US728164A - Signal-controlling system for electric railways. - Google Patents

Description

No. 728,164. PATENTED MAY 12, 1903.

V G. GIBBS.

SIGNAL CONTROLLING SYSTEM 'FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

APPLIOATION I'ILBD MAY 22, 1902. N0 MODEL. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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G. GIBBS.

SIGNAL CONTROLLING SYSTEM FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS. APPLIUATION FILED my 22, F502.

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No. 728,164. PATENTED MAY 12, 1903.

GIBBS.

SIGNAL CONTROLLING SYSTEM FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

. APPLIUATION FILED MAY 22, 1902. 7 NO MODEL. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

// ATTORNEY.

WITNESSES: Y IN VEIVTOH I 'y 3W Hm No. 728,164. PATENTED. MAY 12, 1903.

l G. GIBBS. SIGNAL CONTROLLING SYSTEMVPOR ELEGTRIU RAILWAYS.

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' UNITED STATES Iatented May 12, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE GIBBS, OF'NEW YORK, N.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 728,164, dated May 12, 1903.

Application filed May 22, 1902. Serial No, 108,532. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE G1BBs,a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Signal-Controlling Systems for Electric Railways, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electric railways, and particularly to railways of this class which are provided with block-signal systems.

The object of my invention is to provide means whereby the number of vehicles or trains of vehicleswhich may be in movement at any one time shall be regulated in accordance with the power available for moving them.

In the operation of railways an accident or delay to any car or train may cause the stoppage of another car or train approaching the entrance to the block-section on which accident occurs, and other succeeding trains may thus be stopped, one at the entrance to each of the successive block-sections, so that upon starting up of the first train there will be a congestion of trains along that portion of the railway, since each train may continue to maintain its close relative position with reference to the others.

In case the trains are operated by electricity from a number of substations any conges-' tion, such as is above indicated, is likely to make demand for power upon one or more substations which exceeds the limit of either possibility or safety, provided'the trains are all cleared in rapid succession. This latter difficulty may be experienced when the trains may have been stopped by an accidental cessation of the power-supply, so that the trains are at greater distances apart than one block or even at their normal distance.

My invention is intended to prove a safeguard against undue congestion and also against the simultaneous demand for power from a large number of trains. I

In general my invention contemplates controlling the various block-signals along the line which are supplied from the various sub stations, or some of them, in such manner that the clearing of signals may be controlled either by a station attendant or automatically by a suitable overload device, which is mechanisms.

brought into action by an excessive demand for power. In order to accomplish this result whenever a condition of congestion occurs or whenever there has been a temporary cessation of power-supply,l provide means for holding the signals, or some of them, at danger position in such manner that the foremost trains will be first set in motion and succeeding trains will be permitted to start only when the distance between-them and the train in advance has become such that the current demand has fallen to a-predetermined safe limit and so that when the last train of the series is free to start the entire series will be properly spaced, while atno time will an excessive demand for powerbe made upon the central station or the substation.

As indicated, my invention may be so installed as to insure the automatic distribution of the trains in accordance with the available power for moving them, or it may be so installed as to be utilized from a traindespatchers oifice or from a signal-tower to regulate the density of traffic upon all or any desired portions of the railwayin connection with which it is installed.

My invention is obviously susceptible of use in connection with any one of various types of signaling apparatus, and its combination with any one of such systems may be made by means of any one of a variety of I desire it to be understood, therefore, that the systems and ope-rating devices shown in the drawings and hereinafter described, so far as details are concerned, are merely illustrative of any suitable operative means for embodying the principle which underlies my invention.

As illustrated in the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagram showing a plurality of trains in the various positions which they may assume on consecutive block-sections of a portion of an electric railway supplied froma substation. Fig. 2 is a diagram of a plurality of consecutive block-sections supplied from a substation and means for controlling the signals of alternate blocks. Fig. 3 is a detail view, partially in front elevation and partially 'in section, of a portion of my signal-controlling apparatus. Fig. 4 is a view, partially in section and partially in elevation, of an electropneumatically-operated signal and part of the controlling means therefor. Fig. 5 is a view, partially in section and partiallyin side elevation, illustrating the application of my invention to a signal provided with an electric slot; and Fig. 6 is a partially-diagrammatic elevation of a manually-operated signal so equipped as to be employed in practicing my invention.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 4:, inclusive, which illustrate my invention as applied to an electric railway equipped with electropneumatically-operated signals, the division A of the railway is represented by two track railsl and 2 and a third rail 3,which is the positive conductor for conveying the power-current along the portion of the road which is supplied from one substation in the usual manner. The substation for supplying energy to the'division A of the railway is represented by a generator 4, which may be either a main generator or a rotary converter or other suitable source of energy and is connected to the insulated third rail 3 and to the grounded track-rail 1 by conductors 5 and 6. As here indicated for illustrative purposes and without any intention of imposing any limitations as regards the particular source of supply of electrical energy, the length of the portion of road supplied from each individual source, the number of block-sections comprised in such portion, or the means whereby the current is collected by the vehicles and delivered to the motors, the division A of the road is divided into six blocks, at the entrance to each of which is a signal, these signals being marked, respectively, b, c, d, e, f, and g, a signal a fora block in advance of the division A being also shown. For the purpose of this description it may be assumed that these signals are operated or controlled either in whole or in part by any one of the systems known in the art and that the track-rail 2, which is divided into sections corresponding to the respective blocks by suitable insulators 2, is utilized as a sectional conductor for operating, controlling, or interlocking purposes, or for all three, according to the character of the signaling system which is employed. In the use of such systems, as is well understood, the movement of each train or independentlyoperated vehicle is controlled in accordance with the condition of theimmediately-preceding block-section, and it the signaling system is automatic in its operation a signal cannot be moved to safety-indicating position unless the system is in perfect operating condition and the preceding section is free from obstruction. It follows, therefore, that each independently operated train or vehicle is stopped at the entrance to each block-section on which is another train or independentlyoperated vehicle and is held at that point until the clearing of the signal indicates that the block-section ahead is free from all obstruction.

As indicated in position A in Fig. 1, a train is stopped at the beginning of each block-section on account of the preceding block-section being occupied by the corresponding signal set at danger. These trains a, a a a a a, and a are therefore uniformly spaced one upon each block-section, and in accordance with the usual operation of a signaling system as soon as the block-section ahead of signal a is cleared that signal will be moved to an inclined position and the train a will immediately move into the next block. This releases the train a which by moving a short distance only will in turn release train (1 and so on until all of the trains are in motion at comparatively equal distances apart, thus making a demand upon the generator supplying this portion of the road which is in excess of its capacity.

In order to prevent the simultaneous movement of more trains upon any portion of the road than the generator supplying that portion can safely supply with power, I provide a controlling means, as follows: Each of the signals or such number of them as may be necessary-for example, each alternate sig nal 0t, 0, e, and g, as indicated in Fig. 2is provided with a controlling device, to be hereinafter described, which is supplementary to the controlling device of the main system and serves to prevent clearing such signal, even though the preceding block be clear, provided the number of trains in motion is such as to take an amount of power for their operation which equals or exceeds a safe limit. These governing devices are connected to a control-wire 7, which extends along the division A and constitutes part of an auxiliary circuit, which may be a shunt to the main power-circuit or an independent circuit supplied by its own generator. As here shown, the control-wire 7 is connected by a branch wire 7 to one terminal of a controlling-magnet (to be hereinafter described) for each signal, the other terminals of these magnets being connected to the ground by wires 7", and current is supplied to the control-wire by a battery 8 through conductors 9 and 10 and a circuit making and breaking device 11, the negative terminal of the battery being connected to the ground 12 by a conductor 13. The circuit making and breaking device 11 comprises two brushes 14: and 14, that are respectively connected to conductors 9 and 10, and a drum 15,0f insulating material, provided with two oppositely-disposed conducting strips or plates 16 and 17, which are electrically connected together, though obvi ously the structure of the drum 15 may be varied from what is shown, provided the ends of the two contact- strips 16 and 17 are separated by bodies of insulating material.

The drum 15 is mounted to rotate under the action of a coil-spring 18 when released and is normally held in one position by means of an escapement comprising a wheel or cam 19, having oppositely disposed shoulders or notches 20 and 21, with the one or the other of which engages one of the two arms 22 and 23 of an escapementdever 24. The end of the escapement-lever 24 opposite the arms 22 and 23 is joined bya slot-and-pin connection 25 to the core 26 of a solenoid 27, this solenoid being located in and forming a part of the conductor 5, leading from the positive terminal of the machine 4 to the third rail 3 or in a shunt thereto. The solenoid-core 26 is connected to the base 28 of the controlling apparatus by means of a spring 29 and a clam ping device 30, which may be adjusted in order to vary the pull exerted by the spring in accordance with the overload-current which is permissible in a given case.

When the parts are in the positions indicatedin Figs. 2, 3, and 4,the auxiliary control.- circuit is open and the signals a, c, e, and g are automatically set at danger independentlyof the track conditions. The end of the arm 22 of the escapement-lever being in engagement with the projection or notch 20 maintains this open-circuit condition so long as the current flowing through the solenoid 27 is sufficient to hold the core 26 in its uppermost position against the action of the spring 29.

When the current falls sufficiently to permit the spring to overcome the pull of the solenoid, the escapement-lever will be rocked upon its pivot, so as to disengage the arm 22 from the notch or shoulder 20 and the spring will turn the escapement-wheel to bring the notch or shoulder 21 into engagement with the end of the arm '23, which has by the rocking of the lever been moved into position to effect this engagement.

Since the solenoid 27 is connected to the power-circuit, the degree of pull exerted by it will depend upon the current flowing through such circuit and through the motors supplied thereby. The solenoid and its core may therefore be so designed and adjusted that a predetermined number of moving trains or vehicles will insure movement of the solenoid-core and the escapement-lever 24 to the positions indicated-in the drawings, whereas a less number of trains or vehicles may be operated without effecting a sufficient degree of pull upon the solenoid-core to move it from the position in which it is normally held by gravity and the spring 29.

The closing of the auxiliary control-circuit will serve to allow the movement of the signals to safety position by the means shown in Figs. 2 and 4, which will now be described. The signal, which may be for convenience designated as the signal a, has the usual pivoted member, comprising an arm 31 and a counterweight 32 for automatically moving the arm 31 to horizontal or danger position when it is released and free to act. The means for rocking the arm 31 to the inclined or safety position comprise a lever 33, a link or rod 34, a lever 35, and a piston 36, operating in acylinder 37 and having a stem 38,

having a slot-and-pin connection to one end of the lever 35, all as is usual in the Westinghouse electropneumatic-signal system.

The compressed air for operating the piston 36 is supplied to the cylinder 37 from a reservoir 38 through a conduit comprising pipes 38", 38, and 38 and a passage 38, said conduit being opened and closed by'means of a spring-seated valve 39, the upper end of the stem 40 of which is provided with an armature 41' and is moved downward when the signaling-circuit is closed by means of an electromagnet-coil 42.

The controlling. device, which is governed by the apparatus shown in Figs. 2 and 3, comprises a magnet 43, having an armature (not shown) which may be like the armature 41 of magnet 42 and which has a dependingstem 40, provided with two valves 39 and 39*. A spring 44 acts in opposition to the pull of the magnet, so as to cause the valve 39 to cut off the supply of compressed air and at the same time to cause the valve 39" to exhaust the cylinder 37 to the atmosphere through the port 39.

The coil of the magnet 43 is connected between the controlling-wire 7 and the ground by means of wires 7 and 7", sothat when the auxiliary circuit is broken by the controlling apparatus 11 the clearing of the signal can not be effected even though the preceding block may be clear and the valve 39 in open position, as indicated in Fig. 4, because the valve 39 is closed and the valve 39 is open,

thus cutting off the air from the cylinder 36' and exhausting that which may have been in it prior to the movement of the valves to the position indicated. On the other hand, if

the demand for power is not excessive, so

that the auxiliary circuit is closed, the valve 39 will be held in open position and the valve 39 in closed position irrespective of whether the preceding block is occupied or clear, and

the signal system is in condition'to operate in its normal manner.

As has been already stated, the signals which 'are illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4 are of a well-known Westinghouse electropneumatic type, and the electrical controlling system shown in connection therewith, with the exception of my auxiliary controlling circuits and apparatus, is illustrated and described in Patent No. 590,600, granted September 28, 1897, to The Union Switchdz Signal Company as assignee of Jacob B. Struble, The apparatus and circuits here shown comprise a polarized relay R for making and breaking the circuit between the supply-conductor 3 and each magnet 42 and a battery S for energizing each relay-magnet when the block immediately in advance of it is clear. The representation of trains, track conditions, and signals in Fig. 2 corresponds to positionA of to that block to break the circuit of the corresponding magnet 42, and thereby insure movement of the'corresponding signal to danger-indicating position and its retention in that position until the track is again cleared, so that the current from the corresponding battery will pass through the relaycoils. Trains a a, a and a are shown as serving, respectively, to hold the signals a, c, e, and g at danger in the manner above indicated.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the auxiliary control apparatus may be so arranged that the controlling action will be exerted when the auxiliary circuit is closed instead of when it is open, if desired, this being a mere reversal of what is shown.

In case it may be desired to hold the signals in danger-indicating position without regard to the conditions which govern the automatic operation of the system, I provide a switch 11 by means of which the auxiliary controlcircuit maybe opened and closed at will, this switch being located in the power-house or at any other convenient point.

As has already been indicated, my invention is susceptible of use in connection with any signaling system known in the art, whether the operation of the signals be automatic, semi-automatic, controlled manual, or manual.

As one example of signals to which my invention may be applied I have shown in Fi 5 a signal I), the signal-post 45 of which is provided with what is known as an electric slot 46, the construction and operation of which are fullyset forth in Patent No. 534,815, granted to The Union Switch 85 Signal Company as assignee of John P. Coleman on February 26, 1895. This signal may be set at safety position either manually or automatically by means of power applied to the weighted lever 47 through the cords 48, the rods 49 and 50, and the intermediate connections 51 in case the preceding block is clear. If the-preceding block is not clear, the magnet 52 is denergized and the parts 51, constituting the electric slot, are released, so that an upward movement of the rod 49 does not ettect movement of the rod 50, and consequently the signal cannot'be set at safety. In order to utilize my invention in connection with this form of signal, I provide a solenoid or magnet-coil 53, which is in circuit between the control-wire 7 and the ground by means of conductors 7 and 7 and the solenoid-core or armature 54 is utilized to operate a switch 55 for making and breaking the circuit of the magnet 52, as indicated, in such manner that if the auxiliary control-circuit is open, indicating that the power being used equals or exceeds the available supply, the

circuit of the magnet 52 is open and the signal cannot be cleared. On the other hand, it the auxiliary control-circuit is closed the magnet or solenoid 53 will hold the switch 55 closed, so that the signal will be cleared and set at danger normally in accordance with the condition of the preceding block.

In Fig. 6 I have illustrated a signal a and means for manually clearing it, comprising a link or rod 56, a weighted lever 57, a cord or chain 58, passing over pulleys 59 and 60, and a pivotedlever 6] which may be located in a signal-tower or at any other convenient point. The lever 61 is provided with an arm or pin 62, which moves in the slot of a pivoted rocking segment 63, the latter being connected, by means of a link 64, to a bell-crank lever 65, the free arm 66 of the bell-crank lever being normally looked against movement by means of a pivoted stop-piece 67, connected, by means of a link 68, to a pivoted lever 69, the free end of which is provided with an armature 70 for an electromagnet ora solenoid 71, the lever 69 being normally held in the position indicated in the drawings by means ofaspring 72. The magnet 71 is connected to the main signal controlling or interlocking circuit by conductors 73 and 73,

so that when this circuit is broken, as is thecase when there is a train in the preceding block, the lever 61 cannot be moved to set the signal at clear. In order to utilize my invention in connection with this system, I employ a second magnet-coil or solenoid 74, which is in the auxiliary control-circuit, and the solenoid-core or armature 75 operates the movable member of a switch 76 to open and close the circuit of the magnet 71.

It will be readily understood from the foregoing description that when the auxiliary control-circuit is open the lever6l will be locked against movement, and consequently the signals cannot be cleared until the current passing'through the solenoid 27 falls to or below the safety limit, and,on the otherhand, when the auxiliary circuit is closed the magnet 74 will hold the switch 76 closed, and consequently there will be no interference with the normal operation of the block system.

In case the signaling system embodies manually-operated signals without controlling or interlocking mechanism application of my invention may be made by providing suitable mechanical devices-such as are shown, for example, in either Fig. 5 or Fig. 6- and omitting the magnet 53 and the switch 55 of the former figure or the magnet 74 and the switch 76 of the latter. With these arrangements the magnet 52 or the magnet 71, as the case might be, would be included in the auxiliary control-circuit.

Referringagain to Fig. l, in which the trains indicated by unfeathered arrows are at rest, those by full-feathered arrows are in motion, and those by half-feathered arrows are ready to start, and assuming that three moving trains is the maximum number permissible at any one time along the division A of the road, it willbe seen that when the block preceding the signal a is cleared train a, moves into that block and trains a a and a may then start successively as their corresponding signals are cleared and move forward until train a has moved off the section in front of signal a, when train a may move onto that block, thus leaving the trains a and a in motion on the division A of the road. The signal 6 is now released from the auxiliary control and cleared, so that train a may start, as indicated in position A In position A trains a a and a are in motion on their respective blocks, and since signals 61 andfare not equipped with auxiliary control devices and the blocks controlled by them are clear train a may continue to move in its block and also into the block controlled by signal at and train a is ready to start. Signals a, c, e, and g are held at danger, however, by the auxiliary controlling system, and although the trains may be so spaced, as indicated, that train a is free to start while three other trains are in motion, yet if it does actually start before train 0. is stopped by signal a the interval during which more than three trains may be in motion will be very brief. In position A train a has moved onto the block in front of signal a and trains a a and a are in motion, it being assumed that one of the last-mentioned trains has been stopped at some point a sufficient length of time to permit the signal a to release train a from the block in advance of signal 6. In position A trains a a and a are in motion and are spaced with approximate uniformity and train a is held against movement by the auxiliary control system. As soon as train (1 leaves the block ahead of signal 1) signal 9 will be released, thus permitting train at to start. It will be seen, therefore, that the invention operates to so control the signals that trains will be allowed to start only in accordance with the amount of power available for moving them, and in case of congestion by reason of an accident to a train or a temporary cessation-of supply of power will be relieved gradually by starting the trains one at a time and at suitable intervals, so that by the time all of them have started they will be spaced apart sufficient distances to render their operation safe within the limits of the station supplying the power.

I have here illustrated my invention as applied to a single-track road; but it is to be understood that the invention is applicable to roads having two or more main tracks supplied with electrical energy from the same source or separate sources and that in such cases the specially-controlled signals may pertain to one or more of the tracks, according to the existing conditions.

As has already been stated in substance, the illustration and description of apparatus and systems are not intended to restrict the to be therefore understood that the invention is not restricted except as limitations may be imposed by the prior art and specified in the claims.

I claim as my invention 1. In a signal system for electric railways, the combination with a signal and means for moving it to safety-indicating position, of an auxiliary control-circuit, an opening and closing device for said circuit, means for operating said device and a governor for said operating means that is connected to the powercircuit and insures the movement of said operating device to open the auxiliary circuit when the load on the power-station reaches a predeterminedlimit.

2. In a signal system for electric railways, the combination with a series of signals and means for moving each of them to safety-indicating position, of an auxiliary controllingcircuit, an opening and closing device for said circuit, means for operating said device and a governor for said operating means that is connected to the power-circuit and insures the movement of said operating device to open the auxiliary circuit when the load on the power-station equals or exceeds a predetermined limit.

3. In a block-signal system for electric railways, the combination with a series of signals and means for preventing clearing of any signal when the preceding block is occupied, of an auxiliary controlling system for a plurality of the signals, embodying an electric circuit, means for making and breaking said circuit and a governing-magnet for said circuit making and breaking device the coil of which is connected to the power-circuit,whereby movement of said signals to safety-indicating position is prevented and whereby they may be set at danger when the load on the powerstation reaches a predetermined limit.

. 4:. In a block-signal system for electric railways, the combination with a series of signals located at intervals along the railway and means for moving each signal to safety-indicating position when the preceding block is clear, of an auxiliary controlling system for certain of said signals, embodying an electric circuit, a making and breaking device for said circuit and a governing-magnet for said device the actuating-coil of which is connected to the power-circuit and is energized to perform its governing functions when the load upon the power-circuit reaches a predetermined limit.

5. In a block-signal system for electric railways, the combination with a series of signals located at intervals along the railway, means for moving each of said signals to safety-indicating position and means for preventing operation of said signal-moving means when the block in advance of the signal is occupied, of an auxiliary signal-controlling system for a plurality of said signals, comprising an electric circuit, signal-locking devices controlled thereby, means for opening and IIO

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