US1440583A - Automatic stop for railways - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 2, 1923. IIAQQSS E. E. CLEMENT. AUTOMATIC STOP FOR RAILWAYS. FILED JAN. 11. 1921.

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gza fgg Trc n ck armature Laminated soft ir n P les of New Semaphore operatmy connectio fr m t k airmail or signal 1? Track armature Patented Jan. 2, 1923.

earner EDWARD E. CLEMENT, OF 'iFI'ASHINGrTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOE TO AZEL FORD, 0F VIASHINGTQN,

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA..

AUTOMATIC STOP FOR RAIL'WAYS.

Application filed January 11, 1921. Serial No. 436,416. I

'0 all whoa/L it may concern.

Be it known that I, EDWARD CLEMENT, a citizen of the United States, residing at l ashington. in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Tmprcvements in Automatic Stops for Railways, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to satety systems for railways, and especially to automatic stopping devices for cars or locomotives; The object oi? the invention is to produce a normally energized or closed-circuit system not only on the car or locomotive, but includthe mechanism which is operated YlI'OHl the track or by the semaphore operating devices. In other words. it is desired to have the connecting link between the moving vehicle and the track normally held by positively acting forces to clear in such man ner that any failure of operation, as well as the normal or intended reversal at operation, will cause the parts to register and operate so as to indicate danger andv to stop the vehicle.

I attain my object by providing a plow on the vehicle, which at convenient intervals such as the ends 01": block sections, passes through or over magnetic bodies, which have a tendency to place themselves in the path of the plow to make'magnetic contact therewith. On the plow I mount a relay, having double poles, one pair extending upwardly and normally carrying magnetic in o hold an armature which closes contacts included in the circuit of the relay winding; the other pair extending downwardly and constituting magnetic shunt poles, which when brought into magnetic contact or close proximity to the track bodies, will divert the magnetic flux from the upper to the lower poles and weaken the attraction ot' the armature so that it will be momentarily released to break the circuit of the energizing winding of the relay. The magnetic bodies on the track have a normal tendency to move into shunting position, and are positively held to clear.

Tn the accompanying drawings illustrating the-invention, which are diagrammatic in their nature, since mechanical detail forms no part of the present invention:

Fig. 1 represents the plow and relay and connected circuits carried on the vehicle,

with a broken sectionoi the track armature in passing contact with the plow;

Fig. 2 represents in plan the parts on the tures.

The drawings are inscribed with explanatory legends which make detailed descrip tion unnecessary. The following explanation, however, is given for certainty.

In '1, the electric circuit may be assumed as carried up into the cabot a locomotive. It includes two signal lamps L and a spectacle irame with red and green windows, controlled by solenoid S, the solenoidsS and S controlling balanced valves connecting air to suitable operatingmechanism tor the brakes and for the steam or other driving power, respectively, and the winding of the plow relay. Bridge contacts C are included in the connection to the relay winding, while a separate insulated contact C is included in the circuit otlamp L, these contacts C and C" being carried on the armature A, which tendsconstantl-y to leave theupper poles of the plow relay under the influence of a spring. The energizing cir 'cuit of the plow relay is a series circuit including the several solenoids, contacts C and battery, and may be traced as follows: battery, S, SZ'S, plow relay, contacts C, and back to battery. For closing a series circuit through the solenoids, battery and relay, independently ot the contacts C when they are open, a short circuit or shunt is connected around the bridge contacts C which shunt circuitis normally open at a key accessible to the engineer and marked Reset key. The shunt circuit is as follows: battery, S, S S, winding of the relay, key, battery. This keyhas a pointed stylus-to punch a hole in a chronograph card, clock driven, whenever it is depressed.

In Fig. 2 are shown two parallel soft iron bodies marked Track armature, which are connected by links for parallel motion to and from each other, each being horizontally laminated as indicated in Fig. 1.

In full lines these armatures are shown in Fig. 2 in retracted position, to which they are held by positive or energized action of the track wires or rods forming part of the block signalling system. when released, either by :tailure of this mechanism or by operation thereof, the armatures are forced together c springs marked X. t hen reany desired form of switch) as a test on the battery. The circuit of lamp L may be traced from, battery, through lamp L, contact C back to battery. At the same time the plow relay is energized and pulls down its armature, which. looks by closing the relay circuit through right hand end of contact C, winding of relay, solenoids S and S, battery, back to left-hand end of Contact C; the solenoids are all energized, thespectacle frame over the lamps la and IA,

is raised to show clear (its upper windows being red and its lower windows green, or other color as) practice may dictate) the throttle and air breaks are placed under control ofthe engineer, and the system is thus energized or positively held to clear.

' In running, the engineer has before him a constant test on his battery, iis solenoids and his plow relay. If the lamp L. goes out, either the plow relay has let go or there is trouble in the lamp or circuit. If the lamps both go out the trouble is in the battery, etc. In passing over blocks which are clear, and the signals properly set to inclicate that fact, the cab apparatus remains normal, as described. If a semaphore danger signal is set to danger, the track armatures at that point will also be released or set to danger, i. e., they ,will'have moved together into position to engage the plow as it passes. lVhen this occurs, the flux of the plow relay will be diverted or shunted through the lower poles and the track armatures, the upper poles will become magnetically weakened and release the armature, which will immediately be raised by its spring or equivalent means, and as it starts to retract, breaks the relay circuit. This de-' prives all the solenoids of current, they let go, the spectacle frame drops to show the lights red, the power is cut oil, and brakes put on, to stop the train. lit cannot again be started except by the engineer in recorded use of the re-set key. Accidental derangement of the track connections or other causes leading to failure of the holding means for the track armatures, will release them and produce the same result.

I claim:

1. An automatic stop system comprising operating parts on the vehicle controlled by a relay also on the: vehicle having an armature normally attracted and maintaining its own energizing circuit closed, withv a magnet-ic body on the track adapted when in danger position to short circuit the magnetic flux of said relay through itself, to release said armature and de-energize the relay.

2. A. railway signaling system having operating parts actuated by a self-locking electromagnetic relay carried on the vehicle and a shunt for the magnetic circuit of said relay on the track.

3. A railway signaling system having a self-locking electromagnetic relay carried on the vehicle, a relatively high resistance magnetic circuit for said relay controlling operating parts on the vehicle, and a relatively low resistance magnetic circuit for the saidmagnet on the track.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature,

EDWVARD E. CLEMENT.

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