USRE6318E - Improvement in electric railway-signal apparatus - Google Patents

Description

BEST AVAILABLE COPY Electric Railway-Signal! Hppan u\-4v.

Reissued March2,1875

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THE uRAPNIC Cu. 40TH -LITN.39&4I PARK PLMILMY.

"u .Nl'inu sTATEs BATEN 'J. UI'ILULQ HENRY WV. SPANG, OF READING, PENXSYLVAXIA.

IMPROVEMENT lN ELECTRIC RAlLWAY-SIGNAL APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 141,395, dated July 29, 1573; reissue No. 6,318, dated March "2, 1875 application filed November 12, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY \V. SPANG, of Reading, in the county of Berks and State of Pennsylvania, have im'ented a new and Improved Electric llailway-Signal Apparatus, of which the following is a specification:

This invention relates to the cdmbination of a Geissler or vacuum coil, bulb, or tube, illuminated by a current of electricity, with one or more track or railway-switch circuit-closers, for controlling said current of electricity for general rail\va \'-signal or communicating purposes, the said circuit closer or breaker or de vices, one or more, being operated or controlled by means usual and suitable for operating railwaysignals; and, also, to the combination of the foregoing with a non-illuminated or audible or other signal apparatus.

in the accompanyingdrawing, Figure 1 represents a plan view of my invention as applied to a railway-switch. Fig. 2 is a side view, taken from the direction of the track, showing a side elevation of an audible signal, in this case an electric bell, and an end elevation of an induction-coil which is used for illuminating a Geissler tube, R being the bell, and M the induction-coil.

A A are switch or movable rails, to which is connected the switch-rod B of the switchlever B. A A are the stationary main-line rails, and A A the stationary rails, of a sidng or branch track. 0 is a metallic rod connected to the rail A or to the switch-rod B. It carries a cross-piece, E, of wood or other insulating material, upon which are fastened the metallic conducting-plates D D. ff and g g are two pairs of metallic conductors, on opposite sides of the cross-piece E, and fastened respectively to blocks E E of insulatin g material. The insulated metallic plate D and conductors ff form an electric circuit closer, and the insulated metallic plate D and the conductors gg an electric circuit-breaker, in case the movable railsAA are misplaced or set in line with the rails A A. H, I, and J are galvanic batteries, h h, it, andjj their respective poles. K K and L L are connecting screws or posts. M is an induction-coil, and on m are its connecting-screws of primary wire, and m at its connecting-screws of secondary wire. N is a Geisslt tube, ofiny suitable form or description. P is a relaymagnet, with the adjusting-screw p with a platina point, and adjusting-screw p with an insulated point, placed in any desired position. P P are its electro-rnagnets, whose wires are connected to the binding-screws p p. p is a connecting-point ot' the armaturelever Q. To said lever is attached the adjusting-springQ. Risanelectromagneticalarmbell, and V an automatic circuit closer and breaker. The magnets b S are connected to the binding-screw L by the wire w, and to the automatic circuit closer and breaker by the wire 20. The circuit closer and breaker V is connected to the binding-screw L by the wire 10. YVire 10 connects the metallic conductor f with the pole h of the battery H; wire to the pole h with the binding screw K; wire to the screw K with the connecting-screw m of the induction-coil M; wire 103 the screw m of the induction-coil with connecting-screw K; wire 10* the screw K with the metallic conductor j; wire 10 the screw m connecting-point n of the Geissler tube N; wire w the screw m of induction-coil with connecting-point n of the Geissler tube; wire w the metallic conductor g with the connecting'screwp; wire w the screw p with the pole j of the battery J wire w the pole j of battery J with the metallic conductor 9; wire 10 the screw L with the connecting-point p" of the armaturelever Q; wire w the screw L with the pole i of battery I; and wire w the pole i of batteryI with the adj Listing-screw 3 having a platina point.

When the switch is in its proper position the conducting-plate D is not in contact with the conductors ff, and the electric current ot' the battery H is broken, but when the switch is misplaced the plate D is brought in contact with the conductors ff, and the current of the battery H closed, which current, flowing over the primary wire of the induction-coil M, induces a more intense currentin the secondary wire, which, flowing through the Geissler tube N, illuminates it; or, if the wires 20 10 of the electromagnetic alarm-bell B were connected to the connecting-screws K K, the electric current from the battery H would cause the bell to be sbunded.

of the induction-coil with the When the switch is in proper position the conducting-plate D is in contact with the conductors g g, and the electric current of battery J is closed, the current passing over the electro-magnets P P of the relay-magnet P, attracting the armature-lever Q from the adjusting-screw p and thus opening the circuit of battery I.

When the switch is misplacedthe conducting-plate D is moved off the conductors g g and the circuit of battery J is broken, the spring Q, drawing the armature lever Q against the adjusting-screw p closes the circuit of the battery I and causes the electromagnetic alarm-bell to be sounded or, if the wires w "w of the induction-coil M were connected to the connecting-screws L L, the circuit of the battery I, flowing over the primary wire of the induction-coil, would induce a current in the secondary wire,which current, flowing through theGeissler tube, illuminates it.

Should the battery J be out of order or any of the wires or connections of its circuit be broken, the circuit of the battery I will be closed by the relay-magnet P in the same manner as hereinbef'ore described, and an alarm given or signal displayed.

The Geissler tube, bulb, or coil, when used for outdoor railway signal or communicating purposes, should be placed in an elevated box open at one or both ends, and belong or deep, in order that its rear or central part should be dark, so that the illuminated tube will be distinctly seen in day-timeas well as by night.

I do not confine myself to any particular device or devices for closing orcontrolling the ler tube to be illuminated, as there are numerelectric circuit, and therebycan sing 5635s ous devices employed for closing or controlling electric circuits, which can be operated or controlled by a railway-switch, locomotive, train, person, or anything employed or used along a railway.

I do not confine myself to employing a Geissler tube with any particular circuit or arrangement of wires, batteries, and devices, as there are numerous circuits and arrangements of wires, batteries, and devices employed for railway-signal purposes.

I donot confine myself to electricity generated by an induction-coil for illuminating the Geissler tube, as it can also be illuminated by electricity generated by other means.

I claim as my invention 1. A Geissler tube, or its equivalent, illuminated by electricity, in combination with a track or railway switch circuit-closer, for general railway-signal purposes.

2. In combination with a track or railwayswitch circuit-closer, avisual signal illuminated by an induced electrical current.

3. In combination with a railway-signal apparatus and a track or railway-switch circuitcloser, a visual signal illuminated by an induced electrical current.

In testimony whereof I hereunto sign my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY W. SPANG. Witnesses:

A. L. Borne, 0..1. SELLERS.

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