US233746A - Electric railway-signaling apparatus - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. O. GASSETT. Electric Railway signa ling Apparatus.

No. 233,746. Patented Oct. 26, 1880.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

0. GASSETT. Electric Railway Signaling Apparatus.

No. 233,746. Patented Oct. 26,1880.

N. PETERS, PMOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D G.

UNITED STATES PATENT mace.

OSCAR GASSETT, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRIC RAI LWAY-SIGNA LING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 233,746, dated October 26, 1880.

Application filed August 10, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR GASSETT, a citizen of the United States, residing in Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Circuits and Apparatus for Electric Railway-Signaling, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that system of automatic electric railway-signalin g which consists in dividing the whole or a portion of the length of a line of railway into signal-sections of any required or convenient length, (which length corresponds to the minimum interval of space which it is desired to preserve between different trains moving upon the same track,)'and in guarding each of said sections by a signal placed at or near the entrance of such section, which signal is actuated or controlled by an electro-magnet included in an electric circuit extending the entire length of the signal-section to which it appertains, said electromagnet being, in its turn, controlled through the electric circuit by a movable circuit-closer attached to the train. By this means the passage of a train over each successive signalsection causes a danger-signal to be exhibited at the entrance of such section from the time that the train enters it at one end until it leaves it at the opposite end, when the dangersignal is withdrawn or discontinued, leaving the way clear for the next succeeding train.

It has been found in practice that it is frequently desirable and necessary to continue a given danger-signal in action after the train which sets it in action has passed off from'the section which the signal is designed to guard until such train has passed over the next section in advance or a certain portion thereof, by which means an additional security is provided, especially upon dangerous portions of the road, such as sharp curves or descending grades.

The object of my invention is to effect this result; and it consists, principally, in a novel arrangement of electric circuits, in which the several circuits appertaining to the different signal-sections, instead of being entirely independent of each other, as in the ordinary arrangement, are made to act to a certain extent dependently,so that each circuit is, as heretofore, under the direct control of the train while the latter is traversing its own section,

(No model.)

but, in addition to this, is also indirectly under the control of the train through the agency of the next signal-circuit in the series while the said train is traversing a certain portion of the next signalrsection.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of aportion of a line of railway comprising three signal sections, and showing the relation of the several signals to the sections and to the movement of trains upon the line. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a signal-section and its accompanying electric circuit and apparatus in a position of rest; and Fig. 3 shows the same in the act oflbeing operated by the passage of a train.

In Fig. 1,A A ,A A ,andA A represent three successive signal-sections, into which the railway is divided, and these are usually, in prac tice, from one to two miles in length. At the entrance of each signal-section in the direction in which the trains move is placed'a signal, as seen at S, S S and S. The particular construction of these signals is immaterial, as they may be of any of the well-known forms which are employed for such purposes. I have shown, by preference, a signal consisting of two vanes or wings at right angles to each other and mounted upon a vertical spindle. One of the vanes is colored and signifies danger, while the other is white and signifies safety. By causing the spindle to turn upon its axis either the white or the colored "ane may be placed in a position at right angles to the track, so as to be visible to the engineer of an approaching train, while at the same time the other vane will stand edgewise, so as to be practicallyinvisible.

In Fig. l the signal S is supposed'to be placed at the initial point of the railway, or of the series of signal-sections. The commencement of the first section is at the insulated track-splices a a, and it extends to a pair of similar splices, a a at which point the next signal-section commences, its entrance being guarded by a second signal, S and so on indefinitely.

By an arrangementof electric circuits, which will be hereinafter explained, a locomotive or train, T, upon entering upon-the signal-section A A at the end nearest the signal S, causes the signal to assume the position shown, with its colored vane (signifying danger) at right angles to the track, and the signal will remain circuits, which continues the action of a signal-as, for example, not only while a train is passingfrom a a to a a, but also while it is passing from a a to b as shown in the figure. Therefore, if any accident should occur to stop the train T in the position in which it is represented in the figure, the following train is warned, not alone by the signal S which might be too near to enable the following train to be stopped in time, but, in addition, by the signal S a mile or more farther back.

The manner in which this result is effected will be best understood by reference to the diagrams, Figs. 2 and 3, which represent the arrangement of electric circuits and apparatus in connection with the signal-section A A of Fig. 1, with a portion of the adjacent sections on either side, so as to show the relation between them.

The apparatus about to be described is similar to that upon all the other sections, and the same arrangement is duplicated for a doubletrack railroad.

Fig. 2 shows the apparatus in a position of rest when no trains are on the line.

The signal S may be constructed in the manner which has been hereinbefore described, or in any other suitable or convenient manner, and it may be actuated directly by the armature-lever f of the electro-magnet s ,-or by a train of wheels impelled by a weight or spring and controlled by the armature-lever, or in any other manner, the only essential being that it shall be so controlled by the electro-magnet as to exhibit a safety-signal whenever the said magnet is in its magnetic condition, and a dangersignal whenever it is demagnetized.

The opposite lines of rails of the signal-section A A are insulated from those of the adjacent section in each direction by suitable insulated splices a a and a (N, the construction and arrangement of which are well understood and need no detailed description.

Each line of rails is connected together, so as to form a continuous electric conductor from one end of the section to the other, except at a point, I), where an insulated splice is inserted in one line of rails only, the sevcred ends being connected bytthe wires 3 4, which form the terminals of an electro-ma-gnet, 0

At the left-hand end of the signal-section A A is placed a battery, E the opposite poles of which are connected by conductors with the respective lines of rails, while at the other or right-hand end of the section the terminals 6 7 of the signal-magnet s are connected with the said lines of rails in a similar manner.

A circuit-breaker, n controlled by an electro-magnet, T is placed in one of the conductors connecting the battery E with the lines of rails. The electro-magnet 0 controlsa similar circuit-breaker, d, which is placed in a local circuit from the battery 0, and includes the electro-magnct a", which controls the circuit breaker a of the adjacent section.

When no train is on the line, as in Fig. 2,a constant current from the battery E traverses the wire 1, the line of rails 2 2, wire 3, electro-m a net 0 wire 4 line of rails 5 5 wire 6 h 7 7 i and signal-magnet s returning by the wire 7,

opposite line of rails 8 8,'wire 9, circuit-breaker i M, (which is closed,) and wire 10 to the other pole of the battery. This constant current tends to keep the electromagnetsc and s in a continuously magnetic condition; but the electro-magnet c is so constructed that it requires a much greater strength of current to affect its armature than is necessary to produce a like efiect upon the signal-magnet .9 This may be accomplished either by making use of a smaller number of convolutions of wire in the coils of 0 or by giving an increased ten sion to the retractin g-sprin g of its armature, or in other ways well known to those skilled in the art.

The effect of this arrangement is, that in the normal condition of affairs the constant current traverses both the electro-magnets s and 0 the armature of s is attracted, maintaining the signal S in a position indicating safety, while the armature d of electro-magnet c is drawn back against its back-stop by the retracting-spring. This position .of the armature d keeps the local circuit 11 12 of the bat tery 6 closed through the electro-magnct 1', which, in turn, keeps the circuit closed which traverses the next section from its own battery E. The circuit of the battery E of the section under consideration is closed in like manner by the electro-magnet r of the succeeding section, and so on through the entire series.

Thus it will be understood that the interruption of the constant current of either the battery E or the battery 0 will cause the electro-magnet s to be demagnetized and the signal S to be placed in a position denoting danger. Such an interruption might occur from a failure of the battery to act, or from the breaking of a wire or one of the rails of the track, the removal or displacement of a rail, or any similar cause. In any case the signal immediately assumes a position indicating dau ger.

The manner in which the signals are successively actuated by a nioving train is as follows Referring to Fig. 3, suppose a train has entered upon the signal-section A A and occupies the position indicated by the dotted line at T, or any position between the insulated splices a and W. The wheels and axles of the train form a movable circuit-closer having no appreciable electric resistance, which forms a connection between the two opposite rails of the track. The current from the battery IE will n0w be diverted from the electromagnet 8 and will pass across at T from the rail 5 to the rail 8. The electro-magnet s will be demagnetized and a danger-signal exhibited guarding the entrance of the section in the rear of the train. The removal of the resistance of the electro-magnet 8 caused by thus cutting it out of the circuit greatly increases the strength of the current in the remaining portion of the circuit, including the electro-magnet c and the magnetism of the latter being correspondingly augmented, it draws its armature forward, breaking the local circuit 11 12, wh ch releases the armature a of the local electro-magnet r, breaking the main circuit of the rearward section, A, and thus exhibiting a danger-signal at the entrance of that section also. This latter signal will continue to be exhibited until the train T has wholly passed beyond the insulated splice 12 when a connection will be formed by it between the rails 2 and 8, which will cut out the electro-magnet c and by a reversal of the previously-described action restore the circuit of the section A and withdraw the dangersignal at its entrance, while the danger-signal at S will continue tobe exhibitedin like manner until the train has reached the point b of the advance section A Thus it will be understood that the dangersignal of each section is exhibited during the passage of atrain over that section by the shunting of its electro-magnet, and that its exhibition is continued during the passage of the train over a portion of the next advance section by the interruption of the circuit by means of a circuit-breaker controlled by the train while traversing the latter section.

The insulated spliceb may be placed at any desired point between a and a according to circumstances. In practice it is usually preferable to place it at a distance from the point a atthe entrance of the section equal to the maximum distance required to stop a train after passing the signal S at full speed, and this will obviously be determined by the circumstances of the particular location.

I claim as my invention- 1. A railway-signaling circuit consisting of the following elements in combination: a continuous line of rails forming an electric conductor from one end of a signal-section to the other, a parallel line of rails of like extent longitudinally and forming a similar conductor, but divided into two sub-sections at an intermediate point, an eleetro-magnet, conductors connecting the adjacent ends of said sub-sections with the respective terminals of the coils of said electro-magnet, a second electro-magnet, conductors connecting the terminals of the two parallel lines of rails at one end of the section with the respective terminals of the coils of the last-named electro-magnet, a battery, and conductors connecting the opposite poles of said battery with the respective parallel lines of rails at the other end of the section, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

2. A series of railway-signaling circuits, each consistingof the following elements in combination: a continuous line of rails forming an electric conductor-from one end of a signalsection to the other, a parallel line of rails of like extent and forming a similar conductor, but divided into two sub-sections at an intermediate point, an electro-magnet, conductors connecting the adjacent ends of said sub-sections with the respective terminals of the coils of said electromagnet, a visualsignal, an electro-magnet for actuating or causing to be actuated the said signal, conductors connecting the terminals of the two parallel lines of rails at one end of the'section with the respective terminals of the coils of the signalactuating electro-magnet, a battery, conductors connecting the opposite poles of said battery with the respective parallel lines of rails at the other end of the section, and a circuitbreaker in one of said conductors under the control of the intermediate electro-magnet of the next section in the series, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

3. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a railway-track divided into two or more signal-sections, a signaling apparatus actuated or controlled by an electro-magnet and placed at the entrance of each one of said signal-sections, a circuit-closer controlled by a moving train, which acts to exhibit a danger-signal by diverting the actuating-current from the electro-magnet during the time occupied by the train in traversing the section guarded by said signal, and a circuit-breaker controlled by the moving train, which acts to continue the exhibition of said danger signal by interrupting the current through its electro-magnet during the time oc cupied by the train in traversing a determinate portion of the next succeeding signal-section.

4. The combination, substantially as hereinbet'ore set forth, of a series of two or more normally-closed railway-signaling circuits and a series of circuit-breakers, one for each circuit, each of which circuit-breakers is actuated or controlled by an electro-magnet in cluded in the next circuit in the series.

5. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a battery, a section of railway-track, consisting of two parallel lines of rails insulated from each other, each of which constitutes part of the circuit traversed by the current of said battery, two electro-magnets included in said circuit, and a circuit-closer which acts simultaneously upon both electromagnets by diverting the current from one of them, and thereby increasing the strength of current traversing the other.

Signed by me this 9th day of August, A. D. 1880.

OSCAR .GASSETT.

W'itnesses:

ISRAEL FISHER, FRANK L. POPE.

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