US287051A - peddle - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.- Y

W. H. PEDDLE & S. P. THORNTON.

RAILROAD SIGNAL.

No. 287,051. Patented Oct. 23, 1883. I

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(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

W. H. PEDDLE & S. P. THORNTON. RAILROAD SIGNAL. No. 287.051. Patented Oct. 23, 1883.

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WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM PEDDLE, OF ROSELLE, AND SAMUEL P. THORNTON, ELIZA- BETH, NEW JERSEY.

RAILROAD-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 287,051, dated October 23, 1883.

Application filed January 4, 1883.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM H. PEDDLE, residing at Roselle, Union county, New J ersey, and SAMUEL P. THORNTON, residing at Elizabeth, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, citizens of the United States of America, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Signals; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. This invention relates to railroad-signals which are actuated from a safety to a danger position, and vice versa, by the shifting of one or more of the switches connected to the signals.

It is a well-known fact in railroading that the red screen displayed in the box cannot be seen at times during the day, on account of it being difficult to see the red when the sun is in the engineers eyes, orwhen the sun shines at an angle on the glass; also, in some snowstorms, it is difiicult to make out the color of the displayed screen, on account of the drift or accumulation of snow on the glass covering the sight-opening of the signal-box. To obviate these difficulties with engineers on railroad-trains, we employ an auxiliary signal which is arranged outside of the box or support containing the danger-screen signal, so as to work or coincide with thered screen, to indicate danger or safety that is to say, when the red screen is down, indicating danger, the target, having its face colored, will also be presented in a transverse direction of the track, to indicate danger, and when the screen is raised, to indicate .safety, the target will also be presented in a direction corresponding with the line of the track, to show safety, thereby providing an auxiliary means for the engineer to see in case the sun or snow should obstruct the view of the screen within the box. 7 5 Our invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, i as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

Figure 1 of the. annexed drawings is a plan View of two railroad tracks and switches, show- (No model.)

ing our improvements in connection therewith. Fig. 2 is'a view of an elevated signal-box in section, showing the red signal and signal-target in danger position. Fig. 3 is another sectional view of an elevated signal-box,showing also the red signal and signal-target in 5 5 danger position; and Fig. 4 is a similar view to Fig. 3, but showing the red screen elevated and the target shifted, indicating safety.

The letter A represents the main tracks, B the cross-over rails, and O the switches, as seen in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

To the switches are fitted the shifting-bars D, provided at their outer ends with the connecting-bars E, connected with lever-arms F of the short shaft H, working in suitable bearings on the cross-bars I. To the opposite ends of the short shaft H are fitted small pulleys or small grooved wheels K, to which are suitably secured ropes or wire cables L, passing over the grooved small pulleys MM to the mova-' ble lever N, resting on supports, where they are firmly secured, as seen in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

To the outer or off end of the movable lever N is connected a rope or wire cable, P, passing to and under the grooved wheel R, at-

:tached to the side of the post S, and thence over another grooved wheel, T, and terminating in a weight, W, substantially as seen in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings.

By the employment of the lever N, loosely arranged on the supportsi and z",'there is very little friction. There is no binding of the lever, and it does not require special attention, 8 5 since it is not liable to get out of order.

Mounted upon the post S is a signal-box, which may be of the usual construction, and provided with the usual light and danger-signal. A common form of signal'consists of a 0 red screen placed behind an openingin abox, which is placed on a post. The interior of the box is painted white, so that when the screen is raised the signal shows white or safety, 7 and when down it shows red or danger. At night 5 'a lamp is placed behind the screen and a glass is placed over the opening in the box. WVhcn the sun strikes the glass at certain angles, or

when the sun is shining in the observers eyes, it is difficult to distinguish the color of the signal hence "we use an auxiliary signal placed at the top of the box, which consists of a target of any desired shape, made of sheetiron and painted red. This is connected with the screcn-frame in such a manner that when the screen is down, or at danger, the target is in a transverse direction with the track,and when the screen is up, or at safety, the disk is turned one-quarter round, or in a line with the track, as will hereinafter be fully described. ,1

To the cable 1?, leading to the signal-box, is connected in any suitable manner a rope or wire cable, XV, (see Figs. 2 and 3,) which extends upward through the bottom of the signal box, and thence over a pair of small grooved wheels located at the upper end of the signal-box, and thence downward, forming a'connection with the upper end of thered signal X. The frame carrying the red signal X is formed at its rear upper end with a loop, (I, for the purpose hereinafter set forth. WVithin the signal-box is arranged a transverse bar, 6, having asuitable step, within which works the lower end of the vertical bar Z, provided at its upper end with a signal-target, the faces of which are painted red, to correspond with the color of the danger-screen within the box. This vertical bar Z, which is preferably made of flat metal and twisted, as seen in Figs. 2, 3, and 4 of the drawings, passes through the loop (1, attached to the rear end of the frame carrying the screen-signal. Thus it will be seen that as the frame carrying the danger-screen is elevated, the loop d, embracing the rod Z as it ascends, will, on account of the twist or curve in the rod Z, cause the signal-target located at the upper end of the rod and outside of the box to be turned the distance of one-quarter of a circle, so as to present the edge of the signal target in the direction of the length of the track, indicating safety, or clear track.

In practice the signal-box or its equivalent, with the signal-target, will be arranged at a distance from five hundred to one thousand feet (more or less) from the switches, and the connections from the switches to the signalboxes or their equivalents will be made by means of ropes or wire cables passing over the grooved pulleys, substantially as seen in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings.

Operation: By reference to Fig. l of the drawings it will be seen that the operating means of the signals are connected to two switches. WVhen both switches are in proper position for clear tracks safetythe curtain of the signal-box will be raised, and the signal-target be presented in the direction of the length of the track; but when either or both switches are wrong, the red screen or curtain will fall, to indicate danger,and in its falling movement will actuate the rod carrying the target-signal, so as to present the target-signal in a direction transverse. to the trackdanger positionso that the engineer of the approaching train can have a full view of the signal-target, and likewise a full View of the red screen within the signal -box, if the sun is not shining upon the glass to obstruct the View; but under no circumstances does the sun affect the View of the signal-target, which we consider a very important and essential improvement in the system of displaying danger and safety signals to engineers of railroad-trains.

It is obvious to those skilled in the art that the coacting. signals maybe connected and operated by electrical apparatus.

WVe are aware of the Patent No. 224,692, granted to R. B. Ireland and W. H. McDonald, dated February 17, 1880, which shows, in connection with railroad tracks and switches, a mounted box with a night-signal and a side swinging day-signal, arranged to move simul- .taneously, connected to a slide working in a frame at the side of the track, and operated by the switch mechanism; but our invention differs from this, essentially,in the omission of side guides and cross-head, with pulleys, which necessarily causes considerable friction, and these parts are liable to become clogged or choked from dirt, rain, or other matter, thereby requiring lubrication, and more or less attention to keep the cross-head in condition for operating, and in the mechanical means in carrying out the invention; and, therefore,

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with one or more tracks having one or more switches corresponding with the number of tracks, and an elevated box or house, of a danger-signal or screen-frame formed with a loop, and a signal-target arranged above the box or house, and provided with a twisted downward arm to engage loosely with the loop of the danger-signal, in connection with operating mechanism, so that whenever the danger-signal is changed the signal-target will be shifted, substantially as hereinbefore described.

2. The combination, with a railroad track and switch, of a crank-lever attached to the switch-bar, having connected thereto a rope or cable, and the loosely-arranged lever N, connected to the cable of the crank-lever, and

' said lever being provided with a weighted rope or wire cable passing under and over pulleys, and a rope or wire cable passing through the signal house or box over a pulley or pulleys, and extending down, making a connection with the danger-screen signal, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a railroad track, switch, and means for shifting the switch, of a screen-frame formed with a loop, and a twisted bar engaging with the loop of the screen-frame, and a signal-target with connecting means extending to the switch, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with a plurality of In testimony'whereofwe affix our signatures switches, and a distant signal connected by in presence of two witnesses. one wire, of a movable horizontal lever loosely arranged on supports, to the ends and near 5 the middle of which are attached the wires Witnesses:

leading to the signal and switches, substan- SAMUEL S. MOORE,

tially as described.

WILLIAM H. PEDDLE. SAMUEL P. THORNTON.

HARRY L. PEEPLES.

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