The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-09-27
AN INGENIOUS DEVICE
Indiana Mans Invention to Pre-
vent Railroad Wrecks.
ADDITION TO THE BLOCK SYSTEM

AUUlTlUN ~ Idb D1UOA 0A0A1A
Automatic Contrivance Which Act
Directly ON the Locomotives ThrOt'
tie Regardless of Engineers At
t~ention or I~nattention Railroad
Men Say It Ii Entirely Practical.
j. L. Steigelmeycr, a member Of the
Indianapolis fire department., is the in,
ventor Of a system which, it Is claimed
by prominent machinists, will success.
fully prevent wrecks on railroads and
in many other ways make travelling
safer for the public, the employees
and the railroad companies, says the
indianapolis Star.
The new invention is an addition to
the "block" system. The system has
been perfected by Mr.. Steigelmeyer
after several years Of hard work and
he has applied for patents. AS soon
as they are issued he will arrange for
a practical test of his scheme and will
then organize a company.
The new system is one which acts
directly upon the throttle Of the loco
motive, regardless of the attention or
inattention of the engineer. The pat
ent is SO arranged that each time n
signal is ignored the engine is auto
matically stopped and at the same
time a record of the stop is made in
the signalman's tower, recording the
exact time it occurs. At the end of
his run the engineer must explain the
reasons for the stop. Thus. 1t Is
claimed. will the watchfulneSs Of the
engineer be increased instead of di.
minishc1. as it has been by the former
block system.
The '~automatic locomotive control"
is TIE nanlc of the new device. The
controlling power by which the engine
is stopped is electricity. while the
operating power is compressed air
taken from the train line pipe. a bat
terry at the bottom of the signal post
connected with a copper plate at the
top Of the post. which. in turn. is con-
noctol with a roller arm on the arm Of
the signal post and a short rail in the
middl" OF the railroad track. completes
the mechanism of the system as far
rs the track is concerned.
On the engine is a small wheel which
ONE in contact with the short wheel
in the conter Of the track. Here also Is
what is known as a pony truck wheel
and a copper disk with an electric
brush, which is connected with a thrOt-
tie closing cylinder. The air from the
train line pipe is taken up through the
cylinder, which is controlled by an
electric magnet on top Of the cylinder.
With the signals and the engines
equipped thus any engine attempting
to pass a signal set at block will au-
tomatically be brought to a standstill.
The trolley wheel coming In contact
with the short rail in the center Of the
track and the pony truck wheel COM
ing in contact with the main rail COM
pletes the circuit which charges the
magnet and IN this way automatically
closes the throttle and Sets the brakes.
On the other hand, when the signal Is
set "clearance' there is no circuit com
pleted, and the train passes the signal
post untouched.
Some advantages of the system are
that in case the engineer is dead OF
asleep and the signal is set against
him the train Is brought to n stop
without loss to the company or injury
to the train. The system is such that
should a train break in two or an air
hose break the engine Is shut down. as
the throttle works in harmony with
the brakes. and as the brakes are set
the throttle will close. The system also
throws a safeguard around the travel
ing public in the case OF Il dernil. for
If the signal is set ut block the engine
will be stopped before the derail Is
reached.
Railroad men who have examined
Mr.. Steig2lmeyer's patent are astound-
ed at the simplicity Of the mechanism
and believe the system Il great success.
With this system in use. they say. the
danger of railroad travelling will be re-
lucel 30 per cent. They also say that
1t Is entirely practical.