USRE5958E - Improvement in electflic signaling apparatus foe railroads - Google Patents

Description

W. ROBINSON.

Electric Signalling Apparatus for Railroads. N0.5,9 58.-

Reissued July 7,1874.

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i "which the following is'afull, clear, and exact signal-box with its i ece removed to show the 0nd. in a visual or se nophoric electric signal," 1n .comhinetwn with a. constant n1ctnllic cirpos'edl:"npertof a rail or rails of the track;

.nati on with each other and with a. constant meestablished between said rails by the wheels ductor, the electric circuit is partially changed 'netization of the magnet; seventh, in an inn signal and battery. to, the trsiok.

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UNITED STATES I WILL M'RQBIN QN, oF-BRooKL-Yn, Nev/YORK.

IMPROVEMENT lN ELECTRlC SlGNAillNG APPARATUS FOR RAILROA DS. 1 i

iipefiifiratirm l'orniipg lli'tlt of Letters Potent no. 1 (2,661, time August-20,1872; Reissue No moss. mun

July 7. 1874; application filed May 19, 1.874.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM ROBINSON, of Brooklyn, in the countyof Kings and State of New York, have invented o, new and useful Electric Signaling Apparatus for Railways, of

description, reference being had to the accom pmlying drawing, forming part of this s'pecifi: cation. v

1 The ,figure'represents a top-view of a'doubletmekrailway wit-hsuit-nble sections and wireconnections, together with on elevntionof the vsigi all within, the whole being arranged to illustratemjy invention.

The object of this invention is to operate eleslrtric' signals, audible or visual, by means of moving or standing vehicles or trains, without the use of ordinary track-coimections for v closing or hreoking circuits, and without the on with a limited use of line-wires'for eondue ing the electric. current, therails of the trd'ok heing-uscd'for 't-he'liitterpurpose.

IE he invention consists, first, in aconstant electric circuit 'for the purpose of operating electric roilway-signals, audible or visual; secouit' composed in part of a rail orroils of the troclc';*t-hird, in an alarnror audible signal, in combination with a constant met-hllic circuit consisting in partof a rail or rails of thc'treek; fo n'tli, in an a'd-zlitional or secondary circuit, i in combination with a primary circuit coin fifth, in a; visual and'audible signal, in combitallic eireuit composed in' part of s raiL'or' rails ofz'the track; sixth, in an electr c-magnet and a, battery so connected to the rails of 21 sec tion oi railroad-truck that when connection is and soles of a car, orby other superior con.-

andthe signal operated through the demagprovetl' signal of very simple construction,"

whereby great ease of act-ion is secured;

fThe'inveution also embrace! certain pecug liaritios in the 'an'angement of wires from the horizontal skis.

railroad.

' l is a section oi track, which may he a mile long, more or less, and having its rwils a Z) septirnted from metallic cont-act with the rails oi the sections 1) and E, as shown at n b. in like manner the section (1' of the other tmelg-hiis its rails separated from metallic contact with the rails of the sectionsl) and E. The rails a b c (I should. each have metallic continuity: throughout the length of its section. 7

' The signal-box F is onstrnetedof any suit. able material, and is provided with on orifice. preferably in the center, covered with gloss windows capable of illumination, through which the signal may be seen when exposed day or night. \Yithin this signal-box is pl need the signal G, consisting ofo banner, S, attached to the lever c, wlncln'pivoi'edat f, turns on a fixed thesma-ll projection or lever, preierably segmental, 9. A eordpiink, chain or delicate eiiistio spring, ifis' attached to. the lever 5,:11141 to the upper part ofthe iong lever L, in such a manner that when the armaturein, which is attached to-t-he lever L, is attracted by its mugnetM, and the upper part. of said lever L swings inthe direction of the arrow the upper port of the segmental lever moves i'or-' ward and downward, thus permitting the chain i to work el'oser'to the pivot-f. By this arrangement it-willjbe seen thatthe greatest l'eyemge power is secured for moving the si nal when the nrnmture mis the greatest dis tance from its magnet- :mdthe magnetic forteis consequently weakest, the leverage power diminishing gmduolly as the armature epproaehes the-magnet. The i'ort-iqallever L moves. on a horizontz' l axisuf, and is pro-- vented from swinging too for book ironi the nmguet by the iuliustnble stop 8, which may he so adjusted as to lu'ing1 the armature w 'a greater or lessdistuuee from its magnet M, as

may he found necessary. "ihq-devers L nidM-L mayheinade of onysuiin-lih material and in any manner, but 'are preferably constructedoi tl|in tubular metal for ihepurp'use of scanning i greiiflstlcngth and rigidity with minimum weight 11nd friction-of ports. l iu'illvrmorv,-- the biumer S is eoiuitorlynlnucal by an adjustable weig'llh'mnnd by making that m 0," the To the lever 42 orits arbor isthe one end with the rails leyer c embraced between the pivot f and the banner S of considerable length the said hanner is brought from a state of concealment to a state of exposure, ,or the reverse, by passing through a comparativelysmallangle, and by arranging the lever e,- as shown in the draw mg, in sueu a manner that in bringing the banner'i'rom a state of concealment to estate of exposure, or. the reverse, said leyer (2 shall swing to and bey'ondahorizontal position, the greatest uniformity of motion with the least possible loss of power is secured.

' Having thus described the construction of the visual signal" G, itiwill be seen that when the electro-mhgnet M is charged it attracts the armature m to itself, thus swinging the upper 0nd of the lever L in the direction of the arrow z and carrying the upper end of the le ver'gforward, at'the same time turning the same, together with the lever e, dnthe axis f,

and carrying the banners down into the position indicated in dotted outline, Nowconnect one pole of the battery B'with the rails a and 0 and the other pole with the railsb and. d of the sections G and C" by means of the wires hand 70', respectively. In like manner connect the ends of the coils of the magnet M,

a and a and-the other end with the rails b and d of the same sections O and G by the wires 1 and l, as shown in the drawing, and the apparatus is operative. The wires from the battery and v magnet preferably insulated. 4

Before describing the operation of the apparatus as a whole, it may be stated that the elec trio current will follow a naked metailic conductor, 11" of suflicient surface, even when imincised in a river or in the min at the bottom of a river, because the metal offers less resist: ance to its passage than either water or mud. Much more will it. follow the rails of a rail- .roarl-traol: whentheyare made a partof the circuit, since the rails present a large surface of superior conducting material, which offers much less resistance to its passage than any surrounding mediums, and it is well known that when several courses are, presented the electric current will follow that course which ofi'ers least resistance to its-passage.

The mode of operation isa's follows: Sup- -pose the sections 0 and .0 to be entirely clear of-cars. Then-theelectriccurrentfromthepositive pole P of the battery B will pass, as indirated by the arrows m as", through the wire k,

rail'b, wire Z, and magnet M, magnetizing the san1e,'and return through the wire Z, rail a,

and wire k, as indicated by the arrowsy yJothe negative pole N of the battery. The magnet M, being thus magnetized, attracts its armature and-swings the'signal-banner S inc the-position of concealment, (shown in dotted outline,) and holds it in that position as long Now let a as the sections C O are clear. train enter upon (I or (l as indicated at H O, and the wheels and axles of the same will bridge over anal connect the rails c and d,

bridge, and entirely iace, will present to the electric current a complete-circuit, which ofi'ers much less resistanoeto its passe-go than the course throughthe magnet M. The electricity now takes the. course oi er the wire k1, rail d, wheels and axle H, returning'hy the rail tans wire it to the battery, as indicated by thearrows x w" y, using the rails c and. d, as will be seen, with their avoiding the magnet M, which, being thus demagnetiz'cd, lets vgo its armature, and theoounterpoise w, or its equivalent,"which slightly overbalances the banner S, carries the same up in front of the orifice intoaposition' of exposure, where it remains, as-.sh0wn,-while a train or car is on sectioni or C. When, however, the train has run-oil the section, leaving 0 and 0' clear, the magnet M is instantlymegnetized again andthe s'igrial-banners is removed and kept concealec until the track is again blocked by the'pres ence of another train, when the same proees' is repeated. When the signal-banner is in a position of exposure, as shown, the levergfii may serve to ciose an additional circuit through the battery B, whiehmay he used to operate an alarm, i, in conjunction with the signal S, or to actuate .another signal at any distant point. Furthermore, the concealment of the signal 8 may serve to close another circuit for exposing an additional signal, or the reverse. Instead of using the signal-G constructed as 'hercin'minutely described, asignal of any suitable construeti on may be used without affect 'ing'the'spirit of the invention. Furthermore; instead-of using the magnet M to actuate the signal directly, it may be used as a relay, operating, when magnetized, to keep the eircilit which directly actuates the signal open. or closed, as desired. V, i g -It is evidentthat an alarm may be used either in conjnuctionwith or independent y 01 a visual signal; I

The drawing shows an application paskticu larly adapted to road-crossing signaling on a double track. The signals may he uscdfalso on a single track and be applied as block-signals, and for other purposes on single or ,(louble tracks. \Vhen used as a block-signal or for other purposes, it maybe desirable to indie'ate at a distant station when the signal is operative. To acco nplislithis objectfcarrff one of the wires from the magnetMto the distant station. Here let the wire be passed through the coils-of a bellmagnet' or other signaling device, and thence be carried to thetracl-f and attached to the same, as already described. The distant office or stationsignal will operate simultaneously with the signal S. Thuc'auy desired number of signals maybe operated s1- multaneously at different points from a single section of track.

By a slight modification of the plat. described an eilicient switch and draw-bridge signal may be operated, the rails being used ,as conductors; Thus, half a mile (more or less) from a switch maybe placed a signal-box and signal, substantially as described, and

. necting the rails of the switch will act as a bridge to divert the lectricity from the signal-mngnct; but when the switch is misplaced the metallic connection of the rails of the track will be interrupted; The signalinagnet will thus become charged and the position of the signal changed. In this case the signal should be exposed when the magnet M is charged. In like manner a cross-bar may bridge the rails on a draw-bridge. The displacing of the draw-bridge or withdrawing of the bolt orbolts which holdthe same in position will allow the signaLmagnet to become charged and the no.1 to be changed, substantially as described, in connection with a switch.- l It is not necessary in all cases that the rails aand 1), section G, should both be sepa-' mtedfrom metallic contact with the sections Dand E. It may often, if not always, be suflicient to separate only one. of said rails from such metallic contact with the adjacent sections. I A constant circuit for railway signaling purposes is a chief feature of this invent-ion, and

while I have herein clearly described perhaps the best method-of using such a circuit, nevertheless I do not limit myself to this specific method, but contemplate theuse of a constant circuit as such for electric signaling purposes,

whether such ,circuit includes the rails of a railroad-track or otherwise. By a constant circuit is understood acircuit whose magnet or magnets-are operated or controlled without actually opening the circuit through said magnet or magnets. V

W'hat- I here claim as new, and desire to s'ecure by Letters Patent. is

l. The combination, of a constant circuit, a. magnet or magnets operated or controlled without actually opening the circuit of said magnets, and an electric railway signal or signals, substantially as described.

2. A visual or semaphoric signal, in combination with a constant circuit composed in part 'o fa rail or rails of a railroadn-nck, sul

stantially as setihrtli. i 3. An alarm or audible signal, in comliinir' described.

combination with; apriniary circuit romposvd in partof a rail on rails of the truck. osseir t-ially as and for the purpose described.

5. A visual and an audible signal, in combination with each other and with a constant circuit'composed'in part of a rail or rails of the track, substantially as described.

6. The battery-B and magnet M, so connected to thcreils of a section of railroadtrack that when connection is established between the railsof said' scction by the wheels and axle of go car, or by other superior conductor the electriccirc-uit is partially changed and the signal operated through the demagnetization of the magnet M, substantially asspecified. I

7. A signal constructed partially of tubular material, for the pu'rposo 'of securing lightness combined with streirg'tli, in the manner substantially as} herein. set forth of the l ier g jat a point midway between the -for the purpose set forth.-

orits equivalent, witlntho-levers L and c and signal-.bauncrss, substantially as set forth. 1,0. The battery B, in combination with the ll, and magnet M, substantially the purpose herein described.

11'. The additional or secondary circuit r, in combination with the magnet '1, wires I I" k k, battery B, and section of mils of a railroad-track, essentially as dcscrilx-d.

combination with a constant circuit, as de scribed, charged in its normal i-i'nn'lit-ion,

scntiallyas indicated. Y

/ WILLIAM ROBINSON.

Witnesses:

JAMES ROBlNSON.

( F T R.

tion with a constant circuit composed in part of a rail or rails of the track, essentially as 4. An additional or seeomlnry vcircuit, in

-8..Thje arim gemcnt of thepirota-l bearing of tlie signal-bannenns shjownand described,

9;.Theconibinationof the elastic spring i,

wirw' k Id, rails a bet" .a i-ailrondirau-k, wires us-and for 12.,A' i-.iilwa 'y signal or series of signals, in j

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