US1421188A - Railway signal torpedo - Google Patents

Description

F. DUTCHER RAILWAY SIGNAL TORPEDO.

APPucATmN FILED APR.25, 192|.

Patented Jlme 27, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

F. DUTCHER.

RAILWAY SIGNAL TORPEDO.

APPLICATION FILED APII.25, 1921.

1,421,188. Patented June 27,1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' Giften/w11 earner orifice.

.FRANK DUTCI-IER, OF VERSAILLES, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO CENTRAL RAILWAY SIGNAL COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPO- RATION 0F NEW JERSEY.

RAILWAY SIGNAL TORPEDG.

Application filed April 25, 1921.

To @ZZ whom t may concern Be it known that I, FRANK DUTGHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Versailles, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Railway Signal Torpedoes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in railway signal torpedoes, and their manufacture, but relates more particularly to railway signal torpedoes in which the eX- plosive powder is carried in a paper container or case, the ends of which are closed by being crimped, 'and which is provided with a railway rail engaging member or strap for fastening the torpedo to the railway track.

The object of this invention is to provide a railway signal torpedo so constructed that when it is exploded there will be no flying particles to cause damageor injury.

Another object of this invention is to make the torpedo case of an angular shape so that there will be presented a flat side to which the rail-engaging member can be attached and upon which it willrest when fastened upon a railway rail.

A further object of this invention is to provide a railway signal torpedo which is so constructed that it is cheap and simple of manufacture and at the same time highly eiiicient in use.

Other objects and novel features of this invention relating to both manufacture and construction will appear inthe following description and drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of a railway signal torpedo embodying my invention, the case being shown octagonal in shape.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the several parts of the torpedo case, the wad, and the rail engaging member kin separated and unassembled relation.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the torpedo shown in Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of a torpedo embodying my invention, the torpedo case being shown to be round in shape.

Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Vplosive charge.

, well known that are involved from both fire and explosion, and that duetol Patented J une 27, 1922.

Serial No. 464,110.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal vertical section of the apparatus used to hold the torpedo wrappers while being filled with their ex- F ig. 8 is a side elevation -of the explosive measuring and filling buckets.

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the explosive measuring and filling buckets.

In the accompanying drawings, like parts are designated by similar reference numerals throughout the description.

To those 'skilled in'the art of the manu-` facture of railway signal torpedoesit is great hazard and danger the great care which must necessarily be taken, the manufacturing cost is high.

My invention involves both the manufac? ture of, and the completed torpedo,with novel improvements in both. The preferable form of my improved torpedo is shown, Figs. l to 4 inclusive, with an octagonal shaped wrapper and case; With a case of this shape the torpedo has a plurality of flat sides and therefore when it is placed vupon a railway'rail-it will not have a Vtendency to roll when struck by` the moving wheel of a locomotive. This case'has in addition the advantage of providing a flat side upon which the rail engaging member is secured. Y'

As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, this torpedo can be made with a round case if desired,

Y and I do not` limit my invention to the particularshape of case used.

In constructing la torpedo of the type shown in Figs. l to 4, inclusive, I provide an octagonal explosive wrapper 1, provided with extending portions la and l". The end Y la of the wrapper l is first spun or crimped in, as shown at 2, and the wrapper is then placed with Vits open end 3, Fig. 7, upward in octagonal shaped openings 4 in a baseboard 5. vsuitably supported above the base 5 and adjacent the open ends 3 of the explosive wrappers 1 is a member 6 provided with tunnels 7 'so positioned that their spouts 8 project through the member and into the open ends of the wrappers, as shown.

To facilitate the charging or Yloading of the explosive wrappers with the explosive powder' A, I have provided a rod 9, having at its opposite ends the handles 10. Spaced at distances, equal to the distances between the funnels 7, along therod 9, are a plurality of buckets 11, provided with scoop-like ends 12. Each bucket is constructed to hold just the correct amount of explosive powder to fill one of the torpedo wrappers.

` In operation the handles 10 are grasped and the buckets 11 scooped full ofpowder from a bin or the like (not shown) and the powdered `explosive is dumped from the buckets into the several funnels 7, and thus several explosive wrappers are charged simultaneously. Due to the fact that the spouts 8 of the `fnnnels project into the l wrappers, no powder is left upon the ex tending ends 1b of the wrappers.

After4 the wrappers have been charged, as described above, a paper or cotton wad 13 is placed in the end of each upon the powder therein to prevent the possibility of spilling any of the explosive while the wrappers are being handled and their ends 1b are being spun or crimped in, as shown `at 14. Because of the method of loading and the use of the wad 13, there is noloose powder upon or within the extending ends 1b yof the wrappers, which if it were present `might possibly be exploded by engagement wih the tool used to spin or crimp these en s. With the wrapper 1 loadedand crimped, the rail engaging member or strap 15 is now placed upon one of its flat sides and the octagonal case 16 is slid upon and over bothof them. The case 16 is made of a size to lit` the wrapper snugly' and will therefore bind the rail-engaging member firmly in place between the wrapper and the covering case.

- If desired,.the torpedo can be safely guarded against dampnessby dipping it into a waterproof bath.

It will be readily understood that in making the round form of torpedo shown inFigs. 5 and 6, the method and procedure are similar to that used in making the octagonal form. In this form, I have the inner wrapper 20 with its ends crimped in as at 21, and the rail-engaging or attaching member 22 `carried upon the wrapper'between it and the covering case 23.

`Not limiting myself to the particular shape of torpedo case, neither do I limit myself to the use of the particular railengaging member shown in the drawings, as a `spring clip or other similar and wellknown type of rail attaching means can be readily adapted to use with my torpedo.

` From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have provided a railway signal torpedo so constructed as to prevent the flying of particles when exploded. y This advantageous result is accomplished by crimping the ends of the explosive wrapper so that when the torpedo is struck by a moving wheel and exploded, the ends of the wrapper blow open and not away, this action being assisted by the fact that the case begins to mash, which mashing tends to start the opening of the crimped ends, under the wheel before the explosion occurs.

In addition to the above improvement, I have provided a safe and novel means of loading a plurality of torpedo wrappers simultaneously and so constructing the several parts comprising the torpedo that a rail attaching means can be quickly and cheaply attached thereto.

I-Iaving thus described my invention,what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A railway signal torpedo comprising awrapper, having extending end-portions, the extending end portions crimped inward, an explosive within the wrapper, a case embracing the wrapper, and a rail-engaging gaging member carried, upon the wrapper and beneath the case.

3. A railway signal torpedo comprising an explosive carried within a wrapper having inwardly crimped ends, a wad within oneend of the wrapper, a case embracing the wrapper, and a rail-engaging member carried upon the wrapper and beneath the case.

4. A railway signal torpedo comprising a wrapper of octagonal shape in cross-section, an explosive held within the wrapper by crimping its ends inward, a case embracing the wrapper, and a rail-engaging member carried upon the wrapper and beneath the case. Y

5. A railway signal torpedo comprising a wrapper having a plurality of flat sides, the ends of the wrapper crimped inwardly to retain an explosive therein, a rail-engaging member carried upon vone of the flat sides of the wrapper, a case similar in crosssectional shape to the wrapper, and the wrapper and rail engaging member carried within the case, for the purposedescribed.

6. A railway signal torpedo, comprising a wrapper having a plurality of flat sides, the wrapper provided with extending end portions crimped inward, an explosive within the wrapper, an open ended case embracing the wrapper, and a rail-engagingimember carried`between` the wrapperand the case.

7. A railway signal torpedo comprising a wrapper having a plurality of flat sides,

the wrapperprQVde/d with' extended end portions crimped inward, an explosive within the wrapper, an open ended case embracing the wrapper, and a rail-engaging member Carried by the torpedo.

8. A railway signal torpedo comprising a wrapper having a plurality of flat sides, the ends of the wrapper crimped inwardly to reta-in an explosive therein, a case similar in cross-sectional shape to the wrapper, the wrapper carried within the case and a rail-engaging member carried by the torpedo.

9. A railway signal torpedo comprising a wrapper of octagonal shape in cross-section, an explosive held within the wrapper by crimping its ends inwardly, a oase embracing the wrapper, and a rail-engaging member carried by the torpedo.

10. A railway signal torpedo comprising an explosive within a wrapper having an explosive within a wrapper having crimped ends, an open ended case around the explosive, and a rail-engaging member carried by the torpedo for securing the same to the head of a railway rail.

12. A railway signal torpedo comprising an explosive within a wrapper having crimped ends, a case around the explosive,

and a rail-engaging member carried by the torpedo, for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aix my signature.

FRANK DU TCHER.

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