US938429A - Mechanism for danger-signals for railroads. - Google Patents

Description

. R. E. MURPHY.

MEGHANISM FOR DANGER SIGNALS FOR RAILROADS APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 16, 1907.

Patented 01313.26, 1909.

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Patented 0013.26, 1909.

R.. E. MURPHY.

' MBGHANISM FOR DANGER SIGNALS FOR. RAILROADS.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 161907.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROY EMRY MURPHY, OF COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO.

MECHANISM FOR DANGER-SIGNALS FOR RAILROADS.

Application filed September 16, 1907. Serial No. 393,253.

To all lwhom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ROY EMRY MURPHY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Colorado Springs, in the county of El Paso and State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Mechanism for Danger-Signals for Railroads, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a danger signal for the purpose of notifying the persons in charge of an approaching train that a railroad-switch, they are approaching, is open or imperfectly closed. I attain this objectby means of the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure l. is a top v-iew of the entire mechanism connected with a section of the rail road track, which track is broken away in three places in the drawing to allow the principal parts of the drawing to be brought to a condensed position; Fig. 3. is also a top view of torpedo box C, connected with ties IV, IV, and rails a and 2),' Fig. 2 is a longin tudinal sectional view of torpedo box C, dissected vertically and looking at it from a position between the rails; Fig Ll. is a vertical, lateral sectional view of torpedo box C, dissected crosswise of the rails, alarm tube f, and alarm post e; and Fig. 5. is a detailed View of a part of the mechanism in torpedo box C, showing on a larger scale, magazine az', and the levers gz, and

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The rail tongue p, when pulled from rail ae, in opening the switch, causes the electrode bolt a, to connect electrodes o, 0, thus causing a direct connection through from battery (Z, via electrodes 0, o, wire m', rail a, wire ml, to torpedo box C, and wire p2', and rail b; wire m', connects battery (Z, with rail g, and the two rails 7) and g, are insulated at tz', tz', so that when an engine comes onto the insulated ends of rails and g, it makes the circuit, and causes magnet 7a, is, to attract magnet bar 1, which being rigidly attached to pitman j, forces pitman y', under depression-raiLblock he', and over compression arm i, so that when the iiange of the car wheel depresses depression rail 7L, it forces compression arm z', down onto torpedo t, lying on anvil e, thus exploding torpedo 25, and the force of the explosion is then conducted out through alarm tube f, as designated by the arrows, to a close proximity to the engineer in cab of the engine.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 26, 1909.

At the same time that compression arm c', is forced down it pulls down pit-man ez', and with it levers gz' and ft, the former raising release arinz', and thus releasing one of the torpedoes t, at the top, and allowing it to tip forward from the force of piston spring ci, against feed piston o; and at the same time when lever y, is depressed it forces escapement arm je', down so that it arrests the top of torpedo t, when it is released from release arm cz', as the bottom of the torpedo t, rests against the two toe-rests ma', so that the torpedo t, is temporarily held in an inclining position till .it falls-forward on its flat side when released by escapement arm being forced up by spring y, after the car wheel has passed over depression rail h. It is apparent that if the rail tongue is resting against rail ac, and electrodes 0, 0,

'are not connected, the circuit will be open and pitman j, will remain out from between depression rail block M, and compression arm z', and so that the depression of depression rail h, by the flange of a car wheel would not disturb or move or connect with depression arm i, and so the torpedoes would not be molested. When escapement arm jc', is released and rises after the explosion, it releases torpedo t, which falls forward and slides down to a rest on top of anvil z, Aand remains there until exploded.

Rails a, and are separated by an insulation o, so that after the front wheel on the engine or car has passed over the torpedo box it connects rails a, and g, thus making a short circuit between the torpedo box and the switch, and leaving the torpedo box unaffected further till the wheels are all removed froni between the switch and the torpedo box. i

It is plain, that every car wheel that passes over the depression rail L, will press it down by the flange of its wheel, butas neither depression rail nor its block hz', can touch compression arm z', then compression arm e', *willl not be disturbed unless the pitmanvy', is forced between depression rail block he', and the compression arm z'.

Compression arm z', is provided at its swing end with an iron safety flange iz', which comes up to contact with the under side of rail b, and prevents compression arm c', rising higher than a level position.

Magazine ai, is provided on the upper surface of its floor and near its exit end, with two toe-rests mi, which keep the torpedo t,

from twisting and hold it back at the bottom so that it will fall forward, with the lat side downward.

The coil springs Z, Z, force the ends of depression rail Zt, up against lugs LZ, LZ, and retain them there till they are depressed by the iange of a car wheel. Depression rail ZL, is also provided with suitable guides attached to the side of torpedo box C. r1`orpedo box C, has suitable fastenings by which it is attached to cross ties W, W, and is provided with a depressed base or bottom, that hangs down between the ties in the center of the torpedo box bottom. Truss X, which is constructed of a heavy iron plate, is reinforced under the anvil e, by another heavy iron plate, so as to sustain the shock of the explosion of a torpedo Z. At the switch station there is also provided a suitable alarm (ZZ, which may be a bell or other appliance as desired.

The electrodes 0, 0, are insulated from rail ac, Fig. l. by means of blocks of wood or other suitable non-conductor, and are protected from external molestation by means of a suitable box or case t.

The insulation fv, between rails ct, and Fig. l. is to be close enough to the torpedo box, to allow the iirst set of wheels on a car or engine to reach rail a, before a second set of wheels following the first set can depress depression rail 71,. This will allow the current to be carried across on the front axle from rail a, at fv, to rail g, and short circuit the current between the switch and the torpedo box C, and thus leave the pitman j, out from between depression rail block Zw', and compression arm z'. 7When the switch is closed the connecting electrode bolt a, Fig. l, does not connect electrodes 0, 0, and so the circuit is then open and remains so whether there is a conductor between rails Z), and g or between rails a, and g, or not; and so there is no explosion of torpedoes in torpedo box C, under such circumstances, although the alarm bell (ZZ, would continue to ring while the switch was open and would act as an alarm to call the attention of any one, within hearing, to the fact that the switch was open and a train was approaching on rails a, and g. This mechanism may be successfully used without the presence of alarm tube f, and its post support e, but I represent them both present in this improvement.

The alarm cZZ, is a bell operated by means of a magnet, which may be in a depot or other place where a watchman or switch man is located, and is connected with a circuit by the switch being open so as to connect electrodes o, 0, and a, and alsoconnecting rails a, and g, by a train passing upon them.

The wire m', connects battery (Z, with rail g: Zw, is the lead wire connecting rail a,

the circuit being completed by means ofmagnet bars cZ. mZ is the release springattached to the magnet bar eZ.

LZ, ZLZ, are lugs arresting depression rail h. I claim as my invention and ask for Letters Patent forl. In a danger signal for railroads, the

horizontal compression arm z', hinged permanently at its rear end and its front end actuated upwardly by means of the spiral spring y, and being actuated downwardly by means of a horizontal pitman j, which slides longi-r tudinally on the top of the compression arm c', being pressed downwardly by being engaged by the under side of the depression rail It, being pressed downwardly by the iiange of a carriage wheel of a passing train over the said depression rail Zt, pressing itV down, all substantially as set forth and for the purposes speciiied.

2. In a danger signal for railroad switches, a metal casing box c, containing the magazine az', for torpedoes, in combination with magnet coils Ze, 7c, and magnet bar r, rigidly attached to pitman j, and loosely attached to compression arm z', substantially as set forth and for the purposes speciiied.

3. In a danger signal for railroads, the torpedo magazine az', containing torpedoes actuated by feed piston bz', forced by piston spring ce', which torpedoes are restrained and fed out from the exit of said magazine ai, by escapement mechanism consisting of arm je', on lever and release arm ka', on lever ga', which levers are actuated by pitman cz', connecting them with compressor Z, in combination with magnet coils Ze, 7c, and pitman j, actuated by battery (Z, on a circuit, connected by electrodes 0, 0, which are connected by the head of bolt a, by opening the switch rail y), and being shorted by the connection of rails b, and g, by the wheels and axle of a locomotive engine or other rolling stock, between the insulations Zz', Zz', and the torpedo box c, substantially as set forth and for the purposes specified.

4. In a danger signal for railroads, the

torpedo magazine ai, in combination with compression arm z', and pitman y', provided to be actuated downwardly against torpedo by means of depression rail block iwi, and

depression rail It, being forced downwardly by inner flange of a wheel of a passingl train, and being provided to be actuated upwardly by means of a spring fy, all substantially asl set forth and for the purposes specified.

In danger signals for railroads, the electric alarm bell all, located in the depot or station of the railroad, and connected to the battery icl, and to the magnet fl, by means of lead wires nl and pl, which said lead wires are connected directly to the cores of the magnet fb, which cores are connected by other wires and connections indirectly to rail g and rail a, as shown in Fig. 1, which rail g, may be connected to rail b, by the wheels and axle of a passing engine, which rail b, is connected by wire pz', with magnet coils 7J, le, which are connected by wires iwf, with rail a, and which rail zz, is connected by wire zzz', and electrodes 0, 0, and electrode bolt zzz, and the two lead wires zz', with one of the magnet coils fb, in combination with rail tongue y), substantially as set forth and for the purposes specified.

G. In a danger signal for railroads, a cylindrical magazine case or tube having the cap dz', and carrying the piston bz', provided with a piston rod attached thereto and projecting through the center of the said cap dz', and said cylindrical case descending diagonally downward at its mouthor open end, and having at its inner upper' surface on its floor or bottom two toe rests mi, mz', suitable to engage the lower edge of a descending torpedo in said magazine and arrest its further progress, and said piston bz', being actuated against said torpedo by means of the spring cz', all substantially as set forth and for the purposes specified.

7. In a danger signal for railroads, the combination with a suitable cylindrical magazine case az', containing torpedoes t, t, flat on their front side or face and circular in shape and actuated by pressure from behind and by gravitation, of an escapement mechanism comprising two horizontal levers actuated at their common end by a common pitman working vertically and to which they are permanently hinged, said pitman being actuated by the compression arm z', which in turn is actuated by mechanism connecting it with the wheels of a passing train, and the lower one, fz', of said horizontal levers having its fulcrum at its end farthest from said pitman and there permanently hinged to the top of said magazine case az', and having rigidly and adjustably attached near its center an escapement arm jz', projecting downwardly and into the upper part of said magazine az', far enough for its lower end to engage the face or front flat side of the said flat torpedoes t, t, and being actuated downwardly when the said pitman ez, is actuated downwardly, and the upper lever gz', having its fulcrum near its longitudinal center and being permanently hinged thereto, and having rigidly and adjustably attached to its end opposite the said pitman ez', a release arm bz', projecting downwardly into the upper part of the cavity of said magazine case az', and far enough to engage the upper front face of said torpedoes t, t, and being back of the escapement arm y'z', about the distance of the thickness of one torpedo t, and said release arm czl, being actuated upwardly when said pitman ez', and said escapement arm jz', are actuated down wardly, and downwardly when they are actuated upwardly, substantially as set forth and for the purposes specified.

S. In a danger signal for railroads, a metal tubular magazine case az, having the piston bz', actuated by spiral spring cz', in combination with an escapement comprising the levers and gz', actuated by the common pitman ez', and carrying escapement arm jz',

and release arm cz', respectively, for the puri poses specified and substantially as set forth.

9. In a danger signal for railroads, a torpedo box C, comprising a case containing magnets K, K, actuated by the battery d, connected by conducting wires, conducting rails and conducting car wheels and axles as described, and said magnets K, K, actuating the magnet bar z', and pitman y', spring s, withdrawing bar z', and pitman y', compression bar z', hinged at one end at m, and having at its other end a projecting lug z'z', extending under the railroad rail, and actuated upwardly by the spiral spring y, and downwardly by depression rail z, the tubular magazine az', having an escapement mechanism composed of the two levers ji, and gz', carrying adjustable thereon arms jz', and czl, to retard and release the torpedoes and a compression piston to expel the torpedoes, a truss plate oz, beneath the compression arm z', all in combination with a detonation tube f, the generating battery (Z, the electric alarm cZZ, a railroad, a railroad switch and a passing train, all substantially as set forth and for the purposes specified.

ROY EMRY MURPHY.

'Witnessesz F. D. CATLIN, CHARLES L. BLAKE.

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