US778418A - Railway block-signal system. - Google Patents

Description

" PATENTED DEC. 27, 1904.

R.E.LAND.

RAILWAY BLOCK SIGNAL SYSTEM.

' APPLICATION FILED APR. 25, 1904.

' INVERTER, I F \Q/W ij m/aww/ffitwa WITHESEES.

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UNIT D STATES Patented December 27, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

RAILWAY BLOCK-SIGNAL SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 778,418, dated. December 27, 1904.

Application filed April25, 1904. Serial No. 204,783.

To all whom it may concern: rails of adjacent blocks by the insulation E.

Be it known that I, REo'roR E. LAND, a citi- As electric currents of comparatively low volzen of the United States, residing at Mount tags are employed, theground and the ties 1 Washington, in the county of Jackson and practically. insulate the opposite rails of a State of Missouri, have invented new and useblock from each other. Disposed parallel 55 'ful Improvements in Railway Block-Signal with and adjacent the track are two feed-con- Systems, of which the following is aspeificaductors F and G, connected, respectively, by tion. conductors 10 and 11 with a suitable genera- My invention relates to improvements in tor H. The rails 3, 5, 7, and 9 of the diifer- I0 railway block-signal systems. ent blocks are connected with the feed-con- 6O The object of my invention is to provide a ductor G by conductors 12,13, 14,15, 16, and system in which atrain passing over the track 17, respectively. To the rails 2, 4, 6, and 8 willactuate electric signals in advance and to are connected, respectively, the conductors 18, e the rear of the train. 19, 2O, 21, 22, and .23. The opposite end of 15 In my system the track is divided into blocks each' ofsaid conductors 18, 19, 20, 21, 22,.and 5 insulated from each other, opposite rails of 23 is bifurcated and connected with the feedeach block being mounted upon Wooden ties, conductor F. and thus insulated from each other against 24 denotes the two arms of the bifurcated the passage of currents of comparatively low conductor 18; 25, the two arms of the conduc- 2o voltage. Branch conductors connect, respector 19; 26, the arms of the conductor 20; 27,

tively, opposite rails of each block with two the arms of the conductor 21; 28, the arms of feed-wires, which are connected, respectively, the conductor 22, and 29 the arms of the conwith a suitable electrical generator. In some ductor 23. i i of the branch conductors of each block are 10- 30 and 31 denote twoelectrically-actuated 25 cated electrically-actuated signaling device signaling devices, such as two incandescent such as electric lamps. electric lamps, located, respectively, in the My invention provides, further, a series of two arms 24. 32' and 33 denote similar sigelectrical signaling devices disposed two adnals located, respectively, in the arms 25. 34 jacent each end of each block, each of said and 35, 36 and 37 38 and 39, 40 and 41 indi- 0 two signaling devices being connected, re cate similar signals disposed, respectively, in

spectively, with one of the feed-conductors the arms 26, 27, 28, and 29. and with one of the rails of each block, each The lamps 30 and '31 are located in advance of said two signaling devices being disposed of the block A, to the rails 2 of which they in advance of the block to which it is conare electrically connected. The lamp 30 is 5 5 nected. located adjacent the points where the blocks 8 5 Myinvention provides, further, anovel sig- A and B meet, While the lamp 31 is located naling mechanism for application to switches farther ahead from the said meeting-point. running from a main line of the track. The lamps 32 and 33 are similarly located re- Other. novel features are hereinafter fully specting the left end of the block B. The 40- described and claimed. lamps 34 and'35 are also similarly located re- The accompanying drawing represents a spectingthe right end of the block B. In a diagrammatic view of a railroad-track having like manner the lamps 36 and 37 3,8 and 39, a switch and provided with the signaling sys- 40 and 41 are similarly located relative to the tem' of my invention. adjacent ends of the block, to the rails of 45 1 denotes the ties upon which the rails are which they are electrically connected. Belaid; 2and 3, the opposite rails of block A; tween the lamps 30 and 32, 34 and 36, 38 and 4 and 5, the opposite rails of block B; 6 and 40 are inserted, respectively, transverse light- 7, the opposite rails of block C, and 8 and 9 shields 42, 43, and 44. These shields are the opposite rails of block D. Like sets of disposed substantially in transverse planes 5 rails of opposite blocks are insulated from the correspondin respectively, to the meeting- I00 points of the blocks A, B, C, and D. The said shields are so located as to prevent the lamps between Which they are inserted being seen from the blocks to which the said lamps are respectively connected.

The switch-track is denoted by I, 45 denoting the rails on one side of the track, and 46, 47, and 48 denoting the rails upon the opposite side of the switch-track.

J denotes insulation inserted at each end of the rail 47.

A conductor 49 connects the rails 46 and 48 around the rail 47, the said conductor being disposed in a conduit 50, crosssing under the rail 5 of block B. The rail 47 crosses the said rail 5. The rail 46 is connected to a switch-bar comprising two transverse members 51 and 52, connected with each other by means of insulation K. The rail 46 connects With the member 51 and the rail 45 with the member 52, the members 51 and 52 being connected, respectively, with the rails 4 and 5 of the block B.

In operating my system a car on the block A will through its wheels and axles electrically connect the. rails 2 and 3, and a current passing; from the generator H through conductors 11 G 12. car wheel and axles, (not shown,) rail 3, rail 2, conductor 18 and its arms 24, and lamps 30 and 31, conductor F and conductor 10 will illuminate the lamps 30 and 31, thus giving Warning to a train passing on block B toward block A. A train on the track in block B will connect the rails 4 and 5 by means of the wheels and axles of the cars forming the train. The current will then traverse the following circuit, beginning at generator H and passing through conductors 11, Gr, 13, and 14, rails 5, car wheels and axles to rails 4, thence through conductors 19 and 20, lamps 32, 33, 34, and 35, arms 25 and 26,and conductors F and 10 to the generator H. The lamps 32, 33, 34, and 35 will thus be lighted and warn trains in blocks A and O that a train occupies the track in block B. The shields 42, 43, and 44 are provided so that the engineer of a train will not see the adjacent signal that his own train lights, and so confuse it with the lamps lighted by a train in the block next adjoining. As a train leaves a block it will cause the lights to the advance and in the rear of it in the next block to be lighted. A train approaching the main track on the switch-track 1 will cause the lamps 33 and 32 to be lighted, the current passing from generator H through conductors 11 and G, conductor 13, rail 5, rail 45 by way of member 52, thence by the wheels and axles of the train (not shown) to rail 48, conductor 49,'rail 46, member 51, rail 4, thence by conductors 19 and 20, lamps 32 and 33, 34 and 35, arms 25 and 26, and conductors F and 10 to generator H, thus warning trains at each side of the junction-point of the switch and main-line tracks.

It will be noted that with the use of my invention a train at any place in a block will at all times have a danger-signal in advance and to the rear of it. The electric generators H may be located along the track at whatever distance apart may be desired. Any suitable electrically-actuated signal may be utilized. visible ones being those preferred. At night electric lamps may be utilized and by day any suitable signaling devices such as are. electrically actuated. The electrically-aetuaterl signals may he placed at street or railway grade-crossings along the line of track. The feed and branch wires maybe supported upon the telegraph-poles along the right of way or be otherwise disposed of. The current carried by the feed-wires I and (i may be used for other services additional to that of actuating the signal system.

Many modifications of my invention may be made without departing from its spirit.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters latcut, is

1. In a railway block-signal system,the eom bination with two 't'eed-conductors, of means for creating an electric current in said cond uctors, thetrach-rails, opposite onesot which are divided into blocks insulated from each other,opposite rails of each block being adapted to be electrically connected through the intermcdiacy of the wheels and axles of cars supported thereon, branch conductors connecting respectively opposite rails of each block with opposite feed-conductm's, and electrically-actuated signals disposed in some of the branch conductors of each block.

2. In arailway l lock-signal system,the combination with two feed-comluctors, of means for creating an electric current in said conductors, the track-rails, opposite ones ol which are divided into blocks insulated from each other, opposite rails of each block beingadapted to be electrically connected through the intern'iediacy of the wheels and axles oi cars supported thereon, branch conductors connecting respectively opposite rails of each block with opposite feed-conductors, and electric lamps inserted in some ol the branch conductors of each block.

3. In a railway block-signal system,the combination with two feed-conductors, of means for creating therein an electric current, the track-rails, opposite ones of which are divided into blocks insulated from HlCll other, opposite rails o'l each block being adapted to be electrically connected through the intermediacy of the wheels and axles of cars supported thereon, electri ally-actuated signals disposed respectively adjacent the ends of each block, conductors connecting said signals with one of the feed-conductors, conductors connecting one set of rails of each block with the signals in the next adjacent block, and conductors connecting the opposite rails of-each block with the other of the feed-conductors.

4. In a railway block-signal system,the combination with two feed-conductors, of means for creating therein an electric current, the track-rails, opposite ones of which are'divided into blocks insulated from each other, opposite rails of each block being adapted to be electricallyconnected through the intermediacy of the wheels and axles of cars supported thereon, electric lamps disposed respectively adjacent the ends of each block, conductors connecting said lamps with one of the feedconductors, conductors connecting one set of rails of each block with the lamps disposed in the next adjacent block, and conductors connecting the opposite rails of each block with the other of said feed-conductors.

5. In a railwayblock-signal system, the combination with two feed-conductors, of means for creating an electric current in said conductors, the traclcrails opposite ones of which are divided into blocks insulated from each other, opposite rails of each block being adaptsignals being disposed nearer the adjacent end of the block in which it is located than the other of the said two signals, conductors connecting said signals respectively with one of said feed-conductors, conductors connecting respectively one set of rails of each block with the adjacent signals of adjacent blocks, and conductors connecting the opposite set of rails of each block with the other feed-conductor.

6. In arailway block-signal system, the combination with two feed-conductors, of means for creating an electric current in said conductors, the track-rails opposite ones of which are divided into blocks insulated from each other, opposite rails of each block being adapt- .ed to be electrically connected through the intermediacy of the wheels and axles of cars supported thereon, electric lamps disposed respectively two adjacent each end of each block, one of each of said two lamps being disposed nearer the adjacent end of the block in which it is located than the other of said two lamps, conductors connecting the said lamps respectively with one of said feed-conductors, connecting respectively one set of rails of each block with the adjacent two lamps in the adjacent block, and conductors connecting the opposite set of rails with the other feed-conductors.

7. In a railway block-signal system, the combination with two feed-conductors, of means for creating therein an electric current, the track-rails opposite ones of which are divided into blocks insulated from each other, opposite rails of each block being adapted to be electrically connected through the intermediacy of 'the wheels and axles of cars supported thereon, electric lamps disposed two adjacent each end of each block the nearest two lamps of adjacent'blocks being each invisible from the block next in advance of it, branch conductors connecting said lamps with one of said feed-conductors, conductors connecting respectively one set of rails of each block with the adjacent two lamps in-each block next adjacent thereto, conductors connecting respectively the opposite set of rails of each block with the other feed-conductor, and a plurality of light-shields disposed one between each two lamps nearest the meeting-point of two blocks.

8. Ina railway block-signal system the combination with two feed-conductors, of means for creating therein an electric current, the track-rails of the main line opposite ones of which are divided into blocks insulated from each other, conductors connecting one set of. rails of each block with one of said feed-conductors, branch conductors connecting the other'sets of rails with the other feed-conductors, electric lamps disposed in each block and in each of said branch conductors, the trackrails of a switch one set of which connect with one set of rails in one block and the other set ofrails of which connect with the'opposite set of the said block and cross the other set RECTOR E LAND.

' Witnesses:

WARREN D. HoUsE, ELWELL CAMPBELL.

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