US939659A - Railway traffic-controlling system. - Google Patents

Description

H. BEZER. RAILWAY TRAFFIC GONTROLLING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 18, 1907. 939,659. Patented Nov. 9, 1909.

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H. BEZER.

RAILWAY TRAFFIC GONTROLLING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 18, 1907.

Patented Nov. 9, 1909.

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HENRY BEZER, OF NE'WAEK, NEW JERSEY.

RAILWAY TRAFFIC-CONTROLLING SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 19%).

Application filed January 18, 1907. Serial No. 352,979.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, HENRY BEZER, a subject of the Kingof Great Britain, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Traflic-Controlling Systems, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates broadly to railway tra'liic controlling systems and apparatus, and that specific embodiment or adaptation of my invention which I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings and particularly described hereinafter, relates to that class of railway traflic-controlling systems and apparatus which efiect the control of trattic along a railway by the display of visual signals such as semaphore signals.

Broadly designated, the objects of my invention are reliability and economy of operation economy and simplicity in maintenance, and economy of construction.

To the foregoing broad ends my invention comprises various broad and specific features which are defined in the annexed claims and exemplified by the aforementioned illustrated specific embodiment hereinafter described in detail. For instance, as one broad feature, my invention broadly comprehends, in a railway traffic-controlling or signaling system; two electro-translative devices, such as electro-magnets for example, opposed to each other in their electro-translative efforts, for instance, by arrangement so as to pull against each other on a common v set of relay contact-fingers or other members whereby such members will be subject to preponderance of force from either electrotranslative device or magnet; a traffic-controlling or signaling circuit. such for in stance as the usual track rail circuit, communicating with a suitable source of trafliccontrolling or signaling current and arranged to supply such current to both the magnets or electro-translative devices; a source of auxiliary current including at least one of such opposed magnets or electro-translative devices and in the illustrated embodiment including both such magnets or devices; traiiic-controlling or signaling means controllable by the opposed magnets or electro-translative devices and arranged in control of traffic along the railway; and

means for reversing the traflic-controlling or signaling current in the trafiic-controlling or signaling circuit; the foregoing broad arrangement being applied to the purpose of controlling the traflic-controlling or signaling apparatus by responsiveness to reversal of the traflic-controlling or signaling current transmitted through the traii ic-controlling or signaling circuitaforementioned, the relationship of such reversible current and the auxiliary current to each other (in the electro-translative device or magnet, or devices or magnets, which these currents commonly influence) being reversed by such reversal of the tratliccontrolling or signaling current: that is to say, with a given direction of current in the tratlic-controlling or signaling circuit, such two currents are mutually co active or united in their electro-translative efforts o-r magnetizing forces in one electrotranslative device or magnet subject to joint action of these currents, and when the other electro-translative device or magnet is also subject to both currents such auxiliary current and the same given direction of cur rentfrom the trathc-controlling or signaling circuit may be simultaneously counteractive or opposed in their electro-translative efforts or magnetizing efiorts in such other electro-translative device or magnet, so that whenthe given current in the traiiic-controlling or signaling circuit is reversed the relationship of the two currents in the first mentioned magnet will be reversed or changed from co-active to counter-active while the counter-active relationship of the two currents in the second magnet will be changed or reversed to a co -'active relationship whereby, when both translative devices or magnets are subject to both currents, the preponderance of force residing in the coactive relationship of currents will be transferred from the first of the opposed magnets to the second magnetso as to actuate the relay contact devices controlled jointly by the two magnets and thus operate the 'tratliccontrolling or signaling means in response to the aforementioned current reversal in the trafl ic-controlling circuit.

My invention also broadly comprehends a railway traffic-controlling means or signaling apparatus adapted for two tra'tlic-cou trolling or signaling operations such, for instance, as the home-clearing and antclearing operations of a home-and-distant semaphore apparatus; two electro translative devices such as electro-magnets in control of the two operations of the traffic-controlling or signaling means and both included in a suitable traflic-controlling or signaling circuit arranged to supply reversible traffic-controlling or signaling current to such magnets or devices; a suitable source of auxiliary current arranged to supply such auxiliary current to both magnets or devices and to one magnet in direction to co-act with or augment therein the current of one given direction from the traffic-controlling circuit, and to the other magnet or device in direction to counter-act or attenuate therein the current of such given direction from the traiiic-controlling circuit, so as to make the first magnet or device selectively responsive to such one given direction of current in the traflic-controlling circuit to effect one operation of the trafficcontrolling apparatus; and means for reversing the traffic-controlling current in the tral'lic-controlling circuit to reverse the relationship of such current and the auxiliary current in the translative devices or magnets and thereby effect augmentive co-act-ion of currents in the second magnet or device whereby to selectively ac tuate such second device or magnet and produce a second operation of the traliic-controlling apparatus responsive thereto.

My invention also broadly comprehends an electro-translative apparatus, for example, an organization of electro-magnets such as aforementioned, arranged in control of a tra ic-controlling or signaling means such as semaphores for instance, and such electrotranslative apparatus being in turn controllable jointly by reversible traliic-controlling or signaling current in a traffic-controlling or signaling circuit with current-reversing means, and by auxiliary current suitably supplied to the electro-translative apparatus, and such electro-translative apparatus being responsive to joint or concurrent action of such auxiliary current and current of given direction in the traffic-controlling circuit to break connection between the source of such auxiliary current and the electro-translative apparatus.

My invention also broadly comprehends an electro-translative apparatus controllable by a trafiic-controlling electric circuit and in control of a traflic-controlling apparatus and including an electro-translative device, such as an electro-magnet for instance, responsive to current from the tra'llic-controlling circuit, and suitable automatic means for discontinuing transmission of current from the traffic-controlling circuit to such electrotranslative device or magnet immediately after the same has been actuated by such circuit or so soon after such actuation that the magnet or device will not be permanently affected by its actuative current in any undesirable degree. This broad arrangement insures a substantially constant condition and degree of responsiveness in the electro-translative device or magnet aforementioned, and avoids that variability of responsiveness which often results from continuing the actuative current in the magnet or device for a considerable period so as to establish a degree of permanent magnetism or otherwise affect the condition of the magnet or device so that its degree of responsiveness to the actuative current will be altered. This variability of responsiveness in a translative device or magnet, such as a relay for instance, in control of a trafiic-controlling ap paratus is exceedingly undesirable, because it results in the consumption of a greater amount of actuative controlling current than would be required if the translative device or relay were maintained at a constant degree of responsiveness. For instance, in order to prevent false actuation of a traflic-controlling or signaling apparatus by foreign currents which traverse the rails of a track circuit in control of the relay which governs such traflic-controlling apparatus, it is necessary to adjust the relay so that itwill not respond to any current strength up to a given value which is determined as the maximum value of foreign current in the system, the relay being, however, adjusted for response to a current of greater value which will be delivered from the regular source of trafliccontrolling or signaling current. Now, if the relay were constant in its responsiveness it would be sufficient to initially adjust the relay for response to an actuative value of current not greatly exceeding the ascertained or determined maximum foreign current; but since, by receiving current for a considerable period, the relay may acquire a permanent magnetism making it more responsive after it has been sometime in service, and hence liable to respond to that maximum value of foreign current to which it would notrespond when first placed in service, it has generally been necessary to adjust the relays for response to an actuative current value exceeding the maximum value of foreign current by a difference sufficient to insure against subsequent actuation of the relay, by such maximum foreign current, due to increased responsiveness or sensitiveness residing in permanent magnetism acquired by the relay in service. This adjustment of the relays for responsiveness to an actuative current value greater than the actuative value of current which would be necessary if the relay were not subject to permanent mag netism, is, of course, wasteful of actuative current, since the greater actuative current mustbe constantly employed where the lesser actuative current would suffice if the variation in relay responsiveness due to permanent magnet-ism could be avoided.

In many forms of railway traflic-controlling or signaling systems which employ electro-translative magnets, such as relay magnets for instance, to control the traffic-controlling or signaling apparatus, and wherein such electro-translative or relay magnets are in turn controlled by a trafiic-controlling or signaling circuit and intended to be responsive to resistance variations or current variations in such a circuit, it has often been found ditiicult to construct such electrotranslative or relay magnets so that they will respond properly to such current or resistance variations for reasons which will appear from the following instance. \Vhen a relay armature is attracted toward its magnet by a given increase of current therein, the approach of the armature toward the poles of the magnet materially reduces the magnetic air gap between such armature and poles and thus increases the holding power or t'active effort developed by the magnet on the armature in such measure that the armature may be still held in its attracted position, after the relay current is reduced again to its initial or lower value, in lieu of being drawn back, as it should, by its weight, spring, retractile magnet or other suitable retractile force. In other words, the initial or lower value of current which is not sutficient to overcome the retractile force and attract the relay armature toward the relay magnet, may be sufficient to hold the armature against such retractile force and in its position of closer approach to the relay magnet after the armature has been attracted by additional current and after such additional current has been discontin ued, because the lower current in the relay will exert greater attraction in the armature after such armature has been moved nearer to the relay magnet so as to reduce the magnetic air gap, although, in order to discharge its function, the armature should be retracted as soon as the relay current is again reduced to its lower or initial value. Now, it has been attempted to avoid this staying of the relay armature in attracted position, by increasing the retractile force or otherwise adjusting the relay so that the increased value of relay current will just lightly hold the armature in attracted position, and then when the relay current is reducer to its lower value, the armature is innnediately retracted to its position of wider separation from the relay magnet. But this retractive movement increases the magnetic air gap, so that when the relay current is again raised to that increased value which could only lightly retain the armature in attracted position or position of nearest approach to the relay magnet, such increased current will not be able to overcome the retractile force and attract the I armature from its retracted position or posi- 1 tion of wider separation from the magnet. be this attempt to remedy the trouble only results in a staying of the armature in retracted position in lieu of attracted position.

The foregoing staying of the relay armature in either attracted or retracted position can be avoided if the retractile force is adjusted as aforementioned so that the greater relay current can only lightly hold the armature in attracted position and will hence re lease the armature when slightly diminished, and if means are provided for removing the retractile force from the armature after the armature has been retracted and when it is to be again attracted so that the magnetic attraction of current in the relay magnet can operate on the armature without opposition from the retractile force, and, further, if means are provided for again applying the retractile force to the armature when the armature is to be again retracted.

These foregoing provisions constitute one specific embodiment of that broad feature of my invention which has for its object, broadly stated, to avoid failure of a relay or electro-translative means due to staying of its armature or movable translative mem her in any given position, for example, attracted or retracted position, when the armature or movable translative member should respond to a current variation or resistance variation in its controlling circuit. This feature, broadly set forth, comprises, in combination, a railway traific-controlling apparatus such as a signal-semaphore apparatus for instance; a traflic-controlling or signaling electric circuit, such as a tract rail circuit for example; means for supplying traffic-controlling or signaling current to the traflic-controlling or signaling circuit; means for producing one or more current variations or resistance variations in such circuit; an electro-translative magnet, such as a relay magnet for instance, controllable by the trafiic-controlling circuit; a movable electrotranslative member, such as a relay armzture, movable in a given direction by the electro-translative or relay magnet and arranged in control of the traiilc-controlling apparatus; and means for applying a retractive force to the movable electro-translative member to move the same opposite to the given direction, and for removing such retractile force when the translative member or arn'iature is to be moved in the given direction by the magnet. In the specific form of this broad feature which is illustrated 1n the drawings, the retractile force is the force of magnetic attraction and developed by a retractive magnet which, in its tractive effort on the movable translative member or relay armature, is opposed to the aforementioned electro-translative or relay magnet, and for distinction, when the two magnets are thus employed in opposition,

the first mentioned electro-translative or relay magnet may be designated as the attractive or front magnet, and its opposed magnet may be termed the retractive or back magnet. .111 the illustrated embodiment the retractive force is removed by short-circuiting the retractive or back magnet, this shortcircuiting being accomplished at the right moment by an extra relay controlled by the trafiic-controlling circuit.

My invention also comprehends an advantageous means for adjusting a traHic-controlling or signaling electro-translative or relay magnet for response to its traflio controlling circuit or signaling circuit. This feature isembodied in the combination of a traHie-controlling or signaling apparatus arranged in control of traffic along a rail ay, a tratlic-controll ing or signaling electric circuit, means for supplying traffic-controlling or signaling current to such circuit, means for producing one or more current variations in such circuit for the purpose of controlling the tratlic-controlling or signaling apparatus, an electro-translative or relay magnet controllable by such circuit, a movable translative. member or armature movable in a given direction by the elcctro-translative or relay magnet and arranged in control of the traffic-controlling or signaling apparatus, and a rctractive weight shift-ably connected with the movable translative member or armature so as to be adjusted relative thereto in order to vary and adjust the retractile force or movement developed on the translative member or armature by the retractive weight in direction tending to move such translative member or armature oppositelytoits given direction of movement effected by the magnet. In the illustrated embodiment, the adjustable retractive weight is applied to that particular elcctro-translative or relay magnet which, as before explained, is only momentarily actuated and is cut out of circuit immediately after being actuated. I have found that this adjustable retractive weight is far more reliable than other means of adjusting the electro-translative or relay magnets for proper response to their trafficcontrolling or signaling currents, and that a relay or electro-translative magnet thus adjusted is not so liable to false actuation by foreign currents and jarring effect of heavy trains passing on near by tracks not included in a controlling rail circuit for governing such an electro-translative or relay magnet.

Since, in the specific construction illustrated, the traffic-controlling or signaling apparatus is not wholly controlled by the aforementioned momentarily actuated relay, but is in part controlled also by other relays which are not cut out of circuit as soon as actuated and which therefore are liable to acquire some residual magnetism, my invention comprises a current-reversing means for insuring certain of these other relays against false operation due to residual magnetism and for insuring them also against false operation by foreign current flowing through the traffic-controlling or signaling circuit, such for instance as stray ground current flowing from an electric railway circuit through those track rails of a railway which are included in its traflic-controlling or signaling circuit. As an instance of such false operation of a signal controlling relay by residual magnetism or foreign current or both, it may be stated that when a rail circuit is employed to transmit signal clearing current from a track battery at the advance end of a signaling block or section to a track relay at the rear end of such block or section, and after the relay armature has been attracted by such signal clearing current, a railway train or vehicle may come from a siding or branch'road and may enter the same signaling block or section at or near the advance end thereof so as to short-circuit the track rails and thus prevent transmission of signal clearing current from the battery to the relay; and thereupon, the relay armature should be released by the relay magnet in order that a danger signal may be given at the rear end of the block. But should the relay magnet be charged with considerable residual magnetism, or should the relay be subjected to a considerable foreign current, or should such residual magnetism and foreign current be combined in their effects, the relay armature might be still held up in signal clearing position by such residual magnetism or foreign current or both, so that the signal would remain at clear when it should assume danger position. I have provided means to insure against such a failure of the relay and sig nal, and these means broadly set forth, are comprised in the combination of a railway traflic-controlling or signaling apparatus; an electro-translative or relay magnet in control of the trafiic-controlling or signaling apparatus; a tratfic-controlling or signaling electric circuit, such for instance as a track circuit including the rails of a block or section of the railway, and such trafficcontrolling or signaling circuit being arranged to supply traific-controlling or signaling current to the electro-translative or relay magnet; means forsupplying trafficcontrolling or signaling current of given strength and direction to the traftic-control ling or signaling circuit, for instance, a bat tery connected wit-h the track rails of the block aforementioned and at the advance end of such block; and means for reversing and reducing the given traffic-controlling or signaling current in the traffic-controlling or signaling circuit so as to establish in such circuit and in its electro-translative or relay magnet a reverse current of lesser strength, but of sutlicient strength to effectually destroy any residual magnetism in such mag net and to efiectually counteract any foreign current therein opposed in direction to such reverse current. Of course, if there were, in the electro-translative or relay magnet, a foreign current not opposed to such reverse current, but opposed to the aforementioned given current employed to clear the signal or equivalently operate any other [lathe-controlling apparatus, such foreign current would then coincide with the reverse current so that the two would act together to destroy any residual magnetism acquired in the electro-translative or relay magnet from the given current prior to reversal. In either case the effect of reversing the 1, en current or signal clearing current is to overcome any magnetism which would otherwise remain after discontinuance of such given current, whether such magnetism would so remain as residual magnetism or as a magnetic component due to foreign current directionally coincident with the given current which clears the signal. The reverse current may be slightly stronger than necessary to overcome the magnetism which would remain in the electro-translative or relay magnet if the given signal-clearing current were merely discontinued without reversal, and in this event the reverse current may establish a weak reverse magnetic flux. but as the flux of the magnet is thus reversed it must for an instant be at zero value so that the magnet will for that instant he totally demagnetized and release its movable translative member or armature which will be instantly drawn away from the magnet by its retractile force; and since,

as aforementioned, the reverse current is limited to a relatively low strength, it cannot magnetize the magnet in sufficient degree to re-attract the armature or movable translative member after the same has been thus retracted during the lnstant of zero magnetism in the magnet so as to increase the interposed air gap.

In the illustrated embodlment, the foregoing broad feature of invention is applied to a signal-controlling rail circuit including the track rails of a block or section of a railway block signaling system; and in this instance the reverse current of lower strength than the given current employed to clear the signal or signals, is of momentary duration only and is transmitted to the relays at the rear end of the block by manipulation of a pole-changing switch operated in conjunction with a railway track switch it nich controls the movement of trains to or from the advance end of the block by way of a siding switch to admit a train or railway vehicle from the siding or branch into the advance end of the signaling block, momentarily reverses the current through the track rails of that portion of the block in rear of the track switch and simultaneously introduces are sistance into circuit so that such momentary reverse current shall be properly limited to relatively low intensity. This momentary weal; current deenergizes the track relay connected with the rails of the block at the rear end thereof, and thus causes the relay armature to be retracted. and throw the signal to danger position before the train or vehicle can move from the siding or branch into the advance end of the block, thus avoiding the liability, which would otherwise be incurred, of holding the armature of the signal clearing relay in signal clearing position by residual magnetism or by foreign current transmitted through the relay even after short-circuiting of the track rails at or near the advance end of the block by entrance of the train or vehicle thereon.

My invention comprises also various other features not particularly enumerated in the foregoing preamble, but all appearing clearly in the following description of that particular embodiment of my invention. which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and which I will now describe. These drawings represent embodiments of my invention in a normal danger home-and distantrailway block signaling system.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of the entire system including three complete signaling blocks or sections of a railway track, and this figure comprises two parts drawn on two separate sheets of drawings and marked respectively Right part of Fig. 1 and Left part of Fig. 1. This figure has been thus arranged because it is too extensive to be placed on one sheet, and the two parts of the figure are to be read together as one figure. Fig. 2 is a detail elevation of the momentarily actuative relays of Fig. 1.

Fig. 1 shows four successive home-anddistant block signaling apparatuses A, C, D, and E, and I shall designate the signaling blocks by the reference characters of the signaling apparatuses at the termini of such blocks, for instance, referring to block A, C, block D, etc. The block A, C, includes a track switch H leading on to a siding or branch road, this track switch being located between two sections A, B and D, G, into which the block A, C, is divided.

Since I have in the foregoing preamble. dwelt so elaborately on the novelty and principles of my invention, and since the illustrated embodiment of my invention includes also many features of apparatus and circuits which are generally known in theart and particularly in my own prior patents Nos. 754,362, %,363, and 827,&1l, and further since many features of circuit, construction and operation will be quite apparent from a mere inspection of my drawings, I shall deem a very brief specific description sufficientto convey a clear understanding to readers of this specification when taken in connection with such preamble and such prior art andthe obvious operation of elements shown in my drawings.

Ii L, M N, O P, are the advance clearing relays, that is to say, they are operated in advance of a given train to clear the signals in advance of such train, although, of course, subject to control by trains in advance of such signals. These advance clearing relays are of the unbiased opposed-magnet type, that is to say, each relay comprises two magnets opposed to each other in their retractive efforts on an unbiased armature which is placed between them, an unbiased armature being one which is not subjected to effort of gravity or a retractile spring and has no normal bent in either direction, so that it will always respond merely to preponderance of magnetic attraction in either of its opposed magnets.

Each signaling apparatus comprises two rear track relays, a home-clearing relay including the coils O, Q, R, 1%., and U, and a home-and-distant clearing relay including the coils S, S, T, T, and V. The coils Q, Q, of the home-clearing rear track relays are the main front coils and act together as a series pair, and the coils R, R, of such relay are the supplemental front coils which also operate in series as a pair of magnet coils. The main and supplemental coils are mounted as indicated on a common yoke or back iron. Likewise the coils S, S, and the coils T, T, are respectively the main and supplemental front coils of the home-and-distant rear track relay and are similarly mounted on a common yoke. The back coils U of the home-clearing rear track relay are opposed to all four frontcoils of such relay, while the back coils V of the home-anddistant rear relay are similarly opposed to all. four front coils of such relay. The armatures of these rear track relays are interposed between the front and back coils of the relays and are thus subjected to the opposing retractive efforts of such front and back coils. The armatures of these rear track relays are not unbiased, however, but, on the contrary, are so placed that they are constantly subject to force of gravity tending to move such armatures toward their respective back coils. Therefore, obviously. when the rear track relays are deenergized the arniatures of the relays will fall toward their respective back coils.

The relays V shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1 and shown in Fig. 2 in detail are also rear track relays, but these are the momentarily actuated relays which I shall hereinafter designate as the primary relays, which are only momentarily operated to throw the home-clez'iring and the homc-and-distant clearing rear trackrelays into operative relationship to thecircuits which control or actuate them. These primary relays comprise an electro-magnet V, an armature 86, an arm 88 carrying the armature and mounted on a pivot 89, the contact arm 96 also carried on the pivoted arm 88 but insulated therefrom by suitable insulation 87, a flexible conductor 95 connected with the contact arm 96, a contact spring 43 carried on the contact arm 96, a contact screw stat arranged to make rubbing contact with the spring 43', a stop screw 98 acting as a back stop for the contact arm 96, a depending arm 90 integral with the pivoted arm 88 and substantially normal thereto, an adjustment screw 91 screwed into the depending arm 90 in a position substantially parallel with the arm 88, a lock nut 92 adapted to retain the adjustment screw 91 in desired position relative to the depending arm 90, a weight 9-3: screwed on to the adjustment screw 91 and a lock nut 93 adapted to retain the weight 945 in any desired position relative to the adjustment screw 91.

The circuits of the blockC, D, may be described as representative of the corresponding circuits throughoutthe entire system. The battery G included in the signaling apparatus D at the advance end of the block C, D, is the advance track battery of such block C, D, and the battery Y included in the s gnaling apparatus 0 at the rear end of such block is the auxiliary or rear battery.

I will now trace the circuits of the block U, D, and of the advance and rear batteries (i and Y of such block, and although I will at this point trace all branches of the circuits of such block and its batteries, it must of course be understood that current will only flow through each circuit and each branch thereof when the contacts controlling such circuits or branch are all in position to permit such flow of current. All the front coils K, M, O, of the advance clearing relays are in parallel with each other and. all the back coils L, N, P, of such relays are also in parallel with each other and the parallel group of front coils K, M, O, is in series with the parallel group of back coils L, N, P, that is to say, current from the battery G passes through the conductor l9 to the juncture 101 and thence through all the front coils K, M, O, in parallel and to the juncture 100, and thence current passes through all the back coils L, N, P, in parallel to the juncture point 102 and thence through the conductor 53 back to the battery G. Here it is to be noted that if the contacts 70, Z, are closed the back coil N will be short-circuited through such contacts, and also that when the contacts 2, 7', are open the front coils O and the back coils P will be disconnected from the juncture point 100 so that the front coils 0 will no longer be in direct parallel. connection with the front coils K, M, and the back coils P will no longer be in direct parallel connection with the back coils L, N, although the front coils 0 will still remain in series with the back coils P. The rails a and b of the block C, D, are interchangeably connected with the juncture points 100 and 102 through the semaphoreactuated pole changer g, 25, operated by the home-signal semaphore I. That is to say, the rail (4 is connected through the pole-changer with the juncture point 102 and the rail Z) is connected through such pole-changer with the juncture point 100, or vice versa, according to position of the home-signal semaphore I. ()bviously then, the track portion of the circuit of the advance battery G, is in parallel with any or all of the back coils L, N, and P, which are at any moment connected in parallel with one another across the juncture points 100 and 102, while the polechanger merely acts to determine the direction in which current from the advance battery flows through the track portion of its circuit; and such track portion of the cir cuit is obviously in series with all of the front coils K, M, and O, which are at any moment connected in parallel with each other across the juncture points 100 and 101, since current flows from the battery G first through the juncture point 101 and thence through the front coils and then through the several circuit branches which are in series with the front coils and which several branches include the track portion and also those back coils which are at any moment connected across the juncture points 100 and 102.

As a result of the foregoing arrangement of back coils and track portion of the battery circuit in parallel with one another and in series with the front coils, and in accordance with well known electrical laws, any reduction in resistance or increase in conductance of the track portion of the circuit will result in increasing the current in the front coils of the advance clearing relays and will result in a decrease of current in the back coils of such relays, while an increase in resistance or a reduction of conductance of such track portion will result in (ilecreasing the current in the front coils and increasing the current in the back coils. Hence reducing the resistance of the track portion tends to make tl e front coils of the advance. clearing relays preponderate in their attractive efforts on their respective relay armatures, while increasing the resistance of such track portion tends to effect preponderance of the attractive efforts of the back coils. ill the advance clearing relays are controlled in accordance with the law's above mentioned, although the separate relays K L, M N and O P are adjusted to rcspond to different resistance or conductance variations in thetrack portion of the circuit of the advz-ince track battery G. This adjustment of the relays for response to different variations of conductance in the track portion of the circuit, may be effected in different ways. For instance the front coil M may have a higher resistance than the front coil 0 so that the front coil M will have a lesser magnetizing force than the front coil 0; and the front coil K may have a still higher resistance so that this front coil K will develop a lesser magnetizing force than the front coil M. Likewise the back coil 1? may have a lower resistance than the back coil 1 so that the back coil B will develop a greater magnetizing force than the back coil 1; and the back coil L may have a still lower resistance so that it will develop a magnetizing force greater than that of the back coil N. Or, the front coils K M and 0 may all have the same resistance and the back coils L N and P may all have the same resistance, the resistance of the back coils being preferably greater than the resistance of the front coils. and

the different adjustments of the different relays may be attained by placing the armature of the relay K L farthest from the front coil of the relay so that this armature will be the last to move toward its front coil, and by placing the armature of the relay M N nearer its front coil so that this armature will move toward its front coil before the armature of the relay K L, and by placing the armature of the relay 0 l nearest to its front coil so that this armai ture will be the first to move toward its front coil. This different spacing of the armatures of the different relays may be employed alone to adjust the relays for response in proper sequence or this means may be employed in connection with different resistances in the front coils of the relays or in the back coils of the relays or in both back and front coils. The relays G P and M N' are the home clearing advance relays which serve to clear the home signal I in advance of an approaching train, the relay (7) P being the primary home-clearing advance relay and the relay M N being the secondary home-clearing advance relay. These primary anc secondary home-clearing advance relays co-act in clearing the home signal, in a manner which is described hereinafter. The relay K L is the distant clearing advance relay which operates to clear the distant-signal semaphore J.

Now to trace the various branches of the track portion of the circuit of the advance track battery Git may be first noted that when a train such as Z is present in the sig- Cir naling block nearly all current flowing through the track portion passes from rail to rail. directly through the wheels and axles of the train which constitute a short-circuit across such rails. However, assuming the block C, l), to be unoccupied by any train or railway vehicle, current flowing through the track portion of the circuit of the advance track battery Gr, delivered by such battery to the rails at the advance end of such block, will flow through such track rails and along the block C, D, and at the rear end of such block will flow from one rail to the other through various branches including the various coils of the rear track relays, which various branches will now be traced, it being understood that the currentpassing from rail to rail through such branches flows in a direction which is determined by the position of the semaphore-actuated pole-changer g, t, at the advance end of the block, and flows only when the various branches are properly closed by their controlling contacts. From the rail (4 the track portion of the circuit leads through the conductor 65 to the contacts and (Z controlled respectively by the secondary home-clearing advance relay and the distant-clearing advance relay. From the contact the circuit leads through the contact finger e and conductor to the main front coils Q of the home-clearing rear track relay, and to the main front coils S of the home-and-distant clearing rear track relay, and to the supplemental front coils T of such home-and-distant clearing rear track relay, and also to the coils lV of the momentarily acting or primary rear track relay. Thus from the conductor 70 the circuitdivides into three parallel branches which are eventually reunited in the conductor 69 connected with the rear end of the block rail 6, the first branch leading through the main front coils Q, conductor 74 and back coils U of the home-clearing rear track relay and to the conductor (3%); and the second branch leading through the main front coils S, conductor T6 and back coils V of the home-anddistant clearing rear track relay and to the conductor 69; and the third branch leading through the supplemental front coils T of such home-and-distant clearing relay and thence through contact 34 and contact finger 33 to the conductor (39; and the fourth branch leading through the coils of the primary relay \V, conductor 71, contact finger 29 and spring contact 30 controlled by the home-clearing rear track relay, and from the contact spring 30 to and through the contact finger 39 and contact spring d0 controlled by the home-and-distant rear track relay, and from the contact spring tO to the conductor 69. A fifth branch. of the track portion of the circuit of the advance track battery G leads from the block rail a through the conductor 65 the contact stop (Z and contact finger 0 controlled by the distant clearmg advance relay K L at the signaling station C, and from such contact finger 0 through the conductor 66, contact a, contact finger m controlled by the movement, or in conjunction with the movement, of the homesignal cemaphore I on the post C, and from such contact finger at through the conductor 67, supplemental front coils R of the home-clearing rear track relay, conductor 68, contact 26 and contact finger 25 controlled by such rear track relay, and from such contact finger to the conductor 69 connec ed with the opposite rail 6.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the main front coils Q and the back coils U of the home-clearing rear track relay are in series with each other, and that the main front coils S and back coils V of the home-and-distant clearing rear track relay are in series with each other, and that such two series of coils are in parallel with each other, the arrangement constituting what is known as parallel series. Having noted this parallel series of relay coils we may now consider the circuit of the auxiliary battery Y included in the signaling apparatus at the signaling station C. This battery includes the same coils Q, U, S and V in parallel series but in a relationship ditterent from their parallel series relationship to current from the advance track battery Gr, since, relative to the auxiliary battery Y, the main front coils Q and S of the two relays are in series with each other while the back coils U and V of such relays are also in series with each other and such two series are in turn parallel to each other. This may be further explained by stating that one pole of the auxiliary battery Y is connected, through wires and contacts which I will enumerate shortly hereinafter, to the conductor 76 which joins the relay coils S and V (in series with each other relative to the advance track battery G), while the opposite pole of the auxiliary battery Y is connected through wires and contacts, to be hereinafter enumerated, with the conductor 74 which oins the relay coils Q, and U (also in series with each other relative to current from the advance track battery G). In still other words it may be stated that the auxiliary battery Y may be included in a circuit branch or bridge extending from a point of connection between one pair of magnets such as Q and U in series with each other relative to the advance track battery G, to a point of connection between another pair of magnets such as S and V also constituting a series pair relative to current from the advance track battery G. This bridge is traceable from the conductor 74 through the contact spring 32, contact finger 31 controlled by the home-clearing rear track relay, conductor 77, auxiliary battery Y, conductor 78, contact finger l3 controlled by the primary rear track relay 3V, contact elet, conductor 79, contact h, contact finger 9 controlled by the secondary home-clearing advance relay M F, conductor 80, contact finger 41 controlled by the home-and-distant clearing rear track relay, and thence through the contact spring 42 to the conductor 76. From the conductor 76 current of the auxiliary battery Y passes through two parallel branches to the conductor Tl, each parallel branch including two relay magnets, or the coils thereof, in series, so as to constitute a parallel series relative to the auxiliary battery Y difiering from the parallel series relative to the advance track battery G. One of these parallel branches leads from the conductor 76 through the main front coils S, conductor and main front coils Q, to the conductor 7a; and the other branch leads from the conductor 76 through the back coils V, conductor 69 and back coils U to the conductor 74.

After clearly apprehending the foregoing relationship of the coils of the home-clearing and the homeand-distant clearing rear track relays to each other and to the advance track battery G and the auxiliary battery Y, it will be quite obvious that when the circuits of both batteries are closed for joint or concurrent action upon such rear track relays, the currents or current components delivered by such batteries to the main front coils and to the back coils of one relay will be mutually augment-ive or coactive in such main front coils and will be mutually opposed or counteractive in the back coils of such given relay, while the currents or current components delivered by such two batteries to the main front coils and the back coils of the other relay will be mutually opposed or counteractive in such main coils and mutually augmentive or co-active in such back coils of such other relay; and it will be equally apparent that a reversal of the semaphore-actuative pole-changer q, 2,, will reverse such relationship of such currents or current components so that they will become mutually counteractive in the main front coils of the first mentioned relay and mutually co-active or augmentive in the back coils of such first mentioned relay and mutually augmentive in the main front coils of the second relay and mutually opposed in the back coils thereof. Hence when current flows through the track circuit of a block in a given direction, that is to say, in given direction through the track portion of the advance track battery of such block, such current of given direction will .co-act with current from auxiliary battery from the rear end of the block to effect preponderance of magnetic attraction in the main front coils of one relay and preponderance of magnetic attraction in the back coils of the other relay so that the one relay will raise its contact fingers toward the front coils while the other relay will hold its contact fingers to ward the back coils; and, of course, when such given current in the track circuit is re versed, it will co-act with current from the auxiliary battery to efiect preponderance in the back coils of the first mentioned relay and in the main front coils of the other relay so that the first mentioned relay will hold its contact fingers down toward the back magnet while the second relay will raise its contact fingers toward the front coils.

The operation of my system can now be clearly understood. In discussing the operation I shall assume that the train Z remains standing in the block in advance of the signal E while the train Z, proceeds from the siding or branch road into the block A, C, and thence into the block 0, D where such train Z is shown in the diagram. As the train Z enters the block A, C a shortcircuit is produced across the rails (I, and b of such block and is maintained by the wheels and axles of the train as it approaches the signals C. The consequent reduction of resistance in the track portion of the circuit of the advance track battery G results in a preponderance of attraction in the front coils of the advance clearing relays M N and K L although, as the train moves up to the signals C the armature of the primary 1 meclearing advance relay 0 P is held retracted by the back coils P as a result of opening the contacts 2', j, controlled by the secondary relay M N, such opening of the contacts 1', 7', serving to isolate the coils O and P of the primary relay from the influence of the re sistance reduction in the track circuit and such coils being so wound and adjusted relative to each other and their common armature that the armature will always be retracted toward the back coils P under these conditions.

As the train Z approaches the signals C and, by short-circuiting the track rails a, b, of the block A, C, keeps the advance clearing relays in the condition set forth in the last paragraph, closure of the contacts g, )l, preliminarily closes the circuit of the auxiliary battery Y at such contacts, and at closure of the contacts 6, f, completes those parallel branches of the track circuit of the block C, D, which lead through the main front coils and the back coils of the home.- clearing and the hoine-and-distant clearing rear track relays and also through the coils of the primary rear track relay il current initially flowing from the advance track battery G through the coils of the home-clearing and home-and-distant clearing rear track relays in parallel series and without conjunctive action of the auxiliary battery Y does not actuate either of such relays to raise its contact fingers from their positions of gravity retraction, since such current from the advance track battery alone does not effect preponderance of attraction in the main front coils of either relay; but the current from the advance track battery G docs energize the primary rear track relay and causes the same to close its contacts 43, 4%, thereby momentarily closing the circuit of the auxiliary battery Y through the main front coils and the back coils of the home-clearing and the homeand-distant clearing rear track relays in parallel series, whereupon the currents from the advance and the auxiliary batteries act conjointly on the relays, as already explained to effect preponderance of attraction in the nrain front coils of one relay and in the back'coils of the other relay; and since, in this particular instance, the homesignal semaphore I on the post D has not yet been cleared, its pole-changer will be in such position as to send current from the advance battery G through the rails of the block C, D, in home-clearing direction necessary to eitect preponderance in the main front coils Q of the home-clearing rear track relay and in the back coils V of the home-and-distant clearing rear track relay, so that the home-clearing relay will immediately move its contacts toward the front magnet while the home-and-distant clearing relay will only act to hold its contacts more firmly toward the back magnet. The foregoing movement of the contact fingers of the home-clearing relay breaks the circuit of the auxiliary battery Y at the contacts 3]., 32, and breaks the circuit of the primary rear track relay W at the contacts 29, 30, whereupon such primary relay releases its armature and opens its contacts 33, 34, so as to still further open the circuit of the auxiliary battery Y at such contacts. Now, the auxiliary battery being out of circuit, the concurrent or conjunctive action of the two batteries is discontinued, but at the same time the air gap between the main front coils Q and armature has been decreased and the air gap between the back coils U and armature has been increased so that the main front coils Q will now preponderate over the back coils U of the homeclearing rear track relay by virtue of such change in air gaps and even though the relay is now energized only by current from the advance track battery G. Closure of the contacts 27, 2S, effected by the foregoing action of the home-clearing rear track relay completes the local circuit of the homesignal semaphore I on the signaling post C, such local circuit being clearly indicated in the diagram. And thereupon the home-signal I is moved to clear position so as to close at the contacts m, n, the branch of the track circuit of the block C, D which includes the supplemental front coils R of the homeclearing rear track relay. Such inclusion of the supplemental relay coils 'R in the track portion of the circuit of the advance track battery G at the station D, assists in holding the contact fingers of this relay toward the front magnet and at the same time so reduces the resistance of such track portion that the front coil 0 of the primary advance clearing relay at such station D immediately preponderates and causes the relay contact finger K to move toward the front magnet and make contact with the contact stop Z so as to short-circuit the back coil N of the secondary home-clearing advance relay, thus for the instant totally removing the retractile force which opposes the front coil M in such secondary relay, so that such front coil immediately preponderates and moves its contact fingers forward. This motion of the contact fingers opens the contacts 2', j and thus disconnects the primary home-clearing advance relay 0 P from the track circuit so as to effect immediate retraction of the contact finger I: by the back coils P of such primary relay. At the same time closure of the contacts 6, and g, h, of the secondary relay M N throws the rear track relays of the signaling station D into connection with the block D, E so as to clear the home signal I on the post D, all in a manner corresponding with the clearing operation which has just been described with reference to the home signal on the post C in consequence of preponderance in the front coils M of the relay N at the station C.

The foregoing clearing of the home-signal on the post C of course reverses its semaphore-actuative pole-changer so as to reverse the current in the track circuit of the block C, D and thus send current through such track circuit in the home-and-distant clearing direction instead of the home-clearing direction. As current in the track circuit is thus reversed the home-clearing rear track relay is, of course, momentarily deenergized so that its contact fingers are retracted by gravity and immediately re-complete the circuit of the primary rear track relay \V at the contacts 29, 30, while also re-closing the contacts 31, 32 in the circuit of the auxiliary battery Y, such battery circuit being immediately thereafter completed at its contacts 43, 4 1 by reenergization of the relay W consequent upon the aforementioned closure of contacts 29, 30. Now, as current is established in the track circuit in the home-anddistant direction after the momentary cessation of current in the track circuit such home-and-distant clearing direction of current from the advance track battery G coacts with current from the auxiliary battery Y to eflect preponderance of attraction in the main front coils S of the home-and-distant rear track relay while eifecting pre ponderance of retraction in the back coils U of the home-clearing rear track relay. Thereupon the contact fingers of the homeand-distant relay are drawn toward the front magnet so as to immediately reopen the circuit of the auxiliary battery Y at its contacts 41, 42, while also reopening the circuit of the primary relay V at its contacts 3%), 40, so as to again deenergize such relay N which thereupon releases its armature and still opens the circuit of the auxiliary battery at the contacts e3, 4%. The change of magnetic air gaps in the home-and-distant clearing rear track relay now enables such relay to hold its contact fingers toward the front coils by energization of current from the advance battery G without coaction of the auxiliary battery Y, and closure of the contacts 33, 34 of such relay completes that branch of the track circuit which includes the supplemental front coils T of the relay so as to maintain that vahie'of resistance or conductance in the track circuit which is necessary to maintain preponderance of the front coils M of the secondary home-clearing advance relay at the signaling station D. Closure of the contacts 37, 3S and of the contacts 35, 36 completes respectively the local circuits of the homesignal and the distant-signal semaphores I and J on the post C, such local circuits being clearly indicated in the diaphragm. This reclosure of the local circuit of the homesignal I occurs so quickly after being opened at the contacts 27, 28 by denergization of the home-clearing rear track relay, that the home-signal does not assume danger position, while. of course, the distant signal is cleared. The train now reaches and passes the signals C and enters the block C, D. Thereby the rails of the block are shortcircuited and all the rear track relays thereof deenergized so as to open the local circuits of the home and distant signals on the post C whereupon such signals assume (lair ger position. The train Z now proceeds through the block C, D, and in so doing gradually cuts out the resistance of the rails a and 7) from the track portion of the circuit of the advance track battery G until the resistance of such track portion is reduced sufliciently to effect preponderance of the front coil K of the distant-clearing advance track relay K L at the station D. Such relay K L thereupon closes its contact 0, (Z, so as to complete that branch of the track circuit of the block D, E, which includes the supplemental front coils R of the homeclearing track relay at the station D. Such branch has already been completed at the semaphore-actuated contact 121, 11, and this introduction of the supplemental front coils R assists in holding the contact fingers of this relay toward the front coils while, at the same time, reducing the resistance of the track circuit of the block D, E to that value which is necessary to effect preponderance of the front coils O of the primary advance clearing relay O P at the station E. Such relay 0 P now operates to out out the back coils of the secondary relay M N whereupon the front coil M thereof preponderates and draws its contact fingers forward so as to disconnect the primary relay 0 1 from the track circuit and effect retraction of its contact finger it by the back coil 1. C10- sure of the contacts 6, and g, h of the secondary relay M It now places the rear track relays of the signaling apparatus E in operative connection with the track rails of the block in advance so that the home signal I of such apparatus will be cleared, in a manner corresponding to that already described with reference to the other home signals, just as soon as the train Z makes its exit from the block in advance of the signals E. But so long as such train Z is present in such block the home signal at the rear end thereof cannot be cleared and hence cannot reverse its semaphore-actuated polechanger to effect clearing of the distant signal J on the posts D next in rear.

It will be apparent that when the train C passed out of the block A, C and into the block C, D, the resistance of the track circuit of the former block A, C was so increased as to effect preponderance of the back coils N and L of the advance clearing relays M N and K L, whereu 011 such back coils retracted their respective contact fingers to restore them to normal danger positions. it will also be apparent that when the train Z passes from the block (f, D, into the block D, E, the contacts of the advance clearing relays M and K L will be similarly retracted by their back coils, and that the rear track relays of the block D, E, will all be deenergized so that the signals on the post D will be held in their danger positions.

I claim:

1. A railway tratlic-controlling system comprising an electric traflic-controlling circuit, means for supplying tralfic-controlling current to the trafiic controlling circuit, means for reversing the traflic-controlling current flowing through the traliic-controlling circuit, tra ic-controlling electro-trans lative apparatus comprising two electromagnets or electro-translative devices opposed to each other in their electro-translative efforts and both included in the trafliccontrolling circuit and subject to the trafficcontrolling current aforementioned, a source of auxiliary current having a circuit including at least one of the electro-translative devices or magnets of the electro-translative apparatus, and a trafliccontrolling apparatus controllable by the electro-translative apparatus.

2. A railway traffic-controlling system comprising an electric traflic-controlling circuit, means for supplying trafiic-controlling current to the trailic controlling circuit,

means for reversing the trafiic-controlling current flowing through the trallic-controlling circuit, traffic-controlling electro-translative apparatus comprising two electromagnets or electro-translative devices opposed to each other in their electro-translative etl'orts and both included in the tratliccontrolling circuit and subject to the tra'tliccontrolling current aforementioned, a source of auxiliary current having a circuit including both of the electro-translative devices or magnets of the electro-translative apparatus, and a traffic-controlling apparatus controllable by the electro-translative apparatus.

8. A railway tra'flic controlling system comprising traflic-controlling apparatus in control of tiafiic along a railway, electrotranslative apparatus in control of the trafiic controlling apparatus, an electric traffic-controlling circuit arranged to supply tra'liic controlling current to the electrotranslative apparatus, means for supplying he trafiic-controlling current to the traflic controlling circuit, means for reversing the trafliocontrolling current in the traflic-con trolling circuit, and a source of auxiliary current arranged to supply such auxiliary current to the electro-translative apparatus, such electro-translative apparatus being re- 40 sponsive to joint action of the auxiliary cur rent and a given direction of the traflic-controlling current in the traffic-controlling circuit to break connection between the source of auxiliary current and the electro-translative apparatus.

4. A railway tratfic controlling system comprising a trailic-controllii'ig apparatus in -control of traffic along a railway, electrotranslative apparatus in control of the traftic-controlling apparatus and including two electro-magnets or translative devices opposed to each other in their electro-translatire efforts, a trallic-controlling circuit arranged to supply trafiic-controlling current to both magnets or translative devices of the electro transla tive apparatus, means for supplying such tratliocontrolling current to the traiiic-controlling circuit, a source of auxiliary current arranged to supply such auxiliary current to both electro-magnets or translative devices and to one of such devices augmentively relative to a given direction of current in the trafiic-controlling circuit and to the other device attenuatively relative to such given direction of current in the trafiiccontrolling circuit, and means for reversing the traflic-controlling current in the trafliccontrolling circuit whereby to reverse the relationship of such traffic-controlling current to the auxiliary current in the two electromagnets or translative devices and thus actuate the electro-translative apparatus.

A railway traffic-controlling system comprising a traflic-controlling apparatus in control of tralfic along a railway, electrotranslative apparatus in control of the trafliccontrolling apparatus and including two electro-magnets or translative devices opposed to each other in their electro-translative efforts, a traffic-controlling circuit ar ranged to supply traflic-controlling current to both magnets or translative devices of the electro-translative apparatus, means for supplying such trafiic-controlling current to the traflic-controlling circuit, a source of auxiliary current arranged to supply such auxiliary current to both electro -magnets or translative devices and to one of such devices augmentatively relative to a given direction of current in the traflic-controlling circuit and to the other device attenuatively relative to such given direction of current in the traflic-controlling circuit, means for reversing the trafiic-controlling current in the trafiic-controlling circuit whereby to reverse the relationship of such. traflic-controlling current to the auxiliary current in the two electro-magnets or translative devices and thus actuate the electro-translative apparatus, and means controllable by the electrotranslative apparatus for discontinuing the supply of auxiliary current to the electro magnets or translative devices when the electro-translative apparatus has been actuated.

6. A railway traffic-controlling system comprising a traffic-controlling apparatus in control of traflic along a railway, electrotranslative apparatus in control of the trafficcontrolling apparatus and, including two electro-magnets and responsive to such magnets to effect different operations of the trallic-controlling apparatus, a trafiic-controlling electric circuit arranged to supply trafiiccontrolling current to both electromagnets of the electro-translative apparatus, means forsupplying such traflic-controlling current to the traffic-controlling circuit, means for supplying auxiliary current to both magnets of the electro-translative apparatus and to one magnet augmentively relative to current of given direction in the traffic-controlling circuit and to the other magnet attenuatively relative to such given direction of current in the traffic-controlling circuit whereby to selectively actuate one or the other of such magnets by directional determination of current in the trafiic-controlling circuit, and means for determining the direction of traffic-controlling current in the eeaese traiiic-contr'olling circuit to thus selectively and separately actuate either magnetof the electro-translative apparatus and thereby selectively determine the operation of the traiiic-controlling apparatus.

7. A railway traflic-controlling system comprising a trafic-controlling apparatus in control of traflic along a railway, electrotranslative apparatus in control of the trafiiccontrolling apparatus and including two electro magnets and responsive to such magnets to effect diiterent operations of the trattic-controlling apparatus, a tl'tlfilC-COTr trolling electric circuit arranged to supply tratlic-controlling current to both electromagnets of the electro-translative apparatus, means for supplying such traffic-controlling current to the traffic-controlling circuit, means for supplying auxiliary current to both magnets of the electro-translative apparatus and to one magnet augmentively relative to current of given direction in the traffic-controlling circuit and to the other magnet attenuatively relative to such given direction of current in the traflic-controlling circuit whereby to selectively actuate one or the other of such magnets by directional determination of current in the traffic-controlling circuit, and means for determining the direction of trafiic-controlling current in the ti.'atiiccontrolli1ig circuit to thus selectively and separately actuate either magnet of the 'electro translative apparatus and thereby selectively determine the operation of the trattle-controlling apparatus, and means operatalile by the actuation of one of the magnets to discontinue the supply of auxiliary current to one magnet.

S, A railway traflic controlling system comprising a trafliccontrolling apparatus in control oi tratlic along a railway, electrotranslative apparatus in control of the traffic-controlling apparatus and including two electro-magnet and responsive to such magnets to ettect diti'erent operations of the traffic-controlling apparatus, a trafiiocontrolling electric circuit arranged to supply trafliccontrolling current to both electro-magnets of the electro-translative apparatus, means for supplying such traflic-controlling current to the twine-controlling circuit, means for supplying auxiliary current to both magnets ot the electro-translative apparatus and to one magnet augmentively relative to current of given direction in the trafiic-controlling circuit and to the other magnet attenuatively relative to such given direction of current in the traitic-controlling circuit whereby to selectively actuate one or the other of such magnets by directional determination of current in the traffic-controlling circuit, and means for determining the direction of traffic-controlling current in the traflic-controlling circuit to thus selectively and separately actuate either magnet of the electro-translative apparatus and thereby selectively determine the operation of the tratfic-controL ling apparatus, and means operatable by separate actuation of either magnet to discontinue supply of auxiliary current to both magnets.

9. A railway traiiic-controlling system comprising a tratlic-controlling apparatus in control of traflic along a railway, electrotranslative apparatus in control of the traficcontrolling apparatus and including two pairs of electro-magnets, each pair opposed in their electro-translative eiiorts, a tratiiccontrolling electric circuit arranged to sup ply traffic-controlling current to both magnets of each pair, means for supplying trat tic-controlling current to the trattic-controlling circuit, means for supplying auxiliary current to both magnets of each pair and to one magnet of each pair augmentively relatively to traflic-controlling current of given direction in the traflic-controlling circuit and to the opposed magnet of each pair attenuatively relative to such given direction of traiiic-controlling current in the traflic-controlling circuit, and means for reversing the traflic-controlling current in the traitic-controlling circuit to reverse the relation of such current to the auxiliary current in the opposed magnets of each pair.

10. A railway tratIic-controlling system comprising a traffic-controlling electric circuit, means for supplying traflic-controlling current to the tratiic-controlling circuit, electro-translative apparatus controllable by such traflic-controlling circuit and including four electro-magnets connected in such circuit in multiple series pairs each series pair being opposed in their electro-translative ef forts, a source of auxiliary current leading U to two points of connection each between the magnets of one series pair to augment trafliccontrolling current of one given direction from the tratiic-controlling circuit in one magnet of each series air and attenuate 01' oppose such given traihc-controlling current in the opposed magnet of each series pair, and means for reversing the direction of traiiic-controlling current in the trattiocontrolling circuit to reverse the relationship o1 such traffic-controlling current and the aux iliary current in the opposed magnets of each series pair of magnets, whereby to actuate the electro-translative apparatus.

11. A railway traitic-controlling system comprising a traiiiccontrolling apparatus located at a fixed pointon a railway track in control of traflic along a railway, an electric trafiic-controlling circuit, electro-translative apparatus controllable by the trainecontrolling circuit and arranged in control of the trathc-controlling apparatus and including an electro-translative device responsive to current from the traffic-controlling circuit, and automatic means for discontinuare ing transmission of current from the trafiiccontrolling circuit to such electro-translative device after response of such device to such current.

12. A railway trafiiccontrolling system comprising a traflic-controlling apparatus in control of traffic along a railway, an electric traflic-controlling circuit, electro-translative apparatus in control of the traffic-controlling apparatus and controllable by the traflic-controlling circuit and including a momentarily actuated electro-translative device responsive to current from the traiiic-controlling circuit, and automatic means responsive to movelnent of a railway vehicle along the railway to establish transmission of current from the trailic-controlling circuit to the momentarily actuated electro-translative device, and automatic means for discontinuing such transmission of current to the momentarily actuated electro-translative device after response of such device to such current.

13. A railway trailic-controlling system comprising a tratiic-controlling apparatus in control of tratiic along a railway, an electric lral'lic-controlling circuit, and electro-translative apparatus controllable by the t'afliccontrolling circuit and arranged in control of the traffic-controlling apparatus and including a secondarily responsive electrotranslative device actuatable by a continued current from the traiiic-controlling circuit and also an initially responsive electro-translatii e device actuatable by current momentarily transmitted thereto from the trafliccontrolling circuit and organized in control of the actuation of the secondary responsive electro-translative device by the traffic-controlling circuit, and automatic means for discontinuing transmission of current from the traltic-controlling circuit to the initially responsive electro-translative device after the secondarily responsive electrotranslative de vice has been actuated whereby to limit actuative current in the initially responsive electro-translative device to momentary duration.

14. A railway traflic-controlling system comprising a traffic-controlling apparatus in control of traflic along a railway, an electric traltic-controllingcircu it, and an electro-translative apparatus controllable by the trafliccontrolling circuit and in control of the traffic-controlling apparatus and including ini tially and secondarily responsive electrotranslative magnets both actuatable by the traflic-controlling circuit, but the initially responsive magnet being first responsive to current from the traffic-controlling circuit to place the secondarily responsive magnet in condition for response to such current and such secondarily responsive magnet being then responsive to such current from the traffic-controlling circuit to discontinue trans mission of such current to the initially responsive magnet.

15. A. railway traffic-controlling system comprising a traltic-controlling apparatus in control of t-raflic along a railwaytrack, a tratiic-controlling electric circuit, an initial electro-translative magnet, automatic means responsive to approach of a railway vehicle to connect the initial electro-translative magnet with the traliic-controlling circuit, and a secondary electro translative magnet arranged to be connected with the traflic-controlling circuit by response 01 the initial electro-translative magnet to such circuit and such secondary electro-tr anslative magnet being responsive to such traflic-controlling circuit to disconnect the initial electro-translative magnet from such circuit and also to actuate the tralfic-controlling apparatus.

16. A railway traflic-controlling system comprising a tratiic-controlling apparatus in control of tra'liic along a railway, a trafficcontrolling electric circuit, means for supplying tratlic-controlling electric current to the traffic-controlling circuit, means for effecting a variation in such current in the traflic-controlling circuit, an electrotranslative magnet controllable by the trafiic-controlling circuit, movable translative member movable in one given direction by the mag net and arranged in control of the trafiiccontrolling apparatus,.and automatic means for applying a retractive force to the movable translative member to move the same in the opposite direction and for removing such retractive force during the movement of the translative member in the given direction.

.17. A railway traffic-controlling system comprising a trattic-controlling apparatus in control of traffic along a railway, a trafficcontrolling electric circuit, means for supplying traflic-controlling current to the traflic-controlling circuit. means for effecting a variation of such current in such circuit, an electro-translative magnet controllable by the traflic-controlling circuit, a translative member movable in one given direction by the magnet and arranged to control the traf lic-controlling apparatus, and means for applying to the translative member a retractive lorce adapted to move such member in the opposite direction in response to the aforementioned current variation, and means for renmving such retractive force during the given movement of the translative member.

18. A. railway trafiic-controlling system comprising a trafiic-controlling apparatus in control of taffic along a railway, a trafficcontrolling electric circuit, means for supplying traliic-controlling electric current to such circuit, means for effecting a tra'liiccontrolling variation in such trafiic-controlling current in the tratiic-coi'itrolling circuit, an electro-translative magnet controllable by the trafiic-controlling circuit, a translative device movable in a given direction by the electro-translative magnet and arranged to ceases controlling variation in such tratlic-controlling current in the trafiic-controlling circuit, an electro-translative magnet controllable by the tratic- .inrolling circuit, a translative device mova ile in a given direction by the elcctro-translative magnet and arranged to control the tratlic-controlling apparatus, a second electro-translative magnet also controllable by the tratlic-controlling circuit and arranged to move the translative device in opposite direction in response to the tratliccentrolling current variation in the trafficcuntrolling circuit, and means for discontinuii current. in the second magnet during the movement of the translative device in the given direction.

20. Pt railway trailic-controlling system comprising a traffic-controlling apparatus in control of tratlio along a railway, an electric traiiic-controlling circuit, means for supplying tratlic-controlling current to the trafiiccontrolling circuit, means for efiecting a given tra'llic-controlling variation -in such current in the tratliccontrolling circuit, means for effecting an inverse traffic-controlling variation in such current, an electrolranslative magnet controllable by the traftic-controlling circuit, a movable translative member movable in a given direction by the clectro-translative magnet and arranged to control the tratlic-controlling apparatus, a second electro-translative magnet also controllable by the trattic-controlling circuit and arrai'iged to move the translative member in the opposite direction in response to the int"; traiic-controlling variation of current aforementioned, and a third electro-translative means also controllable by the tratliccontrolling circuit and responsive to the first mentioned given tratfic-controlling variation of current therein to subtract current from the second electro-translative magnet andtory to the aforementioned movement in opposite direction in response to the inverse tratlic-controlling current variation.

21. A railway traffic-controlling system comprising a. tattle-controlling ap iaratus located at a given traflic-controlling point on a railway, a Hattie-controlling electric circuit including a track portion comprising the track rails extending along a section of the railway, a source of tralfic-controlling cnrre: t tor the traflic-controlling circuit, an electro-translative magnet connected in th tratlic-controlling circuit in series with its track portion, translative member in control of the tratlic-controlling apparatus and movable in a given direction by the electrotranslative magnet, a second electro-translativc magnet connected in the tratlic-mmtrolling circuit in parallel witn its track portion and arranged to move the translative member in the opposite direction, a third electro-translative means also controllable by the trattic-controlling circuit and responsive to a given resistance variation therein to cut the second electro-translative magnet out of circuit and'thereby permit the first electro-translative magnet to move the translative member in the given direction and such third electro-t-ranslative means being responsive to such movement of the translative member in given direction to restore the second electro-translative magnet in circuit. preparatory to moving the translative device in the opposite direction in response to an inverse resistance *ari-ation in the tralthe-controlling circuit, and means for producing the given resistance variation and the inverse resistance variation in the tratlic-controlling circuit.

railway traitic-controlling system comprising a traflic-controlling apparatu. located at a given trailic-controlling point on a railway, a traffic-controlling electric circuit comprising a track portion including the track rails extending along a portion of the railway, a source of traffic-controlling current for the tratlic-controlling circuit. a series electro-translative magnet included in the traflic-controlling circuit in series with its track portion, a movable translative memb r in control of the tratlic-controlling apparatus and movable in given direction by the series electro-translative magnet, a parallel retractive electro-translative magnet included in the trattic-controlling circuit in parallel with its track portion and arranged to retract the movable translative member in a direction opposite to its given direction of movement effected by the series electrotranslative magnet, a second pair of series and parallel electro-translative magnets included in the traflic-controlling circuit respectively in series and parallel with its track port-ion, a second movable translative member subject to opposed translative efiorts of the second pair of series and parallel magnets and arranged to move from normal position in response to a given resistance variation in the track portion of the tratfic-controlling circuit and to thus cut out of circuit the first mentioned parallel retractive magnetand thus permit the first mentioned trai'islative member to be moved in the given direction by its series magnet, and current varying means controllable by such movement of the first translative member to change the relative values of currents in the second pair of electro-translative magnets whereby to restore their movable translative member to normal position and thus restore the first mentioned parallel retractive magnet in circuit preparatory to retracting the first mentioned translative member in response to an inverse resistance variation in the track portion of the tratfic-controlling circuit, and means for producing the given resistance variation in the track portion oi the trafiic-controlling circuit. and the inverse resistance variation therein.

A railway tratfic-controlling system comprising a trailic-controlling apparatus in control of traliic along a railway, a trafliccontrolling electric circuit, means for supplying tratlic-controlling current to the traffic-controlling circuit, means for effecting a trafiiocontrolling variation in such tratliccontrolling current in the traltic-coi'itrolling circuit, an clectro-translative magnet controllable by the trafiic-controlling circuit, a mo "able translative member arranged in control of the traflic-controlling apparatus and movable in one direction by the electro translative magnet, and a retractile weight shiftably connected with the translative member in position to retract such member of the movement in the given direction and shiftable relative to such translative member so as to vary the retractile movement developed thereon.

24-. A railway traffic-controlling system comprising a tratlic-controlling apparatus in control of trailic along a railway, an electro translative magnet, a movable translative member controllable by the electro-transla tive magnet and arranged in control of the traflic-controlling apparatus, a traffic-controlling electric circuit arranged to supply traliic-controlling current to the electrotranslative magnet, means for supplying a given trafiic-controlling current to such circuit, and means for reversing and reducing such given current whereby to produce in the electro-translative magnet a reverse current of weaker strength to cause the same to release its movable translative member.

25. A railway traffic-controlling system comprising a traliic-controlling electric circuit, means for supplying to such circuit a given trafiic-controlling electric current, an eleetro-translative magnet arranged to receivc traffic-controlling current from the tratlic-controllin circuit, and subject to residual magnetism or other current foreign to such trafiic-controlling current, a movable translative member controllable by the electro-tmnslative magnet, a traiiic-controlling apparatus in control of tratlic along the railway and in turn controllable by the movable translative member, means for discontinuing the given traffic-controlling current, and means for transmitting to the electro-translative magnet a momentary weaker reverse current to counter-act the residual magnetism or foreign current in the electrotranslative magnet.

26. A railway traitic-controlling system comprising a traiiic-controlling electric cir cuit, means for supplying tra'liic-controlling electric current to such circuit, an electrotranslative magnet arranged to receive cur rent from the trailic-controlling circuit, a movable translative member controllable by such magnet, a traliic-controlling apparatus controllable by such movable translative member and in turn cont-rolling traffic along the railway, a pole-changer included in the tratlic-controlling circuit whereby to reverse the current in a portion of such circuit, and a resistance included in one lead to the polechanger whereby to weaken the traiiic-controlling current simultaneously with its reversal.

27. A railway traffic-controlling system con'iprising a main railway line having a track switch such as a siding or branch switch, a traffic-controlling apparatus in con trol of traiiic along the railway, a movable translative member in control of the traliiccontrolling apparatus, an electro-translative magnet in control of the movable translative member, a traffic-controlling electric circuit in control of the electro-translative magnet, a source of twine-controlling current for the tratlic-controlling circuit, a pole changer in cluded in the tra tfic-controlling circuit, and means for operating the track switch and pole-changer in conjunction with each other.

28. A railway traflic-controlling system comprising a main railway track having a track switch such as a siding switch or branch railway switch, a traffic-controlling apparatus in control of traffic along the railway, a movable translative member in control of the traflic-controlling apparatus, an electro-t 'anslative magnet in control of the movable translative member, a traffic-controlling electric circuit in control of the electro-translative magnet, a source of traflic controlling current for the tratlic-controlling circuit, a pole-changer arranged to reverse the connection between two portions of the tratfic-controlling circuitwhereby to reverse traffic controlling current in one portion thereof, a resistance interposed in the lead to one terminal of thepole-changer, and

means for operating the railway track switch and the pole-changer in conjunction with each other.

29. A railway traflic controlling system comprising a main railway track having a track switch such as a siding switch or branch railway switch, a traflic-controlling apparatus in control of traffic along the railway, a movable translative member in control of the trafiic-controlling apparatus, an electro-translative magnet in control of the movable translative member, a traffic-con trolling electric circuit in control of the electro-translative magnet and including the track rails of the main track, a source of traffic-controlling current for the traffic-controlling circuit, a pole-changer arranged to reverse the connection between two portions of the traflic-controlling circuit whereby to reverse traliic-controlling current in one portion thereof, a resistance interposed in the lead to one terminal of the pole-changer, and means for operating the railway track switch and the pole-changer in conjunction with each other.

80. A railway trafiiccontrolling system comprising a main railway line having a track switch such as a siding or branch switch, a tratlic-controlling apparatus in control of trafiic along the railway, a movable translative member in control of the trafficcontrolling apparatus, an electro-translative magnet in control of the movable translative member, a traflic-controlling electric circuit in control of the electro-translative magnet and including the track rails of the main railway line, a source of traffic-controlling current for the traflic-controlling circuit, a pole-changer included in the traffic-controlling circuit, and means for operating the track switch and pole-changer in conjunction with each other.

31. A railway traflic controlling system comorising a traflic-controlling apparatus in control of tratlic along a railway, an electric tvai'lic-controlling' circuit, an electro-translative device controllable by the traflic-con trolling circuit and in control of the trailiccontrolling apparatus and including a movable member arranged to be held in given position by a given value of current after being placed in such given position but such movable member being not responsive to the said given value of current to move into such given position, means for efiecting a momentary abnormal value of current preceding the said given value of current in order to move the said movable member into said given position, and means for establishing said given value of current after the movable member has been moved into its said given position.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY BEZER.

Vitnesses ALBERT V. T. DAY, 7M. ASHLEY KELLY.

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