US805856A - Block system for railroads. - Google Patents

Description

No. 805,856. I PATBNTED NOV. 28, 1905. A. N. IRELAND & J. T. REESE. BLOCK SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 6, 1905.

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PATENTED NOV. 28, 1905.

A. N. IRELAND & J. T. REESE.

BLOCK SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.6, 1905.

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No. 805,856. PATENTED NOV. 28, 1905. A. N. IRELAND & J. T. EEEsE.

BLOCK SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 6, 1905.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

No. 805,856. PATENTED NOV. 28, 1905. A. N. IRELAND & J. T. REESE.

BLOCK SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS. APPLICATION FILED APR. 6, 1905.

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UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT N. IRELAND AND JOHN T. REESE, OF SIOUX CITY, IOWA.

BLOCK SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28, 1905.

Application filed April 6, 1905. Serial No. 254,091.

To all whom it may concern.-

of signals communicated to engineers of trains and to operators in the various stations informing them at stated intervals of space of the progress of trains. The signals are so arranged as to indicate to the engineer when approaching a station whether the track to the next station is clear and to warn the operator at the next station of the trains approach.

Reference is now had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of the specification, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the line of road between two stations, showing the arrangement of wires and signals and their connection between the stations and trains. Fig. 2 is aside elevation of outline of engine and section of track, showing means of communicating the signal to the engine. Fig. 8 is a rear end elevation of engine, showing the arrangement of signals in the cab and a cross-section of track. Fig. 4 is an enlarged View of coils, hammer, gong, watch-clock, and switch constituting the engineers signals and indicated in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of section of pilot of engine and a section of track, showing means of electrical connection between the signals and engines. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of part of operators room in the station, showing the signal-boards and their connection with means of operation.

Referring now to the illustrations, in which like parts are designated by similar letters of reference, A is the railway-track, extending between two stations, which constitutes a block.

B and B are engines of trains approaching the respective stations C and C.

D, D, D, and D are blocks of wood or other suitable material secured to the ends of the ties of the track, having a covering of steel or other electrical conductor and adapted to come in contact with the metallic arms 5 and b, secured, respectively, to the sides of the pilots of the engines. The arms are pivotally secured at one end to the pilots and at the free ends have slots Z), in which are adjusted braces 6, which support the free ends of the arms and are pivotally secured to the pilot above the arm. A Wheel 6, with a notched surface, is secured to the arm 6 and by pressing upon the block D is adapted to clear its surface of snow or ice. To the metallic covering of the block D is secured a wire a, which is supported upon poles a adjacent to the track and enters the station C, where it is connected with the instruments, as O, which operate the signal-board, as presently described. To the arm I) on the pilot of the engine is attached a wire a, which extends into the cab and is connected with the electromagnetic coils c c and magnetic battery 0, whence it returns to ground by means of the axle of the drivers and the rail. When the arm 6 of the engine B strikes the contactblock D, the electric circuit is closed and the engineer is warned of his approach to the station by the sounding of the gong E in his cab. A bar E is pivotally secured at the center to the front of the cab-frame,'and one end is adapted to catch and hold a hammer E in the manner shown in Fig. 4, the hammer being pivotally secured at the center to the front of the cab-frame. When the electrical circuit is closed, the attraction of the coils pulls down the end of the bar E and releases the hammer,which is forced, by means of aspring 0, against the gong. The opposite end of the hammer strikes a Watch-clock F and registers the hour. After the engine has passed the hammer is again restored to its connection with the bar E. A movable weight 0 at the other end of the bar provides means for regulating the amount of electric current necessary to attract the bar, and a pin 6 inserted in the frame of the cab beneath the end of the bar prevents the weighted end from dropping below a horizontal position. A switch F is provided upon the wire a, by which the current may be disconnected when the engine is engaged in switching and no warning is desired.

When the train enters the block and the engineer is warned of his approach to the station IIO G, pivotally secured to the station in the usual manner. The wire a is connected with the electromagnetic coils c" c in the operators room and with the binding-posts ff of the metallic bar H on the lever H, whence it communicates with the ground. The lever H is pivotally secured to some stationary part of the station at one end and in the center has a slot h, in which is secured a cord G, passing over the pulleysf' f, and is secured to the signal-board Gr. A metallic L-shaped lever g is pivotally secured at the angle to a stationary part of the station, one arm extending horizontally under the coils c 0", with the free end of the arm adapted to press upon the free end of the lever H and hold it down in its normal position, thus retaining the signalboard in its normally elevated position. hen the electric current is closed, the attraction of the coils c" raises the horizontal arm of the lever g and releases the free end of the lever H, permitting the signal-board to fall of its weight and opening the circuit. The dotted lines in Fig. 6 indicate the relative positions of the parts when the board falls. A guide it, in which the lever H moves, holds the lever in place and prevents a sudden release of the lever from throwing it back too far. A switch z'is provided in the wire ra-near the coils 0", in order that the current may be disconnected. After the train has left the station the board is restored to its former position. The wire a is also connected with a telephone I by means of a wire z", a switch 7' being provided in the connecting-wire, and when a train is in the block and the line open the wire a may be used as a means of conveying verbal messages.

As the train approaches the station C the pilot of the engine B will strike the contactblock D', to which is connected the wire a", which communicates with the next station, where the same means are employed to reg ister the trains approach. A wire a, extending from the next station, is connected with similarinstruments, as L, in the station C. When the train approaches from the opposite direction, the pilot of the engine B strikes the block D and the current is closed by means of the wire (0 connected with similar instruments, as M, in the station C. As the train approaches the station C the pilot of the engine strikes the contact-block D, to which is connected the wire (6 extending to the next station,where the same signal is employed. A wire a, coming from that station, is connected with similar instruments, as N, in the station C, and all stations on the line of road are similarly provided. A bridge-wire Z connects the wire a with the telephone 1 in the station C, and a similar wire Z connects the wire a with the telephoneI in the station C. A bracket K is adapted to support a signal-light in front of which the signal-board drops when released, and the light is displayed through the glass in the slot is in the usual manner. G and K are respectively another signal-board and bracket similarly used in the station C.

The line of road between each station con stituting a block, it will be seen that the engineer of each train is warned of his entrance into the block by the sounding of the gongin his cab and that the station at the opposite end of the block is simultaneously warned, of his approach by the signal-board in that station. As the board is not restored to its former position and the circuit closed until the train passes, the operator in the station will not permit another train to enter the block until the block is clear, and if the engineer of the approaching train receives no warning of the gong as he passes the contact-block he realizes that another train going in the same direction is still in the block between the stations ahead. There is thus a double check upon all trains on the road. If the operator whose duty it is to restore the signal-boards after the train passes neglects this duty and the line connected with the signals is open, the responsibility is easily fixed, while the presence of another train in the same block will be detected by the engineer of the approaching train.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a railway block system, an electric battery, electromagnetic coils and a gong secured in the cab of an engine, a hammer pivotally secured therein and means connected therewith whereby the hammer is released and allowed to strike the gong when the electric current is closed, ground connection for said battery and coils, an arm secured to one end of the pilot of the engine and adapted to come in contact with a block secured to the end of the railway-ties, metallic connection between said arm and said battery and coils, in combination with a block having a metallic covering secured to the ties and adapted for contact with the arm on the pilot of the engine, a signal-board in the railway-station, metallic connection between said signal -board and said block and electric means provided in said station for operating said board when the arm on the engine strikes the block and the elec tric current is closed, substantially as described.

2. Ina railway block system, asignal-board pivot-ally secured to the railway-station, a lever pivotally secured to the station and connected with the signal-board for normally holding the board in an elevated position, electromagnetic coils in said station adapted to operate saidlever and release the signalboard when the electric current is closed, a metallic block secured to the railway-ties, metallic connection between said block and said coils, and ground connection for said coils, in combination with an electric battery and electromagnetic coils in the cab of an engine on the railway, a signal-gong operated by said battery and coils, a metallic arm secured to the engine and adapted for contact with the the electric current is closed, means for dis connecting the electric current and means'for connecting said wire with a telephone in the station, in combination with a metallic arm secured to an engine of the road adapted to strike said block when the engine passes, a signal in the cab of the engine, a wire connecting said arm with the signal, electric means for operating said signal when said arm and block are in contact and the electric currentis closed, and means in said engine for disconnecting said current, substantially as described.

4. In a railway signal system, a metallic arm pivotally-secured at one end to the pilot of an engine, the free end of said arm having a slot, a brace adjusted in said slot and pivotally secured to the pilot, a wheel with a notched surface secured to the arm and adapted to press upon the surface of a contact-block secured to the ties, a signal in the cab of the engine, metallic connection between said arm and said signal, electric means for operating said signal when the electric current is closed by contact of the arm with said block, in com-V bination with a block secured to the ties of the railway, a signal-board in the railway-station, electric means for operating said board when the electric current is closed, and metallic connection between the block and signalboard whereby the electric current is closed, the signal-board operated and the signal in the cab given when the arm strikes said block, substantially as described.

5. In a railway block system, an electric battery, electromagnetic coils and a watch-clock secured in the cab of an engine, a hammer pivotally secured therein and means connected therewith whereby the hammer is released and allowed to strike the clock when the electric current is closed, thus registering the time, ground connection for said battery and coils, an arm secured to the pilot of the engine and adapted to come in contact with a block secured to the end of the railway-ties, metallic connection between said arm and said battery and coils, in combination with a metallic block secured to the ties and adapted for contact with the arm on the pilot of the engine, a signal-board in the railroad-station, metallic connection between said signal-board and the block and electric means provided in said station for operating said board when the arm on the engine strikes the block and the electric current is closed, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto affixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT N. IRELAND. J NO. T. REESE.

Witnesses:

H. O. GARDINER, W. O. HUTcHINs.

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