US427387A - Railway signaling apparatus - Google Patents

Description

- (No Model.) 1

. H. D. WINTON.

RAILWAY SIGNALING. APPARATUS.

g Patented May 6, 189

"s, i Sum/Wm /F% w -Ji 7 3 UNITED STATES PATENT UEEIcE.

MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE HALL SIGNAL COMPANY,

MAINE.

OF PORTLAND,

RAILWAY SIGNALING APPARATUS SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 427,387, dated. May 6, 1890.

Application filed June 11, 1889. Serial No.3l3,943. (No model.)

T0 (1, whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY D. VVINTON, of Wellesley, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, a citizen of the United States, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Electric Railway Signaling Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, referen ce being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, in explaining the nature of the invention, in which the figure is in the nature of a diagram representing the relation which its various parts bear to each other.

My invention relates to that system of antomatic electric railway signaling apparatus 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 diiferent 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 electro-magnets included .in electric circuits eXt-endin g the entire length of the signal-sections to which it appertains, said electro-magnets being in 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 signal section 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from the time that the train enters it at one end until it leaves it at the opposite end, when the danger-signal is withdrawn or discontinued, leaving the way clear for the next succeeding train.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-sign al in action after the train which sets it in action has passed off from the section which the signal is designed to guard and until such train has passed over the next section in advance, or a certain portion thereof, by which an additional security is provided, especially upon dangerous portions of the road, such as sharp curves or descending grades. This result has been ac- 5o coinplished by a combination of electric circuits and apparatus in which the several circuits appertaining to the different signal-sections, instead of being entirely independent of each other, as in the ordinaryarrangement, are made to act to a certain extent depend ently, so that while each signal is, as heretofore, under the direct control of a train which i is traversing the section appertaining there to, it is also under the indirect control of the same train through the agency of the next igual-circuit in the series during the time in which the said train is traversing a certain portion of the next signal-section. It has been found in practice, however, that this arrangement of electric circuits and apparatus, is defective from the fact that by the derangement of certain parts of the apparatus as well as by the crossing of the wires connected therewith, false safety-signals as are shown.

My invention consists of an improved organization of circuits and apparatus whereby the same result maybe obtained in a more reliable and efficient manner, each signal-sec- 7 5 tion being independent of each other and in no manner dependent upon the proper working of the preceding or succeeding signal.

The accompanying drawing is a diagram illustrating the application of my invention to a double-track railway, showing two complete signal-sections on each track with their accompanying electric circuits and apparatus and one complete signal-section on each track,

they being the terminal signal-sections with reference to the direction in which the trains move, as indicated by the arrows, which is the invention for which WVilliam Robinson, of Brooklyn, New York, was granted United States Letters Patent No. 130,661 August 20, 1872.

A A A A A A represent the series of signal-sections on one track, and A A A A A A represent the series of signal-sections on the opposite track. signal-section, in the direction in which the trains move, is placed a signal, as seen at S S S S S S The particular construction of At the entrance of each 5 I these signals is immaterial, as they may be of any of the well-known forms which are employed for such purposes, the only essential thingbeing that they shall be so controlled by their electro-magncts as to exhibit a safety-signal whenever the said magnets are in their magnetic condition and a danger-signal whenever they are demagnetized. Signals S S S S are represented. as being in a position showing danger, and signals S are represented as being in a position showing safety. The opposite lines of rails of the signal-section A A are insulated from those of the adjacent section in each direction by means of suitable insulated splices do and a a, the construction and arrangement of which are well understood and need no detailed description in this place.

a a a a a a a a a a a a" represent the corresponding insulated splices of the signalsections A A A A A A A A A At the left-hand or forward end of the sig nal-section A A is placed a battery E, the opposite poles of which are connected by conductors 1 and 2 with the respective lines of rails 3 and 4, while at the other or rear end of the section the terminals 5 and (3 of the electro-magnet m are connected with the respective lines of rails in a similar manner. Each line of rails is connected together at the oints, so as to form a continuous electric conductor extending from one end to the other of each section.

E E E E represent the corresponding batteries of the signal-sections A A A A A A A A A A arranged in the same manner.

B is a voltaic battery of sufficient power to actuate or control the signal S by means of the eleetro-magnet 8. One pole of this batteryfor example, the negative pole-is connected by wire 37 with a circuit-breaker 71,, which is kept closed so long as the magnet m is in a magnetic condition. From the circuitbreaker h a wire 38 leads to one terminal of the electro-magnet r. The other terminal of this magnet is connected by wire 39 with a circuit-breaker 0, which is kept closed so long as the magnet r is in a magnetic condition. From the circuit-breaker 0 a wire 40 leads to one terminal of the electro-magnet s of the signal S. The other terminal of this magnet is connected by wire 41 with the other pole of the battery B.

lVhen both the electro-magnets m and r are in a magnetic condition, the signal S is maintained in a position indicating safety by the electro-magnet s.

Electro-magnet m is maintained in a magnetic condition so long as there is no train on signal-section A A. The opening of circuit-breaker h interrupts the circuit from battery B, wire 37, circuit-breaker 7L, wire 38, electro-magnet 0", wire 39, circuit-breaker 0, wire 40, electro-m agnet s, and wi re 4]. to battery B, and signal S, which has been maintained in a position indicating safety will assume a position indicating danger. The closing of circuit-breaker h by the train passing out of signal-section A A into signal-section A A will not restore the signal-circuit and allow the signal to assume a position indicating safety from the fact that this circuit is open through circuit-breaker o. The closing of circuit-breaker o is effected by the train after it has passed a determinate distance into signal-seetion A A.

T is a track-circuit closer located at the point in signal-section A A where it is desired that a train passing through said section shall cause signal S to be restored from the position indicating danger to the position indicating safety. The particular me chanical construction of this trackcircuit closer is immaterial, as it may be of any of the well-known forms employed for such purposes, the desired result being that the passing of a train over track circuit-closer T shall connect wire 42 with wire 13.

One pole of battery B is connected by wire 37 with cireuit-breaker h. From the circuitbreaker h a wire 38 leads to one terminal of the eleetro-magnet r. The other terminal of this magnet is connected by wire 39 with wire 42. This wire extends to the circuit-closer t of track-circuit closer T. From the circuitcloser i a wire 43 leads to and is connected with wire 11, which leads to the other pole of the battery B.

The arrangement of the electric circuits and apparatus of signal-sections A A, A A and A A are the same'as for signal-section A A. Signal-sections A A andA A are the terminal signal-sections of the tracks upon which they are respectively located, and consequently differ from signal-sections A A A A A A A A in that the signals S and S assume a position indicating safety as soon as trains have passed off of therespective signal-sections A A and A A The arrangement of the electric circuits and apparatus of signal-sections A A and A A have been described by Villiam Robinson, of Brooklyn, New York, for which he was granted United States Letters PatentNo. 130,661 August 20, 187 2.

The manner in which the signals are successively actuated by a moving train is as follows: Referring to the drawing, let it be assumed that a train has entered upon the signal-section A A and occupies the position indicated by the wheels and axles R. The wheels and axles of the train constitute amovable circuit-closer which has practically no electric resistance and which forms a connection between the two opposite lines of rails of the track. As the train entered signal-section A A in the direction from left to right, as indicated by the arrow, the current of the battery E" was diverted from the electro-magnet m and passed across from the rail 21 to the rail 22 through the wheels and axles R. The electro-magnet m was demagnetized, breaking the circuit of the electro-magnet W. The signalS was exhibited at danger,a11d its circuit from battery B wire 57, circuit-breaker 7L3, wire 58, electro-magnet r wire 59, circuitbreaker 0 wire (50, electro-magnet s and wire 61 to battery 13 was broken at circuit-breakers h and 0 As the train entered signal-section A A the current of the battery E was diverted from the electro-magnet m and the opening of circuit-breaker h broke the circuit of electro-magnet T The signal S- was exhibited at danger, and its circuit from battery B wire 64, circuit-breaker h, wire 65, electromagnet r wire 66, circuit-breakero wire 67, electro-magnet s", and wire 68 to battery 13 was broken at circuit-breaker h" and 0 After the rear of the train had passed out of signal-section A A and into signalsection A A circuitbreaker 72 was closed by the re-est-ablishm ent of the circuit from battery E wire 19, line of rails 21,wire 23, electro-magnet m wire 24, line of rails 22, wire 20 to battery Signal S however, remains in a position indicating danger from the fact that its circuit is still open at circuit-breaker o lVhen the train shall have reached the point in signalsection A A where it is desired that signal S shall be restored from danger to safety, the train by its movement closes spring t of track-instrument T and a circuitis completed from battery 13 wire 57, circuitbreaker 7L3, wire 58, electro-magnet r wire 62, spring 25 wire 63, and Wire 01, to battery B Electro-lnagnet r is energized, which closes circuit-breaker o Circuit-breakers 7L3 and 0 being now both closed, the signal S" will assume the position indicating safety. By a repetition of the above-described operation when the train shall have reached track-instrument T and operated it signal S will assume a position indicating safety, electro-magnet on will resume its magnetic condition when the train has passed out of signal-section A A and electro-magnet T will resume its magnetic condition after the train has operated track-instrument T Having thus fully described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. The combination, in an automatic electric signaling apparatus, of two rail-sections of any desired length insulated from each other, a battery E, connected with both-rails of the first section, a circuit extending from the rails of both sections to a relay-magnet, a movable signal controlled by an electromagnet, a second battery, one pole of which is connected with the circuit-closer of the first relay-magnet and the other pole of which is connected with the signal-operating magnet, a second relay-magnet, one terminal of which is connected with the circuit-closer of the first relay-circuit closer, the other terminal of which is connected through its circuit-closer with the other terminal of the signal-magnet, and an auxiliary circuit extending to a point net, all substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. The combination, in an automatic electric railway signaling apparatus, of two railsections insulated from each other, a signalin g apparatus held in position normally by a charged electro-magnet connected w1th a battery and with the first rail-section through two elect-ro-magnet relays charged when the signal is in a normal position and upon the entrance of a train to the first section automatically devitalized, whereby their circuitclosers are opened, a second circuit connectin g said relay-magnets, as specified, w1th a Cll'Clllilcloser within the limits of the second railsection, which circuit-closer is automatically operated by the train, and which circuit is connected with the magnets, as specified, whereby upon the entrance of a train upon 'the first circuit the signal is caused to be set and is entirely out out from the signal-controlling circuit, and so continues unt l the train has passed the track-instrument 1n the second section, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the two rail-sections, a signaling apparatus, its operating electromagnet, one terminal of which is connected with the first rail-section by a circuit including a battery, two electro-magnets, and their circuit-closers, the said first magnet controlling the second magnet in the setting of the instrument by the train entering the said first section, and the said second magnet connected with the said battery by means of a circuit extending into the second rail-section and a circuit-closer, whereby, after the sett ng of the instrument, the circuit-closer of the second magnet cannot be returned to complete the circuit between the rails of the first section and the signaling apparatus until the train shall have passed the circuit-closer and restored the circuit-closer of the second magnet to its original position, substantially as described. V

4. An automatic overlapping electric railway signaling apparatus comprising any number of rail-sections of any desired length insulated from each other, a primary battery connected with the rails of each rail-section at the end of each section, the ends of the rails at the beginning at each section being connected wit-l1 a governing relay-magnet, a slgnal for each section and its operating electromagnet, a second battery in the circuit between the first relay and the signal magnet, a second relay-magnet connected with the circuit-closer of the first relay-magnet and having its circuit-closer included in the direct signal-circuit,whereby upon the entrance of a train upon a section the circuit closers of both. 'relaymagnets are simultaneously opened and the signal changed in position, and

a secondary circuit connected with the second battery and with the second relay-magnet, extending beyond its section to any part of a following section or sections, and having a circuit-closer placed contiguous to the track and adapted to be operated by the passage of the train and to establish a circuit from the second battery, whereby the circuit-closer of the second relay-magnet is closed and the signal-circuit then completed and the signal 10 caused to resume its normal position, substantially as described.

HENRY D. W'INTON. Vitnesses:

F. F. RAYMOND, 2d, J. M. DOLAN.

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