US787595A - Electric train-signal. - Google Patents

Description

No. 787,595. PATENTED APR. 18, 1905.

A. W. SULLIVAN}; W. RENSHAW.

ELECTRIC TRAIN SIGNAL,

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 5, 1904.v

2 SHEBTSSHEET 1.

Immmnumminmululm PATENTED APR. 18, 1905. A. W. SULLIVAN & W. RBNSHAW- ELECTRIC TRAIN SIGNAL.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 5, 1904.

fl, m wwd & @J n a Z Z z 3M3 h. m w m m Patented April 18, 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELECTRIC TRAIN-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Lett rs Patent o- 787,595, dated April 18, 1905. Application filed August 5, 1904. Serial No. 219,608.

To (ti/Z whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALBERT W. SULLIVAN and WILLIAM RENsnAw, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Train-Signals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object the providing of an electric train-signal by which the engineer or motorman is automatically given a signal to start the train when it is safe to do so and to stop or remain standing when the life or limb of passengers may be in danger or to meet any other contingency, all of which will more fully hereinafter appear.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a simple, economical, and efficient automatic electric signal to be used in connection with doors of railway-trains.-

our improvements attached thereto in diagrammatic view; and Fig. 7, a plan view of the same.

In the art to which this invention relates it is well known that upon railroad-trains, more particularly elevated railroad trains, it has for many years been the practice for the sig- The invention consists principally in an automatic signal for railway-trains in which there are combined a bell signaling device in the cab of the locomotive or motor-car, a source of electric energy, an electric circuit embracing such signaling device and source of electric energy, and means operable by and during the movements of the car-doors for making and breaking such circuit so as to operate said signal device.

The invention consists, further and finally, in the features, combinations, and details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of acar containing a portion of one sliding door and showing our improvements in operative position; Fig. 2, a sectional view of one of the makeandbreak switches, taken on line 2 of Fig. 4 looking in the direction of the arrow and showing the switch in open position; Fig. 3, a similar view showing the switch in closed position; Fig. A, a longitudinal View, partly in section, taken on lined of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrow'fFig. 5, a plan view of the mechn'in Fig. 4:; Fig. 6, an elevation t'rain in dotted outline, showing nal by which the train is started to be first given from the rear car by the guard of that car to the guard of the car next in advance, by whom it is communicated to the next car ahead, and thus in turn transmitted from car to car until it finally reaches the cab occupied by the engineer or motorman, by whom the movements of the train are controlled. The means used for transmitting the signal is a bell-cord, and to prevent the possibility of the signal extending farther than the car next ahead of the one from which it is given separate bell-cords and bells are provided for each car, thus permitting of the signal being arrested at each car and its transmission delayed until each car in turn from the rear forward is ready to have the train proceed. This discontinuous method of signal transmission is open to many objections, in that the participation o't so many persons as are required to convey such signal through a long train is likel, misunderstanding of signals. In fact, so immediate is this danger that it is the universal practice to require that when the signal to start has once been given from a car the doors or gates of such car shall not again be opened at that station, no matter how long the train may remain standing or what urgency, short of a breakdown, may demand its opening; but hazardous as this possibility may be a still greater risk is involved, in that the starting-signal may be given by the guards before the gates or doors of the car are closed and passengers thus exposed to the danger of the train starting while they are still in the act of entering or leavingthe cars.

The primary object of this invention is to substitute for this slow, uncertain, and dangerous practice a method of tram signaling v to result in confusion and that is instantaneous, certain, and absolutely safe and which provides direct communication from every car of the train to the engineer or motorrnan.

A further object is to provide for the elimination of the personal element by making the signal to start dependent upon the closing of all the doors, so that all openings for the entrance or exit of passengers must first be eifectively closed before the starting-signal can be given. To eifect this result, an electric circuit is established, commencing at the cab of the locomotix e or motor-car and extending along one side of the train to the rear and thence returning along the other side of the train to the cab, suitable couplings being provided between the cars, so that the circuit may be conveniently connected and extended or disconnected and shortened as cars are added to the train or cut off. The doors or gates of the cars which control the entrance and exit of passengers to and from the train are so connected with this circuit that the act of opening any door will close the circuit and cause a signal-bell placed in the cab to ring continuously until that and every other door is closed and the circuit thereby broken. In the event of the train being made up of cars having a plurality of side doors, as shown and described in Letters Patent No. 686,959, dated November 19, 1901, and such doors being operated by mechanism similar to that shown in Letters Patent No. 716,783, dated December 23, 1902, and granted to us on the dates mentioned, then instead of placing the doors individually in circuit the same result may be obtained in a more simple manner by placing in circuit the operating-rod only of the mechanism by which the movements of the doors are controlled, so that the movement of such rod will make or break the circuit and serve the same purpose as though each door were individually connected with the circuit.

Describing the specific devices illustrated in the drawings, which show our invention as applied to one type of railway-train in one form, (see Figs. 6 and 7,) (t represents a locomotive in dotted outline, and 5 the cab thereof. Located in this cab and directly over the head of the engineer is a signaling device consisting of an electrically-operated bell a. A source of electric energyviz., a storage battery 6Z-is provided, and the signaling device and battery are embraced in an electric circuit formed by wires 1 and 2, which run up and down on both sides of the locomotive and are adapted to be connected, as at a, with wires 3 and 4, that run up and down on both sides of the cars, which, in connection with the locomotive, form the train. Switches 5 and 6 (shown in detail in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive) are arranged in each of these cars at each side, so as to be closed when the doors of the cars are opened, and thereby make the electric circuit, and to be opened when the doors are closed, and thereby break the electric circuit.

Describing the operation, (see diagramn'iatic view shown in Fig. 7,) when one or more of the car-doors (which are supposed to be on either or both sides of the car) are opened and for the purpose of this description supposing the doors on the lower side of the car in the diagram to be opened, the switch 5 is closed by mechanisms hereinafter described in detail, so that current flows from the battery (Z through wire 7 to wire 2, across connections w through wire 1, thence across the car through wire 8 to switch 5, thence by wire 3 across the connection a: to wire 1, thence by wire 9 through the electric signalbell, sounding the stop-signal, thence by wire 10, main switch 11, and wire 12 to battery. Now supposing the doors on the upper side of the diagram shown in Fig. 7. to be opened, thereby closing switch 6, current will liow from the battery through wire 7 to wire 2, across the connection :1; to wire 4, thence through switch 6 and across wire 13 to wire 3 and back to battery as before, thereby sounding the stop-signal. When the doors on one side of the car are closed, it will be seen that the circuit is still maintained intact, because the doors on the other side are open, and therefore it is necessary to close all of the doors on both sides before the circuit is broken. The same is true when two or more cars are used. All of the doors in each of the cars will have to be closed before the circuit is completely broken, so as to stop the signalbell.

As has been already stated, the types of car-doors which we prefer to use in connection with these devices are shown in our United States Letters Patent No. 716,783, dated December 23, 1902, and the type of cars is shown in our earlier patent, No. 686,959, dated November 19, 1901, to which reference is made for fuller details as to the construction and arrangement of the cars and doors and the operating mechanism therefor.

A sliding bar or rod 6 is used and arranged immediately above the door f, so as to move in suitable supporting-brackets 9. As one or more doors are opened the doorhanger lt contacts a projection on the sliding bar, so as to push the same to open position. This sliding bar is provided with a pin 7', which contacts a two-arm switch-lever la, throwing the metallic blade Z thereof between the contacting metal pieces m and a, that form a portion of the wiring of the electric circuit. The construction of the switch is shown in detail in Figs. 2 to 5, inclusive, and illustrates the mechanical details of the switches 5 and 6 shown in the diagrammatic figures, though for purposes of clearness index-letters differ ICC ITO

ing from those shown in the diagrammatic figure must be used.

It will be understood, as above stated, that each side of the car is preferably provided with a plurality of sliding doors, each having door-hangers it, as shown in Fig. 1, arranged to contact projections z'on said sliding rod or bar, so that as one or more of said doors are opened the bar is likewise moved to open position to throw the switch into closed position, thereby closing the circuit and sounding the signal-bell in the cab of the locomotive or motor-car. As can be readily seen, however, from an inspection of Fig. 1, one or more of the doors can be closed without operating the sliding bar; but if the bar is operated by means of the hand-wheel 1), gear (1, and rack r to closed position it will close all of said doors, and as a consequence the switch 76 will be moved to the open position shown in Fig. 1, the circuit broken, and the signal bell stopped. Of course it will be understood that the operation of the sliding bar by the manually-operatable mechanism above described does not take place until it is desired to close all of the doors and that the closed signal in the stopping of the bell can be given automatically and only when all of the sliding doors have been closed. It will be seen, however, that in the preferred mode of opening the car-doors the sliding bars should be moved to open position first and before any of the car-doors are opened and that as soon as the said bar has been moved a slight distance toward the open position the switch is moved to closed position and the bell sounded, all of which will be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art.

The battery for the maintenance of the electric signal-circuit may be placed in the cab of the engine or motor-car, or separate batteries may be used for that purpose and placed in each car of the train.

It is evident that under this system, where one electric signal-circuit is controlled by all the doors upon both sides of each car throughout the train regardless of its length, the opening of any door in any part of the train will by closing the circuit cause the signal-bell in the cab to ring, indicating that some one or more doors of some car of the train is open and that not until every door of every car'of the train is closed can the circuit be broken and the ringing of the signal-bell stopped. Thus it follows that at any stopping-place the doors of any car may be opened and closed and reopened as frequently as circumstances may require with the certainty that the signal-bell in the cab will indicate the fact and that not until every door upon every car of the train is closed will the signal-bell indicate, by ceasing to ring, that the train may proceed.

An important feature of this system of signaling is its flexibility, in that the guards or trainmen are no longer required to transmit the signal in sequence; but each independently of the other may open and close the doors of his car according to the requirements of the moment. This will automatically adjust his signal indication by cutting his car in or out of circuit, so that when the last door of the entire train is closed the fact isinstantly made known that the train may proceed. The system therefore provides what has long been desired in the operation of passenger-trains, and that is a quick, certain, and safe method of signaling from every car of a train (regardless of how many cars there may be) directly to the person in control of the movement of the train in all conditions of weather, of daylight or darkness, and of light or heavy trafiic, all of which will be appreciated by those skilled in the art of modern passenger transportation.

WVe claii 1. In an automatic signal for railway-trains, the combination ofa signaling device arranged in the cab of a locomotive or motor-car, a car or cars provided with a plurality of side-o pening doors, a source of electric energy, an electric circuit embracing said source of electric energy and the signaling device, and means arranged to be operated by and during the movements of one or all of said doors for making the circuit when one or more of the doors are opened and breaking it only when all of the doors are closed,substantially as described.

2. In an automatic train-signal, the combination of a signaling device arranged in the cab of a locomotive or motor-car, a car or cars composing the train provided with a plurality of side-opening doors slidably arranged therein, a source of electric energy, an electric circuit embracing said source of electric energy and signaling device, and a bar in each car arranged to be operated by and during the movements of one or all of the sliding doors and make said circuit when one or more of said doors are opened and break it only when all have been closed, substantially as described.

3. In an automatic train-signal, the combination of a signal-bell arranged in a locomotive or motor-car, a car or cars provided with a plurality of sliding doors on one or both sides, a source of electric energy, an electric circuit embracing said source of electric energy and signal-bell, and bar mechanism arranged in each car to be operated by and during the movements of one or more of the sliding doors and make said circuit when one or more of the doors are opened and break it only when all have been closed, substantially as described.

4. In an automatic train-signal, the combination of a signal-bell arranged in the cab of a locomotive or motor-car, a car or cars proing doors and to be broken only When both of I said bars have been moved in the opposite direction and all of the doors have been closed, substantially as described.

ALBER'. \V. SULLIVAN. WILLIAM RENSI-IAW'.

Witnesses:

TnoMAs F. SHERIDAN, ANNA L. SAVOIE.

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