US643609A - Signaling system. - Google Patents

Description

No. 643,609. Patented Feb. l3, I900.

J. J. RUDDICK.

SIGNALING SYSTEM.

(Application filed Aug. 1 6, 1899.; No Model.)

2 Sheets5heet l,

7 No. 643,609. Paten td Feb. l3, I900. I J. J. RUDDICK.

SIGNALING SYSTEM.

(Application filed Aug. 16, 1899.) (No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT. omca JOHN J. RUDDICK, OF NEIVTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNITED STATES ELECTRIC SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE AND PORTLAND, MAINE.

SIGNALING SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 643,609, dated February 13, 1906.

Application filed August 16, 1899.

To all whom; it may concernp Be it known that I, JOHN J. RUDD1CK,a citizen of the United States, residing at Newton, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Signaling Apparatus, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification,like let ters and figures on the drawings representing like parts.

The present invent-ion relates to railway block-signaling systems of that class in which the car entering the block is adapted to set signals therein and upon passing out of the block is adapted to restore the said signals to normal.

In accordance with the invention the initial operation is performed through the agency of a mechanical circuit-controller adapted to be operated momentarily by a passing car or vehicle, the control of the signal-circuit then being shifted to an electrical operating device, which maintains the signal set while the car is in the block. A single signalingwire is run substantially the entire lengthof the block, and the mechanism is'so arranged that mechanical circuit-controllers adapted to perform the initial or signal-setting operation may be located at any desired points along the block and may be connected directly with the signaling-wire at such points and be operative without the necessity of running an independentwire from each to some common point on the circuit, as is the case in many signaling systems. The resetting or signal-restoring device in turn is operated by a second mechanical circuit-controller, which is also momentarily operated; and one of the objects of the present invention is to so arrange the device that the resetting or restoring of the signals to-normal condition does not depend wholly upon the operation of said mechanical circuit-controller, but is shifted thereby to an electrical controlling device so arranged that there can be no failure to restore said signals, due to residual magnetism or magnetic lag in the The device is so arranged in accordance Serial No. 727,367. (No model.)

with the invention that the mechanical circuit-controller causes a temporary closure of a circuit containing an electromagnet, which is thus energized, the said magnet being arranged when energized to operate a circuitcloser, closing the signaling-circuit and the circuit containing its own coils, so that it will remain energized and keep the signalcircuit closed until the said circuit is elsewhere broken.

To'produce the necessary break for resetting the signals, thecircuit through the said electromagnet is arranged to be normally closed by a circuit-controller under the infinence of another electromagnet in a normally-open circuit provided with a mechanical circuit-closer the operation of which ener gizes the said electromagnet, which results in breaking the circuit through the electromagnet first named. This circuit-controller, however, is so arranged that by the same operation which opens the circuit through the electromagnet first named it closes a circuit through itself and through the circuit'controller controlled by the electromagnet first named, so that the said second electromagnet will remain energized until the circuitcontroller operated by the first electromagnet is restored to its normal condition. It is obvious, therefore, that there can be no fail ure to restore the signals to their normal condition due to residual magnetism in the first electromagnet, since the circuit will remain broken through said electromagnet until the circuit-controller operated thereby has acted to break the circuit through the signals.

For convenience the system will be described as operating on an open-circuit system, as in the foregoing description, it being obvious, however, that by a simple reversal in the operation of the several circuit-controllers the system might be operated on closed circuit, and it is not intended to limit the invention to an open-circuit system.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the signaling system. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a mechanically-governed circuit-controlling device. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 4 illustrates in front elevation a 1necl1anically-operable circuit-controller. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional side elevation showing a modification of the mechanical circuit-controlling means, and Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional front elevation of the same.

In the drawings, Fig. 1, I have represented my improved block-signaling system in connection with a single track and overhead wire or conductor electric railway, and the track is denoted by '1, the overhead wire or conductor by C, and the car by V, and all of these parts may be of the usual kind. The car is provided with the usual trolley-arm 12, having the usual trolley-wheel W, which constitutes a convenient element for securing the action of two mechanically-governed circuitcontrolling devices situated near the opposite ends of a block. A signal-controlling conductor is shown at S, and it is adapted to receive energy from the overhead wire 0, constituting a part of the main or working circuit, through the agency in the present instance of the trolley-wheel WV. Any kind of signals may be employed for guarding the opposite ends of the block, although I have represented lamps for this purpose, and these are denoted, respectively, by 15 and 16, the lamp 15 being located at what might be termed the entering end of the block, while the lamp 16 is situated at the leaving end of the block, and these lamps are colored, respectively, blue and yellow or any other desired distinguishing colors.

When the car enters the block and travels in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, the lamps 15 and 16 will be simultaneously and automatically lighted, and this fact will be indicated to the motorman or conductor by seeing the lamp 15 alight. If a car is traveling from the right toward the car V, the motorman thereof upon seeing the lamp 16 alight will be apprised at once that the block is occupied bya car coming toward him and that he must wait until the block is clear before proceeding. At about the time the car V passes from the block both lamps will be automatically extinguished, thereby indicating that the block is open. The motorman of a car following the car V upon seeing the lighted lamp 15 is thereby notified that there is a car in the block ahead of him and going in the same direction.

The signal-wire S runs to ground, and before it reaches the same it is intersected by the resistance R, as shown at the left in Fig. 1. The opposite end of the wire S is connected to the short length of wire 17, connected at its ends to the contact-pieces 18 and 19. The cooperating contact-piece for the contac tpiece 18 is denoted by 20, and it is connected by the wire 21 with the magnet M, which in turn is connected byawire 22 with ground,the wire 22 being intersected by the resistance It. The contacts 18 and 20 are normally bridged by the armature 23 of the signal-suppressing electromagnet M, which is held in such position by the usual spring 24, thereby maintaining the signal-circuit closed at such point. The contact-piece 25 is arranged adjacent to and cooperates with the contact-piece l9, and the wire 26 connects the same with the trolley-Wire or overhead conductor 0. The armature 27 of the magnet M is normally held in its retracted position by the retractile spring 28.

A mechanically-governed circuit-closing device or duplex contact member is shown at A, and it is suitably supported above the conductor or overhead wire 0, so that when the wheel of a trolleyarm or analogous device engages a cooperating portion of said circuitcloser or duplex contact member part of the current will be momentarily taken from the overhead Wire 0, through said circuit-controller, to the wire 29, where it divides, passing, respectively, to the left and right of said wire 29, thereby lighting the two lamps l5 and 16. The right-hand division of the current passes from the signal-wire S to the wire 17, contact-piece 18, armature 23, contactpiece 20, wire 21, coil of magnet M, the wire 22, to the resistance R to ground, thereby energizing the said magnet M at the same time the lamps 15 and 16 are lighted. \Vhen the magnet M is thus energized, it attracts its armature 27 from its full to its dotted line position, whereby said armature will bridge the contact-pieces 19 and 25 and complete the signal-circuit at this point. passes the circuit-controller A and has, as above described, momentarily lighted the lamps 15 and 16 and energized the magnet M the signal-circuit can be still maintained, as the armature 27 bridges the contacts 19 and 25, the current being then taken from the conductor C through the wire 26, contactpiece 25, armature 27, contact-piece 19, wire 17, and then to the signal-wire S, it being understood that the current divides when it flows into the signal-wire S, part of it passing into said wire, so as to hold the lamps alight, and the remainder continuing along the wire 17 to the contact-piece 18, armature 23, contact-piece 20, wire 21, magnet M, and wire 22 to ground, and the signal-circuit will remain closed until about the time the car is to pass through the leaving end of the block, when said circuit will be automatically broken to render the signals ineffective.

The mechanically governed circuit controller shown in Fig. 3 is in the nature of a duplex one, it having two contact-surfaces, either of which may be engaged by a suitable circuit-closer, and it is shown including a block, as 35, of suitable non-conductingmaterial, to'the under side of which the resilient conductingstrips or con tact- pieces 36 and 37 are secured, said contact-pieces being of substantially U shape and being held in place by means of bolts 38 and 39. The wires 29 and 29 are connected to said contact-pieces. The contact-piece 36 is adapted to be engaged After the car.

by an automatic circuit-controller when the car V is traveling toward the right in Fig. 1, while the contact-piece 37 is adapted to be engaged by said circuit-controller when said car is traveling in the opposite direction, so as to efiect the action of two separated series of signals controlling separated blocks.

In Fig. 3 the upper end of the trolley-arm adjacent the wheel W is shown provided with an enlargement 40, constituting a part of a circuit-closer. When during the travel of the car in the direction shown by the arrow, Fig. 1, this enlargement engages one of the spring contact-pieces 36, (see Fig. 3,) the current will be switched from the conductor 0, supported by the hanger 41 from the block 35, through the wheel W, its pivot 42, circuitcloser 40, contact-piece 36, wire 29, 850., as hereinbefore set forth at length.

The breaking of the signal-circuit to extinguish the two lights is shown controlled by the part B, having a block, as 45, of non-conducting material, provided upon its under side with the hanger 46, to which the main conductor 0 is secured, and the U-shaped contact piece or arm 47, of resilient material, is also secured to the under side of said block and its free end is disposed in the path of the part 40, said contact-piece 47 being adapted to be thrown in circuit with the signal-suppressing electromagnet M.

It will be understood that the mechanisms shown in Figs. 3 and 4 might be interchangeably used at the points A and B, according as it is desired to control one or more independent blocks of signals from such points. WVhen the circuit-closer 4O strikes the contact-piece 47, the current will be caused to flow from the wire 0 through the wheel W, circuit-closer 40, through the contact-piece 47, wire 48, magnet M, wire 49 to ground, this constituting a signal-suppressing circuit. The current energizes the magnet M, which attracts its armature 23, thereby moving said armature away from the contact- pieces 18 and 20 and breaking the signal-circuit through magnet M, thus allowing the armature 27 to be pulled away from the contact-pieces 19 and 25 by its spring 28, which result breaks the signal-circuit. It sometimes happens, however, that an electromagnet after the current is cut off will retain suflicient magnetism to attract its armature for a short length of time, and to assure the positive extinguishment of the lamps I provide means for holding the armature 23 attracted until the armature 27 has been returned to its initial position (shown by full lines inFig. 1) to thereby break the signal-circuit. intersected by the wire 50, connected to the contact piece 51, the cooperating contactpiece 52 being connected to the wire 17 by wire 53. When the trolley-wheel strikes the part B in the manner previously specified, the magnet M will be energized and will attract its armature 23, so that the upper end thereof The wire 48 isv is moved away from the contacts 18 and 20 and is caused to bridge the contacts 51 and 52, as shown by dotted lines in- Fig. 1. The current is then caused to pass through the wire 26, armature 27, wire 17, armature 23, wire 50, magnet M, and wire 49 to ground, this series of parts constituting a circuit whereby the magnet M will be energized and. its armature attracted until the armature 27 of magnet M is returned to its normal position by its spring 28, thus insuring the positive extinguishment of the lights 15 and 16. When the armature 27 is retracted, the magnet M will be denergized, so that its armature 23 can be returned. to its initial and fullline position (shown in Fig. 1) by the action of the spring 24.

- It will be understood that the circuit-controller (shown at A) is in the nature of a duplex contact device having separated or electrically-disconnected contact-surfaces, shown as located at the free ends of the spring- arms 36 and 37, (see Fig. 3,) the contact-surface upon the arm 36 being engaged by the circuit-closer 40 when a car is traveling toward the right, so that the lamps 15 and 16 can be simultaneously lighted at opposite ends of a block. When a car is traveling in the opposite direction on the same track, it will engage the arm 37, whereby the current will be shunted in like manner to the wire 29 to the signal-wire S and consequently to the signal-lamps intersecting said wire S only one of said signal-lamps being shown and it being denoted by 15 and serving to guard the entering end of an independent block to the left of that shown.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I have represented a modified type of circuit-controlling device and will use the same characters, with primemarks, that were employed in denoting equivalent parts in the other arrangement. A case of non-conducting material is shown at A secured in some suitable manner to the projection 60 of the hanger 61, to which the conductor O is attached. A pendent arm 62 is pivoted at 63 in the case, it being held in what is shown as a vertical and ineifective position, as indicated by full lines in Fig. 5, by the coiled spring 63, connected to the head 64 thereof and also to the ear inside of the case. The lower portion of the pendent spring-actuated arm 62 is disposed in the path of the wheel W, so that the arm can be swung in one or the other direction by said 'wheel directly engaging the same, so that said arm can be caused to engage either of the contacts 72 or 73, suitably sustained within and depending from the case A and connected with the conductors 43 and 44. When the car is traveling in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 5, the arm 62 will be swung by the trolley-wheel into position to engage the contact 72 to establish the signal-circuit in the .manner hereinbefore described in connection with Fig. 1, and the reverse operation will take place when the car is traveling in the opposite direction, so that the arm 62 will be caused to engage the spring arm or contact 73 to establish a second circuit on another block. The arm 62 is bifurcated to straddle the conductor O, as seen in Fig. 6, in the path of the trolley-wheel W. The wire 43,previously referred to, is connected with the signal-wire S, while the wire 44 is connected to a corresponding wire S corresponding, respectively, with the wires S and S in Fig. 1.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In ablock-signaling system for railways, a main circuit, a signal, a single signaling-circuit and a plurality of mechanically-operative circuit-controllers, two electromagnets and their armatures, said armatures being always in the fields of their respective magnets, said magnets being adapted to be electrically connected with the main circuit by means of said mechanically-operative circuit-controllers to thereby successively energize said magnets; and means cooperatingwith said armatures of said magnets and independent of said mechanically operative circuit controllers, whereby said signal may be kept operative, and said magnets be kept energized.

2. In a block-signaling system for electric railways, a main circuit, a single independent signaling-wire, a plurality of mechanicallyoperative circuit-controllers, electromagnets and their armatures located at substantially one end of the block and adapted to be electrically connected with the main circuit by means of said mechanically-operative circuitcontrollers to thereby momentarily energize said magnets and means independent of said mechanically operative circuit controllers with which means said armatures of said magnets form cooperative parts whereby both of said electromagnets may be successively energized.

3. In a block-signaling system for railways, a main or working circuit, two branch circuits, two or more mechanically-operative circuit-controlling devices adapted to cooperate witha device upon a vehicle to electrically connect said branch circuits with the main circuit, a signal-retaining electromagnet and its armature, said magnet being included in one of said branch circuits, a signal-suppressing electromagnet and its armature, said magnet being included in the other branch circuit, a third branch circuit connected with the main or working circuit and including either of said electromagnets and controlled by the armatures of said electromagnets, the position of said armatures determining which of said electromagnets is in said branch circuit, and signals included in one of said branch circuits.

4:. In a block-signaling system for railways, a signaling-circuit, a momentarily-operative circuit-controllin g device,a circuit-controller,

an electroniagnet energized in response to said momentarily-operative circuit-controlling device, and serving to actuate said circuit-controller,said electrically-operative circuit-controller serving to close the circuit through said magnet thereby inaintainingsaid magnet energized, means for subsequently breaking the circuit momentarily through said magnet, and independent means for maintaining said circuit broken until the circuit-controller operated by the electromagnet has returned to its normal position.

5. In ablock-signaling system for railways, a main circuit, a signaling-circuit, and means for momentarily closing the same, an electromagnet adapted to be energized by such closure, a circuit-controller operated by said magnet adapted to close the signal-circuit and maintain itclosed untilsaid magnet is deenergized, a supplemental circuit containing a second electromagnet, means for momentarily closing said supplemental circuit, and a circuit-controller operated by the magnet in said supplemental circuit adapted to open the circuit in which the first magnet is included, and to close the circuit through its own magnet, the said circuit including the circuitcontroller operated by the first magnet.

6. In a block-signaling system, a main circuit, a signal, an electromagnet, a single sig naling-circuit normally including said magnet, a momentarilyoperative circuit controller adapted to energize said magnet, a circuit-controller operated bysaid magnet to thereby maintain said signal operative and said electromagnet energized, a second electromagnet, a second momentarily-operative circuit-controller adapted to energize said second magnet, a second circuit-controller operated by said second magnet and adapted when said second magnet is deenergized to include the first magnet in said signaling-circuit and when said second magnet is energized to exclude said first magnet from said signaling-circuit and include the second magnet in said circuit until the circuit-controller operated by said first magnet returns to its normal position.

'7. In a block-signaling system for railways, a main circuit, a single independent signaling-circuit, a signal at each end of the block, a plurality of mechanically-operative circuitcontrollers for setting the signal, arranged at desired points along the signaling-circuit and adapted when operated to momentarily switch a part of the current from said main circuit into said signaling-circuit at such point, a ground connection at each end of said signaling-circuit so arranged that when the current is switched into the signaling-circuit said current will be divided to traverse the entire signaling-circuit.

8. In ablock-signalingsystem for railways, a main circuit, a single independent signaling-wire running the length of the block, two distinguishing signals located at opposite tive circuit-controller adapted to energize the other magnet, and means independent of said mechanically operative circuit controller whereby said magnets may be energized, the position of the armature of one magnet determining if either of said magnets shall be so energized and the position of the armature 4 of the other magnet determining which of 15 said magnets shall be thus energized.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JOHN J. RUDDICK.

W'itnesses:

HEATH SUTHERLAND, FREDERICK L. EMERY.

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