The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1888-08-10

NOVEL INVENTION wilIcn REGISTERS
vaisrLEs or A LOCOMOTIVE ENGINE.


vaisriEs or A LOCOMOTIVE ENGINE.
BRIDaEPoRT, July 2S.-Frank B.
Taylor, the inventor Of the ''socopho-
ne for transmitting messages or hold
ing conversation with engineers
while under full speed on their loco
motives, has just patented a device
which he calls tootometer. In real
lty II is a species of phonooraph. Mr.
Taylor was led to believe that some
mechanical device could be employed
to settle the oft-disputed question in
regard to whistling at grade crossings
There are a large number of grade
crossings in this State upon which an
nually many lives are lost. The rela-
tives of those killed almost invariably
claim that the locomotive whistle was
not sounded in time to warm the vic
Tins. The railroad companies, to pro-
tect themselves against damages, dis.
pute the point 80 often taken. Mr..
Taylor now comes to the front with a
tell-tale whistle register, which takes
the sound from the whistle every time
1t Is blown and records it.
In order TO explain its workings the
run Of any engine on the New York
and New Haven road may be used for
illustration. Say engine No. 120
draws the Z O'Clock train from New
Haven to New York. The engine is
backed up in front of the depot and
attached to the train. The engineer,
George Corkett steps into the des.
patcher's Office to get the time or set
his watch exactly with the standard
time. The despatcher hands the en-
gineer ''tootometer," which is al
ready set for Engineer Corbett's run.
1t is numbered 10 correspond with the
engines number and is dated and off.
cially locked, so it is impossible for
any one 70 alter the register of The
whistle soundings. The "tootometer'
is placed in pocket bracket on the
front of the cab. just beneath the
whistle. Inside Il "tootometer" il
long roll of tin foil, upon which are
stamped cross-lines representing every
grade crossing on the road. The roll
is unwound from one axle to another
by means of small clock attachment
90 that each line representing cross
ing will be brought to the "sounde
opening precisely at the same mo
ment that the locomotive speeds over
the grade crossing. At the proper
distance before reaching the grad
crossing the engineer blows the stand
ard signal, two long and two shor
hlaata E-0-nt
t-o-ot, too, too.
These sounds are registered by tn,
"tootometer.' Should the engineer
fail to sound his whistle the 'tootome
ter" would show an empty blank.
And so the run is made to New
York, the ''tootometer,' rolling OF it
strip of tinfoil in time and unison
with the movement of the engine
All trains are run on exact time OF
this road, so there is very little chanc,
of the "tootometer" disagreeing will
the time grade crossings are reached
If extra whistling is done to drive
COWS off the track or blows for othel
purposes than grade CROSSINGS the
sounds are all registered and an exac
record taken of the whistles blast
and the exact location of the engin,
on the rails at the time of the blast il
denoted from one end of the road tt
the other. At the completion of thu
trip the ''tootometer" is handed by tn,
engineer to the proper official, who re
moves the roll of sounds and prepares
and adjusts the "tootometer' for th
return trip. The strips of tinfol ar,
carefully indexed and preserved 70
future reference, and the engineer ere
dited or charged with omissions o
whistles.
In the event of person being kille,
on grade crossing the tootomete
willtruthfully indicate the whistle blast
and denote the distance at which the
were blown before the crossing wa
reached. The tinfoil strips can b
produced at an inquest or in court Q
justice in evidence and dissipate tn
necessity of an immense amount @
swearing as to the fact of the whist,
sounding or not. BY running tn
strips through a phonograph the es
act volume OF sound and the key of tn
whistle can be reproduced. This ca
be lone at any future and convenier
time. Mr.. Taylor, the inventor, hs
the assurance that his invention wi
90 into very general use.