US782100A - Signaling apparatus for electric railways. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTBD FEB. 7. 1905.

W. 0. BETHEL.

SIGNALING APPARATUS FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4, 1904.

Patented February '7, 1905 \VALTER (J. BETHEL, OF SEATTLE,

WASHIN 'tTON.

SIGNALING APPARATUS FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYSQ SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 782,100, dated February '7', 1905.

Application filed November 4, 1904:. Serial N0. 231,445.

Be it known that 1, Emma O. Bu'runt, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the city of Seattle, in the county of King and State of 'ashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signaling Apparatus for Electric Railways, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in electric signaling apparatus for use in connection with electric railways.

The object of my invention is to improve and simplify such apparatus. These objects will in a measure be indicated in detail hereinafter.

The scope of my invention will be defined by the claims appended hereunto.

In the drawings l have shown my invention embodied in the form which is now preferred by me.

Figure 1 shows my invention in diagram and perspective. Fig. 2 is a plan of the arrangemcnt of' the devices at the signalingpoint. Fig. 3 shows the upper end of a trolley-pole, the insulating-shield being in sec tion. Fig. i is an edge elevation of the lower end of the support for the contact-pieces and shows said pieces carried thereby.

hly invention is particularly adapted for use with cars operated from an overhead feed-wire by the usual trolleypole. In Fig. l, C represents such a car passing a signaling-point, l is the overhead trolley or feed wire, and 2 the trolley-pole. These parts are supposed to be of the usual or any suitable construction. One purpose of my invention is to cause the cars in passing a signaling-point to automatically produce a signal at any desired distant point or points and to cause different cars or the cars of' different lines or classes to each actuate their respective signals, whereby the central office may be advised of the movement of the cars. To secure this, 1 employ a plurality of signal circuits, a separate circuit being employed for each class or group of cars, a separate indicating device being employed for each circuit. 1 have shown three such circuits 3 leading from a central station board 19 to a signaling-station on the line. The indicating devices shown in connection with these signal-circuits are lamps 13, one for each circuit, and a bell ll, common to all the circuits. These indicating devices may, however, be replaced by any other suitable mechanism desired. This end of the signaling-circuits is grounded at 15. At the signaling-point I provide separate contact-pieces (S, T, and 8, one for each circuit. These contact-pieces are composed of suitable resilient metal, and they are suitably supported in electrical insulation from each other, so as to project laterally or horizontally beneath the trolley or feed wire into the path of the trolleypole. l have shown them as mounted upon a board -.l, a sheet or bar of insulating material 5 being placed between these contact-pieces and the board at. The board i is shown as suspended from a wire 20, which extends between two poles placed at opposite sides of the track. .It is also secured to the suspension-wire 18, by which the trolley-wire l is supported.

The trolley-pole 2 has an insulating-shield for that portion which passes through the field of the contact-pieces. A convenient form for this shield and the one herein shown is that of sheath or cylinder 9 surrounding the pole. The contact-pieces are placed in superposed position or at different distances from the trolleyavire. The insulating-shield should be of sufficient length to cover the positions of all the contact-pieces. In connection with said shield I provide an :uljustable tappetpiece lt), which is adapted to be secured at such points along the shield as to contact with any one of' contact-pieces (3, T, or 8 desired. Means are also provided for securing electrical contact between the tappet and the trolley-pole conductor, so as to complete the signaling-circuit through the trolley and the feed-wire when the tappet engages a contactpiece. hen the pole itself forms the conductor, this may be conveniently secured by means of a set-screw 11, which passes through holes 12 in the shield and engages the pole. As the car passes the signaling-station the tappet it) will make contact with a respective one of the contact-pieces as, for example, t5-thus closing the respective signal-circuit with the overhead feed-wire 1 through the trolley-pole and tappet, and thereby energizing the respective lamp 13 and operating the bell l t, the said signaling-circuit being completed through the ground to the car. It will be apparent that the contact-pieces which are not brought into contact with the tappet as the car passes the signaling-station will- Wipe across the insulating-sleeve on the trolleypole.

v To prevent engagement with any of the contact-pieces 6, 7 or 8 except when the trolley is in proper engagement with the trolley or feed wire, I provide guard-wires 17, which are secured to but insulated from the trolleywire at points on each side of the signalingpoint and extend diagonally to a connection with the suspension-wire 18, thereby forming a diamond which embraces the board 4 and its contact-pieces. These wires are secured to the trolley or feed wire from above in such a way as to not interfere with the free passage of the trolley. Should the trolley be off the track when it approaches the signalingpoint, it would be deflected by these guardvvires 17 and would not engage any of the contact-pieces or produce any signal. Except for this it might engage any one or all of the contact-pieces, thus producing misleading and confusing signals.

when a number of signaling-stations are placed along a line, as may often be desired, the spacing of the contact-pieces should correspond at all stations. here the elevation of the trolley or feed wire above the track is the same, their vertical distance from said wire should be the same at different stations. Should there be a variation in height of the trolley-wire, there should be a proportionate variation in the vertical spacing of the contact-pieces.

It is evident that my invention may be embodied in other mechanisms than those shown and herein described. Ido not, therefore,wish to be limited to these mechanisms alone.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States. is

1. In a signaling apparatus for use with electric railways, the combination with the feedwire a plurality of normally open grounded circuits, and contact-pieces each connected with its respective circuit and arranged at dilferent vertical distances from the feed-wire,

of a supply-conductor adapted to connect the car with the feed-wire, an insulating-shield for the part of the said conductor which passes through the field of the contact-pieces and a conductive tappet adapted to connect with the said supply-conductor and to be adjusted to contact with either of the contact-pieces.

2. In an electric signaling apparatus for electric railways, having overhead trolleywires, the combination with a plurality of normally open grounded circuits, contact-pieces respectively for each circuit located in superposed relation to each other beneath the trolley-wire, of an insulated section carried by the trolley-pole, and a conductive tappet on this insulated section adjustable to contact with either of the various contactpieces, and to have communication with the conductor of the trolley-pole.

3. In a signaling apparatus for use with electric railways, the combination with an overhead feed-wire, a trolley-pole adapted to connect the car and said feed-wire, of a plurality of normally open grounded circuits, contactpieces each connected with its respective one of said circuits and projecting from the side beneath the feed-wire, an insulating-shield for that part of the trolley-pole which passes through the field of the said contact-pieces and a conductive tappet adapted to be adjusted along the trolley-pole to contact with either of the said contact-pieces and provided with means to make electrical connection through the trolley-pole with the overhead feed-wire.

t. In asignaling apparatus for use with electric railways, the combination with an overhead feed-wire, a trolley-pole adapted to connect the car and said feed-wire, of a plurality of normally open grounded circuits, contactpieces each connected with its respective one of said circuits and projecting from the side beneath the feed-wire, an insulating-shield for that part of the trolley-pole which passes through the field of the said contactpieces,and

a conductive tappet adapted to be adjusted along the trolley-pole to contact with either of the said contact-pieces and a securing member for said tappet adapted to penetrate said shield and contact with the trolley-pole.

5. In an electric signaling device for electric railways having an overhead feed-wire and trolley, of signaling-circuits having contact-pieces adjacent the feed-wire, means carried by the trolley-pole for closing said circuits through said contact-pieces, and a protective device for said contact-pieces comprising guard-wires extending from the feedwire at each side of the contact-pieces laterally to form a diamond surrounding said contact-pieces.

6. In an electric signaling device for electric railways having an overhead feed-wire and trolley, of signaling-circuits having contact-pieces adjacent the feed-Wire, means carried by the trolley-pole for closing said circuits through said contact-pieces, and guardwires connecting with the feed-wire at each side of the contact-pieces and from above to normally not interfere with the passage of the trolley, said guard-wires extending diagonally outward to embrace said contact-pieces.

Signed at Seattle, Washington, this 20th day of October, 1904.

WALTER C. BETHEL.

Vitnesses: ERNEST B. HERALD,

GEORGE E. LITTLEFIELD.

ITO

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