US1157723A - Apparatus for controlling railway-trains. - Google Patents

Description

J. 0. QUERY. APPARATUS,FOR CONTROLLING RAILWAY TRAINS, I

APPLICATION FlLE D NOV. 10, 191.3. a

' atented 0st. 26, 1910.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

f'vgi.

l. 0. QUERY.

APPARATUS FOR CGNIROLLING RAILWAY TRMNS.

APPucAnm: FILED NOS/.10, 19:3.

1 19at9nted Get. 26, 1915.

2, SHEETSSHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH O. QUERY, 0F SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING RAILWAY-TRAINS.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH O. QUERY, a citizen of .the United States, residing at Somerville, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Controlling Railway-Trains, of which the following is a. specification.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for controlling railway trains or vehicles and has for its object to provide a device which is adapted to reduce the speed of a train traveling at or greater than a predetermined rate of speed, or to entirely stop said train, said device being arranged to cooperate with a signal in accomplishing the results desired.

The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts whereby the above objects and certain other objects hereinafter appearing may be attained. as set forth in the following specification and particularly pointed .out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a. diagrammatic view of a device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is asec'tjional elevation taken on line 22 of Fig. 1 viewed in the direction of the arrows on said" line.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Figs. 4, 5and 6 inclusive are diagrammatic views of the trip device illustrating several positions of the various parts of which said device is composed. Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view of the valve Fig. 8 is a detail transverse section taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 1.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

In the drawings, 8 represents a brake mechanism of.the usual automatic air brake type, only portions of which are illustrated in the drawings,--said portions consisting of a train pipe 9, engineersvalve 10 and equalizing reservoiillall of which are con-' nected together in the usual manner. An air reservoir 12 is connected with said train pipe and said equalizing reservoir through the engineers valve 10 by means of pipes 13 and 11, while interposed between said reservoir and said engineers valve or said train pipe and connected by said pipes 13 and 14 is an air supply valve 15, preferably .arranged to reciprocate in a casing. 16 to which are.connected the pipes 13 and 14,

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct 26, 1915.

Application filed November 10, 1913. Serial No. 800,075.

said pipes adapted to be connected or dis connected by the reciprocations of said valve within said casing. A; discharge valve 17 is also provided for said brake mechanism preferably in the end of a cylinder 18 connected by a pipe to the equalizing reservoir and during certain times in the operationv of the device air is admitted into the. chaInber 21 of the casing 16 against the piston-2 2, whereupon said piston will be moved toward the left, Fig. 1, and during a portion of its'movement a stem '25 of the valve 17 will be engaged by said piston to move said valve which is normally retained 1n its closed position by a spring 26. On the movement of said valve 17 from its seat the air within the chamber 21 and the reservoir 11 will immediately pass beneath said valve and into the cylinder 18 from whence said air is permitted to escape through an opening 27. The escape or discharge of the air from the equalizing cylinder sets the brakes v of the train a manner well known to those skilled in the art and requiring no further amplification. I

By the arrangement of the valve '15 relatively to the piston 22 it will be seen that the first part of the movement of said piston will cause the valve 15 to cover the ends of the pipes 13 and 14 which enterthe casing 16, thus cutting ofl the supply of air from the IGSBIVOlI' 12 to the brake mechanism. On the continued movement of said piston however a gap which exists betweenthe end of the stem 25 on the valve 17 and the piston will be closed and said valve 17 opened without any waste of'air from said main reservoir. I v

All of the mechanism hereinbefore described is carried by the train which is adapted to move along the line of way or track 28. Means are also carried by said train which are adapted to be acted upon to close said valve 15 and open the valve 17 whereby the brakes on the train may be appredetermined rate of speed to permit air preferably onset the axes 44.

cylinder to be rocked transversely of said train, the normal osition however of said cylinderbeing VGItlCilhjl'S illustrated 1n Fig.

2. A piston 31 is arranged to reciprocate in said cylinder and is provided with a piston rod 32 depending therefrom and projecting from the lower end of said cylinder. Secured to the upper end of the cylinder 29 is a pipe 33 which preferably connects said cylinder with the air reservoir 12, a flexible connection 34 being provided in said pipe to permitsaid cylinder to be rocked. A valve 35, preferably of the rotary type, is arranged in said pipe 33 and adapted to be operated whenthe train is traveling at a to pass through a passage 35 in the rotary member 35 of said valvethrough the pipe 33 into the cylinder 29.

A lever 36 is secured to thevalve 35 and is adapted to engage at its free end a grooved collar 37 adjustablyarranged upon a-sleeve 38 constituting the movable member of a governor 39, said sleeve being connected by links 40 to centrifugal weights 41, said weights being pivotally connected to a collar 42 fast to a shaft 43, said shaft in turn being geared to'a movable part of the train,

Said gov: ernor and valve constitute the means adapted to effect the movement of said piston when said train is traveling at a predetermined speed. As the air is admitted to the cylinder 29 through the pipe 33 the piston 31 will be forced downwardly,therein carrying with it a depending trip finger '45 pivoted at 47 to the lower end of the piston rod 32 and with said trip finger in its lowermost position, .an obstacle 46 arranged at a predetermined point along the line of way will engage saidfinger and rock the same upon its pivot 47. An arm 48 on sai trip- Yper finger when in its lowermost position is arranged to engage a stop 49 adjacent the lower end of a rod 50, said rod being con- 'nected to a slide valve 51 which is arranged to slide within the cylinder 29 out of the range of. the piston 31. A pocket is pro- .vided in'the valve 51 which is long enough to extend across the ends of two out of three pipes 53, 54 and which are connected with the cylinder 29. 'lhepipe 53 is merely an exhaust pipe opening to the atmosphere. The pipe. 54 is connected by a flexible pipe 56 to a pipe 57 which extends to and is connected with the casing 16, while the pipe 55 'extends to the air reservoir 12, this pipe also being provided with a flexible connecting pipe 58 to a pipe 59 extending to the air reservoir 12.

Under normal conditions with the train at rest or traveling along the track at a.

speed less than that determined by the governor 39,"the valve 51 will remainwith its pocket 52 across the ends of the pipes 53 and 54 leaving the chamber 24 in the casing 16 open to the atmosphere and the pipe 55 closed, but when thespeed of; said train rea hes said predetermined speed or beyond,- the lever 36 is moved by said governor to move the rotary ,member 35 to' aline the passage 35"with the pipe 33, thus opening said valve 35 and permitting the air to enter the cylinder 29 to move the piston 31 downwardly from the position illustrated in Fig.

1 to that illustrated in Fig. 4 and moving the arm 48 into contact with the stop 49 on the rod 50. Said movement of the piston 31 compresses a spring 60 encircling the piston rod 32. During said downward movement of saidpiston 31 the tripfinger 45 is carried into the path of the obstacle 46 and as said train approaches said obstacle said finger is rocked upon its pivot 47 to the position illustrated in Fig. 6,'said rocking movement of said finger being sufficient to move the valve 51 by means of the rod and stop 49 downwardly to the-position illustrated in Fig. '6.

with the pocket 52 extending across the ends of the pipes 54 and 55, permitting air to enter through said pipe .from the air reservoir 12, into said pocket I 52 and the chamber 52 above said valve through openings 52 in said valve, see Fig. 8, thence outwardly through the pipe 54 to the chamber 24 thereby moving the piston 22 in the cylinder 18 toward the left as hereinbefore described.

The downward movement of. the valve 51 and rod 50 serves to compress a spring 61 encircling said rod 50 andengaging a foot 62 fast to the casing 29. Resulting from the movement of said" piston 22 toward the left Fig. 1, the valve 15 is closed, while the valve 17 is opened and the air from the equalizing reservoir is released, thus applying the brakes and reducing the speed ofthetrain which also reduces the speed of the governor 39 causing the collar 37 to drop thereby closing the valve 35 by moving the passage 35 out of a'linement with the pipes 33. The rotary member 35 however of said valve is rotated suiiiciently to aline the passage 35 with an exhaust port 63, while an arm-64 of the passage 35 alines with the portion of the pipe 5.?- lead ng to the cylinder 29, thus per mitting the air within said cylinder to escape whereupon the spring will cause said piston 31 to move upwardly to its normal position..

During the latter movement of the piston 31 the trip finger 45 is returned to its normal position by a stop rod 65 which engages a projection 66 on said trip finger 45. The

" chamber 52 and openings 52 against the lower surface 67 thereof, said pressure overmovement of said trip finger however has no effect upon the rod 50, which at this time is retained in its lowermost position by the pressure of the air from the air reservoir through the pipe 55 into the pocket 52,

coming the pressure of the spring 61. With the valve 51 in this position the train will be brought to a standstill and remain in such a position until the pressure of the air against the surface 67 is removed, which may be accomplished by opening a valve 69 in the casing 16 and permitting the air entering said casing through the pipe 54 to escape, thus lowering the pressure in the chamber 52 and permitting the spring 61 I to force said valve to its normal position.

The means hereinbefore described are for the purpose of closing the valve 15 and,

turning the valve 17 to apply the brakes to the train when said train is traveling at a predetermined speed, said mechanism being operated by obstacles 46 which may be arranged at predetermined points along the line of way. It is very often necessary that the speed of the train be reduced along cer-' tain portions of the track but not brought to a standstill and for this purpose means are provided to close said discharge valve 17 and open said air supply valve 15 whereby the brakes may be automatically released in the usual manner. Included in "said means is a supplementary trip finger 70, substantially shorter than the finger and pivoted at the front thereof preferably at 71 to an arm of the trip finger 45 and normally depending therefrom substantially parallel with the finger 15 but being shorter than the trip finger 4 5 and at the front thereof it is prevented from engaging the obstacle 46. An

' arm 72 formed on said finger is adapted to ,encircle a rod 73 and when rocked about the pivot 71 to' engage a stop 74: on said rod 73. A second obstacle 75 is arranged adjacent the obstacle 46 within the section of the track where it is desired to merely slow down the train rather than stop it and when the trip finger 45 is rocked by its obstacle 16 into the position indicated in Fig. 6 said trip finger being pivoted thereon will be moved thereby into a position to be engaged by said obstacle 75. Upon the rocking of said supplementary trip finger 70, a lever 76 which is operatively connected with said supplementary trip lever by the link 7 3' will be rocked upon its pivot-77 and an arm 78 thereof will engage a pin 79 which will The pin 79 is adapted to be moved from a position without to'a'position within the 'patlLof said valve 51,:the normal position cated in Fig. 4, to an inclined position, as indicated in Fig. 6, which movement reciprocates the valve 51 to admit air to the cylinder 16 thereby applying the brakes in the manner .hereinbefore described. By the rocking of the finger 45, as stated, the finger 70 will be lowered from the position indicated in Fig. 1 to the dotted position indicated in Fig. 6, or in a position to contact with the obstacle which is placed adjacent to the obstacle 46, as hereinbefore stated, but close enough to operate said finger 70 and rock the same from its dotted line p0- tion Fig. 6 to the full line position thereof before the finger 45 has had an opportunity to return to its normal position, as in Fig. l. The movement of the finger 70 just described causes the pin 79 to be moved in its bearings, as hereinbefore stated, to the position shown in Fig. 6 where it will engage the under face of said valve 51 when the piston 31, which carries said pin, is moved upwardly upon the exhausting of the air within the cylinder 29, said air being exhausted at this time by means of the governor 39 whose speed is reduced simultaneously with a reduction in speed of the train. lVith the pin 79 in the position stated it will be evi dent that said valve 51 will be engaged thereby and moved upwardly to interrupt the connection between the pipes and 55, thus shutting off the supply of air from the tank 12 to the cylinder 16, returning all of the parts to their normal positions, as indi cated in F' 1. 5, without requiring the services of thtoperator.

A projection 81 is provided on the under face of the valve 51 which'engages the head of the-pin 79 and retains said pin in its projected state until the piston is again lowered after which said pin returns to its normal position out of the path of said valve. Means are provided for retaining the pin in its projected relation to the guide until said pin has engaged said valve 51, said means preferably consisting of a Weight 82, said weight being secured to the lever 76 and adapted to be swung to an inclined position upon one side or the other of a vertical plane containing the axis of the pivot 77. With the trip fingers 45and 70 in the positions illustrated in Fig. 6 it Will be seen position however is maintained until 'the plston 1s retracted and the pin 79 engages the-projection 81, but upon the returning of a the pin 79 leaving said pin suspended bythe pro ection 81, said lever 7 6 being in a position tobe operated during the next successive operation of the piston 31.

-- If desired theapparatus hereinbefore deillustrated in Fig. 1, which" is the danger scribed may be used in connection with a signal system, which'maybe of the'usual block type system and warns the engineer to stop histrain, 'pro'viding there is a train block toward whichhis train is approaching, saidapparatus being so arranged that said engineer, may if desired, apply. the brakes by-operating the lever of within the the engineers valve 10 to-discharge the air from the equalizing reservoir independent of said apparatus, but should said engineer failto observe that the signal is set at danerated to apply said brakes. Shouldjthe signal be set at safety there would be no need of applying the brakesto the train should "said train be traveling atthe ad -ra m d; rate of speed. Withthe .mechanism he'reinbe impossible for I before described it would the train to go by said 'gnal orthetripper 46 without applying said brakes, but means are provided. which ed to move said trip fin ers out of the path of the obstacles 46 and said train" to pass the signal wlthout the slightest reduction in the speedthereof In of this portion of the in-- the carrying out vention the cylinder 29 is preferably pivotally mounted u on the frame 30 and connected by a linli 83-to one arm of a bell crank lever 84 pivoted upon; a stationary member 84yof the train, see Fig. 2. The

other arm of the lever 84 is connected by a 7 link 85 to the armature of a solenoid 86 i which is energized at the pro operation of the device to roc said cylinder 29 into the position illustrated in dotted lines, Fig. 2.

' When the cylinder 29 is in its vertical position the center of the pin 87 which connects the link 83 with the lever 84, is sub-.

stantially below a plane contain'ng the axis of the pivot 88 of'said lever and'the axis of the'pin 89. connecting said link 83 with said cylinder.v The end of the link 83 containing said pin 87 is supported by the frame 84 by which arangement the cylinder 29 is locked in its vertical position, said locking being further assisted by a pro1ection 90 formed on the link 83 and adapted to engage the ed e of the frame 84'.

he solenoid'86 is connected by wires 91 be carried by said device will. be automatically op-- are rendered operative by the setting of said signal at safety adapt;

' In the foregoing description 5, thus permitting been disclosed for the tion is not er time in the and 92 with shoes 93 and 94 which may also the train and adapted to en-- gage contacts 95 and 96 which are arranged at a proper distance from the obstacle 46. The contacts 95 and 96 are connected in cir cuit with a series of batteries 97 by wires 98 I {{Bld 99'which are also connected to a switch 0. nected preferably by a rod 101 to a signal arm 102 whih is mounted upon a suitable post 103 arranged adjacent to the track 28.

Vith the signal arm 102 in the position" position, the switch 101 will be opened thus preventing the shoes 93 and 94during their normal, condition to .its dotted position, see

.Fig. 1', the v nect the contacts .100 and 100 switchlOO will be moved to conof the circuit containing the wires 98- and 99 and battery 97 and when the shoes 93'and 94 engage the contacts 95 and 96, said circuit will be en- "tirely'closed and the solenoid 86 energized whereby said cylinder 29 upon its pivots and the trip fingers 45 moved will be rocked out of the.paths of the obstacles. the operations'of the various devices of the apparatus have been fully described and therefore it is believed'no further desc1iption.is necessary.-- Furthermore in this description one specific embodiment of my invention has purpose of illustra tion, but it is to be understood that the invenlimited to the specific details shown and that many modifications may be made in the construction and arrangement ofcertain of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire by Letters Patent to secure is;

1.. In a. train controlling apparatus the combination of an air supply valve, an air discharge valve, a stationary obstacle, means carried by said train adaptedto be moved The switch 100 is operatively, concontacting with the contacts and 96 respectively from energizing the solenoid 86 by the traveling Tot-said train at a predetermmed speed into aposition to be acted upon by said obstacle to close one and open the other of said valves, a signal, and means rendered operative by the setting of'said signal at safety adapted to move'said valve opening and closing means out of the path of said obstacle.

2. In a train controlling apparatus the combination of an air supply valve, an air discharge valve, an obstacle, a cylinder car- 'ried by said train, a piston adapted to be reciprocated in said cylinder, a governor ,j carried by said train adapted to affect the rejciprocations of said piston, a trip ringer carried by said piston adapted to be moved thereby to engage said obstacle, means operg-lated by the tripping of said finger adapted close said supply valve and open said disc ge valve, asecond obstacle arranged adja said first named obstacle, a supplementary trip finger adapted to be moved 'l y vthe tripping of said first named finger Into a position to engage said second namedobstacle, and means rendered operative by the trippmg of said supplementary trip finger adapted to effect the opening of said air supply valve and the closing of said discharge valve.

.3. In a train controlling apparatus-athe combination of a train pipe, a cylinder pivotally mounted to rock transversely of said I train, a piston adapted to be reciprocated in .said cylinder, a pair of obstacles arranged along 'the path of said train, a trip finger carried by said piston adapted to be moved during the reciprocationspf said piston into :the path of one of said obstacles, a second trip finger carried by said first finger and adapted to be moved by the operation of said first named finger into the path of the other ;obstacle, instrumentalities rendered operative by the tripping of said finger adapted to affect the admittance of air to and the discharge of air from said train pipe, a signal .and means rendered operative by the 'settingiof said signal at safety adapted to rock said cylinder transversely of said train to move said trip fingers out of the path of said obstacles.

4. In a train controlling apparatus the combination of abrake mechanism, a trip said second-obstacle adapted to release said brakes. I

5. In a train controlling apparatus the combination of line of Wayalong which said train'is adapted to be moved, a brake mechanism for said. train, a trip device for said brake mechanism pivotally arranged on said train to move transversely of said line of way into and out of its operative positions,"electrical instrumentalitles adapted to rock said trip device, a signal, a "pair of electric circuit terminals connected in circult with said electrical instrumentalities,

and means operated by the movement of said signal from one position to another adapted to connect said electric circuit terminals.

"6. In a train controlling device the com-- bination of a line of way along Which said train is adapted to move, a stationary obstacle, a brake mechanism for said train, a trip device carried by said train adapted to be moved to engage said obstacle when said train is moving at a predetermined rate of speed, a signal adjacent said line of way, and means carried by said train and rendered operative and inoperative by the movements of said signal to move the trip device to a position Where it will not engage the obstacle or to permit said trip device to engage said obstacle and operate said brake mechanism. 7. In a train controlling apparatus the 1 combination of a line of wayalong which said train is adapted to be moved, a signal,

a brake mechanism carried by said train, a

trip device adapted to be operated to effect v the operation of said brake mechanism, an obstacle adapted to engage said trip device, an electric circuit including a pair of terminals adapted to be connected by the setting of said signal at safety, a pair of contacts also included in said electric circuit, a solenoid carried by said train, means on said'train adapted to engage said contacts to connect said solenoid with said electric circuit whereby said solenoid may be energized, and means rendered operative by the energizing of said solenoid adapted to move said trip device out of the path of said obstacle whereby said brake mechanism will not be operated. I

8. In combination a line of way, a vehicle arranged t travel along said line of way, an obstacle on said line of Way, a trip device pivotall mounted on said vehicle and normally arranged in alinement with said obstacle, an arm pivoted on said vehicle, a link pivotally attached at one end to said trip devlce and at its opposite end to said arm, the I axis of said last mentioned connection lying below a plane containing the axis for said arm and the pivot on said trip device, a stop adapted to limit the downward movements of said arm and said link, and electrical instrumentalities adapted to move said arm upwardly and rock said trip device into position out of alinement with said obstacle.

9. A train controlling device having, in combination, a train pipe, a discharge valve therefor, a supply. valve for said train pipe, a cylinder, a piston arranged to reciprocate in said cylinder, said piston being operatively connected With said discharge valve and said supply valve, a third valve adapted to supply fluid to said cylinder, a trip device -pivotally arranged on said train, an obstacle adapted to be engaged by said trip device to operate said third valve, electrical instrumentalities adapted to rock said trip my hand in presence of two subscribing witdevice, and a pair ofvcontact-piates arranged nesses.

at a predetermined distan rom said obv' stacle adapted under prede ermined condi- JOSEPH AQUERL tions to render said electrical instrumentali- Witnesses:

ties operative. SYDNEY E. TAFT,

In testimonv whereof I have hereunto set MARGARET E. Honk. 1

Copies 0! this be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

' Washington, D. 0.

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