US1673633A - Railway-crossing signal system - Google Patents

Description

June 12, 1928.

J. OTTERMAN RAILWAY CROSSING SIGNAL SYSTEM Filed May 31, 1927 IN V EN T 0R.

ATTORNEY;

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Patented June 12, 1928.

JOSEPH OTTERMAN, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY-CROSSING SIGNAL SYSTEM.

Application filed May 31, 1927. Serial No. 195,323.

My invention relates to railway crossing ball-bearing assembly 28 resting on the botsignal systems and its object is to provide means whereby a locomotive or equivalent device passing along a railway will, within a predetermined distance from a tratiic crossing, operate mechanism which will display at the crossing a suitable danger signal, and will, after the locomotive or equivalent device has proceeded a predetermined distance past the crossing, reset the signal to its original condition indicating that the crossing is safe to travel over. Another object is to provide means whereby the s gnal means is operated, no matter in which direction the locomotive or equivalent device travels.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a railway provided with my invention, parts being broken away; Fig. 2, a section on the line II-II on Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a section on the line III-III on Fig. 1; and Fig. 1, 2. section on the line IVIV on Fig. 1.

()n the drawing I show a railway track comprising the rails 1 and 2 seated on the ties 3, 4:, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. These are the ties whichI use, but it is to be understood that there will be a suitable number 01 additional ties of the usual type.

At one side of the track and at one side of the line of traiiic over the crossing, or between two lines of oppositely moving trailic over the crossing, I provide the visual signal 10 of any suitable type. I have shown the signal as composed of the horizontal drum or cylinder 11 having transparent vertical ends 12 hearing the warning word Stop. A suitable lamp, as 13, is shown within the drum to illuminate the signal.

The drum 11 is attached to the vertical oscillatory postor shaft 14 which is connected by the crosspin 15 to the vertical shaft 16 projecting up from the horizontal pulley or sheave 17, which rests on the ballbearing assembly 18 seated on the bottom of the casing 19 riveted to the plate 20 secured to the two extradong ties 5 and 7. The casing has the cover or cap 21through which the shaft 16 projects.

Between the rails 1 and 2 and at opposite sides of the crossing or signal 10 are the rotary pulleys or sheaves 22 and 23 enclosed in casings 24 and 25 having caps or covers 26 and 27. As these two devices are alike only one, the one at the left, is fully shown and described. The pulley 22 rests on :1

tom of the casing 24 and riveted to the plate 29 supported by the ties 3 and 4. The right hand casing 25 is shown on the plate 30 supported by the ties 8 and 9. The pulley 22 has the shaft 31 projecting up through the cover 26, the projecting end thereof having the hub 32 secured thereto by the crosspin The hub carries above the cover 26the two horizontal arms 34- and 35 arranged at right angles to each other. The hub 32011 the right hand shaft 31 has the two arms 34 and 35 exactly like the arms on the left hub. However, the arms 3& are arranged to be parallel to each other, the arms being therefore also parallel to each other.

A flexible member runs on the three sheaves mentioned. It is composed of sections. One section 36 runs on the pulley l7 and has one end connected at the point 37 to the two sections 38 and 39, the former running to the left on the idler or sheave l0 and thence on the left hand pulley 22 and on the idler or sheave 41 to the point 12 to which the remaining end of the section 36 is attached. The section 39 runs to the right on the idler or sheave 13 standing opposite the idler 10 and thence on the right hand pulley 23 and thence on the idler or sheave 44: standing opposite the idier 41, to the point 42. The idlers 40 and 13 are enclosed in the casing 15 connected to the ties 5 and 6, and the idlers ll and 4L4 are enclosed by the casing 4L6 attached to the ties 6 and 7.

The flexible member maybe composed of wire cables or chains or both and may run in protective pipes 47. and may be provided with turnbuckles 4:8 by which slack in the flexible member may be taken up. This member may be attached to the pulleys as indicated at 41-9. I

When the signal is set so that the Word Stop is not visible to traftic approaching the crossing, the arms 34 are arranged to be at right angles to the rails 1 and 2, the arms 35 pointing in opposite directions and away from the crossing or signal 10. The arms, when at right angles to the rails, reach to the center line between the rails so that they will be hit and operate by the projection 50 can ried by the locomotive or other leading car of a train. The arms 34 and 35 will be placed at such a distance from the crossing or signal 10 as will give ample time before the train reaches the crossing for trafiic on the crossing to get off from it, or to give trafiic approaching the crossing ample time to stop before the train reaches the crossing.

The parts being at safety as in the drawing and a train approaching the crossing from the left, the projection 50 will hit the left hand arm 34: and cause the section 38 of the flexible member to travel left-lumdedly, whereby the signal drum 11 is turned 90 so that the word Stop shows at both sides of the track, the pulley 17 being limited by the stop 51 thereon having travel between the fixed stops 52 and 53, arranged 90 apart. W hen the section 38 traveled as described, 1t caused the point 3'i'to travel toward the signal and pull the section 89 so as to cause the pulley 23 to travel right-handedly. Accordingly, the projection 50 has caused the arms 34; to be parallel with the track and the arms 35 to project to the center of the track. lVhen the train passes the right hand arm 35, it will hit it and return the signal 10 and the arms 34 and 35 to their original or safety positions.

It a train approaches from the right, the projection will first engage the right hand arm 34- to throw the signal 10 to danger position and the arms 35 perpendicular to the center of the track. The train will hit the left hand arm 35 and restore the parts all to their safety positions.

By connecting the ends of the sections 38 and 39 to the ends of the section 36 and leading the sections 38 and 39 on the two pairs of idlers 40-43 and 414& in opposite directions to the pulleys 22 and 23, I provide a simple means of making the said pulleys turn in opposite directions, which they must do to bring the arms 34 and 35 into proper positions for resetting the signal to safety position.

I claim- 1. In a railway crossing signal system, a pulley, a signal attached thereto, a pulley at each side of the crossing and distant therefrom, a flexible device on all the pulleysfor operating them and the signal simultaneously, means for causing the distant pulleys to turn in opposite directions, an arm carried by each distant pulley and arranged to be actuated by a car running in either direction on the track and approaching the three sections, one on each pulley, and one end of each member being connected together at one pointand the remaining ends being connected together at another point. .2. Ina railway crossing signal system, a pulley, a signal attached thereto, a pulley at each side of the crossing and distant therefrom, two pairs of idlers between the distant pulleys, a flexible device on all the pulleys for operating them and the signal simultaneously, means for causing the distant pulleys to turn in opposite directions, an arm carried by each distant pulley and arranged to be actuated by a car running in either direction on the track and approaching the crossing, for causing the signal to be displayed, and an arm carried by each distant pulley and arranged to bemoved when the car so actuates an arm, into a position to be engaged by the car as it is moving away from the crossing, for resetting the pulleys, the signal and the arms to their original positions, the fiexible member being continuous from one distant pulley to the other distant pulley, the intermediate portions of the said continuous part of the flexible member being turned laterally between and in contact with the respective pairs of idlers andattached to the ends of the portion of the flexible member which runs on the signal-bearing pulley.

' In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

JOSEPH OTTERM

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