the county of- (look and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric Alarm-Signals, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in the class of electrically-sounded gongs, such as are used as alarm-signals at railwaycrossings to announce the approach of a train, which, in approaching the crossing, closes the electric circuit containing the device to actuate it. "Similar alarm-signals are also used at swing-bridges and in other connections for warning against danger.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a face view, with a shield-detail in section, of my improved device with its' gong-carrying cover removed to disclose the oscillatory hammer and its .electro-inagnetic actuating mechanism; Fig. 2 is a section onthe irregular line'22 Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a diagram of the electric circuits containing the signaloperating electroma'gnets. a

The casing 4 is an iron casting of circular form with an annular cover-seating shoulder 5 about its edgeand a central boss 6. and bosses 8 and 9 in diametrical line with each other on its base. A shield 10 of the preferred bulging shape illustrated extends partway about the casing to o erhang what constitutes the are described byits upper portion in the position of its use, to exclude snow, dirt and the like from the interior of the gong, hereinafter described.

On the central boss 6 an armature 11 is pivotally supported centrally between itsendsto adapt it to oscillate freely, and at opposite points on the base of the casing are provided iron brackets 12 and 13, each securely fastened through its, base-portion to the casing-base and having its flange-portlon' 14 bent, as shown, to describe an obtuse angle with the faces inclining correspondingly from the apex to afford fastening points each for the core of an electromagnet spool. Thus the spools 15 and l6'are rigidly fastened to the flange-faces of the bracket 12 and the spools 155 and 166 are similarly fastened to the fiange faces of the bracket 13, the positions of the two brackets being such as to bring the'apexes of their bent flanges in diametrical line with the pivotal point of the armature; and the relative inclination of th=- magnet-spools brings the adjacent polesof those forming the pair 15 and 155 fully against opposite sides oft-he armature in one ultra-positionofits throw and the adjacent poles of those formingthe pair ll;

and 166 similarly against the respectively adjacent sides of the armature in the other ultra-position ofits throw. A switchdever 17, of insulating material, is fulcruined at one end on the boss 8 and is bifurcated or recessed in its opposite free end where it. receives the adjacent end of the armature; and 1t carrles on its outer face a metal contact-i I Strip l8. Blocks 19 and 20 of insulating material are secured on the casing-base at oppo- ;7

site sides of the switch-lever 17, the blocki 19 carrying a metal contact finger 21 with 1 its free end bearing against the strip 18 near X the fulcrum ofthe lever to be permanently in contact with that strip, and a. contactfinger 22 with itsfree end extending into position to contact with the strip 18 near the free end of the lever, thereby to separate the contact by one throw of the lever, and by its opposite throw contact the strip with a cir- 8Q cult-closing finger 122 secured on the block 20 in position to form a companion to the finger 22. The boss 9 has a )ost- 23 extending from it and surrounded y a sleeve 2%,

from the inner end of which an arm 25 projects at a right-angle to receive in its bifurcated or recessed end the adjacent end of the armature and the stem of a hammer 26,

forming the gong-striker, projects sin'iila-rly from the sleeve near its opposite end.

Acover-formingdisk 27 seats removably and 1s fastened against the annular shoulder .5 to shield the electromafgfnet-mechanism;

and a post 28 extends from its center and carries the gong 29, which is fastened,

through a central hole in it, by a screw-bolt 30 to the end of the post, whereby an arcsection of the gong lextends under the shield 10 for the purpose hereinbefore mentioned.

The circuits containing the 'e'lectromagnets 1 may be traced on the diagram of Fig, 3 as follows: An electric generator is represent ed conventionally at 31 with a circuit-closer conventionally shown as a push-button 32,

included in a wire 20 leading from one pole 10 5 of the generator, passing through the magnets 15 and: to connectthem in series and terminating at the finger- 22; a branch .w leads from the wire w through the magnets 16" and 166, connecting them in series and terminating at the finger 122; and a wire 'w connects the finger 21 with the opposite pole of the generator.

From the foregoing description of the mechanism the operation will be understood tobe the following: Upon closure of the cirj cuit,. as byiman'ipulating the push-button and, with the parts in the relative positions represented in the diagram, the magnets and 155 willbe energized to attract to their 'poles the armature, thereby causing the latter to 'turnathe switch-lever 17 inthe directionnto break the circuit at 18, 22 and close it at 18, 122 thus energizing the magnets 16 the members, the bracket carrying it, the.

" used for alarm-purposes on a-railroad the to thearm 25 momentum which causes it to act against the armature and supplement the attractive force upon it of the electromag nets with the advantage of economizmg in the on .rent for energizing them.

It'u'ill be observed that each time a pair of-the electromagnets, the members of which are disposed in diagonal relation to each other, is energized by closure of the electric circuitcontaining the same, a magnetic circuit is formed through the .core of one of casing, the bracket carrying the other member, the-core of that member, and the armature. This renders each pair of the members practically a horseshoe-magnet, whereby the pulling-force of both poles is exerted close to the armature. The advantage which eusues is that the operation of the device may be effected with the minimum expenditure of current, or with four volts of a battery where eight volts would be required if the magnets were insulated magnetically from each other, or if the members of each pair were arranged side by side, when the arc of- "movement between the core of the outermost member and the outer-end ortion of the armature-Would be material y greater and render the force of attraction much Weaker than the arcof movement between the core of the innermost magnet-and the armature;

As will be understood, where the device is usual or any suitable provision. is made for effecting the circuit-closure automatically by locomotives or trains running on the track.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is-- 1. In an electric alarm-si nal the combination with a metal base, of a pair of metal brackets secured to the casin in metallic contact therewith, each of said rackets having'a projecting flange bent to form an obtuse angle, said brackets being secured to the casing so as to face each other, twoelectromagnets secured to each flange with their cores in metallic-contact with the flange whereby the electro-magnets' secured to each flange diverge from each other, an electric circuit containing in series members of said electro-magnets arranged diagonally to each other on the casing and forming pairs, an

armature pivotally mounted between its ends" to extend'between the electro-magnet-poles, a ong, a hammer connected to one. end of sai armature, contact fingers forming terminals in said electric circuit and a switch- -lever extending, between said fingers, said switch-leverbeing engaged by the armature for changing the circuit through said magnets. ii i 2. Inan electric alarm-signalthe combination with ametal base, of apair of metal brackets secured to the casin -in. metallic contact therewith, each of said rackets having a projecting flange bent to form an obtuse angle, said brackets bein secured to the casing so as to face eaclr -other, two electro-m'agnets secured to each flange with their cores in metallic contact with the flange, whereby the electro magnets secured to each flange diverge from each other, an electric circuit containing in series members of said electrdmagnets arranged diagonally to each other on the'casingand forming pairs, an armature pivotally mounted between its ends to extend between the electromagnet-poles, a gong, a hammer connected to one end of said armature, a switch-lever fulcrumed in the casing and engaging at its free end with one end of the armature, a contact-finger included in said electric circuit and permanently engaging said lever, contact-fingers forming terminals in said circuit disposed on said casing at opposite sides of the switch-lever near its free end whereby current will be caused to pass alternately through said pairs of electromagnets when the circuit is closed.

'HENRY J. 'HOVEY. In presence of- RALPH A. ScHAnrnn,

l l W. T. Jones.

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