US752028A - caiens - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED FEB. 16, 1904.

T. CAIRNS. APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING ENGINE DRIVERS RUNNING PAST HOME OR DISTANT SIGNALS.

/N\/EA/T'OR a s l APPLIUATION FILED JULY 14, 1903.

Arm/rum v m 7 ,m n r u M 5 XW k n 4 WW UNITED STATES Patented February 16, 1904.

PATENT FFICE.

APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING ENGINE-DRIVERS RUNNlNG PAST HOME 08 DISTANT SlGNALS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 752,028, dated February 16, 1904. Application filed July 14, 1903. Serial No. 165,538. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS GArRNs, enginedriver, a subject of His Majesty the King of Great Britain, residing in the city of Auckland and Colony of New Zealand, have invented a new and useful Invention to Prevent Engine-Drivers Running Past a Home or Distant Signal Set at Danger, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is designed to prevent engine-drivers from running past a signal set against them, whereby, as is well known in railway circles, serious accidents have occurred; and it consists of an arrangement of appliances by means of which the Westinghouse brake is automatically applied at full pressure immediately a locomotive passesa signal set at danger. As it is not supposed an engine-driver will absolutely disregard a signal which he has observed, it is assumed that his attention is diverted, and so he fails to observe the signal. Therefore such appliances operate independently of the driver (unless he wilfully renders the automatic nature of the invention inoperative) and is controlled by the Signalman.

The essential part of this invention consists of two parts, one part on the locomotive and the other part separate therefrom.

Referring to the drawings which form a part of this specification, Figure 1 is an elevation showing a semaphore-post with part of my invention attached thereto, and of the cab of a locomotive, showing an extension of the train-pipe of a Westinghouse brake with stopcocks. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an appliance to be placed between the rails, consisting of a frame with a lever pivoted thereon. Fig. 4: is an elevation of the cow-catcher of a locomotive with a sledge-shaped plate attached thereto.

The several parts of my invention are indicated on the drawings by the following letters of reference:

A is a semaphore-post.

B is a semaphore-arm.

G is the arm forming part of my invention; D, stays to strengthen the arm C and to attach it to the post A and also to form a bracket to hold the arm C in its position; at, a pin passing Y side of the train.

through the stays D and the arm C, forming a pivot to enable the arm O to be operated;

E, wire rope connecting the heel of arm C with' the device shown at Fig. 3; F, lever for operating semaphore-arm B and also the arm C; G, rod connecting lever F with semaphorearm B and also with H; H, bracket-lever connected to rod G and which operates arm C; J, stop-cocks attached to the extension of the train-pipe of the WVestinghouse brake; 1', levers or handles to stop-cocks J K, train-pipe of Westinghouse brake; L, lever of appliance placed between the rails; M, cow-catcher of a locomotive; N, sledge-shaped plate attached to cow-catcher.

The arm 0 is preferably securely fastened, by means of the stays D, to a semaphore-post at such a height that when down it will come in contact with the lever or handle j of the stop-cock J and when raised will besufiiciently elevated to clear it. It may, however, be afiixed to a post or other erection provided for the purpose, if such should be desirable. The arm G must also be of sufiicient length, such length of course varying, according to the distance between the post to which it is attached and the rails.

The bracket-lever H is attached to the sema: phore-post by means of a bolt upon which H works freely. The bracket-lever H where it projects over the arm C is forked and the arm C is held between the prongs of the fork.

The train-pipe K is extended and carried to the top of the roof of the cab or other convenient place on the locomotive to a suficient height to be above any part of the train along the line of the train parallel with the rails and As the semaphores are not always on the same side of the railway-line, and as the locomotive sometimes travels back along the same line of rails, it is advisable to carry the extensions of the train-pipe K to both sides of the cab. At the extremities of the extension of the train-pipe air-tight stopcocks J are fixed. These stop-cocks are furnished with levers or handles 5 so arranged that when the levers or handles 3' point upward the stop-cocks J are closed, but when turned to the horizontal the-stop-cocks are open. I

In the event of a train running past a signal set against an incoming train that is at danger the lever j of stop-cock J will come in contact with the arm C and be forced down, thus opening the stop-cock J and allowing the compressed air in the train-pipe of a W estinghouse brake to escape, applying the brakes at full power and bringing the train to an abrupt stop.

When the Signalman operates the signal, either by raising the lever F or by working the appropriate lever in his box or at the station to show the line clear and give permission to a train to come on, the operation actuates the bracket-lever H and forces the heel of the arm C downward and elevates the outwardly-projecting end of it, allowing the handle or lever y' of the stop-cock J to pass under and clear of the arm C, and the brakes are not applied.

When a train is running outward from a station, it not being customary to operate the semaphores at the home and distant points, it is therefore necessary to provide a means of automatically raising the arm 0 clear to allow the outward-bound train to pass unhindered without operating the signal. This is accomplished by means of the appliance or device shown at Figs. 3 and 4. In Fig. 3, L is a lever hung in a suitable slotted frame having one end projecting upwardly for a sufficient distance above the rails, preferably two inches, though this must be varied, according to the standard clearance between the cow-catcher and the rails, and downwardly from the point where it is "hung or pivoted for a suflicient distance, say six inches, and having attached to its lower extremity a wire rope E, which is carried from thence around conveniently-placed pulleys to connect with the wire rope, (shown at E in Fig. 1.) The sledge-shaped plate N (shown in Fig. 4:) comes in contact with the upwardly-projecting end of L and forcing it over causes a strain to be applied to the wire rope E, thus depressing the heel and raising the outward end of the arm C clear of the handle j of stop-cock J.

An incoming train will not operate the arm C, as the sledge-shaped plate N will force the lever L in the opposite direction, merely slackening the wire rope E instead of applying a strain, as in the case of an outwardbound train.

The appliance or device shown at Fig. 3 may be placed in such relative position to the semaphore that while the piece N is still in engagement with the lever L the stop-cock will have passed the arm 0.

In specifying that the sledge-shaped plate N be attached to the cow-catcher I wish it to be clearly understood that I do not restrict myself to that position, as it may be placed on some other part of the locomotive, if preferred, such as under the fire-box or under the tender, and a variation of the position will be met by altering the position of the appliance shown at Fig. 3 to suit, which is merely a matter of calculation.

The sledge-shaped plate N may be of such length and width as may be desired; but I suggest that it be six feet long and nine inches wide.

Mechanical equivalents such as will readily suggest themselves to an engineer skilled in railway matters may be utilized in lieu of the arrangements and devices illustrated and specified without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In combination with brake-applying mechanism carried by the train, means for actuating said mechanism consisting of an arm Q with means for throwing said arm into position to actuate the brake mechanism, said means comprising the usual mechanism for operating the signal and means between the track to the arm C actuated by the train for throwing the arm C out of position.

In witness whereof I have set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS CAIRNS. Witnesses:

WILLIAM LAwsoN, H. C. HASELDEN.

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