US814658A - Safety device for railway switch and signal apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED MAR. 6, 1906.

. L. GRIFFITH. I SAFETY DEVICE FOR RAILWAY SWITCH AND SIGNAL APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.5,1904.

runs muuwo Ilium n t UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LAWRENCEGRIFIFITH, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK. SAFETY DEVICE FOR RAILWAY SWITCH AND SIGNAL APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 6, 1906.

Application filed o fl 5. 1904. Serial No. 231-514.

companying drawings.

My invention relates to railway switch and signal apparatus, and its objects are to provide safety devices for both the indicator and the motor of such apparatus.

To these ends my invention consists,

broadly, of means whereby at certain times the indicator or the motor-may be prevented from acting, though the apparatus in other respects would be adapted to operate them.

Reference may be made to United States Letters Patent No. 724,180, granted to me March 31, 1903; No. 776,238, granted to me November 29, 1904, and to my pending application, Serial No. 151,578, dated April 8, 1903.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood, I shall first describe in detail the manner in which I carry the same into prac-- tice and then point out the novel features of the invention in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of the specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate similar parts mall the views, of which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of my invention as applied to a pneumatically-operated motion-plate. Fig. 2 shows a modification; Fig. 3, a detail sectional view of one of the electropneumatic valves shown in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 1 I have shown the motion-plate A operated pneumatically or by fluid under pressure, and reference may be had to abovementioned Patent No. 724,130, the valves X and Y being controlled in this case by electric relays or magnets X and Y instead of by pneumatic diaphragms. In Fig. 1 Ihave also shown the indicator 1 cooperating with operators quadrant 2 of my said Letters Patent No. 776,233, and in Fig. 2 I have shown the indicator 1 cooperating with operator's stroke-completing bar 3 of my said application, Serial No. 151,578.

Referring to Fig. 1, the motion-plate A is operated by piston 5 of pneumatic motor W. Pipe 7 supplies power from valve X to operate piston 5 in one direction and pipe 6 from valve Y to operate said piston in the other direction in the usual way. Said valves X and Y are counterparts of each other, each having three ports. Ports 8 lead to the supply of compressed air or other fluid under pressure. Ports 10 lead to the atmosphere or exhaust. Ports 9 lead to opposite side of piston 5 of the motor IV. The valves X and Y are provided with pistons 11, adapted normally to close supply-ports 8 and open exhaust-ports' 10. Springs 12 normally hold said pistons 11 in the position just above described. (Jooperating with said pistons .11 are relays X and Y','so that when said relays are energized pistons 11 will close exhaustports 10 and open supply-ports 8. Upon the movement of the operat-ors bar or lever 13 bridge 14 will be brought into contact with springs 15 and 16, and valve X will be opened to admit compressed air by pipe 7 to motor 11, as follows: wire 17, relay 91, wire 18, contact-springs 15 and 16, bridge 11, wire 19, contact-springs and 21, bridge 22, wire 23, relay X, wire 2-1, to battery, so that armature X of relay X will be raised, and by energy supplied through valve X and pipe 7 piston 5 will be moved and will carry with it motion-plate A and switch or controller M, thereby breaking connection between contact-springs 21 and 20 and making connection between contat-springs 25 and 26 by bridge 27 and breaking contact between springs 28 and 29 by bridge 30 and making contact between springs 31 and 32 by said bridge 30. In this position roller 33 will abut against shoulder 31 of the slot in the quadrant 2, and said roller 33 will be raised by the action of indicator 1, which is energized as follows: wires 17 35 36 37, solenoid or indicator 1, wire 38, contact-springs 30 and -10, bridge =11, wire -12, contact-springs 31 and 32, bridge 30, wire 98, to battery. It will be understood that stops 51 and 51 operate to move bridge 41 during a portion only of the stroke of rod 56), which rod is mechanically connected with quadrant 2 or bar 3, as the case may be, and moves with it, carrying bridge 1-1 and bridge 68, whose functions with contactsprings 64 and 65 and 66 and 67 will be hereinafter described. The said relay 91, being coonccted with the circuits of relays X and Y, as above described, is energized whenever current is on'the circuit of either of said relays X or Y, and it will be understood that when said relay 91 is energized the circuit of solenoid I will be broken between wires. 36 and 37. I

sometimes provide relay 91 with additional windings of higher resistance than that con nected with wires 17 and 18 and connect such through the circuit containing the lower winding, causing the blowing out of fuse P, the relay 91 would still act to break the circuit of solenoid 1 by the action of the upper winding; but normally the upper Winding merely aids the lower winding in doing its work. Should there be a cross or accidental current on the circuit of relay X when the apparatus is in the position shown in the drawings, the same will be shunted away'from said relay back to battery, as follows: wire 19, contact-springs 66 and 67, bridge 68, and thence to battery.

Should the switch-points 102, and therefore the motion-plate A, be moved while the apparatus is in the position shown in Fig. 1, connection will be immediately made between contact-springs 25 and 26 by bridge 27 and relay 1' will be energized to admit pressure to piston 5 to replace said switch-points and motion-plate A, as follows: wire 17, relay 91, wire 18, contact-spring 63, bridge 14, contactspring 62, and thence by wire contact-spring 26, bridge 27, contact-spring 25, wire 43, relay Y, so as to open valve Y, and thereby replace the motion-plate.

Referring now to Fig. 2, it will be understood that solenoid or indicator 1 cooperates with slot 47 48 49 of stroke-completing bar 3 to throw the apparatus to full-reverse or normal position, as more fully described in my said application Serial No. 151,578.

It will be understood that the invention hereinabove described may be used with a plurality of motion-plates and motors therefor without departing from my invention and that Q and R are the ordinary fuse and cutout box, respectively, but they are intro-- duced in the main circuit of the relays X and Y to prevent any movement of the relays X and Y upon a continuation of the circuit formed by bridge 68 with either contactsprings 64 and 65 or 66 and 67.

Should the circuit of solenoid 1 be accie dentally returned to battery while the apparatus is in the position shown in the drawings, connection being made between contactsprings 39 and 40 by bridge 41, said solenoid 1 will be energized, and the apparatus will be held by the pushing up of the roller 33 in slot 47.

seriesor a parallel electrical connection nor to a return to battery by metallic circuit, as distinguished from grounding.

a What I claim, and desire to secure by Let- I ters Patent, is

Of course I do not limit myself to either acator and an electrically controlled pneumatic motor for the motion-plate or device to be moved, means for preventing the action of the indicator while there is air under pressure supplied to the pneumatic motor ofsaid motion-plate.

2. In apparatus for operating switches, signals, and the like, comprising an electric indicator,-a pneumatically-operated motion-plate or device to be moved, and two electropneumatic valves for controlling the supply of air under pressure to the operative means of said motionlate,- means for preventing the action of tli ergy supplied to either of said valves.

3. In apparatus for operatingswitches,sig-

matic motor for the motion-plate or device tov be moved, means for preventing the action of the indicator While there is electric energy supplied to the controlling means of said motor, which consists of a relay adapted to break the electric connection of said indicator at said times.

4. In ap ,aratus for operating switches, signals, and t e like comprising an electric indicator and an electrically controlled fluidpressure motor for the motion-plate or device to be moved, means for holding the apparatus by the action of the indicator upon its circuit being accidentally returned to sourc of energy.

5. In ap aratus for operating switches, signals, and t e likehaving an electrically-controlled fluid-pressure motor for the motionplate or device to be moved, the combination of an electric indicator, means for shunting current away from the controlling means of said motor, with means for preventing action of the indicator while there is electric energy supplied to said controlling means of the motor.

6. In apparatus for operating switches, signals, and the like having an electrically-controlled fiuid-pressure motor for th motionplate or device to be moved, the combination of means for shunting current away from the controlling means of said motor when the apparatus is at normal or reverse position, with a fuse or cut-out device in the circuit of said controlling means.

In apparatus for operating switches, nals, and the like having an electrically-controlled fluid-pressure motor for the ,motiom plate or device to be moved, an indicatorcon sisting of a mechanical device operated bv a single electric unit and means for connecting said unit with the same source of electric energy that actuates the controller of said motor.

8. In apparatus for operating switches, signals, and the like having an electrically-controlled fluid-pressure motor for the motionplate or device to be moved an indicator e indicator while there is electric en- TIO whereby the a paratus is thrown to 'full-re- I thrown to full -reverse or normal position re verse or norma position, consisting of a meupon each complete movement of said mo-- chanieal device operated by a single electric tion-plate.

unit. l In witness whereof I have hereunto set my 9. In ap aratus for operatmg switches, sighand this 4th day of November, 1904. nals, and the like having an electrically-com LAW. GRIFFITH. trolled fluid-pressure motor for the motion- In presence ofplate or device to be moved, an electrie llldl". FRANCIS L. FIELD,

cator whereby the apparatus is autom atieellv J. F. BONDREAU.

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